thespiritedwoman.com

It’s easy to see how “instinct,” defined as “a natural or inherent aptitude, impulse, or capacity,” has morphed from female archetypal energy (such as that of Artemis from the ancient past) toward the male-oriented martial principle of action in these more modern patriarchal times. However, it’s intuition--defined as “a natural ability or power that makes it possible to know something without any proof or evidence”—that connects every Spirited Woman to the feminine divine and the days when the natural cycles of the matriarchy were far more revered than they are today. The Spirited Woman born with a fire Moon may leap before she looks, react before she thinks, and is undoubtedly imbued with a fire burning within. Fire Moons may act quickly, but if the impulse to act is stifled it can result in issues that “somatize,” or manifest as potential dis-ease in the body.

I pondered the question of how Aries, such male archetypal energy, came to dominate the portion of the cycle related to new life--one that would normally fall under the realm of female energy, including that of the Spirited Woman… This slow transition, over the course of millennia, rendered the influence of many female goddesses such as Artemis--who represented the hunt, wildlife, childbirth, and who oversaw the protection of young children--obsolete. As previously multi-faceted matriarchal energy shifted away from including attributes that we now define as more stereotypical male “animus” energy, Artemis became one of several female goddess archetypes to become more deeply aligned with the energies of the Moon. And so, as the patriarchal view grew in strength, the more martial energies of both Artemis and other female goddesses morphed away from ambition, assertion, aggression, sexuality, and anger into the more narrowly defined female role of protection of children and the family in general.

She’s been through a lot and potentially has major life changes ahead, so I hoped it would be a reminder that the one element of our lives only we can control is our outlook or attitude. That choosing to be happy each and every day is a way of life – not an end goal that we are waiting to arrive at with the accomplishment of life ambitions. I spent a large portion of my life seeing happiness as a barometer and living in the when/then mindset: when I get a life partner, then I’ll be happy. In this age of “reality” TV and addiction to drama, we could use a few reminders that happiness is a way of life.

The Spring Equinox occurs on March 19/20 (the exact day depends on where you live)—when the Sun enters the constellation Aries, the fiery first sign of the zodiac-- making this a great time for the Spirited Woman to remember exactly what makes her spirited! The fire sign Aries--ruled by the planet Mars, and associated with the warrior, soldier, athlete, hunter, conqueror, and leader--represents the capability to act independently and concerns taking action based on one’s motivation, ambition, and assertion. Despite its general association with male energy, it’s abundantly clear that this predominantly male archetype is present also in females, as certainly a Spirited Woman may be born under the sign of the ram. I got to wondering while drafting this piece, however, why the Mars/Aries archetype encompasses so much male energy without any mention in astrology of its feminine qualities, such as the strength it takes to give birth or, say, to endure a certain kind of monthly pain.