La forza (the force”) by Boris Indrikov
Venus enters Leo on Wednesday 13th June, which also happens to be a new moon in Gemini where she is joined by asteroid Lilith at zero degrees Leo.
The zero-degree point of an astrological sign is auspicious containing the power and initiatory energy of a new cycle, or the point where the beginning meets the end. History shows us that the accession of many British Kings and Queens occurred on a zero-degree astrological point. Here is a link if you are interested to find out who and on what point- Start and End: The zeroth degrees
The new moon energies along with the zero-degree point for Venus and Lilith in Leo fertilizes the soil for the next Canterbury Moon Lodge which happens the following evening when Venus and Lilith are almost exactly conjunct in the eighth house. Both these goddesses have made an appearance many times in our lodge though there is something about this alignment that directs the energy in a special way revealing the potential to explore the mysteries of the sacred sexual priestess, her glory and power, her demise and her repeated resurfacing throughout the ages- including this one. So, what is the relationship between these two goddesses?
Lilith first appears in Lower Mesopotamia in the Sumerian myth of Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth. Lilith is handmaid to the Queen and is said to have been the active agent in recruiting men to the inner sanctum of the temple to receive holy blessings and sacred sexual pleasure from the goddess through her priestesses. The sexual rites and mysteries were at that time at the core of feminine power and when the solar gods began to usurp the goddesses the sexual rites were rejected, punished and degraded. Lilith lived in the temple precincts in the holy Huluppa tree where the coiled kundalini serpent lived at the base. Gilgamesh, the Babylonian solar hero intent on destroying the Goddess and her sacred sexual rites chopped down the Huluppa tree exiling Lilith into the wilderness.
This act of violence from the mythic and archetypal realms tells of the core assault of patriarchy against the feminine principle- the repression of sexuality as a sacred, healing act. Lilith’s banishment to the wild places where she allegedly becomes a demoness and succubus who steals the vital energy of men through erotic temptation and kills children- in short, a wicked femme fatale intent on destruction, a seductress eager to emasculate men and cause chaos within the social order of marriage. Where previously Lilith had been a sovereign woman, a virgin, whole unto herself serving in the temple of Inanna (the precursor to Venus), she was now a creature of terror and repulsion.
She surfaces later in the Hebrew story of the Garden of Eden as Adam’s first wife who refuses to be submissive to her husband and chooses instead voluntary exile in barren wilderness on the shores of the Red Sea where she is said to have produced thousands of off springs from cavorting with the wild beasts there. This fear of the feminine and more precisely fear of feminine sexuality weaves a toxic thread through the teachings of the Judaeo-Christian tradition creating at its zenith the hysteria that led to the European and Salem witch trials in the early modern period. Carl Jung says, “What man has found to say about feminine eroticism, and especially the feeling life of women, is derived, for the most part, from his own anima and is accordingly distorted.” Other psychologist such as Demetra George has referred to the feeling of impotence experienced by men in the presence of a sexually powerful, autonomous and passionate woman. In fear of losing himself and his sexual prowess it may be easier to blame, judge and ultimately exile.
The Temptation of Saint Hilarion by Dominique (-Louise-Féréal) Papety
On this new moon these two goddesses will once again be reunited in the regal sign of Leo and in the house of sexual mysteries- the 8th house. Venus in Leo wants to shine and express her full erotic power freely and with mastery. Lilith, handmaid to the Goddess wishes to redeem her essence and express herself with integrity and wholeness.
There are three points of Lilith in an astrological chart, or four if you include the fixed star of Algol at around 25 degrees of Taurus- Algol is the twinkling binary star on the decapitated head of the gorgon Medusa, slain by the solar hero Perseus. The three other points: asteroid Lilith, Dark moon Lilith and Black moon Lilith form a pattern of feminine consciousness and shows a pathway to healing the wounds of patriarchy for both men and women.
Asteroid Lilith is the first part of the process showing us where we seek to be free to speak and express our truth, and where we have been denied and rejected in our lives. Dark moon Lilith is the place we feel exiled, the cave of shadows where we lick our wounds and sometimes plot our revenge on the world even if it is just fantasy. It is the distorted self bent out of shape by betrayal and rejection- in Jungian terms it is our shadow. Black Moon Lilith is our point of redemption where we may be restored -though somewhat changed by our journey – to our essence. Black moon Lilith is like the dark dakini Kali, or the Celtic Goddess Hecate- an ultimately compassionate and loving but fierce mother who will not tolerate anything less that our authentic selves. Here every defense and survival tactic that we have adopted to endure the pressures and expectations of society must fall away. In this way, the teaching of Lilith shows us that we are indeed all unique individuals and that our true voice is needed in the matrix of life.
Both these goddesses, Lilith and Venus are seeking to be expressed from the depth of the feminine principle in both men and women, and the new moon position in Leo opens the door to claiming our sovereignty- at least the first stage through asteroid Lilith- the impulse to be free from conditioning, mind control, manipulation and distortions of self. It also gives us an opportunity to reclaim the exiled parts of ourselves, letting go of shame and guilt and accepting that we are both light and shadow… and that we have been through a lot!
The eighth house is the house of mysteries, it represents one’s intimacy with self and other, including and especially sexual intimacy. It offers the possibility for profound spiritual connection and the transformative powers of Eros- Venus excels here. Pluto rules the eighth house in modern astrology, however before the solar gods usurped the Goddess, the underworld was the domain of the dark goddesses with their secret rites of life, death and rebirth.