Today's eclipse included an aspect I didn't mention in yesterday's post — a conjunction of Mercury, Psyche and the hypothetical point Zeus. This is about the weaponization of unhappiness.
Ok, but there is such hope in the Psyche myth as well! the story of the relationship between Eros (Love) and Psyche (the Soul)... She seeks and finds equality in her marriage. She accomplishes each task set her by Venus, Goddess of Love, with help from the forces of nature - she learns how not to sacrifice herself to take care of others - she earns back the love of Eros (which he took from her when she broke his taboo about not seeing him for who he really is) -in the end, she wins immortality and gives birth to a daughter named Pleasure - - there is so much to learn from and celebrate in the Psyche myth. The moment of "hopeless faithless despair" is just that, only one moment in a long narrative of resistance and self-actualization. I recommend psychologist Carol Gilligan's book, "The Birth of Pleasure," for an in-depth examination of this and other stories, as well as case histories, illustrating "a radical geography of love."
Yes, though the mythography and the astrological delineation are two different things. In other words, other things go into the delineation than the myth.
ah ok, so this is based on your observations then... but here's another question - those who name the heavenly bodies are not astrologers, are they? are the names given always appropriate, in your experience?
I could say a lot more about the factors of delineation...especially with centaurs, there are many -- and it can be done without respect to the name for many points.
Yes and my primary asteroid mentor Martha Lang Wescott. Where soul is concerned there can be a rebirth at times indicated by Psyche. Though readings are always in context of the times, the question and the whole chart. I could say something about Zeus + Psyche + Mercury being about the power of soul to regenerate. But that's not what I see going on as much as silent despair that needs to be given a voice.
Astronomers do a pretty good job at naming planets, it's impressive given that most are not in alignment with astrology nor do they care. But one of the best discoverers and best namers of them all, Mike Brown, has openly said he loved astrologers and even spoken of us favorably in The New York Times. But he's the kind of person that nobody can say is a "bad scientist" because he outdoes them all many times over.
Re: " I could say something about Zeus + Psyche + Mercury being about the power of soul to regenerate. But that's not what I see going on as much as silent despair that needs to be given a voice" - while I agree with you regarding the silent despair, I would like to suggest that this aspect of the power to regenerate is worth voicing in your work ....that silent despair needs to be shown the potential for healing and regeneration. It certainly spoke to me while reading this intriguing thread and gave me a context to work more effectively with my current process and transits.
Got it... I'll hope that giving a voice to that silent despair may give rise to the regeneration of our collective soul... I remember having a similar question after an article a few weeks ago where you talked about Ophelia (asteroid?) being about the emotional over-reaction - because in the play, it's Hamlet whose reactions are outrageous and over-the-top (which is why every actor wants to play him, of course) - Ophelia's responses to her situation actually make complete sense :)
I feel I am taking a serious risk even mentioning gender difference. Maybe the empathy of males and females takes them to different places? Maybe what frightens men is quite different from what frightens women? I wonder if women live our lives somewhere near that silent despair point, so we are well acquainted with rising out of it - our lives are hinged on just that capacity?
I'm not even going to try to back this up astrologically - it was just my gut reaction to the difference in senses (perspective?) between one man and a few women.
This is worth considering and I do my best to hold open a safe space for sincere discussions of sex and gender. I have some ideas about what you're saying, though let's see what other commenters have to say. <3
To my way of thinking bringing gender differences in is oversimplifying - yes, many men have 'different' empathetic approaches or fears to many women - but then so do many women, or men, have different empathetic approaches to others of their same gender. Society likes to simplify, using class, race, gender etc to classify us in to tidy neat boxes - but we are all individuals.
My observation was just that, an observation, that was entirely limited to this interaction and as such was not in any way prescriptive of male and female behaviour in general.
It was an observation, not a prescription, and as such, stands as MY observation. I make no apology for MY observation.
But, you will note, that I knew this would happen. It takes a brave person (yes that's me) to acknowledge that both men and women have limitations based on the body they were born into, and that it takes conscious effort to overcome.
However, I must have attributed a nuance to your words that was not there, and I do apologise for that.
Christine, I totally agree with you - men and women ARE different in how we approach things. And yes of course we approach things differently as a result but I just didn't want to limit the issue to a simple male/female division, in my opinion it's waaaay more complex than that. We all differ according to so many factors, not only our gender. - our age, our demographic, our cultural heritage, et al. Quite simply we all have different life experiences which shape us differently, whatever our gender, and we each displays aspects of all 'gender' types regardless. I'm sorry if I didn't make that clear. No offence intended!
Thanks for adding this. Things have been feeling extra buggy today. And the discussion thread is just excellent. Thank you everyone for bringing your voice forward. We need more of this.
I will take another risk in voicing my non-astrological and womanly perceptions, based solely on the way I am currently feeling.
Eric's comment, "I could say something about Zeus + Psyche + Mercury being about the power of soul to regenerate. But that's not what I see going on as much as silent despair that needs to be given a voice. "
I agree that some of us are in a phase of silent despair, and perhaps it does need a voice, but I don't think despair has a voice. It has run out of anything to say. I could say that I am going through a phase of silent despair, precisely because I am, but that does not tell you anything about it's essence. Despair lacks an essence. It is a sinking out of existence. But maybe it does have a counterbalance?
In my current despair, I look inside and I see this rock solid lump inside my skull that is balancing the void of despair. Somehow it knows I will come through this, just not how or when. It's not saying anything either. It's just there, anchoring me to life just as hard as the emptiness of despair is trying to sink me out of this life.
Could one of your planets be that rock? What's Saturn up to?
Ok, but there is such hope in the Psyche myth as well! the story of the relationship between Eros (Love) and Psyche (the Soul)... She seeks and finds equality in her marriage. She accomplishes each task set her by Venus, Goddess of Love, with help from the forces of nature - she learns how not to sacrifice herself to take care of others - she earns back the love of Eros (which he took from her when she broke his taboo about not seeing him for who he really is) -in the end, she wins immortality and gives birth to a daughter named Pleasure - - there is so much to learn from and celebrate in the Psyche myth. The moment of "hopeless faithless despair" is just that, only one moment in a long narrative of resistance and self-actualization. I recommend psychologist Carol Gilligan's book, "The Birth of Pleasure," for an in-depth examination of this and other stories, as well as case histories, illustrating "a radical geography of love."
Yes, though the mythography and the astrological delineation are two different things. In other words, other things go into the delineation than the myth.
ah ok, so this is based on your observations then... but here's another question - those who name the heavenly bodies are not astrologers, are they? are the names given always appropriate, in your experience?
I could say a lot more about the factors of delineation...especially with centaurs, there are many -- and it can be done without respect to the name for many points.
Yes and my primary asteroid mentor Martha Lang Wescott. Where soul is concerned there can be a rebirth at times indicated by Psyche. Though readings are always in context of the times, the question and the whole chart. I could say something about Zeus + Psyche + Mercury being about the power of soul to regenerate. But that's not what I see going on as much as silent despair that needs to be given a voice.
Astronomers do a pretty good job at naming planets, it's impressive given that most are not in alignment with astrology nor do they care. But one of the best discoverers and best namers of them all, Mike Brown, has openly said he loved astrologers and even spoken of us favorably in The New York Times. But he's the kind of person that nobody can say is a "bad scientist" because he outdoes them all many times over.
Re: " I could say something about Zeus + Psyche + Mercury being about the power of soul to regenerate. But that's not what I see going on as much as silent despair that needs to be given a voice" - while I agree with you regarding the silent despair, I would like to suggest that this aspect of the power to regenerate is worth voicing in your work ....that silent despair needs to be shown the potential for healing and regeneration. It certainly spoke to me while reading this intriguing thread and gave me a context to work more effectively with my current process and transits.
Got it... I'll hope that giving a voice to that silent despair may give rise to the regeneration of our collective soul... I remember having a similar question after an article a few weeks ago where you talked about Ophelia (asteroid?) being about the emotional over-reaction - because in the play, it's Hamlet whose reactions are outrageous and over-the-top (which is why every actor wants to play him, of course) - Ophelia's responses to her situation actually make complete sense :)
Loving this thread, it's adding useful layers to my understanding - thanks, both.
I feel I am taking a serious risk even mentioning gender difference. Maybe the empathy of males and females takes them to different places? Maybe what frightens men is quite different from what frightens women? I wonder if women live our lives somewhere near that silent despair point, so we are well acquainted with rising out of it - our lives are hinged on just that capacity?
I'm not even going to try to back this up astrologically - it was just my gut reaction to the difference in senses (perspective?) between one man and a few women.
This is worth considering and I do my best to hold open a safe space for sincere discussions of sex and gender. I have some ideas about what you're saying, though let's see what other commenters have to say. <3
To my way of thinking bringing gender differences in is oversimplifying - yes, many men have 'different' empathetic approaches or fears to many women - but then so do many women, or men, have different empathetic approaches to others of their same gender. Society likes to simplify, using class, race, gender etc to classify us in to tidy neat boxes - but we are all individuals.
My observation was just that, an observation, that was entirely limited to this interaction and as such was not in any way prescriptive of male and female behaviour in general.
It was an observation, not a prescription, and as such, stands as MY observation. I make no apology for MY observation.
But, you will note, that I knew this would happen. It takes a brave person (yes that's me) to acknowledge that both men and women have limitations based on the body they were born into, and that it takes conscious effort to overcome.
However, I must have attributed a nuance to your words that was not there, and I do apologise for that.
Christine, I totally agree with you - men and women ARE different in how we approach things. And yes of course we approach things differently as a result but I just didn't want to limit the issue to a simple male/female division, in my opinion it's waaaay more complex than that. We all differ according to so many factors, not only our gender. - our age, our demographic, our cultural heritage, et al. Quite simply we all have different life experiences which shape us differently, whatever our gender, and we each displays aspects of all 'gender' types regardless. I'm sorry if I didn't make that clear. No offence intended!
Thanks for adding this. Things have been feeling extra buggy today. And the discussion thread is just excellent. Thank you everyone for bringing your voice forward. We need more of this.
I will take another risk in voicing my non-astrological and womanly perceptions, based solely on the way I am currently feeling.
Eric's comment, "I could say something about Zeus + Psyche + Mercury being about the power of soul to regenerate. But that's not what I see going on as much as silent despair that needs to be given a voice. "
I agree that some of us are in a phase of silent despair, and perhaps it does need a voice, but I don't think despair has a voice. It has run out of anything to say. I could say that I am going through a phase of silent despair, precisely because I am, but that does not tell you anything about it's essence. Despair lacks an essence. It is a sinking out of existence. But maybe it does have a counterbalance?
In my current despair, I look inside and I see this rock solid lump inside my skull that is balancing the void of despair. Somehow it knows I will come through this, just not how or when. It's not saying anything either. It's just there, anchoring me to life just as hard as the emptiness of despair is trying to sink me out of this life.
Could one of your planets be that rock? What's Saturn up to?
I relate very much to all you describe in your eclipse posts. It has helped me better understand our current state. Thank you for all you do.
Mercury is conjunct my natal Pluto, and the eclipse is exactly conjunct my natal Venus.