Ditch the binary
Life is full of binaries - male or female, happy or sad, rich or poor.
They’re all human constructs.
Many of them emerged out of systems of oppression, where the worth of one group of humans is based on their usefulness to another group.
We’re judged based on how decorative, productive and convenient we are.
Part of my work is to help people spot and dismantle those particular binaries from inside their own heads.
And then there are the binaries which seem to make up the ‘rules’ of our own lives.
Either I can make a ton of money OR I can do work I love.
Either I can be happy OR I can be in relationship.
Either my thoughts create my reality OR they don’t.
Either I can eat what I like OR I can be thin.
Either I can be in grief OR I can be in joy.
Every single binary is a construct of human brains.
And the language of astrology arose out of the human collective unconscious over a period of millennia.
So it’s not surprising that astrology is FULL of binaries.
We all have them in our charts.
Uranus and Venus; Jupiter and Saturn; Sun and Moon.
When something feels like a binary, we naturally lean towards one end and assume that’s the only truth for us; our ‘natural style’.
We naturally develope a preference for one end, the end that feels easiest to access, and that’s often based on our own personal social conditioning.
For me, it was always Saturn (productive and perfectionist), Venus (balance and harmony), Sun (mine in Libra is another echo of the Venus energy).
I grew up in a family where it was extremely important to be productive, diplomatic and well-behaved.
But if we only express half our chart, it’s like living in a prison.
Here’s a revolutionary idea that will set you free.
Two seemingly contradictory things can be true at the same time.
We humans have brains which are capable of nuance and complexity, more than we realise.
When we unleash that power, we can activate and/and rather than either/or.
Science AND spirit.
Individual freedom AND caring for community.
Work that makes a difference AND getting well-paid for it.
Imagine a binary construct is a two-dimensional space.
We can consciously use the genius of our big, clever human brains, to imagine and step into a third dimension, a space where two things are true at the same time.
Start by looking for the commonalities.
Sun yearns for full, authentic development of the whole self; Moon yearns for emotional wellbeing - they both yearn for your JOY.
Saturn yearns for the fulfilment of your purpose in the world, and the joy of creating it step by detailed step; Jupiter yearns for the expansive adventure of exploring what lies beyond the known, and has zero interest in logic or details - they both yearn for your big dreams to be made real.
Venus yearns for intimacy, commitment, closeness; Uranus yearns for space, freedom, independence - they both want you to experience your truest desires.
Here’s the invitation for today.
Pick one binary construct that has felt like a trap in your life.
One assumption you’ve not really questioned before, that feels like a limitation.
What does the third dimension look like?
Activate playful energy, imagine you’re holding the binary, imagine it’s malleable like sculptor’s clay.
Reshape it, squidge it in your hands, play with it until you can see and feel and touch that third dimension.
And if it seems impossible, reach out.
My brain is like a binary-busting machine, because I’ve trained it to be.
I’m happy to shine a spotlight on your binary and play with it for you!
