Astro-Archetype of the Week (May 12 - 18): The Trojan Horse
What has an outwardly benign exterior? So benign that you haven’t thought to interrogate for further details?
Astro-Archetype of the Week (May 12 - 18): The Trojan Horse
Key Astrological Transits:
Monday, May 13 | Venus in Taurus sextile Saturn in Pisces
Wednesday, May 15 | Mercury enters Taurus
Friday, May 17 | Mercury in Taurus square Pluto in Aquarius
Saturday, May 18 | Venus in Taurus conjunct Uranus in Taurus
Sun conjunct Jupiter in Taurus
THE CAULDRON – what’s cooking in the collective soup?
The energy of this week asks us to identify what we may not be aware of, and what we know we want to stick around. And to expel the threats of what we’ve allowed to hang around without thoughtful editing.
This is the week for revisiting your “In / Out” lists. What do you explicitly value as “one of our own” and what do you outright reject?
And, is something on your “In” list that is causing adverse reactions in your life?
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The Trojan Horse was a large wooden horse constructed by the Greeks to gain access into Troy during the Trojan War. The Greeks feigned “giving up” on the war, sailed to the nearby island of Tenedos, and left an offering1 to the goddess of war Athena. Despite the warnings of seers Cassandra (cursed to never be believed) and Laocoön, the Trojans brought the horse into their city as a victory trophy for a long-winded war. But inside the horse were Greek soldiers—amongst them, Odysseus—ready to take over Troy from the inside at night.
“Trojans, do not trust this horse.
Whatever it may be, I fear the Greeks,
Even when they bring us gifts.”
— Book 2, The Aeneid
I want you to ask yourself what little greeds (or big greeds) encourage you to bring something into your life, despite the potential for ruin inside of it. Is there a situation you crave so much that you’re willing to overlook toxic elements? Have you celebrated something too early — should you be looking out for false surrender?
Is there a job offer that will very well cause you to neglect your sleep or other essential functions? Have you been talking with a new person who shows signs of emotional neglect?
As well, this week asks us to identify where we hoard, and where we bloat.
When is it greed and when is it simply making a choice informed by desire?
When is it greed and when is it receiving goodness?
What will you do to protect yourself from ruin when all you need right now is a little treat?
THE CAUTION – what should we look out for?
Not all components of what you accept into your life are to be trusted. Like the story of the Trojan Horse, what might look like a large gift of alms or appeasement most likely stores within it a threat with or without malice.
Think of the “trojan viruses” in your life. What seems too good to be true? Have you received an e-mail promising great money from a Prince in need? Has a friend offered their cabin to you this summer but neglected to mention some key details?
What has an outwardly benign exterior? So benign that you haven’t thought to interrogate for further details?
How can you re-establish protections physically, energetically, socially, and digitally?
Prepare a list of people who want something from you that you are not willing to relinquish.
Prepare a list of places, groups, or things that want something from you.
Get as microscopic as you can. Are there bacteria in your belly that want something from you?
THE CURE – what to do to prevent potential ruin?
I think a lot about David Abram’s book “The Spell of the Sensuous” (1996). In it, he writes about researching in Indonesia. He stayed with a spiritual guide (or balian) on Bali where they lived in a family compound of various buildings with mostly open spaces. The people of the compound would place offerings of rice in the four corners of the property. These offerings were meant for the land spirits, but what Abram noted was that these land spirits looked like ants carrying off rice kernels to their own homes. The lesson here was that regular and well-intended offerings of rice kept the ants away from the humans’ eating, cooking, and sleeping spaces by giving the ants a regular source of nourishment.
You’ve made a list of people, places, or things that want something from you. And maybe these beings want something you’re not willing to give.
What if you made regular and well-intended offerings to them?
What it mean to place offerings to your land spirits in the four corners of your livelihood?
What if you made your threats, foes, and enemies into positive co-inhabitants by sending thoughtful peace offerings?
Lure the pests away by offering them what they want, at no detriment to you.
What I’ve been up to lately:
I stepped in mid-semester as a middle school English Language Arts teacher in the little sea town where we’ve moved after I graduated from Eastern Washington University with my MFA in Creative Writing. The curriculum is mostly centered around practicing language creatively. It’s been wild and I’ve never felt like a stronger and sassier person. Also, preteens might be the funniest people I’ve hung around.
I’ve really enjoyed creating deep dive birth chart Notion pages for folks, and follow-up 1 hour astro-counseling sessions. I also offer mini-readings over e-mail. Book an astrology reading with me here ;)
Because my life feels hyper-verbal in this season, I’ve been spending much of my free time painting with inks and watercolors. I love them so much. Here’s a few I made for friends and family lately:
In January, after a few visioning sessions and looking closely at the astrological transits in my birth chart, I sectioned my year into four seasons: The Season of the Bull, the Season of the Flirt, the Season of the Anchoress, and the Season of the Roost. I knew the Season of the Bull was going to be the longest and I needed a slow, quiet time focused on lifting weights, yoga, protein-rich meals, and herbal compresses. But this week feels like it’s time to transition into The Season of the Flirt. I’m taking suggestions for how to live like a flirt. My first project: making paper garlands of lil painted clouds and seashells.
🍓 How would you bring more flirting into your life?
An offering of a horse to the goddess of war makes sense, as she is the goddess of horse taming, especially horses used in war. Her uncle Poseidon is the god of horses in general. Both Athena and Poseidon sided with the Greeks in this war, as well. Apollo, Artemis, Ares, and Aphrodite sided with the Trojans.
Ideas on flirting: go to a coffee shop and give a name you’ve never gone by!