The concepts of TAKING and GIVING lie at the heart of the human social system, and even beyond.
Their balance is central to the very nature of existence in the universe…
Any “organ” that only “takes” or only “gives” creates a serious imbalance, which we call “disease”.
Yet, today’s society seems severely out of sync with these values. It has exacerbated and totally overvalued the notion of “taking”, while completely despising, ignoring, or even penalizing the notion of “giving”. This has reached a point where some people believe everything is owed to them, naturally, freely, spontaneously, always, invariably, without any reciprocity. They are very adept at claiming their numerous rights, but far less so at exercising their duties and their magnanimity…
Exchange Structures Life: The Astrological Mechanism
The principle of exchange is at the core of nature; it is what has structured humanity and its society since time immemorial.
Everything revolves around this notion of barter: “I give you this” and “you give me that”, or “I contribute this to society” and in return “society validates me in such a way”.
This gave rise later to “currency” (the principle of exchanging “values”), and subsequently to our entire modern economic system.
Astrologically, TAKING is a concept found more within the Animus, in the positive, aggressive polarity.
However, it can obviously manifest through every planetary energy, including those of the Anima.
For instance, one might seek to obtain emotions from another (Moon) or affection (Venus).
If this becomes a one-way street, it can lead to various manipulations or perversities (the notorious narcissistic perverts, whom many women encounter, are a prime example).
Mars, as the principle of action, lies at the root of the TAKING process.
Just behind will (the Sun), Mars provides the spark of desire that triggers predation.
It can fuel the aggressiveness and violence required to get what one wants, but it does not necessitate the negation of the other…
This negation of the other, which drives one to give nothing in return (this lack of basic respect) stems from much deeper mechanisms related to the overall structure of the chart. These mechanisms undoubtedly encompass a plurality of causes: positions in Signs, in Houses, and, of course, Astrological Aspects…
Mercury is a neutral principle, yet it perfectly symbolizes exchange, commerce, circulation, movement, and the alternation of polarities between active and passive phases.
The planet represents the intelligence behind these patterns…
Thus, a Mercury in debility or under malefic influence can easily cause a psychological rupture in this “take / give” balance, tipping toward either extreme: excessive retention or reckless squandering.
The social planets, Jupiter and Saturn, beautifully represent these two polarities of giving and taking, but developed within a collective framework, not just a personal one.
Jupiter can embody generosity, the sharing of knowledge, care, and openness through faith in others and in the world (akin to the legendary centaur Chiron). The planet is an emitted radiance that connects, gathers, and encompasses (the etymology of “religion”).
Saturn, meanwhile, represents a principle of conservation, conservatism, restriction, limitation, austerity, and economy.
The planet is a crystallization, a contraction; not only does it freeze and retain, but it also tends to pull backward or inward toward the self…
These are values largely associated with the Earth element in general (Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn, along with their corresponding houses: the 2nd, 6th, and 10th).
I must clarify that we should not fall into the opposite extreme.
The earthly values of “coagulatio” (prudence, channeling, braking) which can sometimes vector a certain selfishness, obviously have very positive, useful, and even indispensable aspects for general equilibrium.
They help structure the extreme opposite of absolute, universal giving, which can go as far as total sacrifice and even self-negation !
We find these values at various levels in the transpersonal planets (Uranus, Neptune, Pluto), which tend to dissolve individuality in favor of suprapersonal entities (which can, of course, create other problems when taken to excess).
But fundamentally, GIVING is not impoverishing oneself. Giving is also, and above all, recognizing a mechanism of exchange and, fundamentally, assigning value to the other, to their person, their work, their time…
Giving is being able to recognize an equivalence between a part of one’s own worth (or the value one believes one holds) and the value of the other (provided one deigns, from one’s throne, to grant them any).
Ultimately, Giving is RECEIVING; it is leaving an opening to the principle of exchange that sustains life. Without giving, of oneself, one’s time, one’s person, one’s money, there can be no logic of reciprocity, and it ceases to be legitimate to TAKE ! This is what distinguishes a parasite phagocytizing its host from an intelligent symbiosis.
After all, parasitism signals death for the other. When confronted with an entity that only “takes, takes, takes,” we weaken ourselves, physiologically, mentally, emotionally, financially…
Nothing is owed to us in this world. Therefore, we can choose to live in harmony with our fellow humans by accepting the logic of exchange, for the benefit of all. Or, we expose ourselves to perpetual war with others for ever more possessions, leading to a sad, selfish, sterile life that will inevitably end in bitterness and loneliness…
Is this truly the meaning we wish to give our lives ?
A child is always the product of both innate nature and acquired experience.
If a child is never educated, even with the best genetic foundations, they will always collide with the limits of their own ignorance, from which they cannot extract themselves alone, only the other can help them do so…
And our world is greatly in need of education !
Let those who can, or who wish, understand…