SCORPIO EAGLE

The sun has now entered the much maligned tropical zodiac sign of Scorpio. This rather complex sign has three symbols just to demonstrate how complicated Scorpio can be; they are the scorpion, naturally; the serpent, and the lesser known golden eagle.

Scorpio has received a lot of bad press by those who do not know their astrology too well. Yes, sure its influence can make a person at their worst, cruel and controlling, but when these people reach the height of their best expression, WOW, the sky is the limit – thus the third symbol of the high soaring and dignified Golden Eagle.

When Elizabeth I of the Tudor Age, [who had Scorpio on the Mid-heaven] consulted her astrologer John Dee on a particularly thorning question relating to governing, he is reported to have replied

‘Soar like an Eagle, my Queen’.

Here was one dignified, resourceful and life-changing character who ruled in a ‘Golden Age’ of Britain. The Mid-heaven of a horoscope indicates the best way to interact with the world at large.

The intermediate Scorpio symbol of the Serpent alone has multiple layers of meaning. The scientific-mystical viewpoint is well discussed in Mark Balfour’s ‘The Sign of the Serpent’, where that creature represents the mysterious energy that drives the Cosmos. Sign of the Serpent: The Key to Creative Physics.

Scorpio people have a driving need to understand what makes the universe tick; a driving ambition to get to root causes and find solutions; either through modern orthodox scientific method or if they are a little less traditional, by ploughing the by-ways of ancient arcane knowledge. ‘Life, the Universe and Everything’ really does apply to this sign.

Now, as if having 3 phases of metamorphosis were not enough for our Scorpions to deal with, this sign is the first in the series of twelve to have what is known astrologically as a dual rulership. That means two not one planet is associated with the sign; Mars the ‘traditional’ ruler, and Pluto the newest ruler, allocated after its ‘discovery’ and therefore entrance into human consciousness in 1930.

Some parts of the Tropical 30* arc of Sagittarius (constellation Scorpio) actually cut across the constellation of Ophiuchus, which has been postulated as a 13^th sign of the zodiac, but whose energies are yet to come into play fully for life on earth. Ophiuchus is roughly opposite the constellation Arachne, another contender for a 13^th Ecliptic sign, or perhaps a 14^th ?

Nebula ‘Rho Ophiuchi’

MOON DRAGONS # 1

BEAUTIFUL VENUS

The beautiful planet of Venus is closely associated with the sign of Libra and with that of Taurus. Venus is the planet of love and harmony bringing the desire for companionship and reconciliation after the war or competition. Venus likes to eat and dance, to make music and create. Venus needs to find her comfort zone and enjoy that pleasure to its fullest until she grows wise, then she needs to satisfy the mind.

 This is the Egyptian goddess Hathor representing the planet Venus. [from Budge]

And here is an Ancient Egyptian hymn to the goddess.

HYMN TO HATHOR

All hail, Jubilation to you, O Golden One,

Sole ruler, Uraeus of the Supreme Lord himself!

Mysterious one who gives birth to the divine entities,

forms the animals, models them as she pleases, fashions men..

O Mother!...Luminous One who thrusts back the

darkness, who illuminates every human creature with her rays,

Hail, Great One of many names..

You from whom the divine entities come forth in this your name of Mut-Isis!

You-who-cause the throat to breathe, daughter of Re,

whom he spat forth from his mouth in this your name of Tefnut!

O Neith who appeared in your barque in this your

name of Mut!

O Venerable Mother, you who subdue

your adversaries in this your name of Nekhebet!

O You-who-know-how-to-make-right-use-of-the-heart,

you who triumph over your enemies in

this your name of Sekhmet!

It is the Golden One...the lady of drunkenness

of music, of dance, of frankincense, of the crown,

of young women, whom men acclaim because they love her!

It is the Gold of the divine entities who comes forth at

her season, in the month of Epiphi, the day of the

new moon, at the festival of 'She is Delivered'....

Heaven makes merry, the earth is full of gladness,

the Castle of Horus rejoices.

(Translation after M. Alliot, Le Culte d'Horus a Edfou. From Lucy Lamy Egyptian Mysteries: New Light on Ancient Knowledge (Art and Imagination)   )

VENUS in the astrological natal chart represents a search for balance, love and harmony – in the form of inner contentment, and in the outside world through satisfying relationships with other people and pleasant sensations.

The Greeks anthropomorphised the concept of love and beauty in the goddess Aphrodite.

[Picture from Larousse]

The ultimate aim of the sensory experience of Venus is to awaken the inner spirit or soul. This is achieved as life experience teaches one to truly evaluate the material world and not just succumb to its pleasures. By and through the symbol of Venus one attracts what one thinks one would like. The lesson being, to discriminate between what one truly likes, loves and what is simply a passing desire on the one hand, or on the other simply an uncontrollable fascination or wanting.

In her orbit Venus hurries after the sun and they travel the zodiac almost together for Venus is never more than 48º from that great star, although sometimes running ahead of him, and sometimes behind. Thus Venus sometimes rises before the sun and sometimes she sets after the sun. In this way she acquired the names of ‘morning star’ and the ‘evening star’ depending on where she is in her orbit.

 Birth of Venus by Botticelli

VENUSIAN SCALES

The sun is now passing through the Tropical zodiac sign of Libra, the sign of the scales of balance and justice, which may account for the Libran tendency to weigh up matters sometimes to the point of extreme annoyance and futile procrastination. But where would we be without them on a good day when they can maintain the harmony and balance of relationships so essential to profitable progress. Such progress in personal development is well guided through AMORC http://www.amorc.org/

The beautiful planet Venus has a close attachment to the sign Libra, so that when the whole is synchronising there is much peace and love in the world. However, don’t be fooled into thinking that anything associated with this sign and planet is therefore simplistic and empty headed just because it likes peace and quiet. The complicated cycles of Venus, if studied will soon dispel this mistaken view. http://www.lunarplanner.com/HCpages/Venus.html

The Swan is an emblem of Venus and Libra in their desire to bring love and companionship to its highest form; but neither the swan nor the Libran enjoys being caged simply for another’s pleasure alone.

The swan has the magic of music and symbolises one of the polarities of the great cosmic energy. J.C. Cooper in his ‘Symbolic Mythological Animals’, supplies a wealth of knowledge on the spiritual symbolism of earthly and imaginary creatures. Although this particular book doesn't appear to be available any more you could try Cooper's  An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Traditional Symbols

It is the desire for love and harmony, for justice seen to be done, that can sometimes make the Libran quite combative and whirl into a flurry of fury and indignation. Librans can often be found amongst those fighting for human rights and defending those unable to do so for themselves, and even going to war if this is the only way perceived to return the missing equilibrium. That is, unless it is a Libran on an eternal holiday of rest, relaxation, coffee mornings and sun baths, because they just couldn’t get up the energy to take part in life!

This is an 18^th Century woodcut of Tressan’s retelling of the story of Tristan and Iseult from the Arthurian cycle.

Around the 17^th October the Sun will be with the star Spica which marks the ear of corn held by the Virgin in that constellation. Although bearing the same name, the constellation is not the same space as the Tropical sign of the Virgin. The constellation and the Ecliptic sign once coincided but due to the phenomena of ‘Precession’ they have moved apart. Some systems of Astrology still use the celestial groups of stars rather than the 30 degree divisions of the Ecliptic.