We’re done with the last of the Saturn to Uranus oppositions along the Virgo - Pisces corridor - the next such opposition to change signs and lie along the Libra-Aries axis. To avert the likely impending Mercury retrograde questions regarding why I referred to the above axes in what seems reverse zodiacal order, I stated the axes on the basis of the faster moving planet to slower moving planet, in the order of planets stated (as we like to write “respectively”) and in reverse zodiac placement to honor Uranus. Of course, if I had stated them in reverse of my chosen reverse criteria, e-mails would be headed my way about how I don’t know what sign the planets are in... see how it is with the combo of Mercury retrograde and planets in Virgo? It’s so hard to get the details in an order that allows the comprehension of others to align with the order and logic created in your brain.
Anyway, now everybody’s looking forward to/dreading the arrival of Jupiter conjunct Uranus for the first time along the axis of Aries - Libra (using the logic of above). But wait! There’s an important and subtly potent alignment about to occur even before this occurs, and most likely will be ignored. This alignment adds one more feather to the Pisces - Virgo axis as Jupiter comes into the first of three oppositions with the new planet, Makemake (on May 6th). A second opposition with Jupiter retrograde and Makemake direct forms on October 4th and the final stand off appears with Jupiter direct and Makemake retrograde on January 9th, 2011, all along the Pisces - Virgo plane. Given the curious and significant relationship of these planets, it makes sense to get ahead of these oppositions and make preparations for concise use of the pattern.
Curious and significant relationship, eh? What is that? Makemake is the mythic birdman, the most revered deity of the people of Rapa Nui (Easter Island). While this Pacific-based lore seemingly holds no connection to Jupiter (Zeus) of the Roman-Greco mythology, a distinctive orbital factor emerges to link these planets. Jupiter and Makemake both make their closest contact with the Sun (perihelion) in Aries and a single minute apart! Jupiter is nearest the Sun at 15 Aries 21; Makemake comes closest the center of the solar system at 15 Aries 22 - both positions measured per the heliocentric zodiac.
Perihelion is one of two “slingshot points” in a body’s orbit (the other being aphelion). At perihelion, a planet stands at its minimal distance from the Sun, thus receiving solar intensity in greatest measure. As a planet comes to perihelion, it moves faster than at any other part in its orbit. Once past perihelion, a body begins to slow. At the moment of perihelion, the planet is sling shotted back into the depths of space (at aphelion, the planet is sling shotted back toward the Sun). By orbital symbolism, a planet at perihelion absorbs qualities of urgency, time (as related to speed) pressure and enhanced intensity; qualities shared by Jupiter and Makemake at the same degree and amplified by the nature of Aries.
The 1994 movie, Rapa Nui, is one of the better ways to align with the birdman mythology of the Island Culture. This is fairly easy to get in VHS and more difficult in DVD, but worth the search and watching. Some historical assessments of the film claim that the famous Easter Island statues were long in place by the time the birdman propitiation of the egg hunt began. That noted, there are some interesting points made in the film that pertain to both Makemake and Jupiter.
Jupiter refers to religion in traditional terms and the method of sacrifice to honor religions icons. Jupiter personifies over doing, too much, excessive use and over the top. In the movie Rapa Nui, there is a scene where the last trees are cut down to use as rolling logs to put yet another religious stone carving in place. Rapa Nui is an isolated island about 3,500 km west of Santiago, Chile. The indigenous inhabitants before the arrival of European explorers believed they were the only people on Earth. They fished and collected bird eggs for food. The expanse of the island is slightly more than 63 square miles (163.6 square kilometers) and as such, an awareness of limitation must have existed. The physical reality of limited island space and the number of trees was clear. The ocean, however, seemed unlimited and an unfailing supply of food. Knotting all of the above into a Mercury retrograde thought ball, did it make sense to cut down the last of the trees to roll out one more religious rendering? At its latitude, the land is subtropical. How hard is it to find shade with no trees?
Now whether this Hollywood ceremonial image is historically factual, it offers up a Jupiter-Makemake consideration. Should you sacrifice the last of a critical physical resource in the interest of attracting favor from your god? Televangelists tell you the more you give, the more God and Jesus will smile upon you. The ever popular prosperity seminars also indicate that if you can salvage the money to take their expensive seminar, prosperity, though not guaranteed by the seminar’s founder, staff, legal assigns and representatives, is more likely. Even common business logic states that it takes money to make money.
During the Jupiter to Makemake oppositions, the first is the only one in which Saturn watches his next door zodiac neighbor from the same sign. As he observes the resource sacrifices in the interest of securing the birdman’s favor and Jupiter’s abundance blessing, the ringed disciplinarian replies from slightly more than three degrees displacement from Makemake, “Don’t be an idiot! Weren’t you paying attention when I was conjunct him? I tried to tell you that resources are limited. Stay within those means. There might be a rainy day in the future, yes? If you want to be green, stop overpopulating the planet. And what the hell are you doing still buying investment products from Goldman Sachs, diving back into the stock market and real estate flipping investment properties?”
However, both Jupiter and Makemake sharing perihelia in Aries, believe in doing it quickly (could apply to their perceived best method of getting rich), exercising personal rights and executing a pioneering spirit. All the while, they serve as poster children for Intensity Junkies Worldwide, Inc., as they savor their physical dousing by solar energy and accompanying eternal, symbolic spring fever. If you watch the Rapa Nui movie and observe the accurately described propitiation ritual for the birdman, it’s easy to conclude that the eager volunteers for the birdman ceremony likely were adrenalin junkies and working off excesses of testosterone, since they were aware they couldn’t overpopulate their island. The birdman ceremony was basically an iron man triathlon geared to bring back a fragile sooty tern egg from another nearby island for inspection by the elders. In the effort to secure a year-long fate as the tribal “birdman,” a participant risked death by falling from a cliff, drowning and the possibility of becoming human sushi for sharks. Makes sense, right?
Saturn’s view of the opposition between Jupiter and Makemake suggests getting in there and doing the real, hard work necessary to create opportunity. In Saturn’s thinking, using available resources to build a prototype of something upon which one intends to build an economic empire makes sense. Saturn certainly understands sacrifice and appreciates religious tradition, but not so much as to compromise physical well-being and survival.
Two recent examples of the Jupiter-Makemake combo appeared. Going back to Earth Day, a tragic oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico followed the approval of legislation allowing offshore oil drilling on the East Coast of the United States. If death of workers and destruction of the environment is the result of securing energy - something that also applies to recent mining tragedies in China and West Virginia - are these means viable or becoming more of a hardship and/or problem than a solution? If a law to uphold immigration enforcement violates civil rights, establishes racial profiling and brings economic sanction upon the people living within the confines of the governmental community invoking such legislation, is it a solution or causing more disruption? If fish farms create toxicity in the waterways that compromises the ecosystem, is this a solution or more of a different problem? Please e-mail your opinions to relevant politicians instead of me; I intended these to be rhetorical for purposes of Jupiter, Saturn and Makemake.
Saturn wants to render grounding to the powerful opposition triptych of Jupiter - Makemake. Says he:
“Instead of waving misspelled and misguided protest signs, come up with viable solutions. If you’re yelling and screaming and bitching and offering no good, you’re part of the problem.”
“Delete the concept that one must sacrifice something evidently irreplaceable in the interest of securing humankind’s existence or the lifestyle chosen by the rich and famous. Think in terms of regeneration, what can be replenished and what cannot.”
“Plant trees. Collect rain water. Preserve resources.”
“Sit with developing solutions long enough to come up with consequence free solutions.”
“Think critically.” This means think in a logical manner that develops thinking and evolves concepts, instead of coming to critical inane judgments. My favorite example, and one I am sure I am repeating: If the outermost planet in the solar system represents real world physical limits, why wasn’t that effect transferred from Saturn to Uranus upon his discovery? Before you claim that it’s a visibility issue and Uranus cannot be seen and Saturn can, recheck the data. Uranus is like Mercury. Both can be seen at select times to a properly directed and observing eye.
Okay, so what if there are no good solutions out there now that are side effect free? Well, we just finished an aspect of change for progress courtesy of Saturn opp Uranus. Anything come out of that? In the last days of June coming up, Jupiter aligns with the most-distant point of the Uranian orbit. If one pulls back from the maddening crowd and contemplates, cannot a hearty, progressive solution be found? Cannot the prodigal native son/daughter return with the culture saving insight? Such ideas are not obscure per Uranus and certainly not when visited with Jupiter calling upon Uranus during the cranky old bastard’s retreat for reflection.
The Jupiter to Makemake opposition cycle persists through January. Shortly thereafter, Jupiter forges ahead into Aries (Jupiter enters Aries on October 9 from the heliocentric view) and comes to his own perihelion and simultaneously the perihelion of Makemake on March 17th of next year. Suggestively, the issue of people inhabiting this planet and what they require (or think they require to live the good life) is up for grabs in a big way between May 6th and next March with surges in insight and awareness available no less than five times in that window. Because of the egg lore, Makemake is symbolically fecund. Jupiter is symbolically wise and abundant. The combination of Jupiter and Makemake offers hope if wisdom and sensibility can be applied and if, to continue the novel theme of this GT, once avoids stepping into the snares of the Catch 22's created by society.
“Remember,” reminds Saturn. “It’s time to create solutions without problems.” As a final send off, Saturn slowly saunters back close to the degree squaring the Galactic Center, indicating that while not exact this first go round, the Jupiter - Makemake patterns also align with the Galactic Center, and the next two iterations will be even more so. Progressiveness in pensiveness with profound and prudent propitiation.