Desire and Seduction When I was twelve, I read many books and paperbacks which I purchased from the local drugstore and which, at that time were the only available "new" knowledge in my environment. Among my favorites which
I moved into a world of imagination beyond imagination—that fourth dimension, where suddenly everything is related to everything in the cosmos and one realizes there is a true pattern to everything.
made the greatest impact, were the small
It opened something up inside of me that I can
paperback books about astrology, Betty
only term "ancient memory". This is something
Friedan's "Feminine Mystique" and Edith
that we all have and what Carl Jung referred to
Hamilton's "Greek Mythology".
as the "Collective Unconscious."
What an eclectic assortment!! And what a
At the time that all this began, I was entering
lasting impression when you combine all
puberty, my Venus cycle—or my first true
three approaches of these books-—the order
experience with the personality type that I call
of the universe as denoted through the signs
Desire and Seduction.
of the zodiac, new views from a feminine perspective that were gleaned from the traditional and more patriarchally based
In astrology, we experience different archetypes or planetary ages at different phases of life.
Greek Mythology and literature !! For example, in the first seven years of our lives, What an impact these words had on me at the impressionable age of 12 through 14. It began a time for me that separated my
we are in the Moon cycle. The Moon is the symbol of the Universal Mother and unconditional love—the Cosmic Mother.
thinking processes from everyone else in my environment. It was the beginning of inde-
Between the ages of 14 and 21, all young boys
pendent thinking.
and girls, enter the Desire and Seduction phase-the Venus cycle.
Even less known was the direction and the resulting magic seeds that were planted in
This is when they become most aware and most
me at that time. Those seeds grew into a
overcome by their emotional and sexual desires.
career as an astrologer who interprets old
In the cycle prior to 14, between seven and
stories and translates them into modern
fourteen, the Mercury cycle, is the learning and
language and pictures. Each one of the
skills cycle.
books had their merits, but the one that most deeply impacted me was the book about
In this cycle my parents "forced" my brother and
Mythology.
I to attend Greek School. We attended for approximately seven years and it was just as I
Page 2 began moving into my early teens, getting ready
the age of 21 when I rebelled and severed my
for my creative and expressive cycle, that I
ties with my family—my clan and moved far-
happened on the aforementioned books. By this
away.
time, I had mastered the Greek language fairly well.
In looking back, I was truly birthed as an individual between the ages of fourteen and
They say that when the student is ready, a
twenty-one. I became who I am today. It was
teacher appears. Coincidently, in our Greek
only years later in studying astrology and writ-
classes, we had just begun reading some of the
ing this book that I put it together that the planet
classics, such as the Odyssey of Homer—some-
Venus is very prominent in my natal chart and
thing which I truthfully did not look forward to
because of this emphasis, I have a highly devel-
until I found my "mentor" books on my own!
oped Desire and Seduction archetype. And it is
This was the beginning of my great love affair with knowledge and new and unusual thought.
through her lens how I see, do, and perceive life.
A story of love, courage and tragedy.
M y greatest love during these years was the pursuit of artistic and philosophical knowledge. Granted I had the tremendous passions that only a teenage girl can experience, but the culture in which I was birthed, did not allow those passions to express themselves through the social practice of going out with boys and dating. I am a first generation Greek American. The culture in those days, particularly i f you had one or both parents from Greece, did not allow girls
The story involves the woman Ariadne who gave a ball of thread and a sword to the man she loved, Theseus, the warrior, to help him on the journey that would help him complete his heroic task. In this story, the tools that Ariadne gives to Theseus safely lead him through the Labyrinth to kill the fearsome Minotaur and thereby frees all the young men and women imprisoned and
to date, to wear make-up, to even talk to boys
held there for bloody sacrifice.
unless they were Greek and the family knew
This story of heroism has a far deeper root and it
them. And then the only way to meet each other
is this part of the story on which we need to
was to be introduced by the families.
focus in order to understand some of the sign-
Needless to say, this put a pretty big crimp into my American-born style and action and I learned to compensate. I passionately pursued knowl-
posts that indicate that Desire and Seduction are about to enter your life or, in fact, occupy a permanent part of your personality.
edge, dance, the arts, music, and erotic fantasy—
Ariadne's gifts of love helped Theseus enter and
anything that assisted the "culturally accepted"
exit the Labyrinth safely and the sword killed the
release of passions. This could not include sex.
monstrous Minotaur. The Minotaur was the
The Warrior or Mars cycle doesn't begin until
resulting progeny of a union that resulted from
one is older and I had not, as yet, discovered my
the unbridled passion that ensued between King
inner Wild Woman and Heroine until I reached
Minos' wife and the Sacred White Bull of
Poseidon, which was to be sacrificed by King Minos to Poseidon, who provided the sacred animal.
and seduction. The bull, or the cow, are the animal symbols for the astrological sign of Taurus. How many times
King Minos, however, overcome by greed and
do we find ourselves driving along a country
desire to covet the beautiful white bull, replaced
road looking at pastoral scenes of cows grazing
the sacred bull with another that looked like it.
quietly away in a field. This scene continues for
This action threw the Sea God Poseidon into a
miles and miles and there is solace to be found
rage.
in this moment.
Resulting from Poseidon's rage, was the accursed Minotaur-half man and half bull.
In recent news, there is a great deal of controversy around cows in general. They seem to have an image problem. There are 98.9 million head of cattle in the United States, according to the National Cattlemen's Association.
Consequently, one of the animals associated
There are 20 percent fewer cows now than in
with the archetype of Desire and Seduction is the
1980 but they are producing the same amount of
bull or the cow. Through varied cultures, they
beef. There is a movement afoot that perhaps
represent strong desires thereby propagating
there are too many cows!! Could this imply,
fertility. In ancient times, there, was great regard
symbolically, that there is too much of a good
for Bull Goddesses or the worship of the wild
thing, too much Venus, too much consumption
bulls.
(perhaps of milk and cookies) and that we are pulling back as a society?
Therefore, when King Minos covets (desires) the Sacred White Bull for himself without con-
The cow is symbolic of fertility. Always
science, Poseidon, angered, casts the same spell
birthing and conceiving, and nursing, she also
of desire onto the King's wife and she is seduced
provides milk for us.
into an unholy union with the Sacred White Bull, and out of this unsanctioned union is born the unsatisfied and bloodthirsty Minotaur, whom Theseus later kills.
As a society we are realizing that there can be such a thing as too much consumption, too many possessions, comfort, and that we need more balance in the world.
Wendy Ashley*, a noted Astro-Mythologist in the United States, talks about how the bulls' horns, look like the letter V or—like a Uterus— and how the V-shape is particularly related to
We need to move to the next phase, fertilization, which facilitates birth, new life, ideas, philosophies, and thought.
the shape of the female Vulva, one of the places
The story continues with the hero, Theseus
of the body that is particularly aroused during
abandoning his devoted Ariadne at the island of
foreplay and love-making, activated by desire
Naxos. He abandons her and her love, even
though she has helped him in his quest for the
in the knowledge that he has succeeded in killing
Minotaur and aided him in achieving his "de-
the Minotaur. Cocky and proud, he heads home.
sired" warrior passage. He has abandoned her
It is at this point that we believe the story is
without conscience. Or so it seems.
about to end. It doesn't.
Another possibility might be that regardless of
Heading home, he is to raise the white sail to
his achievement, he has not yet developed the
inform his father, King Aegeus, that he is safe,
"will" to love, to look deeper, to grow roots, to
but in the midst of his revelry, he fails to do so.
share or care. In order to be able to love
The black sail of death remains hoisted on their
Ariadne as selflessly as she has loved him, he
ship and his father, in great sorrow over the
must be fully ready to love. He must move past
supposed loss of his son, hurls himself into the
the "self-important" aspect of the Warrior.
sea to his death!! The God Poseidon finally has
Again, we see in the story the distinction be-
his "sacrifice" and is appeased.
tween desire and love. Both Theseus and
At puberty every young girl and boy experiences
Ariadne desire each other. Each is attracted to
deep desires, curiosities, passions, and thoughts
the other. She has the tools and the knowledge
of love. They might even be willing to "die" for
and is willing to share her gifts, skills and
those they love. In the Shakespearian story of
talents. She shares, but perhaps with the expec-
"Romeo and Juliet", it is exclaimed "give me
tation that she will receive in return his undying
love or give me death" by two young teenagers.
love.
Ariadne is a character with whom I identified at
This is what she "needs". Venus types need to
that age. She seemed to fit many of the qualities
have their "needs" met in relationship, but are
of varied professions which had the appeal of
also very good at sharing their "resources" and
taking people in and out of their own Laby-
"values".
rinths—their life processes—by providing them
In the traditional business world, this translates to those who provide a service or product and expect cash in return. The above is very strong in the horosocopes of those men and women
with tools to cut away their darkness and release their creative process.
A ball of thread ...
who are successful in business. These busi-
Thread and cloth always seemed to be around
nesses include products and services which the
our family...my maternal grandmother, Anna,
individuals value and have mastered.
the only grandparent I knew, embroidered
Their success is determined by their ability to project themselves and charismatically draw the public to them.
beautifully, using many balls of beautifully colored thread. She loved the themes and designs of embroidered flowers, one of Venus' many symbols.
As the story continues, Theseus, after abandoning Ariadne on the island of Naxos, is confident
My mother, my aunt, my mother-in-law were all experienced seamstresses. In college, majoring
in theatre, I became a costume designer and
wake others up to their foibles and follies. Some
builder, spending hundreds of hours lost in my
are teachers who open their students' minds to
imagination using all kinds of cutting instru-
the vast realms of possibilities in the universe.
ments to cut away leather and fabric and bind
The list goes on and on.
them with colorful balls of thread.
A l l of these types are within us. Some are more
This compulsion to make things beautiful and
predominent than others. Some of the types or
help others look beautiful is also typical of a
characters enter our lives at certain times as
strong Venus placement in the horoscope.
signposts in the road to move us onto the next
These themes continued into early adulthood when I was thrown onto the path of astrology
path. We can recognize them by their symbols, stories and colors.
and began my first serious walk into my own
Being aware of our primary type or types, helps
hidden "labyrinths".
us to understand more fully such things as life
I found myself giving many relationships the thread and the sword and often being "left". Ultimately, I discovered that I needed to develop my own gifts and become aware of my own needs. Eventually, my work became work that assisted people through their secrets and fears and eventually lifted up their swords and moving forward to forge new territory for themselves and, subsequently, for others. I learned to non-attach.
purpose, direction, ways to solve dilemmas from our archetypal perspective. Knowing this helps make life less effortful. Resultingly, life flows more easily. It is then that we are able to reach that state called "Bliss". It is in keeping with this idea that we begin the journey through the "archetypal" labyrinth and the first one we explore is that of "Desire and Seduction" one of the most common in our culture. There are three versions of the feminine: that of
There are many parts of personality.
lovers, symbolized by Venus; the Great Mother,
A person's horoscope consists of many parts—
wich is symbolized by the Moon; and the third is
we are not just our "sun sign". The Collective
the Crone, Sage, or Medicine Man or Woman
Unconscious is more easily reached by some
symbolized by the more mature manisfestation
rather than others. There are many different
of the planet, Saturn.
pieces and parts to all of us. These pieces and parts are revealed in various analytical systems such as the Myers-Briggs system, Numerology, and Astrology to name a few.
Desire is one of the most motivating forces of life. The desire to continue or discontinue a relationship or take a different path toooowards that Utopian dream of peace and tranquility all
Some of us are more predominantly "Warrior or
underly this most pronounced emotion. Without
Wild Woman" types, who charge forward in
desire, nothing is born.
search of a cause for which we fight. Some of us are messengers whose primary purpose is to
Desire has its many faces—loving, jealous and
rageful. Whatever we need to do to possess that which we covet, we do. How we do it is equal to how conscientious we are soul-wise.
chart. One client, who had this archetype prominent in her life related a story to me about how she and
Though Venus is always shown as a beautiful
the female members of her family—sisters and
woman, we must not forget that she is also very
mother—were on a trip. As they returned from
strong and forceful. She is not weak.
holiday together in the car and on the freeway,
When she is alive as well as healthy in our lives, we enjoy life, make money, and draw to us that which we desire. Venusians need comfortable surroundings and
quite suddenly the front tire blew. As they were on the far left lane of the freeway travelling at about sixty to seventy miles per hour, it was quite a task to get the vehicle to the right side of the freeway.
continually makes their surroundings beautiful and comfortable. Some of the questions they may ask themselves might be, "How may I make my environment more beautiful?" "What shall I wear to the event?" The physical presentation that he or she presents to the world is very important. Collectors of make-up, paintings, elegant possessions, perfumes, and aftershaves, they are surrounded by friends and loved ones. Their
When she finally did cross, she stopped the car. The different women mobilized. The one sister, a Leo lady, grabbed an axe handle from the trunk and quickly attached a red flag to it and began trying to flag down some help. But, the sister with the prominent Venus, a Libra, very calmly lay her beautiful shawl across the hood of the car and proceeded to lay out an elegant picnic lunch while still on the freeway!!
closets may be full of beautiful garments and
This is typical of this type. They bring flowers,
their homes full of elegant and comfortable
put flowers on the table for lunch and often wear
furnishings that are designed in impeccable
great fragrances!!
colors. They lather their skin with creams and can be pre-occupied by youth, although many times this role is taken up by the messenger type, which is discussed in another chapter.
They indulge loved ones with rich or tasty foods. The more conscious incorporate nutritional foods. Some of the foods associated with this type are: chocolate, apples, herbal teas. What is
Their primary focus is relationship. Wherever,
the primary treat that one lover gives to another?
for example, an individual's Venus is placed in
Chocolate.
their astrological chart might be where they are very loved or where they put a lot of their love. It may also indicate what they love to do.
On a trip into the wilderness with my children, we stopped in a little town at about three o' clock in the afternoon for coffee and treats. M y son,
Venus generally rules the signs of Taurus and
then eight years old, ordered the delectable
Libra, but anyone can be this type prominently i f
chocolate pie that stared him in the face as we
the planet is prominently placed in their birth
sat at the counter. It took little persuasion to
influence him since he is a Libra and enjoys his'
between the need for power and strength and
sweets.
their need to be loving and nurturing.
As I looked around the restaurant, I noticed
In myth, Circe, the enchantress, is associated
several people eating that same chocolate pie. I
with pigs. She seduces Ulysses and turns his
told my daughter, I bet you that sometime today
men into pigs so that she can keep Ulysses from
the planet Venus entered its own sign Libra
making his journey. When Ulysses confronts
(rules sweets and chocolate) and that there is an
her with the fact that he w i l l run his sword
upsurge in the chocolate pie orders.
through her i f she does not release his men as
We asked the waitress who quite excitedly said, "Oh yes, we usually get orders for whole chocolate pies, but today everyone wants a piece of it after their lunch." It was that very afternoon that Venus had indeed entered Libra right on schedule on the cosmic timeclock.
well as not change when he drinks Circe's magic potion (he is given an antibody herb by Hermes), she is so impressed that he resists her enchantment that she falls in love with him. In the end, she releases the men from her spell and sends them on their way with "safety instructions" to continue their journey.
Chinese Doctrine of Signatures. In the Chinese Doctrine of Signatures, it was
Seduction is everywhere.
believed that i f you ate certain animals that that
It competes for attention. We see it in Madison
animal's power and essence would enter you.
Avenue advertising campaigns with their slick
Pigs were considered to be one of the animals
colors and lines. We see the symbol of seduc-
that would increase desire and, ultimately,
tion, a very shapely woman or chiseled man,
fertility.
looking down at us from billboards inviting us to
Pliny the Elder believed that truffles increase
"try" their product.
sexual potency and pigs are known for their
The clothing business is ruled by Venus and the
extraordinary ability to forage truffles, which are
promise of becoming desirable and beautiful by
considered to be an exotic food.
purchasing that article of clothing. That desire
Different foods are associated with Venus. In ancient times, people ate oysters thinking that • they would increase potency, a belief that still prevails today.
moves us past reason when we spend hundreds of dollars for one outfit that we may wear only once or twice. The decision is seduced right out of us. That same money might be better spent on something else, but i n that moment, we are in
Apples and quince, a type of apple, were also
throes of desire. We are paying homage to the
said to increase potency.
goddess, Venus. We respond to her call.
In the California Flower Essences, if you take
By purchasing the garments and adorning our-
quince, it helps develop the strength and power
self, we value and love ourselves.
of love, especially for women who feel torn Venus/Aphrodite is birthed from the sea and the
seafoam which had as its origins, her father's
ately developed a splitting headache and out of
blood which spewed from his severed genitals.
his head, sprang forth, in full armour, the god-,
Her father, Ouranos, the sky god, was castrated
dess Athena.
by Cronos, his son and when they threw his
She was the warrior goddess of ancient Greece.
genitals into the sea, out of the sea was birthed
Athena becomes the favorite consultant for the
Aphrodite (Venus).
heroes and heroines always supplying them with
And it is in these same stories that Aphrodite's
good advice when she believes in their cause.
(Venus') lover is Ares (Mars), the god of
Athena also happens to be a master weaver,
wounds and wars. The one always desires the
being the head patron of weavers, for Athens.
other. They have total affinity for one another.
This implies that this type might work with
Venus feels incomplete without Mars and Mars
fabric that has as part of its design intricate
feels incomplete without Venus.
patterns and treasures into which are woven special treasures. There may be a tremendous
Associations with the Father
facility to work with cloth, fabric and weavings
As can be seen from the former story of Venus'
There is also a strong need for justice and fair-
birth, we see a very strong association with the
ness that becomes part of the personality of this
father. Another mythological character that
type which accompanies the strong sense of
demonstrates this same theme is the goddess
beauty and appreciation for color and texture.
Pallas Athena, the warrior goddess, who springs
In fact, many of these types at some time or
forth from her father Zeus's head and is related
another find themselves creating beauty with
to the sign of Libra which is the other sign of the
embroidery needles, threads, and looms.
as well as a talent for interior design.
zodiac ruled by the planet, Venus. As noted, the planet Venus follows the Sun and Athena, however, in her story does not spring
is an evening star in spring, but in the fall, when
forth from her father's/genitals like Aphrodite,
we enter the zodiacal sign of Libra, she is a
but rather from his head, his mind. This implies
morning star and leads the sun in what we term
a non-organic orientation that may be, in es-
Venus Lucifer, or, the Oriental position.
sence, the more mentally orientated version of desire and seduction.
The metaphor suggests a more assertive and aggressive version of Desires and Seduction.
It was told to Zeus who is also referred to as
Similar to Athena, the warrior goddess, this type
Jupiter, that as he replaced his father, Cronos, so
can be very aggressive and, in fact, learning how
was he to be replaced by one of his children.
to be aggressive and wise at the same time is one
Metis, a woman of wisdom, was carrying the
of their challenges.
child Athena, whose father was Zeus. When
Thusly, there are two sides to this type. The one
Zeus devoured his consort, Metis, he immedi-
that uses all its physical and sensate abilities to
attract to it that which it desires and to give itself
with the goddess who rises from the sea and one
pleasure. That part is about pleasure, initiation
of the best images available to us is the famous
into the sexual pleasures of life and about matur-
painting of Botticelli's, entitled "The Birth of
ing into men and women.
Venus".
The other side is the ability to aggressively go
The sanddollar, one of the Venus symbols, has
after that which one believes in while maintain-
inside of it many little "doves of peace". The
ing a clear picture of our needs and wants. This
desire for peace and harmony are a primary
type needs to work on keeping these two sides in
motivation for this type.
•balance.
Since the space shuttle Magellan arrived at the
In May the planet Venus usually rises after the
planet, Venus, we are evoking her in our society.
Sun, at evening, as the sky becomes pink, the
People are attempting to make peace and work
traditional color of love and desire.
together, the expressive arts are and will continue to burgeon.
Spring Fever fever" in the spring where the desire to fall in
Positive and Negative Manifestations:
love is everywhere. It is no coincidence that the
This archetype may sound flirtatious and fickle,
sticky, sweet sap of trees flows rapidly through
but, instead, it is very practical. It sees the
the trees to produce leaves and fruit. Spring sets
practical aspects of life—the need for food, sex,
in. And it is no coincidence that like the sap,
shelter, and clothing and it knows how to get
when we are in the state of sexual arousal, that
them.
It is no coincidence that we experience "spring
the body produces lubrication that prepares the woman's body for intercourse which may ultimately lead to fertility.
In her more positive manifestation she shares, brings peace, and beautifies. She encourages artistic expression in everything around her. She can inspire and evoke, seduce you and move you
The month of May is named after the goddess,
to heights of ecstasy that you have never known
Maia, who was the winged messenger, Hermes'
before.
mother. In many cultures throughout the world,
In her more negative manifestation, she can be
they still celebrate May Day, which was called
grasping, self-indulgent, lazy and expect others
Beltain in ancient times, the time of spring when
to do for her. She can betray, be indolent, and
new love blossoms forth like the landscape itself.
selfish. She can be unproductive and demanding especially with anything that has to do with the
Some of the symbols associated with this type
material or material security or with the threat to
are seashells, shellfish, seafoam, and five-
her material security.
pointed stars. These are all symbols associated
Since the symbol of the Egyptian Ankh looks
like the symbol for Venus and shows the spirit
mirrors, and a need for social refinement. These
of God (Circle) over the cross of matter, the
types may be consumed by a compulsive desire ,
world of the material may be mdre important
to love or be close to others, to enjoy pleasure,
than we realize for these types. To have or have
to create. This can be a primary motivation. I f
not is a main theme.
this archetype is distressed, it can run to the extreme opposite manifestation of this behav-
Higher Manifestation In her higher manifestation, she can be similar to Neptune, the god of Ecstasy and Madness and
ior—the fatal attractions, the conquering of another soul or body and the need to possess and be jealous.
whom we w i l l explore later. Neptune has the
If you are in a cycle that is negatively activating
ability to see and love the pure soul, regardless
you, then you may discover this last set of
of what really blocks the soul's expression .
behaviors, which might include eating too much
There is a similarity here with Venus.
or eating too many sweets or buying too many
Therefore, i f someone has very strong connections in a horoscope between Neptune, Spirit, and Venus, Love, they may love the most unlikely characters—in the extreme, the drug addict, the murderer, etcetera, because they can see through to the soul of the individual. They may find themselves being victims of the disease that only sees life through rose-colored glasses.
things or clothes. As always, i f this kind of behavior is being exhibited, then there is a deeper level of feeling that is not being addressed. It may be the lack of self-love. You may be eating too much chocolate to feel "sweeter". There may be a need to allow the emotions to play out, to be addressed, to be nurtured, to be allowed in.
Of course, this is not always the case, there can
When we start allowing feelings to re-enter the
be a strong soul-connection between the bound-
landscape, then balance is restored. You may be
aries when Neptune is involved.
beginning to be more assertive and this is when the other side of the story, the other—Athena
Desire and Seduction— Alienation and Hate
begins to play out. You are creating your own life and journey and directing yourself to a project that will engage your mind and your
Seduction, love and desire struggle with their adversaries, alienation and hate. I f you are born with this archetype strongly placed, in your horoscope at birth, early on you will display a
creativity. This allows you to share your wonderful mental faculties to help others create a better reality, which can include peace and harmony.
deep desire for fragrances, textures, adornments,' Recall that Athena is the goddess to whom the heroes go for advice and counsel. She must judge and weigh (the association with the scales of Libra) and feel that their cause is valuable. I f
she feels their mission is worthy she offers them
winter. Like St. Michael who pins the dragon,
the tools and the strategies with which to win
the symbol of human consciousness (according
their battles. She is wise, like her mother,
to Rudolph Steiner), which parallels the growing
Metis, and is the master weaver who weaves the
season of the Summer Solstice, suddenly realizes
journey or.the walkabout for the hero and moni-
that things are dying.
tors his or her steps.
Venus, the Ice Maiden She can be very cool and sometimes referred to as a type of Ice Maiden, who maintains a cool detachment at any cost. This negative manifestation may "appear" feelingless. This is not necessarily a negative. The detached quality serves its purpose in the form of dealing with
St. Michael's act of slaying the dragon is the symbol for the decision to separate from the nature spirits of summer and become separate enough to allow the consciousness to survive. Remember the story of Minos who did not truly value the gift of the Sacred White Bull from the God, Poseidon. He did not "value" the gift. He paid a price for not valuing. Values are a part of this type.
things in a fair and succinct fashion. Many attorneys or those who work as liaisons or
In the story of Circe, the enchantress, she re-
negotiators have this prominently placed in their
spects Ulysses for not being enchanted by her
lives. The complusion for fairness and justice is
and then helps him. Venus or Desire and
a skill that needs to be developed. Those who
Sedution types are drawn to those whom they
act in this capacity have done just that. •
desire, and i f they respect them, they can be worthy allies in the form of support, tools and
The flip side of this might be the individual is so
information.
compulsively attached to fairness and justice, that they are practically incapable of making
She helps Ulysses on his perilous journey
decisions! They can, you see, become totally the
through the world of the sirens whose sounds
opposite—procrastinators who escape into
can force the men to crash their ships on the
fantasy—who are incapable of making decisions.
rocks. By plugging Ulysses' mens' ears with wax, they are not mesmerized and seduced into
There is an ability, however, to discern between the valuable and the less valuable. The ability to keep what is useful and let go of that which is
crashing upon the craggy rocks. Sounds are a portion of this story. Certain sounds can destroy and certain sounds can create.
not This type personality usually has very sensitive
Fall Equinox
senses, particularly their hearing. Words do affect them. The tone of the voice, the timber of
The Fall Equinox, is the beginning of'the first
the throat, are important to this type.
day of the zodiacal sign of Libra. It is the harbinger of the upcoming harvest as well as the
Some of the greatest singers of all time have had
ensuing decay and walk into the underworld of
'prominent Venus' in their horoscopes. If they
are not singers, then may have resonant and
we get in shape and have major makeovers.
melodious voices.
When we start dating, we try all the aftershaves, clothes, or cosmetics. When we promote our
When they are unable to express, their health problems may manifest in thyroid problems.
new businesses, we become attractive to the public. At one time or another we are our own Venus—rising from the seafoam— reborn, alive,
Since the chakra that is ruled by Venus is the
and always new.
throat chakra. Blocked expression indicates such problems as thyroid, laryngitis, and soar throats. Sometimes it agitates the opposite end of the pole, through the opposite sign of Taurus, which is Scorpio, which rules the genitals and the excretory system. The opposite of the sign of Libra is Aries, which rules the head. Therefore, when there is blocked expression, they may
Even if this is not your primary archetype... ...at certain times during the life this archetype will enter our life. She is obviously there when we fall in love and we make lifetime decisions about settling down. She is there when men and women feel passion and the need to express themselves fully.
experience problems with the reproductive organs, there may be sexual dysfunction, prob-
She is there when we create something beautiful,
lems in the excretory system, or in the head
when we take a painting class or decide to
region, manifesting in headaches.
repaint our bedrooms.
In modern times, we have icons all over our
She is always there for both boys and girls
advertising, films, and television programs.
entering their early teen years starting at the age
•"Supermodels" are true archetypal images of
of fourteen through twenty-one, where each
Venus, Desire and Seduction. The classic icon
teenage boy and girl first encounters the goddess
in these times even thirty or more years after her
Venus, the goddess of desire and seduction. In
death is the icon of Marilyn Monroe, a tue
other words, she is there, sometimes, when we
personfication of all the Venusian attributes, the
least expect her, yet most need her.
curved figure, the full lips, the seductive poses in which she is presented. Young people who were not even alive during the time of Marilyn Monroe still pay homage to this "goddess" and her images. At some point or seveal points in our journey, we become this "goddess"~when we are ready to begin something new and when we are entering a new phase of life. Being single after a divorce,
*Wendy Ashley is a noted Astro-Mythologist and resides on Peaks Island, Maine. She can be reached by writing her at 53 Luther Street, Peaks island, ME 04106 cor calling her at (207) 766-5108. She is a good friend and great teacher. Each summer she offers a "Mythology" Intensive on Peaks Island.