posted February 24, 2013 05:04 AM            

With Dejanira the basic symbolism is one of vulnerability and maybe a bit naivetee.
Of course these two traits can lead to being victimized and being taken advantage of.

However, this vulnerability can also lead to a greater openness and turn away from being overly defensive.
You just have to makes sure yuor personal boundaries are intact and being respected. Don`t let anyone use you as a doormat, not even if you love them.

(Hercules was not a saint either, btw. As a matter of fact in some versions of the myth he also violated her, but promised to come back and marry her, which he did).

BTW Dejanira was also quite gifted in witchcraft.

posted February 25, 2013 09:50 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Taineberry:
The North Node in a chart is meant to be fundamentally benefic, right? A point towards which we aspire and can achieve soul growth. Your soul purpose. But what if it conjuncts a negative body like Nessus or Dejanira or Algol or Lucifer. How can one of these possibly point to soul GROWTH? My NN is conjunct Dejanira. How can anyone in their right mind aspire towards becoming a victim as part of their soul purpose?

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I'm not entirely sure but I think Mother Theresa had her NN conj Algol. She had something there but I can't remember for sure right now if it was that. I'd imagine that with someone like her at least it'd be more about transmuting the "evils" of the world (or Algol?) to something better.

In the long term it's presumably growth in any case even if people stray from shinier paths and take a look at the seedier or murkier sides of life as well, as long as they learn something from it, anyway. I still say Dejanira's unnecessarily maligned on the boards, everything depending on what else there is in the charts, too. And that's with mine conj Saturn, square Chiron, so a major "OH NO!" case to some interpreters. Going by things thus far in life, nearing forty in a year or two, I still don't know what the fuss would supposedly be all about. The Chiron return may or may not influence that in my case, but so far I'm mostly just raising an eyebrow over some Dejanira interpretations. Possibly because the Saturn-Dej is trine my NN, too, but no idea.

As for why it'd be potentially necessary or chosen to be a victim, someone may learn strength that lasts from it once through that, or learn how to help others in similar circumtances, or any other similar kind of thing you might learn through experiences like that. If it's about the soul as you say, people may learn compassion for the suffering from having gone through difficult times themselves. But even without that guess for the Why-part, if it's still about the soul we can probably likewise only guess what the soul might want from it, and hope that what's "you" or us here now on this level gets through the experiences even so.

posted February 26, 2013 11:51 AM            

The way I remember Dejanira's myth going at least in part is that she and Hercules/Herakles asked for help or were offered help with the river crossing by Nessus, and when he took her across on his back first, he had the intention of running off with her for rape or whatever else. Herc shot the poisoned arrow at him in any case and case closed, no harm done to her on that front other than the fright maybe.

Where the naivete comes in is the inadvisability or otherwise of her then believing dying Nessus on what he then tells her about his blood being a powerful aphrodisiac, should she ever be in need of something like that with her demi-god hubby. As in, taking love potion notes from a guy who was out to rape you moments ago, before his getting killed by your boyfriend or husband, with a very painful poison. Since all that's likely to engender thoughts of further goodwill on the centaur's part and all.

As far as I'm concerned, an asteroid like 666 Desdemona could also suggest something more of a "victim" or helplessness or cluelessness, getting betrayed or not knowing what's what, but there aren't any handy Iago/Jago or Othello asteroids for people to use with that so Des is ignored more so. Dejanira happens to have Nessus to compare next to it for any potential abuse or mistreatment, so people talk about it more. Automatic "victim" is maybe the wrong word with the Dejanira asteroid, or too strongly swayed toward negative interpretations only if people aren't careful. She makes a wrong decision due to possible naivete, and later on in her desperation to get her husband back. Desdemona never has any active part in anything so seems more the innocent victim of other people's lies and jealousy.

I'm also sure there are other mythological figures or asteroids that likewise fit a certain "victim" type better than Dej, but can't remember any now. Presumably there is something to learn in all of them, anyway, if strongly situated.