The Saturn-Neptune opposition, which was with us for the better part of a year (it became exact for the last time about three weeks ago), is now waning. Many astrologers have looked back to the last opposition in 1971-1972 and noticed some dramatic parallels, especially in the uncovering of government secrets (i.e., then: the Pentagon Papers, now: where do I even begin?). But other interesting parallels can be found on the best seller lists and at the movie theaters.
Jonathan Livingston Seagull is listed as the #28 best-selling book of all time, having sold 40 million copies—even more than Gone with the Wind. Richard Bach’s new age fable, released in late 1970 just as the opposition line-up of Saturn and Neptune was forming, went on to become an international best seller.
I read Jonathan Livingston Seagull in about 1973 and really enjoyed it. At the young age of 24 or 25, it made quite a big impression on me. It’s about a bird, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, who teaches readers to follow their dreams, no matter what anyone else might think. Jonathan wants to master the art of flying, even though his flock has told him many times that seagulls should just concentrate on prosaic survival stuff like getting food. Jonathan has tried to be a "good gull," but he cannot quell his urge to soar, to fly unfettered and free. It’s about seeking a higher purpose in life, even if it means going against society’s norms. In many ways, Jonathan Livingston Seagull was a thematic embodiment of the Saturn-Neptune opposition.
The parallel book in the recent Saturn-Neptune opposition has been The Secret, which I also read and for the most part enjoyed (although I had difficulty with some elements, especially when it came perilously close to “blaming the victim”). Released last fall, it has been a publishing phenomenon, with over 3.5 million copies in print. One of the main concepts in The Secret is that you can imagine (Neptune) things (Saturn) into existence through the law of attraction. It advocates making your dreams (Neptune) a reality (Saturn).
One of the biggest movies of the 1971-1972 Saturn-Neptune opposition was The Godfather. Neptune in many ways represents the oceanic Numinous, the Sea God, while Saturn is the father. Put together, they become the god-father. In mythology, Saturn was usurped by his son Jupiter. If Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) is Saturn, then Michael (Al Pacino)—the good son that the father tries to keep out of the “family business”—is Jupiter who eventually takes over. Neptune is the corrupted dream that drives them.
And today? My personal vote for Saturn-Neptune movie of the year goes to Knocked Up, about which I’ve previously written in a blog. Released near the end of the Saturn-Neptune opposition--and with nowhere near the franchise cachet of Shrek, Spider-Man, or Pirates--it is already one of the top-grossing movies of 2007. It struck some kind of a juiced-up Neptune vs. face-the-music Saturn cultural nerve.
Jonathan Livingston Seagull is listed as the #28 best-selling book of all time, having sold 40 million copies—even more than Gone with the Wind. Richard Bach’s new age fable, released in late 1970 just as the opposition line-up of Saturn and Neptune was forming, went on to become an international best seller.
I read Jonathan Livingston Seagull in about 1973 and really enjoyed it. At the young age of 24 or 25, it made quite a big impression on me. It’s about a bird, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, who teaches readers to follow their dreams, no matter what anyone else might think. Jonathan wants to master the art of flying, even though his flock has told him many times that seagulls should just concentrate on prosaic survival stuff like getting food. Jonathan has tried to be a "good gull," but he cannot quell his urge to soar, to fly unfettered and free. It’s about seeking a higher purpose in life, even if it means going against society’s norms. In many ways, Jonathan Livingston Seagull was a thematic embodiment of the Saturn-Neptune opposition.
The parallel book in the recent Saturn-Neptune opposition has been The Secret, which I also read and for the most part enjoyed (although I had difficulty with some elements, especially when it came perilously close to “blaming the victim”). Released last fall, it has been a publishing phenomenon, with over 3.5 million copies in print. One of the main concepts in The Secret is that you can imagine (Neptune) things (Saturn) into existence through the law of attraction. It advocates making your dreams (Neptune) a reality (Saturn).
One of the biggest movies of the 1971-1972 Saturn-Neptune opposition was The Godfather. Neptune in many ways represents the oceanic Numinous, the Sea God, while Saturn is the father. Put together, they become the god-father. In mythology, Saturn was usurped by his son Jupiter. If Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) is Saturn, then Michael (Al Pacino)—the good son that the father tries to keep out of the “family business”—is Jupiter who eventually takes over. Neptune is the corrupted dream that drives them.
And today? My personal vote for Saturn-Neptune movie of the year goes to Knocked Up, about which I’ve previously written in a blog. Released near the end of the Saturn-Neptune opposition--and with nowhere near the franchise cachet of Shrek, Spider-Man, or Pirates--it is already one of the top-grossing movies of 2007. It struck some kind of a juiced-up Neptune vs. face-the-music Saturn cultural nerve.
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