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Lilith - the dark moon

In the beginning was the Great Goddess, and the Goddess was the Earth,
and the Earth was the Goddess. The origins of the cult of the Great
Goddess lie hidden in the dim twilight of prehistoric time. The Goddess
ruled for hundreds of thousands of years. In the course of time, the
Mother-Goddess was overthrown and driven under, and the triumph of
the most patriarchal of archetypes - Jahwe, God the Father, Allah - was
complete in the Judaic, Christian and Moslem worlds. It was only in the
tamed form of Mary, Mother of God, that some aspects of the Mother
Goddess were permitted to survive. Various Black Madonnas in ancient
sanctuaries still bear witness to her.
The figure of Lilith represents one aspect of the Great Goddess. In
ancient Babylon, she was worshipped as Lilitu, Ischtar or Lamaschtu.
Jewish mythology already puts her into darker realms - an evil Demon
of the night, a fitting mate for Satan, lying in wait for men, and killing
children.
The Astronomical Lilith
The Moon travels along an elliptical path around the Earth. An ellipse
has two focal points, and the other focal point, not occupied by the Earth
has been called the Dark Moon, the Black Moon or Lilith. This is a

slightly simplified definition, since, actually, the Moon and the Earth
both move around their common centre of gravity, and the path of the
Moon is not a neat ellipse, but a rather wobbly affair. One must
distinguish between the mean orbit of the Moon, which is a slowly
elongating ellipse, and the actual orbit, which vaccilates around the
mean path, due to interference of various kinds. Just as there a "mean"
and a "true" Lunar Node, so there is a "mean" and a "true" ellipse and a
"mean" and a "true" Lilith. I write "true" in inverted commas, because
the Moon's Node is only "true" about twice per month, when the Moon
is actually on it, for the rest of the time, it is as "untrue" as the mean
Node. In fact, when working with a point so close to the Earth, one
should also take the great parallax into consideration, i.e. consider, from
which point on the Earth one is actually looking at a point in the
heavens. Astrology observes the planets geocentrically, as if from the
Earth's centre, and not topocentrically, from the actual place of the
observer.

The Dark Moon has also been defined as the apogee of the Moon's orbit,
or that point in the orbit farthest from the Earth. Both these points, the
apogee and the second focal point, lie on the long axis of the orbital
ellipse, the line of apsides. Seen from the Earth, they lie in the same
direction, and therefore occupy the same place in the zodiac. The second
focal point lies at a distance only about 36000 km from the Earth, the
apogee at about 400000 km. Apart from this, both definitions can be
regarded as being equivalent. Because the orbit of the Moon continually

shifts forward in space, the Dark Moon moves along the zodiac at about
40 per year. A complete revolution takes 8 years and 10 months.
Lilith in the Chart
The glyph used for Lilith is a black Moon, as opposed to that used for
the real Moon. Lilith is included in the chart drawing Type 2.AC, some
other drawing types, such as 2.AT show Lilith in the table of planetary
positions.
Interpreting Lilith
"During my years of astrological practice, I have come to use the Dark
Moon in all my chart analyses, as a complement to interpretating the
Moon. It would never occur to me to neglect this influence. The Dark
Moon describes our relationship to the absolute, to sacrifice as such,
and shows how we let go. In transit, the Dark Moon indicates some form
of castration or frustration, frequently in the areas of desire, a
powerlessness of the psyche, or a general inhibition. On the other hand,
it shows where we question ourselves, our lives, our jobs, and our
beliefs. I feel this is important, since it gives us the opportunity to "let
go" of something. The Dark Moon shows where we can let the Whole
flow into our selves, without putting an "I" in the way, without putting
up a wall in the form of ego. At the same time, it doesn't indicate
passivity - on the contrary - it symbolizes the firm will to be open and
trusting, to let the Greater World flow through one, relying entirely on
the great laws of the universe, on that which we name God. To prepare
us for this opening, the Dark Moon creates a necessary void."

The Dark Goddess Lilith

by M. Kelley Hunter
A female tiger. She is magnificent, powerful. We treat her with respect,
awe. She can hurt, but we are allowed to stroke her. She is surrounded
by a round enclosure, trapped. A number of male cats come in and rape
her. She is covered in blood after the second attack. After, she is left

encaged, her heart destroyed. Anyone who approaches her is met by a

terrible, hateful, warning snarl. She is dangerous, ferocious, destructive,
defensive. Why is one of such a royal upbringing led to this fate?

Thus Lilith entered my dreams. One of the dark goddesses, like

Persephone, Hecate, and Kali, Lilith expresses the feminine power of the
divine, creative life force. If we follow the mythological trail of these
dark goddesses back in time to find the source of their darkness and
negativity, we discover not only the possibility of a major shift in the
collective human image of the feminine, but also some deep
undercurrent of unease that needs to be acknowledged and healed in our
personal lives.
Lilith first appeared in Sumerian mythology about 5,000 years ago. As
"handmaid" to the Goddess Inanna, Queen of Heaven, she would gather
men in from the fields for the sacred rites. In another Sumerian story,
Lilith lives in the sacred huluppu tree that Inanna has planted in her holy
garden, accompanied by the snake who cannot be charmed and the wild
Anzu-bird and her young. These creatures are part of Lilith's untamed
nature and have knowledge to give Inanna, who is not yet ready to
accept it. So Inanna calls in her brother, Gilgamesh, to cut down the tree.
The serpent is killed, the Anzu-bird and its family fly off to the
mountains, and Lilith departs for the wilderness.(1)
This story may be the foundation of the most well-known Hebrew myth
of Lilith as the first wife of Adam. According to one version of the story,
Yahweh creates both Adam and Lilith from earth, but with one important
difference: he uses impure sediments to create Lilith, whereas Adam has
been fashioned from pure dust. Because of this, Adam expects Lilith to
be submissive to him, but, claiming equality, she will not be put beneath
him and flies away to lifelong exile near the Red Sea, where she mates

with evil spirits and bears scores of demonic children. Meanwhile,

Yahweh again tries to create a partner for Adam, this time taking one of
his ribs and turning it into Eve - now she is a creation from Adam and
not one in her own right, like Lilith. Myth has it that the jealousy and
rage generated by Adam's rejection motivate Lilith to come in the night
for her revenge, strangling babies and giving men wet dreams to sap
their strength. Amulets were worn to ward her off.(2)
Another figure in Hebrew mythology is the Shekinah, God's Beloved,
known as Sophia in Gnostic Christianity. She is the Wisdom principle, a
feminine aspect of divinity.(3) Later Christians came to call her the Holy
Ghost. I see Lilith as the "lower" Shekinah, the root of the tree that seeks
sustenance in the soil, while Sophia is the sky-reaching branches and
fruits. As the Judeo-Christian religions elevated the masculine aspect of
divinity, they de-spiritualized material, sensual reality. The "lower"
Shekinah became unclean, unholy. The Hebrews had infiltrated the
Sumerian and Babylonian lands, where they became familiar with the
Venusian goddesses Inanna and Astarte. These goddesses were
celebrated as embodiments of love in a sacred marriage ritual between
their priestesses and kings. In these cultures, as well as the Celtic
culture, it was the goddess who gave the king his power through her love
and special favors, but the cultural transition to masculine gods made
these love rites blasphemous. However, the sacred marriage comes down
to us even in the Bible, as Solomon's Song of Songs.(4)
This Biblical material was incorporated into a play created by Vermont's
Dragon Dance Theater, which is based on the Sumerian myth of Inanna.
I played Lilith, creating a character to give voice to my dream and to the
pain of the female vital life force betrayed and suppressed, now to be
acknowledged and redeemed. I blended material from my dreams, the
Biblical Song of Songs, the Gnostic Gospels, and other sources. From
this work I learned that Lilith is the Tree of Life, offering true wisdom
rather than ego-fed knowledge. She may offer direct experience of

wisdom if we can flow with her beyond our fears from the past, beyond
our fear of the unknown, beyond even our fear of death.
Working with this Dragon Dance material for eight months was a
profound experience that illuminated other facets of my life and
relationships, luring me into deeper aspects of my unknown self. This
creative work provided a way to process an inner and outer
transformation that brought the recognition of some darker emotions, as
well as more authentic action from my personal center, a more full
expression of sexuality, and the clarification of appropriate levels of
intimacy in relationships. It became clear that Lilith challenges both
women and men to connect with their instinctive passion for life, for this
natural force turns destructive when it is denied, unfulfilled, caged, or
exiled. I still give voice to Lilith in the form of a dramatic monologue.
The intriguing circumstances that occur whenever I present this piece
continue to open me to her timeless mysteries.
The Three Liliths
Astrologically, there are three Liliths and you need three different
ephemerides to find them. She doesn't make it easy. These include the
Asteroid Lilith, found orbiting in the asteroid belt between Mars and
Jupiter; the controversial Dark Moon Lilith, said to be the Earth's second
Moon by those who have claimed to see it over the last four centuries;
and Black Moon Lilith, an abstract, geometrical point in space (see
diagram *).
Asteroid Lilith
Asteroid #1181 bears Lilith's name and orbits around the Sun
approximately every four years. I think of the female-named asteroids as
aspects of the Great Goddess, and Lilith is one of the most ancient. The
asteroid seems to represent split-off, demonized aspects of the feminine,
the result of long-standing cultural projections that perceive feminine
roles and attributes as shameful, untrustworthy, and dangerous. Our

personal Lilith placement may show where we struggle with social

judgments that define how the feminine qualities should be expressed in
order to "fit in." These cultural projections define us, but are not us. Here
we may not be seen clearly. A prominent Asteroid Lilith in the birth
chart may indicate a person who does not fit the cultural stereoty pe,
leading to some kind of exile from the community.
One woman with the asteroid on her Ascendant has a dark, gloomy
visage and her straggly hair adds an unkempt look. She does not speak
much and is uncomfortable in social situations. She lives simply in the
country and works best in the outdoors. This woman could not and
would not conform to social expectations.
The symbol for Asteroid Lilith is a stylized hand that signals warning,
greeting, or blessing.(5) Perhap
The symbol for Asteroid Lilith is a stylized hand that signals warning,
greeting, or blessing.(5) Perhaps it is how we approach her that will
determine what this hand gesture means. In the classic book, Asteroid
Goddesses, Lilith is described as signifying resentment and inner rage;
she sets herself apart, flies into exile. She is fiercely independent. She
refuses to submit to the assumed authority of another or to compromise
her beliefs. Lilith asks us to deal with confrontation and issues of
equality in relationship. Her asteroid ephemeris can also be found in this
book.(6)
Dark Moon Lilith
Some say there is a second Moon circling Earth, a mysterious dark moon
that is only seen on rare dates when it is opposite the Sun or when its
shadowy silhouette crosses in front of the Sun. Although its existence
has not been verified, those astronomers who claim to have viewed it say
it is one-fourth the size of our familiar Moon and three times as far
away.(7) It takes 119 days to orbit Earth, about ten days per sign. This is
Dark Moon Lilith. Supposedly sighted as long ago as 1618, this body
came to broader attention through the work of astrologer Sepharial in

1918, and more recently through the writings of Delphine Jay, who also
published an ephemeris for the Dark Moon Lilith.(8)
Like a dust cloud, Dark Moon Lilith absorbs the light into itself, a very
different process from that of our Sun-reflecting Moon. Whereas the
reflective Moon represents personal, subjective feelings, the Dark Moon
represents a primal, impersonal, creative instinct that seeks identification
apart from the physical and emotional realms.
According to Delphine Jay's research, the effect of Dark Moon Lilith is
distinctly impersonal. When her expression is self-centered, she can be
quite negative; when the emotional content is directed to higher centers,
she enhances creative, mental, aesthetic, and even spiritual expression.
"Lilith strictly symbolizes the objective thinking approach. Anything
else is unsuccessful."(9) The Dark Moon position is where we must
grow beyond our habitual patterns of our early Moon conditioning in
order to remember the ancient exaltation of our true spiritual parentage.
Black Moon Lilith
Perhaps the most subtle and intriguing of the three Liliths, Black Moon
is not a physical body but an abstract, geometrical point, like the
Ascendant or the Vertex. Because the Moon's path around the Earth is
elliptical, as opposed to circular, it has two foci, or centers, the Earth
being one and Black Moon Lilith the other. We can also describe this
point as the apogee of the Moon's orbit - the place where it is farthest
from Earth.
The center of gravity between the Earth and Moon is inside the Earth. As
part of the Earth-Moon system, Black Moon is a point or energetic
vortex intimately bound to the center of the Earth. Within this context,
Lilith is a twin to the core energy of the Earth, the deep heart of fire that
feeds and sustains our bodies and the body of the Earth. The creative
vitality of the Sun gives life to the Earth and fuels this central core fire.

As a centerpoint of the Moon's orbit, Black Moon Lilith works in

relationship with the Earth-Moon system and with the Sun. As a second
center of reference, she gives a sense of rhythm to the Earth, taking the
dynamics of relationship beyond the personal Moon-Venus energies into
more subtle dimensions that are essential to our lives. For this reason
Black Moon Lilith has a strong impact on relationship dynamics.
Representing the closest reach of the Moon to the Sun, she is also a
reference point in our personal lives that brings us into relationship with
the heart of our Sun-fueled experience on Earth, an emotional
intelligence informed by the wisdom of earthy instinct. Since our culture
has lost - even rejected, as Lilith was rejected - this kind of natural
wisdom, it is more difficult to tap into and trust it. Relationships that
carry the Lilith energy are initiatory, soul-to-soul meetings that open into
a deeper center where personal and impersonal experience merge. Can
we trust this energy that is unraveling our edges, tapping into such a
deep well? Can we trust ourselves?
The Black Moon point is where we are lured into our more self-centered
illusions for the purpose of purging negative desires, thereby leading us
to the deeper truth within our hearts, the longings and yearnings of our
souls. She insists that we feel through, let go, and surrender to something
essential and transparent in us that is primary - the bedrock beneath the
shifting sands, the passion of the soul.
In Unremembered Country, Susan Griffin beautifully articulates the
essence of this core energy: "As I go into the Earth, she pierces my
heart. As I penetrate further, she unveils me. When I have reached her
center, I am weeping openly. I have known her all my life, yet she
reveals stories to me, and these stories are revelations, and I am
transformed. Each time I go to her I am born like this. Her renewal
washes over me endlessly, her wounds caress me; I become aware of all
that has come between us, of the noise between us, the blindness, of
something sleeping between us. Now my body reaches out to her."(10)
Mean or True?

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Like the Moon's nodes, Black Moon Lilith has both Mean and True
positions, and the difference between them can be significant, even up to
30 degrees. I understand that most Europeans use the Mean Black Moon.
Of course Lilith can be Mean, but I think she is also True. In her True
position, she moves very quickly - up to 6 per day - and retrogrades
often. I will have to do more research before speculating on the
meanings of these two positions. Sabian symbols are one way to start.
For now, I propose considering a Black Moon corridor, using the section
of the zodiac encompassed by the True-Mean section of the chart. For
some people Lilith would cover a larger territory, sometimes even
expressing through two signs, with transiting planets making a longer
passage. Others, with a narrow band of Lilith influence, may have a
more focused, intensified experience of her energies.
Triple Goddess Lilith
I find the three Liliths intriguing as a mirror of the triple goddess.
Essentially Tantric, Lilith transforms energy to higher octaves. Her
impersonal energy opens transparent areas of the mind, not clouded by
the weight of collective judgment or the limitations of ego identity. The
three aspects vibrate at different frequencies and open channels to clear
and spiritualize the emotional body. Dark Moon has the fastest orbital
cycle, like clouds passing across the face of the Sun. It represents highly
individualized soul desires that are denied satisfaction on a personal
level in favor of a higher expression of social and spiritual values.
Asteroid Lilith is the most embodied Lilith, and signifies repressed
elements, often relating to sexuality, anger, and assertion, that require
full, embodied expression. Black Moon is an energy vortex that cuts
through the veils of illusion with the sword of truth. Its orbital cycle of
eight years and ten months correlates with the Moon's nodal cycles and
has a similar karmic impact.
I have been working with all three Liliths in charts to discover how they
work together to evoke this deep, dark, mysterious realm of soul. Much

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work is yet to be done with such new material, but what I have seen so
far is quite provocative. Astro-mythologist Demetra George suggests
that, although each Lilith contains the entire symbolic meaning of the
archetype, each one may also represent different phases of her
mythology, in which "the cycle of our Lilith experience is initiated by
the asteroid Lilith, developed by the Dark Moon Lilith, and completed
by the Black Moon Lilith."(11) I believe this is a good initial approach.
Personal life stories will show the intertwining of the three with unique
individual coloring.
I've learned a lot from my own experience. I have Asteroid Lilith in
Scorpio on my 4th-house cusp. I associate this placement with memories
of my mother, a Scorpio, muttering darkly under her breath in the
kitchen. It is after cocktail hour and she is cooking while my father calls
out instructions from the living room. This inherited, soul-damaging
image of the feminine has haunted me in my search for full expression
of my feelings and mutual respect in relationships.
I have Dark Moon Lilith in the 4th house, very close to the 5th-house
cusp and conjunct Chiron and Sun in Sagittarius. During a New Moon
eclipse that fell on this point in my chart, my young son died. The
eclipse was conjunct his Sun as well. In earlier times, Lilith was known
as a child-killer, her revenge for having had her own children taken
away. In the Middle East, amulets were worn to ward off her danger. I
had to face and give voice, again and again, to the guilt, emptiness, and
release within me that was so deeply stirred by this death. This is when I
first began to speak for the Dark Goddess through writing and
performance. In another version of her story, Lilith takes children out of
this dark, lower world and returns them to the Lord. I came to know my
son's death as an initiation, even a gift.
One of my male clients had a fascinating Lilith encounter that helped to
transform his experience of life. He has Dark Moon Lilith conjunct an
Aries Sun and square Black Moon Lilith, Mars, and Juno in Capricorn.
He often confided that he felt emotionally abused by his wife over

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several years of their marriage. One night he dreamt that a 15-foot

scorpion emerged from her vagina, which prompted intensive therapy
where he worked through what he called "a murderous rage." Inner
visions then revealed the Divine Mother with many faces giving birth to
a huge star-like egg. This new and healing female archetype transformed
his emotional body, "enabling me to hold the whole," to delight in the
"erotic, creative, juicy life force, beyond judgment."
A Fourth Lilith?
On yet another frequency, and to leave you with a tantalizing thought, as
Lilith would, I'd like to mention the possibility of a fourth Lilith. The
star Algol in the constellation Perseus has a reputation as the most evil
star in the sky. Most often envisioned as the Eye or Head of Medusa,
Algol was also called Lilith by Hebrew star watchers.(12) Such an Eye
perceives "with an objectivity like that of nature itself and our dreams,
boring into the soul to find the naked truth, to see reality beneath all its
myriad forms and the illusions and defenses it displays."(13) Lilith
indeed. All the better to see you with, my dear.
Read Kelley Hunter's Lilith Monologue
Lilith Meaning by Cara Rungo
Her house sinks down to death,
And her course leads to the shades.
All who go to her cannot return
And find again the paths of life.
Proverbs 2:1819

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Lilith the asteroid, Black Moon Lilith or Lilith the Dark Moon. Lilith is
a hypothetical earthly satellite found within a void that falls between the
Earth and the Moon's orbital apogee as seen from Earth. This
mythical "Shadow Sister" of the Earth holds much mystery
and unharnessed power. It functions as a dichotomous representation of
the feminine instinct, and it is astrologically significant.
Although not much information is available about Lilith in respect to
astrology, we base our meaning of it on mythology and biblical
references.

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Throughout history, there have been numerous references and alleged

sightings of Lilith, who is supposed to be the Earth's second Moon.
Lilith is portrayed throughout history as a demoness, a Succubus, a
harlot.
In the bible, she is referred to as the Screech Owl. She was thought to
be Adam's first wife who escaped the garden of Eden to sleep with
devils and bore thousands of demonic children. She is portrayed as
sexually abhorous and primal. However, she is empowered and
possesses an independent spirit that enjoys sexual freedom. The Dark
Moon is associated with sexual energy, the taboo, the forbidden fruits
are her deepest desire, which she surely will have.
Lilith is the opposite of the nurturer. She represents the darker side of
motherhood--she is child abuse and neglect, the child killer, death of
children and the guilty mother and all negative debris associated with
child rearing. Also, she is associated with fertility and sexual prowess,
an innate animalistic nature bent on lust and unorthodox societal
behaviors, potentially creating tangled messes in our lives.
In a man's chart, the Dark Moon position denotes what kind of woman
he deeply desires but fears. It is his mother and his lover's darkest traits,
his attraction and repulsion to such. This is the woman to which he is
magnetically attracted, vulnerable and harmed by. Lilith also shows
what sort of mistress a man shall take.
In a woman's chart, Lilith's natal positioning represents how she feels as
a woman, her feminine identity and body image. It is her innate sexual
instinct and what attracts her that is harmful to her. It shows how she
functions as a mother, a daughter, a sexual partner.
Lilith is our darker side of what we wish to be closer to. She is our
shadowed mistress, temptation, dangerous and intense attraction, abuse
at the hand our of mothers. Lilith is the darker side of your illuminating,
nurturing Moon.

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Here is Lilith's placement through the signs, giving insight into her
darker meaning.
Lilith's interpretation depends on the chart as a whole. These are meant
to portray the extreme darker side of Lilith.
Aries
Lilith in Aries is sexually licentious and immodest, exploiting her
physical body. Exotic dancing, pornography and other shameless
activities that reveal her nakedness suit her. What she shows you is
tempting. She suffers from esteem issues, and she needs to be adored
for her physical form. Lilith in Aries subjects herself to unspeakable
disrespect and degradation. She hides her leadership qualities, opting to
show her baser instinct. She is violent and blood-letting in her dealings
with lovers. She is a storm, culminating war and anger around herself.
She is prone to childish temperament and lying. As a mother, she is selfabsorbed and angry, using corporal punishment to discipline her
children. She proves dangerous and even murderous to her lovers. As a
mistress, she plays the role of the homewrecker, bulking at nothing to
get what she wants.(more...)

Taurus
Lilith in Taurus is sexually dirty, as her naturalness is embraced; she is
no friend of soap and water. She delights in sex in its most earthly, feral
form. She truly loves the smell of sex and money. Her scent is alluring,
whether it is her natural musky scent or artificial sweetness. She is
stubborn and will not be controlled. She is immodest in her spending.
She hides her finances and is capable of murder for monetary gain.
Lilith placed here indicates shamelessness and waste in her financial
dealings. As a mother, she is controlling over the children as she strips
them from their possessions. As a lover, she is a drain on the
pocketbook. As a mistress, she is aims to take money and possessions

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that are not hers. She is the prostitute. (more...)

Gemini
Lilith is exalted in Gemini. In this placement, Lilith expresses duplicity
and is never sexually faithful. She is two different people and hides
beneath the Gemini mask. She adores her make-up as it hides who she
really is. She is gifted with a snake's tongue and a brilliant cunning
mind. Lilith in Gemini exploits the mind and ideas, making lovers think
it is their own idea. She talks dirty. She tempts you with her words and
plants dirty thoughts; her voice is sexy. She corrupts the young. As a
mother, she educates her child on how to manipulate others and she
plays favorites. She amuses herself as she pits her children against their
siblings; she exposes them to inappropriate information. Relationships
with her own siblings are likely strained or estranged. She lies to her
children. As a lover, she is a promiscuous liar. As a mistress, she is kept
waiting. Lilith harms by shamelessly revealing the most intimate details
and spreading vicious rumors. (more...)

Cancer
Lilith in her detriment in Cancer. Cancer Lilith is an unhappy
placement, indicating hidden emotions coupled with traumatic childhood
experiences that intermittently surface as unhealthy emotional outbursts.
Sexual abuse is likely in this position during early childhood. She
exploits the feelings of others to her advantage. Her seeming innocence
lures in potential lovers. As a mother, she is childlike, and the children
must coddle her. She may neglect their early childhood needs as they
are busy taking up concern for her needs. She may have difficulty
during birth, may be barren or other people may serve as a substitute
parent. If she cannot bare children, this would cause her extreme
emotional turmoil. The early childhood home is littered with secrets.
As a lover, she harms others emotionally, using her children as a pawn.

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As a mistress, she plays the victim, displaying her over-the-top outcry

for help. (more...)

Leo
Lilith in Leo expresses her sexuality in an animalistic way. She tempts
through her ability to feed one's animal desires. She hides her inner
actress and opts for a more overbearing tyrannical personality. She is
controlling. She is a child abuser and a liar. She is creative when her art
is released. But, wasted talent can result out of fear of expressing this
creation side of the self. As a mother, her children remain in her
shadow; she hides her children. She minimizes their existence in some
way by conveying the internal message that they and their opinions are
unimportant and never asked for. As a lover, she creates the perfect
fantasy. As a mistress, she is robbed of her limelight, and denied the
center stage that Leo desires. (more...)

Virgo
Lilith in Virgo expresses her sexuality in an inhibited way. She may
suffer from confusion between the Eve/Lilith Mary/Naughty dichotomy.
She hides her sexuality--a wolf in sheep's clothing. She lures with her
words. She talks dirty. She exploits her own willingness to please and
serve. She is the sexual servant in a most degrading way. She delights
in perversions of all kinds; she corrupts the young. There is a
connection between Virgo and anal sex. As a mother, she is ultracritical, teaching hygiene and cleanliness. She may neglect her
children's day-to-day needs. She might either be sentenced to nurturing
a sick child or she herself suffers from health ailments. In early
childhood, her day-to-day needs were neglected, possibly substituting a
nurse or nanny. As a lover, she is critical and sharp-tongued. As a
mistress, she is kept waiting, harming with her harsh critical

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words. (more...)

Libra
Lilith in Libra expresses herself through another person. Relationships
might somehow cause her to err, and her partner choice may cause much
suffering. She may choose violent partners who hurt her. Her sweet
persona is alluring. She's a real lady--flirtatious and charming. But,
beneath the exterior lies a jealous angry lover who seems forever
involved in tempestuous relationships or marriages. Lilith in Libra
denotes divorce, as Lilith cannot remain subservient. Extramarital love
affairs and violence are commonplace within the marriage. As a mother,
she is unfair and rules with harsh discipline. There may be messy
custody or legal battles concerning the children. As a lover, she is
aggressive, yet co-dependent. As a mistress, she causes
divorce. (more...)

Scorpio
Lilith in Scorpio is the devil incarnate. She exploits others sexually.
She delights in knowing other peoples' deepest secrets, yet she will
never admit her own. She is magnetic and sexually seductive more than
any other Lilith placement. She is the succubus. She is the faithful
keeper of secrets that will never confess to all her innumerable immodest
acts. As a mother, she is abusive and sadistic. This position is
associated with severe child abuse, flagellation and sexual abuse during
early childhood. This is often a cycle, as the person with Lilith in
Scorpio was also subjected to abuse in childhood. Death of children in
the placement is possible. As a lover, she is manipulative, using her
sexual prowess to gain the upper hand in any relationship. Sex is her
best weapon. Jealousy and obsessive stalking behavior is common,
making her dangerous in love. She would not even balk at murder. As a
mistress, she aims to take other peoples' money and possessions. She is

19

the prostitute. (more...)

Sagittarius
Lilith is in her fall in Sagittarius. Lilith placed here makes unwise
decisions and does not learn from mistakes. She is dedicated to her
secret philosophies, and she judges harshly. This position denotes
hypocrisy and lying. She is sexual blasphemy, using sex as a spiritual
purge. Lilith here exploits her experience, compelling a lover to try her;
she corrupts the young. As a mother, she gives no advice, keeping her
children uneducated in the ways of the world. They must fend for
themselves as she will never tell them. She lies to her children. As a
lover, she is spiritually and sexually free, offering release from
inhibition. There may be distance between her and the one she loves.
As a mistress, she provides an escape, but ultimately, she is kept
waiting. (more...)

Capricorn
Lilith is dignified in Capricorn. Lilith in this placement is practical.
Lilith is also ambitious and goal-oriented to the point of alienation of all
others. Bad choices cause her to topple from the top, where she so badly
wants to be. The reputation is somehow marred by sexual scandal.. She
will exploit her personal power, using sex as her weapon. Her
appearance that she has it all together lures lovers to her. She may also
appear innocent as Capricorn often does. As a mother, she denies her
children of basic needs--hunger and cold are denoted. This position can
indicate severe deprivation in early childhood. The mother with
Capricorn in Lilith is unloving and cold. As a lover, she hides emotions,
appearing cold and severe. She remains reticent in love and cannot seem
to express her deeply felt feelings. As a mistress, she causes downfall of
people in power. (more...)

20

Aquarius
Lilith in Aquarius suffers from thwarted hope and dreams. Erroneous
life choices cause disastrous change and instability. Homelessness is
commonplace. Bad choices also cause loss of friends over the years.
There could be estrangement from children and relationships with inlaws will be disruptive. She is stubborn and associates with the wrong
type of people. Sexually, Lilith in Aquarius is magnetic and
experimental. She tempts with her experimentative sexual openness.
She is immodest in the bedroom, willing to try anything. She is the
swinger. As a mother, she dashes her children's hopes and dreams. She
is cold, starving them of emotional expression. As a lover, she is
promiscuous and freedom-loving, and she will not be pinned down. As
a mistress, she causes chaos. (more...)

Pisces
Lilith in Pisces is secretive and suffers from martyrdom. The perpetual
victim exploiting the sympathy of others to her own delight. Lilith here
suffers from subconscious ailments and mental illness. She hides her
wounds as this placement denotes sexual abuse and trauma during early
childhood. Sexual inhibition and confusion is likely. She ties herself to
the dregs of society, allowing herself to be demeaned and used to satisfy
the lower basic instincts of humankind. Temptation lies in her power to
hypnotize and create the perfect sexual fantasy; she fills her lovers' cup
with their most desired poison. As a mother, she is prone to drug use
and insanity. She neglects her children's day-to-day needs. As a lover,
she is secretive and promiscuous. Many clandestine affairs are
indicated. As a mistress, she is kept waiting in a shadowy fog of
confusion.
Algol

21

he head of Medusa from Greek mythology is represented by the

infamous Algol fixed star at 26 Taurus. As part of constellation Perseus,
Algol was regarded by the ancients as the most evil star in the heavens,
but is its reputation warranted? If Algol was truly so malevolent then we
would find it common in serial killers. We just dont find it there, though
it is present in some dictators. But it is true that Algol has a connection
with death and pain. The medical term Algology means the study of
pain.
You will not be able to ignore suffering and horror, or brush it aside
The Algol placement on a chart insists upon a confrontation and
assimilation of these harsh aspects of human experience in this lifetime.
.Algol, like other stars, confers tasks upon us which, if comprehended
and accepted, offer great rewards of power and creativity. These stellar
challenges are not to be feared, but understood and used in a positive
manner. Diana Rosenberg [1].
Algol is situated in the constellation Perseus, where this hero is depicted
slaying the gorgon Medusas head off. Algol is positioned in the
forehead of Medusa. I like to think of it as her third eye. The ancients
mistrusted its blinking and inexplicable 8 hour disappearances. But it
turns out it is a binary star, eclipsing itself every 3 days. Mysterious
indeed and only adds to its allure. The poor star appears to die, but then
it is reborn. Medusas deathly look is inspired by the appearance of a
corpse. The skin dries and tightens over the bones of the face making its
eyes huge, wide and starey.
Demon Alcohol
The Arab word for alcohol means the Demon. Alcohol comes from
the word Algol. Alcohol disintegrates and dries us out, so it literally
petrifies. It turns us into zombies, we loose our heads and our
sovereignty. It is easy for a dictator to brainwash a nation of drunks. At
the same time crime is also fueled by alcohol, giving us a false sense of
bravado. Morals become loosened. The same religion that has wine on
the altar paradoxically blames it for all manner of evil doingThe
shaft of the abyss, from which smoke rises like a great furnace, reeks of
alcohol. That woman of the Apocalypse of Saint John, dressed in purple

22

and scarlet and adorned in gold, precious stones and pearls, drinks
alcohol. She holds a golden cup in her hands full of abominations and
the filthiness of her fornication. That is the great whore whose number is
666. [2]
Algol threads the fine line between life and death, madness and wisdom.
Wine can make you warm and sociable at parties or turn you into a
lecherous fiend. It can be a truth serum, yet it can make you tell the
filthiest lies. When alcohol pierces our aura it can let in those evil spirits,
they take possession of us, we have been invaded. In the Greek myth,
being invaded by Poseidon (Neptune) was exactly what happened to
Medusa in the first place. Neptune is of course also associated with
alcoholics and the blurring of boundaries between worlds. So the God of
the sea raped Medusa, but what is more horrifying was Pallas Athena
siding with the Gods in condemning her. This important part of the story
is often skipped over.
Medusa Myth

Medusa started out as a temple Virgin. She was beautiful, charming and
admired for her glorious, long, glossy hair. Poseidon, overcome by lust,
ravished her in the temple. Pallas Athena was not amused so she cursed
Medusa for defiling her sacred grounds. Out of jealousy or maybe just to
prove she was one of the boys, Pallas turned Medusa into the hideous
serpent headed gorgon with the petrifying stare she is famous for. Brave
Perseus succeeded in decapitating her and returned her head to Pallas
Athena for use as a powerful shield in battle, the Aegis. Medusa became

23

even more powerful after her death (see Diana), together with her rival
Pallas Athena she became invincible. Maybe there is a message here,
when former adversaries are united they become stronger. Algol is also
definitely a star of transformation, as Jamie found in its connection with
the genome project. The blinking binary star goes from light to dark in
cycles, like Persephone. So she is another resurrection Goddess and like
Persephone she was also raped by a God
The serpents in Medusas hair connect her to the Ophiuchus
constellation (the snake charmer) also known as the medicine man. I
wrote that Medicine comes from the same root as Medusa, the name of
the sorceress Medea also comes from this root. The blood from Medusas
left side was poisonous and the right side was used to heal.
So the paradox again, if you dabble in shamanism it can kill you or
enlighten you. Medusas blood also gave birth to Pegasus, where lies
another story about hubris. Both the Lilith star and the Lilith
constellation of Ophuichus have the darkest reputation within the fixed
stars. And both featureserpents. What is it about serpents?
With Ophuichus the serpent is about linking sexuality to enlightenment,
and that seems to worry Christianity. With Algol it is more about taking
that wisdom and becoming your own god. Now science is the worry.
Nowhere is this Medusa hubris more evident than in the medical
profession, where we have doctors playing god with genetics.
ALGOL KEYWORDS
Creating monsters, Frankenstein, splicing, plastic surgery, mutation,
genetic manipulation, playing god, weird heads, unusual hair, abnormal
sex drive, perversion, warped mind, exaggerated demeanour,
deformities, a creation that becomes destructive to its maker,
regeneration, montaging, potency versus impotence, brewers droop,
striking, stunning, spine-tingling, mind blowing, getting out-of-yourhead, mind over matter, ultra-creative, being your own god, soothing
pain, caring for the suffering, haunting voice, speaking for the underdog, exorcising ones demons, working with the shadow.
Algol rules heads of states and beheading, it rules treason and replacing
one ideology with another. The head contains the brain so its about
wisdom and of course snakes in the hair represent higher knowledge,

24

even antennae also. Even the product of Medusa, Pegasus signifies far
out ideas way ahead of their time. I think Algol is also about information
that blows your mind. This is where Algol becomes horrific, when our
intelligence evolves quicker than our consciousness.
Algol & Artists
Algol is prominent among those who work in the mass media. Again we
get a connection with Medea, medicine, anti-venom, snakes. Media is
communications and speaks out. This is not surprising since Medusa was
known for her screaming mouth and protruding tongue. It also rules the
throat. The most notable example I could find was Eric Burden of The
Animals. The singer of The House of the Rising Sun is highly
respected for his incredible blues voice. Now with Mercury (07), plus
Venus, Jupiter and Uranus ALL conjunct Algol he shouldve been pure
evil. Instead its all in his voice. Raw, powerful and gritty, not pretty. But
his delivery sears right into your soul.
This star often produces great art because of the ability for the artist to
constantly reinvent themselves. The subject will also feel indestructible
and like a god, immortal. This gets them into trouble because they can
get intoxicated by their own power. This is why this star has a reputation
for dramatic accidents. The other danger is of course loosing their head
through alcohol or drugs. The invasion of Neptune gives a great
imagination, but it can also confuse and upset. Another trait that seems
to come with Algol is a certain outspokenness and blunt words. They
have a tendency to rub people up the wrong way and are often
demonised as a result.
Algol people seem to either be incredibly sure of themselves or they
really have no idea who they. Some are fantastic at assuming a myriad of
personalities (see Peter Sellers) They can sometimes feel rather
schizophrenic and as if they are indeed possessed by many demons. The
confusion with Algol may be because of its blinking nature, Im
wondering wether those born in the eclipsing 8 hours are those that
suffer more with this star. Mercury seems to bring out the best in Algol
(David Beckham 00!), this trickster planet adapting well to the swing
from dark to light.

25

There is always something flamboyant and exaggerated in the Algol

persons appearance even if it is not in aspect to the Ascendant. They just
stand out. Some are spookily beautiful (see Uma Thurman), but most are
what you would call striking. Something like being very tall or having
huge lips (see Mick Jagger).
Capulus
I cannot talk about Algol without mentioning its Nemesis, which is the
fixed star Capulus at 24 degrees Taurus. This star is in the sword hand of
Perseus that slew Medusa. It is extremely close to Algol so those who
have a planet conjunct this star also get the Algol influence too.
Sometimes its hard to tell the difference between the two, but there is a
subtle difference. Bernadette Brady found this star to represent
primitive, male, sexual energy. I call it the male Lilith. These people feel
split and are on a quest to find themselves. This unease makes them very
driven. They want to play the hero and see themselves as the good
guy. Some have a love/hate relationship with their own power and may
even be afraid to use it. However when they do finally, it is NOT subtle.
lgol Ascendant
Relationships will be dramatic and intense; there can be a tendency to
sex-addiction. They have a strange kind of appeal despite not being
classically beautiful or handsome. The appearance may even be
shocking or disturbing at times yet still somehow alluring. Outspoken
about taboo subjects, they are not afraid to be controversial.
Margaret Witlam (03); Outspoken Australian PMs wife, former
champion swimmer and social worker. Advocate of womens rights,
abortion and conservation. Mae West (08); Outrageous actress, screen
writer and continued to be a sex symbol well past middle age. Famous
for her sexual innuendos. Linda Marshall (28); Leading cosmetics
entrepreneur. Toni Morrison (30); Nobel prize winning novelist.Wilt
Chamberlain; Promiscuous basketball player claimed to have bedded
20 000 women. Albert Ayler; avant-garde free jazz musician and
suspicious death ; Princess Louise; Queen Victorias artistic
daughter.Edgar P Jacobs; Comic book writer and artist. Subterranean
(Underworld) themes. Brian Wilson; Lead singer-songwriter of the

26

Beachboys, supremely talented and innovative. Mental illness and drug

addiction.
Algol Midheaven
The subject will make their name with their mystique. There is
something very striking about them. They are are not classically
appealing, so those who admire them maybe drawn to them because they
also identify with being the misfit or outsider. Even if these people do
happen to be beautiful they may still feel ugly. They are often mistaken
for being vain, but really they are incredibly self-conscious and may feel
people are constantly staring at them. Medusas stare is projected onto
others.
Dolores Cannon (02); Hypnotist who found many of her subjects had
lives off planet! Guillaume Apollinaire(08); Coined the term
surrealism. Poet, journalist, art critic. Elena Ford (11) Heiress to
Ford Motors fortune. Charged with drunk driving. Marlene
Dietrich (16) Actress/singer remained popular due to constantly reinventing herself. Uma Thurman (31); Shes more than a little
haunted according to John Malkovich [3]. Thought herself as ugly as a
teen and actually played Medusa in the film Percy Jackson & the
Olympians. Frida Khalo; Surrealist painter suffered polio and a bus
accident as a teenager. Her self-portraits were a curious blend of
complex, dreamlike imagery with an explicit and quite gory depiction of
her injuries.Henry Ford; Runs in the family see Elena Ford. Agatha
Christie; Murder mystery writer was famous for her psychological
suspense. Prince Albert. Extravagant and outspoken Donald
Trump. Woody
Allen;
Neurotic
misfit. William
Hopper and Pierre/Marie Curie Davison.
Algol Sun
These people destroy or create, sometimes in order to create they must
destroy. They will attach themselves to a cause with great zeal and
passion. Their lust can inspire them to great art or it can sometimes
become so intense as to be destructive. There may be a need to be
worshipped and regarded as a great figurehead. This idolization can
become like a drug to them.

27

Liberace (10) with Mars, Born with a caul, a head helmet. Cosmetic
plastic surgery left him with a spooky monster face. Hugh
Clapperton (17); 18th Century Explorer. Marshall Applewhite (18);
Founder of suicide cultHeavens Gate and prophet. Debra
Winger (19); Outspoken actress. Pierre Curie (31); Physicist and
pioneer in radioactivity. Ayatollah Khomeini; Extremist, charismatic
religious leader and politician. Efron/HudgensDavison; High School
Musical teen showbiz couple. Margot Fonteyn; Prima ballerina with
Mars. Don Bachardy; Portrait artist, met life partner, writer Christopher
Isherwood at 18, 30 year age gap. Georges Braque; Cubist painter and
Fauvist (Meaning Beasts). David Byrne; Singer with Talking
heads! Brian Eno; Experimental musician and artist. Innovator of
ambient music. George Lucas; Star Wars Director. Eric Satie;
Colourful, avant-garde classical composer. Heavy drinker, died of
Cirrhosis of the liver.
Algol Moon
Moon here suffers many traumatic emotional experiences. Acute
sensitivity. Can be melancholic and prone to depression. Over-active
imagination can cause paranoia. The subject may be tempted to turn to
drugs or drink to numb the intense feelings of sorrow. Will be passionate
about social welfare and human rights. May feel overwhelmed at times
by pain in the collective consciousness, expecially after a shocking event
like a terrorist attack or an environmental disaster.

28

Pier Poalo Pasolini (00); Italian film director, poet, visionary, writer,
intellectual. Openly gay in 1940. His work was highly contraversial and
critical of consumerism. Brutally murdered by being run over many
times by a car. Christine Keeler(05); British showgirl who brought
down
the
British
government.Darkstarastrology.com bought
(06). Patricia Highsmith (17); Novelist of psychological thrillers.
Alcoholic. Seen as hard and cruel or being great fun with a dry, biting
with depending on the friend. Bi-sexual never married. Carrie
Fisher (30); Princess Leia in Starwars. Bi-polar with alcohol and
drug addiction. Peter Sellers (44); Depressive and insecure behind his
roles. Erratic behaviour was esacerbated by alcohol and drug use. Baby
Azaria Chamberlain; Stolen by a dingo out in the Australian bush.Kate
McCann; Three year old daughter went missing from hotel room.Linda
Lovelace; Porn star who later said she was forced into it by her pimp
husband. Sid Vicious/Nancy Spungen Davison Chart; Herion addiction,
alleged death pact between them. With North Node. Mick Jagger.
Algol Mercury
A deep thinker with a brooding manner. Communicates in an intense,
provocative style. Forth right in their speech. Passionate writers, they
weave intricate plots and there is an obsessive, compulsive edge to their
work. Something about their voice is unique and they may be quite
noted for it wether it is speaking or singing. It may be sexy and husky,
unusually high or low pitched, whispery or just have a weird accent.
David Beckham (00); Magical free kicks. Distinctive fashion sense..
Suffers from OCD, everything has to be in straight lines or pairs. Eric
Burdon (07); House Of The Rising Sun Lead singer with Venus,
Jupiter and Uranus!Joan Collins (16); Actress. Mature sex symbol.
Famous for playing man-eaters and femme fatales. Married five
times. Johnny Depp (21); Character Actor. Eery, androgynous
appearance. Tends to play misfits and freaks.Clint Eastwood Director
and thinking mans cowboy. Acting roles are mainly loners and
outsiders. Julian Clary Transvestite gay comedian, famous for his
double entendres. Salvador Dali Eccentric behaviour reflected in his
bizarre paintings. He had a flamboyant personal style. His
craftsmanship was as intricate and elaborate as his personality. Dame

29

Nellie Melba operatic Diva. Jay Leno US stand up comedian and talk
show host. No drinking or smoking. Dean Martin King Of Cool
charismatic, with a relaxed crooning voice. With Mars and
Jupiter. Saddam Hussien wrote the Koran in his own blood, Brooke
Sheilds Put up as a child model from birth. Brooke had a poor self
image despite going onto date a string of famous, powerful and wealthy
men. Michael Jackson idolised her and proposed to her a number of
times.
VENUS Prince William. Diana Princess of Wales. Debbie
Reynolds. Sid Vicious with Ceres, died by heroin overdose. Liv
Tyler(Capulus) Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (Capulus) Debbie
Harry(Capulus). King Edward VIII (Capulus) abdicated.
MARS Anita Byrant singer and anti-gay rights. Brian Jones Rolling
stoned..drug abuse and suspicious death. Salvador Dali archetypical
bonkers artist. Vic Reeves (Capulus) Liberace (Capulus).
1. Medusas Head, Diana Rosenberg.
Algol Star The Blinking Demon
Algol is at 2610 Taurus with an orb of 20 .00

30

Algol is the second brightest star in constellation Perseus the Hero. It is

a rare triple star and eclipsing binary, meaning it appears to blink as
shown in the animation below. Every 69 hours, its magnitude dips for
about 10 hours before returning to full brightness again. This peculiar
fixed star is located in the Medusas Head, carried in the left hand of
Perseus. The Algol star is positioned at 2610 Taurus with an orb of
200.
The name Algol comes from the Arabic for Head of the Ogre. The
English translation became Demon Star, with other names being Satans
Head, the Spectres Head. In Chinese it belongs to s group of stars called
the Mausoleum.
Algol Star Astrology
In astrology, Algol is one of the most unfortunate stars. Ptolemy referred
to it as the Gorgon of Perseus and associated it with death by
decapitation: mirroring the myth of the hero Perseus victory over the
snake-headed Gorgon Medusa. Historically, it has received a strong
association with violence across a wide variety of cultures. Medieval
Arabic commanders tried to ensure that no important battle began whilst
the light of Algol was weak. It may be connected to the periodic lucky
prognosis in an ancient Egyptian calendar for lucky and unlucky days
composed about 3200 years ago.The 17th century English astrologer
William Lilly regarded any planet to be afflicted when within five
degrees of conjunction. [1]
Astrologers of course said that it was the most unfortunate, violent, and
dangerous star in the heavens, and it certainly has been one of the best
observed, as the most noteworthy variable in the northern sky. [2]
Algol represents the head of the Gorgon Medusa who was slain by
Perseus. Medusa, who was the only mortal one of the three Gorgon
sisters, was originally a beautiful maiden, but her hair was changed into
hissing serpents by Minerva in consequence of her having become by
Neptune the mother of Chrysaor and Pegasus in one of Minervas
temples. This gave her so fearful an appearance that everyone who
looked at her was changed into stone.

31

Algol is from Ras al Ghul, the Demons Head, other names in frequent
use being Caput Algol and Caput Medusae. It was known as Lilith by
the Hebrews, after the nocturnal vampire said to be Adams first wife.
Of the nature of Saturn and Jupiter. It causes misfortune, violence,
decapitation, hanging, electrocution and mob violence, and gives a
dogged and violent nature that causes death to the native or others. It is
the most evil star in the heavens.
Algol rules diamond, black hellebore and mug-wort. It Behenian
symbol is a human head cut off at the neck. It gives success to petitions,
makes the wearer bold and magnanimous, preserves the body, protects
against witchcraft, and turns evil and spells back upon those who work
them. In astrometerology, Algol rising with the Sun gives snow. Algol
with Saturn gives cold and moist weather. [3]

Algol Star Behenian Symbol

Algol is the Head of Gorgo Medusa. This name is derived from the
Arabic Al Ghoul meaning demon, evil spirit, or devil. Derived
from the same root is alcohol. The dark one has the property of pure
Saturn character; the lighter one corresponds not only to Saturnian
influence but also to Mars-Uranus-Pluto nature. If the dark fellow is
showing toward Earths path, the destructive invisible action is
exercised. These will be the hours in which Algol is least bright. In the

32

olden times, people were well aware of this. Dr, Lomer wrote
inKosmobiologie, August 1950: Arabic commanders-in-chief, in times
of conquest, made it a point that no important battles were begun when
the light of Algol was weak.
In spite of the appreciable distance from the ecliptic, this double stars
influence is strongly felt and in more cases it is a disastrous one.
Primitive natives will be of the base mind with an inclination to brutality
and violence, especially when Algol is found together with Mars or
Saturn. It is very difficult to avoid accidents and severe injuries if Algol
is conjunction Sun, Moon or the malefics. As everything has two sides, it
has to be said that high spiritual rays are emanating from Algol also,
but only those human beings can receive them who have already reached
high spiritual development. Even then, it has to be noted that those
particular persons will have difficulties and obstacles in their way, and
they have to use much energy to overcome these handicaps. If their
endeavors fail, strong counter forces and enmities will be present. [4]
Algol has the nature of Jupiter, but it also has a long tradition as a
trouble maker. It is said to be on of the most unfortunate, violent, and
dangerous stars in the heavens. This is explained by the fact that Jupiter
takes on all of its most perverse meanings: too much heat, as it were,
resulting in extremist actions that undo all the beneficial qualities of this
planet. [5]
Capulus is associated with either murder or execution those facts are
specifically related to the neck, hanging or beheading. This applies much
more so to Algol, alias Caput Medusa, the Demon herself. Indeed she is
without doubt counted the most malefic of all stars in astrology, even
though Ptolemy gives her the less obviously ominous Saturn-Jupiter
styling. Medusas Head, the meaning of the Latin title, is being held in
Perseuss hand, which is she is star beta in his constellation.
What seems to have been missed in the old school is that Capulus and
Algol each have a very positive side to them. That sword did remove a
monstrosity from our world, and the monstrositys head did, in its turn,
rescueAndromeda and by the same token, all of us from yet another
monster of great evil. True that Algol comes from an old Arabic word
meaning particularly nasty spirit but then, as we have noted, we all too

33

easily look back and within ourselves only to be halted at our traumas
and nasty bits, failing to penetrate further to the glory beyond them.
Lilith is not Medusa at all, not the ugly blockage in us but the beauty
beyond it. Once we pass the ghoul in Algol, we find the pure Spirit in
that word, just as its modern derivative, Alcohol, which does so much
damage if used irresponsibly, is also the background material of the
Universe, without which nothing else exists.
How Capulus , and more especially Algol, signify on horoscopes
depends entirely on how the person concerned does or does not live life
with an honest sense of purpose to it, a desire to at least try to live up to
some kind of philosophy, religion or ideal. If that be present, in the
person or question or event for which the chart is drawn, then all will go
well. The author has seen this happen so often, once the superstition
about these stars is dropped. If purpose and intent be shady, then we
dont really need stars to tell us that things are likely, with good reason,
to go wrong.
Yes, we know that Algol often does show up in disastrous accidents with
death as their climax, but we must remember that our too-common state
of disbelief in life beyond the one event since birth that is the lot of all of
us. We fear because we do not believe, and we fear to overcome our fear,
lest to be fearless of death should somehow cause us to love mortal life
the less. We fear to let go of the past because we lack faith in the Hand
that holds the future. With Algol poorly aspected in our charts we may
well repeat the popular but obscene: Better the devil you know that the
devil you dont , but those with the Star of the Spirit better placed, we
find the person who knows better than to slander the Hand as a devil.
May a fine counselor and healer has Algol thus placed. [6]
Algol rules one-quarter inch up the base of the neck. [7]
I have found that a strong Algol placement in the natal chart corresponds
to very distinctive facial features and hair. There may be a striking beard
or glorious long hair. The teeth, nose or ears may also be striking in

34

some way, either extremely beautiful, large or deformed.

Constellation Perseus
It is said to give an intelligent, strong, bold and adventurous nature, but a
tendency to lying. By the Kabalists it is associated with the Hebrew
letter Lamed and the 12th Tarot Trump The Hanged Man. [3]
The constellation is indicative of events effecting large numbers of
people, especially those events caused by major meteorological
phenomena. When prominent in a natal chart it is said to denote
adventurous individuals, but also those who are less than honest in their
dealings with others. [5]
Algol Star Conjunctions
Midheaven conjunct Algol: Murder, sudden death, beheading, prone to
murder and mischief. If at the same time in conjunction with Sun, Moon
or Jupiter, gives victory over others in war. [3]
Hyleg conjunct Algol and angular: decapitation or a murderer who
meets with a violent death. [3]
Part of Fortune conjunct Algol: poverty. [3]

35

Sun conjunct Algol: Violent death or extreme sickness. If also in no

aspect to a benefic, or there is no benefic in the 8th house, and the
dispositor of the Sun in a day nativity or if the Moon in the night one is
in square or opposition to Mars, the native will be beheaded; if the
luminary culminate he will be maimed, mangled, wounded or torn to
pieces alive; and if Mars is at the same time in Gemini or Pisces his
hands or feet will be cut off. [3]
Moon conjunct Algol: Violent death or extreme sickness. [3]
Mars conjunct Algol: or if Mars be elevated above the luminaries when
Algol is angular, the native will be a murderer who will come to an
untimely end. The same is caused by Algol angular or with the hyleg. [3]
Mars or Saturn conjunct Algol and Moon with Sadalmelik: hanging
or decapitation by royal command; if the Moon is with Denebola death
by judicial sentence; and, if the Moon is with Alfard death by water or
poison. [3]
Algol and Evolution
From the mythology of Medusa we can see her as a mutant. As mutation
is the driver of generic evolution, it is no surprise to see the Algol star
prominent in the history of the Human Genome Project.
On June 1 1866, Charles Benedict, the father of the American eugenics
movement was born. Mercury was conjunct Algol. He sterilized 60 000
unfit, or mutant Americans and strongly influenced the Holocaust in
Europe [8].
On July 16 1945 we exploded the first nuclear bomb, the Trinity Test in
Nevada. Mars was conjunct Algol. The bombings of Hiroshima and
Nagasaki that followed killed over 200 000 people and mutated
countless more.
On April 25 1953, Watson and Crick published their groundbreaking
discovery on the structure of DNA, the building block of our genes.
Jupiter was conjunct Algol.
On December 9 1984, research on casualties at Hiroshima and Nagasaki
led to the Alta Summit, the beginnings of the Human Genome Project.
North Node was conjunct Algol. If genome projects prove important to
biology, then historians will note the Alta meeting [9].

36

On June 25 2000, president Clinton announced the completion of the

Human Genome Project [10]. Saturn was conjunct Algol.
On May 18 2006, the sequence of the last chromosome was published in
the journal Nature. Sun and Mercury were conjunct Algol.
On May 21 2008, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act
became law To prohibit discrimination on the basis of genetic
information with respect to health insurance and employment [11].
Venus was conjunct Algol.

The history of the star: Algol

from p.332 of Star Names, Richard Hinckley Allen, 1889.
[A scanned copy can be viewed on this webpage]

37

Beta () Perseus, Algol, is a bright

star positioned on the severed head that Perseus is carrying. It is an
eclipsing binary; every 68 hours and 49 minutes this Demon Star
blinks for roughly 8 hours as the dimmer star of the pair passes
between the brighter and the earth.
"the Gorgon's head, a ghastly sight,
Deformed and dreadful, and a sign of woe." Bryant's translation of
the Iliad.
Algol, the Demon, the Demon Star, and the Blinking Demon, from the
Arabians' Ra's al Ghul, the Demon's Head, is said to have been thus
called from its rapid and wonderful variations; but I find no evidence of
this [Star Names was published in 1889, it was that year that Algol was
discovered to be an eclipsing binary Wikipedia], and that people
probably took the title from the second-century Greek astronomer
Ptolemy. Al Ghul literally signifies a Mischief-maker, and the name still

38

appears in the Ghoul of the Arabian Nights and of our day. It

degenerated into the Alove often used some centuries ago for this star.
The second-century Greek astronomer Ptolemy catalogued it as ton en
gorgonio o lampros, "the bright one of those in the Gorgon's head,"
which Al Tizini (Arabian astronomer, first half of 16th century) followed
in his Na'ir (bright), for, with pi (), rho (), and omega (), it made up
that well-known group, itself being the Gorgonea prima;
the Gorgonion of the 14th century Greco-Persian astronomer
Chrysococca, Gorgoneum Caput of Vitruvius, Caput Gorgonis of
Hyginus, and the Gorgonis Ora of Manilius (1st century A.D.).
With astronomical writers of three centuries ago Algol was Caput
Larvae, the Spectre's Head.
Hipparchos (circa 160-120 B.C.) and Pliny (23-79 A.D.) made a separate
constellation of the Gorgon stars as the Head of Medusa, this
descending almost to our own day, although always connected
with Perseus.
The Hebrews knew Algol as Rosh ha Satan, Satan's Head, English
writer on globes John Chilmead (circa 1639)'s Rosch hassatan, the
Divels head; but also as Lilith, Adam's legendary first wife**, the
nocturnal vampyre from the lower world that reappeared in the
demonology of the Middle Ages as the witch Lilis, one of the characters
in Goethe's Walpurgis Nacht.
The Chinese gave it the gruesome title Tseih She, the Piled-up Corpses.
{p.333} Astrologers of course said that it was the most unfortunate,
violent, and dangerous star in the heavens, and it certainly has been one
of the best observed, as the most noteworthy variable in the northern
sky.
**[Allen notes at end of page 332 of Star Names: We are indebted to the
Talmudists for this story, which probably originated in Babylonia; and
they added that, after Adam had separated from Lilith and their demon
children, Eve was created for him. Our Authorized Version renders the
original word in Isaiah xxxiv, 14, by "screech owl"; the Revised Version,
by "night-monster"; Cheyne adopts the Hebrew Lilith in the Polychrome
Bible; and Luther's Bible had Kobold, but this corresponded to the
Scottish Brownie and the English "Robin Goodfellow,"Shakespeare's

39

"Puck." Saint Jerome's Vulgate translated it "Lamia," the Greek and

Roman title for the fabled woman, beautiful above, but a serpent below,
that Keats reproduced in his Lamia.]
[Star Names, Their Lore and Meaning, Richard Hinckley Allen, 1889]
Legend: Algol represents the head of the Gorgon Medusa who was slain
by Perseus. Medusa, who was the only mortal one of the three Gorgon
sisters, was originally a beautiful maiden, but her hair was changed into
hissing serpents by Minerva in consequence of her having become by
Neptune the mother of Chrysaor and Pegasus in one of Minerva's
temples. This gave her so fearful an appearance that everyone who
looked at her was changed into stone. [Robson*, p.123.]
The astrological influences of the constellation Perseus
Legend: Zeus visited Danae in the form of a shower of gold and got her
pregnant with Perseus. As a young man Perseus undertook a mission to
kill the Medusa. He was furnished with the sword, cap and wings of
Mercury and the shield of Minerva. He killed the Medusa by cutting off
her head and afterwards killed the sea monster Cetus and then rescued
and married Andromeda. Perseus founded a city, having dropped his cap
or found a mushroom (both named myces) at Mycenae. [Robson*, p.56.]
Influences: According to Ptolemy, Perseus is like Jupiter and Saturn. It
is said to give an intelligent, strong, bold and adventurous nature, but a
tendency to lying. By the Kabalists it is associated with the Hebrew
letter Lamed and the 12th Tarot Trump "The Hanged Man." [Robson*,
p.56.]
The constellation is indicative of events effecting large numbers of
people, especially those events caused by major meteorological
phenomena. When prominent in a natal chart it is said to denote
adventurous individuals, but also those who are less than honest in their
dealings with others. [Fixed Stars and Judicial Astrology, George
Noonan, 1990, p.14.]

40

The astrological influences of the star Algol

People astrologically influenced by Algol: Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali,
Van Gogh, Albert Einstein, Karl Abraham (psychoanalyst), Carl Jung,
Ramakrishna (Indian saint), Muktananda (Indian mystic), Werner Erhard
(guru "est"), Marshall Applewhite and Luc Jouret (cult leaders, led to
mass suicides), Al Gore (the name is close), Billy Joel, Glen Campbell,
Liberace, Princess Diana, Prince William, Princess Caroline of Monaco,
Anita Bryant (against gays), Zola Budd (runner), Manly Palmer Hall
(philosophical research), Aleister Crowley (Satanist, occultist), Erica
Jong (author), Mary Jo Kopechne (drowned companion of Ted
Kennedy), John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Dean Martin, Ryan O'Neil, Josef
Stalin, Pat Schroeder, Carl Sagan, Cecil B. De Mille (film producer),
Isadora Duncan, Mata Hari (Spy), George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde,
Michael Caine, Henry Fonda, Ruhollah Khomeini (Iranian leader),
Stephen King (horror novels).
Of the nature of Saturn and Jupiter. It causes misfortune, violence,
decapitation, hanging, electrocution and mob violence, and gives a
dogged and violent nature that causes death to the native or others. It is
the most evil star in the heavens. [Robson*, p.124.]
Poor teeth. Brutality and violence. Arabic commanders in chief, in times
of conquest, made it a point that no important battles were begun when
the light of Algol was weak (Algol is an eclipsing binary - every 68
hours and 49 minutes the demon blinks for roughly 8 hours as the
dimmer star of the pair passes between the brighter and the earth).
[Fixed Stars and Their Interpretation, Elsbeth Ebertin, 1928, p.24.]
If culminating: Murder, sudden death, beheading, prone to murder and
mischief. If at the same time in conjunction with Sun, Moon or Jupiter,
gives victory over others in war. [Robson*, p.124.]
With the Hyleg and angular, decapitation or a murderer who meets with
a violent death. [Robson*, p.124.]
With Fortuna or its dispositor, poverty. [Robson*, p.124.]
With Sun: Violent death or extreme sickness. If also in no aspect to a
benefic, or there is no benefic in the 8th house, and the dispositor of the

41

Sun in a day nativity or if the Moon in the night one is in square or

opposition to Mars, the native will be beheaded; if the luminary
culminate he will be maimed, mangled, wounded or torn to pieces alive;
and if Mars is at the same time in Gemini or Pisces his hands or feet will
be cut off. [Robson*, p.124.]
With Moon: Violent death or extreme sickness. [Robson*, p.124.]
With Mars: or if Mars be elevated above the luminaries when Algol is
angular, the native will be a murderer who will come to an untimely end.
The same is caused by Algol angular or with the hyleg. [Robson*,
p.124.]
With Mars or Saturn: and the Moon at the same time with
Sadalmelik (2 Pisces), hanging or decapitation by royal command; if the
Moon is with Denebola (20 Virgo), death by judicial sentence; and, if the
Moon is with Alfard (26 Leo) death by water or poison. [Robson*,
p.124.]

Lilith, Triple Goddess +

Lilith has given her name to several astronomical entities of very
different natures. There are three, even four, Liliths. Thus she
demonstrates the nature of the triple goddess, and adds a fourth
dimension.
Asteroid Lilith
Black Moon Lilith
Lilith Star
Trinity of Lilith
Asteroid Lilith
One Lilith is an asteroid, number 1181, orbiting with most of the other
asteroids between Mars and Jupiter. The asteroids, considered fragments
of a one-time planetary body, are facets of a larger whole. The asteroid
belt is a thicket of archetypal material. I think of the female-named
asteroids as various aspects of the Great Goddess. In this view, Lilith is
one of the most ancient. The symbol for asteroid Lilith is a stylized
hand, signaling warning, greeting, or blessing. The hand is one of the
most ancient symbols used by humans, seen on petroglyphs and in cave
drawings. Eastern images of gods and goddess show hand gestures,

42

called mudras, that convey meaning. Perhaps the meaning of Liliths

hand signal depends on how one approaches her.
Asteroid 1181, the most solid-bodied Lilith, orbits the Sun in around 4
years. In the classic book, Asteroid Goddesses, Demetra George and
Douglas Bloch discuss the mythology of asteroid Lilith in relation to
issues of suppressed rage, resentment, sexual manipulation and selfexile. She is a fiercely independent goddess who refuses to submit to the
assumed authority of another, to compromise her beliefs. As the original,
first wife of Adam, created from the same God Power and the same
Earth, she demanded an equal relationship. The man was not strong
enough to agree, at least in that version of the story, at that time in
history. Thats over 5,000 years ago. Weve come a long way, baby? She
asks us to deal with confrontation and issues of equality in relationship.
The asteroid seems to represent split off, demonized aspects of the
feminine, the result of long-standing cultural projections that perceive
powerful feminine roles and attributes as shameful, untrustworthy, and
dangerous. Our personal Lilith placement may show where we struggle
with social judgments that define how the feminine qualities should be
expressed in order to fit in. It is the point where we may most need to
cast off socially-imposed role models of the feminine that deny her true
instinct and vitality. These cultural definitions define us, but are not us.
Here we may not be seen clearly. A prominent asteroid Lilith placement
in the birth chart may indicate a person who does not fit the cultural
stereotype, leading to some kind of exile from the community.
Dark Moon Lilith
Some say there is a second moon circling Eartha mysterious dark
moon. The Dark Moon has been reported for centuries, as far back as
September 2, 1618, according to Delphine Jay in her book, Interpreting
Lilith, placing this important sighting appropriately in the season of the
Virgin Goddess. This Dark Moon is a second satellite of the Earth, one
that is rarely seen because it reflects no light and can only be sighted on
the few rare dates when the sky is dark and Lilith Dark Moon is either in
opposition to or crossing the Suns face in conjunction with it. It is onefourth the size of our familiar Moon, say astronomers who have viewed

43

it, and three times as far away. It takes 119 days to orbit the Earth, about
10 days per sign.
Why havent we heard more about this second Moon? Perhaps it is the
nature of Lilith. Her existence has not been completely verified. Dark
Moon Lilith is like a sphere of dust, absorbing light rather than reflecting
it. She holds in her darkness. Sister of our Eve-like Moon, they are like
the bright Sumerian Goddess Inanna and her dark sister, Ereshkigal,
exiled in the underworld. After her honeymoon fails to provide the
happily-ever-after romantic dream, Inanna descends to her sisters realm,
the underworld of the unconscious where the rejected Ereshkigal cries in
pain and anger. The Dark Goddess takes one look at her luminous,
beautiful sister who has gathered all the light and fixes her with the eye
of death, freezing the growth of consciousness in the paralysis of
repressed pain. Giving expression to the pain in some form releases us
from our (often self-imposed) imprisonment in negative emotions. Lilith
shows us the way, but she does not come out gently from behind her veil
of night.
According to Delphine Jays research, the effect of Dark Moon Lilith is
distinctly impersonal rather than subjective as with the Moon. Whereas
the reflective Moon represents personal, subjective feelings, the Dark
Moon represents a primal, objective, impersonal instinct that seeks
identification beyond the physical and emotional realms. This is the
way it must be, she says clearly and definitively, like one of the Fates,
the triple goddesses of karma. When her expression is denied or selfcentered, she can be quite negative; when the emotional content is
channelized into higher centers, she adds power to creative, mental or
aesthetic expression, even to spiritual practice. Lilith strictly
symbolizes the objective thinking approach. Anything less is
unsuccessful. (8) The Dark Moon point is where we are lured into our
more self-centered illusions for the purpose of purging negative desires
and grow beyond our habitual patterns of early Moon conditioning.
Black Moon Lilith
Perhaps the most subtle and intriguing of the three Liliths, Black Moon
is not a physical body but an abstract, geometrical point, like the
Ascendant or the Vertex. It is the second center of the Moons elliptical

44

orbit around the Earth. An ellipse has two centers, rather than one like
perfect circle. The Earth is one center and Black Moon Lilith is the
other. Another way to describe this point is as the apogee of the Moons
orbitthe place where it is the farthest from Earth.
The center of gravity between the Earth and Moon is inside the Earth. As
part of the Earth-Moon system, Black Moon is a point or energetic
vortex intimately bound to the center of the Earth. Black Moon and
Earth are the two centers or the double center, around which the Moon
orbits. Lilith is a twin to the core energy of the Earth, the deep heart of
fire. This is the central fire that feeds and sustains our Earth bodies. The
creative vitality of the Sun gives life to the Earth and fuels this central
core fire. The center of gravity between the Moon and Earth is within the
Earth. It is as if Black Moon pulls away from that center and brings the
Moon closer to the Sun, Black Moon being the furthest point of the
Moon from Earth.
Psychologist Robert Sardello, author of Facing the World with Soul, tells
a story of Sophia, the feminine divine essence, always seeking union
with the Spirit of God. The light of God was so brilliant, she was
moving toward that, attracted to it. Then she was distracted by an
equally bright light. She found herself trapped inside Earth, incarnated in
physical matter, that is equally as divine. This central flame is the heart
of Earth and sustains the spiritual life of Earth, as the materiality of earth
nurtures and sustains our bodies. This flame reaches out from the center
of Earth through all living beings, ever longing to merge with the Spirit
of God. Found in the darkness, we seek her in the deepest recesses of
our Selves. This is the impulse for the sacred inner marriage.
As a center point of the Moons orbit, Black Moon Lilith works in
relationship with the Earth-Moon system and with the Sun. As a second
center of reference, she gives a sense of rhythm to the Earth, taking the
dynamics of relationship beyond the personal Moon-Venus energies into
subtle dimensions that are essential to our reasons for being on and of
Earth. Representing the closest reach of the Moon to the Sun, she is also
a reference point in our personal lives that brings us into relationship
with the heart of our Sun-fueled experience on Earth, an emotional
intelligence informed by the wisdom of earthy instinct. Since our culture

45

has lost, even rejected as Lilith was rejected, this kind of natural wisdom
is more difficult to tap into and trust.
In this regard, Black Moon Lilith can have a strong impact of
relationship dynamics. Relationships that involve Lilith energy are
initiatory, soul-to-soul meetings that open into a deeper center where
personal and impersonal experience merge. Can we trust this energy that
is unraveling our edges, tapping into such a deep well? Can we trust
ourselves?
The Black Moon point is where we are lured into the mystery. She
insists that we feel through, let go, surrender to something essential and
transparent in us that is primary, the bedrock beneath the shifting sands,
the passion of the soul. It is a corridor into the heart through which we
are lured to discover our deepest truth, the longings and yearnings of our
souls and thereby leading us to the deeper truth within our heart, the
longings and yearnings of our souls.
In Unremembered Country, Susan Griffin beautifully articulates the
essence of this core energy:
As I go into the Earth, she pierces my heart. As I penetrate further, she
unveils me. When I have reached her center, I am weeping openly. I
have known her all my life, yet she reveals stories to me, and these
stories are revelations and I am transformed. Each time I go to her I am
born like this. Her renewal washes over me endlessly, her wounds caress
me; I become aware of all that has come between us, of the noise
between us, the blindness, of something sleeping between us. Now my
body reaches out to her.
Black Moon symbolizes a central motivating factor that is subtle, unseen
but felt. This Lilith taps into an urgent desire of the soul that seeks
dramatization in life and will brook no denial. In a time such as ours of
potent change, the Black Moon, with its underlying creative life force
and spiritual impulse, illumines the inner pathway with the most heart
for each seeker of Truth and Love.
The Lilith Star
Lilith has given her name to yet a fourth astronomical entity. The star
Algol in the constellation Perseus, has a reputation as the most evil star
in the sky. Most often envisioned as the Eye or Head of Medusa, Algol

46

was also called Lilith by Hebrew star watchers.* (R.H Allen 332) Such
an Eye perceives with an objectivity, like that of nature itself and our
dreams, boring into the soul to find the naked truth, to see reality
beneath all its myriad forms and the illusions and defenses it displays,
writes Sylvia Pereira as she describes Ereshkigals sword-like glance of
death. When the Sumerian underworld goddess fixes her gaze upon us,
our illusions about ourselves are stripped. Our motivations are bared. We
see the truth and stew in our own juices, as we let go of self-deceptions
and illusions. As the Wolf said to Little Red Riding Hood, All the better
to see you with, my dear.
Stellar Lilith, in the realm of the fixed stars, is located at 25 Taurus 28 in
relation to the zodiac and culminates, or reaches its height in the sky, at
18 Taurus. Both of these points are potent Algol degrees, creating
another kind of Lilith corridor. You may have your own position for
Algol rising or setting, depending on where you were born.(see Brady)
This star brings us into a large mythic drama, that involves Perseus and
Andromeda, Cassiopeia and Cepheus, Pegasus and Cetus. The wellknown Greek story has more ancient roots in Ethiopia and Libya, in the
prehistory of the Amazon culture and the High Priestesses of Africa,
revealing more dimensions of the power of the Great Mother.
The Trinity of Lilith
I find the three Liliths intriguing as a mirror of the triple goddessand
the star brings the trinity into a fourth dimension. Essentially Tantric,
Lilith in her several forms transforms subjective to spiritual. Her
impersonal energy opens transparent areas of the mind, not clouded by
the weight of collective Judgement or limitations of ego identity. The
three aspects vibrate at different frequencies, in chords and octaves,
opening channels to clear and spiritualize the emotional body.
Dark Moon has the fastest orbital cycle, like a cloud passing across the
Sun. With its very existence veiled in shadow, Dark Moon relates to
highly individualized soul desires that are denied personal satisfaction
for higher expression on social/spiritual levels.
The asteroid is not connected to the Moon as are the other two Liliths. It
has an orbit of somewhat over four years and is the most embodied, a
verified object with an official number. Asteroid Lilith about repressed

47

elements that want full embodied expression, relating to issues of

sexuality, anger, assertion and conflict resolution.
Black Moon is an energy vortex, an ancient pathway into incarnation
and sword of truth. Its orbital cycle of eight years, ten months,
coordinates with the Moons nodal cycles. Black Moon has deep
instinctive intuition, will and desire power that can weave matter out of
ether. Perhaps that why she comes in dreams, when our bodies and
rational minds are asleep. Our thoughts are then turned off and she can
whisper her secrets in images and even, perhaps, transport us to other
realms. She is a weaver of the etheric and the physical, like the warp and
woof of the loom. She weaves together the collective and the personal,
as the myth becomes our experience to regenerate.
The Lilith Star, Algol, brings the energy into another dimension.
Seemingly immortal in the ancient field of fixed stars, it contains a
collective dimension of Lilith, that fixes her Eye on us dispassionately,
winking mysteriously.

The Dark Goddess Lilith

by M. Kelley Hunter
A female tiger. She is magnificent, powerful. We treat her with respect,
awe. She can hurt, but we are allowed to stroke her. She is surrounded
by a round enclosure, trapped. A number of male cats come in and rape
her. She is covered in blood after the second attack. After, she is left
encaged, her heart destroyed. Anyone who approaches her is met by a
terrible, hateful, warning snarl. She is dangerous, ferocious, destructive,
defensive. Why is one of such a royal upbringing led to this fate?
Thus Lilith entered my dreams. One of the dark goddesses, like
Persephone, Hecate, and Kali, Lilith expresses the feminine power of the
divine, creative life force. If we follow the mythological trail of these
dark goddesses back in time to find the source of their darkness and
negativity, we discover not only the possibility of a major shift in the
collective human image of the feminine, but also some deep

48

undercurrent of unease that needs to be acknowledged and healed in our

personal lives.
Lilith first appeared in Sumerian mythology about 5,000 years ago. As
"handmaid" to the Goddess Inanna, Queen of Heaven, she would gather
men in from the fields for the sacred rites. In another Sumerian story,
Lilith lives in the sacred huluppu tree that Inanna has planted in her holy
garden, accompanied by the snake who cannot be charmed and the wild
Anzu-bird and her young. These creatures are part of Lilith's untamed
nature and have knowledge to give Inanna, who is not yet ready to
accept it. So Inanna calls in her brother, Gilgamesh, to cut down the tree.
The serpent is killed, the Anzu-bird and its family fly off to the
mountains, and Lilith departs for the wilderness.(1)
T his story may be the foundation of the most well-known Hebrew myth
of Lilith as the first wife of Adam. According to one version of the story,
Yahweh creates both Adam and Lilith from earth, but with one important
difference: he uses impure sediments to create Lilith, whereas Adam has
been fashioned from pure dust. Because of this, Adam expects Lilith to
be submissive to him, but, claiming equality, she will not be put beneath
him and flies away to lifelong exile near the Red Sea, where she mates
with evil spirits and bears scores of demonic children. Meanwhile,
Yahweh again tries to create a partner for Adam, this time taking one of
his ribs and turning it into Eve - now she is a creation from Adam and
not one in her own right, like Lilith. Myth has it that the jealousy and
rage generated by Adam's rejection motivate Lilith to come in the night
for her revenge, strangling babies and giving men wet dreams to sap
their strength. Amulets were worn to ward her off.(2)

49

Another figure in Hebrew mythology is the Shekinah, God's Beloved,

known as Sophia in Gnostic Christianity. She is the Wisdom principle, a
feminine aspect of divinity.(3) Later Christians came to call her the Holy
Ghost. I see Lilith as the "lower" Shekinah, the root of the tree that seeks
sustenance in the soil, while Sophia is the sky-reaching branches and
fruits. As the Judeo-Christian religions elevated the masculine aspect of
divinity, they de-spiritualized material, sensual reality. The "lower"
Shekinah became unclean, unholy. The Hebrews had infiltrated the
Sumerian and Babylonian lands, where they became familiar with the
Venusian goddesses Inanna and Astarte. These goddesses were
celebrated as embodiments of love in a sacred marriage ritual between
their priestesses and kings. In these cultures, as well as the Celtic
culture, it was the goddess who gave the king his power through her love
and special favors, but the cultural transition to masculine gods made
these love rites blasphemous. However, the sacred marriage comes down
to us even in the Bible, as Solomon's Song of Songs.(4)
This Biblical material was incorporated into a play created by Vermont's
Dragon Dance Theater, which is based on the Sumerian myth of Inanna.
I played Lilith, creating a character to give voice to my dream and to the
pain of the female vital life force betrayed and suppressed, now to be
acknowledged and redeemed. I blended material from my dreams, the
Biblical Song of Songs, the Gnostic Gospels, and other sources. From
this work I learned that Lilith is the Tree of Life, offering true wisdom

50

rather than ego-fed knowledge. She may offer direct experience of

wisdom if we can flow with her beyond our fears from the past, beyond
our fear of the unknown, beyond even our fear of death.
Working with this Dragon Dance material for eight months was a
profound experience that illuminated other facets of my life and
relationships, luring me into deeper aspects of my unknown self. This
creative work provided a way to process an inner and outer
transformation that brought the recognition of some darker emotions, as
well as more authentic action from my personal center, a more full
expression of sexuality, and the clarification of appropriate levels of
intimacy in relationships. It became clear that Lilith challenges both
women and men to connect with their instinctive passion for life, for this
natural force turns destructive when it is denied, unfulfilled, caged, or
exiled. I still give voice to Lilith in the form of a dramatic monologue.
The intriguing circumstances that occur whenever I present this piece
continue to open me to her timeless mysteries.
The Three Liliths
Astrologically, there are three Liliths and you need three different
ephemerides to find them. She doesn't make it easy. These include the
Asteroid Lilith, found orbiting in the asteroid belt between Mars and
Jupiter; the controversial Dark Moon Lilith, said to be the Earth's second
Moon by those who have claimed to see it over the last four centuries;
and Black Moon Lilith, an abstract, geometrical point in space (see
diagram *).
Asteroid Lilith
Asteroid #1181 bears Lilith's name and orbits around the Sun
approximately every four years. I think of the female-named asteroids as
aspects of the Great Goddess, and Lilith is one of the most ancient. The
asteroid seems to represent split-off, demonized aspects of the feminine,
the result of long-standing cultural projections that perceive feminine
roles and attributes as shameful, untrustworthy, and dangerous. Our
personal Lilith placement may show where we struggle with social
judgments that define how the feminine qualities should be expressed in
order to "fit in." These cultural projections define us, but are not us. Here
we may not be seen clearly. A prominent Asteroid Lilith in the birth

51

chart may indicate a person who does not fit the cultural stereoty pe,
leading to some kind of exile from the community.
One woman with the asteroid on her Ascendant has a dark, gloomy
visage and her straggly hair adds an unkempt look. She does not speak
much and is uncomfortable in social situations. She lives simply in the
country and works best in the outdoors. This woman could not and
would not conform to social expectations.
The symbol for Asteroid Lilith is a stylized hand that signals warning,
greeting, or blessing.(5) Perhaps it is how we approach her that will
determine what this hand gesture means. In the classic book, Asteroid
Goddesses, Lilith is described as signifying resentment and inner rage;
she sets herself apart, flies into exile. She is fiercely independent. She
refuses to submit to the assumed authority of another or to compromise
her beliefs. Lilith asks us to deal with confrontation and issues of
equality in relationship. Her asteroid ephemeris can also be found in this
book.(6)
Dark Moon Lilith
Some say there is a second Moon circling Earth, a mysterious dark moon
that is only seen on rare dates when it is opposite the Sun or when its
shadowy silhouette crosses in front of the Sun. Although its existence
has not been verified, those astronomers who claim to have viewed it say
it is one-fourth the size of our familiar Moon and three times as far
away.(7) It takes 119 days to orbit Earth, about ten days per sign. This is
Dark Moon Lilith. Supposedly sighted as long ago as 1618, this body
came to broader attention through the work of astrologer Sepharial in
1918, and more recently through the writings of Delphine Jay, who also
published an ephemeris for the Dark Moon Lilith.(8)
Like a dust cloud, Dark Moon Lilith absorbs the light into itself, a very
different process from that of our Sun-reflecting Moon. Whereas the
reflective Moon represents personal, subjective feelings, the Dark Moon
represents a primal, impersonal, creative instinct that seeks identification
apart from the physical and emotional realms.
According to Delphine Jay's research, the effect of Dark Moon Lilith is
distinctly impersonal. When her expression is self-centered, she can be
quite negative; when the emotional content is directed to higher centers,

52

she enhances creative, mental, aesthetic, and even spiritual expression.

"Lilith strictly symbolizes the objective thinking approach. Anything
else is unsuccessful."(9) The Dark Moon position is where we must
grow beyond our habitual patterns of our early Moon conditioning in
order to remember the ancient exaltation of our true spiritual parentage.
Black Moon Lilith
Perhaps the most subtle and intriguing of the three Liliths, Black Moon
is not a physical body but an abstract, geometrical point, like the
Ascendant or the Vertex. Because the Moon's path around the Earth is
elliptical, as opposed to circular, it has two foci, or centers, the Earth
being one and Black Moon Lilith the other. We can also describe this
point as the apogee of the Moon's orbit - the place where it is farthest
from Earth.
The center of gravity between the Earth and Moon is inside the Earth. As
part of the Earth-Moon system, Black Moon is a point or energetic
vortex intimately bound to the center of the Earth. Within this context,
Lilith is a twin to the core energy of the Earth, the deep heart of fire that
feeds and sustains our bodies and the body of the Earth. The creative
vitality of the Sun gives life to the Earth and fuels this central core fire.
As a centerpoint of the Moon's orbit, Black Moon Lilith works in
relationship with the Earth-Moon system and with the Sun. As a second
center of reference, she gives a sense of rhythm to the Earth, taking the
dynamics of relationship beyond the personal Moon-Venus energies into
more subtle dimensions that are essential to our lives. For this reason
Black Moon Lilith has a strong impact on relationship dynamics.
Representing the closest reach of the Moon to the Sun, she is also a
reference point in our personal lives that brings us into relationship with
the heart of our Sun-fueled experience on Earth, an emotional
intelligence informed by the wisdom of earthy instinct. Since our culture
has lost - even rejected, as Lilith was rejected - this kind of natural
wisdom, it is more difficult to tap into and trust it. Relationships that
carry the Lilith energy are initiatory, soul-to-soul meetings that open into
a deeper center where personal and impersonal experience merge. Can
we trust this energy that is unraveling our edges, tapping into such a
deep well? Can we trust ourselves?

53

The Black Moon point is where we are lured into our more self-centered
illusions for the purpose of purging negative desires, thereby leading us
to the deeper truth within our hearts, the longings and yearnings of our
souls. She insists that we feel through, let go, and surrender to something
essential and transparent in us that is primary - the bedrock beneath the
shifting sands, the passion of the soul.
In Unremembered Country, Susan Griffin beautifully articulates the
essence of this core energy: "As I go into the Earth, she pierces my
heart. As I penetrate further, she unveils me. When I have reached her
center, I am weeping openly. I have known her all my life, yet she reveals
stories to me, and these stories are revelations, and I am transformed.
Each time I go to her I am born like this. Her renewal washes over me
endlessly, her wounds caress me; I become aware of all that has come
between us, of the noise between us, the blindness, of something
sleeping between us. Now my body reaches out to her."(10)
Mean or True?
Like the Moon's nodes, Black Moon Lilith has both Mean and True
positions, and the difference between them can be significant, even up to
30 degrees. I understand that most Europeans use the Mean Black Moon.
Of course Lilith can be Mean, but I think she is also True. In her True
position, she moves very quickly - up to 6 per day - and retrogrades
often. I will have to do more research before speculating on the
meanings of these two positions. Sabian symbols are one way to start.
For now, I propose considering a Black Moon corridor, using the section
of the zodiac encompassed by the True-Mean section of the chart. For
some people Lilith would cover a larger territory, sometimes even
expressing through two signs, with transiting planets making a longer
passage. Others, with a narrow band of Lilith influence, may have a
more focused, intensified experience of her energies.
Triple Goddess Lilith
I find the three Liliths intriguing as a mirror of the triple goddess.
Essentially Tantric, Lilith transforms energy to higher octaves. Her
impersonal energy opens transparent areas of the mind, not clouded by
the weight of collective judgment or the limitations of ego identity. The
three aspects vibrate at different frequencies and open channels to clear

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and spiritualize the emotional body. Dark Moon has the fastest orbital
cycle, like clouds passing across the face of the Sun. It represents highly
individualized soul desires that are denied satisfaction on a personal
level in favor of a higher expression of social and spiritual values.
Asteroid Lilith is the most embodied Lilith, and signifies repressed
elements, often relating to sexuality, anger, and assertion, that require
full, embodied expression. Black Moon is an energy vortex that cuts
through the veils of illusion with the sword of truth. Its orbital cycle of
eight years and ten months correlates with the Moon's nodal cycles and
has a similar karmic impact.
I have been working with all three Liliths in charts to discover how they
work together to evoke this deep, dark, mysterious realm of soul. Much
work is yet to be done with such new material, but what I have seen so
far is quite provocative. Astro-mythologist Demetra George suggests
that, although each Lilith contains the entire symbolic meaning of the
archetype, each one may also represent different phases of her
mythology, in which "the cycle of our Lilith experience is initiated by
the asteroid Lilith, developed by the Dark Moon Lilith, and completed
by the Black Moon Lilith."(11) I believe this is a good initial approach.
Personal life stories will show the intertwining of the three with unique
individual coloring.
I've learned a lot from my own experience. I have Asteroid Lilith in
Scorpio on my 4th-house cusp. I associate this placement with memories
of my mother, a Scorpio, muttering darkly under her breath in the
kitchen. It is after cocktail hour and she is cooking while my father calls
out instructions from the living room. This inherited, soul-damaging
image of the feminine has haunted me in my search for full expression
of my feelings and mutual respect in relationships.
I have Dark Moon Lilith in the 4th house, very close to the 5th-house
cusp and conjunct Chiron and Sun in Sagittarius. During a New Moon
eclipse that fell on this point in my chart, my young son died. The
eclipse was conjunct his Sun as well. In earlier times, Lilith was known
as a child-killer, her revenge for having had her own children taken
away. In the Middle East, amulets were worn to ward off her danger. I
had to face and give voice, again and again, to the guilt, emptiness, and

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release within me that was so deeply stirred by this death. This is when I
first began to speak for the Dark Goddess through writing and
performance. In another version of her story, Lilith takes children out of
this dark, lower world and returns them to the Lord. I came to know my
son's death as an initiation, even a gift.
One of my male clients had a fascinating Lilith encounter that helped to
transform his experience of life. He has Dark Moon Lilith conjunct an
Aries Sun and square Black Moon Lilith, Mars, and Juno in Capricorn.
He often confided that he felt emotionally abused by his wife over
several years of their marriage. One night he dreamt that a 15-foot
scorpion emerged from her vagina, which prompted intensive therapy
where he worked through what he called "a murderous rage." Inner
visions then revealed the Divine Mother with many faces giving birth to
a huge star-like egg. This new and healing female archetype transformed
his emotional body, "enabling me to hold the whole," to delight in the
"erotic, creative, juicy life force, beyond judgment."
A Fourth Lilith?
On yet another frequency, and to leave you with a tantalizing thought, as
Lilith would, I'd like to mention the possibility of a fourth Lilith. The
star Algol in the constellation Perseus has a reputation as the most evil
star in the sky. Most often envisioned as the Eye or Head of Medusa,
Algol was also called Lilith by Hebrew star watchers.(12) Such an Eye
perceives "with an objectivity like that of nature itself and our dreams,
boring into the soul to find the naked truth, to see reality beneath all its
myriad forms and the illusions and defenses it displays."(13) Lilith
indeed. All the better to see you with, my dear.
SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT ALGOL
I have always been strongly connected to Algol as my Sun exactly
conjuncts with Algol in Taurus. I just read some very interesting things
about this topic and I had a little discovery which I would like to
share. And I also would like to put an end to some irrational fears.
Everyone knows this fixed star, Algol, the Head of Medusa. Maybe
many of you have also conjunctions or other aspects to this star.
Usually people fear Algol and are worried about it. We know Algol is
being portrayed as the most destructive and dangerous star. It is of the

56

nature of Saturn and Jupiter. Astrologers say it causes misfortune,

violence, decapitation, hanging, electrocution, extreme sickness, mob
violence, murder, terror, and gives a dogged and violent nature that
causes death to the native or othersetc. The list of the negative and
horrific things is endless.
BUTis it really true or is it true in every cases?
See the mythology first.
Algol represents the head of the Gorgon Medusa who was slain by
Perseus. Medusa, who was the only mortal one of the three Gorgon
sisters, was originally a beautiful temple virgin but her hair was changed
into hissing serpents by Pallas Athene because of in consequence of her
having become by Neptune the mother of Chrysaor and Pegasus in one
of Pallas Athenes temples.
Perseus was the son of Zeus.
According to the myth Zeus visited Danae in the form of a shower of
gold and got her pregnant with Perseus.
As a young man Perseus undertook a mission to kill the Medusa. He was
furnished with the sword, cap and wings of Mercury and the shield of
Pallas Athene. He killed the Medusa by cutting off her head and
afterwards killed the sea monster Cetus and then rescued and married
Andromeda
But Perseus could have died in his quest to kill the evil Medusa but
with divine help he triumphed and cut Medusas head off and recruited
new helpers and later on with the help of Medusas head, he was
victorious over his other enemies. One look into Medusas eyes would
turn anyone into stone and there were snakes on her head instead of hair
Perseus taking advantage of these powers held Medusas head in his
hand and defeated his enemies.
As we know most of these myths are spiritual allegories.
And here comes the point: What does Algol represent in fact?
Algol is also called the Evil Star. The Arabians called it Ras al Ghul.
The jews called Algol as Rosh ha Satan, Satans head! And Algol was
also called Lilith.
Why did they call it Satans head?

57

Medusa is in fact, the most powerful helping weapon if we hold this

energy in our hands, and is present in Algol.
According to the primordial traditions the power of Algol is Mother
Nature, the Kundalini energy!
If we look at Medusas picture, we can see that her head is surrounded
by snakes.

58

The Burnley Relief known as

The Queen of the Night Lilith.

Adam & Eve with lilith as the serpent

Notre Dame Catherdral Paris 1225

59

Lilith Temptation & Fall,

Cistine Chapel Ceiling 1508-12

The snake represents Kundalini and also it is an ancient symbol of

healing, initiation and rebirth.
Such as the Ophiuchus, the serpent-bearer, constellation which is in
connection with the Milky Way.
The serpents in Medusas hair connect her to the Ophiuchus
constellation also known as the medicine man.
The word medicine comes from the same root as Medusa, the name of
the sorceress Medea also comes from this root. The blood from
Medusas left side was poisonous and the right side was used to heal.

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The other name of Algol is Demon Star. The Arab word for alcohol
means the Demon. Alcohol comes from the word Algol. The other
word for alcohol is spirit. Another term for alcohol is Latin aqua vitae
meaning water life
We already know what these words mean and made the connections
We also shouldnt forget the fact that Algol is the second brightest star
(Beta star) of the Perseus Constellation.
Algol is a star which gives out light. Some astrologers say that every
celestial sign which gives out light or in other words transmits light
helps us.
It is time to redefine those light giving starts which are labelled as bad
and evil just like Algol which manifests the basic natural feminine
energies. The negative labelling of Algol suppresses energies and desires
only to create and magnify fear.
Murder is a common concept associated with Algol.
In a spiritual sense murder means the transformation of the inner
energies and their elevation to a higher level (as death is not the end,
only taking off the body-clothes when the soul enters a higher
dimension).
Algol is in opposition with Scorpion which also represents passing away,
transformation
Algol is the face of the feminine most feared for her raw passion and
power.
She is the kundalini energy the power of the feminine or the potential
power of Mother Nature, not to be called evil for being strong. Algol
carries the collective rage for the suppression and repression of this
power.
The jews FEAR the female energy. Thats why they also smeared Algol.
You can see many of the astrologers most of them are jews even
connect the effects of Algol to the holohoax and tries to emphasize their
lie.
Many jewish astrologer and other idiot chrisitans depict the Algol as the
star of mass murderes and serial killers and they love bringing the nazis
as examples. Bad examples as the nazis werent serial killers

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Yes, many of the nazis had conjunctions, oppositions, trigons to Algol.

For example, Mars was in conjunction to Algol in Bormans chart.
Saddam had his Mercury conjuncted to Algol.
General George Pattons Neptune conjuncted to Algol.
And if everything is true Hitler has his Vertex point on Algol!
The jews also corrupted and perverted the meaning of the Black Moon
point, today its commonly known as Lilith in the chart. And they did
the almost same with the meaning of Aldebaran too.
In the ancient vedic astrology Algol and Aldebaran (and also Rigel and
Antares) are the most powerful stars. If someone has the Sun, Moon or
Asc in conjunction with these stars it can mean great wealth, power,
leadership and other benefical things.
Besides my Sun-Algol conjunction I also feel strong relation to Rohini
(Aldebaran and their neighboor stars) which is my Nakshatra according
to my vedic chart. My Gemini Moon conjuncts with Aldebaran. And I
also have my Part of
Fortune on the Rigel.
On the negative influences of Algol
Algol is double star. And its true that Algol is related to the pain too.
The medical term Algology means the study of pain. If its badly
aspected and is in 8th house for example then it can cause dangerous
situations, accidents, troubles, difficultiesSome astrologer thinks
Algol can bring the ability to rise above all the terror.
The ability to handle anything. This star puts itself in these situations,
whether its purposefully or subconsciously attracting the situations to
them. Those with strong Algol influences in their natal chart are usually
well suited to handle these difficulties.
Algol people can be great warriors and leaders. Who do not fear death,
pain, rejection, and are willing to go through torture, to reach a specified
goal.
Im sure many of you, sisters and brothers here have Algol in their chatrs
someway. If you have, dont be afraid of it,
even if its in your 8th house. But always check the actual transits to
Algol too

62

The Lost Book of Lilith

By Rachel S. Havrelock
Perhaps it is a seedy story I tell, one that will shock you. Often the
people with the loftiest thoughts have formed them in shadows.
Descendants, however, like to think of their ancestors as clean, so some
things are left out of history. Should I dispel the myth? Come out from
my guises and admit that creation is not as easy as you would believe?
Are you prepared to entertain more than the idea of one man and one
woman?
My life began in a garden. Not a tended one with flowers in neat rows,
but a dynamic wilderness where earth was still struggling to pull itself
away from water. The plants were various, but alike in their newness.
We came into being in the same instant, made from the same fire and air.
When we first turned to regard each other, his feet were planted in soil
and mine in water. We stood close, but still the boundary between the
elements was clear. We stayed so long gazing at one another that our
eyes did what language later would. He was spectacular to behold: the
expansive flat chest, sharp green eyes, dark skin. Looking at him
contained elements of looking at a reflection, but I knew that he was
different from me. My first moment of being was entwined with his first
moment of being.
Finally, he said, "I am Adam." "Lilith, I am," I said and stepped out of
the water toward him. Adam jumped back. "I am Lilith," I said, standing
still and staring at him. "Lilith, I see," he said circling around my body
and inspecting me. I turned quickly, placed my hands on his shoulders
and walked him backward to the water. When his feet touched the water,
they slipped out from under him and soon he was floating. He looked
about himself quizzically and showed all the signs of being
uncomfortable. I dove down and began to push myself through the
water. "Where are you going?" Adam called out to me. Out there, I
yelled back to him. "Lilith, come back."
I returned although I wasnt finished and went with the earthman back to
his land. On the dry part of the island, we continued our explorations.

63

We lay in the pale green of meadows, ate sweet fleshy fruits whose seeds
stuck in our teeth, and followed the four rivers in the hope of finding
their end. When it seemed that the rivers did not cease, the day unfolded
into night. When darkness fell, I felt more at ease in the garden. Great
possibility lurked between the shadows of the taller trees. I got up to run
into the night and greet what waited for me, but Adam took hold of my
hand. "Wait for the lights," he said, his voice causing the night to darken.
He advised patience with such authority that I assumed he saw things
which I did not see. When the tiny lights emerged from the darkness, I
beheld motion that seemed beyond my form. So many small lights came
out of the blanket of darkness that when the great orb appeared, Adam
and I turned to each other and held in one anothers warmth with our
arms. A rich, wet smell of earth rose up to us.
"I have a story to tell you," Adam said, stroking the hair out of my face.
"On the fourth day of creation before we came into being, The Creator
made two great orbs. The bright, brilliant one is called the sun and it is
male, like me. The other orb is called the moon. She is a woman who
changes her mind all the time. In the beginning, the sun and moon were
equal and stayed in the sky together all the time, but the moon was
jealous of the suns radiance and began to speak badly of him. When The
Creator heard her words, he hurled her down from her original height.
The moon could no longer generate her own light, only reflect that of the
sun. She fell into night over which she still reigns. When she fell, tiny
threads of light were loosed from her body. These are the stars."
I looked at the sky and found that Adams story was true. The almost
circular moon illuminated the night and breathed life into it. She
dispersed the blanket of darkness into a play of light and shadow.
Hidden aspects of the garden were conjured as she smiled on us with
celestial coolness. The stars shone with her example. She was their
source. Adam and I slept side by side with his arms draped over me. I
felt where his breath began and how it traveled into me. My breath
reached out of me and likewise entered him. We lay together, a cycle of
breath, until the night orb was replaced by the day one.
I remember that night and the next day as the golden time. I am not sure
if time was different then, longer and more fluid, or if my memory has

64

elongated what transpired. When the day orb rose, I opened my eyes
directly into his. Our bodies were warm and unified, still whole after the
darkness. At that moment, there was nothing beyond the embrace. The
garden was inside of us. The beauty and connection which surrounded us
made us up. When we stood, we were embraced by the garden and held
together by its morning mist. As we walked, an invisible force bound us.
Exploring the terrain of the garden was a process of self-discovery. The
pools interspersed throughout the garden suggested that water was inside
me. The trees created a shade which pointed to a shadow within. Tasting
the fruits was tasting Adam and the earth under our feet was the stuff of
our bodies. The hum of insects and animals was the rhythm of our
thoughts. My sense of being one component of a complex system filled
me with security. When I close my eyes, I can easily recall the garden,
but the feeling of being inside of it is one that I suspect will not return.
The problems began the next day when Adam began the task of naming
things. That morning, he did not lie still gazing at me. He told me that
The Creator had commanded him to bring order to the garden through
names. I laughed and told Adam that to name things would separate
them, impose division. I questioned his creators intentions. Before, I
hadnt been sure, but I now knew that Adam and I came from two
separate forces working together. We were different beings with
divergent forms and purposes. The Creatrix had never said anything to
me about names. I found the idea absurd.
Adam stared at me proposing challenge. "You are woman." The sense
that our words could have different intentions excited me. I felt a new
sensation pulse through my body. I stepped back, "Im Lilith, do you
know me?" His green eyes lit up, "I called you woman." We were using
words to talk about words, but I knew that what we were really saying
had nothing to do with them. The sounds meeting in air were a prelude
to our bodies meeting in ways that they had not, as of yet, met. "Your
names will not change a thing," I said defiantly and raised one side of
my mouth into a smile. Adams gaze turned from seductive to serious, "I
have a job to do. There is a system to create."
I looked around me at the low hanging trees and high reaching grasses.
A system was at work all around us, inside of us. "Adam, you are trying

65

to grasp things which cannot be held." He looked at me with fury, "You

do not understand. You are woman." Adam walked away and went about
his task of naming. It was so apparently foolish to me that I expected
him to soon understand the futility of his labor. I went to one of the
pools to bathe. As I swam, I searched the waters for what The Creatrix
intended for me. I moved through the water as the water moved me on
its currents. This surrender and exchange was what the garden expected
from me. When I finished swimming, I lay on the shore of the water
staring up. My body absorbed the sun and winds of the garden. I thought
of how Adam and I could be like the sun and wind wrapping themselves
together to become air. I wanted to feel again the way I had when Adam
challenged
me. In the deepest hot of the day, Adam approached. When he stood over
me, I knew the shadow was his. I was sure that he was all done naming
and was ready to swim and lie beside me.
"Woman, there you are lying down the way you are supposed to," he
said. I opened my eyes and saw the rich tones of his skin gleaming in the
sun. The curves of his body appeared rounded and smooth, the
embodiment of Eden. "I am lying," I answered him. "You lie down and I
will lie on top of you," he said with authority. I was not quick to forget
how excited the mutual challenge of the morning had made me. "No, I
said, you lie down and I will lie on top of you." I looked up at him and
lifted my eyebrows. Adam was angry. "You lie under me and I lie on top.
That is the way the system works." From what I had heard about his
system, it was ridiculous. Why did the garden need names and why did
who got to be on top and who on the bottom have to be a rule? "Why
dont we work together to make the system work?", I suggested.
Adam was clearly not playing, I named you, he said as a slate gray color
flashed in his green eyes. "I gave you identity and for this, you must lie
down." Throughout this conversation, Adam failed to notice that I was
already lying down. If he had just gotten on top of me without having to
insist that he was doing it, everything would have been fine. "I must not
do anything," I said and rose to my feet. The gray in his eyes sharpened,
"This is how its meant to be."

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I pitied Adam. In his assertion of dominion, he seemed small and

fragmented. He was losing sight of what the garden was. I lowered my
voice to a firm whisper, "No lying is going to take place." Adams faced
changed. He stared into me as if I had been made only to be conquered.
His arms tensed and no longer appeared to me as the wings which kept
me warm at night. They seemed more final than the rivers which
surrounded the garden. A sense of despair washed over me as I realized
that this beautiful man, this earthman and his body could be nothing but
my prison. "Lie down," he said. "How can you say that to me?" "That is
the way it is, you lie down for me." "I want to be on top", I said
defiantly. "You were created to be on the bottom", he answered. The
burning started in my stomach and moved through my heart up to my
throat. My legs shook with the desire for motion, to be gone suddenly
and forever. But, I knew that my legs could not carry me as rapidly or as
far as I wanted to go. That was what he thought of me, the bottom. Not a
temporary or sometimes bottom, but a form intended to be forever
beneath him. We could never look at each other as we had on the first
day. The garden lost all of its beauty. It became a landscape of
confinement as I became aware not of the pools and trees, but of the wall
which surrounded it. My salvation lay in escape. The need to leave was
so complete and absolute that I pulled the words from the abyss within.
Adam had begun a war of language. If he could use words to place me
beneath him, then I would use them to disappear.
I howled them, the secret words of God, Her Name which echoed
through me and filled the garden with its power. The Name of God. Her
Name. The Name. "Let me go!" When I brought my head down from the
scream, I had sprouted wings. Two sheer, black wings which shimmered
in the sun. My body looked altogether different. I turned to Adam, said
goodbye, lifted my wings into the air and felt my feet lift off of the
ground. The higher I got, the smaller Adam became. Who was on the
bottom now? There was more than the garden of rivers and fruit as I saw
once I crossed over the wall of paradise. Weightless, I moved through
realms of possibility and felt individuated. I was not just one piece of an
elaborate world, I was a separate force within the world. I was alone.

67

When I saw the desert beneath me, all doubt was dispelled. The stark,
empty hills and valleys were open enough to receive me in my freedom.
In this new landscape, I could be exposed. I could roam without the
boundaries of Eden. The desert opened itself to me with promise. When
I saw the blue water which bordered the desert, I knew where I would
dwell. The shore of the blue sea, the edge where desert and water met
was a dynamic place for my transformation. I landed there, my feet in
sand for the first time and walked up the beach. The beach stretched
forever with hot sands of promise and the constant relief of water. Date
palms offered shade and sweet refreshment. During the walk, I was
filled with the satisfaction of solitude, of having no earthman or
demands, of being alone and able to turn whenever the spirit moved me.
I watched the sun set across the water and disappear behind a distant
stretch of land. As the sun sank, I imagined a mirror Lilith there on the
other side of the water. She too was free and content with her aloneness.
She too had sprouted wings and found her beach. She was all the
company I needed.
When the sky grew dark, I continued my walk. For the first time, I could
be immersed in shadow with no Adam to hold me back. As the darkness
became complete, I noticed that when the soles of my feet touched the
sand, sparks of light were ignited. My footsteps glowed and each step
brought me farther from Adams rigid definitions. Each step was nearer
to the cave. The night was made of darkness, but something deeper
emanated from the cave. I noticed a shade so dark that it was almost
purple looking out like a single eye from a hillside. I climbed up to it
and felt an unbelievable coolness stream out and surround me like water.
I went in. My perfect domain: an enclosure with one gate and
penetrating darkness. How good it felt to sink into the cave, how much
like a return.
I awoke to the distinct feeling that I was not alone and saw three figures
standing above me. From the heat they emanated, I knew that they were
not beings like the earth man. They were made of other stuff. The first
one, small, dark and intense, stepped forward, "Lilith, where do you
think you are?" "In my cave. How do you know me?" "We are
messengers of God." I drew up my legs and sat up; he continued. "We

68

are Sanvai, he said bowing his head, then pointed, "Sansanvai, and
Semanglof." Sansanvai leaned in toward me. He was very beautiful with
rich brown skin and long dark hair. He smelled of sage. "Lilith, you must
return to the garden which was created for you" I arched forward to see
and smell him more clearly. "Sweet angel, I cannot return. Adams
paradise requires my submission."
Sansanvai did not answer me, instead Semanglof emerged from the back
of the cave, the darkest part. Tall and gracefully thin, there was
something mystical promised in the blue of his eyes. I knew that he was
not as beautiful as Sansanvai, yet I was more drawn to him. He was
difficult to behold because of the fierce energy which surrounded him.
Semanglof seemed agile and lithe, faster than wind. He spread his long
arms out in front of him and spoke in a tone whose intention was
unclear: "If you do not go back to the garden, you will become a
demoness out here on your own."
Something about the way he said it charged me the way Adams initial
challenge had. "Fine," I answered matter-of-factly, "Ill become a
demoness and you can stay with me." Like that the day passed and again
it was night. Sanvai and Sansanvai vaporized and it was just me and that
being made of fire. Where Adam had held me in his arms, Semanglof
really touched me. His head hung above mine and our tongues twisted
around each other in the manner of snakes. The angels hands moved
over me from neck to shoulders to breasts to stomach and into my abyss.
He brought sounds no less wondrous than the name of The Creatrix from
inside me. My legs wrapped around his and he entered me. Adam had
been so wrong. Some things
were nameless. Semanglof and I turned into pure light and shot up to the
heavens. While we moved around and through each other, he spoke to
me in a strange tongue. Though I could not understand, I was moved.
My body felt as if it had been created a second time and when I lay
beside him, I confessed, "I did not know." "How could you have, my
she-devil," he asked while putting his palm on my forehead.
When it was morning, Sanvai and Sansanvai were standing over me
again and Semanglof had retreated to the darkness of the cave. Sanvai
shook his head at me. "You had a decision. Now the child that grows

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inside you will be a demon, but that will not be enough. Your appetite
can never be quenched and so you will wander looking for men to father
your demon children which
you will unleash into the world and not be satisfied. It can never be him
again and so you will search and they will come to you, men of this
world and of the darkness. Your race will live on earth alongside
Adams, but they will never belong to you."
I stayed in the cave and went out during the days to swim in the sea. In
the evening, my cave was quiet. The still of the sea at sunset blew
through to introduce night. At this time, the melancholy began. The
sense of solitude moved from my head to the cavity of my chest and
rang. The place where desert meets water was my freedom, yet with
freedom came loneliness. Its not that I expected him to return. Even
when it was happening, when I was filled with such pleasure, I knew it
to be ephemeral. We would burn together and then he would be gone.
Its not that I wanted to live with him as I had with Adam. Semanglof
and I were made of different elements. The togetherness was a fluke of
timing and boldness and was not to be reproduced, except in my child
which grew inside of me and was born in the cave, half dark angel and
half demoness. After I gave birth, I lay back to rest with my baby beside
me. In the back of the cave, I felt Semanglofs presence observing his
child. I knew he was there and he knew that I knew he was there, so
nothing needed to be said. I was pleased that we were all together even
with Semanglof hiding like that, but then the thing that angers me
occurred, the event which makes me curse all the angels even today.
Sanvai appeared and spoke in the strange tongue which Semanglof had
uttered the night we spent together. When Semanglof had spoken it, the
language was soft and seductive, but Sanvais words were sharp and
harsh. I did not know the words, but I knew that Sanvai was scolding
Semanglof. His voice woke up my child who started to cry. I turned over
to hold my baby, but before my arms could wrap around him, Sanvai
snatched him up. "Oh, woman unnatural, you made the decision. Unlike
daughters of the earth, you will not keep your children." And then all of
them were gone: the child, the thief, and the angel.

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There is a sound of loneliness. A sound like when the waves lap up on

the shore and the sun slips away. I was not unhappy in the next period on
the banks of the sea, but in states of solitude, the mind conceives of
strange ideas. I dont know when the idea to return to the garden formed
in my head, I only know that once it was there, I thought of the voyage
everyday. Why not see where earthmans naming had gotten him? Why
not behold the lushness of that land and eat of its remarkable fruits? I
knew at this point that I had the ability to go anywhere. Unattached, I
was a being lighter than air.
Off I went, retracing my route of escape. When I reached the wall which
surrounds paradise, I stopped, rested on the top of the fence and looked
in. I understood her presence the moment I saw the expression on
earthmans face. He had a certain look of contentment which is the direct
result of having an intimate companion. So, earthman had found his
bottom. She walked behind him, but did not follow. As she stared
alternately at the trees and the sky, an air of innocence surrounded her.
Her complacency and voluptuousness could easily be mistaken for
beauty. Earthman passed without looking up or sensing my eyes upon
him. She looked up and, when she saw me, I made a sign to keep quiet.
The woman nodded and kept on her way. I did not look to see how they
passed the night; I remained on the wall.
I met my replacement the next day on the shore of Pishon, Paradise's
widest river. She was lying in the sun and dangling her feet in the
water.The woman had lifted her hair from behind her neck allowing it to
cascade around her face. Her expression was one of total pleasure, so I
approached her without the intent to disturb. I sat beside her and
immersed my legs in the water.
Are you separate, I asked her. She did not turn or divert her
concentration from the sunlight. Since she had not opened her eyes, my
form was not known to her. At that time in the garden, animals could
speak and, if you ask me, were more articulate than earthman himself.
Separate from what? she responded lazily.
Are you a part of Adam?
Don' you know the story? Adam was all alone. He was going about
giving names to the animals and he noticed that each of them had a

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partner. He felt incomplete, as if he was missing something. He went to

The Creator and asked that a mate be made for him. That night, a deep
sleep fell upon Adam. While he slept, The Creator took one of his ribs
and created me. Adam first saw me in the light of dawn.
How can one respond when she had been erased? That's how the story
goesnow. He was naming, he was lonely, she was made from him. No
Lilith, no struggle, no Creatrix.
What is your name, I asked her.Woman, because I was created from the
womb of man. Everyone knows. My question puzzled her enough to sit
up and look me. Her eyes grew wide with what she saw. You are like me.
From my throat I pulled a sound which was part agreement, part
laughter, and part assertion of my complete difference.
If you are like me, do you come from him also?
I do not come from him. I was made by El Shaddai, The Creatrix. She
gave birth to me in the manner that women give birth. I stared off into
the distance, you too will give birth.
If I'm going to make something, no one's told me about it. All I know is
that I live in this garden, I can eat from any of the fruits except the two
that grow side by side like companions. If I even touch them, I will die.
I had never been denied these fruits. My brief stay in Eden had been free
of denial. I wondered why these fruits were forbidden to her.
Woman looked at me from head to toe, where do you come from? A
place without trees and without rules. A place where desert meets water.
I came only for a visit, but you mustn't tell Adam or The Creator.
I can't talk to The Creator. Only Adam can, he tells me what The Creator
says.
Well, don't tell Adam. I came only to talk to you.
Ah Ha! Adam talks to The Creator and I talk to you. Woman held this
idea close to her. Her eyes got bright and she bit the bottom of her lip as
if to seal the thought. Who are you?
I stood up. I am Lilith. Then I leaned down and pressed my lips against
hers. We kissed each other for a long time, the taste of first woman
feeding the second while second woman reminded the first of what she

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had forgotten. When the kiss was finished, I spread my wings and flew
away.
As I flew away from Eden and its now forbidden trees, I understood my
particular curse. I had inhabited The Garden and now it was a place to
which I could never return. I had fled to my cave and found happiness,
but now that happiness was soured by memory. I could not repeat my
initial departure. I had to go somewhere new and remake myself.
Time passes beneath the span of my wings. The second woman in
paradise does what she needs to get out of the walls. Perhaps her action
is braver than my own. Woman, renamed Eve outside of Eden, brought
the whole system down when she refused to follow orders. Don't eat, he
told her and she did. After she fed him the taste of knowledge, never
again could the chain of command be so clear. They tried, earthman and
his Creator, but outside the Garden walls there were other forces to
contend with. , their bodies bring them closer to death. Each day makes
them a bit weaker and a little
wiser. My experiences mark me, cut my features, alter the way I look,
but I draw no closer to death than I did on my initial day out of Eden.
I know that she has children, sons, two of them at once, but I go neither
to visit nor to look. Witnessing motherhood is something which I cannot
bear. When I first met him, I did not imagine the connection. There were
other people apart from their little family, so how was I to know? The
mark drew me to him. It indicated that a danger hovered around him
which was strong enough to impact the places through which he walked.
This was his curse, to walk endlessly, to wander, as he put it. If all men
must bear curses, the son's was much better than the father's. Cain, who
had seen the color of blood, was destined never to settle while his father
remained in the same place until the day of his death, facing his beloved
earth and encountering both pain and nourishment. Apart from the
numbing solitude, it is mostly a blessing to be a wanderer.
We first saw each other on the plateau of a dry mountain. He was
burning brush to set up one of his temporary camps. When I saw him, it
was the smoke and fire I noticed and not the danger. I had learned some
things from my weak angel. I now knew how to watch a man before
approaching and how to gauge the outcome by his first steps. In bushes

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outside the periphery of what he intended to burn, I sat and observed. He

set the mountain ablaze with grand gestures as if he were offering a
sacrifice. The flames made him smile and seemed to quiet his
tumultuous soul. I waited until he finished, stood up, and called his
attention to me. His eyes caught mine. I walked over.
Why are you marked?
He looked at me with terror and suspicion, How can you see it?
I can see.
Then, why are you marked?
Can you see?
I am a man without a home. I wander here and there across the world.
The path teaches many things. The sun was setting behind us and casting
an orange glow across the charred mountain. A second fire, one of light,
was burning in honor of our meeting. We stood facing each other. Wild,
dark curls surrounded his thin face. As well as the mark, he had a scar
which arched from his temple down to his chin. His deep brown eyes
were set on me in the manner of an opponent. They offered an
irrefutable challenge. I looked back as if to say I accept and took off
running across the dry hills. He followed me. I listened to my own
breath in the expectation of it igniting his. I ran until I came to a pit in
the midst of my trail.
The pit stopped me and held me still. He approached and was likewise
slowed.
Do you want to go down? he asked me.
Let's go down.
We climbed into the pit as if what would transpire between us was
inevitable. Something was down there. Something was watching that
was more ancient and schooled than we. The rocks were covered with a
slippery mold. I looked at him and he knew, so I sat down to duel him
with my darkness. He sat down. I lived in a house with a man and his
two brothers in a city. I heard stories about this city and thought it would
be a place to hide. I thought that I'd go there and no part of the past
would be able to find me. When I met the man and he brought me in, it
was as if my desires were easily answered. In the spring, the man took a
wife. She was small and nervous. I made her even more nervous and she

74

had no love of me. Why do you keep him here, she would question her
husband in night whispers, don't you see how close sin hovers around
him?
Still, I stayed. The man never told me to go and he never asked me any
questions.
Time passed simply and never required me to tell anything. I came home
one day in the winter and noticed the blood. It started at the door and led
me to the back where the man had his bedroom. I walked in and saw the
woman clutching her baby in her arms. She shrieked when she saw me.
Her voice was so high and anguished that all I could hear was the
voice of the ground crying when she opened for the blood I shed. Then I
looked at her and saw The Fear. I saw and she saw and there was nothing
to do but walk out the door and never return.
Why was her baby bleeding?
Her baby was dead.
The shadow was there. The shadow is here.
I've got to come out of this pit, I told him and we helped each other
back out to the parched hills and the purple glow of evening.
I'm glad we weren't together down there, he said to me, you would have
gotten pregnant and it would not have been a good thing. I know, I
responded, it would not have been you who got me pregnant.
Cain and I parted ways that day, but I knew that I would see him again.
Maybe I knew that I would go back for more.
I waited two months before I returned to the dry hills. The early rains
had begun to fall allowing the scorched earth to look up with promise.
He was staring off across the horizon when I approached and showed no
element of surprise when I walked into his range of vision.
It's you, he said, what do you want?
To climb the mountain opposite to where you live and see if there are
any
flowers.
The shadow girl wants flowers.
Yes, I said, she does.
We descended Cain's hills and crossed the road that divides the valley.
The earth on the other side was wet and muddy and even we, the great

75

wanderers, often found ourselves stuck in the mud. I think that was the
only time I saw Cain laugh. His shoes stuck in the mud keeping his feet
from moving and me stuck in my own mud unable to come closer to
him.
What kind of vagabond can't even get out of Nod?
Out of where?
Nod, Shadow girl, that's where we're stuck, the hills east of Eden.
I'm not stuck anywhere near Eden.
Then you don't see as well as I thought. Then he tried to move and
couldn't. His laughter grew until it filled up the entire valley and filled
me up too. As our laughter dropped, we were able to pull ourselves out
and continue walking. We came to an orchard of grapefruit trees. I was
pleased with myself for taking Cain away from his most recent place of
settlement and into a landscape which spread out directly across from
him.
Still smiling, he asked me, so, I suppose you plan to offer me fruit?
The pause which followed his inquiry was heavy with history. I knew.
My dark fugitive was her son. The son of Woman and Earthman. The
twin she birthed with prior knowledge, the one who bloodied his father's
soil. I couldn't explain because my presence defies the cycle of
generations, makes no sense in the chain of fathers to sons.
Not the first fruit you've had, I asked coyly.
Pick them, he said, and the smile disappeared.
We climbed the mountain and moved from tall grasses to rock face to a
forest of thin pines at the top. Among the trees, we peeled the grapefruits
and bit into the tart slices. The juice sprayed around his lips. I fed him a
piece from mine, then my finger, then my lips. We kissed in the pines
and tasted the thin layer of citrus which covered the taste of our
individual curses. His tongue in my mouth, his hair falling like blinders
around my eyes, the soft wind of pines at the top of the mountain began
lightly, but became more oppressive as his desire grew and the taste of
grapefruit disappeared.
Stop, I said, there is no reason for us...
The curse got you scared?
The curses.

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Worried about who is going to disappear first.

It hardly matters. You're bound to be remembered.
I left and he followed me to Mt. Moriah. This time, he appeared with the
setting sun to my knowing expression. He asked to stay with me and I
said yes even though I knew that the weight of his sorrow would
eventually be too much for me to bear. I had chosen to leave Earthman
and his domain, but Cain had been forced to leave. No matter what he
wanted, Cain could not farm as his father did and as he had done in his
youth. The earth was commanded not to submit to him. His hands could
only uncover the curse and never the blessing of harvest. For all of his
reckless wandering, Cain
was afraid. I knew him and tried to pretend that I didn't see. His hands
would surround me, but in the same way that he could make nothing
grow, he could make nothing rise in me. The motions were empty and I
wondered why I
performed them. The outcast son of Earthman and Eve was not the
match he had promised to be. When I slept beside Cain, I dreamt of the
angel and his elusive fire.
Why don't you let it go, I said one morning as I swung around on top of
him, forget the sorrow and just burn.
He grabbed hold of my shoulders and threw me down beneath him. It
was not sorrow that he laid on me, but rage. His violent rage against The
Creator, his father, The Ground all ran together and was directed toward
me who was
foolish enough to find herself beneath him. When it was through and I
had bruises across my immortal form, I walked away with scars and
anger for Cain and the trinity which oppressed him.
I have passed through the city that Cain built with the fury that still
remained after he threw me. The first city, I suppose, named after his son
Hanoch, a gathering place for the dispossessed, all of whom believed
themselves to be cursed by the soil. A city of murderers and curses.
Even as the city is erected, Eve, the mother of all living, maintains her
belief. Although her son violates and builds, she gives birth. She plants
and in her is planted another son, her beloved Seth, the replacement for
the two--one slaughtered and one lost.

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Where Does the Legend of Lilith Come From?

Lilith, Adam's First Wife
By Ariela Pelaia
According to Jewish folklore Lilith was Adams first wife. Though she is
not mentioned in the Torah, over the centuries she became associated
with Adam as a way to explain the fact that there are two contradictory
versions of Creation in the book of Genesis.
Lilith and the Biblical Story of Creation
The biblical book of Genesis contains two contradictory accounts of
humanitys creation. The first account is known as the Priestly version
and appears in Genesis 1:26-27.
Here God fashions man and woman simultaneously when the text reads:
So God created mankind in the divine image, male and female God
created them.
The second account of Creation is known as the Yahwistic version and is
found in Genesis 2. This is the version of Creation that most people are
familiar with. God creates Adam, then places him in the Garden of Eden.
Not long afterwards, God decides to make a companion for Adam and
creates the animals of the land and sky to see if any of them are suitable
partners for the man. God brings each animal to Adam, who names it
before ultimately deciding that it is not a suitable helper. God then
causes a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and while the man is sleeping
God fashions Eve from his side. When Adam awakes he recognizes Eve
as part of himself and accepts her as his companion.
Not surprisingly, the ancient rabbis noticed that two contradictory
versions of Creation appear in the book of Genesis (which is
called Bereisheet in Hebrew). They solved the discrepancy in two ways:
One was to explain that the first version of Creation actually
referred to Adams first wife, a 'first Eve.' But Adam was displeased
with her, so God replaced her with a 'second Eve' that met Adam's
needs.
Another interpretation is that the Priestly account
describes the creation of an androgyne a creature that was both male
and female (Genesis Rabbah 8:1, Leviticus Rabbah 14:1). This creature

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was then split into a man and a woman in the Yahwistic account. Learn
more about this explanation in: What Was the Androgyne?
Although the tradition of two wives two Eves appears early on, this
interpretation of Creations timeline was not associated with the
character of Lilith until the medieval period, as we shall see in the next
section.
Lilith as Adams First Wife
Scholars are not certain where the character of Lilith comes from,
though many believe she was inspired by Sumerian myths about female
vampires called Lillu orMesopotamian myths about succubae (female
night demons) called lilin. Lilith is mentioned four times in the
Babylonian Talmud, but it is not until the Alphabet of Ben Sira (c. 800s
to 900s) that the character of Lilith is associated with the first version of
Creation. In this medieval text, Ben Sira names Lilith as Adams first
wife and presents a full account of her story.
According to the Alphabet of Ben Sira, Lilith was Adams first wife but
the couple fought all the time. They didnt see eye-to-eye on matters of
sex because Adam always wanted to be on top while Lilith also wanted a
turn in the dominant sexual position. When they could not agree, Lilith
decided to leave Adam. She uttered Gods name and flew into the air,
leaving Adam alone in the Garden of Eden. God sent three angels after
her and commanded them to bring her back to her husband by force if
she would not come willingly. But when the angels found her by the Red
Sea they were unable to convince her to return and could not force her to
obey them. Eventually a strange deal is struck, wherein Lilith promised
not to harm newborn children if they are protected by an amulet with the
names of the three angels written on it:
The three angels caught up with her in the [Red] SeaThey seized her
and told her: If you agree to come with us, come, and if not, we shall
drown you in the sea. She answered: Darlings, I know myself that God
created me only to afflict babies with fatal disease when they are eight
days old; I shall have permission to harm them from their birth to the
eighth day and no longer; when it is a male baby; but when it is a female
baby, I shall have permission for twelve days. The angels would not
leave her alone, until she swore by Gods name that wherever she would

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see them or their names in an amulet, she would not possess the baby
[bearing it]. They then left her immediately. This is [the story of] Lilith
who afflicts babies with disease. (Alphabet of Ben Sira, from "Eve &
Adam: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Readings on Genesis and Gender"
pg. 204.)
The Alphabet of Ben Sira appears to combine legends of female demons
with the idea of the 'first Eve.' What results is a story about Lilith, an
assertive wife who rebelled against God and husband, was replaced by
another woman, and was demonized in Jewish folklore as a dangerous
killer of babies.
Later legends also characterize her as a beautiful woman who seduces
men or copulates with them in their sleep (a succubus), then spawns
demon children. According to some accounts, Lilith is the Queen of
Demons.