Astrology Archives - Page 4 of 5

May 21, 2018April 5, 2024

Uranus in Taurus – The Great Work or Seven Years on the Funny Farm?

Man’s heart, away from Nature becomes cold. ~ Standing Bear

Uranus entered Taurus on May 15, 2018, for a 7 year stint. With Taurus being the sign of our planet, Uranus being the ruler of the Aquarian Age and the creation myth of Ouranos (sky) and Gaia (earth) being symbolically reenacted, the stage is set for a highly significant transit.
There are many possible interpretations, but I see the combination of fixed earth and Mercury’s higher octave as nothing less than ‘the Great Work’ of our collective alchemy, wherein we are able to rediscover (and perhaps quantify) the living spirit in matter.

Francisco de Holanda, ‘De aetatibus mundi’ (c. 1545)

The Mythology and the Mechanics

In astrology, Uranus is said to have a ‘Promethean’ quality. This was especially true during it’s Aries transit, when we saw individual, young hero-rebels at the forefront, stealing fire and giving it to mankind (think Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden). By the time Uranus had come to the late degrees of Aries, it was not just one or two brave truth tellers, sticking their necks out, but large numbers of ‘underdogs’ marching in the streets – a virtual children’s crusade against the gun lobby and a #metoo movement against sexual harassment. True to “I Am” Aries, these were initiatory expressions of anger, the demand to be seen and heard. Mercurius in his volatile, firey form.

Often, in myth and legend, a Hero must obtain or is given a ring, key, password or other such symbolic, magically imbued accessory, with which to unlock secrets or treasures, hidden within the Earth or some forbidden place (ie, the feminine). The individual must be pure of heart, of course. Only a ‘true sovereign’ like Arthur could obtain the sword Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake. Only the compassionate, simple brother who shares his loaf with a stranger will win the princess. Musical keys also unlock certain mysteries, in that they open different channels to our emotions and memories. Uranus’ symbol, like Chiron’s, resembles a key.

Because Aquarius’ natural ruler is Saturn, who’s metal is lead, and it’s polar opposite, Leo’s ruler is the Sun, whose metal is gold, we can see how the addition of the ‘key’ of Uranus – the higher octave of Mercury (who indeed heralded the transition into Taurus, by conjunction) – is essential to the alchemical process of turning lead to gold. In the realm of fairy tales, frogs are transformed into princes, pumpkins into coaches, and so on – all metaphors for the transmutation of the self. In evolutionary astrology, Uranus is also said to represent long term memory, that of past lives. Remember sitting on a lily pad, catching flies ?

The Frog Prince illustrated by P.J. Lynch

So, collectively, we could see it as the first ‘task’ (1st house/Aries) now being complete, and the next one (2nd house/Taurus) beginning. Uranus is future-oriented, unattached and changing, while Taurus is ancient, material and constant. Our mission now is to unlock something hidden (Scorpio) and sacred in us that is our birthright, but that we will have to be pure-hearted enough to do. Uranus is mental intellect, so in our collective myth, the hero must now be initiated into heart (Leo) wisdom, via Venus/Eros (Taurus). The 0 degree of each fixed sign is being activated or awoken by Uranus as it unlocks the gate to Taurus, waking the Phoenix (Scorpio) from it’s ashes.

The Lover: Spock’s initiation into heart wisdom.

True, not everyone will have successfully completed the 1st task, and the ‘children’s crusade’ continues with Chiron’s move into Aries (tragically, there have been two more high school shootings, as I edit this). But only a certain percentage of the population need obtain the fire or key required for the evolution of the collective consciousness, ’tis said.

We’ve seen many brilliant, scientific and technological breakthroughs at the onset of the Aquarian Age, as well as the dangers, like the risk of becoming too clinical and detached, toxic pollutants and the capability for total annihilation. At the same time, many are becoming highly sensitized to the suffering of others, of animals especially, as we realize we are not separate from anything else in the universe, that spirit isn’t just something personal, but lives in and connects all things.

Fiat Firmamentum, by Francisco de Holanda, from’ De Aetatibus Mundi Imagines’, circa 1545

Fun Fact: Uranus, ruler of the Aquarian Age, is also the planet of astrology. Viewed from space, everything on Earth would appear to be happening simultaneously, which is kind of how we view the snapshot of a moment in time, drawn as a chart.

Aquarius can be a telepathic sign, and with the key of Uranus, we are being presented with a golden opportunity to communicate telepathically with all lifeforms, via spirit, once again. As mentioned, Uranus rules long-term memory, which includes traumatic resonance. Our collective, Uranus in Taurus trauma must have something to do with our separation from nature, both within and without.

The field has eyes,
the wood has ears;
I will look, be silent
and listen.
~ Heironymus Bosch

Buddhist meditation instruction illustration, Rubin Museum

Buddha was also said to have been a Taurus. He ‘unlocked’ the mysteries of the nature of mind by simply sitting under a Banyen tree and observing his. He saw that all suffering comes from attachment to that which is impermanent. One of the key teachings of Uranus in Taurus is freedom from attachment – to old ways, traditions, things…anything that is overdue for renewal. Freedom in any way necessary. Un-attachment to outcome and transient forms is not the same thing as emotional detachment, which kills compassion and creates sociopaths.

So, how does a Uranus transit differ from a Pluto transit ? Uranus feels more like a rumbling or irritation that one can’t ignore, shackles that must be thrown off. There is an urgent, awakened quality to it. It may bring sudden clarity or quantum leaps. The Pluto transit is more like a death (albeit with the promise of rebirth), as the transformation goes on at a deep, subconscious level. It can manifest in outward projections, like scary situations/people and obsessions. Both planets are powerful, impersonal, and can be destructive if we try to cling to the old. Best to come quietly.

Where did we come from, what are we, where are we going ?
~ Paul Gauguin

Taurus is one of the – if not the – oldest constellations in the zodiac.
This is thought to be a depiction of it at Lascaux.

Aquarius has an affinity for archeology as well as astronomy and astrology, because in the ‘Age of Man’, what does it actually mean to be human ? The more we discover about the past and the future, we begin to realize that we are the so-called ‘missing link’, not only do we embody the living potential of spirit, but we are the living potential. We were given the blueprints, in the form of teachings we didn’t fully understand at the time (another magic key), and our consciousness has since been evolving, but we are not yet there. The sense that it’s all our own responsibility is existentially terrifying to us, so we amass information as fast as we can, providing our rational minds with some sense of security. But this only provides partial understanding, because information, being windy-Mercurial, is ever changing.

How do we know what way is the right one ? How does the hero know which path to choose ? What is constant and real, not bullshit ? Taurus is accused of fixity, but the lesson of this sign, and for those born under it, is to instinctively understand the transmutation of elements (Scorpio), at a base level and know that in nature, nothing remains the same – though it is constant. Perhaps Taurean melancholy comes from gut feeling this impermanence, just like Scorpio power comes from knowing nature’s consistency (Taurus).

Hildegarde Von Bingen, The Egg of the Universe

Out of this World

When Venus (Taurus) and Uranus come together, it can create the environment for creative genius. Of course there have to be other contributing factors in the chart for any of these manifestations to occur, but the number of mystics, occultists, astrologers, philosophical thinkers or spiritual and social scientists with Uranus in Taurus is staggering. Among them are Hildegard of Bingen, Marcilio Ficino (humanist philosopher who translated Plato’s works), Nicola Tesla, Mademoiselle Lenormand, Sigmund Freud, Max Planck (founder of quantum theory), Fritjof Capra, Stephen Hawking and Valentina Tereshkova (first woman in space).

Perhaps the greatest musical genius of all time, Ludwig Van Beethoven

The musical list is a blog post in itself, but Beethoven, JS Bach, Handel, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, Nico, Charlie Watts, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Tina Turner, Roy Orbison, Brian Epstein (Beatles discoverer and mgr) and Phil Spector are just a small handful. The list seems disproportionately male, which is partly due to the nature of the biz, but also because the men seek their lost muse or ‘anima’. Think of Bob Dylan’s ‘Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands’, Velvet Underground’s ‘Venus in Furs’ or pick any Leonard Cohen song – they are not really about an individual woman, but rather a hymn to the Goddess, in some form or other. (Many of the 60s bunch are also Neptune/Virgo natives = Music + Goddess).
“It don’t matter how you worship, as long as you’re down on your knees,” sang poet-prophet Cohen, adhering to ancient tradition.

Western women with Uranus in the feminine house of Venus, discovered and owned their body politic, en masse for the first time. This generation gave us ‘ground-breaking’ feminist writers like Germaine Greer, Erica Jong and Margaret Atwood, actor-activists like Vanessa Redgrave and Glenda Jackson and the screen Goddesses had a formidable, self-possessed sexuality – Sophia Loren, Tura Satana, Anita Pallenberg, Ann-Margret, Raquel Welch, Brigitte Bardot, Karen Black, Elke Somer, Diana Rigg, just off the top.

The polarity of Taurus/Venus and Scorpio/Mars/Pluto is intense, can be obsessive, perverted or sexually deviant, if unbalanced and there do seem to be a lot of sexual-serial killers born with Uranus Taurus. It has to do with not just sexual but also creative repression, which rejects the Goddess and kills the soul. On the other hand, writers with Uranus Taurus like Dante Alighieri and Joseph Conrad stared into the mouth of Hell and revealed to us what damnation was like for tortured souls. Vincent van Gogh was the quintessential, tortured artist and misunderstood genius. True to Uranus, his artistic vision would be appreciated in the future, not in his own time. True to Venus, his paintings – bursting with the living, volatile spirit – are now some of the most valued and sought-after on Earth. Were the MOMA to sell ‘Starry Night’ it would cost about a billion dollars. So keep in mind that what whatever we create now will be long-lasting and may not come to fruition within our own lifetime.

The previous Uranus/Taurus transit also overlapped Pluto/Leo, so many came into the world with their personal, creative expression fully-honed. We aren’t likely to see the same plethora of ‘super-stars’ with Pluto in Capricorn, but it will be in Aquarius, near the end of the Uranus-Taurus transit, which will again bring the Leo polarity into play. Uranus-Taurus is ushering in the first ‘official’ Pluto-Aquarius cycle of the Aquarian Age !

A note about Capricorn…

Capricorn rules class systems, money/power structures and other orders of society. But we often forget that Capricorn is not just a Scrooge-y, social climbing mountain goat. It’s also a fantastical mer-goat, as well as Unicorn, which it was depicted as, once, in old, medical astrology texts. The pure, white, “calcified” unicorn horn was thought to be a cure for anything, since the Unicorn is incorruptible and equated with the Christ or the incorruptible part of ourselves. Pluto in Capricorn is helping us get there, by any means necessary.

15th and 14th c zodiacs with Capricorn as Unicorn

The magical, Mercurial (or Uranian) unicorn horn is essential for transformation. And doesn’t Scrooge himself undergo a transformation after a series of dreams (aka visions), at Winter solstice? Capricorn rules the skeletal system and teeth, and it’s ruler, Saturn, old age and death – the bleached bones being all that remains long after the spirit and the flesh have left. Saturn is also the traditional ruler of Aquarius.

“We caught the beast called the Unicorn
That knows and loves a maiden best
And falls asleep upon her breast:
We took from underneath it’s horn
The splendid male carbuncle stone
Sparkling against the white skull bone.”

It’s no wonder Unicorns seem to be popping up everywhere, lately. The horn also symbolizes the opening of the third eye, it’s vision transcending the mundane. (Indeed, many Capis are visionaries). It’s important not to lose our sense of wonder, as we try to rationalize what we can’t control or foresee. Uranus is all about tricksterism and expecting the unexpected.

David Bowie: Capricorn Unicorn, Mercurial poster child

Meanwhile, in the lower realms…

Environmentally, Uranus is a hot, explosive, planet of surprises and it’s moving into fixed earth. We are already seeing increased volcanic activity, but things are likely just getting warmed up. Environmental changes (and possible, other natural catastrophes) under this transit will be a factor in the coming economic changes. We will again be reminded, in no uncertain terms, that we must get back in tune with nature, as our imposed, false grid is no longer secure or sustainable. Remember, Uranus is Mercury on steroids, and Mercury can be ‘an infernal fire, the spirit of truth hidden in the earth’, sulphur.

Some astrologers have noted cyclic returns and conjunctions to the last time(s) Kilauea blew, and are predicting another big one, based on this. Volcanic explosions of the big, sudden kind can affect earth’s atmosphere and weather for years. They can actually cool the planet, but also darken it, as the ash blocks the sun. Or, if the particulates are large, the opposite effect happens, wherein there is an acceleration of global warming. They say that active volcanoes have actually prevented us from getting as warm as predicted. (Considering the latest policy of the US admin under Trump, it might be best for the planet if Pele blows her top). Interestingly, Hawaii is the highest place (above bottom sea level) on earth – literally where the earth meets the sky. Expect comets and other phenomena.

Athanasius Kircher, The Interior of the Earth, 1665

In 1815, the Indonesian volcano Tambora propelled more ash and volcanic gases into the atmosphere than any other eruption in history and resulted in significant atmospheric cooling on a global scale, much like Krakatau a few decades later. New England and Europe were particularly hard hit, with snowfalls as late as August and massive crop failures. The cold, wet, and unpleasant climatic effects of the eruption led 1816 to be known as “the year without a summer,” and inspired Lord Byron to write:

“The bright Sun was extinguishd, and the stars  
Did wander darkling in the eternal space  
Rayless and pathless, and the icy earth  
Swung blind and blackening in the moonless air;  
Morn came and went and came,  
And brought no day”

–Lord Byron, “Darkness”

There is a story that Byron invited some of his friends to his home in Switzerland that summer to relax by the shores of Lake Geneva. The lack of sun and warm summer weather led the group to hold a competition writing ghost stories to keep themselves entertained. One of the guests, Mary Shelley, wrote the famous novel Frankenstein for this contest, revealing that in addition to major climatic effects, volcanic eruptions can have some unexpectedly far-reaching results. (from Scientific American)

High Priestess – Tapping in to the Divine Feminine

An old, close friend was here, today, visiting, for the full Moon in Aquarius. She uses the Thoth deck and had recently pulled the High Priestess, depicted with outspread arms, so different from the traditional image of her, sitting on a throne, holding a book. We got talking about what that signified. What is the Goddess or Deity, exactly?

Look upon me, you who reflect upon me,
and you hearers, hear me…

In Tarot and numerology, 2 is considered receptive. The Arabic numeral is in the shape of an ear, because it has to do with hearing, listening. 1 embodies vision, literally a first ray or bolt of lightening. [As a side note, Taurus rules the second zodiac house. Though Aries rules the head in general, ear, nose and throat are more Taurus’ jurisdiction.]

If one puts the Marseille Juggler (Magician) beside the Priestess, one could imagine him as listening to her. The wand he holds is parallel to the strap across her front, directed to the book she’s holding. That he is ‘merely’ a performer means he himself is not the source of this magic, but a trickster who, by listening and creating space, can ‘bring it.’ Interestingly, by casting cards, you yourself become the Magician, with four types of tools, while the vehicle of space, as personified in the Papess revealing sacred wisdom, is Tarot.

Hear me, you hearers
and learn of my words, you who know me.
I am the hearing that is attainable to everything;
I am the speech that cannot be grasped.
I am the name of the sound
and the sound of the name.

In ancient times – as with any rock concert or belly dance performance or Baptist sermon, today – the performer or priest had to connect with and exchange energy with the audience. The uplifted audience then became as one, through synergy. The Deity was the collective spiritual experience, larger than the individual, but felt inside, by each. The sacred space being accessed (or summoned) for the spirit to flow through and become alive in – one could say that was the feminine principal, regardless of whether people considered the Deity to be male or female. She was/is present in connectivity itself. Sometimes psychogenic substances were used to enhance the experience (or maybe a forbidden fruit?), just as they are today, although now people use substances solely because they have lost the ability to open.
This ever-present, but invisible space was concretized as the temple or church, but nature was the original temple, and birds her priests.

We spoke of singing to both people and animals – my friend, to a Tibetan lama, me, to a crow – and how the subject inspires the song. For this giving, receiving and returning to occur naturally, a space needs to open, sesame. That is the threefold way of Goddess. Every time you open space to listen to and understand another living thing, or to receive inspiration with which to playfully create something (as opposed to having to do it for work, noble as that may be), you bring the Divine Feminine into being. The resulting creation then embodies spiritual aliveness, and can be a catalyst in opening space for others.

The modern world seems to be set on eliminating space and imposing will, in one form or another. Rather than listen to a tree, we think of it in terms of how it can be useful to us. We keep other living beings in cages or kill them for sport and raise our children in institutions, where the same lessons are imposed on everyone of a certain age. Few of us have any energy exchange with what we consume in the way of food – energy just means caloric intake. We want things how they ‘should’ be, not as they are. Silence is feared, space is the blackness ‘out there.’

I am the one whom they call Life,
and you have called Death.

Merely replacing the male godhead with a female is a superficial and symbolic step, but unless we begin to re-open the space that is the living Goddess, through which the spirit flows between every living thing, we will continue on the path of death; eating dead food, wasting knowledge, being ignorant to the root of illnesses, plundering nature/each other, and so on. Then and only then will we finally experience space, for she is also the space between lifetimes and lifeforms, through which both karmic and genetic information is passed. And if we die without listening, we are in for more of the same. That is probably why the first words in the Tibetan Book of the Dead are ‘Oh nobly born, listen undistractedly.’ Passages are recited to the dead person’s soul, to which they must be receptive, instructing them on navigation of the in-between realms.

To the attached person (and we all have some attachments), space feels like a void, equated with Death, and must therefor be a-voided. Silence, stillness and aloneness must be filled with sound, motion and other people. Their experience of the Goddess space is finite – an empty vessel, from which one might hear an echo, but little else. Patriarchal religion sees the Divine Feminine only as a vessel for the male God, imposing will on that which has no form, but silently provides, sustains and returns life to all creation.

This is not to deny the importance of masculine energy in creation. Going back to Tarot, we see that the Juggler/Magician is the Mercurial spirit that exists in everything. He has all his tools set before him, and will use the appropriate one, based on what he hears and where the energy wants or needs to be directed. When spirit and the space are combined, we get the threefold return, a directed movement that is a reverberation and microcosm of the original.

In Tarot, cups are indeed feminine vessels, but the Ace is usually depicted as a threefold fountain, rather than just an empty cup, wherein the waters of life are flowing. It’s the natural space, depicted as a church or censer in the Marseille Ace of Cups (not to be taken literally).

And yes, of course the Goddess takes many forms – the Earth, the Moon, and everything in between – but ultimately this initial space is her ‘formless form,’ via which she gives birth to the infinite manifestations of herself.

I am the knowledge of my inquiry,
and the finding of those who seek after me,
and the command of those who ask of me,
and the power of the powers in my knowledge
of the angels, who have been sent at my word,
and of gods in their seasons by my counsel,
and of spirits of every man who exists with me,
and of women who dwell within me.

~ Excerpts from The Thunder: Perfect Mind, Nag Hammadi Texts

September 6, 2015January 27, 2023

MAGIC GARDENS – Corrine Heline and Stellar Florotica

I stumbled upon author and mystic Corrine Heline (1882-1975) quite by accident, during one of my rabbit-hole, image searches. Heline’s philosophy is basically the same as my own, that what we experience on Earth as flowers are phenomena, the manifestation of a much greater, energetic force. ‘As above, so below.’ Knowing the true significance of the floral Queendom, one can see why bees – Her natural priestesses and priests – were so revered by the ancients. Let us return to the petaled temple…
The following excerpts from Corrine Heline’s book, “Magic Gardens” are from The Way of Love blog. (Thank you very much for providing this source).

Every flower bears a starry imprint,’ declared the illumined seer, Paracelsus. From the zodiac come the veritable secrets of God. The Star Angels are transmitters, and flowers become symbols of their communications. The closer our communion with the angels, the deeper will be our understanding of the mysteries of the plant kingdom and the greater our realization of the spiritual ministry of the world of flowers.

Each of the zodiacal Hierarchies creates its own cosmic flower patterns in the celestial realms. These patterns conform in shape, size, color and tone–every flower sings–with the vibratory keynote of its sign. These cosmic prototypes are perfect in every detail. In the highest heavens, they live and bloom in such wondrous beauty as to have inspired many legends which serve in a humble way to bring to earth some slight conception of their transcendent glory in the higher worlds and also the significance they hold for the peoples of earth. Imbued with eternal life, they never fade, but live and flourish with an ever-increasing splendor through the ages.

It is from these perfect patterns in the heaven worlds that the angels build the reflections which we who live upon the earth, know as flowers, and which, when so understood, become among the most sublime of earth’s teachers. Each flower is given its own special work to perform. Each plant bears deeply within its heart a message to the human family….

Each flower family was fashioned by the angels to represent some specific quality or attribute to be awakened within man. As the angelic hosts impress this ideal upon a floral archetype, its physical embodiment becomes a radiant herald of this celestial message. Flowers are thus literally a medium of contact between the Shining Ones and those who live upon the earth, their fragrance developing and increasing as a beautiful testimony to their work as mediators.
As man becomes increasingly sensitive he will begin to interpret this flower language, and to the degree that he does this, and lives in accordance with its high idealism in his daily contacts with his fellowman, the perfume of our flower friends will be intensified, the colorings will grown more exquisite, and the delicate petals will have greater endurance.

Each plant bears in its life forces the signature of its stellar creation. This creative impress takes form within the heart of the seed, and one who possesses the ‘blessed sight’ can observe within it the complete picture of the plant that is later to come into physical expression upon the earth. So, too, may those possessing the ‘inner wisdom’ discern the message which flowers bring concerning the realities of heaven, and which are awaiting manifestation on the physical plane.

As a man learns to respond to the ideals instilled by the angelic beings into the hearts of flowers, he, too, will develop a quality of soul that will radiate in fragrance, rare and beautiful. He will walk in an aura of radiant light and know the glory of an immortal life that shall never fade.

AMEN!

Thank you for viewing and please help keep the bees alive – don’t buy/use chemical pesticides or neonicotinoids!

All photos herein ©Roxanna Bikadoroff except for the two ancient Melissae

September 3, 2014February 11, 2024

Jupiter and Saturn – Two Sides of the Same Coin ?

Jupiter and Saturn – are they two sides of the same coin ?

Here’s a very simplified, astrological comparison, without going too deeply into the mythology…

Jupiter (Zeus) was ‘King of the Gods’. He resides in the clouds and never was big on limitations – his own, that is. Though he does think it important that we humans should have spiritual laws, moral codes of ethics, philosophies and things like that, but also faith. The big 3 religions that can’t stop being morally superior to each other, all have an incarnation of Jupiter at the helm and are based on the belief that spirit exceeds all physical limitations. His glyph is a half circle rising over a cross, ‘spirit over matter’. The planet Jupiter, 5th from the Sun, is the biggest in the solar system and mostly gas. A ‘jovial’ windbag. His metal is tin – which may not seem befitting for the heavenly father, but it is the lightest and can be mixed with any metal.

Saturn (Kronos) , in ancient times, was the last planet visible to the naked eye, so his sphere was, literally, the limit, and thus he represents accepting/learning to work within our own limitations and the laws of nature – the biggest one being that we inhabit a material body. No escaping that, until death. Also he has rings ‘binding’ him. At Saturnalia, these, in the form of chains, come off his statue (Lord of Misrule) and everyone parties. His glyph or sigil is a cross, above a half circle (which sometimes looks more like a tail/snake), meaning ‘matter over spirit’. Thus Saturn is earthy, his metal is lead, he is gravity in all forms. The 6th planet from the Sun.

Wherever Saturn is situated in your natal chart represents where you feel limited or where your most important life lessons are (the ones you committed to), what karma you are working through during this lifetime. It can feel ‘grave’ or serious, at least at first, until you have learned and matured according to Saturn’s rules. There is comedy in tragedy and vice versa, that’s life. Tragedy means ‘goat song’.

Wherever Jupiter is, on the other hand, is a place you feel fortunate, rewarded, free. The gifts he brings may feel like lottery winnings, but they are actually rewards for good deeds and hard work in past lifetimes. Jupiter especially enjoys buffoonery and of course, gambling. He is also Santa Claus.

So as you can see, they work together. Body and spirit are interwoven during this lifetime and we can’t progress in one without the other, or we might experience their shadows. For example, some people who are all spiritual or preachy with Jupiterian morals start to express the grave or humorless characteristics of Saturn or neglect their bodies. Those who are focused only on the material , worldly concerns of Saturn can start to embody the ruthless, megalomaniacal side of Jupiter, in their sense of entitlement.

Thus, it is very important to keep these two archetypes in balance.

All text (except quotation and cartoons) is copyright ©Roxanna Bikadoroff
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December 27, 2013January 8, 2023

Rethinking Black Moon Lilith

We still use the given Greco-Roman names of Gods and Goddesses to describe the planets, but this can sometimes be limiting. Mesopotamians, for example, didn’t deny Ishtar-Inanna her dualism as morning and evening Star, nor her aspects as both love/sex and war/death Goddess. Venus, the same planet, is pretty much restricted to Goddess of beauty and love. Not that Love isn’t the highest power, but she’s left being a bit one-dimensional. Her shadow is repressed and, according to the mythology, comes out in underhanded ways due to jealousy or vanity. How are we supposed to consciously evolve if we are still stuck on these incarnations of the archetypes ?

Digitally ‘restored’ Burney Relief, depicting Lilith or Ereshkigal

Case in point – Black Moon Lilith. This is not actually a physical object but a ‘void space’ that acts as a shadow Moon, in modern astrology. Being the Moon’s dark twin, it’s been named after the screech owl of the Hebrew Bible who is, essentially, menstruating Eve, with a clinical case of hysteria-induced vampirism. Based on this archetype, Black Moon’s natal position shows where we sabotage our own happiness, especially in relationships. But modelling our un-lived self on this jilted first lady, who chose to cavort with creatures of the night, rather than submit to her husband’s dominance leaves us without the means to consciously break the cycle of hurt. Personally I don’t mind that she was a ‘demoness’, but that word has some heavy associations I’d rather not have to carry !

In Buddhism and Hinduism, deities that are black are referred to as ‘wrathful’. But they are actually more like the embodiment of relentless mercy or fierce compassion, that cuts straight through fear, anger or whatever state of distraction our minds might be in. Kali or Mahakala are extreme examples, but the Black Tara – who is most often depicted as dark green/blue – might be a more subtle yidam* for our shadowy, lady Lilith.

Unlike the radiant energy of White Tara, Black/Wrathful Tara is associated with power, but embodies the freedom and potentiality of non-form and infinite wisdom. A Buddhist friend was describing it to me as the feeling of infinite space one gets in a pitch blackness. More un-structive than de-structive. Wrathful yidams are also protectors, which is ideally what BM Lilith must become for women who are past child-bearing years.

Tibetan Bluish-Black ‘Wrathful’ Tara (Looks like the actual ‘black’ manifestation is in the top left corner, while the main one is a more of a wrathful, Green Tara)

Black Moon Lilith’s retrogrades are frequent, her next being Jan 23 to Feb 7, with a Sun opposition on Jan 27. It’s two-week opportunity for contemplating what drives our self-sabotage (for women especially, but also for men who project their shadow feminine onto the ladies) and work on integrating Tara and Lilith. During her retrograde, make time to sit in a pitch black room, where you feel safe, or if you are out in the country, with no lights, sit outside during the New Moon at the end of the month. “Lay down all thoughts, surrender to the void.” If you should feel or see a negative emotion or it’s embodiment, observe it, note it, let it dissolve naturally into the blackness. Feel the protection and constance of this void space, the true, feminine nature behind the demoness mask of Black Moon Lilith.

*enlightened being, aka deity.

Note: There are, in fact, three Liliths – Black Moon, Dark Moon and asteroid. Some astrologers combine all three. I find BM to be enough by itself, not least because she’s exactly conjunct my Moon.

All written content herein is copyright ©Roxanna Bikadoroff and may not be reposted or reprinted without permission plus a credit and link to this page. Feel free to share the article via link. Thank you for being respectful.

January 26, 2013November 20, 2023

Leo Polarity of the Aquarian Age

The world hasn’t experienced a fixed sign age since the Age of Taurus (fixed earth). Usually there is one civilization that seems to embody the spirit of an age, and Egypt of the Old and Middle Kingdoms, was definitely ‘it’ during Taurus. Land cultivation, artistic and musical harmonics and architecture were perfected and created to last an eternity. This was due not only to Taurus’ stamina and love of beauty, but also to the power-nature of its polarity sign, Scorpio (fixed water), concerning magic, medicine, death ritual and the afterlife.

Today we are at the beginning of the fixed sign Age of Aquarius, with the polarity of Leo. Many of us have speculated what the Age of Aquarius will bring, but let’s look at the Leo side of things – seeing as it’s a Leo full Moon this weekend – as well as how various features from the Taurus Age, particularly from Egypt, are resurfacing in our consciousness. Aquarius forms a square to Taurus, meaning this will be the time when difficult challenges to what we started back then are presented to us.

Cat Worship

Cats were revered in Ancient Egypt for protecting the grain supply, their immunity to scorpion stings and for their absolute maternal nature. Leo is of course a cat, and it’s amusing to see how cats have already taken over the social network, Aquarian territory. They’ll play an important role in our awareness, as they are natural spiritual gurus (I’m even seeing a religion here). Aquarius loves aliens and angels, and cats are both, are they not?

Sun God Ra as a Cat, slaying Apep (chaos/darkness)

Leo rules the heart, while Aquarius rules the mind

In ancient Egyptian medicine, everything started with the heart – no matter what dis-ease a person had, there was ultimately a heart/soul problem at its roots. The heart is the Sun of the body and Sun is Leo’s ruler. Weighed after death against the feather of Ma’at (‘truth’), a heart heavy with sin or untruthfulness would be eaten by Ammut, or so the Egyptians believed.

There are widespread depression and mental health problems today and though science and drugs are the Aquarian, rational approach to making us all feel the same way, how can any individual be happy when we know so many of our sisters and brothers, of all species, are suffering needlessly? We share and feel each other’s pain, mistakenly thinking it is just our own. Aquarius mind balanced with Leo heart is the light of the world.

Eye of Horus and Pineal gland – the ‘third’ Eye

Leo is also the performer/artist and art is the best therapy, whether making your own or being healed by a wonderful film, play, book or visit to the gallery. Each must become creative now in some way, it’s our birthright. We’re already witnessing this happening, as unknown individuals become overnight, internet sensations (Aquarius). Ultimately an artist isn’t just one who can paint or act, but who is able to transform their great work – their life – and thereby inspire others to do the same. The arts just happen to be the best vehicle/medicine for doing this.
Alchemy comes from Egypt, the ‘black art’ of turning dung or lead into gold, in other words, the art of personal transformation from base to enlightened self. The Sun’s metal never loses it’s value.

egyptian lapis scarab with gold wings — Winged Scarab, symbol of self-transformation

Read: How the Scarab Taught Astronomy ? (WIRED)

Farming in the Age of Taurus vs Frankenfarming in the Age of Aquarius

The places that were fertile so many thousands of years ago are now deserts, in part because of unsustainable practices. Leo is a hunter, a nomad, it goes where the food goes – food normally being hoofed herbivores. Short of turning all Mad Max, we could at least quit over-working the same soil and grow things according to where and when they’ll grow best, instead of demanding tasteless strawberries 365 days a year. The Taurus square aspect is being felt by farmers who now struggle to meet demands, as well as health-conscious consumers, when we see how good land and food are being contaminated or wasted. Increasingly, we’ll be challenged to replace ownership with stewardship. ‘Bull market’ needs a redefinition. Like the Egyptians who carefully observed and utilized the flooding of the Nile as well as all animal behaviour, we must re-learn to live in accordance with nature or die out as a species. Egyptians worshipped the Sun God, Ra and we’d be wise to befriend him, in the form of solar power, lest our future pyramids be the ruins of toxic, Uranian, nuclear reactors.

Speaking of nomads, the numbers of homeless and slum-dwellers have been steadily growing. Also, people move around and travel probably more today than at any other time in history. In general, we seem to be carrying a lot more stuff, too – if the growth in handbag size, cars and baby strollers over the last several decades is any indication. To have-not and travel light is another hard lesson for the Taurus-bred mentality… the Egyptian nobles even ‘took it all with them’ into the next world. But having an over-abundance of things hampers one’s freedom to live and to die. (Having too much stuff in your head or too much information is the Aquarian equivalent). Part of the lesson from all the recent Aquarian floods and Leonine fires is about un-attachment and ingenuity.

In the spirit of afterlife and rebirth, it’s interesting that the Egyptian revolution started right at the onset of the Age of Aquarius last year… their struggle has been a very long one. Perhaps souls have now returned from the distant past, to overthrow the Pharaohs.

Riddle of the Sphinx:
What creature walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon and three legs in the evening ?
Answer:
Man – he crawls on all fours as a baby, walks on two legs as an adult and then with a cane in old age.

The Sphinx is a lion (Leo) with a human head (Aquarius). A Good mascot for the Aquarian Age !

Henri (award winning cat video)

Nora the Pianist Cat (top Youtube video)

LolCat Art Exhibit

All written content herein (except meme) is copyright ©Roxanna Bikadoroff and may not be reposted or reprinted without permission plus a credit and link to this page. Share via link, if you like. Thank you for being respectful.

July 17, 2012April 5, 2024

New Moon in Cancer – Got Soul?

On July 18, the New Moon will be in her own sign of Cancer (the New Moon is always conjunct the Sun, in the same sign, which is why we can’t see her). Cancer is the sign of the Universal Mother, and rules the breasts.

The symbol for Cancer looks like breasts, but it is actually two spirals spinning together, like the galaxy, or two nines, number of gestation and endings preceding birth, moving forward and backward…

The constellation was also seen as a cradle – the cradle (or gateway) of birth and death. In the same way, the Moon is presumed to be where souls await physical rebirth.
In ancient Egypt, the symbol for Cancer was the Scarab (where the word ‘crab’ comes from). The beetle rolled it’s dung like the Sun, traveling through the night or netherworld to be reborn.

Since Moon governs the tides of the ocean and body fluids, it is associated with the soul, which is watery (Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces form the water triad). In Tarot, cups are the soul element. Soul is the source of emotional memory and feelings and, being the source, is essentially no different than the ocean.

In astrology, the Moon, Pluto and the Lunar Nodes are the main indicators of the soul’s path/past lives. The Moon’s placement is also indicative of our ancient, matrilineal heritage and earliest emotional memories.

This Cancer new (dark) Moon, is a good time to begin revisiting our emotional memories and see whether we stopped evolving emotionally somewhere along the line, due to some tragic or disruptive event in our early or past lives.

For women, if the relationship with your mother was severed at some point, this is likely a microcosm of/clue to where and how your matrilineal line was severed long ago.
For men, the soul is your ‘anima’ and you will know her by the kind of woman you are attracted to. Is she a big teat ? A femme fatale ? A nurturer or a devourer ? Do you fear her or try to protect her ?

I sometimes think of the Cancer Sun and Moon as Samantha and Endora of the 1960s TV series, ‘Bewitched.’ Cancer Sun is witchy, but would rather ‘get to a man’s heart through his stomach’, be the domestic Goddess. Moon in Cancer is the opposite of rational and can be a nurturer or devourer of the soul (or both). And of course she’s the older Mother.

Pluto-Moon/Cancer or Lilith-Moon/Cancer aspects can be challenging in this respect and will reveal much about the Mother/child dynamic. The Pluto in Cancer generation (1913 – 1939), who were very affected by their mothers’ issues, are now preparing to return to the ‘Great Mother.’

Summary: This Moon, born in Cancer, is good for healing ancient or childhood memories (especially to do with Mother or Mother’s line), honouring the Soul and the feminine. And while we are at it – our relationship with Mother Ocean, source of all life, could really use some healing.

The following is adapted from ‘Dreamgates: Exploring the Worlds of the Soul, Imagination and Life Beyond Death’ by Robert Moss. Published by New World Library. (Thanks to Rob Brezsny for providing).

The basic insights of paleopsychology are as follows:

1. Spirits are real.
2. We are not alone: we live in a multidimensional universe peopled with beings — spirits of nature, gods and daimons, angels and ancestors — who take a close interest in our affairs and influence our lives for good or ill.
3. We are more than our bodies and brains, which are only vehicles for soul.
4. The soul survives the death of the body.
5. Soul journeying is the key to the spiritual worlds and the knowledge of ultimate reality. The soul makes excursions outside the body in dreams and visions. The heart of spiritual practice is to learn to shift consciousness at will and travel beyond time and space. Through soul-flight, we return to worlds beyond the physical plane in which our lives have their source and are able to explore many dimensions of the Otherworld.
6. Souls are corporeal, though composed of much finer substance than the physical body.
7. People have more than one soul. In addition to the vital soul that sustains physical life — closely associated with the breath — there is a “free soul,” associated with the dreambody, which can travel outside the body and separates from it at physical death, as well as an enduring spirit whose home is on the higher planes.
8. Souls — or pieces of soul — can be lost or stolen. This is the principal cause of disease and misfortune.
9. Some people have more souls than others and have the ability to make excursions to different places at the same time.
10. At death, different vehicles of soul go to different lots. Through conscious dreaming, it is possible to explore the conditions of the afterlife to prepare for one’s death and to assist souls of the dying and departed.
11. We are born with counterparts in nature. For example, we are born with a totem animal and a relationship with natural forces (wind or water or lightning) that are part of our basic identity and help to pattern the natural flow of our energy.
12. We are born with counterparts in other places and times, and in other dimensions of reality. When we encounter them through interdimensional travel, they become allies and sometimes teachers.

Images: Sara Goodridge, Egyptian winged Scarab, Dali Ace of Cups, Mahakali of Kolkata 1910 litho, Ronald Searle TV Guide illustration, fiddler crab, Dorothy Phillips.

Written content herein, except where stated otherwise, is ©Roxanna Bikadoroff. Please share via link, only. Thanks.

February 3, 2012November 20, 2023

MYSTICAL PATH, PRACTICAL FEET – Virgo’s Household Cleaning Tips for Neptune in Pisces

Neptune re-entered it’s own sign of Pisces today, home for the next 13 years. This icy, mysterious, blue planet, where it supposedly rains diamonds, is called the ‘higher octave’ of Venus. It is the eighth and/or ninth planet from the Sun, depending on Pluto’s orbital position. Dreams, illusions, art (especially film, music, dance), healing, universal love, psychic ability, phobias and mind-altering drugs are some of the areas Neptune presides over. Modern astrologers recognize it as a fitting replacement for Pisces’ traditional ruler, Jupiter.

Neptune is currently conjunct ‘the wounded healer’ asteroid, Chiron, named after the centaur who learned and taught healing as a result of his non-healing wound. In a chart, Chiron’s placement shows where you become your own medic through your pain – the wound and healing are one. In Pisces, it is truly shamanic. Chiron prefers holistic methods and is where we get the word ‘chiropractor.’ Many astrologers associate it with the sign of Virgo.

Virgo is also the polar opposite sign of Pisces. Where Pisces is dreamy and escapist, Virgo is practical and, literally, ‘down to Earth’. We think of her simply as ‘the Virgin’, but she is also depicted as a winged figure – the angel of earthly service. (Her Vestal Virgin persona seems more in keeping with the asteroid, Vesta, who is also transiting Pisces right now). Virgo is ruled by Mercury, the winged messenger planet.

I had declared in my Dec 21/11 post (Fish Have Left the Building) that we’d officially kissed the Pisces Age good-bye. But of course, after living in a house for two-thousand-some-odd years, there’s a ton of cleaning to do before you can actually leave the premises…otherwise, you will certainly not get your damage deposit back ! A final purge of the old dream’s residue needs doing, to prepare the space for creating a big, fabulous, magical, Water-Dragony, new one. Neptune in Pisces, along with Chiron, is the final rinse and purification team.
Virgo has our best (and cleanest) interests at heart, so I’ve invoked her to provide some practical tips on cleansing with Neptune energy. Try to come up with your own ideas, too, since you are the instigator of your own process – your own shaman. Start now, sparkle by Spring !

Cleansing the physical body

1 – Eliminate or at least drastically cut down on red meat, processed foods, wheat, sugar, dairy, fats, yeast and fermented foods, alcohol, coffee, fried stuff, too much salt and anything else that potentially creates blockage and toxicity. Fast for a day or three if you can. Take a probiotic daily to replace friendly bacteria. Psyllium seed husks, bentonite clay and vitamin C can also help. And whatever it takes, if you are a smoker, it is definitely time to quit, now. My Virgo neighbour just resumed smoking after a year and is very sick, as a result.

2 – Increase your water intake. Consider investing in an ionizing water filter to increase alkalinity. A pinch of baking soda per 2 litres of water is the no-frills method (this will not filter or ionize, however). Bless your water before drinking.

3 – Eat more raw foods, vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, legumes and whole grains (Virgo is also the grain Goddess, after all). Oatmeal, gentle enough to slough your skin, has the same loofa effect on the inside. Mother Nature really does know best !

4 – Go organic wherever possible and eat frequent, small meals rather than few, large ones, which is probably how my double Virgo grandmother lived to be nearly 100. It’s always best to get your vitamins directly from the source, so a juicer is also a good investment.

5 – Be kind to your heart, liver and the rest of the organ gang. If it’s not a matter of life and death, replace pharmaceutical drugs/pills with home remedies (Virgo’s fave) like chamomile or mint tea for tummy aches, clove for tooth aches, water for headaches (they are often caused by dehydration), etc. When detoxing, headaches are normal – just keep flushing. Music and water sounds can work wonders for healing under the Neptune/Pisces influence. And don’t worry about common colds – it’s nature’s way of purging the system. Drink lots of fluids.

6 – Put sea salt in your bath to draw out toxins and relax muscles.

7 – Your body is a mini Earth ! Replace all toxic chemical cleaners/detergents in your home with ones that will not pollute your own waters or the ocean’s. Chemicals burn the skin right off marine beings, kill coral reefs. Use baking soda and vinegar or chlorine-free oxygen bleach for sinks, drains, floors, tubs. Cream of tartar for tea and coffee stains. Steamers are great for sterilizing counter tops, gyms, restaurants, etc. [Addendum 2020: it is not known whether steam alone will kill covid-19, so it is recommended to scrub surfaces with soapy water then steam while still soapy. Hydrogen peroxide or isopropyl alchohol (never mix anything with HP) are good ‘pure’ sterilizers. Fatty soaps rather than ones containing astringent or bacterial killing agents work best for hand washing.]
Think, what would your grandmother/great grandmother have used before we had all this chemical goop ? Romans bathed with olive oil and salt, the purest soap is still made from these simple ingredients.

Virgo oversees the digestive tract and it’s link with the nervous system, via her Mercury rulership. Our digestive tract, colon, etc. are directly affected by nerves. And because our bodies are not only divided down the middle vertically, but horizontally as well, intestines and brains are not that different. In fact the intestinal tract is known as ‘the second brain’ and gets information before the brains in our head. They both get full of shit and need to be emptied, cleansed and well taken care of for proper function of everything else. A Polish senior I know told me her mother would always advise her not to make a decision to act before “eat and poop”. In other words, the processing time of one meal = the time needed for mental process !

But don’t just take my word for it :
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=gut-second-brain

Spring Clean Early

It certainly feels like spring is already starting in some places, which must be a call to begin the house cleaning/clearing. The key lesson for Pisces, junk collector of the zodiac, is ‘un-attachment.’ Sometimes Pisces has an easier time un-attaching itself from people than objects or photos that conjure memories of them.
If you are in the late forties – early fifties age group, any old illusions of yourself in the form of clothing or ‘stuff’ should probably be sent down the river at this point.

And of course…washing, especially windows, for clear vision.
Virgo Moon says, use cleaning as practical magic, ‘wash that man right out of your hair’ while shampooing, for example.

Cleanse the emotional body

Ritual, no matter how small, is a great way to inform the inner and outer universe of your intention. Virgo loves writing lists to draw things from memory, so we can use this as a format.
We’ve all had people in our lives who have influenced us strongly, for better or worse. Everyone you’ve shared a soul connection with, you’ve actually exchanged bits of yourself for theirs. While we can’t erase memories, we can neutralize their effects.

1- Make lists of all the soul connections you are finished with – one for lovers or significant others, one for teachers, one for neighbours, adversaries or whoever you feel ready to let go of. It may take a few days. They will start popping up in dreams or elsewhere.

2 – Get some matches.

3 – Take the lists to a beach or other moving body of water. Thank the people on your first list for their lesson and inform them that you are now giving back the parts of them you’ve been holding and are taking back the parts of yourself from them. Roll or fold up the list, burn it, and let the charred remains fall into the moving water. Repeat with each list. (If you have no access to moving water, you can release into the wind or bury them in the earth – a return to the elements is the main thing). The New Moon is a good time to do this. For heavier bonds, you may wish to write a letter to the person (not to mail) or do a more involved ritual. The important thing is your intent. This should be an act of gratitude and closure, not destruction. You will feel lighter afterwards !

Neptune’s dreamscape and Virgo’s analytical ability are also very conducive for dream interpretation/therapy. What is your emotional body and unconscious telling you ? Keeping a dream journal and rendering your dreams in some art form are routes to self-healing.

Mental cleansing

Everyone will have their own methods for this, such as meditation or yoga… but since water is the main element right now, I recommend walking by the water to clear the mind, or at least out in nature, a park, etc. Listen to/walk in the rain or get a water cd and visualize the water flowing through your brain and rinsing away all debris.

One good way to un-clutter and calm the third eye is to sleep with a smooth slab of (cleansed) lapis between the eyebrows. This also helps with headaches, eye strain and vertigo. Rinse it under cold, running water from time to time, to release build-up.

Energetic/spiritual cleansing

There is so much invisible, electro-magnetic, microwave, electrical pollution these days, and it’s on the increase. Cell phones, computers, frankenfoods and bad news all threaten our health…but we can’t go around living in fear. Neptune in Pisces goes with the flow. It is the realm of the spiritual master in us that understands all is maya (illusion). Ultimately, we can’t control anything and must learn to let go of ourselves and everything else. Still, we do have to live inside the illusion for now, which is why Pisces and Virgo say, “walk the mystical path with practical feet” ! Do what is within your own ability and let the Gods handle the rest. The whole point of this exercise is not to try and lengthen your lifespan or lose weight or find the fountain of youth (although these may be side bonuses), but to prepare you for a rebirth within this lifetime, as your beautiful, authentic self.

Lady in the pool is the great Esther Williams, Hollywood’s own mermaid.

All written content herein ©copyright Roxanna Bikadoroff and may not be re-used without permission. Please share via link only. Thanks!

January 9, 2012April 5, 2024

Enter the Dragon 2012

If you can’t take the heat, don’t tickle the dragon. 
~ Scott Fahlman

January 23rd begins the Lunar Year of the Dragon (Lung). Chinese/Lunar astrology is doesn’t integrate religious or karmic concepts the way Western or Vedic astrology does. It is more about achieving balance within the present context of one’s life, and is based on the Moon, rather than the Sun.
There are five elements in Lunar astrology: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. This year, Water is the ruling element. Most eastern Dragons live in or near water and are responsible for rain, so hopefully a fortuitous beginning for the Aquarian Age.

The Dragon is the only celestial creature in the Lunar Zodiac and considered most lucky. It is the embodiment of creative energy without form (a composite being), often depicted coveting the Pearl of Wisdom. The realm of the Dragon is not one of physical matter, but of subtle essences, spirit/chi and infinite possibility.
2012 is sure to be a year of unpredictability, churning emotions and unbridled creative forces. If you are a Dragon (see dates below), this is a maximum power year for you, especially 1952 Water Dragons !

Dragon people are often admired, but not easily understood. They are called ‘eccentric’, because they insist on being entirely self-created and self-defined, but also because of the way they see/sense things – in essence. They can have strong, sometimes domineering personalities, but are very sensitive and loving underneath and are not out to harm anyone. (It would be beneath a celestial being to do so).

Dragons often make great artists, due to the enormously vivid vision they have. But the list of Dragons who have achieved super-stardom seems to be predominated by men. This may be because the Dragon is a yang creature (in ancient times, it was considered a fortunate sign for sons), so the male ego is more suited to it, but also perhaps society has traditionally been more enamored of eccentricity and individuality in men than women. Maybe the water element will favor female Dragons, water being yin.

Some wonderfully whacky Dragons:

Lewis Carroll (1832)
Sigmund Freud (1856)
Dr. Seuss (1904)
Salvador Dali (1904)
Joseph Campbell (1904)
Shirley Temple (1928)
Stanley Kubrick (1928)
Ennio Morricone (1928)
Jeanne Moreau (1928, New Year’s day)
Raquel Welch (1940)
Bruce Lee (1940)
Vitorio Storaro (1940)
John Lennon (1940)
Ringo Starr (1940)
Nancy Sinatra (1940)
Terry Gilliam (1940)
Frank Zappa (1940)
Roberto Benigni (1952)
Roseanne Barr (1952)
Isabella Rossellini (1952)
Paul Reubens aka ‘Pee Wee Herman’ (1952)
Juliette Binoche (1964)
Guillermo del Toro (1964)
Stephen Colbert (1964)

A person who has been hypnotised by a dragon should be made
to do a large number of complicated mathematical sums. 
~ Dragonology

A Few Dragon Facts…

Dragon mythology appears in just about every culture. In Europe, the Dragon was a symbol of evil, an embodiment of the Devil, to be slain by righteous heroes like Perseus, St. George or St. Michael. These legends can all be traced back to the Babylonian creation epic, wherein the hero Marduk chops the primordial Goddess, Tiamat, in two, forming Heaven and Earth.

In 1498 Emperor Sigmundson of Hungary founded the ‘Order of the Dragon,’ a monarchical, chivalric order to fight the enemies of Christianity. Vlad the Impaler’s father was a member of this order, which made him a ‘son of a dragon/dracul,’ or ‘Dracula,’ and the inspiration for Bram Stocker’s famous vampyre.

No doubt but there is none other beeste comparable to the mightie dragon in awesome power and majestie, and few so worthie of the diligent studies of wise men. 
~ Gildas Magus, Ars Draconis, 1465

In astrology, the ‘axis’ of one’s birth chart flows between two opposite points where the Moon crosses the path of the Sun’s course, called ‘Lunar Nodes’. This concept comes from Vedic astrology, although Western astrology has changed the meaning.

In simplest terms, the ‘South Node’ is called the Dragon’s Tail and in western astro, it represents past, accumulated experience, while the ‘North’ Node or Dragon’s Head represents new territory, evolution. Vedic does not see them as past and future, but rather, south node (Ketu) as feminine/receptive/spiritual and the north node (Rahu) as masculine/active/material. They must always be kept in balance or they can become malefic.

The Dragon’s head is said to be exalted in Gemini, the tail in Sagittarius.
Currently, the Lunar Nodes, which move backwards through the zodiac, are transiting Gemini and Sagittarius (tail is in Gemini and Head in Sagittarius, opposite to their exaltation).

The Milky Way is, of course, the original, celestial Dragon. Sagittarius and Gemini are the two areas where the Milky Way and the ecliptic cross – the beginning and end of the universe, as seen from Earth. The Ancient Chinese lived by the concept of ‘On Earth as it is in Heaven’ or ‘As above, so below,’ especially when it came to building structures. It’s now known that the Great Wall of China below was actually built as an earthly replication of the celestial Dragon, not for defensive purposes (though it may have served so later), but as a safe passage for travelers/traders.
The wall’s two ends are aligned with Sagittarius and Gemini.

Read about the Milky Way/Great Wall discovery here.

England will be celebrating Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee this year, as well as hosting the Olympics and World Shakespeare Festival. St. George, the Dragon-slayer, is their patron saint. Curiously, ‘Dracula’ was published the last time England had a Diamond Jubilee, in 1897.
Just some celestial food for thought.

The Lunar year starts at different times each year. Here are the actual Dragon Year dates. (Sarah Palin and Michelle Obama, for example, though born in 1964, are Rabbits).

DRAGON YEARS:
02/19/1904 to 02/03/1905 (Wood), 02/03/1916 to 01/22/1917 (Fire), 01/23/1928 to 02/09/1929 (Earth), 02/08/1940 to 01/26/1941 (Metal), 01/27/1952 to 02/13/1953 (Water), 02/13/1964 to 02/01/1965 (Wood), 01/31/1976 to 02/17/1977 (Fire), 02/17/1988 to 02/05/1989 (Earth), 02/05/2000 to 01/23/2001 (Metal), 01/23/2012 to 02/09/2013 (Water), 02/10/24 to 01/28/25 (Wood).

All written content except for quotations and Dragon year list is ©Roxanna Bikadoroff and may not be re-used without permission. (Please note I am a Dragon). Feel free to share via link, however. Thank you.

December 21, 2011April 5, 2024

Fish Have Left the Building, Woman Bearing Jugs at the Gate

Oh reason, reason, abstract phantom
of the waking state, I had already
expelled you from my dreams,
now I have reached a point where those
dreams are about to become fused with
apparent realities: now there is only
room here for myself.

— Louis Aragon

Welcome to the Age of Aquarius…!

Congratulations ! Actually that may be premature, some say it doesn’t officially begin for another 300 years. But we are certainly in the dawning phase, at least. By being present here at this moment, we have elected to become…the first human beings?? Yes, we are the missing link, ‘the ones we’ve been waiting for.’ Are we honoured ? Will we be able to live up to the responsibility we undertook ? Or even remember undertaking it…did you drink from Mnemosyne or Lethe while you were out ?

“Where did we come from ? Who Are We ? Where are we going ?”
— Paul Gauguin, D’ou venons nous (painting)

We don’t know where or when life began on this planet, but our earthly life cycles always seem to begin with an emergence from water, which is why water ritual plays an important role in so many world religions. Out of the sea and onto land, out of the womb and into the world, out of the sea of dreams and into consciousness… each birth renews the sense of infinite possibility.
In Chinese mythology, the carp (Pisces) must swim against the current (Aquarius) and try to leap over the waterfall to the Dragon’s Gate. If successful, it is transformed into a powerful dragon. 2012 is, of course, the Year of the Dragon.

The Pisces Age began roughly 2160 years ago. Under it’s influence organized religion spread like a tsunami (often just as destructively) within and beyond the so-called ‘civilized’ world. Like the magi who came bearing gifts for the new ‘king’, Buddha, Jesus and Muhammed came out of the east, bearing teachings for the infant us, but instead, cults formed around the teachers themselves and, well, you know the rest. The same old, tribal wars continued raging, but in the name of “God.”

Pisces Feet: soles of Jesus, Buddha and Muhammed

To understand myth and ritual, we must look first to the natural world, where our memories and stories began. The salt water that makes up 70% of our bodies, originated in the sea. Fire may reclaim the spirit, but the soul seeks refuge in and returns to the great pool of tears, presided over by the Moon, where age-old memories remain. And water’s memories go back further still, brought here by asteroids from who-knows-where. Nothing reminds us of how old, sacred and interconnected life is like water, wherein dreams and reality are one, shapes shift, appear, disappear, reflect, eat each other… but life doesn’t end, it just morphs into something else.

Virtually every great civilization arose near a sea or a river, where nutrients were deposited on the land as the water rose and fell and fish were plentiful. Hence, the majority of creation myths were based on floods, fish, whales, or sea monsters, all synonymous with the great Mother’s womb.

In ancient Babylon and Egypt, annual flooding of the rivers was predicted by royal priests, using mathematics and astrology, which must have seemed like magic to the uninitiated masses. So, the heavens were interconnected with the waters, as was science with religion and art. ‘Myth’ (our term for ancient religion) was a metaphor for natural occurrences and the priests were – and still are, to some extent – keepers of the stories, rituals and rites linking heaven and earth.

Fish Heads: Creator God Enki, Babylonian and Persian priestly classes

The image of the Sun sinking into and rising again from the water provided a natural metaphor for the concept of eternal life and was likely the visual inspiration for the ankh symbol (the word ‘ankh’ or ‘nkh’ itself being the active, magic component). The son/Sun fish is well-acquainted with the maternal mysteries and is therefor willing to sacrifice himself repeatedly. He will instruct the people in rituals by which to restore his life, and theirs. To the Celts, he was Tuan, to the Haida, Salmon Boy, to Christians, Jesus, but the myths are essentially the same.

Anubis prepares Osiris to be sent down the River

“The truth that I have brought forth is the Sun” — Isis

During Pisces’ reign, the fish cults of Mesopotamia/Babylon and Egypt were imported to Europe and the ‘Holy See’ of Rome, via conquests, migrations and later, the crusades. The desert – a vast, dried up sea, or ‘wasteland’ – was seen as a warning sign of what would happen in the west, if Goddess worship was also eradicated there. Thus, the peoples’ beloved Lady was not removed from the temples, but instead cleaned of her fish scent and made into the Virgin Mother or ‘Holy Spirit’ (Venus’ dove).
The Catholic practice of eating fish on Friday goes back to when Romans honoured the water-born, love Goddess Venus-Aphrodite on her day (Vendredi, or Freya’s Day) by eating fish, considered an aphrodisiac. It has simply been edited of any sexual content. Pisces was under Venus’ rulership in ancient times and is still considered the her sign of exaltation.

As the Piscean age began showing signs of waning and Pluto entered Capricorn (early 2009), it seemed as if each day, another long-standing institution was having it’s dirty laundry exposed. Questioned about child abuse scandals, Pope Benedict explained that pedophilia was ‘normal’ in his day…hmm, must be all that fish eating. It is true that in ancient Rome, man/boy relationships were acceptable. Guess he’s pretty old.

Victimization, martyrdom and slavery are Pisces trends that must now be phased out – this includes slaving at anything all day just to pay the bank (if you love and chose your own work, that’s different). Then there’s slavery to one’s beliefs…are you tired of being hooked on the same, old, fish story ? Are you ready to inherit the secret of your own creation and make some new mythology ?

“For a moment my soul was elevated from its debasing and miserable fears to which these sights were the monuments and the remembrances. For an instant I dared to shake off my chains, and look around me with a free and lofty spirit; but the iron had eaten into my flesh, and I sank again, trembling and hopeless, into my miserable self.” — Mary Shelley, Frankenstein

God baits the Devil with Jesus (The Ransom Theory of salvation), Tigris Salmon (actually a carp).

Apparently, according to Maritime Law, people are legal merchandise, a commodity, i.e. slaves. Birth and death certificates are nothing but receipts. The recent Occupy movement is just a start; during Aquarius, the time will come to rip up this contract, nullify the imposed time grid, the fake money and (re)claim our inherent status as human beings. It won’t be a smooth transition.
In the coming millennia, wars may no longer be fought in the name of religion, but it’s unlikely that all wars will end (although… you never know). What will happen is that there will be more and more opportune moments for individuals to experience Uranian quantum leaps and begin thinking for themselves, but not before the entire fabric of collective reality is shredded. Polar opposite Leo will see to that. (Perhaps we’ll get some help, too, since extra-terrestrials and angels come under Aquarius’ rulership). Have you ever had a lucid moment in a dream, where you suddenly realized you could make a conscious choice to direct the outcome ? In a sacred manner, we are now beginning to wake within our collective dream.

Sistiutl articulated salmon transformation mask by BC artist, Wayne Alfred

The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream.
The oak sleeps in the acorn, the bird waits in an egg, and
in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs.
Dreams are the seedlings of realities. — James Allen

Meanwhile, natural disasters will continue to remind us of the fact that we were all created equal (Aquarius) and open our hearts to full capacity (Leo).

Since Uranus (rebellion, explosion, sudden events, social movements, uranium) moved into Aries (Mars, fire, youth, hero, warrior) in March 2011, we’ve seen it’s energies channeled as anarchy by many, but also constructively – and indeed bravely – by consciously awake individuals. Uranus, the Trickster and modern ruler of Aquarius, is equated with Prometheus, the sacrificial hero who stole Zeus’ fire and gave it to mankind. It’s exactly why governments are so afraid of the people right now. It seems like they are becoming more powerful, with all their policing and cracking down, but in fact, it is exactly the opposite. The people have been given the fire. Uranus into Aries, the individual, was the first marker of the transition.

Top row: Ace of Swords (victory of truth), Joan d’Arc’s coat of Arms. Bottom: Brigitte DePape, the page who roared in the House of Commons and Ta’Kaiya Blaney, ten year old environmental activist/singer, speaking out against the proposed BC oil pipeline.

The death of Fisher King, Steve Jobs was another sign of a torch being passed. A double Pisces, he changed the world forever, initiating us into the Aquarian age via the personal computer. Interestingly, on the day he died, Martin Scorsese’s documentary, ‘George Harrison – Living in a Material World’ made its TV/internet debut. George shared a birthday with Jobs and had also worked his magic under an Apple logo. There was also the 11-11-11 portal last November. Aquarius is the 11th house of the zodiac. We have made our first attempt to leap over the waterfall, again accompanied by firey Mars (as Scorpio this time), Venus’ lover. Note the triple number here. As the hypnotist said, “as I count to three you will begin to awaken from your trance.”

Pisces and Aquarius, though separate constellations, are not really separate entities. Actually the constellation of the Southern Fish (singular) makes up part of Aquarius (fixed star Fomalhaut is the fish’s mouth). If fishes represent copulation and the co-mingling of fluids – just like the male Tigris and female Euphrates of the Fertile Crescent – the ‘water-bearer’ is like the water breaking before birth. Aquarius, a fixed air sign, is mind-oriented and it’s polar opposite, Leo, rules the heart. If you’ve ever made love with another and felt complete cosmic, dissolving, timeless union, then you’ll understand how and why we have evolved to our present form – so that body, heart and consciousness can be unified in experience.

On another, related note, get ready for some (more) of the weirdest science yet. I am sure that by the time we get to Capricorn and Sagittarius ages, mergoats, centaurs and other fabulous beasts will be no longer be confined to ancient mythology.

Before and after? Octopus Shunga and Octomom

The Aquarius/Leo polarity, at it’s best, embodies this entity of divine unification, that extreme left-brainers seek in the form of ‘The God particle’. Love is the one, true religion – it’s eternal, and you don’t need to go to a church or be descended from a particular bloodline to practice it. The driving force behind our evolution in the Aquarian age will be the freedom to love – to love oneself without shame, another being without fear and the world without discrimination. This may sound overly idealistic, but I do feel that circumstances will continue to make it increasingly difficult for people to deny the truth – that we are already free. Low self-esteem is at the root of all our troubles.

To Mnemosyne (Memory), Fumigation from Frankincense.
The consort I invoke of Zeus divine;
source of the holy, sweetly speaking Mousai nine;
free from the oblivion of the fallen mind,
by whom the soul with intellect is joined.
Reason’s increase and thought to thee belong,
all-powerful, pleasant, vigilant, and strong. ‘
‘Tis thine to waken from lethargic rest
all thoughts deposited within the breast;
and nought neglecting, vigorous to excite
the mental eye from dark oblivion’s night.
Come, blessed power, thy mystics’ memory wake
to holy rites, and Lethe’s (Forgetfulness) fetters break.”

— Orphic Hymn 77 to Mnemosyne (Greek hymns C3rd B.C. to 2nd A.D.)

Remember:
– I am a natural Human Being
– Karma is the Law
– Love is my Religion

“I looked at your blog and some posts and comments you made in the past and was amazed that you answered my deepest Question. You posted the article “Roxanna’s AstroTarology: Fish Have Left the Building, Woman Bearing Jugs at the Gate” talking about the Pisces age and organized religion. It was a breakthrough for me. Thanks so much!” [comment saved from old blogspot]

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