Wednesday, February 13, 2008

All you need is....

Valentine's Day comes around again tomorrow. The day used to have a peculiar feel for me. My long-ago first husband was called Valentino, after the saint who gave this day its name. The marriage was the complete antithesis of anything connected with "his day". I'm happy to report that I learned some lessons and became a better picker. Two good 'uns out of three ain't bad!

My old stand-by "Encyclopedia of Psychological Astrology", by British astrologer of the 20th century, C.E.O. Carter, is now rapidly falling apart, but before I administer sticky-tape, a search for his take on that elusive commodity LOVE:

Mr Carter had this to say:-

"LOVE. I have been gently criticized for omitting to mention this emotion in former editions. Perhaps the reason was that the word is used in so many senses as to be almost valueless.

It seems, however, that Love always implies an attachment to something or somebody and a desire to enjoy its, his or her presence and this is equally true whether the object is, perhaps, a house or country or a person. In a word, Love produces or seeks to produce happiness through association with something or somebody and so comes naturally under Venus, Libra and the 7th house. If these are well configured, the attachment fulfils its promise and does produce happiness; if otherwise, only sorrow and disappointment result.

A second characteristic of Love is that it seeks to benefit the object of its affection even to the extent of great personal danger or self-denial. This would appear to be a matter mainly of the Sun, and it is indeed true that Leo is a great lover and in the good types ready to give much to the beloved in affection and service.

Sexual love or desire I should place chiefly under the Sun; but it seems likely that several planetary values might enter into this condition, according to the underlying motives in particular cases. For example, the flirt desires to exercise power over a man, whilst an instinct to hold and possess may be stronger in a man than the anticipation of actual physical enjoyment. And so on."


Mr. Carter's views are a little behind the times for the 21st century, with regard to his last thought. In these days of equal opportunity, flirts come in all three genders, and the idea that man's best aim is "holding and possessing" left the building long ago. I'm sure, though, that Mr Carter was spot on with the astrology.

In my own case, Mercury is the only resident of 7th house trining Neptune, squaring Moon and semi-sextiling Venus. The square to Moon from Mercury in 7th may be the reason for a remark in the first astrologer's interpretation I ever bought, back in the 1970s. The astrologer informed me that I may find that romantic associations end in disappointment (or words to that effect). I'd already been there and done that, by then. An unfortunate pattern doesn't need to repeat itself though. There were a few more, non-binding, bad choices and consequent minor disappointments, but I became a little more aware with each one. When it came to making serious long-term commitments, the pattern didn't repeat itself. The mildly helpful aspect of Mercury to Venus probably helped.

Marcus Aurelius, that wise old Roman Emperor and philosopher had some good advice on the topic of love:

"Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart."

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I only managed one good marriage out of five, though my present wife has turned out to be well worth the effort of all the others, and the wait of fifty-five years. Interesting, we both eventually found love outside of our home country.

Valentino? Surely, not a Yorkshireman? He'd never have survived the school bullies!

Twilight said...

No, not a Yorkie - Italian. :-)

Twilight said...

I've jsut realised what you said RJ - five! WOWEE! That's classic survival of hope over experience. LOL! Glad it worked out well in the end.