Since I published my first presentations regarding Oppositions on the Anima Mundi I have understood them in greater depth. After a great deal of study I have decided that the original did not explain the opposition between Mercury and the Moon correctly. I have had a long time to contemplate this model and understand it in greater depth. This presentation also introduces consciousness and is visually more fun I hope. Enjoy. Not sure what category it belongs in. I would choose Philosophy but there is no Philosophy category listed. Maybe scientists would not approve so I have listed it under Spiritual. I think it's both.

1. 1
The
of
.

2. 2
and , and , up and down,
backwards and forwards, is dependent on the
operation of opposing forces.
Our cannot exist
in two places at once.
When we are we cannot also be .
is dependant on
functions of perception operating in our brains.

3. (Which also supplies a model of the human brain).
3
essential
to the functioning of the brain cause conflict in society.
So now we need to check out
Here we hit a problem!
Understanding these
will enable us to utilise them positively.
Opposites always entail each other, and can only be separated
abstractly and at the risk of upsetting the rhythm of life by treating
them as really inseparable. Enforcing order produces disorder.
Attempts at overt control on behalf of one half of the dyad at the
expense the other half, whether such manipulations be political or
otherwise, simply makes things worse.’ Daodejing, Ames and Hall, p.168, 2003.

4. ‘The lapis (the philosopher’s stone) consists of the four
elements or has to be put together from them’.
Morienus, from Tractatus Aureus, Aion, p 236-237.
‘And as a man is made up of four elements, so also is
the stone, and so it is dug out of man, and thou are its
ore’.
Ibid, p. 168.
‘It is what is called ultimo exquadra circulae, the square
in the circle, or the circle in the square. It is an age-old
symbol that goes right back to the pre-history of man. It
is all over the earth and it either expresses the deity or
the self;’
Conversations with Carl Jung and Reactions from Ernest Jones. Richard I.
Evans.
4

5. Empiric-thinking
Intuitive-feeling
Sensual-feeling Intuitive-thinking
Earth
sensing
Air
thinking
Water
feeling
Fire
seeing
5
‘Through the mixing of the four elements inequalities
arose which caused uncertainty and so necessitated
decisions or acts of choice’. Paul Anton Lagarde, Clementina, Aion.
The Four Elements onHere
it is.

6. This information informs us as to how to bring out the best in this
arrangement.
6
‘Reduce your stone to the
four elements, rectify and
combine them into one, and
you will have the whole
magistery. The one, to which
the elements must be
reduced, is the little circle in
the centre of this squared
figure. It is the mediator
making peace between the
elements’. Tractatus Aureus, Aion,
p. 239

7. Empiric-thinking. Frontal Lobes
Intuitive-feeling
Cerebellum and Occipital Lobes
Sensual-feeling
Left Hemisphere
Intuitive-thinking
Right Hemisphere
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This is the plan of the brain inherent in this arrangement.

8. Our egos have the run of this world of the inner psyche with
no restrictions imposed.
Our awareness wanders. We concentrate on certain areas
at the expense of others. Our culture actively encourages
absurdity as conceptual fashions bias us in favour of one
direction or another.
Our birth charts predispose us to imbalance.
Imbalance can of course be creative – think hammer - but
not when it‘s a tool in the hands of an idiot.
Consider the shining on the .
Although Sydney and London exist at the same time in
space the Sun can only shine on one city at a time.
When it is daytime in London it is night-time in Sydney.
It is the same with these oppositions.
8

9. Mysticism Philosophy
Mother Father
Death Birth
Physical beauty Theoretical beauty
Practical Intellectual
Business Science
Negative Signs Positive Signs
Earth Air
FireWater
Intuitive-feeling
Intuitive-
thinking
Sensual
-feeling
Empiric-thinking
I have applied a single word to each sign of the Zodiac. Each sign carries a
world of meanings but for the sake of simplicity I have chosen just one. The one
that I have chosen illustrates a foundation significance of the astrological
archetype that applies.
9
The inner configuration displays the beauty of the pattern the illuminates on
its journey through the astrological signs.

10. The first opposition we will consider is concerned with our search for
When Christian ideology ruled intuitive-feeling won, lately it has been the turn
of science. That either should win is a disaster because in both cases they fail.
Indeed it can be seen that the entailed opposite gains the upper hand.
This reminds us to honour both sides.
John Templeton left a $1.6 million prize for any scientists prepared to ‘broker a
partnership’ between this warring pair’. (New Scientist, 2 August, 2008, p. 52)
Remember, the up-surging ‘reality’ of the moment –
the ‘absolutism’ of being here is always represented by the little circle
at the centre -
‘The mediator making peace
between the elements’.
‘
TRUTH
10

11. Empiric Thinking
Intuitive Feeling
On Faith and Truth …my faith does not
require another to believe it. My faith is
rooted in what I believe is the best path
for me, not for you. If we are all one as I
believe, then there is no right or wrong,
for how can one part of the whole be
right and another part be wrong? Curtis
G Schmitt.
Relativism
In academic circles and the culture at large, the
story is that there is no such thing as
“truth.” If there is, most still cling to the idea
that truth is what the scientific method can
verify, professing this belief dogmatically and
definitively. Maggie Ciskanik, M.S.
Inconsequentiality
TRUTH
‘Where “truth” or “true” is defined, it
will be to the effect of “that which is
a fact” or “that which is verifiable …’
William J. Shields, Wikipedia, Truth.
‘Philosophy is not the reflection
of a pure existing truth, but, like
art, the act of bringing, truth into
being’. Ponty, Phenomenology of
Perception, xxii
11

12. Subjective truth vs. objective truth.
This is the religion/science divide.
Here the scientist opposes the mystic yet they are both on the same quest.
Scientists seek ‘truth’ through empiric-thinking, earth/air. They explore a world that
can be seen, felt, and touched. They poke it and prod it, slice it, measure it and
weigh it. With Saturn, Uranus’ partner’s help they create telescopes, microscopes,
physical equipment that offers support in their endeavour.
Scientist’s achieve spectacular results - quantitative methodology has won
collective respect. It has brought rewards.
The mystic seeks answers through intuitive-feeling, fire/water, (our feelings
respond powerfully to information presented to our eyes). We feel alive! This is an
amazing fact. Something, a mystery to the empiric-thinking self but clearly part of a
greater whole, is operating.
This model awards us a clear understanding as to why science is the enemy of
religion and religion is the enemy of science, the Church vs. Galileo, Evolution vs.
Creationism, history supplies us with endless well-documented examples.
Mysticism, when it unwisely attempts to commandeer the surety of empiric-
thinking, results in megalomania. Conversely, arrogantly discounting the enigmatic
source puts science on a course set to destroy our world.
In terms of entailment this axis illustrates the discontinuity between ‘awake’
(Uranus is called the awakener) and asleep (Neptune is the dreamer). You can’t be
both at once.
TRUTH
12

13. Intuitive Feeling
Empiric Thinking
STRUCTURE
Business
Religion
13

14. Here is the opposition between the Capricornian
businessman (Saturn/tenth house) and the Sagittarian philosopher (Jupiter/ninth
house). What use can the businessman see in the student, pack on back, off to
experience the world?
Saturn, Capricorn’s ruling planet, stands for boundaries, for stones and bones, walls
and rules. The danger in Saturn is crystallisation. Capricornian/Saturnian structures
are necessary but are by nature inflexible. Secular law is cold and unforgiving. It has
literally ‘no give’. Yet Saturn ruled the Golden Age - civilization depends on society
following the rules. Imagine a city with no roads, where nobody drives on the correct
side or stops for a red light.
Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter, optimistic king of the gods. The philosopher looks for
patterns in experience. The structure of moral law takes account of subtleties: ethics
are forever reviewable. Sagittarius is intuitive ‘knowledge’. The world is Sag’s oyster, a
wonderful place promising adventure and requesting exploration. The demands made
by this position are grow, learn, and expand. Life is regarded as an adventure. The
weakness is over-optimism and irresponsibility. Juno was not a happy wife.
When corrupted by its opposite this position produces fundamentalism.
The Government, the police, the Law Courts, these are Capricornian institutions.
The structure of Sag is ninth house. Universities were set up by the priesthood.
This is also the opposition between Fear (Saturn) and Greed (Jupiter). Structure,
like truth, is in the middle.
STRUCTURE
14

15. Physical
Beauty
Birth
ENDURANCE
Sensual-feeling
Intuitive-thinking
15

16. Sensual-feeling Taurus attempting to
conserve physical beauty opposes pioneering, intuitive-thinking creative Aries.
Taurus is concerned with safety, security, and dependability. Its ruling planet is
Mother Earth, its house, the 2nd house of home.
Aries, ruled by the red planet Mars, is spring. It is vibrant. It stands for
beginnings when all is young and fresh and full of potential. At its best it is
progress through change. Its house is the 1st house of birth.
I learnt about this opposition through a news broadcast. It described a conflict
between conservationists and the building of a new bypass.
A Taurus image is the oak tree. Taurus endures through strength and
persistence.
An Aries image is the warrior. Ruled by Mars it is brim-full of vitality, courage
and heroism. Every year it brings a new spring. Mars is intuitive-thinking. It is
made up of the elements Fire and Air: Fire feeds on oxygen.
Martian desire is hot.
Taurus, left to its own devises, in spite of its strength, could not endure. Its dark
side is ‘materialism’.
Aries, like a military tank, left to its own devises would carelessly destroy
everything in its path. Its dark side is vandalism.
They are both necessary. Together they modify the expression of the other so
that life endures.
ENDURANCE
16

17. Sensual-feeling
Romantic
Illusion
Despair
REGENERATION
Intuitive-thinking
17

18. REGENERATION Scorpio, ruled by Pluto, king of the
underworld, is compulsive. Scorpio is negative and therefore physical. This
compulsion can be seen operating in the sexual act. It is carried out in secret.
What is more physical and compulsive than orgasm. It is the power of the
contractions that give birth to the child – even if the birth kills.
Libra, partnership, ruled by Venus, is romantic love.
This is a powerful opposition – Pluto means power. The Greek myth of Pluto and
Persephone, the Babylonian myth of Ereshkigal and Innana, they both deal with
this Scorpio Libra issue.
Pluto wears a helmet of invisibility when he comes to the upper world – he is not
pretty. Scorpio is that time of year when leaves fall. Pluto is shit and compost
heaps and rotting fruit. His dark side is despair. Pluto breaks down old forms so
that they can be re-assimilated into the system. He is also the seed inside the fruit
personified by Persephone and symbolised by the pomegranate she carries. He is
one end of the regeneration process - Venus is the other. She is the beautiful
flower that entices and attracts.
Pluto is responsible for fossil fuels which result from the regeneration process.
So far he has kept our world clean but he cannot regenerate Plutonium. This is an
issue that needs to be addressed.
Venus is attraction. She understands the other. She is beautiful and charming
but also manipulative. She knows exactly how to entice. Another name for
intuitive-thinking is imagination. Venus uses imagination to conjure up images of
romance in her famous mirror. Her dark side is romantic illusion.
Each is indispensable to the other but they are very different. 18

19. Sensing
Intuition
ORGANISATION
19

20. When I was in art school our teacher asked us if we knew what a
post box looked like and we all chorused YEAH. So he asked us to
draw one and we failed. We couldn't remember the details.
He sent us out to look.
Virgo, Motor Cortex, looks. It deals with a myriad details.
Leo can see things with the MIND’S EYE. Cancer, Autonomic
Nervous System, operating the Moon memory (water retains heat),
memorises Leo images so we instantly recognise what we see.
We cannot look and see at the same time. If you are visualising
your front door you will not see what is in front of your eyes. Try it.
Virgo
Looking
Leo
Seeing
O
20

21. ORGANISATION Leo, The King, the Father, the boss,
organises the large scale: kingdoms, companies and families.
The planets all orbit the Leo .
Virgo is ruled by Chiron and her siblings, the many asteroids between Jupiter,
and Saturn. Virgo the secretary, the nurse, the servant, organises the details.
Virgo is practicality personified.
Leo is vision. No sunlight and we would require no eyes. Leo sees. We respond
to what we ‘see’ with our hearts. ‘I see’ means ‘I understand.’
Virgo looks.
Seeing and looking are different and entailed.
Conscious awareness (unless it is in the centre) is limited to only one area at a
time - the cannot shine at the same time on Sydney and London.
Looking requires concentrated effort. Most of the time we get along with just
seeing. If you want to draw something accurately you are required to look.
Virgo, ‘complementary’ partner to Gemini, rules libraries, where ideas are stored
in a myriad words and pictures.
Virgo can be involved with detail to the point of neurosis.
Leo can be self-centred to the point of tyranny.
21

22. SURVIVAL
The Opposition between Cancer and Gemini is concerned with Survival.
Cancer is Water – pure feeling. If you concentrate on how your big toe feels or
on listening to your heart beat you will have to suspend thinking.
Try it.
Thinking
Feeling
22

23. hearing
listening
O
This opposition explains another ‘entailment.
‘Hearing’ and ‘listening’.
Gemini ruled by Mercury, like Virgo ‘looking’, is the arena that demands
conscious concentration.
Interpreting the complexity of the
sounds that make up words are the
arena Mercury is responsible for.
It is the noise that might imply danger
that the Moon, the Sun’s partner in the
autonomic nervous system is concerned
with. The Moon must therefore be
‘hearing’. On the model of the brain this
is the cerebellum – the ‘snake brain’.
The most primitive of creatures respond
to noise, even when asleep.
To fully comprehend the opposition in this entailment concentrate on the
sounds in your environment.
23

24. Mercury
ruled
Gemini
Moon
ruled
Cancer
yang
yang
yang
yang
yang
The Receptive The Creative
Earth Heaven
These are the Complementary Connections as they line up in the I Ching,
the positive signs on the right, The Creative Heaven, the negative signs, on the
left, The Receptive Earth,
Check out the RULING LINES.
This Cancer/Gemini opposition offers additional information.
Six in the
second
place.
Nine in the
fifth place.
These ruling lines convey
information.
24

25. Thinking
Feeling
am
They illustrate two distinct modes of self-awareness that allow
for .
‘I’ is the name we give our thoughts.
‘I think therefore I am’.
The Creative Heaven.
We pat our hearts when we use the
word me. ‘Me’ is the name we give
the physical matter that makes up our
body. ‘Please don’t hurt me’,.’
The Receptive Earth.
25

26. Cancer is gut feeling. Gemini is the wits.
They work together for our survival.
The guts will throw up if anything endangers the digestive system, this might
embarrass the wits but the guts would not survive without the wits to work out how
to get us the next meal.
Cancer is ruled by the instinctual Moon. This is the place of the physical heart.
‘Straight square great without purpose’ Line 2 of The Receptive (I Ching). The
yin (matter) heart pumps the blood around the body, its yang (energy) ‘partner’, Leo,
supplies the beat.
The dark side of Cancer is self-pity. Poor me.
The dark side of Gemini is superficiality.
Gemini, ruled by Mercury, messenger of the gods, the ‘flying dragon in the
heavens’, Line 5 of The Creative (I Ching), is pure thought.
Gemini rules the journalist. Mercury is not particularly interested in facts - facts
can get in the way of a good story. It is not intuitive either so here we see it ruling
pure Air on the philosopher’s stone.
It is invisible but it has a profound reality so important we
have given it a name. We call it ‘I’. Consciousness states, ‘I am me’.
I am, the verb to be.
Our conscious sense of ourselves is the product of entailed opposite cognitive
functions, neither I nor me but the result of the interaction between the two.
We are back at the middle again!
SURVIVAL
26

27. Right Left Left Right
Viewed from
above.
Viewed from
below.
So now we understand how these functions of perception act in the brain.
Remember, opposites always entail each other, and can only be
separated abstractly.
Perhaps, with this knowledge at our disposal, we will be able to utilise
them with greater awareness?
27

28. ‘The mandala first comes into consciousness as an impressive point
or dot’. Tracticus Aureus, Aion, p. 32. This point ‘being nothing and consisting of
nothing, becomes a ‘certain magnitude incomprehensible by thought’.
Hyppolitus, Aion, p.199.
Here again is the
pattern the
makes as it orbits
.
I think it is beautiful.
28
the of .
I hope it has helped you understand and come to terms with
the necessity of the

29. directs attention
to the circle in the middle where all the archetypes combine.
The incarnation point of each moment where
and
join forces to create our experience of
How did the ancients know to intuit this? I am overcome with
amazement reflecting on the genius of their insight.
29

30. ‘… to see the world and grasp it as
paradoxical, we must break with our familiar
acceptance of it … and from the break we
can learn nothing but the unmotivated
upsurge of the world’.
Merleau Ponty, The Phenomenology of Perception, xv.
Chrissy Philp
30