While listening to radio a few days ago, the answer to the question I posted and pondered in my last post, having to do with just what does Venus, influence of love and beauty have to do with the planetary stellium or cluster of planets in Aries, the primary sign of war? But then, a radio program I listened to while working online had some distinguished actor or another whose name was not familiar, reading from the classic Epic, The Iliad. The reading was the part in which the character Hector is killed.
The graphic reading grew more and more intense and disturbing and as I worked I listened. Introduced into the description of what would be the spearing and brutal death of this character, Hector - a female, the goddess, Aphrodite handled the spear that would later kill Hector.
Listening to the dramatic excerpt from Homer's epic Iliad and keeping in mind that the text is ancient (written 8th century B.C.), there she was, Aphrodite. Aphrodite, to the side of a battle to the death between two males heroes and facilitating the drama by handling the very weapon that was used to kill Hector.
But there it was, a female - Aphrodite, Greek goddess (Roman Venus) of love and beauty, there on the battle scene and participating. The Iliad suggests clearly that woman and this specific goddess whose main reason to be, if you will, was the embodiment of pleasure, she too was not exempt from the violence of the battle. Nevertheless, even here the indication is that women too must by necessity partake in the violence and brutality in one context or another in war and this from an ancient poem.
As I worked on my creative project, the description of the scene and inevitable death of the heroe, Hector, became more and more intense until he was speared to death and, a vivid trophy chariot ride was described with the dead and once beautiful warrior tied to and dragging behind it was the end of the reading. His wife waiting for him to return is unaware but then comes to know of what has happened. She collapses in grief.
I cried. The reading was so intense and so unexpected was the drama I listened to that I cried. I think it was in a way a part of my completing the curriculum my teacher had said to me and the rest of the class.
As a young person, I avoided the Western classics such as the Iliad although, I knew they were about war and the brutality of war. I wondered from a distance the same thing all these years. Why war? Why the continual focus on war? In the ancient books, the Iliad, the Odyssey and the Bhagavad-Gita, there seemed to be no end to the epic and ancient stores of war, centered on war and war unending. I suppose I have my answer in part in hearing this reading of the Iliad which I had avoided by time and circumstance. It was required of me to have a better knowledge of it for the reason which seems more obvious to me know. I think part of that necessity has to do with my understanding of the feminine principle in the context of male violence, in this case, vis-a-vis the ancient poem, the Iliad.
I am reminded too of the comment my Tai Chi teacher long ago told the class and that was that we would have to, "complete the curriculum." For me, a part of having to complete the curriculum is in part gaining an understanding the role of the feminine principle in the context of war and what better time than now with so many of the planets (recently) clustered in Aries the sign of war?
The feminine principle is aligned with the symbolism of justice and in fact, justice is a blindfolded female who holds the sword and holds the scales, reminiscent of the scales of justice seen too in astrological symbolism.
The sun sign Libra, is a creative sign of beauty and personal love but; the opposite side of Libra is the judgemental component of law and the determination of right and wrong.
Man's laws, justice and the other side of the creative, beautiful sign of the woman as well as astrological sign, Libra. In these considerations I can see in part the place that the feminine principal plays in war and justice. It is an unusual configuration in that it would seem on the surface of things that the two would not be related, beauty/love and justice/law but they certainly are.
The graphic reading grew more and more intense and disturbing and as I worked I listened. Introduced into the description of what would be the spearing and brutal death of this character, Hector - a female, the goddess, Aphrodite handled the spear that would later kill Hector.
Listening to the dramatic excerpt from Homer's epic Iliad and keeping in mind that the text is ancient (written 8th century B.C.), there she was, Aphrodite. Aphrodite, to the side of a battle to the death between two males heroes and facilitating the drama by handling the very weapon that was used to kill Hector.
But there it was, a female - Aphrodite, Greek goddess (Roman Venus) of love and beauty, there on the battle scene and participating. The Iliad suggests clearly that woman and this specific goddess whose main reason to be, if you will, was the embodiment of pleasure, she too was not exempt from the violence of the battle. Nevertheless, even here the indication is that women too must by necessity partake in the violence and brutality in one context or another in war and this from an ancient poem.
As I worked on my creative project, the description of the scene and inevitable death of the heroe, Hector, became more and more intense until he was speared to death and, a vivid trophy chariot ride was described with the dead and once beautiful warrior tied to and dragging behind it was the end of the reading. His wife waiting for him to return is unaware but then comes to know of what has happened. She collapses in grief.
I cried. The reading was so intense and so unexpected was the drama I listened to that I cried. I think it was in a way a part of my completing the curriculum my teacher had said to me and the rest of the class.
As a young person, I avoided the Western classics such as the Iliad although, I knew they were about war and the brutality of war. I wondered from a distance the same thing all these years. Why war? Why the continual focus on war? In the ancient books, the Iliad, the Odyssey and the Bhagavad-Gita, there seemed to be no end to the epic and ancient stores of war, centered on war and war unending. I suppose I have my answer in part in hearing this reading of the Iliad which I had avoided by time and circumstance. It was required of me to have a better knowledge of it for the reason which seems more obvious to me know. I think part of that necessity has to do with my understanding of the feminine principle in the context of male violence, in this case, vis-a-vis the ancient poem, the Iliad.
I am reminded too of the comment my Tai Chi teacher long ago told the class and that was that we would have to, "complete the curriculum." For me, a part of having to complete the curriculum is in part gaining an understanding the role of the feminine principle in the context of war and what better time than now with so many of the planets (recently) clustered in Aries the sign of war?
The feminine principle is aligned with the symbolism of justice and in fact, justice is a blindfolded female who holds the sword and holds the scales, reminiscent of the scales of justice seen too in astrological symbolism.
The sun sign Libra, is a creative sign of beauty and personal love but; the opposite side of Libra is the judgemental component of law and the determination of right and wrong.
Man's laws, justice and the other side of the creative, beautiful sign of the woman as well as astrological sign, Libra. In these considerations I can see in part the place that the feminine principal plays in war and justice. It is an unusual configuration in that it would seem on the surface of things that the two would not be related, beauty/love and justice/law but they certainly are.
