JUMPING GEMINI

 On the 21^st May the glorious orb of the Sun moved into the zodiac sign of Gemini. This is the sign of the twins or the dual aspects of life personified. Those of the sign of the ‘Twins’ are quick, some very quick, in both physical movement and mental computation. This very talent however, can cause Gemini to never follow through on any one thing, with the end result being that the flower of youth fizzles and their real talent never realised. ‘Too many irons in the fire’, means that one’s energies are spread too far and thinly for achievement of the highest in any one area or discipline. 

GEMINI GLYPH

The dual nature of a Gemini means that these people so influenced can look forward and backward at the same time and give what is perceived, a third contact point of the present. This may account for their quick insight and ability to gather information of immediate use to a present situation. These people are quick to adapt to new situations both mental and physical, very good if you want to be a gymnast or go-between.

 

Gemini loves to collect facts and information so that they can enjoy sharing it with their friends; there is no point having knowledge if it cannot be shared and enjoyed. Gemini also likes to play games, especially if their agile body can be put to work and utilize their flexible thinking; playing tennis, fighting a mock dual, riding a bicycle, doing the cross word. Life is fun and should be lived with light-hearted joy. Those with a need and ability to ponder the imponderables do well as writers and philosophers. Was Plato a Gemini, standing on the steps of the Academy and spreading his words of wisdom to those willing to listen? For those who like books, try reading Umberto Eco, ‘The Name of the Rose’.

Is this Plato?

Ordinary mortals of the Gemini variety must be very careful in their persistent searching not to have too many projects on the go at once or they may end up chasing their own tails. There is also danger of spending too much time having cups of tea and chatting about the weather!

 

Castor and Pollux are the two famous stars of the constellation Gemini. They are the celestial twins, the dark and light forces of mythology. Leonardo painted a picture of them in his portrayal of the Greek myth of Leda and the Swan.

Leonardo’s original painting is lost. 

This is a copy made by Cesare Sesto of 

Leda and her twins.

AAL’S LABYRINTH HISTORY An Alternative Viewpoint…..contd. #60

 

Greek Apollo Sun God 

With the 6^th century BCE we enter the era of the Master Philosophers whose thoughts underpinned two thousand years of Western cultural thinking. This begins the age of the Pre-Socratic Western philosophers of Greece who sought natural rather than mythological explanations of phenomena; Thales (c590BC) Anaximander (c580BC) Anaximenes (c545BC) Heraclitus (c506BC). 

The next century will continue the trend in Parmenides (c485BC) Anaxagoras (c465BC) Empedocles (c460BC) Democritus (c430BC) (13).

 

This current century sees the gradual rise of naturalistic science based on sceptical rationalism and seen to develop through Eleatic rationalism, Ionian Physics and Democritus’ Atomism. (19)

 

A new cycle of human development is evidenced during this century, inaugurating a new set of human values and development of the mind and soul. It will be followed by five centuries of humanities attempt to adjust to this new level of being. [207]

Temple of Apollo at Delphi

The great cities of Greece along the coast of Asia Minor are in touch with all the leading centres of the civilized world: Egypt, Phoenicia, Lydia, Persia and Babylon. What the Greeks borrowed they transmuted and to this added some of their own thinking. [185]

In the East is the philosophy of Lao-Tse who was born at the end of the previous century but there is indication of his philosophy filtering into the west, probably along the ‘Silk Road’ of trading and even perhaps in the explorers from the west travelling east and then returning with new ways of thinking. Other influences come from India and Asia to meld with those of the west.

598 BCE     SOLON (c638-558) Greek Athenian Law maker who is instructed on the mysteries by the priests of Sais in Egypt during a visit there in the time of Pharaoh Amasis I. The priests also told Solon of the story of Atlantis, which he will in turn transmit to Plato (c560 BCE). [72.103] According to Plutarch, Solon received his instructions from the priest Sonchis of Sais. (250)

Egyptian Priest

paying Homage to the gods

c597 BCE     NEBUCHADNEZZAR II leads the Babylonians to conquer Jerusalem around this time. With the Assyrian defeat of Egypt, the final fall of the Israelite monarchy is achieved by c586 BCE. Jerusalem and its Temple are destroyed and the Hebrews are exiled to Babylon for 70 years where they are to become scholars of the Babylonian star religion. The Hebrew people are now dispersed as exiles and refugees, going between their homeland, Egypt and Babylon. (102. 9)

            The Semitic Chaldeans of Babylon are attributed with the introduction and development of astrology. It is thought that writing and magic were a Turanian or Sumerian (Akkadian) contribution to Babylonian civilization but that astronomy and astrology were Semitic innovations. (1)

                The Prophet Ezekiel said ‘I have appointed thee each day for a year’ and astrologers use this as a measurement for prediction by the stars.

 

591                 The capital of Kush [Nubia/Northern Sudan] is moved from Napata to Meroe, by the kings of the 25^th Dynasty of Egypt. The Meroe civilization blended Egyptian, Hellenistic and Indian influences into a unique culture, which included their own form of writing, a cursive script that remained undeciphered until the end of the 20^th century CE.

                

EARTHLY QUEEN

 

Sigil of the Bull

The Taurean Bull of course can be tracked back to the ancient Egyptian Apis Bull and his partner. The Apis Bull was the sacred symbol of Osiris and through him of his partner Isis/Hathor who sometimes sports the cow head. It is quite debatable which had the most authority, but it is highly suspicious that it was Isis who was the goddess to give birth to the child Horos or Hour.  Horos or Hour, a segment of time-space and symbol of the creative qualities as the Great Mother Goddess. However, make no mistake that Isis would remain barren without the stimulation, seeding and support of Osiris. It does and always will take two to tango or in other words a polarity to create a third condition generated out of that polarity. Think carefully upon these words, said the master.

 

Isis and Osiris are the cosmic polarities of the ‘All’; the male and female principles of life, and their story is retold by Plutarch. Plutarch had learnt a lot from the High Priestess Clea.

Hathor 

An aspect of the 

Great Mother Goddess.

Venus is the planet most associated with the Earth sign Taurus. Venus is symbolised in the ancient Goddess Hathor. Hathor wears the cow head symbolised in the horns of potency and the disk of creation.

 

The other image of Venus is the classical Greek goddess Aphrodite, an image that over emphasises the feminine. And yet one can still sense some yang energies to be present and to keep the balance going.  Aphrodite has absolute ‘feminine’ appeal, yet with a hidden stress of being her own person. 

Aphrodite of Greece

In fact, Aphrodite can be quite harsh in her search for equality, balance, harmony, and justice. When these desires are harnessed to the Bullish qualities of Taurus, there is not likely to be a middle path towards achieving that peace according to the Taurean will; a will-power that is strong and determined yet ready to play ball with the opponent if good practical reason is given and the production of harmony is sensed as the end product. Image assaulting the earth in order to planet a rose tree. The rose tree blooms and reminds us of the beauty of life well lived in balance.

 

Equally, we will see this drive in the Libran Venus. If Venus cannot be bothered with all the inconvenience of war then she is likely to sit down and refuse to move or to be concerned about the state of things. We will come to this in the October sign of Libra who also is strongly associated with the planet Venus.

The month of May is the time of year to pay homage to the Queen of Mother Earth, the goddess Flora or her associate Persephone the daughter of Demeter. Flowers are one of the attributes of the planet Venus symbolising the love of nature in its beautiful and harmonious aspect.

 

Persephone or goddess Flora

Taurian Eyes

 The sun has now moved into the sign of Taurus, symbolised by the Bull. What a lovable little creature the young calf is, but watch out as they grow big. Some still maintain that seductive doe eyed gentleness, whilst others snort in rage when you get in their way.

Now this boisterous Bull is ruled by the gentle and beautiful planet Venus and that should give us some clue to the other side of our Taurean stubborn determination. No sooner have they got your back up with their one eyed focus, then they melt your heart with their kindness and understanding. You have meet Venus before in the sign of Libra, now we again make her acquaintance as ruler of Taurus. When associated with the zodiac sign of Taurus, the qualities of Venus acquire a more practical and earthly expression of herself. You will see the Taurean Venus in the policeman maintaining harmony by applying man’s version of law and order. You will see the practical side of Venus in the ecstatic expressions of the artist and the dancer giving practical expression to the Taurean love of beauty, which is the result of the harmony brought about by applying mathematical ratios. Taureans make good mathematicians as well as financiers. 

Like most signs, Taurus can sometimes be hard to pin down.  Each person of the same zodiac sign shares an undeniable likeness of basic qualities and principles of that shared sign according to the sun’s location at birth. However, what most of us forget is that an individual has a whole birth chart of 10 planets to be considered and they usually are not only to be described by the sun location.

 

So why do we need a Bull in the zodiac? Because someone has to shovel the opposition out of the way or we would never advance as a group. Some Bulls will literally go at the opposition with a full head-on butt, whilst other Bulls take the subtle gentle approach of silent stubbornness in pursuit of their aims. Each one needs to harness these admirable qualities of sustained effort with an eye to the bigger picture so that they do not get caught on a one-track path that cannot see the beauty of other ways. For Beauty is essential to the soul of the Taurean – beauty of nature, of artifice, and of money for the beauty that it can procure.

 

It must not be forgotten that the great star Aldebaran of the constellation Taurus is the ‘All Seeing Eye’ of the Cosmos and font of great wisdom. Vera Stanley Alder writes on this wisdom in ‘Finding the Third Eye’.

Spring Time in Ancient Crete 

where the Bull of Minos was venerated.

Andrew Clark from ‘gatekeeper.org.uk’ singing from the heart with the following dedication to Mother Earth.

 

Dear Earth, dear Earth,

Let me tell you how I feel,

You have given me such treasure,

I love you so.

 

Sing simply for the joy of it.

AAL’S LABYRINTH HISTORY An Alternative Viewpoint…..contd. #59

 

Wise men of Chaldea

625BCE           NABOPOLASSAR (r. 625-604 BCE) sheikh of a Semitic Chaldean tribe (76) and first king of the New Babylonian Empire, he takes over the Assyrian capital Nineveh, with the help of the Medes and Persians. Thus, independence from the Assyrians is gained for Babylon. This is known as the state of the New Babylon or Chaldea. The latter title probably comes from the naming of the intellectuals as Chaldeans or wise men and referring to  both Babylonians and captured Hebrews Nabopolassar’s son NEBUCHADREZZAR (76) is the second king of the New Babylonian Empire. He continues the rebuilding of Babylon after its destruction by the Assyrians in 689 BCE. New buildings included the ‘Hanging Gardens’, nominated as one of the ‘Seven Wonders of the World’. Possibly these gardens were built on a stepped pyramid called a ziggurat.

‘ Hanging Gardens ‘of Babylon

[An imaginary 19^th century depiction]

609                 JEHOIAKIM king of Judah, the southern kingdom of ancient Israel, from 609 to 598 BCE. When King Josiah died at Megiddo in 609, he was succeeded by his son Jehoahaz.  The Egyptian pharaoh Necho, however, deposed Jehoahaz and placed Jehoiakim, also a son of Josiah, on the throne (II Kings 23). Judah will subsequently come under Babylonian domination, but Jehoiakim will rebel about 601 and then die shortly before Nebuchadnezzar II takes Jerusalem in 597.  The prophet Jeremiah speaks of the reign of Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 36).

Josiah of Juda

[An imaginary 16^th century portrait]

606                 CYAXARES descendant of Median Deioces (708 BCE). He makes an alliance with the Babylonians against the Assyrians. Later, Cyaxares will destroy Nineveh, capital of Assyria, when he annexes Assyria in 612. By this action he extends the Median Empire. (40)

 

c604 BCE        LAO-TSE ancient Chinese sage whose name means ‘old boy’ or ‘venerable philosopher’. He is the founder of the philosophy of Taoism, which is recorded in the T’ao-Teh King’.  Lao-Tse is a contemporary of Confucius upon whom he had some influence.  As librarian and archivist of the royal house of the Chou dynasty, Lao-Tse resided in the capitol of Chow.  Retiring from the world at the distress of its evils, he took up the command of the ‘warden of the outer gate’.

He then put into book form the essence of his teachings, known as the doctrine of ‘The Way’ or ‘Tao’. During his life Lao-Tse attempted to make no converts to the Tao, possibly because he realized that his philosophies were far ahead of his age and that people were not ready to receive such teachings.  Lao-Tse professes to be the transmitter of an earlier knowledge of Hwang-Ti rather than the originator of ‘The Way’ and the ‘I Ching’ or ‘Book of Changes’. Hwang-Ti is the legendary civilizer of China c2704 BCE. (6)

                   Lao-Tse

c600         From the Egyptian cursive writing known as Hieratic, develops an even more cursive from of script known as demotic (of the people). (144). Demotic looks very similar to Hebrew and indeed later research shows that Hebrew ideograms are derived from Egypt.

 

                     The end of the 7^th Century BCE brings the official founding of Dionysiac feasts at Corinth, Sicyon, Athens, (33) whilst in Europe, the ‘Hallstatt’ Culture of the Celtic people is giving way to the ‘La Tene’ culture which is to develop into a highly refined living, as reflected in their art works. The original ‘La Tene’ settlement is by the lake of Neuchâtel, Switzerland and marks a second and more sophisticated period of Celtic culture that is to develop. By 100 BCE this culture will succumb to the growing Roman Empire. [371]

5th century Celtic ornament

RAM FEVER

 ARIES is the first sign of the zodiac circle because it is the sign of the northern spring equinox, which in turn is the point marking the beginning of the natural year. Ancient calendars used this point to start their solar year in contrast to our western artificial calendar, which starts its calendar year in the month of January. 

 

So, with the rushing in of new energies for the start of a new solar year, the Ram was chosen as the symbol of the zodiacal sign of Aries. And Aries has great affinity with the planet Mars, or in astrological speak, Mars is the ruler of Aries.

An image of Mars from Albumasar’s

‘De Magnus Conjunctionibus’ [9^th Century]

Mars is hot and fiery, it is the life driving force that gives initiative to take action, drawing, as all the planets do, its own life from our sun, the hub of our universe. Mars was the planet particularly favoured by the Romans. This accords well with their pagan religion of Mithraism, the religion of fire, fire that makes so much possible in the lives of human beings.

 

We will meet Mars again in his association with the sign Scorpio, but here in Aries, the Martian energy is less complicated and therefore freer to have a more direct and easy expression of itself. Without Mars energy, little or nothing can be accomplished; no one would get out of bed in the morning, or strive for achievement in the world, or make love and generate more babies. Mars is the fighting energy that enables us to push our way through life. Of course too much push can make one very unpopular and too much fire makes an enemy of an otherwise very useful commodity.

 

The secret side of the Ram is seen in the Ancient Egyptian god Khnum who guards one of the 21 portals of the House of Osiris. As an ancient creator god, Khnum moulds man on his potter’s wheel, or as Vulcan, hammers out man on his anvil with the aid of fire.

Khnum guarding a portal.

From the Ancient Egyptian ‘Book of the Dead’.

It takes persistence and courage to get through life, sadly when these ‘thrusting’ qualities are devoid of the human virtues and chivalry, one can descend into pointless war and aggression, instead of fighting for good like King Arthur or Parsifal.

Chivalry: the knight and his lady.

SPRINGING ARIES RAM

 On the Full Moon of Libra, we muse that this is the time of year that we have passed the Equinox point, that point of equal day and night and our sun is seen to enter the tropical zodiac sign of Aries. This time marks the beginning of a new circuit for the Hero or spiritual warrior, as he/she travels around the twelve signs conquering his or her trials along the way in an endeavour to become a better expression of themselves. Each turn on the spiral adding to the benefits and accomplishments of the previous journey.

 

The sun entering Aries on the 20^th of March, reminds us of the first energies of spring in the northern hemisphere and that powerful force propelling the bud out of the winter frozen earth. Aries people are driven by a similar first explosion of unstoppable, joyful and expectant energy, and this seems to be so no matter which side of the world you were born in and whether that time was passing into spring or autumn.

ARIES the RAM

This joyful, fiery energy is the case whether an Aries person is born in the northern or the southern hemisphere, for we are referring here to deep space constellation influence rather than only planetary energies of the solar system represented in the tropical zodiac signs. Thus the sun and the Ecliptic sign of Aries might be said to be focusing towards earth, the greater energies of the constellation Aries. At the same time there being an over-lay of the energies of the constellation Aquarius. This is because the Vernal Point, in its great 2,000 year shift is moving into that constellation. Complicated? Confused? Look back at the Equinox blog and do some research on ‘Precession’ for a clearer understanding.

 

Whatever!! Aries people are full of ‘spring’, energy and enthusiasm, wanting to get things done even before the rest of us have worked out just what has to be done! But watch out for their fire, it can be used like a Promethean gift to progress onwards and blaze a trail for others to follow, OR the fire will singe your toes and elbows so that the burns sting and make you uncomfortable. There is a transforming application of this element of fire, one way or another.

Salamander being transformed by fire, 

from the ‘Book of Lambspring’

On a planetary level, another ‘springing’ time is early morning, when a daily sunrise quickens life energies for the coming 24-hour cycle. As the Vedic hymn to the dawn says:-

 

Listen to the exhortation of the Dawn!

Look to this Day, for it is life, the very life of life.

In its brief course, lie all the verities and realities of your existence;

The glory of action, the bliss of growth, the splendour of beauty.

For yesterday is but a dream, and tomorrow is only a vision.

But today well-lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness,

And every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Look well, therefore, to this Day.

Rising Sun of Maat

The ancient Egyptian rebel Pharaoh Akhenaten [c.1380 BCE] took a different tack on sun worship and wrote his own poem, part of which goes like this:-

 

‘Splendid you rise in heaven’s lightland,

O living Aten, creator of life!

When you have dawned in eastern lightland,

You fill every land with your beauty.

You are beauteous, great, radiant,

High over every land;…

 

All beasts browse on herbs;

Trees, herbs are sprouting,

Birds fly from their nests….

And if that sounds familiar, it is. From the Hebrew Bible, Psalm 104 reads:- 

 

Lord…thou are very great;

thou art clothed with honour and majesty.

Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment;

Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:

Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters….

 

[that] give drink to every beast of the field…

the fowls of the heavens have their habitation…

….grass to grow for the cattle….

 

A good read on the rebel king of Egypt is Cyril Aldred ‘Akhenaten’.

Like the little lamb, young Arians frolic and gamble around the place, oblivious to the toes they step on. The older Ram has a different take on life and stands firm ready to ‘butt’ the opponent out of the way. Some will ‘butt’ even when there is no enemy, in their bid to be free to create something new.