Different People, Different Roles – Part 16 – On the Generations
The backdrop of The Calendar is fixed, and many events, currents, and trends are certain, but it is the decisions made by people at critical times (aspects to the Dark Luminaries) which cumulatively shape the course of human society through how we respond to those times. The generational cohorts who exist at any one moment will together determine the decisions that are made during their times, and this is what produces the history that we later look back on. They can be thus understood as a kind of team, assembled together with a common responsibility. As with any team working on a big job there will be different tasks and different skill-sets, and successfully managing the project to produce the best results is contingent on identifying which team member is best suited for which task. Let us then examine the generational cohorts alive today as a team, and explore the roles they are each best suited for.
The egos of people frequently lead them to many arguments and much resistance against any sort of hierarchy. This is mistaken but understandable, as compiling and sorting large, complete systems such as organizations is at the outer edge of normal human capability. It is helpful then to remind ourselves that while some roles may appear to be more prestigious this is not really the case. This is a team, and it wins or loses as a group. The different roles and any hierarchies that emerge to manage them are all fundamental to the task of achieving the greater goal. What is a director with no one to direct? What is a contributor with no direction? Further, what satisfaction does a contributor get from being tasked with directing, a work for which they are not suited. Success and satisfaction in the individual sense are inherent to the proper role. While people often can perform roles outside of their core capability they will not achieve personal satisfaction by doing so. Life is littered with the tales of those who found success in things which brought them no joy, as well as stories of the very simple and unambitious who by any and all measure live the most successful lives in terms of their personal, daily satisfaction. The duties for each generational cohort as identified here very much take this in mind. It is the alignment with one’s own nature that creates the fertile ground for individual success, and the accumulation of individual successes across a team is the creator of its later bountiful harvest, to be shared by all no matter the perceived status of their hierarchical position.
Using the lessons we have learned in previous chapters, for best results we can sort the current generations as per below. These are selected by placing each generation in position to do what it will best at, while keeping each generation away from the tasks for which it is least equipped:
- Executive Leadership: Blank Generation
- Senior Advisors: Generation X
- Lieutenants: Gen Z
- Operations/Analysis: Millennials
- Technicians: Gen Alpha
- Morale: Generation Jones
- Spiritual Guides: Baby Boomers
Keep these start dates in mind for each generation as we explore these roles in depth:
Executive Leadership: Blank Generation
With Uranus in Scorpio, the Blank Generation possesses a unique-to-our-time intellectual ability that is highly consistent with Executive Leadership. This is a placement that grants depth and vision to their thinking which enables them to perceive the entirety of a complex project from a high-level. This is the essence of strategic thinking and suggests that we should be looking to people of this cohort for ‘the big picture.’ They should exhibit greater than normal ability in this arena and be skilled at setting direction for the future. This is further enhanced by the placement of Pluto in Libra, which instills a system of values that prioritize balance and fairness. For effective leadership, these are precisely the traits you should be looking for. To underscore this, note that person who thought of and delivered the text you are reading right now was a member of this generation.
On the other hand, this generation will tend to be preoccupied with the bigger picture and less satisfied with the grind of implementing their vision at the ground level. Additionally, Neptune in Sagittarius biases their judgment toward optimism in action, which is best mitigated by deferring to advisors, tacticians, and field specialists for direct implementation decisions. They will know what to do and prepare a full plan, but if left to implement it entirely on their own, they won’t.
Senior Advisors: Generation X
The defining trait of Generation X is a shared experience. The combination of Virgo and Libra Uranus cohorts with Pluto in Virgo values imbues them with a talent for the details that combines with experience to make them ideal advisors to the leadership cohort. This is aided by the later part of the generation sharing Pluto in Libra, aligning values with the Blank Generation whom they are advising. Senior Advisors are critical for identifying which tasks need to be solved and deciphering the best angles of approach and Generation X will excel in this role.
On the other hand, the deep experience and focus on details will overly bias them toward caution and limit the boundaries of their vision. Their skill-set is perfectly suited for a senior role providing direction to visionary leaders who can navigate the ambiguity which will tend to lead Generation X astray.
Lieutenants: Gen Z
The Lieutenant’s role is to execute the vision of the Leadership in their stead. The term translates almost directly to “placeholder,” but it’s best to think of them as being the executor “in lieu of” the leader. Gen Z is ideally suited for this role because they are biased by their heavy Aquarius placements toward substantially implementing a new vision. They will “understand the assignment” and be willing to carry it out, provided they have confidence in the strategic direction set by the Executive. Because they have Pluto in Sagittarius values, this aligns well with the general optimism of the Blank Generation. They will be most satisfied by implementing a new vision and less concerned with inventing it themselves. You can’t ask for a better #2, or a stronger trait for an officer class in general.
On the other hand, the stubbornness of those same Aquarius placements makes them ill-suited for being a cog-in-the-machine necessary for effective operations, and Pluto in Sagittarius values can interfere with the precision needed for technical tasks.
Operations/Analysis: Millennials
Of all the cohorts in the present era, none even come close to matching the power granted by Pluto in Scorpio for carrying out effective analysis, operational, and logistics tasks. These people want to be in the muck, digging the entire trench, and ensuring things are taken to their completion. The Millennial obsession with thoroughness is a gift to the other cohorts who will sink or swim based upon the effectiveness of their operational team. This on-the-ground work is essential and for Millennials it is even fun. This comes so naturally to them that they do not realize that this is regarded as tedious work by everyone else. The natural alignment of this cohort is to engage in the thorough execution of tasks to their full completion and this is the most critical need for any team. They will be greatly appreciated for doing it and will love getting it done.
On the other hand, their debilitated Capricorn placements make them ill-suited for leadership and decision-making. The responsibility of setting the direction causes them great stress due to their difficulties with sizing up the situation effectively. They will be most effective and find the greatest personal satisfaction when given strategic direction and then trusted to carry out specific tasks.
Technicians: Gen Alpha
On any team there will be a need for developed technicians and skilled experts. These are the superheroes who can be counted on to pull off difficult and atypical tasks that require a high-degree of precision, focus, and specialization. The Pluto in Capricorn values of Gen Alpha ensure that they will understand and align with these parameters in a very natural way. Additionally, Uranus in Aries provides a bias toward getting to work while Uranus in Taurus allows them to take on substantial challenges. The technicians and skilled experts need to be very practical and refined while willing to get in there and execute the hardest of tasks. Gen Alpha, with Neptune in Pisces, will believe in the mission and see the utility of doing the job while finding it second-nature. And underrated trait of this cohort is a general cooperativeness when properly valued.
On the other hand, they possess almost zero initiative towards strategy or broad vision. They won’t challenge the big picture but won’t necessarily understand it deeply either. It’s best to give them specific, purposeful work with immediately tangible results so they are not forced to figure out what to do on their own, for which they are not well-suited.
Morale: Generation Jones
Our Uranus in Leo cohort shares much in common with Generation X, but their ability to understand the mission is of unique value in our time. They will be the most capable at keeping things on track in terms of morale because of this, and any roles which primarily serve this function are their wheelhouse. This is the placement that can find inspiration in the hard times and deliver that to the rest of the team. They can remind everyone why we are doing this because they, better than everyone else, will understand it.
On the other hand, Uranus in Leo can create friction in many task-oriented jobs where they must work with others. For this reason it’s best to use them for independent tasks, like playing the battle hymn and waving the flag, or whatever else they insist will boost morale. Just go with it – in this arena, they know what they’re doing.
Spiritual Guides: Baby Boomers
As the most senior of our cohorts the Baby Boomers, to others, seem to come from a different time entirely. Their Uranus in Gemini creative thinking, coupled with Uranus in Cancer sensitivity for what really matters, makes them ideally suited for the role of valued guides who can answer the bigger questions and keep a project and task on track. Neptune in Libra biases them toward actually wanting the best and this is invaluable for providing trusted advice of a less practical orientation. Every other cohort can find something to learn from these wise old sages and the Baby Boomers will find great satisfaction for their Pluto in Leo self-esteem by acting in this capacity. For the Blank Generation and Gen X especially, they can offer valuable wisdom through their natural ability to keep their eye on the prize.
On the other hand, Pluto in Leo wants to be in charge and thinks it is certainly right. This can present challenges in group work because it overrides the bigger picture goal in order to serve the individual. By having them in an advisory role, with no defined responsibilities, these limitations can be entirely mitigated allowing their best to shine through.
When combined together, the skill-sets of the presently living generations are more than adequate to navigate the times ahead and satisfy all team members in the process. The key to this success is understanding that we are in this together and letting that override concerns about who is in charge. The truth is that each of us are in charge of something and we need to focus on being in charge of what we are most likely to succeed at. It turns out that the things we are most likely to succeed at are the things which align most naturally to our unique abilities. When we take the time to explore these honestly and to recognize our various strengths and weaknesses as generational cohorts, the gaps and miscommunications that arise out of denying these differences fade away into the background, giving way to a smoothly humming society of partners.
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