Encasements…
A chrysalis is the encasement holding a pupa which is transforming into a butterfly. To emerge from a chrysalis is therefore to work one’s way from out of a tight situation.
Compare Leo 29, “A mermaid”. A mermaid is said to be a woman in a seal’s skin. The selkie of folklore tradition is a woman who sheds her skin to walk amongst humans. Since a seal’s skin is very tight… think of tight pants, close-fitting garments that take great effort to free oneself from… the maneuver can be quite laborious.
Compare ‘laborious’ efforts with corresponding Leo/Aquarius 14, “A human soul awaiting opportunity for expression” and “A train entering a tunnel” respectively. ‘Expression’ is literally to push out as in having trouble saying what you mean, of searching for ways to express your thoughts at the right time, in an understandable way. “A train entering a tunnel” is classic image of the beginning of labour, of child birth… the long journey down the birthing canal.
Compare Taurus 29 “Two cobblers working at a table”. The image suggests working in close quarters, in tight workspaces. But ‘cobble’ also relates to cobble stones… stones closely fitted to fashion a road.
Scorpio 29 “An Indian squaw pleading to the chief for the lives of her children” is an image of a mother in a difficult situation from which she attempts to wiggle free by pleading for her children’s lives.
Chrysalis’ found in the Sabian symbol for Aquarius 29, is derived from the Latin Chrysallis, which is from the Greek Khrysallis meaning the golden colored pupa of a butterfly. Krysos means ‘gold’ which is combines with a second element which means something like ‘sheath’… an encasement.
A core theme within Aquarius 29 is therefore to wiggle free… the effort required to emerge from a confined, tight casing/cover/skin/wrap… and so on.
However, chrysalis also carries a root sense of gold, as mentioned above. the color reference may be of significance as many of the series of Sabian symbols Leo/Aquarius 26-30 carry specific references to color. Leo 26, “A rainbow” suspended in the air displaying the full rainbow spectrum of color. Aquarius 27 “An ancient pottery bowl filled with violets” clearly indicating violet hues. Leo/Aquarius 28 makes a color reference to white, chalky color tones through the association with liminality, bird-lime and opaque white potions. Aquarius 28, "A tree felled and sawed" does point to the oak tree which is associated with golden hues as well.
It may be of interest to note the connection of Chrysalis with chrysanthemum. The chrysanthemum was originally a name for a golden flower… the modern day chrysanthemum. In the western world, chrysanthemums are not always seen in a favorable light owing to the custom of being used frequently at funerals.
In the East, however, the chrysanthemum, especially when golden, is a revered flower. The Imperial symbol of Japan is a gold chrysanthemum. In Chinese tradition, the chrysanthemum is associated with nobility and regarded as a positive floral symbol.
All of this is highly suggestive, but as yet unsubstantiated, regarding the ‘golden’ motif presented here. Perhaps a new avenue for research through the image of “The Golden Flower” ( which is the title of a Chinese Taoist classic on meditation) is called for.
Blain Bovee
Recent Comments