Weighing it up - the Sun enters Libra

Today (22nd September) is – in the northern hemisphere – the Autumnal Equinox; in the southern hemisphere, the Vernal Equinox. It’s the turning point where, depending on which hemisphere you’re in, the days either become shorter (north) or longer (south), due to the tilt of the Earth and its position relative to the Sun.  This point, where the length of day apparently is equal to the length of night, is marked by the ingress of the Sun into the astrological sign of Libra (in the tropical zodiac) – the scales.

The constellation of Libra (Latin for “weighing scales”) was known as Zibanu (“balance” or “scales”) in Babylonian times. Scales were sacred to Shamash, the Babylonian sun god, who was also associated with truth and justice, concepts that are still associated with the sign of Libra today.  The Babylonians also called this constellation the Claws of the Scorpion – the constellation sits next to that of Scorpio and may have been considered to be part of the scorpion. The Arabic word for scorpion is “zubana”, not dissimilar to the Babylonians’ “zinbanu”, which might perhaps account for the “claws” becoming the ‘scales”.

In Egyptian mythology, Libra is represented by Ma’at, the goddess of the scales who would, at the time of death, weigh the human soul against an ostrich feather to determine whether or not the soul would reincarnate.  Greek mythology gives us Themis, a blindfolded seer who also carries a pair of scales.  The archangel Michael, in Christianity, holds the scales. In each tradition, the theme is balance, of keeping things – be they social or spiritual – in order.  But the story that resonates most with me is the Greek story of the Judgment of Paris.

It starts with the wedding of Peleus and Thetis. Eris, the goddess of Discord (a “shadow” side of Libra), hasn’t been invited but decides to gate-crash. She throws a golden apple down in front of all the goddesses who have been invited.  On the apple is inscribed ‘to the fairest’.... and so we have perhaps the first beauty pageant! Hera, Aphrodite and Athena are the front-runners, and ask Zeus to choose. Zeus, in his wisdom (or some would argue, cowardice!), elects Paris, a Trojan mortal to be the judge. Atop Mount Ida, the three goddesses attempted to bribe Paris – Hera dangled the prospect of becoming king of Europe and Asia, Athena wisdom and battle skills, and Aphrodite the most beautiful woman in the world.  Paris chose Aphrodite’s gift – Helen, wife of the Greek king Menelaus... and the rest, as they say, is history, at least in mythological terms.  The Trojan horse, the “face that launched a thousand ships” ... even the idea of “who is the fairest” comes up again and again – and not only in fairy tales such as Snow White!

‘Libra’ ©Alison Coals

So many Libran qualities are illustrated in this myth –beauty, harmony, attraction, negotiation and adjudication.  And no surprise that Venus (the Roman goddess most similar to Aphrodite) is the ruler of Libra!  But “to the fairest”?  That also taps into Libran ambiguity!  The fairest in terms of the most beautiful, or the most even-tempered? The most well-balanced when it comes to making judgments? Libra, despite the association with beauty and attraction through Venus, is more a sign of balance. It’s considered and reflective, more concerned with “the other” (7^th house) than with the “I” (1^st house). Libra is mediator, negotiator, and diplomat.

The image on the left comes from my AstroArt series - watercolour and ink collage.

Tarot Blog Hop - Lammas 2013

'Prairie summer storm'. Copyright Alison Coals

Welcome to Alison’s Alembic!   You may have arrived here as a stop on the Tarot Blog Hop from either Bonnie Fernandes's blog or Christiana Gaudet's blog.  Or you may have found this through TABI’s Facebook page, or though one of the many wonderful tarot bloggers in the ether... It doesn’t matter – what does matter is that you’re here!

 

For anyone outside the community who might be reading this and who's not yet familiar with Lammas (!), it’s the festival of the harvest.  Also known as Lughnasahd, the cross-quarter fire festival, it’s celebrated on the evening of the 31 July and on the first three days of August. More specifically, Lammas is the first harvest (usually of grain and fruit – the basic food that sustains us through the winter), when farmers begin to reap the rewards of their hard work.  It’s associated with baking bread from that first harvest of grain, but has also been called ‘the festival of gratitude and first seeds’ because the grain is also the seed that becomes next year’s harvest – a reminder of the cycle of life.

 

6 of Bows, Wildwood Tarot

Lammas celebrates the alchemy of Water and Fire - we’ve just left the water sign of Cancer and are now in the fire sign of Leo.   The sun still carries enough energy to help the crops to ripen, but we need rain as well.   Lugh, the Celtic god and Sun King, gives up his power at Lammas, just as the sun starts to wane and lose its power.  We too need to give up something of our outer selves as we prepare for the inner journey of the winter.  It’s a time for assessment, as well as celebration.

Sharman-Caselli Tarot

Although I associate Thanksgiving (that’s my North American upbringing coming through!) with giving thanks for the harvest, I’ve come to see Lammas as a time to give thanks for abundance as well.  A time to share what we’ve harvested, both together  and individually.  With this in mind, the Tarot Blog Hoppers have been asked by our Lammas wrangler the following question: ‘what can I share from my table to enrich my community?’

Well, I haven’t grown anything edible in my garden this year, so that’s out!  Last year though, I had lots of tomatoes, more than I could eat at once, so I turned the excess into chutney. I thought I’d share my recipe (actually my mum’s) for green tomato chutney:

1 kg (2 lb) green tomatoes, washed and chopped

225g (8 oz) cooking apples, peeled and cored

225g (8 oz) onions, peeled and chopped

5cm (2”) root ginger

100g (4oz) dates, stoned and chopped

225g (8 oz) brown sugar

300ml (1/2 pt) spiced vinegar*

1 teaspoon salt 

Bruise the ginger and tie it in a square of muslin. Put everything in a heavy pan, and stir until the sugar has dissolved.  Bring it to the boil, then simmer until the mixture is thick. Remove the muslin bag. Put into warm jars and seal.

(* Spiced vinegar: 1 litre/1.75 pints malt vinegar, 25g/1 oz whole allspice, 25g/1 oz mustard seed, 15g whole cloves, 15g black peppercorns, 7g root ginger, dried chillies)

 
Now, back to the tarot table.... a Lammas spread, and the cards that I drew from the Wildwood Tarot.

 

What is ready to be harvested from this year?

What still could benefit from the light and warmth of the sun?

What needs watering to bring it to fruition?

What seeds can be preserved and nurtured for the future?

I drew the following cards from the Wildwood:

The Ten of Stones tells me that I can begin to harvest the fruits of my labours in terms of feeling more ‘at home’ in the community.  It’s true that I’m starting to feel a sense of belonging, just over a year after moving here, and that my efforts to become part of the community are starting to reap rewards.   

The Four of Bows suggests that I could allow myself a little more time to enjoy these rewards, celebrating with my friends, old and new, before starting on the next phase.

The King of Vessels, represented by the heron (and sitting just after Lammas on the Wildwood’s Wheel of the Year!), indicates that I need to keep watering my long-held beliefs in justice and equality so that they don’t wither and die – a timely reminder not to allow myself to become too jaded!

The Two of Vessels – ah, what a lovely card to see in this position! ‘The initial attraction and exploration of potential’, to quote Mark Ryan and John Matthews in the accompanying book to the Wildwood deck.  The seed of a new beginning - a new friendship or relationship of some kind, perhaps - build from the abundance of the past year, to nurture... 

Thank you for stopping off here on your journey through this LammasTarot Blog Hop!  Please do come back and read some of my other posts.    

The next stops on the Tarot Blog Hop are - depending on whether you’re moving backwards or forwards through the list – Bonnie Fernandes' or Christiana Gaudet's blog . The Master List can be found here.

Sharman-Caselli Tarot created by Juliet Sharman-Burke, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli, published by Connections.

Wildwood Tarot created by Mark Ryan and John Matthews, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections.