The Fifth House and Eleventh House Dichotomy

    – A Tale of Two Energies

By Kemi Amusan

“The fifth house and eleventh house dichotomy – a tale of two energies! As a native myself, I’m stuck in this cosmic tug-of-war, so I have something to say, and I’m going to quickly say it while my bath water is running – bear with me!

 

First, it can be a wild ride!

The fifth house is like being a mom, stuck in mom-mode 24/7. You love your kids, but you crave some intellectual stimulation! You’re a creative, not a caretaker! (No offense, moms. Or is there?). Eventually, you give up and start talking to your friends like they’re toddlers, and honestly, it’s nauseating. Imagine a friend calling you, bitching about work, and you respond with, “Oh, your boss gave you a booboo? Let mommy take it away!” Gag me!

But it isn’t your fault that you are one-dimensional, like a clock stuck at 6:30 or 12:00. It is the only life you know, which may be frustrating if you have it in you to do more, for your personal satisfaction.

But this isn’t about motherhood in the literal sense. This is about the interplay of creative babies, artistic expression, individuality, inspiration, personal growth with the concepts of friendship, comradery, and global perspective. Which frankly, our creative babies want to do – try new things, take risks, and collaborate with others.

It’s conversations like, “Hey, your painting is nice, but what if we add some diverse perspectives, and make it a mural?!” Or, “Your writing is great, but what if we co-author a book, and make it a bestseller?!”

But a south node fifth house may say “no’. She will rather continue to write a children’s story book with all the characters identical to her own child, because that’s just how small her frame of reference is. Considering she never took her kid out of her play pen to have fun with other kids. And why should she? Home is comfortable. Never mind that she is so stuck cobwebs are beginning to form on her. But other kids have germs so we don’t invite them to play and we don’t go out to play with them.

As a fifth house South Node native, I initially wondered if I’ll abandon my creative pursuits like my seven unfinished novels to pursue sports (Aries North Node) when my nodal return commenced.

Or will I magically develop an app that makes up for my non-commercial artistry? Will I prioritize others’ feedback (11th house) over my artistic integrity (5th house)? Will I outsource my world-building to AI (rolls eyes and sticks snobbish nose up at ChatGPT!) and sacrifice my imagination? Or maybe I’ll trade heartfelt romance with real people (5th house) for dating robots (11th house)?

I thought I had to choose between these options, but my Libra sun has since found out that the fifth house and eleventh house nodal axis isn’t about either/or; it’s about harmony and integration.

You can still be a mother to your kid in the playground while observing other kids too. Your kid may get germs, play rough, experiment with sands and worm, step into the puddles of new ideas, challenge conventions with role reversals (the girl is the daddy, the boy is the mommy), push boundaries by attempting to stick her hand into other kids’ eyes (no darling, Toby isn’t a toy), and embrace freedom (maybe a little too much. Where did Toby go?) – but that’s the whole point. And through collaborative problem solving we find Toby (by the ice cream truck no less)

 

And we are richer for it. In the end we have a creative baby that is more rounded, able to play on his or her own as he or she is open to integrating the diverse perspectives others in life’s play ground.

However, there is no denying that when properly balanced, the impact of the diverse perspectives, collaboration and progressive thinking of the eleventh house far outweighs the fifth house siloed tendencies. The sound of a global applause shared with friends across the world is more meaningful than the ones you hoard, because the former, earned through collective innovation has a wider humanitarian impact

We may be more comfortable in our South Node, but our North Node is our guiding light, putting our South Node talents into perspective, while our South Node is the gift that enhances our North Node aspirations. The toys (5th house) we bring to the playground to share with our new friends (11th house)

And when properly integrated, we harmonize our tendency for perfection in our artistic work – music, writing, singing with the contribution we bring to the collective. I know someone who knows someone (ahem, myself!) with seven unfinished projects, stuck in pursuit of perfection, fearing death by a misplaced, coma or issing M. And has thus remained stuck in writing and rewriting and editing all the life out of the rewrites. But thank goodness she is beginning to accept whatever help she can from AI (11th house) to get her ideas out there rather than have them languishing in some obsolete folder on her devices.

In closing, I ask that you consider paintings by different people who never met but now their paintings stand side by side in an art gallery.

We see the second painting first. Then paint A, then paint C.

Paint B: A woman in labor. It evokes awe, strength, beauty. We cheer for her. And the child coming into the world. We imagine her joy when she finally pulls through and hold her child in her arms.

Paint A: A woman being raped. Now our initial interpretation is challenged. Knowing the back story we wonder; will she ever love the child? Will the circumstances of the child’s conception mar her joy and by extension, ours? Our brain makes the connection like we are moving from scene to scene not caring to wonder if its the same woman.

Paint C: A child growing up to be a successful inventor, with her mother beaming with pride, offering a new perspective on resilience and triumph. The child is grown. The past didn’t taint it. It may not be the same child. May not be the same woman. The artists worked independently.

However, by placing the paintings together, our initial interpretation (5th house) can be challenged and expanded by considering different perspectives (11th house).

The collective display (11th house) enriches our understanding of each individual work (5th house) and we can find new meaning and depth in the art (and in life).

They compel us to consider multiple viewpoints and experiences and come together to create something greater than the sum of its parts, telling richer, more nuanced stories, that explore multiple dimensions and meanings. This is the power of a well integrated 11th and 5th house.

 

My bathwater is ready, and in the spirit of freeing myself from the need for perfection Fifth house tendencies!). I’ll publish this write-up as is, with all its flaws (Aquarius energy!). If it appears polished, maybe I’ll have delegated some AI magic (11th house) to help me out. Either way, I’m embracing my 11th house North Node by contributing my thoughts.