Two Goddesses have recently asserted themselves into my life. I think they are important for us all.
Lilith was originally a Sumerian Goddess. In the Judaic/Christian myths, she was the first wife of Adam and made from similar substance: Earth. Adam was constructed of dust and Lilith from minerals. She refused to be subservient and when that was expected of her, she left. The patriarchs then painted a hideous picture of her as having copulated in the wilderness with the Devil and spawning demon children, bringing Evil into the world. She was even said to be the slayer of children. I reject these patriarchal embellishments since I have been shown a different story that seems closer to Truth.
Lilith represents the first cultural structuring, i.e. an egalitarian one. When that devolved over time with the turning of the Great Year, a matriarchal system naturally evolved. When that broke down, the patriarchy developed: Eve created from Adam’s rib as subservient ‘helpmate’.
The first egalitarian culture we will talk more about at the Libra New Moon in two weeks time. For now, let’s consider the wretched state of Lilith and her rising into our conscious collective memory.
Much has been written about the shadow side of Lilith – Lilith is irredeemably shadow in Herself, supposedly. Something no woman in her right mind would embrace: the tormentor, torturer and killer of children. I suggest this is yet another patriarchal construct always hiding the truth from us. It is crucial now that we reveal the true Lilith and embrace Her as a form of our Ancient Divine Mother. She has been coming slowly into the collective conscience since 1927 when asteroid Lilith was discovered (The Women’s Equal Franchise Act in Britain was made law in 1928. NB: Please don’t miss the film, “Suffragette” out October 23rd 2015 in the US, staring Helena Bonham Carter and Meryl Streep).
And if one Lilith were not enough, we have no less than four astronomical/astrological Liliths to be getting on with: Asteroid Lilith, already mentioned, #1181. She has an approximate four-year orbit around our Sun.
Dark Moon Lilith, a second mysterious moon circling Earth about a quarter of the size of our familiar moon. She was first sighted in 1618, but has not yet been confirmed scientifically.
Black Moon Lilith is a theoretical point. In every ellipse there are two centers. In the Earth’s elliptical path, where the Earth is at any one point in time is one center. At the opposite side is Black Moon Lilith. The fourth Lilith is the True or Mean Black Moon Lilith.
There is also a potential fifth Lilith, the fixed star Algol, an Arabic word from which our “alcohol” is derived. This is considered by the patriarchy, the most evil star in the sky. It is located in the constellation Perseus, in the center of Medusa’s forehead, held by the ‘hero’ who has just decapitated the Gorgon Amazon Queen.
Lilith is an archetype that is screaming to be acknowledged at this time. So important is She that She has manifested in five different ‘embodiments’. Perhaps of all the Goddess archetypes, Lilith is the most important to explore and embrace right now.
Lilith potentially represents for us exactly what our world needs: the independent female spirit that stands up and says, “NO!” to patriarchy, moves away from all of it in no uncertain terms, and begins to create the movement toward a more egalitarian structuring that we so sorely need for survival. Lilith is clear on who She is, She needs no ‘healing’ or help to understand Herself. What She needs is to be integrated.
To work with Lilith in our own life, we explore where we have felt exiled or banished for who we were; for being authentic. I have asteroid Lilith in my first house and Black Moon Lilith on my mid-heaven: when I was 18, my dad presented me with a choice: drop my artistic-rebel boyfriend or leave home. I am only now coming to terms with having been forced to leave what I thought was a physically safe place, if not ever emotionally supportive or loving. Needless to say, Lilith unconsciously directed my life since that time. As I bring Her into conscious partnership at long last, I see much more clearly the choices I have made in my life, and how to move forward as my true self. Not an easy journey.
We as women need to be able to get to a place soon where we have confidence in ourselves, and rather than attend yet another workshop to make ourselves whole, how to generate more money, or attract the perfect mate, we embrace the sacred marriage within; claiming, integrating and exemplifying those attributes we are attracted to in potential ‘mates’ (look to natal Mars in your sidereal chart for clues).
We need to wholly own who we are, as we are, and thus begin to usher in a new paradigm. We still maintain our disciplines to correctly align ourselves daily, but we are no longer waiting for perfection before we do our life’s work. Waiting until we are perfect before we claim our power is yet another old paradigm tactic to keep women quiet, hidden and ashamed of our woman-ness. Much of ‘new age’ merchandising is just a different product from Madison Avenue enticing us to keep up with the Joneses still, but on a psychological level that ensures our staying in our place.
Eurydice (pronounced: you-reh DEE-kay or in Greek: Ehv-rreh-THEE-kay) is the second Goddess to become acquainted with quickly. Her asteroid was discovered in September 1862. The women’s suffragist movement began in 1866 in Britain. I feel at this time She has great gifts to teach us and hopefully, as a collective, we are ready. As an individual, I pray that I am.
Eurydice was the wife of Orpheus, an Avatar of a long forgotten age. What has survived of their story was rewritten for the ascendant culture’s purposes:
Eurydice, an Oak nymph, was alone in nature, communing with the Goddess. She was subsequently pursued by Aristaeus, stepped on a snake as she fled, and died instantly. Snake is an old symbol of the Goddess, women’s power, who protecting Her own, took Eurydice in compassion, before she could be ravaged. Orpheus was inconsolable and made the Underworld journey to plead that Eurydice be allowed back above, alive, and well. (No mention of any punishment for Aristaeus). Orpheus successfully negotiated, and the terms for Eurydice’s release was that she would follow him, but he is not to look back at her before she has crossed the threshold into the Living.
Of course, at the very last minute Orpheus looks, Eurydice is consigned to the Underworld, end of story. Not very satisfying and what does it mean to me as a woman? My first impulse was to rewrite the ending where Orpheus is sent to the Underworld in his wife’s stead, and Eurydice is alive and a free woman. But an even more meaningful scenario, other than vengeance, occurred to me:
Orpheus successfully negotiates for Eurydice’s return, but Eurydice chooses, on her own, to stay in the Underworld devoted to Persephone, whom she dearly loves. Orpheus is astonished and leaves. Eurydice now has the best of both worlds: she accompanies Persephone up top when She comes to us once a year and is aligned with her highest good in being a woman who has, and exercises, choice. She does not pine away.
This, to me, is the true meaning of, “Eurydice, save yourself”, that was told to me during a recent Vesta Reading by the wonderful Bairavee Balasubramaniam. I see that many women, including myself, are being given the option of self-sovereignty and non-involvement with romantic relationship, but feel stuck in the old paradigm of needing a rescuer. We may call him/her a soul mate or our beloved, but what we are really looking for, if we are honest, is an opportunity to leave for a little while longer, embracing our full potential as fully formed, self-functioning women. We expect loneliness and unfulfillment unless we clutter our lives with romantic-sexual relationships. We accept this programming without question judging from the books, webinars and so forth devoted to finding Mr. Right – still!
If a partner is not present, or to our liking, it may be we are under Eurydice’s protection and being given the opportunity to join Her in fully committing to a life devoted to Goddess, helping to ushering in the new paradigm. I have taken that option, and knowing all things change, am not attached one way or the other – content with what is. Who will join me, happily?
Exploring Lilith’s story, and Eurydice and Her choice, will be advantageous and as we begin our descent into darkness in the northern hemisphere. And to kick it off we have a lunar eclipse in sidereal Pisces 10º 40″ (tropical Aries 4º 40″) with a newly direct Pluto! Check to see if the eclipse will be visible where you live. It will commence around 8 pm EDT in the constellation of Pisces.
An eclipse in almost the exact position in the sky took place on September 26, 1996. What was going on for you 19 years ago? What is important to you now? Can you see a correlation? We begin another cycle with this eclipse as we climb the spiral of life ever upward.
This is the time of year to visit the Underworld – each year, every year – and visit those Goddesses who call us to take a deeper look at ourselves, our choices, and how we might get closer to our authenticity. Surrender to what is and allow the Goddess to train us Herself. What better Teacher could we ask for?
- Full Moon in Sidereal Aquarius August 18, 2016 - August 18, 2016
- Lammas New Moon in Sidereal Cancer August 2, 2016 - August 2, 2016
- Full Moon in Sidereal Capricorn July 19, 2016 - July 19, 2016
