Spring and The Archetypal Mystery of Sacrifice, Death and Rebirth

I have been mindful for a number of weeks now that it has been a long time since I have written in these pages.  While various ideas and topics have floated in my thoughts in recent days, nothing captured my  attention sufficiently to set words to paper.

This morning was different.

Today is the first day of spring and I welcome it in Antigonish, Nova Scotia where I have a small monthly practice of spiritual direction and Jungian Analysis.  The weather is beautiful – blue sky and a warm breeze. The unforgettable smell of new growth is in the air. 

I started my morning reflections with the sense of relief after the long winter and the anticipation of new life. My thoughts turned to Persephone in the Homeric Myth to Demeter and the beginning of Spring heralding her return to the upper world from the underworld. In the myth, Demeter agrees with the Gods, in exchange for the return of her daughter, Persephone must return to the underworld to be with her husband Pluto for 3 months of the year.  During those 3 months, the land lies fallow. Nothing grows. All of the activity lies in the unconscious - below the level of consciousness.   Much like my blog entries, my thoughts and reflections have been fallow.

The theme of this myth is very present in the modern day Easter ritual and Lent, and speaks to the archetypal journey of sacrifice, death and rebirth. It is a theme that is still psychologically relevant. At this time of year,  we are called to sacrifice something – an old attitude, outmoded belief, a way of seeing ourselves in the world – in order for something else to be present or to emerge from the empty space.

The archetypal significance of sacrifice to the Gods or to something larger than oneself is found in many spiritual traditions. The word comes from Middle English and means to make sacred.  Martha Blake in her paper “The Psychology of Sacrifice” proposes that the essence of sacrifice comes from the innate human need to purify and to give new life, and which takes the form of a conscious action. We need to actively let go of something of  value in service of something larger. In the days leading up to Easter, the 40 days of Lent marks the time of letting go, and giving up something in preparation for the death and resurrection inherently symbolized in the Easter Weekend.

The ancient journey of the divine feminine is also present at this time for it is the lunar cycle that defines the timing of the Easter Ritual. The name Easter is derived from the goddess of fertility and birth — Eostre.  Eostre was worshipped by early Anglo-Saxons in what is now Central Europe and Britain during the vernal equinox. The Vernal Equinox is the beginning of the astrological new year and the first day of Aries. The Aries Point is regarded as a highly significant point in astrology.   The sign of Aries speaks of action, initiation, and pioneering.  The shifting date of Easter is tied to this point and is calculated for the first Sunday following the Paschall Full Moon.  The Paschell Moon is calculated from the 14th day of the lunar cycle following the Vernal Equinox.

As we approach Easter Weekend in approximately 14 days,  we are in a liminal sacred time.  Treat this time with reverence and mystery and reflect on what are you prepared to let go or to give up in order for something new to come into your life?


Christina Becker is a Jungian Analyst, Professional Astrologer and Consultant with a private practice in Toronto, Ontario Canada. She is graduate of the C.G. Institute Zurich. Her practice purpose is to empower individuals, couples, teams and organizations on their path of transformation. Her website is www.cjbecker.com

Retrogrades and the Three Fold Path

With the exception of the earth, all planets in the solar system - Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto - embark on a 3-fold path at some point on their journey around the Sun.  Relative to the earth, it appears that during these particular times, these planets follow a pre-determined path and move backwards.

The pattern goes something like this - planet moves forward and at some point, at the station retrograde, begins to move  backward and retraces its path until the station direct where it begins to move forward again. During the path, it journeys through the degrees and the signs of the horoscope three times. Once moving forward, 2nd time moving backwards and the third time moving forward again. 

These retrograde journeys are archetypal - that is,  they call forth a deep recognition of a universal journey in the human psyche.  The three fold nature of the retrograde path can be found in other aspects of the human condition.  There are 3 aspects of time - "past present and future". In fairy tales, heros and heroines must accomplish three tasks.  There are 3 degress of craftman: apprentice, journeyman and Master.  Three states of matter - solid, liquid, gas. In Alchemy, there are three heavenly substances - Salt, Mercury and and Sulfer. And the process of alchemy itself is a three fold art with alchemical process following the sequence of nigredo (black), the albedo (white) and the rubedo (red).  Carl Jung identified that psychological development follows process of unity, the duality arising from the tension of competing energies that creates psychological distress, followed by synthesis available through consciousness and awareness that leads to a new wholeness and unity. The process then begins all over again as we engage in our individuation towards wholeness.

How can we take this archetypal journey of retrograde planets and use it to add meaning and richness to our lives?   How can this three fold journey be in service to psychological development and our individuation project. 

Mars is now on the first leg of its 3 fold path starting the journey on October 17 2009. Look in your life, what began that day?  New ideas, projects or actions appeared in your life.  I started a new Self Expression and Leadership program that Saturday. My first program as Head Coach.  Mars is the planet of action, drive, ambition, outward action, and desire. It is a masculine planet which defines what drives us and how we purse our life's ambitions and goals. It tells us what motivates us and what desires drive us most powerfully. 

Mars will station on December 20, 2009 and will remain retrograde for just under 3 months, turning direct March 10 2010. During this time, outer action might be thwarted as the Mars energy is reevaluated or there might be a need to rethink some action.  

Maybe the point of reflection for this is who does Mars serve?  Does he serve some old pattern of behaviour that is more interested in outer achievement and appearances, or does it serve the deeper life force moving through the psyche? 


Christina Becker is a Jungian Analyst, Psychological Astrologer and Consultant with a private practice in Toronto, Ontario Canada. She is graduate of the C.G. Institute Zurich. Her practice purpose is to empower individuals, couples, teams and organizations on their path of transformation. Her website is www.cjbecker.com