I'd never heard of Pamela Geller until I read reports of the shootings on Sunday at a Muhammad Art Exhibit & Contest in Garland, Texas, organized by her. The event was, in my opinion, deliberately provocative - a means of stirring up trouble disguised as something related to "free speech". Pamela Geller is, apparently, president of the American Freedom Defense Initiative, an anti-Islamic organization that is listed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
I looked at Geller's natal chart at Astrotheme (HERE), noticed first that Black Moon Lilith is shown, conjunct Geller's natal Mars in Aries. Interesting!
Coincidentally, I had intended to re-air an old post of mine this week on that very topic: Black Moon Lilith. In that post, tidied up and re-posted below, I mentioned not being too keen on using mythology to interpret possible meanings of Black Moon Lilith in a natal chart. However, some might say that Ms Geller's case does rather fit the mythology - what do you think?
BLACK MOON LILITH
I have the uneasy feeling that a lot that is of dubious value to astrology has been written about Black Moon Lilith. I've pontificated on the subject in the past, but a re-airing of my thoughts for 2015 wouldn't be out of line.
Black Moon Lilith (aka here as BML) is a mathematically calculated point in an astrological chart, the point at which the Moon is at its farthest from the Earth - known as the Moon's "apogee". Some astrologers view the Black Moon as being not the apogee of the elliptical orbit, but the empty focus of the ellipse.....In practice, the Apogee and the Empty Focus can be thought of as being in the same place on the chart, but the difference in symbolism can be relevant. (See http://serennu.com for more detail).
I can accept the notion that this may well be a sensitive point in a natal or other type of chart, in the same way the angles,Vertex and Moon's Nodes are sensitive points. Anything more than that, for me, has to remain nebulous.
There are two ways of calculating BML - its True position and its Mean position. Some software uses one, and some the other. This adds further room for doubt about somewhat iffy cookbook type interpretations assigned to the Black Moon. Most of these appear to be based purely on mythology.
Even more confusion can arise unless it's realised that other celestial bodies also bear the name Lilith. There's an asteroid Lilith, as well as a hypothetical and controversial second Moon of Earth, often referred to as Dark Moon Lilith.
The astrological glyph for Black Moon Lilith (the Moon's apogee) is a thick black crescent Moon atop a cross. Asteroid Lilith has a different glyph which looks like a four-pronged fork with a tick at the right hand side of its base.
Astrologers who use BML seem to consider its significance to be somewhat negative, based purely on the mythical name it bears. "Lilith" - a storm demon, prostitute goddess.... name anything female and negative, and Lilith is it! I'm sticking to my theory that Black Moon Lilith is simply another sensitive point in the chart. Mythology? Bah humbug!
NOTE: There's an online ephemeris showing True and Mean positions of Black Moon Lilith in the 20th century, courtesy of Chris Mitchell - see HERE. Alternatvely Astrodienst can calculate BML's position in your natal chart, using their Extended Chart Selection.
I looked at Geller's natal chart at Astrotheme (HERE), noticed first that Black Moon Lilith is shown, conjunct Geller's natal Mars in Aries. Interesting!
Coincidentally, I had intended to re-air an old post of mine this week on that very topic: Black Moon Lilith. In that post, tidied up and re-posted below, I mentioned not being too keen on using mythology to interpret possible meanings of Black Moon Lilith in a natal chart. However, some might say that Ms Geller's case does rather fit the mythology - what do you think?
BLACK MOON LILITH
 |
| Hat-tip for diagram to Mountain Astrologer |
Black Moon Lilith (aka here as BML) is a mathematically calculated point in an astrological chart, the point at which the Moon is at its farthest from the Earth - known as the Moon's "apogee". Some astrologers view the Black Moon as being not the apogee of the elliptical orbit, but the empty focus of the ellipse.....In practice, the Apogee and the Empty Focus can be thought of as being in the same place on the chart, but the difference in symbolism can be relevant. (See http://serennu.com for more detail).
I can accept the notion that this may well be a sensitive point in a natal or other type of chart, in the same way the angles,Vertex and Moon's Nodes are sensitive points. Anything more than that, for me, has to remain nebulous.
There are two ways of calculating BML - its True position and its Mean position. Some software uses one, and some the other. This adds further room for doubt about somewhat iffy cookbook type interpretations assigned to the Black Moon. Most of these appear to be based purely on mythology.
Even more confusion can arise unless it's realised that other celestial bodies also bear the name Lilith. There's an asteroid Lilith, as well as a hypothetical and controversial second Moon of Earth, often referred to as Dark Moon Lilith.
Astrologers who use BML seem to consider its significance to be somewhat negative, based purely on the mythical name it bears. "Lilith" - a storm demon, prostitute goddess.... name anything female and negative, and Lilith is it! I'm sticking to my theory that Black Moon Lilith is simply another sensitive point in the chart. Mythology? Bah humbug!
 |
| Hat-tip HERE for illustration |
"Lilith is a female Mesopotamian night demon believed to harm male children. In Isaiah 34:14, Lilith is a kind of night-demon or animal, translated as onokentauros; in the Septuagint, as lamia; "witch" by Hieronymus of Cardia; and as screech owl in the King James Version of the Bible. In the Talmud and Midrash, Lilith appears as a night demon. She is often identified as the first wife of Adam and sometimes thought to be the mother of all incubi and succubi, a legend that arose in the Middle Ages ".Black Moon Lilith in my own natal chart lies in Aquarius (early or late in the sign depending on True or Mean version). The early version is only 2 degrees from my natal Sun; the later version is 1 degree from my relocated ascendant, so BML has followed me around! I'm not, and have never been, anything like a storm demon, night demon, femme fatale, or prostitute goddess, I promise! But the fact that BML is close to my natal Sun might have added to the intensity of effects I've experienced when Uranus and Neptune have transited natal Aquarius Sun in the past.
From Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilith)
NOTE: There's an online ephemeris showing True and Mean positions of Black Moon Lilith in the 20th century, courtesy of Chris Mitchell - see HERE. Alternatvely Astrodienst can calculate BML's position in your natal chart, using their Extended Chart Selection.
I never observe the Liliths, so I can't say whether there is an effect, since I've never studied it for myself. Many astrologers completely accept the notion, but I've been skeptical, as I am with a number of other astrological positions. More doesn't necessarily mean better. I believe the effects ascribed to the Liliths can be easily evaluated utilizing standard astrology, but each astrologer to their own methods. It isn't considered proper astrological etiquette to determine placements-aspects in a negative fashion, but the Liliths have a negative spin and it's placed on the man-woman ideals of the client. The concept is almost analogous to sex-sin-guilt in a religious context and I don't go for that...LOL.
ReplyDeleteBTW - I knew of Pamela Geller's campaign against "Mega Mosque at Ground Zero", but not of her. I read her expanded bio and then the astrological interpretation provided at astrotheme.com and I think her astrological profile is fitting without considering BML. She's essentially a Zionist, anti-Islamic, Libertarian. I wouldn't attribute BML to those qualities. She has aspects, particularly Sun-Mercury opposed Saturn, with Jupiter trine Sun-Mercury and sextile Saturn, that could indicate a zealot espousing strong convictions. Mars trine Uranus is another blunt, impulsive, aggressive feature of her chart.
ReplyDeleteShe wasn't an activist until the events of September 11, 2001. It's interesting to note that transiting Uranus was at 22* Aquarius then, conj her Chiron, and setting-up a grand trine with her Sun-Mercury in Gemini and Jupiter in Libra. She started her blog, which brought her fame and attention in 2004 just as transiting Pluto conj her Saturn. This excerpt:
"Pluto Conjunct Saturn
Once in a lifetime occurrence. Only a very limited group of people will experience this transit and much depends on what age they are when this occurs. It deals with people reforming and regenerating themselves and society. Challenges ~ a reorganization of lifes' priorities. Complete breaks from past routines. Feelings or circumstances of confinement. Incidents beyond your control. Attitude ~ self determination is tested and greatly rewarded. Gives the ability and willingness to take on more responsibilities."
http://www.planetaryvisions.net/pluto%20c%20sat.html
mike ~ I agree with you, on the whole regarding astrological "extras" such as the Liliths (all 3 of 'em), and as you say, there's always going to be sufficient in the basic astrology without adding "extras". Still, though, whenever I see an "extra" that actually is aptly placed (as in Geller's chart) I like to note it. :-)
ReplyDeleteIf we ignore BML mythology and think simply of its position as Moon's apogee - where Moon-ish characteristics (traditionally female-ish) are at their weakest - maybe that'd be another way of thinking of BML without the silly trappings of she-devils and prostitutes.
(again)
Thanks for the extra astrology on Geller!
What surprises me about Geller is that, as she is a Jew, you'd think she'd be ultra sensitive about
targeting any ethnic/racial/religious group, knowing what happened when a guy targeted her own ethnic group back in the 1930s!
Yet she's doing something not a million miles from what that guy in the 1930s did!
She discovered fame in a niche waiting for leadership. She has a major enclave with adoring followers, many from the (Christian) conservative right. As with so many from the conservative right, she views herself as a victim of political correctness and as an oppressed American standing-up for the constitution and her religion. Yes, she's dangerous, but about the same degree as most of our politicians.
ReplyDeleteFrom Geller's website:
"In May 2013, she was awarded the Guardian of Freedom award by the Nassau County Federation of Republican Women. The Queens Village Republican Club, the oldest Republican club in America, honored Pamela Geller as the “American Patriot of the Year” in February 2013. That same month, the Creative Zionist Coalition gave her the Queen Esther Award for Jewish Heroism. Pamela Geller also received the Annie Taylor Award for Courage in 2010 from the David Horowitz Freedom Center. In October 2011, the United States Marine Corps presented her with the flag flown on September 11, 2011 over Camp Leatherneck, “amid the battlefields of Afghanistan during decisive operations against enemy forces in Helmand Province.”
Pamela Geller has been the subject of a profile on 60 Minutes, and of cover stories in the Sunday New York Times Metro section and the UK’s Independent. The Times also published an in-depth interview with her. She has made appearances on NBC Nightly News, ABC, CNN, AP, Reuters, the Sean Hannity Show, the Bill O’Reilly Show, Red Eye, Geraldo, the Mike Huckabee show, and other shows on the Fox News channel. She has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Village Voice, the Daily Mail and the Telegraph.
Geller’s articles and op-eds have been published in the Guardian, Fox News, The Washington Times, Big Government, Big Journalism, Human Events, The American Thinker, Newsmax, Hudson NY, Pajamas Media, Israel National News, World Net Daily, FrontPage magazine, New Media Journal, and Canada Free Press, among other publications.
Geller is a frequent guest on talk radio and has regular segments on two radio shows, The Jaz McKay Show and Jamie Allman In the Morning. Geller has been a featured speaker at the David Horowitz Freedom Center’s Restoration Weekend and at numerous Tea Party and pro-freedom events across the nation."
http://pamelageller.com/about/#sthash.SGwRRQPO.dpuf
mike (again) ~ Hmmm - Knows how to make a name for herself doesn't she!?
ReplyDeleteShe's a shoo-in for the programmes and publications of the usual right-wing suspects.
I find her spewings to be toxic.
LOL! I've just come across a relevant article on this website - the illustration reminded me again of BML! :-)
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2015/05/04/garland/