Thursday, January 28, 2010

Imbolc, Hebe, Aquarius, and The Star



Preparing for Imbolc, the Pagan celebration of the first signs of spring, I've been thinking about the astrological sign of Aquarius, hoping to get more insights into this season of change and renewal. In tarot, I often find that the tarot cards that correspond with the astrological signs around certain holidays usually holds some significance - as in, there are no coincidences. (Samhain/Halloween and the Death card, New Year's Day and The Devil card, etc.) So, looking into Tarot, Astrology, and Mythology, I'm hoping to let my brain pick apart this lesser sabbat of Imbolc.

In the Wheel of The Year, Imbolc falls on February 2nd, a time when winter is still upon us but the signs of an approaching spring are becoming more apparent. Rains come, the nights are growing shorter and the hours of sunlight growing longer. At Yule, the Goddess gave birth to the Baby Sun King, and he is gaining his strength. Many legends hold that during this time of year, the Goddess, in her Maiden form, is sleeping. Once she awakens, she will join with the God and together they will bring Fertility and growth back to the land (Beltane / May Day). It is the Goddess in her young and pure Maiden form that I find represented in the Tarot card, The Star.

In this version of the card, from The Celestial Tarot by Kay Steventon and Brian Clark, she is represented as Hebe, the Greek Goddess of Youth. Here is an excerpt from the booklet that comes with this beautifully illustrated deck;

" To the ancients, Aquarius was the power of the flowing, often flooding, water. The Star represents both strands of Aquarius; it heralds the revolutionary new way of being after a period of turmoil or suppression and is also representative of a wellspring of hope and renewal. Aquarius' innovative and creative new vision pours forth like manna from heaven, a welcome downpour after the disruption and chaos of The Tower (card 16). In the Celestial Tarot, Hebe pours forth the invigorating waters recycled from the abundant springs of life over mankind. She symbolizes renewal, hope, bright prospects, inspiration, and spiritual guidance. The Star is the light of the higher self and it is Hebe the heroic anima who illuminates inner darkness and heralds the dawn of a hope filled future."

I decided to look more into this youthful Goddess, Hebe. Who was she? Hebe was the daughter of the Zeus and Hera ( The Goddess of Marriage, sister of Demeter and Hestia). Hebe was the cup bearer to the Olympians, serving them their nectar and ambrosia until she became the wife of Heracles (Hercules). She was the patron Goddess of young brides and maidens, and attendant to the Goddess Aphrodite (the Goddess of Love). It is no wonder that she is depicted in this card, The Star, as most Greek paintings and sculptures of her depict her carrying or pouring liquid from a vase or pitcher.



Hebe is known as The Goddess of Youth, or sometimes The Goddess of Spring. She was prayed to by warriors who needed the vitality of youth before going into battle. One example of this is found in the story of Iolaus, who was the former charioteer of Heracles. In his old age, he prayed to Hebe before a fight with Eurystheus, asking to be young again for just one day - a wish that Hebe granted.

The concept of Youth is central to the Astrological sign of Aquarius. The Fixed Air sign, it is related to stability and stamina. The Waterbearer is commonly known for being a humanitarian; ruling over the 11th House, the House of Friendship and Hopes & Wishes. It is easy to see how Hebe fits into this category of giving, as she happily took her place attending to the Olympian gods, refilling their cups with her nectar of vitality and youth. The Concept of youth not only refers to strength and stamina though, and being young or youthful also has other traits that are commonly associated with Aquarius. These are some common traits attributed to the Fixed Water sign of the Zodiac and you can see how everyone, in their youth, as exhibited these traits; Humanitarian, Emotionally Cool, Innovative, Rebellious, Independent, Disruptive, Friendly, Uninvolved, Visionary, Impractical, Tolerant, Perverse, Unusual, Individualistic.

As the Earth slowly awakens from it's winter slumber, it enters a period of almost juvenile youth. These late winter storms can be strong, and even harsh, as if the water and wind don't know their own strength. Yet it is through the gift of these waters that the land is reborn. The trials we face as a young adult or teen are often the ones that shape us into the adults we become. I think we can all stand to take time to look back at our youth and the lessons we learned from this period of vitality. Also, we can look at our lives now, in what ways are we still growing, still "young"? In what ways might we benefit from having the youthful attitudes of rebellion, independence, innovation, or creativity? In ancient times (and still today, it was the young men - the youthful, who were sent into battle and trusted to win the day. Perhaps this lesson can be taken to heart in another way. Yes, as we grow older we grow wiser, but sometimes in life it may be necessary to take a youthful stance, to trust that youthful part of ourselves to make the right choices and win the battle we face. Consider this; "Aquarius takes as it's purpose the experimentation with all established structures. It freely crosses all man-made boundaries in order to experience the new and unusual. It is related to reform within the structure of a group, bringing innovative ideas." ~ M.J. Abadie, from "The Everything Tarot Book.

Maybe it's time to ask Hebe to give us some of that Youth-like exuberance and innovation. The Earth is in a state of renewal and rebirth, and as her inhabitants, so are we.

Here's another quote to consider;
"I am no worshipper of Hygia, who was the daughter of that old herb-doctor Asclepius … but rather of Hebe … who had the power of restoring gods and men to the vigour of youth. She was probably the only thoroughly sound-conditioned, healthy, and robust young lady that ever walked the globe, and whenever she came it was spring." (Henry David Thoreau 1817-1862, Walden).
Here's another blog I wrote on Aquarius and The Star, check it out!
Journaling with Aquarius and The Star


Hebe - Wikipedia

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Journaling with Aquarius and The Star


As the Sun makes it's yearly journey through the sign of Aquarius, we may all find a little bit of "The Water Bearer" in ourselves. Whether we are faced with challenges that encourage us to be more innovative, visionary, or humanitarian... or whether we are faced with issues involving a need for tolerance, individuality, or even rebellion... we are sure to somehow feel the effects of this Fixed Air sign upon our lives. Here are some tidbits about Aquarius, and it's related Tarot card; The Star, followed by some suggested journaling questions.

<- The Star from The Celestial Tarot by Kay Steventon and Brian Clark

Aquarius Key Characteristics;
Humanitarian, Emotionally Cool, Innovative, Rebellious, Independant, Disruptive, Friendly, Uninvolved, Visionary, Impractical, Tolerant, Perverse, Unusual, Individualistic

"The Star is related to the sign of Aquarius, which symbolizes the idea of the individualas a cooperative member of the larger whole, fostering the understanding that all humanity is one coherent family, a concept which can be grasped only intuitively. Brotherhood - or Sisterhood - is the prime concept, for Aquarius sees everyone in the humanitarian spirit of friendship. Aquarius is the 11th sign of the Zodiac, the Fixed Air Sign. It is related to stability and stanima, is ruled by Uranus, and rules the 11th House, he House of Friendship and Hopes & Wishes. Aquarius takes as it's purpose the experimentation with all established structures. It freely crosses all man-made boundaries in order to experience the new and unusual. It is related to reform within the structure of a group, bringing innovative ideas."

~ The Everything Tarot Book by M.J. Abadie

The Legend - Aquarius, The Water Bearer
The astrological symbol of Aquarius is the human figure carrying a jar or receptacle from which water pours out in a stream. Contrary to what you would think, Aquarius is not a water sign, but an Air sign. The stream of water flowing from the jar represents spiritual knowledge and purification.
"In Greek Literature the constellation of Aquarius was called the Water Pourer, and is thought to represent the God Jupiter, who at command could cause the waters to pour from heaven. It also commemorates Deucalion, the only man to come through the great flood unharmed. At the beginning of creation, gods and men lived in harmony during an era called the Golden Age. The earth produced food without man tilling the soil, there was no sickness or disease, the awters flowed with wine and honey. Then Pandora opened her box of evils, and plagues of sickness of mind and body were released on the Earth. The great God Jupiter looked down and decided to rid the world of people and create a new race worthy of life. With the help of his brother Neptune, Jupiter covered the earth with water. Only 2 people were saved; Deucalion and his wife, Pyrrah, who were pious and just and worshipped the Gods faithfully. They took refuge on Mount Parnassus, and when Jupiter saw them he remembered their exemplary lives and caused the waters to recede. Duecalion and Pyrrah were commanded to cast the bones of their mother behind them. Duecaliaon interpreted "bones of your mother" to mean the stones of the earth, and he and Pyrrah began to pick up stones and cast them behind themselves as they walked. These stones slowly turned into human beings; the ones Duecalion threw became men, and the one Pyrrah threw became women, thus Duecalion and Pyrrah became the Father and Mother of a new race of mankind."
~ The Only Astrology Book You'll Ever Need, by Joanna Martine Woolfolk

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


The Star from The Fey Tarot by Mara Aghem -->
"Aquarius and The Manna of Heaven"
" To the ancients, Aquarius was the power of the flowing, often flooding, water. The Star represents both strands of Aquarius; it heralds the revolutionary new way of being after a period of turmoil or suppression and is also representative of a wellspring of hope and renewal. Aquarius' innovative and craetive new vision pours forth like manna from heaven, a welcome downpour after the disruption and chaos of The Tower (card 16). In the Celestial Tarot, Hebe pours forth the invigorating waters recycled from the abundant springs of life over mankind. She symbolizes renewal, hope, bright prospects, inspiration, and spiritual guidance. The Star is the light of the higher self and it is Hebe the heroic anima who illuminates inner darkness and heralds the dawn of a hope filled future."

~ From the Celestial Tarot (Photo Above) by Kay Steventon and Brain Clark


Journaling can be an excellent tool for self discovery and very therapeutic! Using Tarot Cards to focus on a specific area in our life for journaling can help us search deeper inside ourselves. Here are some ideas for journaling with card 17, The Star;

Key Questions Relative to the Star Tarot Card Meanings:
When contemplating the Star Tarot card meanings, ask yourself the following questions:

Do I allow my higher source to be my guide?
How can I nurture myself and those around me more?
Do I emit a presence of peace and harmony to others?
What can I do to allow more tranquility into my day?
Am I allowing peace and relaxation to flow through my life?
What can I do to be more at ease with myself and my surroundings?


(From www.tarotteachings.com )

More Questions;

What aspect of your life is being purified or cleansed?
What is being renewed?
What are you inspired to do?
For what are you receiving recognition?
What are your ideals in the matter?

( From - "Tarot For Yourself" by Mary K. Greer)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As always, thanks for stopping by, and Happy Journaling! If you choose to post your journal on your blog or journal, please include a link to this post, and leave a comment below with the link to your journal. If you choose to keep your journal private, that is fine too, but your comments are appreciated!