WRITINGS & ARCHIVES ON ASTROLOGY

SEVEN

Whenever we, astrologers, hear the number, seven, we should prick up our ears.  Chances are something is going to resonate with the symbolism of our seven traditional planets.  That might help us see a new perspective on something astrological or at least allow us to enjoy a moment of awe at the syncronicity of the Universe.

Along with our traditional planets, seven refers to the seven colors of the rainbow, the seven notes on the musical scale, the seven seas, the seven continents, the seven sages, the seven sacraments of the Catholic religion, the seven days of Creation, the seven days of each lunar phase, the seven days of the week, the seventh son of the seventh son, the seven deadly sins, the seven virtues, the seven chakras, the seven orifices of the human body, and on and on, including the seven dwarves.

Yes, those dwarves! As in, the fairy tale of Snow White.

Of course, we all know, thanks to Bruno Bettelheim, author of the classic book, “The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales,” that fairy tales are full of symbolism, much more so than we thought in our childhoods. And one of the many purposes that fairy tales serve is to illuminate the relationship between light and shadow, how a weakness can become a strength, that transformation does occur especially for a happily ever after.

For instance, the dwarf, Grumpy, begins the tale being cold and a little suspicious of Snow White, but by the tale’s end, he becomes soft, emotional and caring of her. Each one of the dwarves goes through that kind of transformation through the tale.

When we sort through the dwarves by their characteristics and transformations, some of us might see that Grumpy can be associated with the Moon.

Doc, the leader of the dwarves, correlates with the Sun. Although he is seen as the kingpin of the group, he also can be a fool when he fouls up his words and thoughts, not unlike how the astrological Sun can have a foolishness too.

Mercury is Dopey, ironically, the one who doesn’t speak, but he’s highly communicative with facial expressions and body language, and he’s the youngest of the dwarves.

Venus is Bashful, the quiet, gentle and shy dwarf with a deep romantic crush on Snow White.

Mars is Sneezy, the noisy one.

Guess which planet matches up with Jupiter. Answer: Happy!

Last but not least, Saturn is seen as Sleepy; ironically, he’s the one who brings humor to the tale and is known to make all the others laugh.

The number, 7, of course consists of 3 and 4. There are many symbolic connections with those numbers, but suffice it to say, 3 represents energy and 4 represents form. Together, they create wholeness. They are the coming together of yang and yin. We can see even more meaning when we look at astrology’s triplicity and quadruplicity in our elements and modes.

Of course, these numbers when multiplied give us 12, another important symbol for us astrologers, and a number that resonates with many other themes, i.e., the twelve apostles, the twelve tribes of Israel.

Maybe the Brothers Grimm who originally penned “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves” consciously intended to create a moral tale about the Universe and its inhabitants, but it’s much more likely they were unconsciously inspired by the synchronicity in the Universe and out came all of their enchanting stories. In actuality, they simply collected all of their folktales from the peasants of German countryside, who used them as forms of entertainment from generation to generation. Obviously, though, the Brothers were tapping into the Collective Mind, especially since their stories continue to resonant with us and take on so many other forms through the centuries, from Walt Disney’s retelling of the tale to “The Huntsman.”

One of the other important and symbolic characters in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves” is the mirror. It always gives an honest answer to the Evil Queen’s never-ending question.

So, the next time you gaze at your chart to see your astrological reflection, and ask, “Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?,” remember the mirror never lies.