Last night at the gym, I had some physical (body-image) revelations inspired by archetypes...First off, for anyone that didn't know me "back when," I used to be a pretty "pudgy" person...or just fat maybe to lose the euphemisms ;P~ Anyways, once I started "getting" nutrition, some of that started to adjust enough for my systems and body to regulate into a more "average" appearance and get comfortable with more physical expression. Stepping further, I "figured out" how to dance (and lose all self-consciousness of "others" in the arena so as to move in less self-impeded ways), and that modality of exercise has become a great love of my life. (I even pretty much "dance" when doing elliptical cardio...) I noticed that the fastness and speed that I've come to most enjoy when dancing creates a cardio effect to it in which I've mastered the art of "burning" calories/energy, and it thus has a very fire-based connotation. I even imagine myself flickering like a flame when I really get going (some of y'all know...), and it's through such that I tend to get really sweaty, revved up, and "on fire." I've become quite comfortable with my ability to "burn up the earth with fire"...and it's fine. "Burning the earth" is akin to releasing the extra energy/calories/fat/matter. The fire is the activity and the earth is the body and form. Lots of cardio (fire) creates less form (earth). I also realize that the fire of my dance (and in general) helps to "burn up" the old, the dead, and all that's become too "stuck"...my style gravitates (especially with some of my music loves) to burning through an accumulation of anger, hate, fear, pain, and all the "shit" at the bottom. (I LOVE that motif actually...) There's a time and place for it though, and I also need to be learning to GROW the earth....not just burn it up.

Growing the "earth"/body/physical form is akin to more slow, steady movement, and would deal with BUILDING rather than ELIMINATING (turning Scorpio towards Taurus and all that jazz...) However, I honestly don't think I'm ever going to be this big, bulky bodybuilder type...Yeah, there's a need to embrace the physical building archetypes, but it's not in my nature for that to be my strong suit, even if I give it more attention. So what IS a good reasonable goal, and what AM I configured for?

Well, after I burned off enough of my "extra form" to feel "normal," I originally do suppose I had an ideal, imaginal goal of looking like the bulgy, hunks as I saw at the gym, but I have since found peace in another perspective as that simply is not what I'm made to be.

First, in general astrological terms, when I think of the body and physical form, I think of the earth triad—Capricorn, Taurus, and Virgo. Each of them has an image and feel different from, yet connected with, the others. Capricorn embodies a strength of physical movement to accomplish feats, and an endurance that continues to keep it pushing forward, continually climbing one step further than the last. Taurus embodies a resilience, solidness, and material sense of substance capable of withstanding high amounts of force and pressure without budging. Virgo embodies a sense of routine and maintenance, making adjustments to hone, improve, and fine-tune expression towards perfected integration and flow. All of these energies work together and cycle, but according to how we resonate, some may be more prominent than others.

To consider one’s “earthiness,” consideration should be given to which earth signs and houses have the most planetary activity. More natal planets in a particular sign (or house that embodies the nature of the sign) will likely indicate a gravity towards a particular archetypal orientation. One’s “earth orientation” is also likely to suggest how one orients to the physical world, and their body as a facet of such.

Other themes of importance would be one’s “holy trinity” of who they are, and that includes examining their Sun sign (and house to some extent), Moon sign (and house to some extent), and Ascendant (Rising Sign). While the Sun and the Moon are definitely expressed in our individual character, the traits associated with them may, or may not, be readily evident in one’s physicality. In some cases, the traits will simply be most notable in account of an individual’s personality. The one that would typically be the MOST indicative of the body would be the Ascendant, and this is due to the fact that it begins one’s 1st house, which is associated chiefly with one’s self, body, and shell/personality in the sense of the “image”/”mask” that one meets the world through. For this reason, the archetype and physical associations of the Ascendant will often be rather prominent.

Furthermore, the planet that rules the sign of the Ascendant is said to be the “ruler of the chart.” In this way, special attention can be paid to where it is and how it is situated. It may also be able to (through house, sign, and aspects) give some additional insight about how the nature of one’s Ascendant (and physicality) is comprised.

Another set of factors related to the Ascendant that would be of great value and insight when assessing one’s physical nature would be whether a) there is another sign taking up room in the 1st house, and b) there are any planets natally in the 1st house. Again, since the 1st house describes so much of one’s outwardly forward directed image, and body/personality as a result, all archetypal influences present there are prone to show up in physical expression in some way or another.

Now, when I consider my personal, astrological configuration in lieu of those areas, I can’t help but see certain characteristics that help me make sense of who I am, including the physical level, in a whole new way! Consideration of the archetypal structures I resonance with also allows me to understand and aim for a “flavor” of goals and ideals that are more oriented with the nature of my overall being. To offer my example, I have Cancer ascending (and it consumes my entire 1st house) so that particular archetype fills the area that describes the outer personality, and body, to MANY extents. With no planets in the 1st house, there aren’t any big modifiers in that way. Then, besides rounding in my Sun in Sagittarius and Moon in Virgo with the Cancer ascendant, the ruler of the chart is also the moon (since it rules the ascendant’s sign), so no other placement is given possible special significance, while the significance of the moon is weighted more. The fact that this planet as “ruler of the chart” is also in the planet’s natural 4th house home again amplifies the importance of the Moon as a key player in my make-up. The 3 archetypes of Sagittarius, Virgo, and Cancer are thus the core main archetypes that I’d seem comprised of though at the end of that compilation.

When I go through my earth signs and houses, I also find that the Virgo archetypes is much more active than that of Taurus or Capricorn. Also of interest is that the sign of Virgo was really the only earth sign present below the horizon of the chart. (The bottom half of a chart signifies more about inside us while the top half is more about outside in the world.) As such, Capricorn and Taurus, while still truly existing within as all the signs and archetypes too, tend to be encountered more “out there” with others in the world. (Specific houses indicate more about WHERE in the world.) It was also powerful to note that my most prevalent and prominent personal earth archetype, Virgo, is also the sign of my Moon, which has an extreme degree of importance for me particularly, as previously shown. This all weighs the archetype of Cancer and Virgo quite heavily into my physical nature.

Now, sure I have that Sagittarius sun, and it shines forth from my being in many ways, some of which are, and have been, physical. I’ve always felt like I had strong (and sometimes paradoxically weak) hips and thighs. They feel like a great source of strength and power, but they’re often prone to becoming sore, possibly through occasional overuse and emphasis. I’ve also sported the famous Sagittarian long hair and pony-tail. A dose of fire with physical consideration also helps keep the vitality charged while a glow of energy, vigor, and eagerness can be made present. (The Sagittarian flavor can also help optimize [with optimism of course] some of the more potentially sulky, critical, hesitant, and withdrawn aspects that Cancer and Virgo could brood up without any amelioration, and sometimes that difference is graciously felt and seen through my physical appearance and expression too.) However, with Sagittarius in the mix, Cancer (as Ascendant filling up the entire 1st house and indicating the Moon to “rule,” as it also happens to do from its home house [about home ironically!] in an earth sign) and Virgo (as Moon sign AND the earthy archetype with the most activity) are still the weightiest indicators I own. So what does that mean for me?

Let’s start with the Cancer side, which is flavoring the house Ascendant, 1st house, and through such, the concept around my body and outer image which is extended forward. One Cancer trait that I seem to embody would be pale skin. While this is obviously also subject to ethnicity and environmental conditions, the connection’s potential is suggested due to association with the pale, white glow of the moon. The Cancer archetype also suggests a body frame that would be on the smaller or larger size, but “softer” regardless. The notion of “sensitivity” is akin to the moon’s emotional nature. The nature of the moon, and its tie to emotions, is one that indicates a permeability, and the trait of being easily influenced internally by external stimuli. This is most typically considered in terms of being easily aroused emotionally by various factors, which other signs (that aren’t as sensitive) may not respond/react to or even notice. Physically though, we can also note that soft skin is much more susceptible (and SENSITIVE) to both pain and pleasure. The alternative, to have hard skin, would suggest an IMpermeability that allows it to withstand more pressures/stimulus without as much regard of the sensation. It is because of the heightened sensitivity that Cancer may act more guarded, defensive, and snappy (like the crab) in order to protect its delicate insides. With a smaller frame, a sense of timidity is suggested, and defense can come from quietly hanging out in the background—too small to notice. However, Cancer’s archetype can also appear “over-fed” by excessive nurturance/sustenance, in order to build itself (and its defense) up and appear more than secure. Thus, a larger Cancer physicality suggests “putting on weight” as both a symbol of being highly nurtured (through the comforts of food) and of having a large external image from which one feels safer about being able to guard and/or ward off any sense of “threat” or internal breaching. In either case, there is usually a softness to the skin which mirrors the softness of one’s emotional/psychic sensitivity. Personally, it seems like I’ve expressed both: I expressed the “fuller” image when I was bigger in earlier adolescence, but I have since settled into a smaller frame as the need for the “protection” of external weight has seemed to be released.

As for a Virgo dimension of the body archetypally, several physical forms are suggested according to the archetypal expressions possible. Again, a bigger and smaller frame can both be suggested, both due to differing implications. First off, Virgo rules health, and the efficient organization of the body as an integrated system. With the ruler of Mercury (an air planet) for this sign (of an earth type), the connection between body and mind is also suggested. Ideally, Virgo seeks to embody the perfected integration of these dimensions, which would express as ideal health. Of course, perfection is an ideal that can never be fully realized—only approximated and reached for. As such, there is a spectrum of actualization possible along such lines. Sometimes, while the harmony between body and mind is approached, one or the other may seem more “in the lead.” (This also associates with the superior/inferiority dichotomy that pertains to a relationship of master/servant that is being purified.) When the physical is idolized to the exclusion of the mental, we may find someone that is very ritualized and compulsive when it comes to engaging in physical activity, with emphasis on doing things quite systematic and “right.” However, they may lose sight of the need to balance the physical through analytical adjustment. Physically, these types may be very “in shape” while aspects related to the mental and intellectual dimensions are less developed. When the mental is idolized to the exclusion of the physical, we may find someone that is very ritualized and compulsive when it comes to engaging in mental activity, with emphasis on thinking systematically and being “right” with regards to their conclusions. However, they may lose sight of the need to balance the mental computations with physical activity and integration. Physically, these types may be very “out of shape,” while aspects related to their mental and intellectual dimensions are more developed. In either case, leaning to one extreme or the others, the physical/mental split is particularly evident. When a more balanced integration occurs, there is a congruency evidenced between the mental and physical dimensions, with both being well developed in harmony with one another. Personally, I’m able to see how my more physically “out of shape” days (also reflecting the “fuller” phase of my Cancer physicality) in adolescence may have been characterized by more mental chaos and attempted compensation. Now, I definitely seem to embody a much more harmonized expression where my physical frame is more regulated and “in tune” with an integrated sense of mental orderliness and congruency.

From all this reflection and analysis, I’ve been able to (as I’ve shared here personally) realize the different ways resonant archetypes have expressed through my physical body along a spectrum of health and development. The improvements (a wonderful Virgonean ideal) I’ve experienced have shown the contrast between what was and what’s become, and the emotional sensitivity (trademark of Cancer) has allowed me to reflect on the changes in feeling that have transpired simultaneously. Finally, the intuitive assessments of the “big picture” (via the Sagittarian flare) has allowed me to know and see how the smaller individual experiences and transformations I’ve undergone relate to the more overarching concepts of the archetypes being worked through during the processes.

This journey and perspective has also afforded a more generalized view of our health and body in a general, collective, metaphorical, and metaphysical sense. One can think of our body as our “instrument” in many senses, but I find a lot of resonance with the musical dimension and interpretation. Our muscles, organs, parts and systems coincide with the overall structure and integrity of the instrument. A hole, a break, a leak, a distorted part, etc. all will affect its sounds and expression. A string can be tightened as a muscle can be toned. A break can be fixed as a bone can be mended. A leak can be repaired as an organ/system can be strengthened. Along the way, in a variety of expressions, we all “play our music.” Depending on how “in tune” (orderly, articulate, well defined) or “out of tune” (chaotic, sloppy, out of bounds) we are will determine the sort of other music that fills a void in harmonization. As a result, it is also through hearing and experiencing the other “tunes” capable of complementing ours that we’re prompted to change/adjust/shift our own in order to align into our favorite possible symphony of resonance. This reflects the level of continual adjustment and maintenance of one’s instrument in the direction chosen…We may find ourselves inspired to fine tune and repair something, or we may be desponded to entropy. When we experience any change in our instrument (for “better” or “worse”), our expression naturally also changes. The instrument’s output sound/music changes to offer different emotions/expressions that resonate with the state or condition of the instrument. Vice versa, what we “soak up” through receiving feelings/impressions is often a catalyst for “changing our tune” in one direction or another.

To travel with this further, the instrument/body/earth can be molded when “wet” from soaking up sounds/feelings/water. Therefore, the nature of the instrument is indicative of what it’s been “taking in”, as it also will reflect and “put out” sound/emotion/water. What’s “taken in” and “put out” is also akin to what’s intellectually considered as ideas/words/air. The feelings lead to ideas and ideas lead to feelings, and this cycle continually refines and conditions (while also being conditioned by) the body/instrument. The inner structure of the exo-structural development of the instrument (and inspiration) is affected by AND determines the outer structure of the endo-structural development of the sound (and expression). There is also the matter of fire/light/warmth/inspiration to consider. The amount one accesses or does not can affect the cycle of the water and air. No light/warmth, less air, more water, less change. More light/warmth, more air, less water, more change. The warmth keeps the earth malleable as well. Too cold and it will break, even if wet. However, too warm and wet and it won’t stably solidify. Warmed with light in right proportion, the body will harmonize its input and output of water and air, integrating the warmth/light in order to grow and strengthen. Therefore, soaking up light can assist with the cycling of input and output, helping the body to assimilate energy and strengthen. In the other manner, tending to the body properly can impact the access to, and necessity for, light’s dynamic catalyzation. Finding the harmony between practicing and changing vs. resting and stabilizing is the dance that the interaction of these elements can represent.

To continual a train of metaphoric images, when we play our “tunes,” we broadcast/express our state of being according to our:

instrument/body/coldness/form/being/earth

sound/soul/wetness/emotions/impressions/water

and

ideas/mind/dryness/thoughts /expressions/air

with regard to how much

light/spirit/warmth/force/energy/fire

we access. (Those organized labels represent one frame for relating these various values.) All the while, we paradoxically mold/create according to how we assimilate light/spirit to cycle our ideas/mind and emotions/soul to form our earth/body. This sort of metaphorical and metaphysical understanding can help one to approach the idea of their being and health (body, mind, soul, and spirit) in a more integrated fashion.

At the end of it all, instead of reaching towards physical ideals that AREN’T truly in alignment with who I am (on a common collective AND distinctly individual level), I’ve found the beauty in embracing the ideals that ARE implied throughout my total nature. As such, the natural paleness of my skin (while advocated against by oppositional cultural conditioning/marketing) is a link in sync with my lunar Cancer nature. This nature’s soft sensitivity of the skin also celebrates my capacity for inner, emotional, imaginal, and psychic sensitivity. The mental and physical integration and regulation of my mind and body through Virgo, while maybe not casting me as any bulky bodybuilder, does describe a well-maintained and toned physicality that’s flexibly trim for efficiency. I’ve learned that the modalities of working out I should do are those I’m intrinsically drawn to and enjoy through my nature. The Cancer side craves to engage in the activities that “feel right” for me, so no awkward routines or particular exercises. I REALLY enjoy dancing (even “elliptical renditions”….) and the individual creativity/connectivity (some Sagittarius fire?) it allows me to embody. Virgo enjoys systematically switching through a variety of maintenance oriented exercises (like the Tin Man oiling each part for use in turn) and the mental/physical dimensions of yoga—hot (Sagittarius?) if possible. Altogether, I can see the unfolding of the best physical expression of myself according to the energy I’m naturally working with, and that helps focus my attention and awareness on actualizing the best of who I am.

If you’d like some insight into the physicality of your own personal expression, get in touch to explore your individually archetypal makeup! ;)