Tag Archives: The Divine Spark

The Divinity of Our Astrological ‘Face’

27 Thursday Aug 2015

Posted by in astrology, Consciousness Explored

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"Bird of god 1861" by Joanna Mary Boyce - http://www.mystudios.com, 2009-08-07. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

“Bird of god 1861” by Joanna Mary Boyce – http://www.mystudios.com, 2009-08-07. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

Though we often speak of the Ascendant as representing our ‘face,’ that personality with which we meet the world, this is only partially true; even as we put our Ascendant characteristics forward on first meeting (and as a byproduct insist that others respect and respond to this ‘face’), we must remember that the Ascendant is a result of the interaction of the innate, Soul expressive characteristics and the environment in which we find ourselves as we are developing, and so does not exist when we are born, but comes to be with a combination of time and influences (both in the sense of timing, of entering the Earthly existence at a precise moment and place, and in the sense of the passing of time and how it changes things). It helps to think of the Ascendant as the result of a chemical reaction, the combining of two distinct elements to create a third that is itself distinct. All this is by way of saying that the concept of our ‘face’ in astrology is much more complex than just the Ascendant; let’s look at exactly what the concept of ‘the face’ signifies, and how we might pinpoint this astrologically.

The one thing about our own physical face that is uniformly true for each of us is that we will never be able to observe our own face directly, and this is true of the astrological ‘face’ as well. We need a mirror or reflective surface to observe our face in the physical world, and we need the reactions of others to us, and the reactions of the Universe (seen in events and situations) in order to derive an idea of what it is that we are presenting. Our entire reality is reflecting back to us our own essence, which is embodied in the spiritual equivalent of the face, the Soul.

In many traditions, the essence of God is equated to His face, which is consistently described as something that we cannot look upon directly. We see this in the Bible, where in Exodus God is reported to have said, “Thou canst not see my face: for no man shall see my face and live,” and this same concept is repeated in many writings, such as when St. John declares that “no man hath seen God at any time,” and Jewish tradition describes the face only in plural, punim, signifying the ‘greater than’ concept of Being. Since we are considered in multiple traditions to have been made in the image of God, then it’s reasonable to believe that directly observing our own face would be akin to directly observing God’s, which we cannot do in life. We even see this idea in the practice of not looking directly into the face of those who are considered chosen by God (such as the emperors of China); to gaze into the face of a divine Being was to show disrespect and to do that, we are told repeatedly in many traditions, is not possible while we live.

But, different facets of our own reality that reveal our ‘face’ will be reflected back to us in different ways, symbolized by certain astrological bodies, points, and interactions. For instance, our Moon, and any aspects it makes, will be reflecting our emotional reality as it is ‘thrown out’ into the World, and by studying these aspects, we can learn something about our emotional face, something which we cannot know without this interaction. So, we may indeed relate to our Pisces Moon, feeling emotionally imaginative, connected to the Universe, and open; but it’s in our Moon’s opposition to Saturn that we see bits of our emotional ‘face’ as it really exists, as we may find emotional security is gained with a sturdy or rule-centered world, that we are threatened by the idea of putting down roots, that we find physical labor untenable emotionally, or that we respond to those who offer us boundaries for our free-floating emotional nature. These are just some of the possibilities, and each allows us a glimpse of our own ‘face’ that we cannot see by direct observation.

Celtic culture has the concept of ‘face-price,’ which can have various applications, from a dowry to the price paid by the family of a murderer to his or her victim’s family, and this definition introduces the idea of value or cost (Venus) to the concept of ‘face.’ Venus and its aspects can tell us in what way we will engage in exchanges of one kind or another, what these will bring us, and what they will cost. Caroline Myss speaks of the ‘inner prostitute,’ and Venus in this sense is akin to the idea of the ways we will bargain for our survival.

For instance, a woman with Venus in Virgo might value her literal virginity quite highly (or might carry very high standards in some related area); but, we see by this Venus’ trine to Mars in Capricorn that the partner she would accept (as well as the nature of the actions she requires of herself) is serious, stable, and offers security–this is the price one must pay to be with her, and these standards may cost her someone she finds attractive but who cannot or will not provide the essential thing for which she will exchange her Venus (love). If, on the other hand, this woman had Mars in Gemini square her Venus, she might both idealize a glib, social, quick-thinking man and at the same time find she is unwilling to be with him (the square)–we see this typically with a ‘can’t live with him, can’t live without him’ scenario–and of course she would be at odds in a very real sense with her own way of acting in the world. Of course, there are many possible manifestations–the important thing is that all of them will reveal a little something more about our very personal essence, our own divine ‘face.’

This is a re-print of a piece that originally appeared on my blog at Yahoo360 pre-2008

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What You’re Asking: 12th House Suns, Juno/ Venus Synastry, and, Are Scorpio Moons Misanthropic?

19 Saturday Sep 2009

Posted by in 12th House, 5th House, astrology, Astrology of Careers Vocations and Callings, Juno, Moon, relationship astrology, Sun, Venus

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We’ve got a lot of ground to cover; let’s get started with a couple of topics, rather than questions:

5th House and employment astro

When I saw this as a search combo I wondered what led someone to link these together; was it an idea that creativity has something to do with finding a job, or perhaps that they were looking for a job that features creativity? Many people make the mistake of believing that a strong (much occupied, holding the Sun, Moon, or Ascendant ruler) 5th House or transits to the 5th promise a career in the Arts–and though someone with a strong 5th House may indeed find a profession of a traditional creative nature, I see the 5th House as actually signifying one’s store of intangible creative energy, a spark much more potent and broad than is the intent to make Art (though this can certainly be the urge behind it), a life energy that must come out somewhere in one’s circumstances and activities. It’s this same energy that fuels romance, and the conception of a child, both topics also located here (and think of how we tend to see each as coming just a little bit from out of the blue–this is the unconscious organizing and drawing to us that reflects the nature of our 5th house energy), and my theory is that this energy will find a way to express; if we don’t use that creative energy consciously, it leaks out through contacts to the 5th, showing up as action in other life areas. (I once wrote an article on this very subject, the emphasis being on the way the energy tends to express through the mechanism of the unconscious, and the oh-so-helpful magazine editor went through and removed the ‘un’ from every mention of consciousness, thus effectively neutering the meaning of the piece. I had the distinct feeling she didn’t actually grasp my point.) In terms of employment, there are other items we would inspect in the natal chart first, but the 5th can offer clues as to the kind of energy that may be pushing pushing on the unconscious, and that can serve us well, professionally and in life, if channeled, and harnessed to our Will.

Sun in the 12th House

This is a Sun location that really baffles people, especially early on in their study of astrology. It’s tough to define as a placement because the House itself is hard to explain, but we can think of Sun in the 12th this way: the experiences of those with a 12th House Sun will feel ‘once removed’ from the flow of life. By this I mean, the individual will thrive in private–this doesn’t mean he or she won’t be well-known or popular, but instead that the identity development and Soul expression will take place within, and much of this will occur in the subconscious and/ or in large, Cosmic experiences (such as happen in meditations or dreams) that are impossible to share. This can make for a rich imagination and a profound connection to the Universe, as well as an ability to empathize to a depth no other Sun placement can; it also makes for some frustration in communications (though if the individual can turn to images they can communicate directly to others’ Souls). Often, these people will find themselves working behind the scenes, or in a capacity of support for others, or that, even if they gain fame, their attention will remain largely on their inner vision. It’s a unique placement in the way it brings the internal world above the horizon of the chart and links it so directly to the Collective energy, and those with a 12th House Sun have the unusual opportunity to live quite successfully with one figurative foot in the World and one foot planted firmly in the vastness of the Universe.

More on 12th House Suns here https://juliedemboski.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/what-youre-asking-composites-political-suns-and-venus-venus-venus/

Juno square Venus synastry

We have four possibilities here, and each one is significantly different in terms of meaning–why? Because it’s all-important what the sex of each individual is in interpreting this combo. We’ll go one at a time: male Juno square female Venus= dynamic and possibly very promising in a relationship, as we see the male idea of who he wants as a partner contact the female’s ideal of herself as a woman. There could be some basic conflict (the square), but this puts the placements (likely) in the same modality, and if so a harmony can be worked out that can include the spark that comes from just the right amount of friction. female Juno square male Venus= here we have the female’s concept of Self-empowerment squaring off against a man’s aesthetic nature, anima, and asset/ values picture, likely creating a perpetual problem over what receives priority in the relationship, conflicts in spending and values, and these will be felt by the female as undermining her sense of Self and her ability to affect things–not a good combo. male Juno square male Venus= with a same sex male couple the split of animus and anima energies becomes key to understanding effects: if the person with Venus has assumed slightly more anima, then this will read very much like male/Juno female/Venus, above; if it’s the Venus of the animus dominant individual, then we may see a clash over values and relationship standards that could be in conflict with the Juno male’s idea of good partnership. With two females sharing this synastric aspect, we see something intensely competitive, as the two women work out a clash over feelings of empowerment (for one) and the sense of female identity (for the other).

I connected spiritually during sex with

That’s all there was–but there sure are a lot of ways to finish that sentence, aren’t there?

Now, on to questions:

Why do passive-aggressive men sulk?

Because they’re passive-aggressive! Next! No, really, sulking is a passive-aggressive act–no one bothers to sulk when they’re alone, do they? It’s a surface-passive demand for attention that has very aggressive roots. Remember, passive-aggression is both angry and an attempt to manipulate–it’s as if the individual refuses to see themselves as angry, or refuses to acknowledge their own anger and their own wants–instead they combine the two and expect others to jump. The answer? Ignore him. This will eventually infuriate him enough that he’ll actually act, which is something he wants to avoid, because the one thing passive-aggressive people want to do is avoid responsibility. For anything. Ever. They see claiming actions, desires, or even thoughts as an opportunity for others to blame them–and Mr. Passive-A likely grew up in a blame culture. So, while ignoring him, also provide a blame-free environment into which he might, someday, wish to emerge, and if the relationship can survive his not-so-subtle sabotage, he might one fine day lay down his blame stick, take your hand, and actually tell you what he wants to do after dinner.

More on sulking men here http://askjulie.wordpress.com/2009/04/20/sulking-across-the-zodiac-men-and-mood/

How to know if an Aquarius man is taken with you?

This can be tricky, as an Aquarius man, though typically a bit on the cool side, loves the clinical nature of an experiment–and what is a better human experiment than flirting mildly even when he’s unavailable? With this guy, you may need to take a direct approach (especially because withdrawing in order to see if he pursues won’t work–even if he is interested, as he may not notice a growing distance between you!) Asking him if he’s interested is one way to go, but more effective (and less damning, as you won’t look like you’ve been sitting around wondering) is, the next time he makes a remark along these lines, you should turn, look directly at him, and say, “What exactly do you mean by that?” He probably won’t balk at having to explain himself, and you’ll have the advantage of hearing firsthand precisely what he was intending to convey. Mystery solved! Warning: this method does not work with any other sign, with the possible exception of Capricorn.

How long till a man realizes he’s in love?

Unfortunately, a man may not realize he’s actually in love until he’s faced with losing you–it seems it often takes a little scare, a reminder that time marches on, and that he’s mortal and you may be ready to stamp your relationship potential with an expiration date, before he admits to himself that he cares. I’m not advocating the time-worn ‘make him jealous’ idea; instead, you may need to think of it this way: men are hunters by hormones and instincts, and you are the hunted (at least in their symbolic vernacular). The hunter will realize you’re escaping when he sees a flash of your lovely, slender hindquarters (relax, I’m thinking of a deer!) as you bound away, innocently off to graze elsewhere (and, he’ll naturally think, be ogled by other hunters). If he’s truly interested, it will spur him to take aim and pull the trigger (stay calm, symbols, symbols, that’s all they are!)  And if he doesn’t, if he’s willing to let you move off to greener pastures . . . then you’ve found out he wasn’t in love, after all.

Is Scorpio Moon misanthropic?

Of course not! What Scorpio Moon hater told you Scorpio Moons hate people? Not only is a single placement unable to delineate such a trait, it would take quite a pile-up of negative inclinations to safely declare someone a misanthrope using only the natal chart. Scorpio Moons can seem a little hatey to those of us who like things psychotically cheerful 24/7–but that’s more a failure of perception on the observer’s part than an indication of a true dislike of humanity by Scorp.

Lastly, and encompassing one of the major questions we will ever face–

Why can’t we see our divinity?

The short answer is, because we don’t accept the entirety of ourselves as we exist in the moment, and it’s impossible to accept as divine that which we perceive to be flawed. Now, some of us will see this question and confuse seeing the divine within with calling ourselves ‘God.’ That is not what’s happening here; we are instead challenged to recognize that we are made of Creator-stuff (for what creation does not carry the shape, form, and essence of its creator?) and that means that we are, indeed, modeled on the divine, and out of divine-stuff–and so it’s up to us to accept ourselves, imperfect as we may feel we are, as innately divine, and thus to love ourselves, and to accept our perfection and our flaws, which are in their own way their own perfection–we just don’t see the wholeness, the beauty of it, yet.