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One Sign, Five Planets

Neptune, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Pluto in the same situation

Pavel Medvedev · Published: · Updated:

Five websites explore five planets, each in twelve signs. Here they are brought together by sign rather than by planet: one sign, five questions. This makes the difference between sign and planet particularly clear. A sign is the situation you find yourself in: beginning, repeating, talking, joining a “we”, taking a role, considering a particular case. A planet is what you do in that situation. The same situation, five different kinds of work.

Here are those five kinds of work in one example. You are opening a school. Neptune asks: on behalf of what? As a musician, a business owner, a parent who needs to feed a family? That determines who comes. Jupiter asks: how far did your move shift things? Did people clear Saturday, or say “sometime”? Saturn asks: from what point is the school open? When the announcement goes up, when the first pupil arrives, when the first month is over? Uranus asks: what you call “opening”, is that one event or three — proposing, preparing, undertaking? Pluto asks: what makes it your school? If the next decision belongs to whoever gave you the room rather than to you, you did not open it; someone opened you.

Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto stand close together and get confused. Jupiter concerns degree: seven out of ten, with room for more. Saturn concerns a boundary: already yes or not yet, and by what sign we can tell. Pluto concerns what is necessary: what, if absent, means definitely no, however much we add. Uranus stands to one side: it always concerns two things rather than one — are they the same or different? Neptune stands behind them all: not what, how much or when, but part of what.

Under each sign below is the formula from its website, word for word, followed by the same thought in everyday language, usually through a scene from Marina’s school. The formula keeps the precision; the scene shows where to find it in life.

Aries–Libra: step and response

Aries. You are beginning. You write first, start the work, invite people.

Neptune — your first step on behalf of the larger whole you are part of.
— Marina opens the school as a person of music, and people who need music come. Had she opened it “to earn money”, the announcement would have been the same, but nobody would have come.

Jupiter — how much your move changes the situation.
— “We’re opening a school; courses to be decided.” Everyone nodded and forgot. “Saturday: a first lesson for people who have never played together.” One person got out a guitar; another cleared her morning. The second move is stronger.

Saturn — the boundary of the first step: what counts as a step already, and what does not yet.
— “Let’s build a playground,” someone writes in the residents’ chat. Everyone replies, “We’re with you.” That is not yet a step. Meeting outside the entrance on Saturday with a tape measure is. Until someone names what counts as a beginning, everyone thinks they have started, and nobody has.

Uranus — apparently similar beginnings are different: saying “let’s” and starting are not the same.
— Three people argue in a chat about who organized the trip. One wrote “let’s go”, another found the tickets, a third collected the money. Each began something different. Nothing changed after “let’s go”.

Pluto — what a first step cannot exist without.
— The step is yours if the next one is yours too. Marina takes a room from a cultural centre on condition that the centre approves the program. Enrolment has been announced, but she can no longer change a course. She is not the one who began.

Neptune in Aries · Jupiter in Aries

Libra. You are reaching agreement. Dividing things, responding to an offer, looking for what is fair.

Neptune — the common measure between us within the larger whole we are part of.
— Two people play a piano duet and take turns giving way: the music grows timid. Agreement comes when the composition, rather than politeness, decides who should be louder. A fair division must contain what both value; otherwise it is bargaining.

Jupiter — how much weight your condition carries.
— Marina agrees to the concert if the hall is reserved for Saturdays throughout the term. Her condition may be heard sympathetically and bypassed, granted for one rehearsal, or accepted in full. This shows what her “yes” is worth.

Saturn — the boundary of agreement: from what point we have agreed.
— “Split the costs equally” is not yet an agreement: one person buys expensive frames and sends over half the bill. An itemized list with amounts, confirmed by both, is an agreement.

Uranus — equal shares can differ: equal on the bill and equal in life are not the same.
— Two people split the rent equally, but the rooms measure twelve and twenty square metres, and only one has a balcony. Fair in money, not in life. “Flexible hours” is similar: in one company you choose your hours; in another, you are always on call.

Pluto — what an agreement cannot exist without.
— One person reschedules the exhibition opening without asking, and her money has already been spent. The words were shared; the decision was his. There is an agreement when neither can change it alone.

Neptune in Libra · Jupiter in Libra

Taurus–Scorpio: passing on and keeping alive

Taurus. You know how, and you repeat it. You teach someone, pass something on, make it possible to do it again.

Neptune — making the larger whole you are part of a part of other people’s lives.
— In a reverberant hall, the piece the pupil has learnt is lost. Marina does not demonstrate new movements. She lets him hear the hall, and he finds the sound himself. She has passed on what matters in music, not a technique.

Jupiter — how reliably you can repeat what you have mastered.
— A rhythm exercise: everyone can repeat it after the teacher; half can do it at home without a prompt; two can show a friend using different material. Three degrees of the same “I can”.

Saturn — the boundary of mastery: when you can say you have learnt.
— One successful batch of buns does not yet mean “I’ve learnt”. It may be luck. A second batch that meets the named criteria — filling, size, ready by morning — does.

Uranus — apparently identical repetitions can differ: repeating a movement and repeating a result are not the same.
— “Play it like yesterday.” One pupil repeats the pedal movements and gets a wash of sound in the new hall. Another releases the pedal sooner and gets yesterday’s sound. Which one repeated it?

Pluto — what a skill cannot exist without.
— A freelancer has worked for one client for three years: good designs, a steady flow of tasks. The client cuts the rate, and there are no other clients. Skill is not when things work out, but when you know what to do if they do not. Without reserves and a second client, this is luck.

Neptune in Taurus · Jupiter in Taurus

Scorpio. The work is alive, or it is not anymore. What to keep, what to let go, when to acknowledge it.

Neptune — sustaining what allows something larger to live through the work at hand.
— A teacher who could kindle enthusiasm is leaving. They can find a replacement and preserve the hours. Marina’s question is different: will the children still want to play, and what must be kept alive for that?

Jupiter — how fully the work does what it was started for.
— The same exercise as in Taurus, but the pupil can already repeat it. Now the question is whether it helps her hold the rhythm in a difficult passage. How much does it help, and how can three steps be linked to help more?

Saturn — the boundary of breakdown: when we can say it no longer works.
— For six months the club filled a third of the hall and paid the rent out of pocket. At the start, the organizers had named a sign that would mean closing. When it appeared, they did not drag things out. Without such a sign, the work dies quietly.

Uranus — responses can differ: replying and resolving are not the same.
— The agency replies on time, with a reference number and signature: “You have filed a claim; the matter is before the court.” The correspondence is closed; the matter has not moved. The brush-off is designed to look like an answer.

Pluto — what the work cannot live without.
— The club moves, changes its name, takes the instruments along, but the former director still pays for the premises. The first evening planned without his approval is cancelled. The work lives from the day it pays its own way.

Neptune in Scorpio · Jupiter in Scorpio

Gemini–Sagittarius: the map and the road

Gemini. You are talking. Discussing, arguing, trying to understand one another.

Neptune — the movement of the larger whole we are part of, in our words.
— “A program can already play any piece without mistakes. Is there any point in learning?” The pupil is not being lazy. He is asking where music is heading, and it moves in that very conversation.

Jupiter — how well we understand each other.
— The pupil wants a long pause at the end; Marina wants a short one. They record both and listen for where the listener waits and where the thread is lost. Neither changes their view, but now they understand what they disagree about.

Saturn — the boundary of understanding: when we can say we have understood each other.
— The author writes “yes, good” to the editor, who sends the cover to print. The author approved the colour and had not seen the subtitle. One thing separates “heard” from “understood”: both can name exactly what was being discussed.

Uranus — the same words can conceal different things: identical “I’ll think about it” replies can mean different answers.
— Two people say “I’ll think about it”. One checks the schedule; the other is politely saying no. Ask “when should we come back to this?” rather than “will you come?”, and you get two different answers.

Pluto — what understanding cannot exist without.
— Every residents’ letter to the manager passes through one intermediary, who decides what to relay. You can write as clearly as you like: there is no understanding, only his retelling. The condition is a direct route for the words to their recipient.

Neptune in Gemini · Jupiter in Gemini

Sagittarius. You are making your way. Learning, advancing, choosing where to go next.

Neptune — choosing your own course within the movement of the larger whole you are part of.
— New pupils are shy about playing together, each looking at the score and waiting for instructions. An ensemble forms when everyone chooses where to lead instead of waiting to be led.

Jupiter — how much the movement brings you closer to the goal.
— They stop after every mistake and start again: the opening pages grow more confident, but the piece never comes together. They learn to find each other again after a slip: the mistake remains, but the piece holds. The second adjustment brings them closer; the first does not.

Saturn — the boundary of the route: where we are still going where we intended, and where we have turned away.
— They collect city rhythms for an evening: stairs, wheels, a drainpipe. Three recordings to play with are part of the route. A tenth recording for its own sake means a turn away: gathering sounds has become a separate pursuit.

Uranus — apparently identical progress can differ: covering more and moving further are not the same.
— One person has completed three conversation courses; another has spent a year reading a grandfather’s letters with a teacher. In courses completed, the first is ahead. In terms of where each was going, there is nothing to compare.

Pluto — what a path cannot exist without.
— One organizer draws up the tour, and the ensemble will never reach the small library. That is transportation. A path exists when those travelling choose the road together with those waiting for them.

Neptune in Sagittarius · Jupiter in Sagittarius

Cancer–Capricorn: our “we” and its structure

Cancer. You form a “we”. A family, a team, an ensemble, your people.

Neptune — the life of the larger whole we are part of, within our “we”.
— Marina is offered the leadership of an association. Before saying yes, she asks what kind of “we” has gathered there and whether music is present within it. The strength of a “we” comes from a shared whole, not from numbers.

Jupiter — how strong our “we” can be.
— The youngest pupil says of the concert, “They’ll perform, and I play a bit too.” The older pupils hear how his part supports them and start asking for his help. Before the concert he asks, “Shall we go through that passage again?” The people are the same; “they” has become “we”.

Saturn — the boundary of our “we”: who is inside and who is outside.
— A graduate wants to stay in the ensemble without taking part in everything the school does. Two rehearsals a month and agreed concerts: she belongs. Teachers’ meetings do not concern her. The closeness remains; there is no need to renegotiate each time.

Uranus — there are different ways of being one of “our people”: kinship and shared life are not the same.
— A birthday guest list: “our people” means a sister, a brother, nieces and nephews. The brother has not called for ten years. The neighbour is not on the list, although she spent three months driving to the hospital. Two lists, usually not distinguished until they diverge.

Pluto — who a “we” cannot exist without.
— Four people used to meet whenever they wanted; anyone could miss a meeting. They become a quartet and take on a piece with four parts. One person’s absence now concerns everyone. The “we” emerged when no one could be missing, not when they chose a name.

Neptune in Cancer · Jupiter in Cancer

Capricorn. The work has a structure. Everyone has a place, everything a price; some things belong, others do not.

Neptune — our values in the structure of the larger whole we are part of.
— The director cuts rehearsals and free concerts. His sums are right — for a business. Tell him what we are part of, and the same figures fall into a different pattern. What belongs is judged from the whole, not the spreadsheet.

Jupiter — how robustly the work is organized.
— Every performance needs the director’s personal permission. If the director is unavailable, everything stops. Authority is assigned to the ensemble leader, and a substitute is named. Absence no longer disrupts anything. The school now withstands what used to stop it.

Saturn — the boundary of what fits: what is possible here and now, and what is not.
— The exhibition is ready: paintings hung, lights working. But a wheelchair cannot fit between the stands, and the attendant does not know where the key is. An individual visitor can be invited; a school class cannot yet.

Uranus — the same action can be fitting or unfitting: greeting people is good; greeting everyone during a talk is not.
— A latecomer walks around shaking hands. The speaker falls silent. He is doing nothing bad; it is how he was taught. But here he should have sat down quietly. The same movement, a different place, a different matter.

Pluto — what organization cannot exist without.
— Teachers rent rooms separately, each repairing an instrument and finding somewhere to teach. A dozen private arrangements under one signboard do not make a school. It is organized when there is something shared that someone manages: a budget, premises, a timetable.

Neptune in Capricorn · Jupiter in Capricorn

Leo–Aquarius: role and rule

Leo. You are in a role. You lead, direct, perform, take responsibility for your part.

Neptune — embodying in your role the larger whole you are part of.
— The landlord raises the rent. Marina has the lease and the figures in front of her. She leads because she is a musician, and music negotiates through her. That is where her strength comes from: the card is called Strength.

Jupiter — how much of yourself you put into the work.
— Marina gives everything to her own piece: it needs more of her. With pupils’ compositions, the reverse is true. The more of herself she puts in, the less remains of their idea. The degree of participation is a dial that turns both ways.

Saturn — the boundary of the role: where my part ends.
— Marina chairs a discussion after the concert, giving people turns and keeping time. A parent asks her to compare two children publicly: which is more talented? That is not her role today. A chair gives people the floor; a judge gives assessments.

Uranus — similar appearances in a role can differ: a stern tone and a strict teacher are not the same.
— Two teachers are called strict because both speak loudly. One gets angry and moves on. The other calmly repeats the task until it works. The quiet teacher everyone thought gentle also repeats it. Tone and work have come apart.

Pluto — what makes this my role.
— Marina could always have raised her hand at rehearsal. It would have been a person’s gesture. She became a conductor when everyone undertook to respond to that gesture. The condition of a role lies in the agreement of those it is for, not within you.

Neptune in Leo · Jupiter in Leo

Aquarius. A rule for everyone. Common practice, a charter, a law, a shared space.

Neptune — your rules and how you live by them within the space of the larger whole you are part of.
— The curriculum is designed for children who started young. A fourteen-year-old who works tunes out by ear arrives. Musical life is broader than one curriculum, so the school looks for forms it is allowed to offer. The rule serves the whole, not the other way round.

Jupiter — how far the rule actually takes effect.
— Teachers say, “We let children write their own music,” then rewrite their openings in rehearsal. Marina asks, “Are we helping the pupil realize an idea, or replacing it with ours?” The rule has been announced; how far it works is another question.

Saturn — the boundary of a rule: where advice ends and a requirement begins.
— Some take “free entry” to mean “come without limits”, and a room for fifteen fills beyond capacity. A confirmed place is a requirement; arriving early is advice. Until that is named, a rule’s severity is offset by its being optional.

Uranus — identical actions can be different matters, while different matters fall under one provision.
— Two people pick up someone else’s phone. One removes the SIM and keeps it at home for a month. The other calls the last number and returns it. One action, two matters: theft and a found object. Meanwhile, a gym, a course and a dentist are different worlds under the same consumer law.

Pluto — what a shared space cannot exist without.
— Libraries used to post their own notices on a shared network. An operator arrives with advertising and a single subscription. A free evening disappears from the mailing list: it is not in the catalogue. A notice used to be enough; now, without a catalogue entry, you do not exist on the network.

Neptune in Aquarius · Jupiter in Aquarius

Virgo–Pisces: the case and the whole

Virgo. This particular case. What you are occupied with now, and what it is to you.

Neptune — the value that the larger whole you are part of holds in your own life.
— Anton helps at the concert out of friendship with Marina: chairs, guests, the stage. At rehearsal he hears how a single pause changes the melody. He came for his friend and stayed for the music.

Jupiter — how deeply this experience absorbs you.
— The children arrive at rehearsal with different things on their minds: an argument in the corridor, a test, playing notes on autopilot. Marina gives them a brief musical question and answer. A minute later they are listening to one another because it is interesting. At the end, they note where to resume tomorrow and close their scores: disengaging is a skill too.

Saturn — the limits of the whole in my life: the boundaries of what we are doing now.
— The update works when tested on your phone. On a colleague’s phone, a button extends beyond the screen. This is another case; the same conclusion cannot cover it. Just as on a forum: an unrelated post is off-topic, and gets a separate thread.

Uranus — apparently identical cases can differ: one complaint, different failures.
— A ticket reads, “Poor speech recognition; improve the microphone.” The engineer asks questions: a noisy office, many people, the signal lost in noise. This is physics, not a driver. One ticket, two cases: broken equipment and unsuitable use.

Pluto — what makes this the relevant case.
— A tester finds a payment bug. The manager orders a release because the client is waiting. Under the old arrangement, it was “not that kind of case”. Under the new one, a payment bug stops the release without anyone’s permission. The finding is the same; what makes it count as a case has changed.

Neptune in Virgo · Jupiter in Virgo

Pisces. You are part of the whole. You participate, contribute, live within something larger.

Neptune — your participation in, and contribution to, the life of the larger whole you are part of.
— Alone, the repeated notes in his part seem strange to the pupil. At the full rehearsal, he hears what his entry does for the whole, and comes in differently. Music is happening through him now.

Jupiter — how much the larger whole means in your life.
— For the parents, the school concert is a twice-yearly progress report. A former pupil, now a well-known pianist, visits and plays with a current pupil the piece he learnt here. His teacher is in the audience. Suddenly the familiar piano and the children’s rehearsals are part of the wider world of music.

Saturn — my limits within the whole: where I end and the whole I belong to begins.
— Marina is responsible for her evening about ensemble playing. She is not responsible for all the town’s music, nor does she speak for it. Do not confuse your own pocket with the company’s. When you leave a job, take yourself, not the work.

Uranus — the signs of a whole and the whole itself are not the same: an aeroplane made of branches does not fly.
— Islanders build a runway, a tower and a full-size plane from branches, then wait for cargo. A concert where children play learnt pieces without hearing one another is not music. Two beginners trade notes in a lesson; one slows down, the other hears it. Music.

Pluto — what makes this the whole it is.
— A boy with two notes was not allowed into the concert: admission required a solo piece. The school changes the arrangement. The teacher is responsible for the makeup of each number, and everyone must have a needed part. The notes are the same. The whole has changed, and there is a place in it.

Neptune in Pisces · Jupiter in Pisces

One scene, five questions

One more look at Scorpio, to show that the questions do not replace one another. A music club: the hall is one-third full, the rent is paid out of pocket, no new performers are arriving.

Neptune: what is alive here? Through what does music live in this club, and is that what we support, or are we supporting a timetable? Jupiter: how fully does the club do what it was started for — one-third? Saturn: by what sign will we say it no longer works? Did we name that sign in advance, or will we drag on until the money runs out? Uranus: people answer our letters and come to meetings; is the work moving, or is a response taking the place of the work? Pluto: what can the club not exist without? Is it living on someone else’s money, liable to close at one decision by someone else?

The club can be alive by Neptune and dead by Pluto: music is present, money of its own is not. It can pass Saturn and fail Jupiter: no sign of breakdown yet, but the work is doing a quarter of what it is for. Looking through one planet means seeing one-fifth.

Five websites

The theory behind these readings is in From Metaphor to Geometry; Marina’s original story is in Where Astrology Comes From.