Can you look out the window without your shadow getting in the way?
— Sarah McLachlan
The Aquarius Sun’s conjunction with centaur object Nessus on Thursday may illuminate what props up an established order that serves few at the expense of many. Informing the solar conjunction will be a precise and timely trine (air sign to air sign) from the osculating lunar apogee — also known as Black Moon Lilith.
Black Moon Lilith (the lunar apogee) dancing through Gemini may represent a symbolic antidote to the hypocrisy behind the currently dominant paradigm of power.
The apogee of the lunar orbit corresponds to its greatest distance from Earth. The hypothetical point correlating to the Moon’s farthest potential removal from us is a symbol not only of estrangement, but also a contrast to the perigee.
The perigee, the closest approach an orbiting body makes to the thing it orbits (which has stronger gravity), represents, in the words of Philip Sedgwick, “The priority list and urgent concerns” of the submissive object. For the Moon, that would appear to include deep emotional needs symbolically nurtured by proximity to the physically dominant Earth.
Assuming that interpretation of a perigee, it would make sense if the apogee were emblematic of something very different and potentially even more powerful. In the case of the Moon’s archetype of personal consciousness, that would be the public consciousness represented by the Sun.
Public consciousness, when heeded, becomes awareness. Awareness, when owned, develops into conscience. Conscience, when honored, entails responsibility. Responsibility, when accepted, means knowing the appropriate thing to do even if it means voluntary alienation from a source of nourishment. Being conscientious can also mean choosing the risk of defying, rather then submitting to, physical domination. That’s where the Sun’s impending conjunction to Nessus comes in.
As Eric put it on Jan. 28, “Nessus involves psychological shadow material, even more than most of the centaurs.” In reality, you probably incurred at least some of that shadow material through abusive personal relationships with physically dominant people (though they may have been ‘indirectly’ abusive, including through negative attitudes about sexuality, for example).
The established order tolerates that sort of private behavior implicitly through the legal system by often placing an impossible burden on the abused party. There is a reason for that sanction.
For the vast majority of human beings now living and long past, the established order has tolerated abuse by the physically dominant in order to sanction its own use of the same methods. Many are those who numb (or dumb) down their conscience as the not-so-hidden price of nourishment, shelter and esteem. Few are those who have dared to heed consciousness, raise their awareness, and accept not only material loss, but also physical punishment, even death, by way of taking responsibility
In another part of his Jan. 28 blog, Eric declared that “The ‘lesson’ of Nessus is to take control by taking responsibility.” That is difficult enough in personal relationships as most of us eventually find ourselves in a physically dominant role, and responsible for not passing the buck on to a new generation. It is even more challenging to take that responsibility to the public level. It is not impossible, however, and the legend behind the name Lilith models both the perils and protocols of not contributing to the perpetuation of a system for which abuse has become not only a means, but a defining end.
As astrologer M. Kelly Hunter has related it, the Lilith legend can be interpreted two ways. From Lilith’s point of view (which requires some consciousness awareness), and from the perspective of the abusive power structure she took the responsibility of defying.
As Adam’s first wife, so the abusive power structure informs us, she was made of “impure” materials. That, as opposed to the “pure” materials which constituted Adam. That was supposed to make Lilith the subordinate partner. As any conscious and aware person would do, Lilith refused to accept such a transparently lame premise. What is really impressive, however, is how she took responsibility. She left. Of her own accord, in an act of nothing less than integrity, she left the powerful to resolve a serious dilemma.
Can you imagine the board meeting dialogue after Lilith left? It may have gone something like this:
Underling: “Boss, what if it gets out that anybody would leave Paradise voluntarily? Our whole sweet deal will fall apart like a house of cards!”
Boss: “Demonize her.”
And it worked. Most folks still buy the lame story proffered by the established order. Those who refuse the carrot and challenge the stick are demonized and held up as an example of what you don’t want to be. Whereas, those who pass abuse on to others are far too often given a pass because they serve as the shock troops of the power structure. Nothing, however, lasts forever.
The wheel is turning. As the supposed rewards of submission become more obviously bogus, more people are realizing that there are concerns more urgent than having personal needs met with toxic food, shelter or governance from hypocrites. Gradually, people are becoming conscious of higher priorities than being nurtured by the physically dominant.
As the Sun’s conjunction to Nessus is serendipitously trined by Black Moon Lilith on Valentine’s day, the sweet deal enjoyed by the few at the expense of the many really could, at long last, be exposed for what it is. But it will not happen by itself.
The planets and perigees, the aspects and the apogees, they move and change. No sympathetic motion or change happens in your life, however, unless you consciously heed the Cosmos, aware of what it symbolizes, taking responsibility for what it means, moving and changing in integrity, regardless of where the power is.
Where the power is, is not where it always will be, but what’s right is always right. We live in a time when it is not made easy to do the right thing. On the other hand, all of us living now have it within our personal power to be the antidote instead of the illness that is the established order. It’s your call. Those yet unborn are watching.
Offered In Service
Len is available for astrology readings. You can contact him at lenwallick [at] gmail [dot] com.
Just being reported:
Oscar Pistorius (South African Para-Athlete who competed in the Olympics) has accidentally shot and killed his girlfriend believing her to be an intruder.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21455453
This feels mythic to me… and so very sad…true “shadow” material
Len,
My condolences at the loss of your Teacher.
-word
Lilith in my natal chart is on 0 Aries, semi-sextile my sun (2PI), sextile Venus (0 AQ) and both Venus and Lilith in Yod with Pluto. (so much I have learned here at PW, thank you PW!) She’s also close in Yod the other way round with Persephone and Child in Geminii and Neptune/Jupiter/NN in Scorpio.
My mention of this is only to point out my own strength of Lilith, which so many of us have, and which I too am looking for productive outlet. This is no doubt an opportunity to create our new story/s – and most importantly to let go of said “rage”, which is after all, only a part of the patriarchal myth – and find that which Lilith is; Giving, Love, Nurturing, Divine Feminine; “dark and wet”!
The quote from Alberto Villoldo is so useful, as are your words, DivaCarla. Thank you.
Lilith’s rage is in part due to being forsaken by the very spiritual force she had honoured and trusted.
YES! haven’t we all been here before! Thank you for ever expanding insight! Back later, sun’s shining!
Mia – yes our Queen Elizabeth may well go soon.
Her Saturn in Scorpio is at 24 degrees conj her Midheaven at 25…she will get her 3rd Saturn return and MH transit around Nov 2014
Oh this is all so so good and nourishing and informative. Thank you Len thank you be and thank you DivaCarla. On a tough day I am strengthened and given hope reading what you have written
I would like to add my understanding of Lilith. She figures powerfully in my chart and in my life.
From what I have read in the Old Testament she was fashioned from the SAME material as Adam (earth) and so on this basis,she assumed this made her and Adam equals.
But that was not what Adam wanted..he wanted to be in charge, especially sexually. When they petition God for a decision on their intractable positions…God sides with Adam.
Lilith’s rage is in part due to being forsaken by the very spiritual force she had honoured and trusted.
I think the story encapsulates the loss of spiritual power of women which the new religions of Judaism Christianity and Islam have all had at their hearts.
Len, you gave such as boost to my day! My sincere gratitude for (my chart) being dubbed “bellweather” ! – and the visual of the great Ms. Mitchell as bellweather too, reminds me that we are all within reach of great inspiration, aspiration, and creation.
Thank you.
Lunesoleil: Many thanks to you also. Your skill and learning are an asset to astrology everywhere.
All: Thank you for your comments yesterday. Please forgive my delay in acknowledging you. My afternoon and evening yesterday found me at a memorial service for a great teacher. Please, also, forgive me the initial error in naming the aspect, and many thanks to Amanda for her assistance in correcting the text.
aword: Thank you again for sharing a very pertinent personal transit. Your chart is to mundane astrology whet Joni Mitchell is to music – a bellwether.
Darcy: You are very welcome.
Paul: i really love the references you bring into the windows and doors of perception regarding the subject matter. Thank you for being such a kind and graceful presence in this space.
be: Thank you from the bottom of my heart for once again bringing your timely and learned correlations of current event and pertinent natal astrology to the subject matter of this blog. The clues you have uncovered are truly remarkable.
Mia: Speaking of heartfelt thanks, please accept mine in turn. The degree to which you are tuned in serves as a profound guide for directing our attention to what is going on behind what is (and is not) going on. You are very generous to share your insights and they are appreciated.
DivaCarla: Thank you for bringing the valuable harvest of your own work on Lilith to this space. Your expressions are deeply felt and your words resonate as truth.
DivaCarla,
Thank you so much for sharing your research and your interperative view regarding the meaning of “impure dirt”, as well as that of the medicine woman’s explanation of the rain forest. In fact all the references to the feminine symbols in these comments, and Len’s always intuitive understanding of them, reflects the increasing understanding (Jupiter) that we see and hear in these times. It all contributes to the balancing of the yin-yang that has been out of kilter since the patriarchy (Saturn) became dominant.
For those of us who pondered the meaning of the Venus occult Sun symbolism (a visible transit seen as a black dot on the Sun) for the last 8 years or more, the resignation of Pope Benedict as leader of the Catholic Church (Saturnian patriarchy personified), has given us an extremely clear meaning for that celestial event. Recalling that Venus occults the Sun two times, 8 years apart, and then this cycle doesn’t repeat for over 100 years, history has to be part of the symbolic message. In June 2004, the first of the 2 transits to Venus this century took place. Pope John Paul died in office in April 2005, 10 months later. The second transit of Venus to the Moon happened in June 2012, and Pope Benedict’s announcement came shortly after the New Moon February 10, 2013, 8 months later.
Each of those charts hold meaningful information pertinent to the time it takes place (Gemini data), but also, to the evolution of mankind from the perspective of history; like taking a couple of snapshots of the century. So these cycles within cycles (Sun-Moon, Jupiter-Saturn, Neptune-Pluto, etc.), when looked at from the historical perspective, condense the evolution process and make it easier to comprehend. This profound service provided by astrology was once reserved for only a few who could interpret it. Now we can all partake of this knowledge, even as we live it. I believe that the square of Uranus to Pluto is making this consciously available in that, even the “common folk” can have access to what was once only available to the priviledged few, ie. the (Capricornian) hierarchy. We are all gods and goddesses now!
be
Len, I believe you made mention of Lilith last summer that sparked my research, and discovery of the Hunter article. Next thing I know I’ve made an art show inspired by her work inside of me.
Two ways to neutralize the inconvenient: demonize them or make them a saint. Lilith is untameable!
As I understand the story, the rift between Lilith and Adam began over sex. He invented the missionary position, and Lilith was not having it. She refused. Now I get the myth contains the origins of patriarchy, which required ownership of women, their bodies, sex, and offspring.
Lilith exiled herself rather than submit. Her rage reminds me of the rampage of Ceres when she discovered the abduction of her daughter to the underworld. Lilith, Ceres, and Persephone are among the goddesses of Permaculture.
I read “impure dirt” as compost, humus, the fertile soil necessary to grow anything. Lilith is about our fertility–physical, erotic, and cosmic. She is that first chakra connection to the Earth that Alberto Villoldo refers to:
“When the first chakra is disconnected from the feminine Earth, we can feel orphaned and motherless. . . . I remember being told by a medicine woman in the Amazon, ‘Do you know why they are really cutting down the rain forest? Because it is wet and dark and tangled and feminine.'”
Wet dark tangled feminine ~ that’s Lilith.
She returns to the village by night, but not to eat the babies. She visits the dreams of the Daughters of Eve, to remind them of what they gave up, innocently at the time. The wet dreams are the Sons of Adam unconscious longing for what they too have lost.
Know where Lilith is in your chart; more important, know who she is in your soul.
Thank you, Len, for a fine article on how we can be with Lilith, the dark mystery of our emotions.
here is an interesting synchronicity regarding the Vatican:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrm-k6x3_vk&feature=youtu.be
Thanks Len for your study of the Nessus with the Sun conjunction with company Eros the God of love it is a sacred mixture in the public arena but also private
You used real Lilith at 24 ° and Lilith average 17 ° to the trigone of Venus, the power of love on the share of shadow… with the moon coming to the square of Lilith it is not won yet…
Beautiful day to all
Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands resigned approximately one week ago. She has been a key leader of the Bilderbergs, the people who help run the world behind the scenes. There is talk that Queen Elizabeth will be stepping down in the near future. The damage and debris is rising to the top for all to see and people are starting to ask the right questions. The abuse of children has not only gone on in the Catholic Church, it goes on in our government and our military. Ritual sacrifice and abuse is rampant in all of these areas.
We live in interesting times. Things are about to get a whole lot more interesting.
Thanks Len.
Hey Len, this may show up again as I sent it about 15 minutes ago but now it is no where to be found. I was looking at Eric’s chart for when the Pope made his announcement and Lilith is in the same degree of the Catholic Church’s chart (June 7, 1929) Sun, 16+ Gemini, as provided by Michael O’Reilly in the Dell Horoscope magazine for October 2011. It can also be found at his website neptunecafe dot com. Do you think this means the chickens are coming home to roost?
be
Indeed Len, “those yet unborn are watching” and waiting. This was a wonderful way of explaining how Lilith operates and what she stands for. I can’t thank you enough for noting her presence in the astrology of Sun-Nessus and the role she can play in bringing consciousness to our species.
Thanks too to Musicman for noting Ceres presence and for his lead-in mention of the Pope and the Catholic Church. What’s next you ask?
Some things we should be aware of might give a clue to what’s next. Pope Benedict’s natal Uranus is at 0 Aries and is opposite his Part of Fortune at 0 Libra. His north node is 0 Cancer, with the south node at 0 Capricorn. Our whole planet is (as it must be) aware of his presence and his influence on the world stage. He is a catalyst in the evolutionary brew we are presently stewing in.
This pope has his natal Saturn at 6 Sagittarius (rx), the same degree where the Sun was when opposite the Lunar Eclipse last November. It is the same degree where Venus was in the Winter Solstice (12/21/12), and opposite the degree where Jupiter was when he stationed direct 13 days ago. The charts for these 3 events should reveal something about what’s next when viewed in the context of rigid, righteous Saturn and the microcosm of the Catholic Church.
The chart for the Catholic Church (6/7/1929) has some remarkable clues for us to think about when contemplating what’s next. It’s north node is 21 Taurus, where the present south node is transiting, while it’s south node at 21 Scorpio is where the transiting north node is right now. But this is what left me (be) gasping for air; the Catholic Church natal Uranus is 10 Aries, conjunct Pallas-Athene at 5 Aries, just the reverse of today’s Uranus at 5 Aries and Pallas-Athene at 10 Aries. What are the odds, I ask you, of this kind of syncronicity? It is a double conjunction between two time periods; the moment Mussolini granted independence to the Vatican and the moment the Pope announced an almost unprecidented decision to retire from practice. They provide a worm-hole between the two time periods linked by Uranus then and Pallas now, while Pallas back then is linked to Uranus now.
Perhaps those yet unborn who are watching were alive in 1929, or even 600 years ago at the time when the last pope to retire made his announcement. It is a changing of the guard that Sun-Nessus trine Lilith are heralding and we must all be awake so as not to miss it.
be
be
This is brilliant. Thank you!
Trine it is then, and personally (natally) only recently a sextile…
Transiting Lilith is on natal Juno who is no doubt a product of the proverbial mess established by the establishment as they uttered “demon!” on Lilith’s behalf.
This is a “moment” to be sure, I am ever grateful for your insight and guidance, Len.
There is a profoundity to this subject that flies out of the window when you try and get a hold of it! If we are watching “the sweet deal” and it’s players undressed, like the Pope and all of the Catholic Church stuff that he is walking away from, this sort of begs the question…What next?
I remember reading “The Outsider” and “Metamorphosis” far too many moons ago….that sense of being well and truly on the outside. Rock and Roll…!! Now suddenly in the blink of an eye…Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney ARE the establishment!
It is almost as if ” a coalition of those who read Camus and Kafka ” is awaiting the call! Nature abhors a vaccuum. We the people are about to be shocked out of our lethargy by a call to serve!
Ceres is in there with Lilith. Something very fruitful is happening as we face this cleansing process! But the answer is not simply a rub down and some new clothes. My Neptune/ Midheaven makes a Grand trine to this Gemini/Aquarius business, so it is about manifesting the spiritual intuition into work! But it is more than that collectively! We need to establish ground rules that are sacrosanct. Respect them not and there in lies the dilemma. Is it a sanction….or is it a loving curse that is used to dissuade the deviant?
When I was 17 it was all so much easier! Give them some LSD and make them read Island by Aldous Huxley!
Nessus ….somewhere between Saturn, Uranus and Neptune….!
Don’t get caught with your pants down….!!
Paul
Paul: Thank you for both the correction and the compliment. Only a true friend would offer to correct an error. It is a trine from the Aquarius Sun (air sign) to Black Moon Lilith in Gemini (air sign). Fortunately, trines and sextiles have a lot in common (sextiles affirm or validate, trines do as well, perhaps more to enable).
It’s a trine Len……the duality of the moment in Gemini makes it 2 sextiles…to Aquarius…!! The elimination of just a tad of confusion may help!
I have however just read the most succint explanation of perigree and apogee that I have ever seen…in all of the universe. The idea that the Sun and Moon are indeed a micro and macro cosm of each other is so beautifully articulated!
Thanks
Paul