THE MATRIX:
An Astrological Look at the Movie.
Part Two: The Red Pill, or the Blue Pill...?
In part two of this groundbreaking article, Richard Giles continues his analysis of the smash film "The Matrix", in the light of its many subtle references and the astrological indications connected with its release.
The Chinese classical Five Elements model gives meaning to those two colours and insight into the significance of Red and Blue pills. Red is the Fire element and is about inspiration, expanding, intelligence, interaction, clarity, and it governs the heart. The emotion it signifies is to be in love. The colour Blue is the Water element and is about dormancy, cold, caves, basements, abstract concepts, deception, fear, hidden things, groaning and the ocean. The emotion is the need to be protected. It's no surprise that the Red Pill gets Neo out of the Matrix whereas the Blue Pill would keep him there safe and protected in the grand deception.
Taking the Red Pill enables Morpheus and the others to pinpoint Neo's physical location. However, in the process, a machine violently unplugs him from the Matrix and dumps his body in a sewer-like drain. Morpheus and friends find him in their hovercraft, known as the Nebuchadnezzar, and take him back to their base to revive and nourish his body. Having been previously part of a giant human harvesting device, they can show him what the world really is. For Neo its a total and thoroughgoing shock to his system and it takes days of sleep to readjust.
THE LEARNING CURVES...
Now the learning begins. Neo is back in a world of earthy structures (ruled by Saturn) and learns the truth. Morpheus shows him he was a part of a computer simulation (ruled by Neptune & Uranus which were both in Aquarius [computers] on the movie birth chart) and that within the simulation he can do what ever he wants. Morpheus teaches him that the rules (Saturn) of the Matrix can be bent and altered, if you believe in yourself - "Don't think you are, know you are!"
Neo learns that his only limits are his own thoughts. Morpheus puts him through a martial arts training programme (Virgo/Pisces zodiac axis - Keanu Reeves was born Virgo) teaching him the power of the mind. The skyscraper scene follows where he leaps from the top of a building across to the next one and fails showing up the nature of Matrix reality. Neo falls, but bounces when he hits the street and is not dead. We are learning that life is not what it appears to be. Knowing the Matrix is about learning new paradigms.
Reeves was born on 2nd September, 1964 (Beirut, Lebanon - time unknown) with his Virgo Sun and Mercury conjunct the sixties' momentous Uranus-Pluto conjunction. This conjunction was the celestial signature bringing the massive social upheaval of the time. Those born with Sun and other personal planets closely aligned to this combination tend to channel the insurgent fervour of the time. They will personify fundamental plutonic changes and even provide archetypes for the shifts to come as Reeves unmistakably does in the Matrix.
The Sabian Symbol for Reeves' Sun/Mercury conjunct in Virgo is "Two Heads Looking Out and Beyond the Shadows" (Virgo 10). Lynda Hill in her book, The Sabian Symbols As An Oracle, describes it thus, "At the moment you may find a need to be able see things from both sides. While the situation is not entirely visible or clear, it is necessary to look beyond the 'shadows' and into the light." It's pointing to Reeves and his role as Neo looking beyond the shadows of the Matrix illusion. It's interesting to see that Reeves has his own experiences with death and transformation through his life, which include the 1994 death of his close friend River Phoenix and in 2000 his girlfriend, Jennifer Syme, died.
Laurence Fishburne was born 30th July 1961 (Augusta, Georgia, USA - time unknown) and has Sun in Leo with Jupiter opposition in Aquarius personifying that 'religious' certainty in the movie that he has found the 'One'. Neptune in Scorpio is square his Sun, which also embodies that religious fervour and certainty of his Morpheus character. Fishburne's Leo Sun is sitting in the Matrix birthchart's Fire Grand Trine (see below), a clue to his fitting the role so well.
The first movie opened to the public 31st March 1999, with a birth chart showing an exact Saturn/Neptune square. The square signifies a conflict in integrating those two planets - one ruling reality (Saturn) and the other ruling fantasy (Neptune). Neo has to embark on a learning process to master both. Neo, whose name is an anagram for "One", is informed by Morpheus that he believes Neo is the "One" who will lead the way to liberate all human beings from the Matrix. Neo is totally disconcerted. How is he going to save the world...?
NEW MOON IN LIBRA
The movie birth chart:-
with a very close Sun conjunct Jupiter in Aries, the theme of leadership with its almost religious optimism in Morpheus, is clear. The movie was launched on a New Moon day with the Moon in Libra, the sign of social consciousness relating to people's social justice issues. There is a Grand Trine of Fire signs with Pluto/Chiron in Sagittarius trine Sun/Jupiter in Aries and Vesta in Leo. Vesta is the asteroid goddess of devotion, personal integration, the path of service and the binding together of groups that share a common goal. In Leo, the Vesta energy works best when allowed a free reign and there is a quality shining out from this position, thus the movie has a creative flair which definitely makes it stand out from all the rest with its fated leadership theme and its pioneering cinematic effects.
According to astrologer Bil Tierny (Dynamics of Aspect Analysis), the Fire Grand Trine experiences itself through the direct exhibition of its potential. Its a fortunate energy with a sense of personal significance and power. Faith in oneself and disregarding impossible odds are the manifestations. An apt description of the themes for the "One" in The Matrix. Moon in Libra completes a sextile to Pluto/Chiron and to Vesta which channels much of that grand trine energy through it into a Grand Kite shape, a configuration of tremendous self-expressive dynamics. The focal fourth planet, the Libran Moon (standing up for principles) channels the energies of the trine and the opposite point (the Sun/Jupiter conjunct) is the expression of the nature of the driving force of the trine. In this case its runaway success - the first movie took $460 million (US) world wide and became a phenomenon in itself.
The Sun/Jupiter conjunction Sabian Symbol is "The President of the Republic, or the Ruler of the Country" (Aries 11). The meaning is "its time to take charge, and possibly, to expand your base of operations. There may be a need to take control and command respect from others by showing that you have the confidence to make your own decisions". The movie is about us taking control over the reality we live in through Neo's example.
Morpheus, who has been searching for the "One" who'll lead humanity out of the virtual prison it's in, is also ruled by Neptune. A transition for one image or form to another is called 'morphing'. In mythology, Morpheus is the son of Hypnos and the god of dreams and sleep (the world is hypnotised into a state of dreaming sleep).
The movie release chart, set for the start of business of 31st March '99, has a Gemini Ascendant and its ruling planet Mercury is in Pisces retrograding on the day - a fitting picture for the movie. Confusion and deception with the planet of communication going backwards - the Matrix theme. Looking at the Sabian Symbol for Mercury's position it turns out to be amazing - "A Prophet Bringing Down the New Law from the Mountain" ( Pisces 22) and in her Sabian book, Lynda Hill says it "pictures a situation of revelations concerning spirit and truth being delivered through the agency of an individual, the 'prophet', in order for them to be given to the people". The meaning is very in-y'r-face obvious.
Part 3 of this article goes on to examine how Neo confronts the Oracle and the astrological interpretation of the outcome, both for Neo, the movie and the world.
Read part 3 of The Matrix Examined
 Richard Giles is a Feng Shui practitioner and astrologer who is available in Australia for consultations on your home and business. He has been involved in astrology for 15 years and writes for several Australian magazines. He is also the director of the Earth Healing School of Queensland, running practitioner courses in Earth Healing and Geomancy. Click to contact Richard Giles.
The Matrix Examined: part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | A Close Call | Eclipses | Your Year Ahead |
Aries, the Ram
Taurus, the Bull
Gemini, the Twins
Cancer, the Crab
Leo, the Lion
Virgo, the Virgin
Libra, the Scales
Scorpio, the Scorpion
Sagittarius, the Archer
Capricorn, the Sea Goat
Aquarius, the Water Bearer
Pisces, the Fishes
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