Venus

Birth of Venus

Originally uploaded by Sandruz

Venus

In Roman mythology Venus is the parallel to the Greek Aphrodite, although Venus is more somewhat more subdued than Aprhodite.

Venus is a goddess of seduction and, in one group of rites and myth, she is associated with Roman wine fesitvals (Vinalia) and thus regarded as a mediator between Jupiter and the Roman people.

She is also the mother of Aeneas, who according to the poet Vergil is the founder of Rome.

And she was the lover of Mars, who with the mortal Rhea Silva begat the twin brothers Romulus and Remus.

Since Rome was named after Romulus, who after disposing of Remus became the first ruler of Rome, Venus plays a kind of dual role in the founding of Rome. As such, she was given a solemnity among the Romans that Aphrodite did not enjoy among the Greeks.

Venus’ first known temple was built shortly after 295 BCE. And despite New Age and Jungian attempts to treat her as some pristine archetype, and others to link her to the Indian Vedic term for desire, her historical roots remain obscure.

However, it’s clear that her character did develop, as most mythic entities do, along with sociopolitical changes in Rome. The influential aristocrat Sulla called her his “Protectress” and by the time of the Roman Empire, Venus was incorporated into the official pantheon.

In astronomy Venus is the second planet from the sun. Due to its brightness, Venus looks like a star and is accordingly called the “morning star” or “evening star.”

» Aliens, Aphrodite, Cupid, Earth, Ishtar, Libra, Taurus

Add to this, report errors, suggest edtis or voice your opinion by posting a comment

Cupid

Cupid and Psyche (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Cupid ((Latin Cupido, “desire”) comes under many guises. As the Roman god of Love, he’s the son of Venus.

The 2nd century Latin writer Apuleus portrays him in The Golden Ass as the lover of Psyche. But the timeless tale of Cupid and Pscyhe goes back at least to the 4th century BCE, where its depicted in Greek art.

Depth psychologists have much to say about the relationship between Cupid and Psyche. In Jungian archetypal psychology Psyche is taken as the cold, somewhat icy soul in need of a “shattering” or “melting” from the warm, sensitive Cupid. Cupid, on the other hand, risks utter destruction unless Psyche’s gaze is tempered with love.

In the language of symbols, the successful union of Cupid and Psyche represents a fruitful togetherness, not unlike the Yin and the Yang, love and knowledge or affection and wisdom.

In art Cupid is usually depicted naked. He’s often winged with bow and arrow, wearing a boyish or cherub-like countenance.

In folklore, Cupid, like the Indian kama, afflicts human beings with a proverbial “dart to the heart.” His marks invariably fall in love or become filled with desire for another person. His chief mythic parallel is the Greek god Eros.

Related Posts » Hephaestus, Vulcan

Related articles

• Cupid and Psyche in Clay (janestreetclayworks.com)
• Cute carbon Cupid is this year’s tiniest valentine (mnn.com)
• Flower Delivery Express Provides Cupid The Right Arrow On Valentine’s Day (prnewswire.com)
• Love Symbols of the Regency (regencyredingote.wordpress.com)
• February 2013 Writing Contest Finalists (mistressofthedarkpath.wordpress.com)
• Digital Cupid Reveals Your True Valentine (adrants.com)
• Photos: Cupid’s Undie Run (photos.denverpost.com)
• Cupid’s Corner at Longview (longviewcurrent.org)
• Cupids Undie Run (fox2now.com)

Earth

View of the crescent moon through the top of the earth's atmosphere. Photographed above 21.5°N, 113.3°E. by International Space Station crew Expedition 13 over the South China Sea, just south of Macau (NASA image ID: ISS013-E-54329) - Wikipedia

Earth is the third planet from our sun with orbit between Venus and Mars. The Earth’s diameter is 12,756 km with a distance from the sun of about 150 million km and a circumference of 40,075 km. It’s inner core, the geosphere, is composed of solid, pressurized iron-nickel. This is surrounded by a hot liquid outer core composed of various substances.

The next layer, the mantle, is composed of solid rock which rises, falls and shifts over time due to pressure changes caused by temperature fluctuations. From this, the positioning of the continents is in a constant state of flux. Their slow but inexorable movement is called continental drift.

The next layer, the lithosphere, is composed of different rock forms and lies about 8 to 40 km underneath the visible continents.

The Earth’s atmosphere is mostly composed of oxygen and nitrogen. Theories about the formation and age of the Earth vary, but it’s generally believed that due to gravity a cloud of gas condensed about 4,550 million years ago, forming a ball which eventually took shape as the Earth.

Today the Earth is not a perfect circle. It is flattened at the poles and bulges a little at the equator. The Earth rotates on an axis about 23° off the vertical, this being determined by its orbital path around the sun.

Related Posts » Gaia, Moon

Related articles

• When The Earth Starts Moving… (allaboutlemon.com)
• Discovery sheds new light on wandering continents (yubanet.com)
• The North South divide. You decide. (amonikabyanyuvva.wordpress.com)
• Sci-Fi concept “Legends of Earth” (the-spaceship-project.com)
• Transfer of Life-Bearing Meteorites from Earth to Other Planets (nextbigfuture.com)
• Desktop Project Part 23: What are the odds of a satellite re-entering over water? (blogs.discovermagazine.com)

Ishtar

BritishMuseum | Old Babylonian, probably 1792 - 1750 BC. The Queen of the Night represents an ancient Babylonian goddess, probably Ishtar or Ereshkigal. It might also represent Lilitu, called Lilith in the Bible - via Wikipedia

Ishtar is a Mesopotamian goddess of fertility, ‘sacred’ prostitution¹ and war, later associated with the planet Venus as a goddess of love.

In the Gilgamesh epic, Ishtar journeys to the underworld in an attempt to rescue her brother and lover Tammuz.

If thou openest not the gate to let me enter,
I will break the door, I will wrench the lock,
I will smash the door-posts, I will force the doors.
I will bring up the dead to eat the living.
And the dead will outnumber the living.²

As she enters each successive door in her descent, she is commanded to take off a specific piece of jewelry or clothing item. By the time she reaches the abyss she stands entirely naked.

Joseph Campbell points out how this story has obvious Jungian implications. To attain knowledge of the inner self, one must dispense with (or, at least, gain a new perspective on) all the trappings of worldly life. Unfortunately, Ishtar does not succeed. The evil underworld queen Ereshkigal imprisons Ishtar and she becomes ‘one of the dead.’

—

¹ Rightly seen as abhorrent today, the idea and practice of  ‘sacred’ or temple prostitution was widespread in the ancient world: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_prostitution

² Parallel myths and different scholarly interpretations of Ishtar’s descent to the underworld shed more light (or perhaps create more ambiguity) on this ancient mythic theme: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishtar.

Related Posts » Nergal

Related articles

• Samhain Goddess – Ishtar (witchesofthecraft.wordpress.com)
• a nice quote… (cherishcheese.wordpress.com)
• Ishtar Olivera (creativestreamblog.com)
• NIGHTFALL Post ‘Ishtar’ Live Footage From Sonisphere Greece (bravewords.com)
• The descent experience: metaphor for serious illness (bipolarblast.wordpress.com)
• What does the warka vase depict (wiki.answers.com)
• RAIDS ON GODDESS TEMPLES ARE RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION… Understanding sacred sexuality and sacred prostitution. (harlotsparlour.wordpress.com)
• The Bohemian Psyche~A Personal Exploration of Self-Harm (theriverpaper.wordpress.com)
• Dying and Rising – The God of Grain at Lammas (witchesofthecraft.wordpress.com)

Jupiter

Fresco from Pompeii - Jupiter enthroned with Mars and Venus via Wikipedia

Mythology:

In classical Roman mythology Jupiter is the master deity, often depicted with flowing hair, beard, thunder and a thunderbolt.

He was worshipped by the Roman elite at his sacred temple on the Capitoline Hill in Rome.

Also known as Jovis, Jupiter was regarded as the upholder of justice who protected the state and its rulers. He also presided over the Roman games.

Jupiter is likely related to the Vedic Dyas Pitar and has probable origins as a sky and weather god. However, he clearly evolved into a bellicose deity, and is also seen, among his other attributes, as a god of war.

His Greek counterpart is Zeus. In Britain he was called Jove—hence the phrase by Jove! And mention of Jove appears quite often in Shakespeare.

At lovers’ perjuries,
They say Jove laughs. O gentle Romeo,
If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully. ¹

Image Courtesy NASA

Astronomy:

In astronomy, Jupiter is the 5^th planet from the sun, with 16 natural satellites, taking 11.9 years to complete a full orbit that travels between the paths of Mars and Saturn.

Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system with 63 natural satellites.

Culture:

In the films 2001: A Space Odyssey and its sequel, 2010, Jupiter figures prominently as the location for a fictional hyperspace portal to the stars.

——

¹ http://www.enotes.com/romeo-and-juliet-text/act-ii-scene-ii

Related Posts » Dyaus, Hephaestus, Hercules, Juno, Mars, Pisces, Sagittarius, Swedenborg, (Emanuel), Venus, Vulcan

Related articles

• Juno (earthpages.wordpress.com)
• The Greatest Mysteries of Jupiter (space.com)
• -aurora -diana -cupid -venus -jove -dido -juno -titan What are these roman gods and goddesses in charge of and what are their characteristics (wiki.answers.com)
• Does Jupiter have damage from being close to the asteroid belt (wiki.answers.com)
• … the Side of Unique Serenity Please (sycalaelen.wordpress.com)
• “The Planets” – A Poem (rodscuriosityshop.wordpress.com)
• Starwatch: Look east for Jupiter and Mars (guardian.co.uk)
• April 30: Mars conjuncts Jupiter (thecolorsofwellness.com)
• Phobos passes Jupiter… as seen from Mars! (blogs.discovermagazine.com)
• A New Vision Explains How Jupiter Ruined Mars (scienceray.com)

Juno

Image: Andy Hay via Wikipedia

In ancient Roman religion Juno is the sister and wife of Jupiter with whom she guards and rules women throughout the course of their lives.

Juno also presides over female warriors. She is the Roman counterpart to the Greek Hera.

In the contemporary world, Juno is the name for Canadian music awards, as ‘Oscar’ is to Hollywood film awards.

And she’s been the object of much scholarly discussion by mythographers, as evidenced in this excellent Wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juno_%28mythology%29

Related articles

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juno_%28mythology%29
• Ottawa to host 2012 Juno Awards (cbc.ca)
• The Greatest Mysteries of Jupiter (space.com)
• Juno Awards headed to Ottawa in 2012 (arts.nationalpost.com)
• -aurora -diana -cupid -venus -jove -dido -juno -titan What are these roman gods and goddesses in charge of and what are their characteristics (wiki.answers.com)
• Juno Awards to return to Ottawa for first time since 2003 (ctv.ca)
• Juno solar panels complete testing (physorg.com)
• Anne Murray returns to her Nova Scotia roots (ctv.ca)
• Juno Solar Panels Complete Testing (spacefellowship.com)
• NASA administrator visits jupiter-Bound spacecraft (physorg.com)
• Emily Browning and Juno Temple join MAGIC, MAGIC with Michael Cera (geektyrant.com)

Lilith

Sumerian Terracotta relief, Lilith, 1950 BCE via Wikipedia

Lilith is a female demon in Jewish popular tradition. Talmudic lore up to the medieval period sees her as Adam’s demonic first wife, before the creation of Eve.

Her roots apparently stem from the Babylonian Lilit (“maid of desolation”), as well as the Sumerian lil (“wind”). Some believe that her name was confused with laylah, the Hebrew word for night.

In popular etymology up to the 19th century Lilith refers to “she who sucks blood in the night” (i.e. as a ghost or vampire). Lilith has also been called “the strangler of children.”

As the consort of the chief demon Sammael (the Jewish term for Satan after 200 CE), she’s “the Queen of all demons.”

In Kabbalistic literature she appears in men’s dreams as a seducer. Protective amulets were used against her. The owl was sacred to her. Depicted in the Talmud with a woman’s face, long hair and wings, she is found only once in the OldTestament (Isaiah 34:14).

From Palestine her cult spread to Greece, where she merged with Hekate. Recently she’s been regarded as a symbol of inspiration and autonomy for women, as evidenced in the Jewish feminist magazine Lilith, first published in 1976.

Related Articles

• ovigia: Succubus – #Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (secure.wikimedia.org)
• Jewish Feminist Funerals (nytimes.com)
• Vampirella (dummidumbwit.wordpress.com)
• In Defense Of Lilith Fair (thefrisky.com)
• Secrets of Supernatural season 4′s most intriguing new characters [Exclusive] (io9.com)
• Cradle of Filth’s New Album Explores ‘Sex and Death Mythology’ (noisecreep.com)
• Case 39 = Bridget Jones goes to Hell: The Ride [Video] (io9.com)
• Music Review: Cradle of Filth – Darkly Darkly Venus Aversa (blogcritics.org)
• My Lilith Fair Review is up! (secret-agent-josephine.com)
• Kate Nash ‘Disappointed’ by Lilith Fair Experience (spinner.com)

Libra

Image via Wikipedia

Libra (September 22-October 23) is the seventh and a fall sign of the zodiac. It’s symbolized by Weighing Scales and associated with the planetary ruler of Venus, and its element is air.

In Roman mythology the scales represent the balance of justice, symbolized by Astraea who holds them today in various courthouses.

Libras are said to be decent, balanced people genuinely concerned with ethical behavior. Jimmy Carter, John Lennon and Barbara Walters all fall under this sign.

Related Posts » Astrology

Related Articles

• ‘Wobbling Earth’ will turn all your zodiac predictions for 2011 wrong (news.bioscholar.com)
• Oppositions in Couples (vicdicara.wordpress.com)
• Ask The Astrosexologist: “Should I Go For A Second Shot With My Libra Ex?” (thefrisky.com)
• “Venus Retrograde through the Signs” and related posts (astrotabletalk.blogspot.com)
• Are Libras industrious (wiki.answers.com)
• Why Your Horoscope for 2011 Is All Wrong (livescience.com)
• HOROSCOPE for Sunday, 01/09/2011 (sfgate.com)
• Astro-Notes on November 19, 2010 – turning of the tide (verenadonath.wordpress.com)
• Ask The Astrosexologist: Will My Taurus Man Ever Be Mature Enough For Me? (thefrisky.com)
• “Mercury Retrograde in Capricorn in December 2010, Pt. 2 – What It Means For Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces” and related posts (aquariuspapers.com)

1886 sculpture of Astræa, signed "A," possibly the work of August St. Gaudens. Old Supreme Court Chamber, the Vermont State House, Montpelir, Vermont. August 2007 via Wikipedia

Sagan, Carl Edward

Carl Sagan by Alex Alonso

Sagan, Carl Edward (1934-1996)

American astronomer whose books and TV series Cosmos have done much to popularize the notion that we might not be alone in the universe.

Sagan advocated studying the possibility of extraterrestrial life through the use of scientific method.

He also made several accurate predictions about the nature of our solar system, contributed to robotic space missions, and

perceived global warming as a growing, man-made danger and likened it to the natural development of Venus into a hot, life-hostile planet through a kind of runaway greenhouse effect.†

Sagan taught a course on critical thinking and didn’t believe in an anthropomorphic God nor a God to which one would pray to. His vision of God was more in line with the supposed laws of the universe. And for Sagan, it made no sense to pray, for instance, to the law of gravity.

Traditional theologians would say that Sagan confuses Creator and creation. Nevertheless, his popularity in America and abroad was phenomenal and he was the recipient of many medals and awards.

—

† http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Sagan

» Occam’s razor

On the Web:

Add more, report errors or voice your opinion by commenting

Taurus

Taurus by Matt Batchelor

Taurus (April 20-May 21)

The second and a spring sign of the zodiac, symbolized by the bull and associated with the planetary ruler of Venus. Its element is Earth.

Taurus originally was associated with the constellation of the same name but “in western astrology, this sign is no longer aligned with the constellation as a result of the precession of the equinoxes” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taurus_(astrology)).

The bull is said to symbolize power, materialism, stubbornness and practicality. From Venus Taurus is said to obtain a fierce loyalty to loved ones.

Henry Fonda and Queen Elizabeth II fall under this sign. » Astrology

Add to this, report errors, suggest edits or voice your opinion by posting a comment