Living Lilith – Four Dimensions of the Cosmic Feminine

Chris Lorenz – Dell Horoscope
Many astrologers have an interest in the Lilith archetype, which is most commonly seen as a ferocious expression of feminine power. Our understanding of Lilith from ancient Hebrew mythology is that originally she was the first wife of Adam in the Garden of Eden. Adam considered himself superior and demanded that Lilith be submissive to him, which she wouldn’t do. She was created equally and simultaneously with Adam, and when he insisted, she fled, to live in exile for the rest of her life. As the story goes, God created another, more compliant companion for Adam from his rib, which was Eve. And following Eve’s example, most women have been submissive ever since. Until recently anyway.
M. Kelley Hunter explores Lilith in the arts, mythology, and astrology in her comprehensive guide Living Lilith: Four Dimensions of the Cosmic Feminine. While astrologers use Lilith in one of her four expressions in the horoscope, the author shapes her significance to include the awakening consciousness of women in our times. Because Lilith has contradictory, often vague interpretations, her meaning can be expanded, which in this book is done to include everything that makes a woman more independent, creative, and whole. In her broadest definition, Lilith is anything that tests our beliefs, challenges our intentions, or takes us beyond safe boundaries. Due to her dual nature as being a she-demon or consort of God, Lilith is anything that takes us away from our “ambivalence of religio-sexual experience.” However, Hunter is also very specific when it comes to defining the four Liliths used in the horoscope. These are the asteroid Lilith (#1131), Dark Moon Lilith, Black Moon Lilith, and the evil star Algol which is also known by the Hebrews as Lilith.
The asteroid is the most concrete of the four Liliths, and in the many examples used to illustrate this archetype, the interpretation of asteroid Lilith invariably rings true.
Dark Moon Lilith is supposedly found near our earth and a bit further out than our Moon, is 1/80th the size of earth and orbits once every 119 days. Astronomers today refute the existence of Dark Moon Lilith, and those who have seen it give contradictory reports on exactly where it is. So this Lilith may fit into the category of imaginary or hypothetical celestial objects, like the trans-Neptunian planets favored by Uranian astrologers.
Black Moon Lilith is not a physical object, but one of two focal points created from the Moon’s elliptical orbit around the Earth. The complex orbital interactions between the Earth and the Moon leaves the Earth at one focus point and the Black Moon Lilith at the other. There are at least four ways of calculating Black moon Lilith’s position, but in general, she takes 8 ½ years to go around the zodiac and has a true and mean position. The author postulates that one can use both positions (true and mean) and that together they create a “Black Moon corridor.” Being dependent on the Earth’s and Moon’s positions, Black Moon Lilith can refer to the subtle dimensions between conscious and subconscious motivations.
The fourth Lilith is Algol, known across many ancient cultures for being a demon star. Hunter examines Algol from the perspective of Algol as the evil eye of Medusa, which in the constellation is depicted as a severed head held by the hero Perseus. Here, Hunter reviews the scholarly insights presented previously by other astrologers who have researched Algol, and these include Diana Rosenberg, Vivian Robson, Bernadette Brady and others. In the discussion of Medusa’s mythology, the author branches out to include Mayan, Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist analogs. Algol is nearly fixed in the sky at 26º Taurus, and will reach 27º Taurus in 2056. Major transits to this point can refer to “losing one’s head” – either figuratively or actually.
In chapters three and four, we find out how Lilith is being expressed now in the arts and in the wisdom traditions. In both cases, Lilith as the cosmic feminine works against the powers that would shape her into being something other than herself. Chapter five presents Lilith on the World Stage, which is to say, how Lilith is prominently featured in the horoscopes of women in the British and American suffragette movements, as well as in the arts and cinema. This section contains many illustrations with AA rated chart data, and the four Liliths shown and explained in each horoscope. A chapter on Lilith through the signs, and another on Lilith in the charts of clients conclude this in-depth, scholarly look at this fascinating archetype.
The Appendix shows you how to find the location of the various Liliths. Feel demonized, exiled, or struggling with deep rage? No doubt Lilith is calling you to find your true self.