Tag: black moon

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The Unbearable Lightness of Being Sagittarius

Jumping through the Hellmouth

The recent New Moon in Scorpio-Sagittarius (still in new phase as Sun entered Sagi) got me seeking a metaphor for the feeling of freedom I have every year when the Sun leaves Scorpio. Admittedly, my Sun is not in Sagittarius, but my Moon, Black Moon and Ascendant are, and with Sagi’s ruler Jupiter conjunct my Sun plus other signatures, it’s like having two birthdays. This year seems especially bouncy, albeit with a lot of wrapping up to do before Saturn enters Aries, next year.
In astrology, we read symbols. It is a language (‘astro-logos’), just like French or math or music. The nice thing about it is that the symbols, including numbers, are so simple and abstract, that much information can be unlocked with them. The symbol (or sigil) for Sagittarius is an arrow pointing diagonally upward, crossing a horizontal line. In the most simple sense, it stands for the horoscope sign of ‘the Archer’.

The moment Orion is transformed, House of Orion, Pompeii

At a deeper level, the horizontal line is the actual horizon, and the arrow,  formerly in the tail of the Scorpio symbol, is now taking off from beneath the earth and flying out into the cosmos. That kind of seems like a description of Aries, first sign of Spring and first fire sign, but the Aries symbol looks like both a helmet and a plant shoot (astrologer Rick Levine mentions that dandelion petals are actually shaped like tiny Aries symbols). The Ram isn’t butting forth into outer space, but those first waking rays of Sun on the cold earth must feel like gently charged thunderbolts from papa Zeus. Sagittarius, on the other hand, is not launching from the grave in a new body-armour, but escaping the  mortal coil altogether, like a ‘spirited’ horse. In older depictions, based on the first horsemen, the Archer points his arrow backward, as if being chased. Of the FIRE triplicity, Aries is ignition spark (cardinal), Leo is resplendent source (fixed), and Sagittarius is the transforming fire (mutable).

Amazon or Parthian ‘hero’ rider taking a parting shot [click for deets]
Now for the metaphor…
If you have ever watched those NDE (near-death experience) videos on Youtube, they encapsulate the relationship between Scorpio and Sagittarius. Scorpio is the death part, and indeed the physical aspect of the subject’s ‘re-birth’. But the experience that these individuals come back to tell us about – the visions/visions of light, the lessons and the need to spread the ‘good word’ to others – that’s pure Sagittarius. The ‘Hero Rider’ on his spirited horse riding out of Hades, flag-waving and free of fear. Of course, though the general theme may be similar, these spiritual experiences are completely unique to each. Similarly, no matter how much preaching Sagittarius does, and how extremely perceptive they are or how close to source, it is ultimately about their personal experience of the universal – much larger than life, due to ruler Jupiter’s influence. Sometimes they ride too far, but their zeal is always infectious, especially when put to words, art and music.
Happy Birthday, solar and ascending Sages! ~rb

Addendum: Recent tragic events have prompted the need for a companion ‘Unbearable Darkness’ post. Stay tuned.

‘Light of Poetry’, Carl Gutherz, Library of Congress (ceiling), Washington, US

*All written content copyright ©Roxanna Bikadoroff. Please share via LINK and short pull-quote only, with credit, thanks (no stealing).

Some ‘Are You Experienced?’ Sagittarians:

William Blake
Crazy Horse
Beethoven
Jean Sibelius
Edith Piaf
Maria Callas
Frank Sinatra
Jimi Hendrix
Keith Richards
Jim Morrison
Sinead O’Connor
Tina Turner
Little Richard
Taylor Swift
Britney Spears
Billie Eilish
Jon Stewart
Boris Karloff
Agnes Moorehead
Margaret Hamilton
Bruce Lee
Florence Griffith Joiner
Joe DiMaggio
Jean-Luc Godard
Jean Genet
C.S Lewis
Jane Austen
Mark Twain
Margaret Mead
Walt Disney
Erté
Charles M. Schultz
Madame Tussaud
Winston Churchill
Joseph Stalin
Nero
ICE Barbie
Billy the Kid

Breaking: Kilmar Abrego Garcia has just been freed (at least for now)!

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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 !

Tibetan Mahakala and Hindu Kali
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.

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