Transiting Jupiter and Neptune are now close enough (2 degrees) to be considered conjoined. Jupiter represents religion, among other things. Neptune relates, among other things,to imagination.
Last night I had a kind of Jupiter/Neptune-ish experience watching an old movie, dating from 1988. I'd bought the VCR for a dollar in a junk shop while on our recent trip: "The Seventh Sign", with Demi Moore. Moore is very pregnant in the movie. Incidentally there's a scene where she appears naked. This synchronistically reminded me of Friday's post about photographer Annie Leiobovitz, I'd used one of her famous photographs displaying Demi in all her pregnant glory.
The theme of this movie is apocalypse and Bible horror. Having been made in the 80s its references and flavour were somewhat different from current movies on a similar theme. It's not a preachy film, by any means, I've seen many worse - and recently!
One thing in the movie had me feeling almost goosebumpy. Towards the end, Demi's character askes if there is any way the world can be saved - the answer - "HOPE". Remember those 2008 election posters ? (Wink).
My main reason for scribbling about this today is that the movie caused me to do little research to satisfy curiosity about sonething mentioned in the movie: "The Guf". The seventh sign of the coming "End" was said to be when The Guf is empty of souls and a baby is born dead. Turns out that this wasn't a concept invented for the movie as I suspected - here's what Wikipedia has to say:
Interesting! I live and learn. I like that legend, and - it does fit nicely with the Jupiter/Neptune conjunction above us at present.
By the way, the world does, narrowly, avoid apocalypse at the end of this movie - and all because of HOPE!
Last night I had a kind of Jupiter/Neptune-ish experience watching an old movie, dating from 1988. I'd bought the VCR for a dollar in a junk shop while on our recent trip: "The Seventh Sign", with Demi Moore. Moore is very pregnant in the movie. Incidentally there's a scene where she appears naked. This synchronistically reminded me of Friday's post about photographer Annie Leiobovitz, I'd used one of her famous photographs displaying Demi in all her pregnant glory.The theme of this movie is apocalypse and Bible horror. Having been made in the 80s its references and flavour were somewhat different from current movies on a similar theme. It's not a preachy film, by any means, I've seen many worse - and recently!
One thing in the movie had me feeling almost goosebumpy. Towards the end, Demi's character askes if there is any way the world can be saved - the answer - "HOPE". Remember those 2008 election posters ? (Wink).My main reason for scribbling about this today is that the movie caused me to do little research to satisfy curiosity about sonething mentioned in the movie: "The Guf". The seventh sign of the coming "End" was said to be when The Guf is empty of souls and a baby is born dead. Turns out that this wasn't a concept invented for the movie as I suspected - here's what Wikipedia has to say:
In Jewish mysticism, the Chamber of Guf (or Guph or even Gup) (Hebrew for "body" or "corpse") also called the Otzar (Hebrew for "treasury") is the Hall of Souls, located in the Seventh Heaven. Every human soul is held to emanate from the Guf. The Talmud teaches that the Messiah will not come until the Guf is emptied of all its souls (Yevamot 62a).
The mystic significance of the Guf is that each person is important and has a unique role which only he, with his unique soul, can fulfill. Even a newborn baby brings the Messiah closer simply by being born.
In keeping with other Jewish legends that envision souls as bird-like, the Guf is sometimes described as a columbarium, or birdhouse. Folklore says sparrows can see the soul's descent and this explains their joyous chirping.
The peculiar idiom of describing the treasury of souls as a "body" may be connected to the mythic tradition of Adam Kadmon, the primordial man. Adam Kadmon, God's "original intention" for humanity, was a supernal being, androgynous and macro-cosmic (co-equal in size with the universe). When this Adam sinned, humanity was demoted to the flesh and blood, bifurcated and mortal creatures we are now. According to Kabbalah, every human soul is just a fragment (or fragments) cycling out of the great "world-soul" of Adam Kadmon. Hence, every human soul comes from the "guf [of Adam Kadmon].
Interesting! I live and learn. I like that legend, and - it does fit nicely with the Jupiter/Neptune conjunction above us at present.
By the way, the world does, narrowly, avoid apocalypse at the end of this movie - and all because of HOPE!
Apocalypse is such a powerful theme throughout culture and mythology. Yet mostly it is wrongly interpreted. It really means 'revelation' - a much more optimistic impulse.
ReplyDeleteAN ~~~ I suppose it's the dismal stories around "The 4 Horsemen" which account for the gloomy theme. It's the bit before the revelation which is of concern, I guess. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI remember the movie of which you speak. I also remember the story of the Guf as a stand-out piece of information from that movie. Like you I did some more research. Except back then it involved going to the library. Yes the Guf. Once you hear about it - you never forget IMO.
ReplyDeletePowerful stuff.
Lieb ~~ Oh good! I was hoping someone else might remember it.
ReplyDeleteThat was no A-list movie, but it's one which I found quite affecting -as you say - powerful stuff.
I've been wondering whether the "old wives' tale" - that one telling that if a bird flies into one's house it's an omen, the precurser of a death - was originally connected to The Guf legend. I bet it was.
Thanks for visiting and commenting. :-)