In the Zodiacal wheel, signs opposite each other represent polarities, and also synergies.
Yesterday’s full moon in Pisces pulled focus to the axis of Virgo and Pisces.
On the surface, Virgo and Pisces are very different — polar opposites.
Earth sign Virgo categorizes, sorts, and organizes. It seeks the structure of plans, systems, routines, rituals, and schedules.
Watery Pisces dreams, dissolves boundaries, follows feelings, and goes with the flow. The ocean at first glance appears formless and shapeless. It doesn’t lead anywhere; it’s easy to get lost in it.
But all polarities contain within them the seed of the opposite.
Light contains dark. Joy contains grief. Abundance contains lack.
So too in the Zodiac. Pisces contains Virgo; Virgo contains Pisces. Virgo and Pisces are both opposites and allies.
Each, in its extreme, is unbalanced. We need the attributes of both to find a sustainable path to service and meaning.
Water’s Potency Comes From Structure
Pisces is a water sign, representing the great ocean.
Water’s potency comes from working within a structure. Even the ocean is contained by earth. Without the river banks, water becomes a destructive flood.
See the storm surges of any major hurricane or tropical storm, especially at a full moon, when tides are high.
When the boundaries and structures are not strong enough or high enough to contain the waters, they spill over and flood streets and houses.
When contained by a structure, however, water is powerful enough to drill a hole in a rock, over the long arc of time.
In the body, the structure of our physical container provides a space for the breath to flow.
This is the purpose of practices like yoga: the poses are structures to hold the breath.
When the body is open and the bones are aligned, we get better housing for the lungs and the other organs, which allows the currency of lymph, blood, and other fluids to flow freely. When the systems are flowing, we can move without stagnation.
Structure’s Power Comes From Flexibility
On the other hand, structure is only supportive when it has some fluidity and flexibility to it.
Even Virgo, the meticulous planner and organizer, knows that the best-laid plans sometimes need to be adjusted.
Although an earth sign, Virgo does not have the fixed nature of Taurus. Both Pisces and Virgo are mutable signs, navigating us through the transition between seasons. Mutable signs are adaptable and flexible. They compromise.
When structures are too rigid, they can break. This plays out in nature, in our bodies, and in our work routines.
In Nature
A recent New York Times investigation revealed that America is depleting its ground water supply faster than it can be replenished. Even the heavy rains don’t help because the land can’t absorb so much water at once. The rainwater simply runs off the land and into the rivers and oceans.
One result is fissures in the land: places where it is splitting apart, where it becomes uninhabitable.
In the Body
When we don’t maintain proper hydration and movement, bodies can become too rigid. Our bones are mostly water. When they dry out, they are more prone to breaking. Muscles that don’t retain their suppleness are more likely to tear.
Without hydration and movement, the body can get stiff and rigid, making movement painful and creating stagnation in the fluids and breath.
In Daily Life
Our daily routines and rituals follow the same patterns.
Creativity thrives within constraints. Limitations provide the conditions for innovation.
All flow happens within structure.
Boundaries can give us a sense of safety. Knowing the limits gives us freedom to move within them. Being clear about our boundaries with other people lets them know where we stand and what’s acceptable, giving them freedom to act within those bounds.
When we know where to go and what to do and how to get there, we can move through life more efficiently and effectively.
The nervous system craves structure; it wants to know what’s coming.
That said, if the structures of our life are too rigid, or if we become too perfectionist about them (a risk in Virgo), we risk becoming our own worst enemy, sacrificing the joy of life for the strict adherence to a pre-planned process.
Life throws both curveballs and unexpected opportunities our way. It requires us to be adaptable. It can even be helpful to go with the flow and detour from the well-planned path. This can opens us to new ideas, experiences, and insights.
Find Your Power By Mediating the Polarity
We find the power and potency to maximize our potential when we mediate the polarity of structure and flow to find the synergy: the structure within which we can find flow, the container that catalyzes our creativity, and the routines that support our expansion while keeping us focused.
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