“A Hephaestus (man/woman) is an intense, introverted person. It’s difficult for others to know what is going on… or for him (her) to express… feelings directly. (This archetype) can become an emotional cripple, a smoldering volcano, or a highly creative productive (person).”
JEAN SHINODA BOLEN
(I reworked an old newsletter as time was slipping through my fingers! And, interestingly, have already received more feedback than usual… synchronicity – I love it!)
Hephaestus was born of Hera and rejected by one or other of his parents, depending on which version of the mythology you’re reading. He is associated with the Taurean mythology by virtue of his relationship with Aphrodite (Venus rules Taurus). As a couple they are representative of our struggle to define what we value: Hephaestus was a cripple and Aphrodite was the beautiful goddess of love; Hephaestus was a gifted craftsman and Aphrodite was his unfaithful wife.
Jean Shinoda Bolen explores this archetype in ‘Gods in Everyman’, strongly emphasizing Hephaestus’ introversion and ‘bottling up’ of intense emotion as well as his sense of being an outsider when attempting to join in with the crowd. Finding rewarding, absorbing, creative work can be the making of a person with this archetype strongly in their psyches.
Sometimes we need encouragement to value the attributes we have, rather than railing against the ‘gods’ or the circumstances of our lives (remembering that this encouragement might not come from the place we expect it). In Hephaestus’ case, he was rescued by Thetis and Eurynome (two sea nymphs) and learned to make beautiful jewelry whilst in their care.
Perhaps there’s a way to more be more fully with ourselves through this archetype? Hephaestus is not motivated by getting it right for other people and can be quietly absorbed in the process of his creativity (very much an attribute of the fixed signs). Jean Shinoda Bolen tells us that Jung felt motivated to play with building blocks (which he remembered doing as a child) as a way to get through the painful episode where he was rejected by Freud:
“I went on with my building game… every day… in the course of this activity my thoughts clarified… it released a stream of fantasies which I later carefully wrote down… and at any time in my later life when I came up against a blank wall, I painted a picture or hewed stone…”
Maybe you can think of something in your life which has enabled you to re-centre and move forward in this way? And Jung’s experience may offer a strategy for getting the most out of Wednesday’s full moon in Scorpio (10th May 2017 – 20Scorpio24 at 21h44 GMT)?
These mythological themes might play out through planets in Taurus, or through the house which Taurus rules in your chart. Equally, they might be attached to Venus’ position – especially when it’s challenged by other planets, hidden in the 12th or retrograde (and you may find some relevance to themes brought up during Venus’ recent retrograde phase depending on where it fell in your chart). Do let me know if you have any feedback on how this sits with you…
(The anvil and hammer are associated with Hephaestus and the photo is courtesy of Jeff Ratcliff at freedigitalphotos.net)
Love and blessings from Helen x
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