ALCHEMY OF POLARITY AND GENDER at Ostara 2022
Ostara 2022 was heralded by a few significant conjunctions, which highlighted two of the Hermetic Principles – The Principle of Polarity and The Principle of Gender – both of which embody the balance of the equinox.
Mars & Pluto: The Principle of Polarity
“Everything is dual; everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites; like and unlike are the same; opposites are identical in nature but different in degree; extremes meet; all truths are but half-truths; all paradoxes may be reconciled.” —The Kybalion
The first conjunction was between Mars and Pluto.
Mars and Pluto represent the duality of the Horned God – life and death, respectively. Mars is the vitality of life; Pluto is the transformation of death. Mars is the warrior risking death in the midst of fighting for survival; Pluto is the alchemist seeking eternal life through transmutation.
However, while on the surface polarity appears to deal with opposites, the core of polarity recognizes opposites exit along the same continuum. Astrologically, Mars and Pluto are considered vibrational octaves of each other, meaning they hold the same inner essence but their external energies manifest differently.
Psychologically, facing one’s “other side” (the Shadow) is a time of authenticity and ultimate integration. However, it is also a very challenging experience; accepting our “dark” side and all the uncomfortable stuff we hide there. For Mars, his Shadow is depth and death (Pluto). For Pluto, his Shadow is openness and arrogance (Mars).
Mythologically, Mars meeting Pluto brings with it the potential for integration, but Mars likes to fight. He is selfish, willful, and independent, and can be aggressive and volatile. He does not respond well to control or facing the reality of his own death. Pluto, on the other hand, is controlled and manipulative, holding his power and influence in reserve. He does not respond well to rashness or immaturity. Nonetheless, they each see themselves in the other and can work very powerfully together. Mars can blend his strength and drive with Pluto’s power and transformation to activate deep understanding and acceptance of the big picture – wholeness. Or, the control and manipulation of Pluto can fuel the force and aggression of Mars to violent effect. It doesn’t always work smoothly (depending on their position in the Girdle of the Goddess) but they give it a try every other year.
Worldly considerations:
Mars entered the orb of the conjunction with Pluto around Feb 24. The conjunction happened in Capricorn, which is a position of exalted power for Mars.
Conjunction = blending of energies, prominence, intensification
Mars = warrior, will, force, aggression
Pluto = death, wealth, power, propaganda, nuclear energy
Venus & Pluto/Mars: The Principle of Gender
“Gender is in everything; everything has its masculine and feminine principles; gender manifests on all planes.” —The Kybalion
The next two conjunctions involved Venus, first with Pluto then with Mars.
Where Pluto and Mars represent the aspects of the Horned God, Venus is the full embodiment of the Goddess. Together, these three travellers represent the primordial genders.
It is important to remember that while humans love to apply everything to themselves, “gender” does not mean “woman” or “man”. Gender is binary birthed. It is the 0 and the 1 that brings forth all of existence. They both exist to varying degrees in everything. No one thing is pure 0 or pure 1.
Being one of the fastest moving travellers, Venus meets both Mars and Pluto regularly (sometimes multiple times in a year). However, Ostara 2022 has Venus meeting both aspects of the Horned God at the same time! And, while they are meeting each other! Most certainly not a common occurrence.
Mythologically, the relationship between Venus and Pluto is complicated and, itself, has transformed. As one of the oldest myths in human history, Venus was originally Inanna and “Pluto” was her sister (and Shadow), Ereshkigal, Goddess of the Underworld. However, as the patriarchy emerged, Venus became Persephone and Pluto became Hades, revealing the self-contained balance of the Goddess in a more external way. Venus became life to Pluto’s death. In similar fashion, the self-contained balance of Venus was also externalized through her transformed relationship with Mars. Originally, Venus was a goddess of both love and war, and Mars was the dying-and-resurrecting consort. However, that morphed with the patriarchy and Venus became love as Mars became war.
Aside – Human evolution appears inversely related to its capacity to accept paradox. Or, viewed another way, the rise of logic-loving masculinity directly relates to the decline in intuitive feminine understanding.
Nonetheless, the mythical relationship between Venus and Mars remains. They are lovers. Mars is Adonis when Venus is Aphrodite; Mars is Dumuzi when Venus is Inanna; etc… Astrologically and psychologically, Mars is the “I” when Venus is the “You”; Mars is the masculine, Venus is the feminine. They are the primordial relationship; the genders that create.
While, on the one hand, it is a blessing that Mars and Venus should meet at this time – just as life is seeking renewal – we must bear in mind that this 2022 meeting is overseen by Pluto. Death is ever present this Ostara. Both Mars and Venus met with Pluto before meeting each other. For Mars, Pluto unveiled death and catalyzed Mars to courageously fight for life. For Venus, Pluto foreshadowed her underworld journey (beginning this week), and marked this cycle’s descent as particularly meaningful.
Venus internalizes Plutonian energies where Mars externalizes them. Pluto (death) is the higher octave of Mars (life). Venus (now descending) is the higher octave of Earth (now ascending). Balance appears again and again.
Life exists in the midst of death and from death new life grows, birthed by the genders that are the primordial binary. The meetings of Pluto, Mars, and Venus at Ostara 2022 have gifted us with a multilayered experience that balance is the ultimate affirmation of creation.