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Kabbalah and the Hermetic Tradition
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O Yule Log We Return to you
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The Ancestors Within
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The Feminine in Astrology
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The Feminine in Astrology

By Terry Lamb, M.A.

In astrology, we rely on a rich tradition of symbols to inform our understanding of a person's chart. These symbols provide deep, living images of the forms that life can take in our universe. We call these symbols, archetypes.

Students of astrology may notice two things: First, that there are few feminine archetypes in astrology, and second, that the feminine archetypes that exist are limited in their interpretation. Of the ten major planets, only two—the Moon and Venus—are feminine. Six of the signs are considered to be feminine, although these are more properly termed receptive or yin. These signs—Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn and Pisces—are often portrayed negatively. In fact, their interpretation has been twisted to conform to the narrow interpretation that the feminine has received in Western culture.

Is this the way it's always been? If not, what is the true meaning of these signs? What can we do to balance the overabundance of masculine archetypes in astrology?

Before the historic era, from about 8000 BC, the cultures found around the world were predominantly matrifocal—they revolved around the feminine concept of sustaining a culture by nurturing life. These cultures worshipped both a Goddess and a God. Women were more often the mainstays of civilization, while men foraged and hunted to sustain the tribal (family) units. After 8000 BC, successive waves of invading warlike peoples overpowered these cultures in Europe and the Middle East. By 1400 BC, the concepts and ideals of the old matrifocal cultures were forced underground by a culture which sought to sustain itself by threatening to end life. In this move from a laterally organized society governed by agreement (consensus) to a hierarchically organized society governed by dominance and control, there was much death and destruction. The ancient libraries, temples and other storehouses of knowledge (many of which were people, since most information was transmitted orally) were destroyed and replaced by a new echelon of myth-makers and historians who recorded a new history and mythology. This new history eventually drowned out the other, older information, and with it went a balanced view of astrology.

So how can we rebalance the energies in astrology? First, we must realize that the planets are beings, and as beings they have both a masculine and a feminine nature. We must develop our concepts of each planet to incorporate both the masculine and the feminine sides of each planet. This will probably be easiest to accomplish by giving each planet two names, one masculine and one feminine. We can gain clues to the nature of each planet by evaluating the signs that they rule, since each (inner) planet rules two signs, one masculine and one feminine.

As for the signs, their meanings have also been rewritten; both masculine and feminine signs alike. However, the feminine signs were changed most dramatically, so I will briefly describe them, as I understand them.

TAURUS now called the Bull, was originally the Cow. (Can you imagine a feminine sign such as Taurus associated with a bull!)? The cow was a most significant member of agrarian cultures, so important that in India the cow is still sacred and not to be killed. It quite simply provided life insurance. Its milk and milk by-products provided high-quality foods that enhanced health and resistance to disease. Some forms could be stored for times of famine. Now, as our connection with the substances that ensure our survival is diminished, we can lose sight of the value of such food sources as the cow. However, Taurus, at its essence, remains connected to this reality, and so manifests as that nourishing, nurturing part of us that remains linked to the earth and the beautiful forms it takes. It is associated with the right alignment of our values, our sense of beauty and ability to express it, and our relationship with our physical resources. These motivations underlie all the potential forms that Taurus can take, from the craftsperson (creating useful objects of beauty) to the materialist who is only happy with a large bankroll.

CANCER now called the Crab, was the Scarab, the Turtle or the Cat in ancient times. Associated with the Moon, Cancer is thought of as moody and ruled by instincts. The Moon is much more than that, however. In ancient times, the Moon in its phases was the Great Mother, the Triple Goddess of Maiden, Mother and Crone, and more important than the Sun. every known culture has a name and lore associated with the Moon. Our word moon is the source of many words in English and the other Indo-European languages. For instance, our words month and mind come from the same root. The Greek word menos means both moon and power. The basic structure of our calendar comes from the Moon's cycles, originating in the astro-religions of the ancient Middle East. A month was originally one complete Moon cycle. Each week marked the completion of one lunar phase (such as from new moon to first quarter or from full moon to last quarter). In modern astrology, the Moon represents such things as the mind, memory, receptivity (yin energy), the feeling nature, habits, moods and nurturing qualities. Similarly, Cancer's deepest motivations are to be emotionally nurturing and protective. Instinctively psychic, Cancer is attuned to the Great Mother and a representative of Her in our world.

VIRGO now called the Virgin, was originally the Grain Goddess. Virgin was one word whose meaning was changed with the rewriting of history during the cultural change. Originally, it meant she who is her own master, who rules her own destiny. It was often associated with the role of the priestess. I feel that Virgo the Priestess would be a better way of conveying the true nature of Virgoan energy. In ancient times, Virgo was the Keeper of the Seed. She preserved only those seeds of the highest quality and determining the right time for their release in order to assure their growth. In real terms, the sign was prominent in the heavens during the grain harvest. Then the priestesses had the duty of choosing the best seed for next year's planting (and dedicating it to the Goddess) before the rest became food. For this reason, Virgo is associated with quality control, but they are not by nature nit-picky, critical people. Often they hearken to a higher call, dedicating their lives to a higher purpose and willing to sacrifice public opinion for the purpose they wish to fulfill. With Virgos, there is often an otherworldly feel, as if they are not susceptible to the temptations to which others may fall prey. Yet they are usually practical at the same time, with a realistic sense of what can be accomplished in the name of the vision they hold dear.

SCORPIO the Scorpion, was a hidden sign in Babylonian astrology. It contains the esoteric (hidden) mysteries taught then in the Mystery Schools of the Near East. Originally, this was women's territory, not because men were not allowed, but because it was more convenient given the tribal structure. Women remained in the tribal home/village, studying the herbal lore to heal illnesses, learning the history of the people, and studying the moon cycles. As civilizations became more sophisticated, the Mystery Schools remained populated primarily by women, although more and more men took part. The Great Depths—the Abyss of Darkness, associated with Death and ritualized in the Eleusinian Mysteries—are identified with Scorpio. Associated with the Underworld—a realm traditionally feminine—Scorpio's masculine ruler, Pluto, would more properly be Persephone/Kali, the Destroyer-Goddess and most ancient ruler of the Underworld. Scorpio's domain therefore is the destruction of what has outlived its relevance. The old must die to make way for the new, and Scorpio brings to us the Great Mystery, that death is not final, but the moment of rebirth. Scorpios carry this knowledge/lesson within them. Their intensity, if properly channeled, can provide deep insight and wisdom, which can be marshaled on behalf of others.

CAPRICORN is the Goat, originally the Sea-Goat, Makara, and the wise one who rose from the sea (into Sumeria). There is some speculation that Makara was an alien being whose ship landed in the water. In recent times, it has come to be associated with the harsh, stern father archetype through its association with Saturn; yet it is a feminine sign. Taken as a whole, it represents the administration (use) of power. In its highest form it represents feminine power (there are plenty of archetypes of masculine power in the masculine signs). Feminine power is not hierarchical (dominance-oriented, or having power-over), but laterally organized, involving rule by consensus (or having power-from-within). Capricorn's purpose is to perfect the form of things. Its lesson is to rise above the material into the spiritual. It is learning to find power from within and learning to nurture it in others. Capricorn is also learning to let go of fears; when we have no fears, we are free to love and let everyone have their own power. The highest expression of Capricorn energy uses power in this way.

PISCES is the Fish, or the Fishes. The larger fish (the whale) sees the big picture (our role as part of the Whole), while the smaller fish sees the small picture. The oceans and waterways were an important source of food and inspiration in ancient times. Now ruled by Neptune/Poseidon, the God of the Oceans, in pre-patriarchal times it would have been ruled by Mari, the Goddess of the Seas. Pisces symbolically represents the time before birth that we spend in the womb, the time that we remain connected with the Great Goddess. It is the challenge of the Piscean to maintain that connection throughout life and to help others to remember that connection. Pisceans live in a psychic, spiritual world where all are joined in consciousness. They must be constantly vigilant in order to maintain enough separation from others to fulfill their goals.

It is important to remember that we choose how we are going to express a sign's energies; the motivation alone remains consistent from person to person with the same sign energy. As we return to a more balanced culture, we will be free to return to a manifestation of the feminine signs with a broader range of possibilities. We will be taught the true potential of these forces, to fuel our inspiration and imagination in fulfilling the highest potential of who we are.