Aspects of Life
Maritha Pottenger
Our discussion of aspects moves now to Letter Seven with Pallas and Juno. Both Pallas and Juno function as keys to one-to-one relationships and human interactions. Both can indicate a cooperative, harmonious, sharing exchange and a competitive, score-keeping relationship. Both represent potential artistic talent and feeling for beauty, especially in the visual arts (e.g., painting, graphic design, interior decorating, photography, architecture) which involve a sense of line, harmony and a feeling for space.
Concern with appearances and how things LOOK can be an issue with either Juno or Pallas prominent. This can manifest as a focus on physical appearance, a concern with what other people will think, a desire for there to appear to be harmony even if underlying problems remain, a motivation to create beauty and lovely surroundings, etc.
Other factors being equal, Pallas is more oriented towards open relationships, group associations, causes or interactions with space and liberty for the people involved whereas Juno is more a key to committed, intense relationships, especially marriage or living together with a definite bond. However, both of these asteroids have the chameleon qualities of Libran adaptability and can manifest either side of relationships, depending upon their house/sign/aspect placements.
PALLAS and/or JUNO to PALLAS and/or JUNO
The conjunction points to a focus on Libran issues in the life. This could include a tremendous focus on the aesthetic side (e.g., redecorating the house, taking up an artistic hobby, increasing success and output as a professional artist, a “make-over” of one’s personal, physical appearance up to and including surgery with other appropriate aspects or some other variation).
Another option is concentration on partnerships. This might encompass marriage counseling, getting married or making a significant commitment to another person, a major lawsuit or other legal activity, personnel work, some intensely competitive interactions whether in sports, business or personal life, etc.
There is often a marked desire for fair play and justice. This can lead to political or social action, fighting for equality on a number of fronts or merely a concern for balance and harmony in the personal or aesthetic side of life.
If we project these themes into a partner, allowing him/her to express them for us, we may experience the competitive drive, desire for harmony and balance, or pull for a relationship through this other person. This partner figure may accentuate justice and meeting on a one-to-one level in our lives.
Conflict aspects suggest inner ambivalence about handling these themes. It could be that we are torn between a cooperative and a competitive style. We may swing from one to the other or project one end into a partner, or displace (the right thing in the wrong place). In such a case, we could end up being accommodating where we should compete and being competitive where cooperation would be more appropriate.
Our passion for fair play and equal opportunity may war with our desire for peace, harmony and an easy flow. We may be facing choices as to when, where and how to emphasize justice versus serenity. We may feel torn between a desire to present a pleasant exterior and a drive for equality. We may be struggling to discover ways and means to be an affectionate, friendly and attractive person while still accepted as a peer (not co-opted).
To some extent, I see this struggle as representative of many women today. We are refusing to be limited to the role of an attractive sex object. We are also declining the position of being solely a competitor. (Being “more like a man” is NOT the solution. The whole world needs to internalize, accept and VALUE traditionally “feminine” qualities such as empathy, nurturance and the capacity to be vulnerable—if we are to straighten out the mess we are currently in. Promoting more aggression, more machismo, more dog-eat-dog competition will not solve the problems of our Spaceship Earth.)
So, women today (and men as well) are searching for ways in which we can interact as peers and equals, while still maintaining a sense of personal attractiveness. We are learning when to compete and when to cooperate—with each other and with men. We are balancing accommodation and negotiation with an insistence on a face-to-face, equal-to-equal interaction. We are integrating diplomacy and occasionally settling for surface harmony with open confrontation and honest hashing out of differences. We are using the courts as one of our avenues to equality.
But, for many women, what remains a central Achilles heel? The threat that equality means she will not be attractive or that fighting for her rights means she will no longer be “nice,” no longer be pleasant. These are issues which Pallas and Juno highlight—that there is a place in life for loveliness, for beauty, for harmony and sometimes settling for the soft answer that “turneth away wrath.” But life also fundamentally strives for balance, for equality and for fair play. Competition is as natural as cooperation. Both need outlets in life. To express only one part of the potentials which Pallas and Juno symbolize is to deny our full humanity. If women and men split up the roles, each is losing an essential part of their wholeness.
Harmony aspects point to the potential of an easy flow in these areas. Issues still revolve around beauty, appearance, cooperation, competition, justice and equality. But with the harmony aspects, it is easier for the people involved to balance their various Libran sides. Not as much effort, attention or discipline is needed to know WHEN to cooperate (and when to compete); in what circumstances to be tactful and diplomatic and in what circumstances to insist on a honest confrontation of issues; where justice is essential; when accommodation may be a wise move; what kind of a peer relationship we want in various arenas of life.
We can overdo with harmony aspects. The main danger here would be an excess in one Libran area, e.g., being so concerned with appearance that we lose equality; being so concerned with score-keeping and our version of “justice” that we forget to smell the flowers along the way, etc.
The major message of these little Libran bodies is that we are all in this together! The sooner all humanity realizes this fundamental principle, the better off we will all be.
PALLAS/JUNO to PLUTO
The conjunction suggests an intense focus on relationship issues, especially those concerning joint resources, finances and pleasures.
Overt actions could include getting married (or divorced), going into therapy (or leaving it), inheritance or debt issues affecting a close partnership (business, marriage, etc.), sexual issues becoming a focus in the relationship, deciding to diet together (or quit smoking, drinking, etc.) or other options involving the handling of the shared physical world with another person.
Pluto represents our desire for self-control and self-mastery which is often learned partially through the mirror of a mate. However, one Plutonian choice is sometimes to cut off a part of life completely, as if by denying it we can solve the problem. So, you can find endings with Pluto aspects and strong denial tendencies. We may use withdrawal from one issue as a temporary solution (until we discover it does not work; eventually we must face the problem). Of course, one side of Pluto is knowing when is “enough,” when we have learned all we can from an experience and that it is time to release it.
Conflict aspects suggest inner ambivalence to be faced around areas of giving, receiving and sharing the physical world and its pleasures. Power struggles in relationships are an option, as we strive for equality. Either party could attempt to dominate the other; either could use money or sex as weapons for power; either could resort to emotional blackmail to try to control the relationship. Part of the challenge is to know when to cooperate and when to compete.
Inner struggles for balance (around our handling of food, alcohol, sex, money or other material indulgences) are also possible. If we project the struggle, we may attract a mate to live out some of it for us, or we can simply point the finger at the other party and each nag one another to lose weight, quit smoking, or whatever. Choosing to withdraw completely is always a potential option where Pluto is a key.
Harmony aspects imply it is easier for us to share comfortably in relationships. This does not mean necessarily that a couple does everything together (although SOME couples will). Other couples will sidestep potential power struggles over money, for example, by having a joint account for basic household expenses and separate accounts for their own personal uses. And many other options abound. The key is that the people involved are more likely to be INTERNALLY balanced in terms of how much self-indulgence versus self-control they wish to express around food, drink, making and spending money, etc. And, because they are fairly balanced within, they attract partners who are relatively balanced so that sharing with one another can happen harmoniously.
This is not to suggest that everything will be sweetness and light at all times. Pluto symbolizes our need to plumb the depths, our exploration of inner dynamics. Facing the shadow can be a highly uncomfortable process, but a growthful and transforming one as well. Pluto indicates potential relentlessness in the quest for deeper answers and Pallas and Juno can be keys to confrontation. Aspects between can indicate much interaction, dealing with heavy issues, bringing up and facing unconscious and hidden motivations. But as long as both parties accept one another as equals and as mirrors from whom they can learn something about themselves, the process can be one full of revelations and transformations for both.
PALLAS/JUNO to JUPITER
The conjunction ties Libran issues to our highest values, our ultimate search. Outward expressions can be varied, depending on which aspect of Libran expression we deify—and how.
We may turn justice and equality into an absolute value and fight furiously for fair play on all levels. Highly competitive, constantly seeking to keep things “even,” we strive to manifest total fairness as our be-all and end-all in life. Involvement with the legal system is quite possible, as is political action.
We may make beauty into a god and strive to always be attractive or harmonious, even-tempered, pleasant, etc. We may make an aesthetic environment our long-range goal in life. Artistic endeavors can be our central priority.
We could turn relationships into an idol and want more than is possible in that area. Options range from looking for a partner to play God to us (all wise, all giving, all loving, etc.); playing God to a partner with a savior or guru or other ultimate role played by us; searching for the ideal mate who does not exist and never finding him/her; getting into relationships with people who seem “perfect” only to be disillusioned later; marrying someone who thinks they are perfect and ideal; getting involved with a partner with whom we can SHARE the quest for ultimate meaning (through books, travel, spiritual quests, religion, etc.).
Conflict aspects suggest an inner war between our quest for meaning in life and our desire for harmony and fair play. This could manifest as feeling we have to make choices between a partner and a religious/ spiritual/educational pursuit. It could express as a situation where our partner or partnership is at odds with our ethical or moral principles. We might experience our desire for ease, harmony and a smooth flow as conflicting with our sense of what is ultimately significant in life. Our competitive drives might seem hard to integrate with our vision of spirituality. There are lots of options. The goal is to discover a way in which to manifest both the quest for something more, something Higher in life and the need for a sense of equality and peer relationships in our lives.
Harmony aspects suggest that these parts of our nature tend to work easily together. Our goals and values reinforce our sense of fair play, justice and equality. Our moral principles support our need for relationships and people interactions. Our aesthetic motivations reaffirm our sense of something Higher in life. Our one-to-one interactions help uplift us; our spiritual aspirations help us to maintain an even exchange in our partnerships.
PALLAS/JUNO to SATURN
The conjunction puts a focus on the natural square involved. Here we are attempting to combine the desire for equality and partnership with the desire for authority, control and a career. Necessarily, these issues take attention, focus and hard work to integrate.
This is true, REGARDLESS of the aspect. Thus, the basic issues are still there, with a conjunction, a conflict aspect or a harmony aspect. The harmonious aspects imply that integration is a bit easier to achieve, that the individual already has some sense of how to find the middle ground, the compromise position, and how to do different parts of life in different times and places. The challenge aspects suggest that the inner ambivalence and struggle is very intense and requires extra attention and discipline to be balanced and integrated.
With the conjunction, one option is again marriage or some kind of partnership. After all, that involves our desire for one-to-one relationships (Juno/Pallas) and a change in the basic structure of our lives (Saturn). Note business partnerships are certainly just as likely, as Saturn is a key to career anyway.
With any aspect, part of the issue is making choices (time, energy commitments) around relationships versus career. The goal is to have BOTH—not to try to limit either one. If we project either side, we could attract someone else to overdo that potential for us. If they overdo the Saturn side, we may experience them as dependable, responsible, hardworking and achieving—as well as dominating, controlling, rejecting and critical. If they overdo the Pallas/Juno side, we could experience them as competitive, appeasing, too concerned with appearance, aesthetics or having a passion for justice and fair play.
Part of the issue is determining WHERE and WHEN in our lives we want to be equal, friendly and relate as a peer versus WHERE and WHEN in our lives we want to be the boss—in charge and in control.
We are also learning to balance beauty and ease with hard work and realism; aesthetics with pragmatics.
PALLAS/JUNO to URANUS
This is a combination that is likely to encourage the transpersonal side of Pallas and Juno (depending on house and sign involvements too). The double air focus puts an emphasis on the intellect and on equality. Fair play is a central issue.
With the conjunction, freedom and individuality are likely to become issues in our relationships. Choices might include becoming involved with feminism or other liberation movements. One might decide to open up current relationships, removing barriers, discussing options, creating more freedom for everyone involved, encouraging individual self-expression. Old ways are likely to be questioned and innovations may be undertaken. In extremes, a revolution in relating is possible. Social action, fighting for causes and political action on the behalf of equality are all possible.
Divorce is, of course, one of many options, if either party feels his/her independence has been excessively curtailed and wants to break loose and break free. Computer dating to meeting a future partner on a spaceship are potentials. The new, avant-garde, futuristic and unusual is in some way blended with one-to-one interactions, beauty and balance.
Friends and relationships are combined, which can include turning former partners into friends or former friends into new partners. The tendency is to want to be “pals” and equality with everyone is accentuated.
The unusual or progressive streak may also be expressed on an aesthetic level with involvement in new artistic creations or an unusual approach to creating beauty.
Conflict aspects point to an ambivalence to be solved, although the natural trine implies that dealing on the air level (open, communicative, intellectual, equal) will solve most issues. The major struggle is likely to be between the freedom needs indicated by Uranus and the closeness needs implied by Juno/Pallas.
Of course, this inner conflict can express outwardly as divorce, or restlessness in relationships. Some people will choose NOT to make a commitment because they value their personal liberty too highly. Some will choose partners to manifest the freedom side—independent sorts unwilling to commit, people who are not really available, people living at a long distance, married people. When we select a love object who cannot be with us all the time, clearly we are unconsciously satisfying some needs for space and independence. Some people will vacillate from overdoing the independent side to overdoing the partnership side of their nature.
Integration requires a partnership that is also a friendship with room for both parties to do their own thing and still share an emotional attachment. If we select a transpersonal focus, we may meet our closeness needs through friends, satisfy our desire for interactions through groups and more impersonal associations.
Harmony aspects imply that a balance between independence and sharing is easier to attain than for many. Communication may flow relatively easily and a basic sense of equality is likely. If excesses are a problem (which can happen with harmony aspects), the likely outcome would be an overabundance of rationalization and intellectualization. The person might be very articulate and skilled at expressing him/herself but able to give lots of “good” (intellectual) reasons why s/he was not relating on the emotional level. The commitment might be more mental than anything else. Generally, however, the pattern is one suggesting talent at being able to be one’s self and still maintain an equalitarian relationship through sharing ideas and reactions.
PALLAS/JUNO to NEPTUNE
The conjunction again ties the infinite to Libran principles. Since Neptune is another key to beauty, an aesthetic theme is quite likely. Talent for beauty and a feeling for creating it is likely. This may be expressed through one’s own personal appearance, through some kind of artistic or beauty career or hobby or through the partnership (e.g., choosing a partner who has aesthetic talent).
If played out in the partnership realm, the quest for infinite love and beauty may be more of a challenge. Falling in love can be a risky proposition when the person is expecting the partner to be infinitely lovely and loving. The partner may be put up on a pedestal and we feel terribly disappointed when s/he turns out to be human. Or, we can seek a godlike creature who does not exist. We can also attract victims—individuals who expect us to be perfect and ideal for them, to make their life lovely. One choice, of course, is to seek beauty and perfection together, whether through mystical experiences, aesthetic creativity, healing activities, meditation or other channels to that sense of merging with the universe.
Conflict aspects suggest ambivalence between our desire for a human, sharing interaction and our quest to be a part of something infinite. We may feel our spiritual needs pull us away from our partnership or vice versa. We may feel torn between the open, communicating side of our nature versus the inward-oriented, reflective side. We could experience ourselves as having to choose between human beauty and infinite, inspired beauty. The challenge is to have room in life for both the sense of connection to the Universe and the sense of connection to another human being.
Harmony aspects imply that this blend is easier to attain. They might simply point to great talent in the area of beauty (whether through music, fashion, design or many other fields). For such people, the creation of beauty is one way of experiencing the inspiration of the universe, of feeling a sense of unity with a Higher Power. Harmony aspects may also suggest the individual is able to both tune into the universe, feeling its basic goodness and support, and to maintain an ongoing, equalitarian relationship with another human being, knowing that neither is perfect. Their faith and trust in the universe assists them in relating comfortably with others. Their appreciation of fair play, justice and even-handedness in life assists their ability to feel a part of something Higher. Union is experienced on many levels; empathy is enhanced. Love and idealism reinforce one another.