There’s lot of talk today about “fake news” and arguments (some legal) about whether social media sites should allow posts that are blatantly “false” or “lies.”

What a wonderful discussion!

It’s not fake news we’re discussing, really. It’s the nature of reality which most of the time is a topic solely for university courses. Welcome to the dinner table discussion of what’s “real.”

While the social media which connects us to each other minute-by-minute seems to be creating issues around truth, it may actually be revealing fundamental realities. Social media is exposing something existential – we do not perceive reality exactly as any other human on the planet. “Facts” are often disputed with the great weapon called “words.”

Through the lens of “self,” each of us experiences the world in a unique, self-oriented way. Our actions always make sense to ourselves and can be explained simply by explaining our own unique perspective. Because we all try to make sense of the world, we hope that others share our perspective, which works for us in our own, unique way. Rationalization is the tool of the “rational” to explain every action as a portion of a more logical whole, even when not.

While some cultures, like the American culture, focus on individuality and uniqueness, the reality of it is, truly, a bit terrifying.

It means you are alone in your perceptions. Unique equals singular and singular is alone.

You can surround yourself with family, make lots of friends, join organizations and religious groups in order to relate to others, yet in none of these situations will you find someone that perceives in exactly the same way that you do. And trying to force perception on others simply creates control situations.

Maybe, dear readers, this is why humans are forever trying to control one another. Possibly all control is a means to force others’ perceptions to be equivalent to one’s own in order to relieve a sense of aloneness.

What is Freedom?

Speaking of individual perception, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex have decided to part from a life of royalty and lead a more independent life.

For Harry and Meghan, removal of royal duties may constitute of a type of freedom. They may even live in the United States (Los Angeles) someday, “the land of the free and home of the brave.” If they do, Harry might want to bring the crown jewels to pay for health insurance and college tuition for the little one.

According to this CNBC article, about half of Americans play the lottery with total sales in the $71 billion dollar range (circa 2017). Half of the United States population is seeking the type of wealth that Harry and Meghan may walk away from.

Millions seeks great wealth and privilege and some walk away from it.

So what is freedom?

Freedom for Harry might be coming home after a long day at work without the paparazzi trailing him to enjoy dinner with his family and spend some time on the couch watching TV. Maybe not being the center of attention due to the accident of birth would be a great freedom.

For those buying lottery tickets, freedom might be relief from the working life and the ability to travel the world and not worry about money and health insurance and retirement. Thoughts of fame and fortune appeal to many, especially the young, who would love for the world to be watching their every move.

One person’s freedom is different from another person’s freedom. Your “freedom” is composed of your personality combined with your circumstances.

Prince Harry’s Freedom – Neptune and Jupiter in the 12th

While there are astrological transits in play for Harry that may provide a smack-in-the-face (such as transiting Saturn crossing the ascendant and Uranus transiting the moon), let’s explore his desire for freedom, a deeply embedded need represented by Neptune and Jupiter.

Café Astrology has very nice descriptions of the astrological Jupiter and Neptune:

Jupiter, the King of the Gods, is the ruler of Sagittarius. In Astrology, Jupiter is a planet of plenty. It is tolerant and expansive. The first of the social planets, Jupiter seeks insight through knowledge. Some of this planet’s keywords include morality, gratitude, hope, honor, and the law. Jupiter is a planet of broader purpose, reach, and possibility.

Neptune, God of the Sea, is the ruler of Pisces. In astrology, Neptune is considered a planet of inspiration, dreams, psychic receptivity, illusion, and confusion. Neptune rules spirituality, and all things subtle. A youthful, and sometimes naive, spirit characterizes those with a strong placement of Neptune in their natal charts.

Both of these planets, for Harry, are in the 12th house but in different signs – Neptune in Sagittarius and Jupiter in Capricorn. The 12th house is the “hidden” house of the subconscious that we usually keep private. The 12th house has also been called the house of self-undoing because when our subconscious pokes out without conscious oversight, we often do things that create disruptions in our lives.

Sagittarius and Capricorn are both social signs in that they represent how we engage with the world. Sagittarius is where we create philosophical, religious or spiritual connection, but often in established institutions. Capricorn is where we create reputation and connect though work, position, and institutions such as government.

For Harry, Neptune and Jupiter in the 12th house is a great longing for “something else,” more experience, more connection, a higher purpose and more meaning.

With the combination of Neptune in Sagittarius and Jupiter in Capricorn, there is both the non-conformist (Sagittarius) and conformist (Capricorn). There are conflicting needs for heightened experience (Neptune in Sagittarius) with the need for a strong, respected authority figure in one’s life, like a wise teacher (Jupiter in Capricorn).

Freedom for Harry might simply be a desire to take a recreational drug (Neptune in Sagittarius) while maintaining the face of social responsibility (Jupiter in Capricorn). Maybe he just wants to walk around in his undies and sing along to the radio.

Transiting Jupiter was in Sagittarius last year and now has entered Capricorn transiting Harry’s 12th house and now 1st house. Jupiter in the 12th allowed subconscious desires to manifest.

Is this freedom or self-undoing? Time will tell.

Freedom and Security

In addition to Neptune in the 12th house, Harry also has Uranus and Mars in Sagittarius in the 11th house of groups and ideals. Meeting people is energizing and leads to adventures this earth sign (Virgo sun) might not find on his own.

While Harry struggles with his deep desire for spontaneous adventure, he has transiting Saturn crossing his Capricorn ascendant for the next year. Capricorn, an earth sign, is serious, cautious, rule-abiding and practical. Natal sun in Virgo and natal moon in Taurus are the other two earth signs which signify an ultimately practical person focused on the world of objects and facts.

Natal Saturn (ruler of Capricorn) is near Harry’s midheaven providing another indicator of Harry’s birth role of the serious, reserved statesman. Natal Saturn in Scorpio with natal sun and Mercury in the 8th suggest that some of the restraint required is sexual and physical.

Now that Harry has taken a leap into the world of “financial independence,” he will be balancing his practical, earthy nature against the parts of his personality that want to take risk, have fun and be free. Had he not been born into royalty, he might be one of today’s entrepreneurs. He still might.

The financial changes occurring in Harry’s life right now can be attributed to Saturn crossing the ascendant and Uranus in Taurus. But Uranus has not crossed over his moon and Saturn in a year will be heading into the house of finances. It will take a year, at least, for the financial plan to be in place.

It will probably take several additional years to become independent financially and with many more changes in property and assets. As the energy moves into Aquarius (Saturn next year and Pluto in four years), financial stability may come from sharing living or assets with a larger group. The economy may be very different by then (unique, group oriented, more equitable) and he may be part of those changes.

Freedom is Nothing Left to Lose

While freedom is many things to many people, it shouldn’t be confused with comfort. As we say in this country, freedom has a price and its own responsibility. The first taste of freedom is usually accompanied by relief from a prior situation, but then the world of freedom is so open that it can be confusing, like deciding how to decorate an empty room.

For Janis Joplin:

Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose
Nothin’, don’t mean nothin’ hon’ if it ain’t free, no no