The Beauty and Pitfalls of “Our Better Angels”

Lincoln, born with a Saturn-Neptune conjunction, called for a divided nation to be in contact with its “better angels.” Perhaps no phrase quite captures the complexity and nuance of the Saturn-Neptune equation than Lincoln’s pronouncement. Ironically, although the Saturn-Neptune complex is notorious for its tragic and bitter sense of psycho-spiritual imprisonment, it is a gateway and invitation toward greatness. Saturn-Neptune footprints can be seen in the most beautiful motifs in music, the most inspired passages of poetry, the most sublime brush strokes, and the most gorgeous shots in film.

And yet. And yet, the Saturn-Neptune complex is simply a complex among many, a dimension of human experience that affords a wealth of possibilities. However, due to its paradoxes, it is easy to get trapped in its energy. Not unlike a dog chasing its tail, a person swept away in this complex may be overwhelmed by the energy. Perhaps the best pathway in dealing with the Saturn-Neptune conundrums and paradoxes is not through apathetic detachment but a sort of suspension that balances engagement with observance. Again, borrowing from The Matrix, when dealing with the Saturn-Neptune complex, it is perhaps best to “go down the rabbit hole” and to see the “desert of the real” for what it truly is, but making this life theme one’s sole preoccupation destroys the potentials and possibilities of other aspects of life. 

1                    Given an approximate 15 degree orb of influence

2          Jeffrey Kishner’s essay, “The Matrix as Birth Process” addresses other archetypes as seen in The Matrix.

3          From: www.Václav havel.cz

4          From: www.worldtrans.org/whole/havelspeech.html

5          Greene, Liz. The Astrological Neptune and the Quest for Redemption. York Beach, Maine: Samuel Weiser p. 293