MERCURIAL VIRGIN

 The glorious sun has now entered the gentle but astute sign of Tropical Virgo, the sign of the Virgin. Virgo people like to be neat and organised, in their striving for cleanliness and purity in their life. These qualities taken to extreme become ‘nit-picking’ and overly critical of themselves and all those around. Then there are those who rebel in their own quiet way and take to the bohemian road of complete disregard for the conventional ways of living. Now the Virgo influenced person is inclined to spurn the rules of ‘neat and tidy’ or the careful attention to practicalities and duty.

VIRGO WHEAT

This sign has always been a bit of a mystery, especially as it is really difficult to have a baby if you are a virgin – or is it. The fact that Virgo is ruled by the planet Mercury would point to a mental virgin rather than a physical one; that is, someone with uncorrupted thinking processes or a pure heart. Such a person is best placed to see things clearly and truthfully without personal prejudice and bias, therefore they can give birth to a truer ‘thought form’.

 

This part of the zodiac has been associated with the Virgin Mary carrier of the Christ principal, as personified in Jesus the Christos. Before Mary’s time there was the Egyptian Isis and her son Horus, the well-known god and goddess of ancient Egypt. It is quite likely that this zodiac sign refers to an Essene priestess or priest.

 

Fred Gettings spent 16 long years researching his book ‘The Secret Zodiac’, from which the following wood cut was taken of the ‘Wheat Maiden’, a symbol of the sign Virgo. Gettings has much to say about the zodiac located on the floor of the Basilica of San Minato in Florence, with reference to the Virgin giving birth to the Piscean Sun/son.

THE WHEAT MAIDEN

Virgo people have careful thinking processes that can take them to the height of their profession, and equally are they careful and practical in producing their creations, which are often in the form of potting and weaving, two very basic and essential crafts of survival.

THE WEAVER

GLORIOUS SUN

 

The Barque of RA

Sun god of Egypt

The Sun has a special affinity with the sign Leo and in astrological terms is said to rule this sign. The Sun is hot and fiery, warming and sustaining, pleasant at the right temperature but destructive when you get too much of it. The sun fires our soul and tempers our character, guiding us to our full potential.

 

In Alchemy, gold, the metal of the Sun, is the ultimate aim of the disciple, for gold symbolises the highest attainment of human nature simply because it is the only incorruptible metal. The so called discipline of Alchemy is not really so, for it does not exist as a discipline to be studied. Alchemy is a life process and can only be lived, as the Sun rolls across the sky marking the different times of day with its changes temperatures and shadows. The endless books written on the topic are a blind for those who cannot accept the hard road of experience, which alone moulds and perfects us.

From the alchemical text ‘The Book of Lambspring’, Figure IV reads,

 

The Sages do faithfully teach us

That two strong lions, to wit, male and female,

Lurk in the dark and rugged valley.

These the Master must catch,

Though they are swift and fierce,

And of terrible and savage aspect.

He who, by wisdom and cunning,

Can snare and bind them,

And lead them into the same forest,

Of him it may be said with justice and truth

That he has merited the meed of praise before all others,

And that his wisdom transcends that of the worldly wise.

 

Throughout mythology there are many sun gods who represent several things, among which is the hero of legend, the conqueror, the leader of the way symbolised in the magnificence of a beautiful and benign but life giving Sun. One Solar Hero is called Heracles. Joseph Campbell is the well-known author who explores these myths and legends in some great works, not least ‘The Hero with a Thousand Faces.’

The end and beginning of another day