Don't get me wrong. I love Battlestar: Galactica. But they have Sagittarians all wrong. Both my fiance and my older brother are Sagittarians, and they would be the first to tell you that refusing perfectly good medicine when you need it is ill-advised. Actually, they wouldn't say that. They would come right out and tell you to your face that you're stupid.
Sagittarians are known for being brutally honest. If you want to hear a certain answer, don't ask a Sagittarius the question. They find little white lies repugnant. That is the dark side of a Sagittarius, along with being ludicrously protective of their independence. My brother walked at ten months, which is pretty impressive, but my fiance crawled at four months and walked at nine months. I'm sure it's because they felt being carried about cramped their style and limited their exploration.
What is so beautiful about Sagittarius is its vibrant intellect. Out of all the fire signs, Sagittarius is the most philosophical. While Aries and Leo are symbolized by the Ram and the Lion, respectively, Sagittarius is the Centaur, or the Archer. Their animal magnetism (at least my fiance's, I'm not going to go there about my brother) and fiery physicality is balanced by an innate love of the abstract. They are curious and love adventure. Sagittarius, in this sense, is the bridge from the element of Fire to its natural companion, intellectual Air. There's a reason why Captain Planet put those two Planeteers together. It's science. Air feeds Fire. In Sagittarius you get the best of both--elements, not Planeteers.
Sagittarius shows its fire in any competition. The Sagittarius wants to be the best, but while Leo tends to go for the gold in theatrics and socializing, and Aries in sports and physical bravado, the Sagittarius wants to be the top of the class--and this includes gym and theater. When a Sagittarius is motivated, it's best to just step back and watch. You'll thrill at how much they accomplish, and the diversity of their interests. One Sag I know changed has changed his majors several times. Sagittarius, in balance, can love learning for its own sake, and not just to gain accolades.
With this competition, however, comes an obsessive need to be right. A Sagittarius will break hearts and balls over an idea. They're like Artemis, who, after catching Actaeon looking at her while she was bathing, turned him into a stag to be ripped apart by his own dogs. Artemis took the idea of virginity so seriously that she was willing to kill over the tiniest insult to it. In fact, if she found out that one of her nymphs had slept with a man, even through rape, she would kill her. This is the darkest side of Sagittarius.
That said, Sagittarius is charming, even with the bluntness. Sagittarius is a quick wit, and, because they love to travel and explore, always have something interesting to say. Also, since Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter, the planet of luck and expansion, they have an attractive quality, a charisma. And, although it is hard for a Sagittarian to fall in love (except with independence, the feel of their feet moving along a road, and learning itself), once it happens, there is no love truer. I know this from personal experience.
Archetypes, people, and objects associated with Sagittarius:
Artemis, the Greek Archer goddess of the Moon, known as Diana to the Romans. Although you've probably heard of her, there's many things about her you might not know, such as she helped her mother give birth to her twin brother, Apollo: really detailed biography of Artemis.
Wikipedia article
World Travelers/Gypsies
Horses--animals known for movement and power
Taliesin, the Welsh hero, who started out as a little boy named Gwion Bach, who ate a potion he shouldn't have, and, to make a long story short, turned himself into a piece of corn and was eaten by his witch foster mother. She ended up giving birth to him nine months later. At birth, Taliesin speaks like a Rhodes scholar, and so is named Taliesin, or "bright brow," referring to his intelligence and precocity, something Sagittarians are known for. He also travels the world and has many adventures, as Sagittarians do, all in search of truth. And, the cool part is, he's based on a real guy! You can read more about him here: http://www.pantheon.org/articles/t/taliesin.html
Vainamoinen, the Finnish hero, whose magical voice created, manipulated, and destroyed, and whom Gandalf was modeled after. His end was brought by his hubris. Sagittarian tongues can also be balms or scalpels, and must take care not to become to arrogant. Read more about him here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Väinämöinen
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Wild Star
I decided we would break from going in order and just pick a random card. I pulled The Star, which is FANTASTIC, given the obvious holiday synchronicity. What is not so in keeping with the holidays is the nudity. Two of my Star cards have nudity, and two don't.
Nudity is symbolic of shamelessness and openness. You have nothing to be ashamed of if you have reached the level of joy and perfection The Star represents. This is truly a happy, lucky card. It is a card of peace, and I would add euphoria. It is a card of dreams coming true. The naked girl could be the Blue Fairy.
Robin Wood's picture for The Star is, like all her cards, chock full of fabulous details. Today, I happen to notice the bluebells in the corner. This is because I am not a heterosexual man. To me, bluebells represent childlike whimsy and fun. Robin Wood calls them "Fairy Bells" in her book about her deck, and writes that as a child she firmly believed that the fairies use them as instruments (73). The bluebells represent magic and innocence. Actually, many types of joy are represented on The Star card. The water represents the unconscious, as water is wont to do, and the grass is earthly reality. Pagans have a saying--as above, so below, and the subconscious manifests in reality, just as reality manifests in the subconscious via dreams. The Star card shows that all is right both above and below, sub and super. The Star shows this balance also in the stars shining so brightly at night. The sun, the symbol of the conscious mind, is after all, a star. So, even though it may seem like I'm stretching, the bright stars in the clear, deep blue night are also indicative of this balance. What do you see? Besides the naked chick, that is.
Now here's something a little more festive! Here, The Star shows hope and a happy future. The man is following his dreams, and letting his heart be his guide. If you look at the star long enough, I swear to God it starts to pulse and twinkle. Just go a little cross eyed and soft focus, like the Magic Eye. What is that star leading the man? Where is it leading you?
For her Goddess Deck, Kris Waldherr chose Inanna to represent The Star. Inanna was the Sumerian Queen of Heaven and Goddess of Love. Inanna, according to Raven Kaldera in his book MythAstrology, writes that Inanna is a goddess who is both Leonine and Scorpionic (160). Here, we see her with her majestic lions. I think that the fact that she is both Leo and Scorpio (although strictly speaking, when she is Leo she's more like Ishtar, a version of the same goddess), shows, again, this harmony. Scorpio is feminine, water, the subconscious, dreams, and deep, emotional intensity. Leo is masculine, fire, energy, sunlight, and fun. It is fitting that this goddess was chosen for The Star card, as she shows affinity with both these vibrations and marries them into something beautiful. When someone has The Star card, it shows that different aspects of their life are making beautiful music, or are about to. It shows talent and ability to make dreams come true, any dream.
I think my decks wanted to give you all an early Christmas gift. I wish you all the Stars!
 |
| Barbara G. Walker's Star |
Nudity is symbolic of shamelessness and openness. You have nothing to be ashamed of if you have reached the level of joy and perfection The Star represents. This is truly a happy, lucky card. It is a card of peace, and I would add euphoria. It is a card of dreams coming true. The naked girl could be the Blue Fairy.
 |
| Robin Wood's Star |
Robin Wood's picture for The Star is, like all her cards, chock full of fabulous details. Today, I happen to notice the bluebells in the corner. This is because I am not a heterosexual man. To me, bluebells represent childlike whimsy and fun. Robin Wood calls them "Fairy Bells" in her book about her deck, and writes that as a child she firmly believed that the fairies use them as instruments (73). The bluebells represent magic and innocence. Actually, many types of joy are represented on The Star card. The water represents the unconscious, as water is wont to do, and the grass is earthly reality. Pagans have a saying--as above, so below, and the subconscious manifests in reality, just as reality manifests in the subconscious via dreams. The Star card shows that all is right both above and below, sub and super. The Star shows this balance also in the stars shining so brightly at night. The sun, the symbol of the conscious mind, is after all, a star. So, even though it may seem like I'm stretching, the bright stars in the clear, deep blue night are also indicative of this balance. What do you see? Besides the naked chick, that is.
 |
| Celtic Star |
Now here's something a little more festive! Here, The Star shows hope and a happy future. The man is following his dreams, and letting his heart be his guide. If you look at the star long enough, I swear to God it starts to pulse and twinkle. Just go a little cross eyed and soft focus, like the Magic Eye. What is that star leading the man? Where is it leading you?
 |
| Kris Waldherr's Goddess Deck: Inanna=Star |
For her Goddess Deck, Kris Waldherr chose Inanna to represent The Star. Inanna was the Sumerian Queen of Heaven and Goddess of Love. Inanna, according to Raven Kaldera in his book MythAstrology, writes that Inanna is a goddess who is both Leonine and Scorpionic (160). Here, we see her with her majestic lions. I think that the fact that she is both Leo and Scorpio (although strictly speaking, when she is Leo she's more like Ishtar, a version of the same goddess), shows, again, this harmony. Scorpio is feminine, water, the subconscious, dreams, and deep, emotional intensity. Leo is masculine, fire, energy, sunlight, and fun. It is fitting that this goddess was chosen for The Star card, as she shows affinity with both these vibrations and marries them into something beautiful. When someone has The Star card, it shows that different aspects of their life are making beautiful music, or are about to. It shows talent and ability to make dreams come true, any dream.
I think my decks wanted to give you all an early Christmas gift. I wish you all the Stars!
Friday, December 2, 2011
The Empress
I felt that it would only be fitting to write about the lady of fertility and blessings around the time of Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The woman in the picture above is the Navaho and Apache earth goddess of change. According to the theology, she created mankind from white flour and corn meal she dusted from her chest. The chest is the place where we, from the time we are born, receive food and comfort. The Empress is a mother archetype, making sure all have all they need. Estsanatlehi (pronounced broken down into syllables--est-san-at-lah-hee) has the ability to age, but then grow young again by walking toward the East, the place of creation. So, she never dies. This immortality is granted to the Empress archetype. The Mother is as old as time, and will last until the end of time. It is the same with generosity, I think. The Empress can represent a person in the person's life who is extremely generous and is waiting to give blessings to the person. The Empress usually represents a mother figure, or a man who is very supportive, caring, and giving. It is also very fitting that Estsanatlehi is associated with the Earth, as is the Empress. There is a reason we call our planet Mother Earth.
When the Empress shows up, it means blessings are in the offing. These blessings can be material--traditionally, a good harvest, but today it could mean a raise, or a new house. The blessing could also be one of fertility. This could mean the obvious conclusion that a new baby is coming, but it could also be a new creative project--especially one that's more crafty and hands-on. I also think that the Empress gives blessings of family, especially if it appears with one of the Cups cards. If the question is about marriage or adoption, this is a good card to get! The wedding will be happy, the marriage will be loving, and the in-laws will be welcoming. The adoption will be joyous and smooth. The Empress can also represent a comfortable, loving home, contentment, and security.
The generous energy of the Empress, when in balance, is unconditional. There are no strings attached to the gifts, except perhaps gratitude, and taking the Empress' cue and sharing what you have in turn. Gratitude is generosity's twin, I think, and so the Empress represents gratitude to me, as well as generosity.
The shadow, unbalanced side of the Empress is someone who is stingy, someone who is incapable of giving, an abusive mother, or someone who is ungrateful. She can also represent someone who is giving too much, at the expense of his/her own well-being, or someone who is smothering instead of mothering.
In more esoteric views, the Empress is all about the fecundity--meaning the sex. As you can see in the Barbara G. Walker interpretation above, the Empress is seated in a very generous posture, if you know what I mean. This hearkens to a time of the temple prostitutes, who were treated like queens for providing not only sexual but spiritual services. They were the conduits of the ultimate empresses, the goddesses. In this context, the Empress is less mothering and more sex queen, but she is still an empress, in every sense of the word. Sexual power is also another meaning for the card, but it is up to you to determine whether this energy is strictly femme fatale or a combination of lover/possible wife/future mother to the children. Even as I type this, that is not a very accurate way to describe it. It's just that the energy is not just about sex--it's about a deeper bonding where the beloved takes on multiple roles, each of them extremely important. If you are familiar with the Maid/Mother/Crone triad seen in matriarchal religions, it's like that--this is a woman of such powers she juggles various life roles seemingly effortlessly.
Questions for consideration:
1) Think about the women in your life, and their various roles--girlfriend, wife, mother, sister, best friend. Which relationships are positive and which are negative? What have you learned about being a woman, or relating to women, from these relationships?
2) Who nurtures you in your life? Whom/what do you nurture? What defines "nurturing" for you, as opposed to smothering? On the flip side, who leaves you feeling neglected and abandoned?
3) What creative ideas, projects, or dreams are you incubating? What are some steps you can take to make the dream real, or to move it to the next level?
4) Are there any dreams that you may have abandoned, but still think about? How can you nurture them back to life?
The woman in the picture above is the Navaho and Apache earth goddess of change. According to the theology, she created mankind from white flour and corn meal she dusted from her chest. The chest is the place where we, from the time we are born, receive food and comfort. The Empress is a mother archetype, making sure all have all they need. Estsanatlehi (pronounced broken down into syllables--est-san-at-lah-hee) has the ability to age, but then grow young again by walking toward the East, the place of creation. So, she never dies. This immortality is granted to the Empress archetype. The Mother is as old as time, and will last until the end of time. It is the same with generosity, I think. The Empress can represent a person in the person's life who is extremely generous and is waiting to give blessings to the person. The Empress usually represents a mother figure, or a man who is very supportive, caring, and giving. It is also very fitting that Estsanatlehi is associated with the Earth, as is the Empress. There is a reason we call our planet Mother Earth.
The generous energy of the Empress, when in balance, is unconditional. There are no strings attached to the gifts, except perhaps gratitude, and taking the Empress' cue and sharing what you have in turn. Gratitude is generosity's twin, I think, and so the Empress represents gratitude to me, as well as generosity.
The shadow, unbalanced side of the Empress is someone who is stingy, someone who is incapable of giving, an abusive mother, or someone who is ungrateful. She can also represent someone who is giving too much, at the expense of his/her own well-being, or someone who is smothering instead of mothering.
In more esoteric views, the Empress is all about the fecundity--meaning the sex. As you can see in the Barbara G. Walker interpretation above, the Empress is seated in a very generous posture, if you know what I mean. This hearkens to a time of the temple prostitutes, who were treated like queens for providing not only sexual but spiritual services. They were the conduits of the ultimate empresses, the goddesses. In this context, the Empress is less mothering and more sex queen, but she is still an empress, in every sense of the word. Sexual power is also another meaning for the card, but it is up to you to determine whether this energy is strictly femme fatale or a combination of lover/possible wife/future mother to the children. Even as I type this, that is not a very accurate way to describe it. It's just that the energy is not just about sex--it's about a deeper bonding where the beloved takes on multiple roles, each of them extremely important. If you are familiar with the Maid/Mother/Crone triad seen in matriarchal religions, it's like that--this is a woman of such powers she juggles various life roles seemingly effortlessly.
Questions for consideration:
1) Think about the women in your life, and their various roles--girlfriend, wife, mother, sister, best friend. Which relationships are positive and which are negative? What have you learned about being a woman, or relating to women, from these relationships?
2) Who nurtures you in your life? Whom/what do you nurture? What defines "nurturing" for you, as opposed to smothering? On the flip side, who leaves you feeling neglected and abandoned?
3) What creative ideas, projects, or dreams are you incubating? What are some steps you can take to make the dream real, or to move it to the next level?
4) Are there any dreams that you may have abandoned, but still think about? How can you nurture them back to life?
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