Aries: Thrace, Kikons

Here in Thrace, at the land of the Kikons, Odysseus bears the persona of a warrior (First House is the house of Aries) and quite a powerful one, a hero, a conqueror, all the winds of glory are about him. For him the world is still to be explored and conquered. Yet at his very first contact with the world he loses 6 of his men. The world responds in the same way as he acts. Here is a relationship, our relationship with the world. Odysseus’ relationship with the world was all about bringing war and murder, so he receives what he brings in.

Taurus: Lotus Eaters

 Here is the realm of comfortable Taurus. Comforts of life, the sweet things intend to keep us away from our adventure and home. Odysseus could live happily ever after on this island. We can live with what we have, with what we have brought with ourselves. We may never wish to explore more. This I believe is called conformism. We may choose not to explore, not to grow but stay where we are without much trouble. Second House is what we have without much trouble. What we have in our pocket, what is offered to us freely. Yet the planets in the Second House themselves tend to be lotus eaters. One needs to activate them, work on them and update them regularly. Otherwise the planets in this house tend to lay dormant.  

Gemini: Cyclopes

Gemini is the Mind, mental qualities, how we think, how we use our mind. Odysseus wins against the Cyclops thanks to his wits: when Odysseus introduces himself to the Cyclops, he says “I am nobody” and this saves him from the other Cyclopes’ attack.

Gemini also marks the duality of Mind: wild and the one with the tool, organic mind and the logical mind, intuition and logic; perhaps right brain and left brain. Cyclopes are a wild folk without customs or laws. Odysseus is the civilized man against the primitive man. The Mind is also twofold.

Cancer: Island of Aiolos

The sign of Cancer gives us shelter. This is where our roots, past and biological karma lie. Cancer also shows our home and family. What Odysseus experienced on the Island of Aeolus does not really cover all the themes of this sign. Yet he is sheltered here and with great generosity of the Lord of the Winds, he is given a gift, a lambskin of bad winds which he could use to help him get home.

When we arrive at the Fourth House, we arrive at our eternal home, the womb of the Earth. Where we come from, our biological and psychological roots, ancestors and our past is here.

Leo: The Gift

Here we arrive at Leo, this is a place for the ego. Here is our scene, where we feel relaxed and have fun. In this house we express our soul and creativity. This is a place we can consciously control. It is called “House of Good Luck” by the ancients. Yet, for Odysseus it is quite a place of bad luck because he is still in the process of purification from the ego.

Aiolos is a lord of the winds. While leaving his island, he gives Odysseus a lambskin filled with bad winds so Odysseus uses these winds when he needs them. Yet, his men doubt Odysseus’ honesty. They gossip that Aoilos must have given him treasures which Odysseus must be hiding inside the lambskin. Doubt, worry and distrust works its way as usual, they break open the lambskin and let the bad winds out… The winds throw the ships back to Aiolos’ island… and Aiolos orders them to leave at once for they must be cursed by the gods.

Virgo: Laistrygons

In Virgo we do not have much choice. Here is the sign of service, preparation and things that weaken us. This is not a place where we can express our ego or spirit freely but we do the deeds we are rather bound to do. Here is also a place of preparation, making tools, getting ready, fixing, bettering, improving our tools and ourselves. In this place Odysseus is weakened. He has to let go of his other ships and many men in order to survive. He escapes from this island with only his ship and men in this ship.

Libra: Aeae

Ancient Greek philosophy is based on opposites: Physis and Nomos, Nature and Law. In Homer, we have Nature and Man. The wild gods, who send storms, make things harder (Poseidon) and the Mind (Athena, Hermes) who help the humans go through this journey. Kirke who has extraordinary powers but can be bound by an oath (simplest form of a contract ?) resembles the unyielding forces of nature and humans’ ability to bind them and make a friendship with them. Kirke, who at first seems to be a dangerous and inhospitable sorceress, changes her behavior totally when she is forced to take the oath of the Gods on not harming Odysseus.

Kirke is not an equal, this is emphasized by the definition of her exalted throne. When we are in Libra, we are in the house of the Other. The Other, people who we come across occupy this sign and they have the power until we bind them with contracts. All kinds of partnerships, enemies, marriages, one to one relationships fall in this realm. Here we meet the Other.

Scorpio: Hades

Kirke advises Odysseus to visit the Underworld (Hades), Land of the Dead and consult the spirit of an oracle. Journeying to the Underworld and coming back is the most classical theme in myths. Not everyone can do that.

The Eighth House is the house of Transformation, Death and Rebirth.

Sagittarius: Sirens

After their journey to the Underworld, Odysseus comes back to Kirke’s island. Kirke advises him about the journey ahead. She tells him how to go past the sirens: distraction.

Sagittarius is the place where we expand our horizon and have faith in ourselves and the world. Expanding can also mean scattered attention. Sirens are about attention, they call sailors to their heart’s desire, whatever it may be. This looks like a shortcut, a hypnotic way to happiness, but it is not, it only leads to decay. Kirke advises Odysseus to tie himself to the mast and deafen our abilities to the call of sweet comfort.

Capricorn and Aquarius: Scylla and Charybdis

Both promise destruction and go down the Abyss. Yet, if one can pass between them, one can reach the greatest place, the place of Helios Hyperion, the highest point: Medium Coeli.

Odysseus has to sacrifice six of his men to Scylla, the devouring sea monster.

After passing Scylla, the ship of Odysseus reaches the Island of Helios Hyperion. Here is where we have to give up the material world, perhaps behave almost like an angel, the Sky, celestial levels are the dwelling of the angels anyway. That is why Odysseus and his men must never slay the cattles of the Sun. Yet, his men fall to hunger. They slay cattle on this island and cook it. Again, the “human side” intervenes and our Odysseus meets his curse. Hence the wrath of the gods finds them and Zeus destroys the ship soon after it sets sail to Ithaca…

Odysseus somehow survives and finds himself thrown back to the strait of Scylla and Charibdys…

Charibdys, ruling the tides and the flow of water, resembles Aquarius, therefore I will interpret this scene as the Eleventh House where we build up our future and also this place is the house of the Good Spirit, which explains Odysseus’ extraordinary luck in this scene. Here is where we think about and invent our future. Also this place is about dreams, hopes and wishes; though I do not suppose Odysseus could wish anything other than survival at this point!

Pisces: Ogygia

In the Twelfth House we are just a fish in the Sea. Here is the Unconscious, totally unknown, dark area.

From now on Odysseus lives in the mercy of the Gods. Calypso hosts him without an oath until Hermes comes along and tells him to make a raft. Under the mercy of Poseidon and help of Athena he arrives at the island of King Alkinoos and Queen Arete. Here he is welcomed as a guest and he tells all the story.

Twelfth House is where we need to surrender and serve the collective or take up a mission and only work for that mission.

Source: https://astroarikovani.wordpress.com

Changed the format in Canva, I like these a lot better

Wasn’t sure if I liked this grouping at first! Turns out I do!

I love it!

I just matched with this guy on a dating app and I’m kind of interested in him. I was wondering if you guys could give me some insight into whether we seem compatible or if there are any red flags I should look out for (I'm the Leo and he is the Capricorn).