Hubris Versus Nemesis

This extract from Signals – by Pippa Malmgren – makes me think of Jupiter and Saturn aspects. It is very much that interplay.

“…the economy begins inside the human soul, driven by the never-ending battle between the Greek goddesses Hubris and Nemesis for possession of our psyche. The ancient Greeks described Hubris as the spirit who lights the fire or desire or greed and compels us to take risks to achieve what the ego desires.

The ego wants more: more status, more money, more success, more material possession, more recognition, more knowledge, more confidence. Hubris is a powerful force in the world economy, because to propels individuals and societies to innovate – which is always risky – and thereby generate growth, wealth and G.D.P.

Nemesis is the goddess of retribution, targeting those who indulge in too much hubris. She douses the fire of hubris with doubt and punishes hubris with loss. Nemesis lurks at the edge of every business and every balance sheet and every job. She peers over the shoulder of every risk-taker, threatening to undermine the hope and aspiration of the endeavor.

Hubris gives rise to hope and Nemesis gives rise to fear, but both are critical to the proper functioning of the world economy. It is the balancing of the two that permits people to successfully achieve their goals and contribute to a flourishing economy. An excess of either spirit is likely to end in economic catastrophe.”

 

This totally pertains to the astrological Jupiter and Saturn. Jupiter = Hubris and Saturn = Nemesis. Balance these two and you’re well set to thrive in most areas. If you’re born with Jupiter and Saturn in a friendly alignment, you have a head start.

Most of us get to learn how to balance our hedonistic and stoic dimensions through overdoing it in one regard or another. You know how it goes, if you’re too audacious and venture-some, you can wind up in a tonne of debt or relying too much on faith + instinct.

Yet if you’re overly saturnine and always scared of one nemesis or another, you never take any risk – creativity, spontaneity and enterprising ebullience themselves feel like giant risk factors. Or you lose the narrative thread in a vortex of numbers and stats.

It’s interesting that this author delineates the excess that can come from emphasis on Hubris or Nemesis but also says this interplay is essential for the world economy. Is it the same for our psyche? And has trying to keep the economy in artificial ‘hubris’ mode for so long locked in a harder retribution when nemesis finally gets a word in?

Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions – occurring every 19.85 years – have long been linked to cycles of rulers, financial protocols and the economy. They’re when Hubris and Nemesis meet and have to get along.

It can be fascinating to look at your natal Jupiter-Saturn aspects – if these two were in conjunction, square, trine or opposition at the time of your birth, the Astral DNA report delineates it.

If not? They may be in a more subtle aspect like a quincunx or you could be like me and they’re genuinely not speaking to one another. I feel like every burst of Jupiter or Saturnine input is novel, like the first time I’ve ever heard of it.

And to be fair, given that this planetary interaction is so vital to governance and the economy, it’s funny that that politicians so often run on a similar line: “We’re going to spend, really spend…to fund x, y and z” followed by “austerity is the only answer….”

It seems like boom-bust, Jupiter-Saturn, hubris-nemesis is locked into human nature in some ways. And annoyingly, people can make a lot of gains from it just by following along, never mind innovation etc.

Thoughts?