VENUS and THE ELEUSINIAN MYSTERIES
Sun 0Ar00, Earth 0Li00 on March 20, 2021 (Ostara)
Venus 0Ar00 on March 21, 2021
Venus Superior Conjunction 5Ar50 on March 25, 2021
(all dates PDT)
Ostara 2021 is a very Goddess-focused Sabbat. The Sun marks the astrological new year, but the opposition of the Earth (in Libra) and Venus (in Aries) empowers this Ostara with a heightened sense of balance, and perspective on the primordial cycle of life, death, and rebirth.
Venus (as Morning Star Urania) enters Aries on March 21 and reaches superior conjunction late on March 25 – meaning Venus is on the opposite side of the Sun from Earth. Mythically speaking, Venus has spent the last seven months descending through the seven gates of the Underworld, and is about to meet her sister – the Shadow on the other side of the Sun – the Queen of the Underworld.
As the higher octave of Earth – and the guiding energy of the Earth’s current position in Libra – Venus uniting with her Shadow imbues Ostara 2021 with the potential for deeper understanding of the cycle of life and death. We have opportunity to explore both the Greater and Lesser Eleusinian Mysteries at the same time.
Eleusinian Mysteries
The Eleusinian Mysteries of ancient Greece are one of the greatest kept secrets of antiquity. As the nature of “mystery” suggests, the rites and practices were only known to participants. However, while the rituals and experiences were never written down, ancient and contemporary scholars have surmised the overall intention of these Mysteries to be a ritual drama externalizing the experience of spiritual union with Source. Self-knowledge, personal transformation, and an understanding of the cycles of life, death, and rebirth were key.
So, here is what we do know, described in modern terms:
Overall theme
The myth of Demeter and Kore/Persephone
The underworld descent and subsequent ascent of the Goddess
Life and death
Experience: personal transformation
The Greater Mysteries
Celebrated in Fall
Death
Experience: death of Self, union with Source, and personal transformation
The Lesser Mysteries
Celebrated in Spring
Life
Experience: return of the enlightened being and a wholly integrated Self
And a little more detail:
As a duality, Demeter and Kore/Persephone are mother and daughter with Demeter as the earth and Kore/Persephone as the perennial energy of the changing seasons.
As the triple goddess, they are birth (Kore), life (Demeter), and death (Persephone), with Kore (Maiden of Life) going through personal transformation to become Persephone (Queen of the Underworld).
At the Greater Mysteries in Fall, Kore travels to the underworld leaving her mother to mourn her absence, which is reflected in the death on earth.
At the Lesser Mysteries in Spring, Persephone returns enlightened and empowered, Demeter rejoices, and the earth once again teems with life.
Venus
As mentioned above, Venus is the higher octave of Earth, which means she resonates with the same general energy but with greater intensity and depth.
Like the Earthly Kore/Persephone, the Venusian Inanna travels to the underworld. However, Inanna’s descent is a more intense journey in which she sacrifices pieces of herself at the seven gates of the underworld in order to gain access to her sister, Ereshkigal, Queen of the Underworld (and Inanna’s Shadow). At the instance of their meeting, Inanna is struck dead by Ereshkigal and hung on a hook for three days and nights… experiencing true death and consequent union with the primordial source of all. (“The Descent of Inanna” is the original and archetypal descent myth.)
Being the mighty queen that she is, Inanna prepared for just such an outcome and helpers are dispatched to resurrect the Goddess. Inanna then makes the ascent through the seven gates – regaining all of herself – and returns with a deep understanding of the primordial cycle of life, death, and rebirth to sit her throne as Queen of the Heavens.
In the telluric myth, Earth (Demeter/Kore/Persephone) experiences the ebb and flow of life force energies, along with the accompanying joy and sorrow of love and loss.
Venus (Inanna), on the other hand experiences death itself. Kore travels to the underworld and transforms into Persephone – the Shadow – but she does not herself experience death. Inanna meets the Shadow and dies to experience a complete union with the primordial source of all.
Ostara 2021
In summary, we have a truly rare opportunity this Ostara to explore the entire cycle of life, death, and rebirth, and facilitate our own personal transformation. Venus explores the equivalent of the Greater Mysteries – death and union with Source, while Earth explores the Lesser Mysteries – rebirth and enlightenment.
Take a moment on this day of balance to consider death and its necessity at a primordial level… and then appreciate the rebirth of life here on earth.
Assimilation of the Lesser and Greater Mysteries ultimately shows the womb and tomb to be a singularity, the Source from which we came and to which we will return…
The cosmic ocean…
The primordial sea…
The Great Goddess!
Blessed Be