During the moon in Dhanishta yesterday (the nakshatra from 23'20 Cap-6'40 Aqu), I fittingly received questions about the natural tendency of some sexually and sensually-abundant women to engulf, drown, and overwhelm their male lovers. When a woman has cosmically reached the stage of Dhanishta nakshatra (not necessarily, but usually, having the nakshatra in her chart ), she faces a moment of confusion that can lead to pain in life, especially in romance. This nakshatra (where we find Mars’ exaltation point) is a significator that she has been chaste in a committed marriage for many lives. At this point, she finds herself blessed with sensual abundance, influence, and beauty from many past lives devotedly containing male energy, and is now a fountain of physical plenitude. She is the embodiment of the duality of the feminine— sensual and hungry, yet innocent and open… in awe, curiosity, and even wonder at the intense reactions she creates around her. From lives of catering to male desire, she has become like a glyph of male fantasy personified. Here, she finds herself with the inner tendency to enjoy male energy thrust upon her (more than almost any other type of woman), and thus where the misconceptions of Dhanishta nakshatra being promiscuous are created… she is cosmically open and welcoming to all, ravishing sexuality, and deeply eager to please the divine masculine (and this is where her cosmic role as the archetypal sacred prostitute arises). The idea of Dhanishta being promiscuous is a misconception, however, because it does not do so from inability or disinterest in commitment; it does so from this deep desire to please, where she cannot help but see the divine in every man and want to help him to grow and encourage that divine spark. This can make them open to manipulation and abuse, and also to feeling that men are constantly running from their heavily feminine presence (men who cannot handle the pressure to fulfill her abundant desires and satisfy her). This is also what makes Dhanishta the ultimate destroyer of men; when she is open and caring, nourishing and sexual, everything a man dreams of… she may find that man after man is simply consumed into his desires around her and, feeling somewhat emasculated, runs away or stops fulfilling his masculine function (if he prefers vain pursuits and focusing on himself, not giving his sexual energy to a woman)… until a truly virile man comes along. Ultimately— it is the Dhanishta woman who sees this happening over and over but can’t figure out why— who falls into shame and depression at her effect on others, although, through her raw femininity, she is actually making worthy men stronger, and destroying evil in the world.
A Thelemic perspective on the issue:
“Thelemites must fight to the utmost atavic tendencies in themselves to consider a “chaste” woman a virtuous woman. A virtuous woman is she who has the courage to meet life on all planes, who has the courage to be mistress and mother. A woman who shuts herself up, who castrates herself psychically, deserves only that scorn that we must reserve for all cowards. As long as “nuns” and “chaste” women are treated with more social consideration than “adulteresses” and “promiscuous” girls, the sex-life of mankind will remain stunted, and the factors that most contribute to the formation of enslaving traumas will continue to manifest in the psychic atmosphere of the race…
Women must learn to let themselves enjoy without fear or shame, and both men and women must be trained in the technique of sex. Sex-repression leads to neurosis, and is the cause of social unrest. Ignorance of sexual technique leads to disappointment, even where passion is free and unrestrained. Sex is not everything in life, any more than food is: but until people have got satisfaction of these natural hungers, it is useless to expect them to think of other things….
This truth is vital to the statesman, now that women have some direct political power; they will certainly overthrow the Republic unless they obtain full sexual satisfaction. Also, women outnumber men; and one man cannot satisfy a woman unless he be skilful and diligent. The New Aeon will have a foundation of Happy Women: a Woman under Tabu is loathsome to Life, detested by her fellows, and wretched in herself.” -Commentaries of AL by Marcelo Motta.
Image credit: By Hariharan Arunachalam ( NIC ) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons