When I think of Thomas Jefferson, I’m always stunned by how a man who drafted our Declaration of Independence could hold slaves. The ability to hold such diametrically opposed views (and actions) to some is hypocrisy and to others schizophrenia.

Astrology has taught me to look for underlying motivation. Maybe there is a cold logic behind the ability to write,

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness, . . .”

while at the very same time holding captive human lives from birth to death.

Freedom as a Commodity

Freedom has many definitions including these two from Dictionary.com: 1) the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint and 2) exemption from external control, interference, regulation, etc.

If I drive to the mall right now, I will have to stop at traffic lights. Traffic lights are an external control and interfere with my freedom. If there were no lights, I’d get to the mall about 15 minutes faster and would be totally free.

How could I get rid of traffic lights?

I could work with others to get rid of traffic lights, but then we’d have to create a bunch of rules for intersections and mutually agree to obey those rules. But that would still limit my freedom from external control.

One way I could have freedom from traffic lights is to become the dictator of the country and make the rule that when I drive to the mall, all cars must be off the streets and the traffic lights turned off (a little like North Korea).

I would have freedom, but no one else would.

Maybe, then, freedom, to Thomas Jefferson, was a commodity meaning that there is a finite amount of freedom for us human beings to share. The more freedom you have, the less I have, just as with mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving dinner.

While the words of the Declaration of Independence are pure, the intent may have been simply to break from England and no more. Freedom from England meant fewer folks sharing the mashed potatoes at dinner. And with slavery intact, fewer even.

More mashed potatoes for me.

Saturn and Material Reality

In astrology, all planets from Saturn toward the sun are called “inner planets.” Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are called “outer planets.”

Saturn is the limit of our material world. Consequently, it rules structure. Anything brought into form is part of Saturn’s world.

Uranus, in astrological symbolism, is the awakener who creates sudden, disruptive events to bring us into a new energy pattern.

Uranus breaks then Neptune dissolves and finally Pluto transforms.

Think of a star that explodes (Uranus) then dissolves into space (Neptune) until it is caught up in the universe to become another form (Pluto).

Or, more simply, think of the old Alka Seltzer commercial: plop, plop (Uranus), fizz, fizz (Neptune) oh what a relief it is (Pluto ejecting waste).

Back in the 1970s during the Women’s Liberation Movement, women complained that men considered them “sex objects.”

“Object” equals Saturn. The problem, to me, isn’t simply that men see (or saw) women as sex objects. The issue is that as people we view ourselves as separate from everything else and other people and earth become “objects.” A sex object is just one of many objects. Slaves are just another object, as we can see from the registries of slave owners’ properties.

What is Freedom?

I believe true freedom is in the realm of Uranus, which is beyond form. Beyond form, freedom is for everyone at every moment in time.

Uranus freedom does not view the world as a world of objects to be used (“I use” is Capricorn’s key phrase, Capricorn being ruled by Saturn). Uranus freedom is freedom from the self as an object and by extension others (and nature) as objects.

When Uranus freedom is described a typical reaction is to wonder if we should just turn our heads to negative events.

Uranus freedom doesn’t negate Saturn’s world. Saturn is Saturn, Uranus is Uranus. Saturn is about structure, Uranus freedom.

While I don’t like stopping at the red light, I understand it and fully support it. No Uranus at four way intersections, please.

In Saturn’s world, structure prevails. I don’t personally believe that rationality prevails, although that’s what’s taught. We are all born into the world of structure and the structure is considered the norm, even if slavery is part of the structure. It can be difficult even to know to question the structure as it’s so pervasive.

Recently I came across this quote by Tuli Kupferberg and have been thinking about it a lot and it’s what prompted this blog:

“When patterns are broken, new worlds can emerge.”

Patterns are Saturn and breaking them is Uranus. And what are those new worlds? Who knows!