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MYTHOLOGY AND ASTROLOGY
The book of Semira and V.Vetash "Mythology and astrology" represents the
analysis and systematization of mundane mythology on the base of universal
astrological system that permits to represent a picture of the development of
archetypical mythological images that became the foundation of astrological
notions. The task was to explore the roots of human thought that the myths of
ancients reveal us amplifying the astrological ideas with a vivid content.
Detailed tables of the mythological characters of every astrological archetype
in different cultures is given to prove the objectivity of the main concepts of
astrology and to enlighten mastering of mythology.
CONTENT
Introduction: Mythological archetypes of the Zodiac (as a reflection of the
historical evolution processes).
ARCHETYPES:
1. ABYSS OF CHAOS. (Pisces)
2. LIGHT OF THE SKY. (Aquarius)
3. TIME AND FATE. (Capricorn)
4. KING AND PRIEST. (Sagittarius)
5. POWER OF INTERIOR. (Scorpio)
6. SMITH OF CULTURE. (Libra)
7. ORDER OF EARTH. (Virgo)
8. GIFT OF BEING. (Leo)
9. HEREDITY OF IMMORTALITY.
(Cancer)
10. HUMANS AS GODS. (Gemini)
11. BLOSSOMING OF LIFE. (Taurus)
12. WARRIOR AND PASTOR. (Aries)
Gods in a horoscope.
Mythological images of planets in signs.
Bible's images in astrological system.
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(original sources
of astrological notions)
"Even
belief in Perun (Russian god of thunder) will be
useful.
It will be
needed to create a general picture of
the world."
K.E.Tsiolkovsky, the father of Russian cosmic explores.
The cognitive approach to astrology is usually considered
to be part of the empirical because astrologers in their practice base themselves mainly upon psychological
observations. It is the most simple and effective method for everyday astrology
but nevertheless leads to superficial insight into the subject of the first
science of humanity. The statistically based cosmobiological
approach is desined to overcome the subjectivity of
observations, connecting the motion of planets with precise physical rhythms.
The scientific method is most efficient in medical applications but reaches it's limits in attempting to reveal the deepest motives of
personal activity without opening the window to the soul.
However there is a
third approach - the humanitarian or cultural historical method which gives us
the opportunity to create the picture of the development of thought and psyche
of human beings. Mythology describes us the picture in the most primary way.
History of mythology and astrology, mythological images and conceptions of the
ancients help us to substantiate universal astrological notions, manifesting
mythological origine of astrological archetypes.
The components of ancient
myth rooted in different cultures hold much in common, and retain signification
in the consciousness of contemporary people. It inspired C.G.Jung
to connect modern science with the believes of the past in creating the notion
of the archetype.
A r c h e t y p e
s are primary forms which serves as the
basis for imagery, unconsciously evoking the activity of the imagination. They
appear in dreams and delirium as well as in art and literature and manifest the
unity of the human mind, permitting us to feel its connection with the Universe
and infinity. Jung addressed the subject the following way:
"One who speaks in archetypes speaks with
thousand voices. He transforms elements arising from the world of simultaneous
and inconstant into manifestations of the eternal, simoultaneously
elevating his own destiny to the scale of humanity at large."
Studying
'synchronicity' between the psychic perceptions of different individuals and
the objective processes of reality led Jung to accept astrology as an explaination for the phenomenon of universal rhythms ruling
the collective unconscious and the world at large. At first studying archetypes
in connection with the libido Jung then saw archetypes as the sourse for astrological symbols and the myths of the
ancients: "Astrology, like the
collective unconscious with which psychology is concerned, consist of symbolic
configuration: the 'planets' are the gods, symbols of the power of the
unconscious."
Today the term
'archetype' is accepted by astrologers, who use myths to amplify and decorate
astrological interpretation. But referring to astromythology,
astrologers ussually turn only to the limited
registry of European gods and when addressing the others don't take into
account their specific roles and definite positions in the corresponding
pantheons, merely borrowing for own needs isolated characteristics and
features. And for a proper understanding and practical application of
mythological images we must perceive the picture of mundane mythology as a
whole. We can't fully understand the meaning of any sign of the Zodiac ignoring
the others, likewise to penetrate mythological archetypes correctly we must
perceive the entire set of images of the gods
s y s t e m a t i c a l l
y, taking into account different
historical layers and corresponding changes of imagery and defining the main
features.
Every astrological
notion corresponds to a set of gods possessing various characteristics; the
task at hand is to define the initially unified mythological archetype in the analysys of different cultures. This is possible because an
archetype is proposed as a universal notion. It gives us the opportunity to
consolidate, to enrich and even to correct our representations about the role
of a planet or a sign in the horoscope. The mythological archetype of a planet,
held in common by different cultures, helps us to understand what
characteristics are the most primary and natural for the given planet and the
corresponding sign, and what extraneous features, and deviations from the
original archetype are allowed in any given cultural tradition. At the same
time astrology promotes a proper understanding of mythology, drawing upon the
immense variety of images making up the system.
Jung foresaw the
positive role that astrology could play in the interpretation of myths, but
having identified only a few separate archetypes, he didn't resolve the problem
of creating the whole picture and defining a conceptual foundation of
astrology. Developing the idea in our book "Mythology and astrology",
we tried to take the next step in the theory of archetypes, representing the
development of mundane mythology within a system of astrological framework.
This article is the overwiew of the book.
* *
*
The procession of
mythological images describing planets' concepts is displayed in reverse
sequence to the annual movement of the Sun through the signs of the Zodiac,
from Pisces to Aries. The notion of Chaos and primordial forces as well as the
most ancient gods transferring their functions to successors, corresponds to
Pisces, Aquarius and Capricorn. The youngest gods should be considered the
different personifications of the planet Mars.
As it is known, the
reverse movement of signs of the Zodiac coincides with the precessive
motion and refers to the great evolutionary cycle. According to the tradition
of Egypt, the formation of the world and the transformation of man also begins
in Pisces, symbolizing the Primary Division and the beginning of development.
One fish remains in the primordial waters, providing the link with the original
source, the other leaves its native ocean, setting out on the path of
transformations and finally attaining the cosmic wisdom of Aries, the agnus sacrificed. Likewise in mundane mythology gods
displaying certain characteristic features give up their places to new ones,
and we can identify the reverse order of the Zodiac signs with stages of
evolution of human consciousness reflecting the alteration of global historical
epoches.
The evolution of
mythological images is considerably more difficult than Egyptian scheme
indicated, so we'll consider here only the main stages of development of human
perception as the main ground of astromythological
representation.
Archetype of Neptune (Pisces):
ABYSS OF CHAOS
How was the world formed and what
is its source? The mythologies of all cultures, as well as the Bible,
considered primordial Chaos as the cradle of the Universe. Chaos represents the
state of matter existing beyond conventional imagination, which conceals an
inherent threat to the very existence of the world as we know it, and so
becomes principally unfathomable. But each person internally harbors a
representation of that initial state. This representation also exists in the
world of the ancients: Chaos is traditionally depicted as a dark ABYSS filled
with water. It is indeterminate, dense, and has no shape. Its substantial
characteristic is the absence of free space, and this coincides with the modern
representation of the Universe, expanding from a superdense
point - out of 'emptiness'. The word
'chaos' means 'gaping emptiness'; `shunyata' in India has the same meaning: emptiness giving
birth all the beings. In the mythology of ancient China, the primary watery
chaos, a complete darkness reminescent of the mixed
content of a hen's egg, was called Huntun, a
conception that was transformed into a god possessing the features of primary
indivisibility.
So the world arose from Chaos and
Life was born in the waters. Human perception doesn't separate these representations.
The very appearance of both world and life is fundamentally incomprehensible.
The associated myths introduce to us the image of the Great Mother-Sea, the
world that was borne by her is depicted as alive. According to the principle:'as in the beginning, so at the end', the image
of sea itself joins birth and death. Everything that appeared from the primary
chaos will return to it, so the ocean is associated not only with killer storms
and earthquakes brought on by changing of cosmic rhythms, but with the threat
to existence itself. The Accadian great mother Tiamat ('sea')
manifests herself as a monstrous hydra
with seven heads, who was conquered by her descendent Marduk,
who created the world from elements of her body. In this passive function chaos
may be considered to be the material of creation.
Compared with vague Chaos,
definite Cosmos represents a deviation from primary undifferentiated wholeness;
the Sea gods resent this order and stand against it. The destructive role of
the Sea gods makes them rebels, and forces their expulsion during periods of
formation of new divine pantheons under the leadership of the God of Thunder.
Thus the Semitic Yammu ('sea') struggles against Balu, the leader
of the pantheon, for a return the primordial way of things under his
omnipotence, so also does the Greek Neptune, but they are defeated.
Retired from their former power
all throughout the Universe, the Sea gods occupy a peripheral position (Greek Oceanus,
Egyptian Nun), that correlates with the idea of their wretchedness,
weakness, victimization, the general depiction as the youngest member of the
family (Neptune whose name means 'nephew').
The most characteristic example is the Indo-european
myth about Trita (the 'third' brother, etymologically connected
with Greek Triton) who was thrown into a well by his older brothers. Here
the well is associated with primordial denseness and the absence of space and
with the primary waters where the universal source of fertility is hidden. That
reveals to us the sense of Pisces' sacrifice: Pisceans decline participation in
manifested and ordered existence (cosmos), so as to remain intouch
with something beyond Being, with the secret omnipotence of Chaos, to find in
the very depths of existence the sources of eternity.
The composite images of the
watery abyss and it's secrets, the mothering bosom of
the sea from whence life arose, the destructive forces of chaos and
self-sacrifice which establish the connection between life and eternity, all
reflect an archetype of planet Neptune, which rules the sign of Pisces.
Regarding the mythologema from the historical point
of view, the representation of chaos or deluge correlates with the cataclysms
that provoked glacial melting and other natural processes, which pushed the
humanity out of former territories and created the impulse to develop the
defensive powers of mind.
The arising of the rational, spiritual force in mankind still remains an enigma for us. There was a whole stage in the history of humanity, called by the Australian aborigines 'the time of dreams', when mind was asleep and saw the outer world through the haze of unconscious processes. Is reason hidden in the depths of the soul, or on the contrary, was there thought initially, which then decorated itself with a plentitude of feelings? - The depth of the soul is hidden by mystery; Neptune rules there, and for this planet all things are vague and relative. Within the archetype of Neptune there is no such differentiation between the mind and the soul which are united initially, being the same as life itself.
Archetype of Uranus (Aquarius):
THE LIGHT OF THE SKY
Chaos gives birth to the Sky and
the Earth. The duality of Pisces latently contains seeds of the next two signs:
the lightest - Aquarius and the darkest - Capricorn, manifesting the primary
contradictions between the ideal and the material. In Chaos a motion arises on
the part of Uranus resulting in the emergence of atoms of Saturn. Centrifugal
motion in the vacuum separates the light from the darkness.
Let us imagine the process as
ancients did: everything which is light rises up - more correctly, spreads out
- and the lightest thing is light, infinitely dispersed in space, created by
motion. So the Chinese Sky Chian was formed.
Somewhere beyond space, dark chaos remained, and the blue dome of the firmament
became a concrete bariere protecting the light world
from the invasion of the dark forces. It is the blue arc of gates leading to
the unknown world, and it is the omniscient God of the Sky who possesses the
keys to these gates. Such was the ancient image of Roman Janus, with one face
turned toward this world, a world created by him, the second face turned toward
another world. Originally he was the god of the firmament, then lost his
dominance and merely became a keeper of all the arcs and gates.
The god of the Sky is a creator
fulfilling the main act of creation: that is the separation of the earth and
the sky. In contrast to his successors, he founds the world purely by means of
thought, word or through his will, because as yet nothing else exists. An
abstract creator, he forms the Universe as a whole, not worrying about the
destiny of individual beings. As the cold blue sky of February, he is
infinitely removed from humanity, commonly considered to be the substance of
material creation; usually it is not he who has created them from clay or wood.
Great Father of gods, he leaves determinate functions to his children and
having fulfilled his role, retires. Humanity doesn't pay homage to the primary
creator, having forgotten him, but somehow it is always implied that indeed it
is the Sky that supports the World.
The primary god personifies the
light of the sky. But he is also connected with the darkness divided from this
light, with the wholeness of life and death of the primary waters, like
Aquarius who pours two streams from a jug: the water of life and the water of
death, providing constant transformation. He is above evil and good, in the
ordinary sense of these words. The words 'deus' and 'devil' both emerges from the name of the Indoeuropean
Dyaus, 'the clear
sky', and the same root is found in the Russian words 'divny' (miraculous) and 'diky' (wild). The
god of the Sky is anarchic and wild, wielding as his instrument the unceasing
process of creation which is as spontaneous as thought. The myth concerning the
Greek Uranus, who constantly gave birth to monsters, and unsatisfied
with his creations, hid them in the bosom of the Earth, reflects the infinite
process of arising and annihilation. Gaea the Earth, exhausted from the labours of birth, asked Kronos to
castrate his father. That secured the separation of the Sky from the Earth and
determined the beginning of stable existence.
The image formation of the god of
the light Sky, historically correlates with the stage of great population
migrations, which opened new horizons after the retreat of the glaciers.
Peoples domesticated all territories fit for their uses, which become human in
the proper sense of the word, illuminated with the light of thought. Isn't it
miraculous, that the spark of God in human beings retreated only confronted by
the eternal ices of Antarctica?
The luminosity, universality and
anarchy of the most ancient creators characterizes Uranus, the planet of
thought and liberty, which appeals to the spirit of new development, makes the
hidden manifest and sometimes becomes dangerous for people. And the destiny of
humankind to become the owner of the Earth brings us to the next archetype.
Archetype of Saturn (Capricorn):
TIME AND FATE
In the free space of the Sky the
Earth is formed. ncessant unlimited motion within
space has no aim and produces no direct result. But in a limited world it is
possible to create something stable. The world of matter has a beginning and an
end, and it is definitely conditioned by laws that keep it secure. These are
the laws of time and fate, symbolized in astrology by the planet Saturn. One
thinks about the world within the framework of time, which inexorably restricts
our existence. Beyond these limits, we could not imagine something definite,
and we would not be able to think at all.
As Chaos may be represented as a
point, the spontaneous motion of light as a line flying into infinity, or as an
unfurling spiral, throwing off the sparks of new worlds, so the appearance of
the Universe and our Earth may be seen as a segment of the line, or as a piece
of the spiral, defined by a determined cycle.
The limited world is associated
with the Earth. Gods of the Earth and Time supersede the gods of the Sky,
becoming creators of stable being and defining it's
destiny. And the newly emerged material world is strictly subordinated to the
predetermination which formed it and exists in perfect harmony with nature and
itself. That is the Golden Age of the Earth, associated with Saturn.
Those who determinate destiny, as
does Enki of Sumeria,
often happen to have a mission of creating humanity. A man is understood in
mythology as something undoubtedly material, so the substance used for making people
is usually earth. The latin words 'homo' and 'humus' coincide not only in sound but in sense. Having lived out
his life man himself returns to the earth, it being his mother.
Of course the god who personifies
the universal principle of determination, in the creation of his Universe,
didn't intend that evil and death come into the world. So the Iranian god of
Time Zervan wanted to give birth
to only the good son Ormazd, not his evil brother Ariman. But he gave birth to twins: such is the nature of
the Time, that definiteness of life means also predestination to death. To
glimpse the Sumerian goddess of fate Namtar meant
certain death, and the gods of fate often are also gods of death. The sign of Capricorn
is associated with the self-consciousness of the individual, and his concern
about responsibility for the continuation of his genus is closely connected
with his understanding of the existence of death. The earth containing burial
places of the ancestors became the homeland.
So the archetype of earth, time
and fate gods is associated with the end of migrations and the founding of a
native homeland. A tribe holds a definite territory and native gods, protecting
its own genus, such as Roman Vesta, the eldest
daughter of Saturn, or Slavic Rod 'ancestor, genus', the ancient leader of the pantheon. Man tried to
influence to the fates through prayers and offerings to his predecessors on the
land. Recognizing that life is determined according to definite laws, and by
the cycles of time, he tried to overcome his dependence upon nature, developing
agriculture on his own lands. Also he tried to uphold the natural order and
promote the earth's fertility through seasonal offerings. Agriculture promoted
the development of the calendar, having made more perceptible the abstract
notion of time.
The New Year's celebration, the
traditional Roman carnival was originally connected with sacrifices to Saturn,
the god of sowing. His name means 'sower', and it is related with the Russian words 'sytny'(fat,
substantial) and 'sut'' (to exist). Formation of the Saturnian archetype reflects the period when humanity took it's existence into its' own hands. But even after the
canonization of fate, humanity still could not influence the weather, so the
old protectors of time and the native lands ceded their power to the god of
thunder.
Archetype of Jupiter (Sagittarius):
KING AND PRIEST
The God of Thunder personifying the
planet Jupiter takes on the image of the father of gods, the lighting shaker,
and sometimes even borrows the name of the God of the Sky. So 'Zeus'
is the transformation of the ancient 'Dyaus' and the
name of Jupiter is also translated as 'father of the light'. Born after the ancient creators, he overcomes
them by force, defeating chtonic monsters which were
spontaneously created in the beginning of the ages and suppressing the wild
rebellions of chaos.
Transcending time and influencing
the fate of the world, he inherits the functions of his predecessors, repeating
and fulfilling the process of creation and in so doing becomes the head of the
pantheon of gods. And thus he founds a society of which he is king.
Babylonian Marduk
proved his superiority over other gods and nature by ordering a star to
disappear and appear again, He then became the protector of the gods and as the
leader of the gods' army killed frightful Tiamat,
thus Chaos could never pretend to its omnipotence over the Universe. The other
gods in return built him the heavenly Babylon which of course reflected the
human society of that time.
Historically, Jupiterian
mythologema tooks humans
beyond the context of native genus and extended the basis of society beyond the
blood relationship to the level of a state built on a common ideology. It shows
the next step in the development of human consciousness when such a
unification, the Sagittarian unity of minds, became possible. This stage
corresponds to the elaboration of religion and ritual: not only as personal
magical manipulations appealing to the chtonic and
elemental forces of Saturn and Uranus, but also as expressions of common
thought and representations of natural law describing the universal order of
Jupiter.
Usually the leader of the pantheon is the god of thunder. Mythological thought thus manifests the image of a king-priest who interacts with elemental forces and by appealing to the Sky is able to evoke the rain, which is necessary for a good crop. A picture of a thunderstorm always stoked people's imagination, so it became a symbol of the highest power. Only the strongest of gods could manage it. And the best of humans was elected to serve as the connection with the Heavens. Like Sagittarius, he directs the arrow of his mind which reaches the Firmament and brings him directs knowledge of Nature. He is able to influence natural conditions through the power of higher laws, so he excersises a power which acts above fate. Thus the image of the god of thunder was fused with the image of the omniscient god of the light Sky. Properly speaking the King of gods in his role as a king of people acts only as a translator of the higher will as it relates to the Earth. But as observed from the Earth the images may be read as the god of Thunder himself expressing the will of the Heavens.
The god of thunder's location
between the Earth and the Sky associates him with high and rocky places, where
lightning flashes often strike, and the Indoeuropean
name of the god originates from the word 'perunt'(rock). Such is the name of Russian Perun
or Indian Parjanya. We always associate
the archetype of Jupiter with high elevations which widen the range of mental
perception and help to order existence from above. The King of the gods
coordinates the different dimensions of the world and distributes goods,
happiness, riches and fame according to his fair laws.
Nevertheless he is not an
primordial god, so his laws are temporary and his state from time to time must
be transformed. The next archetype describes this transformation.
Archetype of Pluto (Scorpio):
THE POWER OF INTERIOR
It happens that not the entire
world falls under the rulership of the King of gods.
As there was always a rivalry between the true law and the forces of power and
money, so there exists a god of the bowels of the Earth, a sovereign of
innumerable treasures, who is independent from the King of gods. The planet
Pluto, symbolized by the image of the eternal Enemy, embodies evil and death,
that seeks to destroy the external world order of Jupiter which personifies the
principles of good. The name Pluto means 'rich, full' and so the chief of the under world
is always rich because he has acquired all things that have disappeared from
the surface of the Earth. As the gifts of the heavens and the fruits of work on
the earth are diminished day by day, the governor of Death becomes richer and
richer.
The existence of the ruler of the subterranean world is justified through his function of keeping hidden in the bowels of the Earth, far from the sight of humans (or even gods!), a reserve potency, a force which nourishes not only the vegetable kingdom but all beings as well. All that is alive needs his energy. And as the potency of nature is passive, the god of Thunder, in irrigating the Earth and awakening her hidden fertility, manifests the new sprout of life by stimulating stored up banks of energy. For life to progress, the god of the Interior, like a Scorpion stinging itself with it's own tail, brings out the extreme energies of war and illness, destroying everything that doesn't meet the test and so is destined to be ruined. It falls to the leader of gods to renew life on the surface of the Earth.
The interaction between these two
sovereigns is depicted in the central Indoeuropean
myth as a struggle for herds of cows stolen away by the subterranean god and
hidden by him in the rocky lowlands. He can manifest himself in the image of a
viper from the depths (Indian Vritra or Indoeuropean Budh). The god of
Thunder then defeats the viper in a battle of thunderstorms, and the herds of
cows return as flocks of clouds which provide fertilizing rain. The process of
the natural circle continues on infinitely, as does the struggle of evil and
good.
One finds the historical analog
of this battle in the real struggle between agriculturally based peoples and
the herders and nomads. In this period one's own people personified everything
good, and the alien everything evil. 'Goods'
means 'richness'. The roots of these
abstract notions were at first very simple, but then the representation of evil
became more complicated and formed the picture of the alien world as a
socialized image of chaos, or hell. The subterranean world is associated with
an exit to the abyss: the primary waters which nourish inexhaustible sources of
terrible power over the all the living.
The typical peaceful image of the
land of the dead is the Greek Elysium, plains that serve as the
pasture where the souls of the deads graze. 'Soul' is 'anima' in Latin and everything alive may best be personified by an
animal. The richness of another world was usually associated with herds that
embody multiplying riches. The herder himself could display his animal's
attributes, for example horns and hoofs, showing his close relationship to his
wards. In the features of the shepherd god one can easily discern the typical
depiction of the Devil.
The word Elysium comes from the
root 'wel'
which signified the main opponent of the leader of gods (the word 'wealth' is also derived from this root).
It also relates to the Russian god of herds, richness and lowlands Veles, and the Baltic Velnias,
who struggled with the Thunder god Percunas and then
was transformed into a Devil.
Nevertheless the plutonic thirst
to own and store any energy does not destroy the Universe. That is meant to
decay, dies, manifesting a well established harmony, symbolized in astrology by
the next sign: Libra.
Archetype of Vulcan and Chiron (Libra):
THE SMITH OF CULTURE
The planet Vulcan symbolizes the balance
of the Universe. This is usually represented by a Smith god who calms the
struggle among the world's opposing forces, reconstructing the Universe each
instant with his own hammer and hands, not unlike the Indian Tvashtar ('creator,
master'). He forges the weapons that help the chief god to defeat his
subterranean Enemy and to dispense with this annoying struggle.
The image of the Smith god is
associated with the cultural mastering of fire and with the epoch of smelting
metal. Vulcan (the root of the name 'wel' symbolizing
the Enemy of the Thunder god) is a personification of subterranean fire, ever
awful and uncontrolable, which then submits to a
master. Vulcan is a hypothetical planet, and thus the associeted
archetype of cultural development has probably not yet manifested its concrete
signification in the world, which may happen if the planet is discovered.
Sometimes this planet is considered to be the center of gravity of the Solar
system, projecting the idea of a perfect balance.
When destructive underground forces of the most intractable and dangerous element come to serve the needs of construction, it becomes clear that mankind is ready to overcome it's inner passions and begin civilized existence. The peace treaties between the tribes concerning the borders of their territories put a halt to incessant fights. That the border is sacred is illustrated by the legend of Rome's founder Romulus who killed his brother Remus for stepping over a line drawn on the ground.
A treaty is the highest form of social
interaction, and in the civilized state a certain god appeared whose duty it
was to secure human agreements and to punish transgressors. This type of god is
personified by the Roman Quirin, identified
with Romulus and the justification of his legendary act. The Iranian Mithra, having been born with a trowel in his hand and
personifying the Law of the Universe, regulates the observance of treaties with
a thousand eyes and ears. The Indian Mitra also
protects and considers wedlock as a treaty, transforming personal human
relations into a higher social realm. Mithra's name
etymologically means 'peaceful, grateful,
friendly'. Divine Smiths are also peacemakers: connected with celestial and
subterranean fields, they act as mediators between them.
Creating palaces for gods from
their golden fire, like Greek Haephestus, and
protecting arts and crafts, the divine Smith forges the artificial order of
human civilization, dividing it from the wild custom of disorganized nature. As
the creator of the Sky defended the Universe from incursions of Chaos by
creating the dome of the Firmament, the master of culture artificially forms
his world, where no threats are imposed on humanity. His acts of creation are
always concrete and purposeful.
However myths often emphasize the
artificiality of the world, divided from elemental influences: so when the
Finnish divine Smith Ilmariinen fashions the Sun
and the Moon with his own hands, they aren't able to shine. Often a polar pair
of creator gods appears such as the Finnish Ilmariinen
and
Vaeinaemoeinen or Indian Varuna
and
Mitra, representing natural and cultural
models of order. Contemporary western civilization is an example of the
regulated world of Mithra, in contradistinction the
more anarchistic nature of the East which is represented by Varuna.
One can associate with the
archetype of Libra certain lower gods, sometimes taking on animal form, but
benevolent to humans and assisting them, much in the way that the Smith becomes
an assistant to the leader of the pantheon. The most famous such being is the
Greek centaur Chiron, the teacher of Aesculapus, Orpheus and Hercules. According to the one of
the legends he bestowed upon Hercules his immortality. It is interesting that
the asteroid Chiron, reflecting the sympathy and sweetness of Libra, was
discovered by the astronomer Charles Koval, whose
surname is translated as 'smith'.
When wild nature is not dangerous for the society of humans, animals become man's allies instead of his enemies. However the taming of wild animals, which signifies the submission not only of the political but also of the economic order to the human sphere, is traditionally associeted with the next sign: Virgo.
Archetype of Ceres and Proserpine (Virgo):
ORDER OF THE EARTH
If the archetype of Libra regulates
social relations, the archetype of Virgo consolidates the principles of economy
and farming, closely connected with natural order of things. Iron tools and the
invention of the plough secures the blossoming of agriculture and manifests an
image of nourishing Mother-Earth, symbolizing abundance and fertility. So the
Greek Demeter ('mother-earth'),
goddess of the fertile Earth controls the sequence of crop cycles, insures the
gathering of the harvest and it's wise use into the next spring. She is accompanied
by gods of the changing seasons, that maintain the cyclic order of nature which
serves as the foundation of the agricultural process. Dying and rising
vegetation gods occupy the main positions between the seasonal cycles.
A seed must be buried in order
grow, so first it must die. Each year the Mother-Earth Ceres sacrifices her
daughter Proserpine ('proserpo' means 'grow
up'), taken as a bride to the underworld by the subterranean sovereign. He
allows his wife to visit her mother for half of the year, during which the
earth become fertile and is covered with green. The other half of year
Mother-Earth remains barren grieving for her daughter. The Egyptian mother
figure Renenuteth (Thermutis in Greek) and her son Neperi
('seed') form a similary
pair. It was usually said about Neperi that only
after he died did he begin living.
The death and resurrection of
Proserpine maintains the natural order as she properly fulfills the universal
law of seasonal change in her own being. The executive power symbolized by the
archetype of Virgo must be fair and accurate to insure life processes. And thus
she is also associated with justice and purity, helping her husband to judge
the souls of the dead. Gods belonging to this archetype display a righteousness
exemplified by their self-sacrifice in the name of duty, and expressed by their
virginity (which corresponds the name of the constellation, and to an alternate
name for Proserpine, Core, which means 'girl'). The Indian Sita
('furrow') is also a goddess of this
type: she was born of the earth in a furrow and pleaded with her mother Earth
to take her back into the soil when a charge of unfaithfulness had been leveled
at her.
Gods of the agricultural cycle,
such as Nisaba of Sumeria
whose name means 'seed', also
manifest the skill of writing that helps to register the harvest. An economy
suggests the hierarchical distribution of duties, so one can associate with the
archetype the historical delineation of castes seen as the consolidation of
economic principles of the division of labour. In the
economic system the domesticated animal occupies a place junior to that of
humans. An interesting image of an animal executing his duty is Russian Semargl, the winged dog who protects crops.
Solar archetype (Leo):
GIFT OF BEING
One can find a regularity in the
images within a succession of signs of any element. The subterranean god is
connected with the invisible sources of existence of Chaos, reflecting the
potency of the water element. The divine Smith continues with the work of creation
of the Sky god, and thus represents the air element. The sign of Virgo develops
the notion of the abundant earth, as stated by Capricorn. Thusly, within the
signs of fire element, Solar god, being a generous dispenser of benefit,
borrows the functions of the Thunder god, the head of the pantheon.
The Sun moves across the Sky like
a great wheel, which becomes his universal symbol. It appears in myths
primarily as an eye of the omniscient god of the clear Sky, closely related to
him through the notion of light, spreading infinitely and embracing all the
Universe. The wheel also begins to symbolize celestial universality. The Solar
god spends his days on the surface of the Earth, surveying his domain and
dispensing gifts, and descends to the underground world at night, where he
illuminates the dead and struggles with the forces of darkness, much as the
solar god Ra of Egypt fought with the viper Apope
each night. The daily path of the Sun manifests a unity of the celestial,
terrestrial and subterranean. Solar image combines the highest justice of the
archetype of Vulcan with the concrete life processes of Virgo. Like a wheel
that touches the earth at one extremity and the sky at another, it personifies
the wholeness and integrity of being.
There were even particular gods
of the solar disk, such as Aton of Egypt, Koloksay
('wheel-tsar') of the Scythes or Khors of the Slavs. Like the Indian Savitar
and the Greek Helios, Solar gods travel across the sky in chariots, pulled by
horses that also become a symbol of the Sun. A historical invention of a wheel
as well as use of wheeled carts is also associated with this archetype. The new
speed of chariots permitted the control of wide expanses, which allowed the
unification of separate reagions and the formation of
empires, in whose light the smaller states faded. The idea of unified power is
associated with the Sun: the Egyptian pharaoh Ehnaton
even began to see in the solar disk an autocratic god. But his idea of
monotheism was not disseminated: this idea was manifested only at the end of
mythological development and is associated with the archetype of Mars and
Aries, the third sign of fire element.
Great emperors were named after
the Sun, but in the divine pantheon the place of main god was already occupied.
So the Solar god, sending heat and benefit to the Earth with his hands the Sun
rays, only succeded in rivaling the Thunder god,
bringer of the fertilizing rains. The light of the Sun was so commonplace that
it never stimulated the human imagination as did the thunderstorm, and humanity
only gradually perceived the significance of solar energy. In distinction to
the Thunder god who translates the higher forces of celestial fire, the Solar
god personifies an inner power of his own. Leo, the king of beasts with the
yellow mane, is associated with him as well as with the idea of personal force.
The Sun protects heroes and is
himself in rivalry with the King of society, thus the Chinese Yan-di struggles with the god of Thunder Huang-di. But sometimes a cloud covers the Sun and the
Solar god is defeated: because mere personal force and independence of action,
even if strong cannot stand against an opposing global and social order, which
is destined to maintain the eternal traditions. Understanding the transmission
of traditions and reproduction of being is the subject of the next archetype.
Lunar archetype (Cancer):
HEREDITY OF IMMORTALITY
The lunar gods continue the theme
of birth and death, characteristic to the water element. The Moon is
represented as a partner of the Sun, and in myths they are often depicted as
brother and sister, or husband and wife. At night the Moon replaces the Sun in
the sky, and during the day in the underground world. According the Indoeuropean tradition, the constant Sun was correlated
with the feminine image and the changeable Moon with the masculine one: there
were myths wherein the Moon proved unfaithful to the Sun, having fallen in love
with the Morning Star (Venus). But in the patriarchal schema, the dim light of
the Moon associates it with weakness, and so makes it an ideal of femininity.
In this way, according a myth of the American Indians, the Creator, at the end
of his work, transformed the most handsome man into the Sun, and the most
beautiful woman into the Moon.
And as the Sun is an unfailing
source of life energy, the Moon, which dies away and disappears, from the sky
is connected with death and nonexistence. Its faded glow seems ephemeral and
does not leave any hope for the continuation of being. But suddenly it appears
again, begins growing and is restored, generating in the human mind the idea of
illusion and at the same time the immortality of life. All over the world lunar
myth is connected with the idea of immortality, that coincides with the
astrological definition of the Moon as Psyche which is considered to be
imperishable.
The full Moon dying and giving
birth to the small Crescent was associated also with the idea of motherhood,
securing the continuation of life. The notion of a taste of immortality,
associated with the Moon, (for example, the Indian Soma which personifies
simultaneously the Moon and the drink of immortal gods), goes back to mother's
milk. Through mother's milk and fairy tales a human inherits traditional
knowledge transmitted from generation to generation. The Moon preserves the
integrity of being imparted by the Sun through the
memory of knowledge of the past. Regarding the phases of the Moon, which became
the raw material for the calculation of time, the act of fixing the present
allowed humanity to memorize it's history based on
the experience of the past. Then epics and legends arose, and were disseminated
in the form of fairy tales which helped every new inhabitant of the Earth to
orient himself in the world and recognize his destiny as a part of human
history.
The Moon archetype is associated
with the epoch during which for the first time mankind looks backward upon his
path, evaluating his journey, and this links us back to the notion of Time that
was considered in the mythologema of Capricorn. As
was seen in the examples of the Sky and the Sun, associated through the idea of
light expanding, signs which stand opposite to each other are bound by a single
idea. For Pisces and Virgo it is the idea of self-sacrifice for the sake of
regeneration, for Aquarius and Leo it is the idea of wholeness, and the planets
of Time - the Moon and Saturn, which wield the most significant influence on
human psyche, make conservative Cancer and Capricorn the keepers of the world's
destiny.
Archetype of Mercury (Gemini):
HUMANS AS GODS
The power of humanity based on
the experiences of the past, and overcoming conservative traditions, is the
archetype manifested by Gemini. It is the archetype of the hero who transcends
taboos and the most sacred interdictions, and of the twins who committed
original sin against the divine order and disturbed the schema of the
unconscious soul's natural immortality, which brought about human life and
death.
The pair of identical humans
evoked a superstitious fear of the ancients: they thought of the bearing of
twins as something supernatural. As a compromise between the ordinary and the
wondrous, one of twins was often considered to be born of his human father and
the other of a god, mythologically speaking, one
mortal twin, the other immortal, as we see in the case of Castor and Pollux in the constellation of Gemini. Furthermore
the duality of life and death was represented in the
first pair of humans - or likewise in the first pair of gods who descended from
the established realm of the Heavens to the deserted Earth so as to arrange and
populate it, compare the Japanese Izanaki ('first man') and Izanami
('first woman').
Two brother-twins, also considered
sometimes to be hermaphrodites, create the duality of the world (day and night,
good and evil, man and woman etc.). Then one of the twins has to die in order
to consolidate the ownership of the land by the created race of people; he
becomes the king of the dead. Similarly, brother and sister commit ritual
incest, necessary for the production of offspring, and in the process they
become conscious not only of the phenomenon of birth, but also of death, which
indicates a separate and independent human destiny existing within the world of
immortal nature and gods. The Biblical story of Adam and Eve
originated from this type of myths.
The idea of this archetype refers
us to the opposite sign of Sagittarius which had broken the traditions of
Genus, the natural order of Saturn, for a more progressive one of his own, and
separated humanity from the animal world. But if Gemini presupposes the
destruction of man's primary links with nature, then Sagittarius initiates the
observance of religion as a reconstruction of these links to the primary order.
Taking center stage in myths, the
human creates the world with all necessary and useful things. Like the Chinese Fu-Xi,
he states the traditions and rituals, invents tools and writing, and transmits
this inheritance to his descendants, after having inhabited the land and having
fulfilled his mission according to the previous lunar archetype. In the typical
image of a cultural hero the third
sign of the air element completes the idea of creation, which takes on concrete
form.
The transgressing of interdiction
was originally a method of self-affirmation for the ancients, and hence
appeared a god-deceiver, a fraud and a thief, called in mythological
terminology a trickster. The mental
activity of humans is under his rulership; he is a
god of calculation, writing and language. Human mind itself appeared initially
as a kind of malice. The newly born Greek Hermes stole away the cows of Apollo,
and in spite of the Solar god's omniscience, Apollo could not obtain a truthful
confession from the diaper wrapped deceiver who made up endless stories by way
of excuse.
A god of communication and
writing serves as a mediator between gods and humans; he serves as a messager of the chief god and accompanies the souls of the
dead to the underground world, as Hermes or the Egyptian Thoth. As the Roman Mercury
or the Phoenician Melkarth, he is the patron of
interaction and protects the activities of exchange and trade. He is very
inventive in the creation of his tricks and transgresses the most sacred
interdictions; as the German Loki, who made fools of the gods and
once in fun broke a peace treaty between gods and giants. All these factors
permit us to consider the image of the god-trickster, as well as that of the
ancestors-twins, as the most ancient self-portraits of humankind.
The archetype of the planet
Mercury refers to the historical stage of invention of writing which permitted
the fixing of myths and history. That lead to the arising of science as a
separate cultural area, and signals the beginning of the intellectualisation
of the world. Mercurian curiosity promoted wide
contacts between peoples, through newly developed sea-going fleets and trade.
In the period of European civilization it manifests as the age of city-states.
Archetype of Venus (Taurus):
BLOSSOMING OF LIFE
At first the evolution of mankind
was shaped through a refutation of the natural and wild world in favour of a civilization based on culture, whose borders
would guarantee the future of humanity. With the development of agriculture
this aim was achieved, and one can see it in the archetypes of Libra and Virgo.
Then the process of self-realization began and after the development of mind
that the archetype of Mercury demonstrates, humanity aspired to widen it's borders, again encompassing natural sources. The last
two archetypes of the Zodiac work out the notions of the two fundamental
principles of nature, the feminine and the masculine, stated by the image of
Gemini. These archetypes appeared relatively late; as the goddesses of the Taurean and the gods of the Arien
archetypes gradually win honourable places in the
pantheon.
Taurus, the third sign of the
earth element, demonstrates that the mankind is firmly established in the
creative process and achieves prosperity, abundance and well-being on the
Earth, when it begins to understand humanity as a part of nature. The human's
integration with nature is tied to the feminine force, which is closer to
natural sources. The essence of the human being is identical to that of the
Cosmos. And so the astral cult of the celestial body of the star Venus was
widespread all over the world, incorporating worship of her image of the
goddess of love. The word 'aster' ('star') was itself borrowed by the most of European languages,
originating from the Babylonian name for Venus, Ishtar, which means
simply 'goddess'.
The Goddess of the Morning and
Evening Star was often associated with the inimitable beauty of the dawn,
symbolizing the power of the reproductive forces in nature which the archetype
of Taurus manifests. In Mesopotamia these existed the image of two dawns,
represented by the bulls, Hurri ('morning') and Serri
('evening') which express this basic
idea. And the Greek Eos, the Indian Ushas and the
Roman Aurora become the most typical personifications of love.
The goddesses of sexual love
personifying blossoming and the abundance of nature are very ancient. So Aphrodite
Urania, said to be born from sea foam and blood
of the God of Heavens, is older than Zeus and coeval to the titans. But then
her place was transformed, making her the daughter of Zeus, as the goddess of
love and beauty must be eternally young. Her link with the Sea, similar to
relationships shared by other beautiful female goddesses with the primary
waters, points to the prototypical potency of fertility. Similarly, the Indian Laxmi ('happiness,
beauty') was also born of the ocean, and the name of Ardvisura-Anahit
of the Avesta means 'powerful source of eternal waters'.
The names of
love goddesses often express force. Typically associated with the stars
accompanying the Sun in the morning and in the evening, they were considered as
the main goddesses of the pantheon. So the name of the Egyptian Isis
means 'throne', the Semitic Uzza means 'omnipotent'
and the Sumerian Inanna -- 'sovereign'. In ancient times the goddess
of fertility and sexual love, cruel and rough, use this initial force to
possess the world, gods and humans. She was both seductress and warrior. The
arrows of Eros have not always been missles of love,
they are the rudiments of true weapons. As an attribute of Ishtar these weapons
were dangerous, and the goddess of war and love, battling for her rights and
sovereignty engaged even with the most powerful god, the god of Thunder.
But times changed, and the
goddess of love, ever young and as self-renewing as life, became graceful and
benevolent. The names of the Roman Venus and Bona Dea
mean 'kindness, grace'. In a civilized
world that had overcome the passions and forced them to serve the needs of
happiness and prosperity, it is beauty and charity, conjugal fidelity and
motherly selflessness that embody the essence of the star goddesses. Having won
her place and affirmed her position among the gods, the most powerful goddess,
in force equal to the Chief of gods, calms her rage when she is recognized as
his wife and entrusted with the protection of the establishment of wedlock.
Thus arises the notion of love and family in the modern sense as an expression
of the initial natural harmony in the framework of human society.
One may be astonished by the
transformation of the image of the Star goddess Isis with the infant
Horus, which became the prototype for the Blessed Virgin (this shows an example
of the astrological exaltation of mother Moon in the sign of Taurus).
The fully realized archetype of
the Star goddess coincides with the developmental stage involving emotional
penetration into the nature of the world and the resultent
cultural blossoming. Art, previously subjugated to the Jupiterian
religious ritual, have by now attained an independent place in culture, much as
the goddess of love secured her own significance in the Universe. The art of
Venus, closely associated with natural sources, as it loses its very
artificiality, is differentiated from the more rational mastery of Vulcan. The
feminine principle of being manifests itself as a natural life deified.
Archetype of Mars (Aries):
The appreciation of emotional
nature doesn't interfere with the framework of Jupiterian
social law, as the goddess of love and beauty comes to an alliance agreement
with the chief of the pantheon. But a new leader, a fierce and furious
commander of the gods during the time of battle, embodying emotional force
together merged with the wisdom of human mind, pretends to supersede him. The
archetype of Mars is associated with the idea of going beyond the established
society in search of new forces and means.
The gods of the forests and of the wild beasts as well as warriors and shepherds correlate with this archetype. A shepherd lives most of the time in wild nature, outside of society, he is personally responsible for his herd and has to defend it from alien invasions and in every type of unexpected and dangerous situation. He is isolated and so has to develop his own natural capacities. Outside the niceties of civilization he must overcome obstuctions by himself, and this is the foundation for his natural wisdom which he then brings back into society. That is why an image of the shepherd coincides with the one of defender and commander.
Roman Mars himself was
originally a god of wild nature and the herds, with a wolf as his symbol. Boys
offered up to him were banished beyond the borders of the settlement, and this
made them closer to nature, and required the development of strength and
audacity. In honor of Mars they were called mammertians.
The function of the shepherd and
the association of War god with death liken the mythologema
of Mars to that of Pluto, and originally they were the same archetype. The
god-warrior was a destroyer and he not only successfully defended his herds and
property but confiscated that of others. However this new type of invincible
god has aquired the new quality of wisdom. Like the
thunder gods they are patrons of just wars, struggle with evil, and awake
natural fertility. The mastering of magic associated with the War gods, which
characterizes the Greek Athen , is originally a
Plutonian feature, but here it no longer serves the forces of destruction and
death, instead reflecting a deep understanding of nature and the capacity to
control natural forces and direct them to medical purposes. And so was formed a
new mythological image of the ideal commander who borrows forces from nature
but uses his mind as the tool of civilization. It is an image of a leader who
is moral, as the Iranian Vishtasp or Hiawatha
of the American Indians.
The unification of lands
worshipping different gods became possible under the banner of such an ideal
god. It was Mars that facilitated the unity of the Roman lands. And Egypt owed
it's unity to Amun, whose symbol was a ram,
displayed his shepherd's functions, and was originally identified with the War
god Montu. His final identification
with Solar god Ra, one may associate with the astrological exaltation of the
Sun in Aries, as Aries reflects integral function of the Sun. It is Amon-Ra, personifying universal wisdom,
who was depicted in the heavenly constellation of Aries.
Sometimes a wise young commander
succeeded in superseding the old short-sighted chief of gods, to himself become
leader and point to a new path of the world's development, as did the German
Odin. This is but one step away from monotheism.
The idea of a god who attains
leadership not only through force, but through his own ideal personal
qualities, correlates with the affirmation of the individual's independence in
society and the right to pursue one's own way of existence. The notion of inner
law and the achievment of progress joins Aries with
the opposite sign of Libra. The archetype of Aries lays the foundation for the
establishment of spirit as the inner human god. The more recent religions such
as Christianity and Islam borrowed to a considerable extent the images
associated with this archetype.
Completing it's
development, the mythological cycle creates a full circle of archetypical
notions. It is unified urge to activity on the part of the fire element --
Greek Eros, Indian Agni -- that gives birth to new life
in the sleeping abyss of Chaos.
* * *
That is the picture of
development of mythological representations as a whole. Certainly we have
mentioned only a few of the images, and the short space of an article does not
permit a fully detailed analysis of mundane mythology proving the consistency
of the overall picture. At the end of the article is given a summary table
including more mythological characters. It also does not embrace all the
manifestations and particular qualities of the archetypes, but could help to
orientate one to the appreciation of the mythologycal
elements.
Astrological archetypes were
formed over period of time, and one can identify separate layers and
particularities of perceptions of the world according to geographicallocation.
But even a cursory glance towards the vivid richness of mythologies' characters
shows that there is more the typical, then the occasional in it. And it permits
astrology to rely on the most ancient experience of the human being's
appreciation of the world.
THE
HISTORICAL PICTURE OF MYTHOLOGICAL IMAGES
+-------------------------------------------+
|sign, |historical stage |mythological |
|planet
|
|archetype |
|----------+-------------------------+------------------|
|PISCES:
|epoch of cataclysms, awa-|primary Chaos, Sea|
|Neptune
|kening of consciousness |gods, Great Mother|
|----------+-------------------------+------------------|
|AQUARIUS: |migrations, assimilation |god
of the Light |
|Uranus
|of new lands |Sky,
Great Father |
|----------+-------------------------+------------------|
|CAPRICORN:|finding the native land, |gods
of the Earth,|
|Saturn
|family organization, |Time
and Fate |
|
|arising of agriculture | |
|----------+-------------------------+------------------|
|SAGITTARI-|social organization, |god of Thunder, |
|US:Jupiter|forming
of religion |Chief of pantheon |
|----------+-------------------------+------------------|
|SCORPIO:
|development of cattle |god of subterrane-|
|Pluto
|breeding, struggle |an
world, cattle |
|
|of farmers and nomads |and
richness |
|----------+-------------------------+------------------|
|LIBRA:
|definition of state boun-|god of agreement, |
|Vulcan
|daries, smelting of metal|divine
Smith |
|(Chiron)
|creating of civilizations| |
|----------+-------------------------+------------------|
|VIRGO:
|agricultural development,|Mother-Earth,dying|
|Proserpine|taming
animals, |and resurrecting |
|(Ceres)
|demarcation of casts |gods of
vegetation|
|----------+-------------------------+------------------|
|LEO:
|invention of wheels and |Solar
god, god of |
|Sun
|chariots, foundation of |disk of
Sun |
|
|empires | |
|----------+-------------------------+------------------|
|CANCER:
|development of epos, |gods of the Moon |
|Moon
|conceiving traditions |and
motherhood |
|----------+-------------------------+------------------|
|GEMINI:
|invention of writing,
|messenger of gods,|
|Mercury
|development of trade and |god of writing, |
|
|science, towns-states
|trickster, |
|
|
|cultural heros |
|----------+-------------------------+------------------|
|TAURUS:
|penetration to nature, |goddess
of love |
|Venus
|cultural blossoming, |and
fertility, |
|
|wedlock establishment |Star of
Venus |
|----------+-------------------------+------------------|
|ARIES:
|affirmation of personal |gods of
war and |
|Mars
|rights over a tradition, |wisdom, shepherd, |
|
|coming to monotheism |leader
and pastor |
+-------------------------------------------------------+
* *
*
Studying
universal archetypes of different mythological traditions creates a fundamental
basis for the penetration of astrological knowledge. The signification of the
individual planet is really understood by a person only when it is fully
perceived by his psyche. A archetypical image serves as a key for our
perception. If the image is subjective, the key opens only the door of one's
own flat, whereas the mythological archetype serves as the master-key to the
human psyche.
Myth
offers something typical for every person. "There is always a lot of the mythical whithin
the typical because anything as typical as myth is an original pattern, an
initial form of life, an out-of-time scheme, a formula determined in ancient
times, in which conscious life aspires to rediscover ever present features of it's existence, and is thereby shaped." This was
said by Thomas Mann who was also interested in astrology. In the novel
"Joseph and his brothers" he even depicted the horoscope of Joseph,
using mythological names of Babylonias gods instead
of the roman.
Astrological
studies is closely connected with the development of artistic associative
thinking. One studding this science, even remouved
from concerns of artistic perception may happen to dream bright images of
planets. He may be astonished having recognized that the subject of his vague
dream was none other than... Jupiter in Pisces! But that is quite natural:
one's psyche having found in the archetype something of it's
own, reacts to it with a vibrant emotional response. Jung wrote that
archetypes, as constant universal elements of human nature, "when they become more definite for a person,
may be accompanied with alive emotional tunes... they are able to influence,
impress, inspire." The associative thinking which overcomes the domination of the left
logical cerebral hemisphere, leads to an integral perception of the world which
reflects the simultaneous work of the both hemispheres.
In
the modern world the notion of the universal is deprived of imaginative beauty
and is connected with the word of pure logic. But doesn't this mean that we are
impoverished in comparison with ancients, who didn't separate thinking about
things from their sensual perceptions? We simply ignore the phenomena that
spoke to them constantly, talking fairy tales. 'Amplifying' the role of
archetype that Jung wrote about, or the 'animistic' function of myth that the
mythologist Taylor concentrated on, connects the outer world with the inner
reality of our psyche and permits us to recognize it's richness.
Astromythology shows, that myths belong to eternity and that is why
they have not vanish into the past. Nowadays one searches for the cradle of
civilization in Atlantis or Tibet or in the motherland of the heavens to prove
that the original unity of mankind really existed. But it is given to us in our
thoughts, in our everyday astrological participation in cosmic rhythms, and in
the universality of myths through which it is revealed. And ordinary people
manifest archetypical qualities in their day-to-day life: so as in the
determination of their psychotypes even now the
ancient gods live.
ASTROLOGICAL
CLASSIFICATION OF THE MAIN IMAGES
+-------------------------------------------------------+
| sign |PISCES |AQUARUIUS |CAPRICORN |SAGITTARIUS |
|--------|source, |spirit, |substance,
|organization|
|region |depth |motion |restriction|expansion |
|--------+---------+-----------+-----------+------------|
|ROME
|NEPTUNE |Diovis, |SATURN,
|JUPITER |
| | |Janus |Vesta | |
| | | | | |
|--------+---------+-----------+-----------+------------|
|GREECE |Poseidon,|URANUS
|Kronos,
|Zeus, |
|
|Hydra, | |Gaea, |Artemis |
| |Nereus | |titans | |
|--------+---------+-----------+-----------+------------|
|EGYPT
|Nun, |Nut, |Geb, |Horus |
|
|Seth |Shu |Tatenen |
|
|--------+---------+-----------+-----------+------------|
|SEMITES |Yammu, |Baalshamem,|El/Ylu, |Balu/Baal |
|
|Leviathan| Sabaoth |Yahweh
| |
|--------+---------+-----------+-----------+------------|
|MESOPO- |Tiamat, |An,
|Enki,
|Marduk,
|
|TAMIA |Apsu |Enlil |Aruru |Teshub |
|--------+---------+-----------+-----------+------------|
|IRAN |Apam Nap-|Ahuramazda |Zervan, |Zoroastre |
| |at,Thrita|
|Spandarmat | |
|--------+---------+-----------+-----------+------------|
|INDIA |Apas, |Dyaus,Vayu,|Prithivi,
|Indra,
|
| |Trita |Varuna,
|Dharma, |Parjanya, |
| |Chaya |Aditi |"rita" |Brihaspati |
|--------+---------+-----------+-----------+------------|
|SLAVS |rusalkas,|Svarog,
|Rod,Sud,
|Perun
|
| |Vod'anoy,|Svyatovit
|Chur
| |
| |Triglav | | | |
|--------+---------+-----------+-----------+------------|
|BALTICS |Autrimps |Dievas, |Trimps |Perkunas, |
| | |Ilma/Jumala| |Torum, Ukko |
|--------+---------+-----------+-----------+------------|
|GERMA- |Njord,Ir-|Tiw/Tyr |Midgard, |Thor/Donar |
|NICS |mundgand |
|Jord
| |
|--------+---------+-----------+-----------+------------|
|CHINA |Huntun |‘hian
|Tai-Sui |Huang-Di |
|--------+---------+-----------+-----------+------------|
|INDIANS |Mamacocha|Avonavilona|Izamna |Tlaloc, |
(american) | |
|Mixcoatl
|
|--------+---------+-----------+-----------+------------|
|charac- |primary
|clear sky, |native land|head of pan-|
|teris- |chaos, |creation
of|creation of|theon, god |
|tics |fertile
|the world, |the people,|of thunder, |
| |waters,
|great fat- |time and
|fertile |
| |sacrifice|her, space,|fate,death,|rain,battle |
| |mystery
|retirement |offering
|with viper |
| | | | | |
+-------------------------------------------------------+
(table
continuing)
+-------------------------------------------------------+
|sign |SCORPIO |LIBRA |VIRGO |LEO |
|--------|potential,|culture, |order,ful- |power,
|
|region |trial
|mastering |filment |wholeness|
|--------+----------+-----------+-------------+---------|
|ROME |Vejovis,
|VULCANUS, |PROSERPINE, |SOL
|
| |Dispater |Quirin,
|CERES, |Apollo |
|
|Orcus |Juno |Tellus |
|
|--------+----------+-----------+-------------+---------|
|GREECE
|PLUTO, |CHIRON, |Demeter, |Apollon, |
|
|Hades, |Hephaestus
|Persephone, |Helios |
| |Erinyes | |Dike/Astraea | |
|--------+----------+-----------+-------------+---------|
|EGYPT
|Osiris, |Ptah |Renenuteth, |Ra,
|
|
|Anubis | |Neperi, Maat |Aton |
|--------+----------+-----------+-------------+---------|
|SEMITES |Mutu, |Kuthar wa |Adonis, |Shams,
|
| |Sheol |Khusas |Eshmun |Yarickbol|
|--------+----------+-----------+-------------+---------|
|MESOPO- |Ninurta, |Ishum, |Dumuzi, |Utu, |
|POTAMIA |Ereshkigal|Hasamil |Telepinus |Estan |
|--------+----------+-----------+-------------+---------|
|IRAN |Ahriman, |Mithra,Kava|Sura Anahita |Hvarnah/ |
| |Vala |Aryaman | |Farn |
|--------+----------+-----------+-------------+---------|
|INDIA |Vritra, |Mitra, |Sita,
|Surya, |
| |Mrityu, |Tvashtar, |Parvati |Savitar |
| |Yama,Shiva|Ganesha
| | |
|--------+----------+-----------+-------------+---------|
|SLAVS |Veles, |Svarozhich,|Mat'-Syra-
|Dazhbog, |
| |Morena, |Radogast, |Zeml'a, |Khors |
| |Yascher |Semargl |Porevit | |
|--------+----------+-----------+-------------+---------|
|BALTICS |Velnias, |Kalvis, |Potrimps, |Saules, |
| |Patols |Ilmariinen |Zemina |Usin's |
|--------+----------+-----------+-------------+---------|
|GERMA-
|Hel, |Voelund, |Nerthus, |Sol,
|
|NICS |Ruttu |Heimdall |Baldr |Sunna |
|--------+----------+-----------+-------------+---------|
|CHINA |Diyu |Yu |Nu-Kua |Yan-Di
|
|--------+----------+-----------+-------------+---------|
|INDIANS |Tezcatli-
|Quetzal- |Coatlique |Tonatiu, |
(american) poca |coatl | |Sue |
|--------+----------+-----------+-------------+---------|
|charac- |subterra- |treaty,law,|agriculture, |integrity|
|teris- |nean world| divine
|dying and |benefits,|
|tics |fertility | smith, |resurrecting,|disk ofi |
| |of bowels,| craft, |fulfillment
|the Sun, |
| |richness, |mastering |of law,
|chariot, |
| |cattle,de-|
of fire, |purification |horses, |
| |struction,|
helper of | |rivalry |
| |demons
|thunder god| |with thun|
| |
| | |der god |
+-------------------------------------------------------+
(table continuing)
+----------------------------------------------+--------+
|CANCER |GEMINI |TAURUS |ARIES |sign
|
|heredity, |mind,coor- |nature,
|struggle, |--------|
|bearing |dination |life |person |region
|
|----------+------------+-----------+----------|--------+
|LUNA,
|MERCURY, |VENUS, |MARS,
|ROME |
|Diana
|Romulus and |Bona Dea, |Bellona
| |
| |Remus
|Maia | | |
|----------+------------+-----------+----------|--------+
|Selene,
|Hermes, |Aphrodite,
|Ares, |GREECE |
|Leto |Heracles |Eos, Eros, |Athene, |
|
|
| |charites |Pan
| |
|----------+------------+-----------+----------|--------+
|Khonsu, |Thoth,
|Isis, |Amun-Montu|EGYPT |
|Taurt |Seshat |Apis,Hathor|Sekhmet |
|
|----------+------------+-----------+----------|--------+
|Yarikh, |Melkarth, |Astarte,
|Rashaph,
|SEMITES |
|Tinnit |Taauth |Allahat |Anath |
|
|----------+------------+-----------+----------|--------+
|Nanna, |Nabu,Nisaba,|Ishtar, |Nergal, |MESOPO- |
|Syn |Gilgamesh |Inanna |Erra/Yarri|TAMIA |
|----------+------------+-----------+----------|--------+
|Ila, |Gayomart, |Nahid |Vishtasp,
|IRAN |
|Haoma |Karshiptar |
|Veretragna| |
|----------+------------+-----------+----------|--------+
|Soma, |Ashvins, |Ushas, |Skanda, |INDIA |
|Sarasvati |Yama and |Laxmi, |Pushan, | |
| |Yami, Budha |Vishnu |Rudra,Agni| |
|----------+------------+-----------+----------|--------+
|Lel'a, |Stribog, |Makosh, |Yarila, |SLAVS
|
|Mes'ats, |Bayan |Lada, |Ruevit |
|
|Kupava |
|Zhiva
| | |
|----------+------------+-----------+----------|--------+
|Meness |Algis, |Austra, |Aitvaras |BALTICS |
| |Jumis |Laima | | |
|----------+------------+-----------+----------|--------+
|Mani
|Loki, |Freia,Frigg,|
Odin/ |GERMA- |
| |Tuisto |Eostre | Wodan |NICS
|
|----------+------------+-----------+----------|--------+
|Chan-E
|Fu-Xi |Xi-Shen |Guan-Di |CHINA
|
|----------+------------+-----------+----------|--------+
|Meztli, |Ictomi |Xochiqueatl|Agresqui,
|INDIANS |
( Ix-chel |
| |Hiawatha |american)
|----------+------------+-----------+----------|--------+
|cycle of |messenger
of|morning |war,
fire |charac- |
|Moon,night|gods,trick- |star,
dawn |element, |teris- |
|light, |ster,trepas-|love,beaty,|wild natu-|tic |
|birth, |sing
taboos,|fecundity,
|re, magic,| |
|animals, |language, |abundance,
|wisdom, |
|
|motherhood|writing, |main god-
|shepherd, | |
|drink of |trade,prede-|dess,
|commander,| |
|immortali-|cessors,cul-|natural |ideal | |
|ty |tural heros |force |leader
| |
+----------------------------------------------+---------
MYTHOLOGICAL IMAGES
OF PLANETS IN THE SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC
The table
characterizes the typical qualities of planets in the signs according to
particular images, each of which has it's own history
and salient features. It may help to enlarge upon concrete astrological ideas.
+----------------------------------------------------------+
| | ARIES |TAURUS |GEMINI |CANCER |LEO |VIRGO |
|-----+--------+--------+--------+--------+-------+--------|
|MARS | ARES |ANATH
| HERCU- |AITVARAS|RUDRA |SEKHMET
|
| | furious|warrior | LES |fears |force |extermi-|
| | |
| hero |
| |natrice |
|-----+--------+--------+--------+--------+-------+--------|
|VENUS| CYBELE |BONA
DEA|FORTUNA |LAXMI |APHRO- |ISIS |
| | passion|benefits|luck |happi- |DITE |fide-
|
| | |
| |ness |love |lity |
|-----+--------+--------+--------+--------+-------+--------|
|MERU-| PROMET-|BUDHA |HERMES
|VACH |PHAETON|SESHAT |
|RY | HEUS |wise |messen- |voice |daring
|writing |
| |provisor| |ger |
| | |
|-----+--------+--------+--------+--------+-------+--------|
|MOON | YARIKH |SOMA |SARASVA-|LEL'A |DIANA
|TSUKUYO-|
| |herald |immorta-|TI |baby
|goddess|MI
cle- |
| | |lity |current | | |aning |
|-----+--------+--------+--------+--------+-------+--------|
|SUN | AMON
|SAVITAR |ASHVINS |SURYA
|RA |AMATE- |
| | unit |awake- |chariot |help |impe- |RASU se-|
| | |ning | | |rator |curing |
|-----+--------+--------+--------+--------+-------+--------|
|CERES| ADONIS |TELLUS |RENENU- |PERSEPH-|DEMETER|SITA |
| | regene-|mother- |TET re- |ONE sac-|crops |furrow |
| | ration |earth |gulation|rifice |
| |
|-----+--------+--------+--------+--------+-------+--------|
|CHI- |
MINERVA|TVASHTAR|QUETZAL-|QUIRIN
|PTAH |AESCULA-|
|RON | defence| craft |COATL
|communi-|mastery|PIUS |
| | |
|culture |ty | |curing |
|-----+--------+--------+--------+--------+-------+--------|
|PLUTO| YAROVIT|SERAPIS
|YAMA |VELES |PLUTOS |ERESHKI-|
| | sprouts|fecondi-|trans-
|animals |plenti-|GAL
|
| | |ty |gressor | |ty |pitiless|
|-----+--------+--------+--------+--------+-------+--------|
|JUPI-| PERUN |THOR
|ZOROAST-|TLALOC |ZEUS |BALU
|
|TER | thunder|mighty |RE new |rain
|chief |ruler
of|
| | storm | |order | |of
gods|earth |
|-----+--------+--------+--------+--------+-------+--------|
|SA- | YAHWEH |ROD | ENKI
|VESTA | ILU |SPANDAR-|
|TURN | guide |ances- | matter |hearth |
judge |MATagri-|
| | |tor | | | |culture |
|-----+--------+--------+--------+--------+-------+--------|
|URA- | ADAD |CHIAN
|SHU se- |ADITI |BRAHMA |BAALSHA-|
|NUS | tempest|firma- |paration|infinity|crea- |MEM
host|
| | |nent |of sky | |tion of heaven|
|-----+--------+--------+--------+--------+-------+--------|
|NEP- | YAMMU |ARDVISU-|PROTEUS |TRITA |OCEANUS|TEPHNUT |
|TUNE | revolt |RA fecon|changea-|well |world |soaking
|
| | |desourse|bility | |waters | |
+----------------------------------------------------------+
(table continuing)
+--------------------------------------------------+-----+
|LIBRA
|SCORPIO|SAGITTA-|CAPRI- |AQUA- |PISCES | |
| | |RIUS |CORN |RIUS |
| |
+--------+-------+--------+--------+-------+-------|-----+
|PAN |ERRA |ATHENA
|ODIN |AGNI |NERGAL |MARS |
|panic |feroci-|frank- |leader |element|overco-|
|
| |ty |ness | | |ming |
|
+--------+-------+--------+--------+-------+-------|-----+
|LADA |EROS |ISHTAR
|FREIA |EOS |VISHNU |VENUS|
|wedlock |wish | star |hostess |dawn |ferti- | |
| | | | | |lity |
|
+--------+-------+--------+--------+-------+-------|-----+
|FU-XI |ANUBIS |NABU |THOTH
|LOKI |YMIR |MER-
|
|arranger|guide |know- |calcula-|tricks-|duality|KURY |
| |of soul|ledge |tion |ter |
| |
+--------+-------+--------+--------+-------+-------|-----+
|MENESS |LILITH |ARTEMIS
|HEKATE |SELENE |NANNA |MOON
|
|change |demon |hunter |magic |clear-
|appre- |
|
| | |
| |ness |hension| |
+--------+-------+--------+--------+-------+-------|-----+
|APPOLO |TONATIU|HVARN |ATUM
|HELIOS |UTU |SUN
|
|art |light |reign |recess |omnis- |protec-| |
| |fordead| | |cience |tion | |
+--------+-------+--------+--------+-------+-------|-----+
|DIKE |ERINYS |TELEPI-
|MAAT |NISABA |DIONY- |CERES|
|fairness|venge- |NUS dis-|just |science|SIUS ve| |
| |ance |order | | |getatio| |
+--------+-------+--------+--------+-------+-------|-----+
|HEPHAES-|VOELUND|MITHRA
|TERMIN |ILMARI-|PAN-GU |CHI- |
|TUS |libera-|treaty |terminal|NEN in-|dissi- |RON
|
|skilful |tion | | |vention|pation | |
+--------+-------+--------+--------+-------+-------|-----+
|KUBERA | HADES |OSIRIS |DIS
|SHIVA | MUTU |PLUTO|
|treasure| hell |subter- |anti-god|destruc| death | |
|keeper | |rean so-| |tor | |
|
| | |vereign |
| | |
|
+--------+-------+--------+--------+-------+-------|-----+
|HUANG-DI|INDRA |MARDUK |HORUS
|DYAUS | BRIHA-|JUPI-|
|center |winner
|father |height |day | SPATI |TER |
| |of evil|of
gods | |light | priest| |
+--------+-------+--------+--------+-------+-------|-----+
|DHARMA |PATOLS |KRONOS |GEB
|ZERVAN |GAEA |SA-
|
|law |tramp-
|despot |demiurge|time |pati-
|TURN |
| |ling | | | |ence | |
+--------+-------+--------+--------+-------+-------|-----+
|JANUS |ENLIL |AHURA-
|SABAOTH |AN | VARUNA|URA- |
|two- |wind-so|MAZDA |world |far |
cosmic|NUS |
|faces |vereign|superior|founder | |
anarch|
|
+--------+-------+--------+--------+-------+-------|-----+
| NOAH |TIAMAT
|POSEIDON|NJORD |APAS | NUN
|NEP- |
|
ark |substa-|sea sou-|depth
|univers| primar|TUNE
|
| |nse |vereign | |alwater| chaos | |
+--------+-------+--------+--------+-------+-------+-----+
One can view a horoscope through the picture of planet's characteristics to restore links with integrity of mythological thought and to pay attention to the immutable features of human nature.
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