Wondrous Women

Looking at Women and their astrology

My new book, Goddess Astrology discusses the lives of women looking through their astrology. They form examples of the Greek Goddesses which represent the planets and signs. It was such a fun book to write, reading about the amazing women from all walks of life and time periods. Seeing how they triumphed through adversity, misogyny and racism to make their mark on the world.

On this, International Women’s Day, it seems appropriate to celebrate our sisters’ achievements.

Aries: I give Aries to the Amazons, who of course are not goddesses, when did Aries ever toe the line! Maya Angelou with Sun conjunct Jupiter in Aries was the quintessential Aries, her famous quote about courage the Aries quality par excellence

‘Courage is the most important of the virtues, because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.’

Amazon 500 BCE.

Taurus which rules the throat is shown by Aphrodite Pandemos (of all the people). Ella Fitzgerald, she of the divine voice, has a Sun, Venus, Midheaven, Jupiter, Mercury conjunction in Taurus. She said,

‘I guess what everyone wants more than anything else is to be loved. And to know you loved me for my singing is too much for me.’

Venus, the planet of love and nature rules Taurus.

Saffron Harvest, Akrotiri wall painting Thera 1700 BCE.

Gemini is given to Iris, goddess of the rainbow. Josephine Baker, dancer, activist, rainbow tribe mother had Mercury, Sun, Jupiter, Pluto and Mars in Gemini in the 10th house. Gemini’s mutability helped Josephine spy for the French Resistance in WW2, for which she was awarded the Croix de Guerre, the Rosette de la Resistance and the Chevalier de le Legion d’honneur. Her words rang out with Martin Luther King’s in rallies in the USA. She said,

‘…the day will come when colour means nothing more than skin tone, when religion is seen uniquely as a way to speak one’s soul; when birthplace has the weight of the throw of the dice and all men are born free.’

The Goddess Iris, Greek vase, 525 BCE.

The goddess of hearth and home, Hestia is given to Cancer. Hestia declined marriage and instead tended the home and protected the community. Angela Merkel has Fortuna, Mercury, Jupiter, South Node Uranus and Sun in Cancer. She was Prime Minster in Germany and followed a typical Cancerian route (sideways and often hidden) to power. Germans called her ‘Mother’ and she said,

‘The state has to assist and must not constrict. In this spirit it has to be the gardener and not the fence. We should be confident that people want to get involved and want to assume responsibility’ ¹

Hestia, pot, Greece 5thC BCE

Leo is shown by Hera, who was a goddess long before Zeus came on the scene. The oldest and most important Greek temples were dedicated to Hera. In patriarchy she is reduced to a nagging wife, but she is never subdued by the upstart god. Leo is often experienced as brilliance.Rosalind Franklin who first photographed the double helix of DNA (later appropriated by Watson and Crick who were awarded the Nobel Prize for the work). Rosalind had Sun, Mercury, Venus, Neptune and Jupiter in Leo. She suffered considerable bullying and undermining by her male colleagues, but as a true Leo she refused to be the docile, servile assistant and expected high standards from others which caused some to dislike her, and in others brought a deep loyalty.

‘I considered her a genius, and I don’t use that word lightly’

J.D.Bernal, head of Physics Berkbeck University of London.

Solar Goddess with Lions. Signet ring, Tiryns, 14thC BCE

Virgo is shown by Demeter, goddess of the harvest and the grain and initiatrix of the Eleusian Mysteries. The Eleusian Mysteries were open to all, men, women, slave and free and took place underground amid great secrecy. To this day, no one knows exactly what occurred. It was an initiation into a mystery cult and involved a descent and re-birth. Virgo is a magical sign and the place of ritual, cleansing and meditation. No surprise then, that many yoga practitioners are Virgos. In Yoga the body, emotions, mind and spirit are purified through daily practice which combines movement (asana), breath-work (pranyama) and concentration (drishti). Kino has Mercury, Sun and Moon in Virgo. As befits Mercury ruled Virgo she is an author, runs a Yoga TV channel OMstars and has practiced in depth the ancient lineage of Yoga. She says,

‘The traditional practice of yoga is about waking up you potential to live in alignment, harmony and connection with this powerful, grand energy that is the Source of all life…Liberation only happens when it happens for all. Liberation for one is not liberation at all.’

Demeter as corn goddess: Roman. Provenance unknown.

These first six houses all concern the individual. They begin with the struggle for identity in Aries and end with the mystical exploration of spirit and matter in Virgo.

In my next post I will discuss the six signs of the collective.

My book can be ordered here

I will be teaching on Horary Astrology including Decumbiture the Greek Island Summer School, June 12th-19th, in Nidri, Lefkada. Details: Greek Island Summer School

Nidri Beachfront where we often meet for the evening meal.

1. sueddeutshce.de. 20.5.2006. ↩︎