but
When I’m out of balance—well I won’t go there. Just know,
everything is the opposite of in-balance. So, when I try to write in the latter
state, it usually goes like this:
I dfon’t
don’t know anyghitn anything gor for sure. Damn, spilled my coffee on my note book. But I may have moments of clairyt
clarity once in a while. . .
If you are a Libra, you will understand. Everybody else, you
have your own problems when not in primo
form. I partially understand the Pisces’ fish and the Taurus bull (family
members) signs, but how does anybody really know all the forces at work to
create our bad and good days and temperaments?
When I struggle to find the words to explain the mysterious
ways in which we perform to perfection or drag to distraction, I keep flopping
around like a fish out of water trying, until those forces align and my
writing hums. Some days it just doesn’t come up to the standard I would want,
but I still have to have a post so I do what I must.
Organization helps. But when it comes to pencil to paper or
finger tips to keyboard, if it’s not upstairs flowing like honey, it comes out
all sticky and slow. My contradictions and conundrums show but I keep on typing for that moment of clarity.
The idea for this blog post was a moment of insight, just
briefly as I lay in bed this morning wondering what the he!!? I was going to
write about. I’m already one day late for my Monday post and the pressure only
makes it worse. So, here’s what you get, perfectly suited to my new log line: drinking from the eclectic cool-aid (with
a “c”on purpose-think about it).
Archetypes, Astrology and the Tarot
Archetypes
I love this subject. It’s at the heart of characterization.
Understand the archetypes like Joseph Campbell described http://bit.ly/qRNlfz and you are well on your way to developing your characters.
But all characters are a mix of real psychological types, scrambled with
contradictions. So I decided to bring up some thoughts about how they might work.
Astrology
Let’s start with the astrological
sign of Libra which I know so well
as moi (I never took French so
forgive me if I slaughtered correct usage here—it just sounded so perfect—thank
you Miss Piggy).
Libra is the sign of balance, shown with the scales of justice (always
weighing things back and forth like a see-saw, often in turmoil deciding if
it’s this or that, right or wrong, correct or incorrect, spending an inordinate
amount of time making a decision—before eventually achieving the middle ground).
The Tarot
Libra, with its scales of
justice, is the ruling sign of the Tarot card, Justice.
Our courthouses have Justice
blindfolded with the scales—so she won’t be swayed by emotion which would throw
her out of wack (you don’t know the half of it).
Libra also refers to the Greek word for
yoke. . . The astrological glyph for Libra resembles both a balance and a yoke.
Criminals are yoked by the balanced application of the law, and spouses are
bound or yoked together by matrimony. Mythological images of scales, yokes and
swords (another symbol of justice and a suit of the tarot) have early roots in
Western myth and culture.”
But, some say The Empress is the card for the Libra,
being that Venus is the symbol of female fecundity and fertility and the planet
that rules Libra.
She influences love and the emotions (which can be very
pleasant and loving or play havoc with how you perceive people or
circumstances, as well as the state of your own emotional mindset.) Like Venus,
the Empress also means justice or
adjustment.
“The main symbol for this card is a
balance or scale used for measuring weight. The scale is held by a goddess who
holds an upright sword. The symbolism represents the law of cause and effect;
those natural forces which seek a balance or moderation in all things. The
figure shown in the Thoth deck is the feminine complement of the Fool, a young
and slender woman. She is poised on her toes and crowned with the feathers of
Maat, the goddess of justice. On her forehead is the Uraeus serpent. She is
masked (Harlequin) and holds a magic Swords in both hands between her thighs.
She is wrapped in a Cloak of Mystery. Before her is a large two-pan balance.
This card represents the conscience. The imagery suggests the archetypes of
justice, fairness, and balance.”
by Gerald Schueler, Ph.D. © 1997
But, the best explanation: is that when Venus is in the sign
of Libra, “from a Tarot perspective,
would be likened to the Empress is
wearing the clothes of Justice.
She’s gotten tough and taken up the sword. She
“is about
creation and abundance. She encourages play and wants to shower the whole world
in joy. She’s a hands-on type mother, and maybe a little indulgent, but she
knows the world can be tough. If she can provide her children with protection
from what’s ugly and cold, she’ll do it.And she’ll do it with style.
The Empress is beauty
in all its manifestations, and love fills everything she touches. Justice, on the other hand is a little
more hard-core. It’s not that she doesn’t love, but she’s more concerned that
things are fair or right.
She insists
on balance, clarity and respect for authority. Not the authority of the
dictator, but the authority of a more universal law. Rules are guides to ‘right
living’, and can be very useful. But Justice is more than just rules. She’s the
guardian of nature’s interplay.”
So there you have multiple, and complex ideas, on how to
write a Libra character. A few of our local writers here in town are astrologers
and go about building their characters through knowledge of astrology.
Have you ever used the Tarot or astrology to help you build
one or more or your characters?
Do you take much time researching psychological types for
your characters? (Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell)
Do you recognize this character in movies or TV? (can be male or female)
If I continue this column (depending on positive responses),
which sign would you like me to talk about? If yes, then I have to ask, what’s your sign?
Tags: #tarot #astrology #archetypes #CarlJung
#JosephCampbell
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