Love, love, love.......

Continuing yesterday's thought about universal togetherness, I recalled writing, some time ago, about the three kinds of love, which are really the metaphorical ribbons that could bind us together universally - if we do them right. Three variations on love, linked by the heart, awareness (- and the signs of the zodiac?)


Eros = romantic and sexual love. The word "erotic" originated from this.

There was passion, there was laughter
The first morning after
I just couldn't get my feet to touch the ground
Everytime we were together
We talked about forever
I was certain it was Heaven
We had found.
-- LeeAnn Womack, "Why They Call It Falling"

Philos = friendship, affection, brotherly love, any non-sexual love. I guess that "philosophy" derives from this, and Philadelphia, known as "City of Brotherly Love".

If you only have one smile in you, give it to the people you love.
~Maya Angelou

Agape = the highest, the ultimate, unconditional love, and love encompassing all humanity and all of life.

He drew a circle that shut me out--
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But Love and I had the wit to win:
We drew a circle that took him in.
-Edwin Markham, Outwitted

Is it possible to relate these three concepts to the signs of the zodiac - those most compatible with them? We each have all 12 zodiac signs in our nature, and are capable of experiencing all three types of love. Most relationships evolve. An eros relationship can evolve, eventually, into a philos relationship after lust and excitement have subsided. A philos love could develop into eros - and back again. Agape, if I understand it correctly is the ultimate evolution of love, not necessarily in connection with a one-to-one relationship, but with mankind, all living things, and the world.

Aries, Taurus, Leo and Scorpio seem to mainly connect with eros love - self-oriented, sex-oriented.

Aquarius, Gemini, Libra and Cancer seem more akin to philos - brotherly, motherly, friendly all spring to mind here.

Sagittarius and Pisces have, to my mind, most in common with agape. They are somehow more evolved, outward looking, compassionate and humane. Aquarius might fit here, as an alternative - with Sagittarius moving to join either of the other two groups - ruled by expansive Jupiter, Sagittarius is probably the "all-purpose" sign when it comes to love.

Oddly, I don't see Capricorn and Virgo as clearly connected to any one of the above, but they're bound to fit somewhere, possibly everywhere, bringing some much-needed practicality into every scene.

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."

Eros, Philos, Agape

Love and relationship matters are uncharted territory into which I seldom venture for this blog. Experience has shown me that these areas are largely a "crap shoot". With a modicum of common sense and basic knowledge of astrology, though, it's often possible to avoid too much of that other kind of crap. Without venturing far into said territory, I'll risk a mention of something I discovered recently.....living and learning !

I'd noticed the word "agape" used to close a reader's comments on various news articles. The word is, I understand, pronounced a-ga-pay, not agape, as I'd initially read it to myself, assuming that the commentor was "agape with admiration" for the article upon which they'd commented. I discovered, however, that agape (a-ga-pay) is one of a trio of Greek words used to describe types of love: Eros, Philos and Agape. I'm not certain that the three words should be capitalized, I'd say not, but most sources seem to disagree. Eros is the Greek god of love, of course, but here we're not talking about the god.

Eros = romantic and sexual love. The word "erotic" originated from this.

Philos = friendship, affection, brotherly love, any non-sexual love. I guess that "philosophy" derives from this, and Philadelphia, known as "City of Brotherly Love".

Agape = the highest, the ultimate, unconditional love, and love encompassing all humanity and all of life.

I decided to try to relate these three concepts to those I have of the 12 zodiac signs. We each have all 12 zodiac signs in our nature, and are capable of experiencing all three types of love. Most relationships evolve. An eros relationship will evolve, eventually into a philos relationship, after lust, heat and excitement have subsided. A philos love could develop into eros - and back again! Agape, if I understand it correctly is the ultimate evolution, not necessarily in connection with a one-to-one relationship, but with mankind, all living things, and the world.

Aries, Taurus, Leo and Scorpio seem, to me, to mainly connect with eros love - self-oriented, sex-oriented.

Aquarius, Gemini, Libra and Cancer seem more akin to philos - brotherly, motherly, friendly all spring to mind here.

Sagittarius and Pisces have, to my mind, most in common with agape. They are somehow more evolved, outward looking, compassionate and humane. Aquarius might fit here, as an alternative - with Sagittarius moving to join the philos bunch.

I don't see Capricorn and Virgo as clearly connected to any of the above, but they're bound to fit somewhere.

So.....shall I start using "Agape" at the end of letters and messages, instead of my usual "Love" or "Best Wishes"? It seems a tad lofty. I think I'd best stick with "Love", plain and simple.