Aries & Immortality

War, bloodshed, assertion, aggression, competition. These are the typical associations of the war God Aries and unless one is conjuring storms to sink battleships at the Queens command⁠1, these traits are decidedly not very magical or spiritual.

But beneath the muscle and gunpowder smoke is a more fundamental and less caustic element, that of Adventure. While Aries may not be as interested in chatting up the natives (unlike the equally adventurous fire-sign-friend Sagittarius) it finds it’s joy in blazing trails and entering into unknown and unexplored territory, going head-first into new territory and unexplored realms.

It is in Aries that we find several adventurous and heroic constellations: Argo the ship, Pegasus the winged horse and the heroic Jason. And since no hero is without it’s villain, the realm also belongs to Cetus the great and terrible sea monster. We find the Sea in Pisces and in Aries; the sunny shores where brave voyagers drop anchor and go ashore in their conquest.

Poet Robert Lowell speaks of such mysterious things that occur in the seas and their travels.

“ You were our night ferry

Thudding in a big sea,

The whole craft ringing

With an armourer’s music

The course set willfully across

The ungovernable and dangerous”

And if there is one key hallmark of a magical life, it’s adventure. Not idle sight-seeing trips but a journey, questing and ordeal.

For Aries there is no more suitable ordeal or heroic adventure than that of Jason and the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece.

The Great adventures of the Labors of Hercules, the Argonautica and The Odessey have within them many secrets to western spiritual tradition, including the Goetia3 and spiritual cultivation and magical practice⁠.

As with the epic poetry and legends of the east, many of these stories are actually spiritual maps that can, with the proper understanding and guidance, instruct the reader in the processes of spiritual cultivation and magical practice.

The entirety of Hercules Labors and the adventures of Jason and Argonauts are worthy of their own books. Keeping our focus, let us examine Jason’s task of recovering the Golden Fleece, a mystical macguffin that was guarded by a sleepless dragon on the isle of Cholchis in the sacred grove of Aries…

The Golden Fleece is an object of mystery that, like the holy Grail, has many different interpretations. Among other, more prosaic things, it has been thought to be symbolic Royal power, the forgiveness of God or a sacred book on Alchemy. All of which could be seen as hidden symbols of immortality. The fleece was a type of golden clothing, perhaps a sub rosa description of the “luminous rainments” or the immortal spirit body of light as described in the Bible.

In those far off ages gold dust was gathered from running streams using woolen fleece or ram skins⁠6. The gold dust would stick to it giving it a shimmering glow. The Egyptians similarly would cover their faces with gold dust, a cosmetic artifice which garnered them titles such as golden ones or shining ones. Some say This act was later copied by Moses4 when he returned from the summit of Mount Sinai to deliver the new law his people were unable to gaze at his face which shone like the sun.

This was the reasoning for the fleece being gold and like the interpretation of it being a book on alchemy, gold and it’s secret meaning: everlasting life5. Underscoring this theme for the third time, the legendary Soma, the drink of immortality of Hindu lore in which woolen filters⁠9 were used to create it, just as with the gold filtration of sheepswool.

This immortality could be seen, as we have mentioned, a kind of metaphorical spiritual immortality of a supernatural light body, just as well it could be the prosaic, literal physical immortality or the poetic kind of eternal life that comes from reincarnation of the spirit into new physical vehicles or simply, the transmigration of souls.

It’s been said that the life of “Aries individuals”6 can be like life at sea, and like that of Jason and his brave fellows, dangerous and unpredictable with many changes. Its a period of cultural warfare and many Aries or Arien individuals are quick to rush into danger or adventure and it here it may be wise to remember the words of WWII General Omar Bradley who had Jupiter in house of the war God;

“Set your course by the stars ⁠

Not by the lights of every passing ship”

As did John Dee the Elizabethan astrologer, magician and spy.

3. as masterfully outlined in Jake Stratton-Kent’s second part of his Encyclopedia Goetica, The Geosophia.

4. A patriarch of the Age of Aries and was said to have had horns, as did Alexander The Great.

5. or everlasting Youth. Youth being a trait of Aries.

6. Anyone whose chart has Aries emphasized in their natal chart (Rising, the Sun, the Moon, ect. )

philosophyPantheon AstrologyMay 19, 2022Aries, Immortality, mythology, argonautsComment

Oct 20, 2017

Libra New Moon - Balancing Acts

Libra is the sign of Balance and harmony. Easily evident with it’s symbol: The Scales. which is a device to measure balance and equality between two separate objects. The glyph can also be intepreted as a setting sun, halfway over the horizon and it’s the Sun’s entry into Libra that marks Fall as the sun declines and days grow shorter in length.

Aug 30, 2017

Retrograde Reminder

This article is In honor of Mercury, obviously the best and brightest and smartest and funniest of all planetary spirits, who decided that it should be accidentally deleted and rewritten THREE times before finally getting (or allowing) it to stick. I implore you to burn some incense and give your prayers to the trickster God if not for your sake for mine! haha

Aug 22, 2017

4 Keys to Navigate an Eclipse

First stop and think about this: The word consideration literally means “to observe the stars. From the Latin considerare "to look at closely, observe,” and Sideris or “constellations, stars” it’s likely a navigational term used by sailors who had to observe the stars in order to direct themselves to their destination. We look to the stars so we can navigate towards our desired destination.

Aug 19, 2017

Leo Eclipse

The German term for crisisis: Torschlusspanik is literally “Shut-door-panic” or fear of being on teh wrong side of a closing gate. This may be a perfect term for our feelings right now and the sense that we are wasting our lives, "betting on the wrong horses" or, at least, uncertainty around important decisions whose windows of opportunity are quickly closing. Some of us may be happily on the other side of the gate and ready to move on to new pastures and for them they may be a compassionate ear for those others.

Mar 3, 2017

Venus Retrograde (March 4 - April 15)

Will my love life ever get better? Will I get dumped? is it too late? I can certainly empathize, having many burnt fingers from ignoring these omens, but I now pass through these cycles with a dose of think-skinned stoicism and come out the other side just fine. It's really not all bad (not always anyway!) and it can even be a positive, pleasurable time however an attitude of open, non-attachment with regards to love and luxury is the best prescription. Isn't it always?

Feb 27, 2017

New Moon Solar Eclipse in Pisces pt2

Pisces is one of the mutable signs and as the name implies, it is willing or able to mutate, adapt and transform, something the fixed signs have much more difficulty with. Pisces, perhaps more than the others, is suited to mutation and transformation as it is the last sign of the zodiac and is considered to be the sum of all other signs before it and the stage of final transformation or repeating of the cycle back into Aries.

sale

NATAL CHART READING

$40.00 $80.00

This in-depth reading will look deeper into the natal chart examining at both personality and life experience with the additional and important elements of individual Stars and midpoints of the planets. The report will include a report and print of the natal chart.

Forecast

$65.00 $100.00

All predictions start with the natal chart and with my standard reading we will look to the birth chart to see lifelong qualities of experience as well as personality and then look to past, present and future to see what kind of stories and experiences you are having, all of which will dovetail back into the natal chart reading.

Predictive techniques used include Solar arc directions, progressions, Transits, Solar returns and eclipse cycles.

COUPLES READING

$80.00 $120.00

Relationship analysis is tricky and there is quite a bit of low qualitymaterial out there on the subject, particularly on the internet.

This in-depth reading looks at 3 levels of interpretation:

1. Natal delineation: Each individual and their capacity for love and intimacy. I also look to see if it is a time of love for each and, if possible, look to the chart of the first meeting of the two.

2. Synastry : The chemistry and dynamics between the two individuals as well as similarity of the natal charts. There are thousands of different alignments that can occur between charts but a handful of them signify long-term potential, some of which are not well known.

3. The composite chart: The relationship itself and how the two people experience it and how they act as a couple.

There is a lot of ground to cover here and these readings last several hours. I can also look for good times for romance for both of you, be it a date, a vacation or marriage.

Best for new couples or partnerships who are considering making a long-term commitment. I can also do readings for potential partners as long as the birth data is available.

LOVE LIFE READING

$50.00 $80.00

Who do you love, how, why and when will Mr or Miss right show up?

This reading will focus on love, desire and emotional needs within intimate, romantic or sexual relationships via the birth chart. As well, we will look at times for love in past, present and future.

A report with specially elected dates for finding or experiencing love will be included.