by Brian Clark
Virgo is a complex image that has undergone a considerable transformation since antiquity. It did not originally mean chaste, quite the reverse. Ironically, it implies an image of freedom and independence, a woman in relationship to her internal self, contained and autonomous, in charge of her own desires. Her image is centered in the fertility of nature and the freedom of the great goddess to revel in her own creation. Therefore, Virgo is the paradoxical archaic image of the pregnant virgin immortalized by Christians as the Madonna and Mary, mother of Christ. Virgo also represents the sacred harlot who experiences the mysteries and pleasures of the body, as an act of worshipping and honoring the great goddess, not as a romantic loss of the self. Over time she has been trivialized astrologically as we culturally continue to lose connection with the cyclical nature of the goddess and no longer honor her mysteries and rituals. When the card appears, the Hermit, represented by Virgo, suggests her wisdom of cycles needs to become consciousness.
The card depicts the harvest maiden auguring a time of withdrawal. In the seasons of the psyche the harvest has come, it is time to withdraw into the internal realm to prepare and reflect. In the background is the traditional tarot image of the Hermit holding the lamp, the light of inner guidance necessary during this time. Like all feminine representatives of Virgo she embodies the wisdom of cycles and a respect for fate. Loss and grief often lead to a profound acceptance of the cycles of harvest and death. When the Hermit appears the psyche is calling us to embrace a period of silence, to be still and alone, allowing what is inevitable to be manifest. The Hermit augurs a period of meditation where the inner world is fortified to prepare for a major shift of the life path. To meet the Wheel of Fortune we need to be prepared by strengthening inner resources. This is accomplished through patience and retreat from the frantic demands of the external world.
X~The Wheel of Fortune:
Jupiter and the Round of Fate
With the 10th Major Arcana, the Fool is called away from solitude and led into the corporeal world to reengage with the quest for meaning and self-understanding. Fortuna’s Wheel is introduced and with it, the possibility of sudden fortune or a meteoric rise to success tests the initiate’s integrity and ability to remain centered and focused. However, the Wheel also symbolizes the outer world carrying us along on Fate’s roundabout and sweeping us up in its ceaseless and irreversible motion. Jupiter, the governor of the Fool’s outer journey, holds the zodiacal wheel of life in his hands. At its hub is a sacred circle adorned with jewels mirroring the rich essence of the self. The Moirai, the trinity of sisters who embody Fate, watch over the turning of the wheel. Once the sisters have set the pattern in motion not even Jupiter the greatest of all gods cannot alter it. The Moirai weave the pattern of an individual’s life into the family fabric, designing each family member’s fortune and fate. When this Major Arcana card appears it is wise to remember that changes in the individual’s fortunes also reverberate throughout the familial and social circle.
To the ancient Greeks, the equivalent of the Roman sovereign god was Zeus the Thunderer, who avenged wrong and rewarded piety, keeping his watchful eye on the tides of human affairs. To the Celts, Jupiter was known as Taranis, and the wheel was the symbol associated with him. Rolling thunder and the lightening bolts were implied in the iconography of the wheel, but it was the Cosmic Wheel that the Celts associated with Taranis. Ancient epics portray Jupiter overseeing the human drama by keeping his eye on the hero’s progress on the battlefield and on his quest. In the Aeneid Jupiter protects the hero Aeneas whose fate is to found Rome, the new Troy. In the Iliad Zeus watches the battle from his vantage point on Mount Ida. In spite of being the greatest of all gods, Zeus grieved that he was unable to alter the fate of his son Sarpedon, who was destined to die at the hands of Patroclus.
The Jupiter card represents expansion and growth on physical, mental, and spiritual levels. Energetically, Jupiter represents vision and prophecy, and this card signals that it is time to use these gifts in order to foresee the changes ahead. As Jupiter also presides over the sphere of justice, it is necessary to expand both our philosophical vision and ethical values. Ultimately, one of the greatest gifts bestowed by Jupiter is the blessing of faith and knowing there is a divine reason underlying the necessary change. Optimism and trust in the process of life are Jupiterian assets, which keep the human spirit aloft even when misfortune strikes.
In antiquity, the hero who opposed his fate or challenged the authority of the gods was stripped of his power. This ancient theme underpins the Wheel of Fortune, for no matter how much prestige, fortune, and support we are able to possess in the outer world, the course of our life is still dictated by unalterable patterns. The hero in the card strides the Midheaven, the highest pinnacle on the Wheel of Life. However, with one turn of the wheel the hero falls below the horizon into obscurity. This movement also represents the course of a single day. The hero, at his zenith, shines his light upon the world. But with the turning of the wheel, must be prepared to withdraw his light and relinquish his ego identity on his descent into the invisible realm. With each turn of the wheel the initiate becomes alert to the repetitive patterns of life’s experiences and more aware of the fate underpinning these events. Less attached to the outer world and more aware of the Self, we understand that Fortuna is at the hub of our internal world. Free will is the choice to cooperate with the Wheel of Fortune and accept that the reflections in the outer world are the threads measured out by the Moirai, mythic representatives of internal psychic dynamics.
On a divinatory level, this card suggests that the fortunes of the individual’s life are shifting, often without their choosing. Whether these changes are considered as helpful or hindering is not significant. What is important is that the changing circumstances are embraced. It is not even necessary to understand why the shift has taken place, only to accept that it has, in order to move on and engage in a new level of awareness. The individual is at an essential turning point necessitating movement and change. As Jupiter, the god of abundance, is the presiding deity, it is helpful to remember that change may often lead to an unexpected windfall or good fortune. The Wheel has turned and it is necessary to move forward under the aegis of Jupiter’s benevolence.
XI~Justice:
Libra's Quest for Equality
With the card of Justice we meet Libra, the seventh sign of the zodiac. While the Egyptian scales which judged the souls of the dead was an early motif, it was not until the second century b.c.e. when Libra, symbolizing harmony and balance, became part of the zodiac. The portion of the zodiacal belt that became Libra was previously known as Chelae, the claws of the Scorpion. An early Babylonian text had equated the horn of the Scorpion with the scales but it was the 2nd century astrologers who promoted the constellation as the scales of justice. Roman myth identified Astraea with Libra. No longer the Greek goddess of natural law, the Romans identified her as civic law and justice. Personified as civilized law, the Romans depicted her holding the scales. Confusion arose as to where Astraea governed, as she vacillated between the natural law of Virgo and the civilized law of Libra, in itself a Libran dilemma. As the sole inanimate icon of the zodiac, Libra reflects the evolution from instinctual life to culture, echoing the Western world’s development from natural values towards more refined ones.
The last addition to the zodiac as we know it today was Libra. As the mid-point of the zodiac it represents the autumnal equinox of the Northern Hemisphere, when the day and night forces are evenly balanced. And it is the act of balancing, weighing, judging, and reflecting that the constellation represents. In Greek myth Athena was the deity who presided over the judicial process and, like Libra, was reflective and strategic. Athena’s judgment of Orestes marks a defining mythological moment in social history.
Athena held the final vote in the trial of Orestes who was being judged for the murder of his mother. The Furies, who represented a primitive, revengeful old order, opposed
Apollo, the personification of a new order of justice. He argued that the murder was justified on the ground that Clytemnestra, Orestes’ mother, had murdered their father Agamemnon. On the other hand, the Furies sought revenge for the spilling of familial blood. Apollo argued that since Athena had no mother and her father Zeus was supreme, father right was greater than mother right. Athena was convinced by his persuasive summary and voted in favor of releasing Orestes. The Furies lost the case and a new civil order took root. The motif here parallels the Roman shift in their perception of the goddess Astraea, who evolved from a natural order of justice to a more humanizing civil code. Libra reminds us of this cultural shift.
Just as Libra lies at the midpoint of the zodiac, Justice appears at the midpoint of the Major Arcana. At this crossroads are two orders of justice. One is the instinctual order, which upholds familial and tribal values, while the other is a rational order promoting reason and civil law. The older order is influenced by emotion, the new by reason. When Justice appears we are at a crossroads in our own judgment: are we influenced by old feelings, desires, and traumas, or are we able to dispassionately judge the situation? Do we assume responsibility for our own decisions, accepting the outcome, or do we blame the system for its corruption and lack of support?
The wisdom of Celestial Tarot invites us to consider Themis, the earliest Greek goddess to be associated with Justice. She is also one of the earliest consorts of Zeus, who appropriated her sphere of Justice. She is his confidante, advisor, and equal, as well as mother to his children, the Horae, who preside over seasonal change and the natural order of growth and decay. The trinity included Eunomia, Dike, and Eirene—who personified Law, Justice, and Peace, the three aspects of civic virtue embedded in the card of Justice. Themis received the gift of oracular insight from the Delphic oracle, an attribute she used wisely in her judgment. Oracular insight or divining the will of the gods was originally an integral aspect of justice. Behind Themis is the peacock whose tail is a swirl of colors that has become associated with totality and wholeness. The peacock is sacred to Hera who, as goddess of social order and marriage, is connected to Libra. Themis’ mantle is covered with roses, a multi-layered symbol most often associated with the heart, beauty, and love, all aspects of Aphrodite’s realm. Both Hera and Aphrodite support the process of equality and balance, for at the heart of justice is love and fair play, which leads to social order and unity.
The card of Justice reflects the quest to balance two orders or modes of being. Themis is the wisdom of justice who holds polarities, differences, and disagreements in balance, weighing both sides of the situation in order to resolve the conflict in the most egalitarian way. The process demands the ability to reflect and consider the other point of view. It is necessary to be mindful of the whole situation and courageous enough to accept the outcome. On an oracular level, the card signals a crossroads in a situation that requires resolution through careful consideration of all angles.
XII~The Hanged Man:
The Initiation of Neptune
The Hanged Man is a cross-cultural motif appearing in various Western and Asian mythologies. The Romans adapted the cult of the Phrygian Cybele. At the vernal equinox, an effigy of beloved Attis was hung from the pine tree to commemorate his sacrifice. A similar motif of sacrifice is central to Christianity, with the crucifixion of Christ. One of the principal gods of Teutonic myth is Woden, who for nine days, wounded by his own spear, hung upside down from Yggdrasil, the World Tree. By wounding and hanging he accomplished the magic rite of rebirth that rejuvenated him and restored his life force. Rebirth was often ritualistically enacted in certain ancient mysteries. Underpinning the Hanged Man are the psychological tasks of suspension and sacrifice, so the energy disseminated into world may be redirected towards the unconscious realms. Alchemists and yogis believed standing on the head realigned the initiate’s spiritual perspective.
Neptune, the astrological god who oversees the vast expanse of the collective unconscious personifies the archetypal process associated with the Hanged Man. Through the process of suspension the Hanged Man turns his focus towards the unconscious and experiences Neptune rising out of his watery kingdom. As the god of horses, Neptune reins two of his sacred and powerful animals, symbolizing the necessity to control the stormy emotions to avoid falling into the unconscious. Holding on to heroic ideals or an outer identity is impossible when confronted by Neptune’s seascape, as the ego loosens its grip on worldly attachments. The god demands we enter into the process of suspension by sacrificing our worldly tasks and surrendering to the process at hand. This may require letting go of the ways we normally do things, or relinquishing outer world projects.
The Greeks knew this god as Poseidon, whose domain is the sea. His watery kingdom included an eclectic population: the beautiful and kind Nereids, the Oceanids, monstrous and fierce creatures, and shape-shifting prophets. His unfathomable realm is confronted by the Hanged Man, as he turns himself 180 degrees away from his everyday world. As he sacrifices his potency in the outer world, the libido flows into the mysterious realm of the unconscious. Poseidon disguises himself as various animals: bulls, rams, dolphins, and sea monsters. Gods of the sea are insightful and oracular and are also known for their ability to shape shift. The dark face of the Neptunian archetype is deception and contamination. Mythology suggests that in order for seekers to receive the oracle, the sea prophet must be caught and bound to avoid being mesmerized by his trickery. The mythic hero must confront these dangerous sea monsters of the unconscious. When the Hanged Man appears the unconscious is reminding us of these mythic themes.
Archetypically, Neptune represents dissolution of ego boundaries and the universal urge for integration. Astrologically, Neptune symbolizes receptivity to the realms of the unconscious and the longing to transcend the mundane in order to merge with the divine. When the rapturous feeling of oneness entrances us in such a process, boundaries are sometimes blurred. Subjective impressions informed by our intuition, feelings, and fantasies make it necessary to be more attentive and actively wait for the process to complete itself before making major decisions. When the Hanged Man appears, it suggests we are more receptive to the nuances of the psychic world and to the language of the unconscious. Being more impressionable and vulnerable may also mean we become more uncertain, hence the necessity to suspend the drive to control the outcome. On an oracular level, the Hanged Man suggests it is time to sacrifice an outer world attachment in order to become more attuned to the authentic self.
The Hanged Man card signals that outmoded behaviors and attitudes need to be relinquished. Neptune reminds us that remaining attached to old patterns, habits, or addictions perpetuates the endless cycle of martyrdom and victimization. Therefore the Hanged Man’s wise counsel is to perceive the situation from a different vantage point, by turning our perspective upside down. The Hanged Man summons us to prepare for a descent into the self. Like all initiates, we must suspend judgment and control in order to recognize the pattern. With this suspension, the god Neptune appears as a guide through the uncertainty.
XIII~Death:
The Regenerative Cycle of Scorpio
Hecate is our guide into the underworld terrain of Scorpio, whose primary totem is the scorpion for which it is named. Scorpio is also associated with snakes, spiders, dragons, and the legendary phoenix, which rises out of the ashes of destruction as shown on this card. The ancients observed that when the Sun passed through Scorpio, the solar force was waning and dying in preparation for winter. Scorpio marks the time when the heroic force or ego is no longer triumphant and the hero must journey into the dark nether world. In the zodiac, Scorpio marks the entrance to the underworld where the ghosts, secrets, and denials of the past reside. The monstrous forces the hero must now fight are symbolic of what fuels the hero’s compulsions: taboos, denials, and secrets. Scorpio plunges the depth of human emotions, embracing the full spectrum of feelings from love to hate. When the card De
ath appears, underlying feelings of outrage and betrayal may surface. In this terrain of death and finality, Scorpio’s cycle of death and rebirth teaches us that in letting go, a transformation will occur.
Hecate, attendant of Persephone and goddess of the nether world, knows the wisdom of cycles—all that dies will be reborn. She is a goddess of the crossroads and we meet her when a phase of our life is ending or when we must face the inevitable truth of any situation. As a lunar goddess, Hecate is associated with fertility rites. She knows the richness of the dark and the treasures below the surface. She is our underworld guide, as we cannot enter the nether region and follow the call to death without her. Hecate leads us through the veil that parts the two worlds.
Hecate, like all deities associated with death, was demonized and became associated with terrifying ghosts and night terrors. When the card of Death is drawn, the reaction is often fear or terror. However, the card reminds us that we are at a crossroads where we must go beyond what is known, discard what is outmoded, and listen to our unconscious language. To do this it is necessary to relinquish what no longer supports life. This implies the need to face what has already been interred. Thoughts, feelings, fantasies, traumas, disappointments, and experiences that have been repressed are released during this transition in order to emotionally clear the way forward. Death is the absolute conclusion. However, once we are willing to enter into its initiation then a transformation can occur. The dynamic nature of death and rebirth is the essence of Scorpio. Equally Scorpio reminds us that it takes integrity and honesty to successfully deal with letting go.