The Gen Z Restoration – Part 13 – On The Generations
In the late 1990’s a new generation emerged, born into a time when technology had begun to dramatically alter the underpinnings of culture and human relations. Primarily existing in meme form until 2020, the oldest of this cohort is nearing the end of their first Saturn return at the time of this writing and the world is getting to know them IRL for the first time. The same is true for Generation Z themselves who, despite their appearance, are still quite young. These “Zoomers” are slowing down a step and getting ready to reshape the ruins left by their predecessors, so it is time to put the trauma of the Millennial debacle aside and take a moment to anticipate what is to come.
First let’s explore their ways of thinking, aesthetics, and values. These are determined by their generational placements:
Generation Z officially begins on January 12, 1996 and the last zoomers were born on March 11, 2011. This period primarily features Neptune in Aquarius and Pluto in Sagittarius – making those the core generational placements. The first half of the cohort features Uranus in Aquarius while the second has Uranus in Pisces. Let’s explore what these mean:
Uranus tells us how these people think
Neptune tells us about their aesthetics
Pluto tells us what they value
Sagittarius is the mutable fire sign, ruled by Jupiter. It is the explorer and the faithful actor. Sagittarius is flexible, curious, and energetic. Pluto is the magnifier and it will exaggerate the characteristics of the sign which it is in. With Pluto in Sagittarius we should expect ambitious and opinionated values, if somewhat shallow and inconsistent. This generation will be primarily interested in doing what it believes in and will strongly value the act of going for it. Sagittarius is affirmed by Jupiter, allowing it to embrace with enthusiasm that which it engages. This is not a placement of self-doubt, reticence, or keeping things to oneself. Despite that enthusiasm and adventurous spirit, Pluto in Sagittarius values can best be described as “a mile wide and an inch deep.” Imagine a burning trail of fire along the ground that relentlessly moves forward along its path. While it is best to pay attention to where that fire is headed it is worth noting that at the rear of that trail the fuel has been used up and the flame has gone out. Sagittarius is the archer, firing its arrow toward a destination with full eyes and a strong heart, and is not held back by leaving where it once was behind. This is a powerful placement that indicates a generation driven by its values first and foremost. In times of challenge and disruption Generation Z will choose to respond based upon their primary value and will invariably take the option that moves things in a new direction, as that is what is most important to them.
Aquarius is the fixed air sign, ruled by Saturn. It is interested in establishing new rules. Neptune is the dissolver and it will make matters in this area fuzzier, unclear, dreamy, and often delusional. Neptune is showing us how these people want things to be and how they wish them to appear. With Neptune in Aquarius we should expect an aesthetic sense rooted in experimentation and rearrangement while also being reserved. It is an air sign so the ideas that go into how they want to see and express the world will be fundamental. In Aquarius we see what is typically unseen by others and as a Saturn-ruled fixed sign the establishing of these new perspectives is paramount. For this cohort the new fashion will not be fleeting and trendy but rather an enduring replacement of what came before with a modified, re-imagined, and occasionally actually better version. The aesthetic will be less interested in attention and more in stability, producing new basics and updated foundations. Neptune’s influence will always obscure clarity and will produce in volume both the dream and the delusion. This cohort will greatly appreciate expression of ideas and will stand by them even when they are seemingly absurd and ridiculous and this tendency will be especially prominent in the first half of the generation when Uranus is co-present with Neptune in Aquarius. They will sometimes struggle with identifying what has staying power and will be easily deceived by marketing that tells them this is the new thing. Neptune in Aquarius fears being out of date.
The first seven-year group has Uranus in the sign of Aquarius, the fixed air sign ruled by Saturn. It is interested in originality, sharing, and stability. Uranus is the disruptor and it will make matters in its sign more electric, shocking, and surprising. With Uranus in Aquarius we should expect a way of thinking that is inventive, diffuse, and corrective. The action of Uranus is very cooperative with the way of Aquarius and is likely to serve it rather well. The fixed and Saturn-ruled place will not be easily disrupted but rather will use Uranus to spread its ideas. In this cohort we can expect to encounter people who are capable and skilled at using disruptive and shocking approaches in communication and in how they assert their thinking. These people will be confrontational and difficult to persuade. Saturn is the definer of boundaries and the master of time so this cohort will understand themselves as being responsible for establishing the new ways. Aside from the first years of this group (who share Neptune in Capricorn with the Millennial Generation) this way of thinking will be intricately tied up with the co-presence of aesthetic Neptune in Aquarius. This will increase the visibility of their new ideas and expressions and will produce a very intellectually-oriented, medium-driven way of expressing themselves. With these placements we should expect to see innovative uses of existing and new mediums and unexpected convergences between them. They will assert these ideas and images in a forthright and unapologetic way, not for your consideration but rather for your information. This will be a very effective generation both intellectually and aesthetically and we can expect many of their innovations to prove foundational for decades to come. The main downsides will be a tendency to intellectualize their aesthetics and a pattern of pursuing fundamentally delusional ideas further than is reasonable.
The second seven-year group has Uranus in the sign of Pisces, the mutable water sign ruled by Jupiter. Pisces is characterized by a nonchalant confidence and is almost definitionally impervious to Uranus shock and disruption. Think of a calm stream winding down its path that becomes choppy and rough as it passes over a rock formation. For a moment, the waters are disturbed but immediately upon removing the disruption the stream returns right back to its placid state as before. The action of Uranus here is invigorating and temporary, acting more as a catalyst than as a disruptor, and it is the mutable and Jupiter-ruled Pisces who has the upper hand here. These people will be calm, assured, and possessing of nearly religious certainty in their ideas and expression, and when disrupted they will adjust to conditions easily and quickly. They will be difficult to persuade by others while exhibiting a slippery and shifting perspective whose source seems difficult to ascertain. The main downside will be an ever-changing intellectual orientation that can be subject to wide swings in both their ideas and their level of expression. Uranus in Pisces will alternate between being wildly visionary and effective and being entirely unreliable and uninterested.
The combined influences at work in Generation Z represent a clear break with those which have preceded them. This is a cohort that will look different, think different, and be different, without apology. Their thinking, aesthetics, and values are all influenced by planets and signs that signal the arrival of and establishment of new approaches. This is a generation delivered into the ruins of a declining civilization that is equipped to restore and reinterpret institutions in order to prolong them into the future. We should expect the influence of Generation Z to be significant long into the future.
Generation Z thinks of themselves as insightful, curious, courageous, and confident. If they perceive that they are failing to meet one of these standards then that will be the source of their discontentment. As is the case with all generations they will see these ways of being as normal, and if you understand what is normal for them you will have greater success communicating with them. When interacting with a Zoomer these are the key things to do for best results:
Uranus in Aquarius- acknowledge their perspective
Uranus in Pisces – consider that they may have a point
Neptune in Aquarius – appreciate that they have tried
Pluto in Sagittarius – recognize their enthusiasm
As with all generations, on an individual basis outcomes in these areas will be modified by personal planets and the dignity of the ruling planet of the sign. All born under this generational configuration will possess these traits but they may be expressed more positively, negatively, grandly or slightly, depending on the personal chart. We’ll discuss how that works later in this series but the foundational placements as presented here will always be present in those born under this configuration.
Leave a Reply