What Does Lucifer Have To Do With Astrology?
Updated - Jan 23, 2023
Lucifer.
Just the name conjures up images of fire and brimstone, temptation, evil, and also, strangely, beauty.
All those dark, nefarious qualities were added later by the church, borrowing qualities from pagan gods such as Pan, a satyr and companion to the god of wine Dionysus, who had the legs and horns of a goat. Sound familiar?
But the beauty part is interesting. Ask any Christian about Lucifer and the first thing they will likely say is he was the most beautiful of all of god’s creations. Sure, there are allusions to the delicious nature of temptation and sin that were being communicated through the imagery around Lucifer, but it still sounds like a strange way to describe the ultimate symbol of evil. We will discuss where this may have come from, but first, we need to get a handle on just where this Prince of Darkness came from, at least in part. As you will see, even this object of superstitious fear has astrological roots and symbolism.
First, let’s talk a little about these concepts in a broader context than simply Christianity because it can help us out when trying to unpack the whole Lucifer thing.
While Satan and Lucifer are used interchangeably by most religions who maintain these mythical characters, to those in the occult or on the left-hand path, these are two very different ideas. To them, Satan represents our natural, animal nature, while Lucifer represents the attainment of knowledge, innovation and enlightenment.
Prometheus with the eagle getting ready to, um, eat something
Lucifer is often tied to the Greek titan hero and trickster god Prometheus in these, more philosophical, circles. To the Greeks, Prometheus created mankind from clay and then defied the gods by stealing their heavenly fire and giving it to mankind. This is a common myth that shows up in many cultures - a god, breaking ranks with his fellow gods to intervene and elevate mankind to their inventive and intelligent state resulting in civilization, science, technology and cultural arts. For instance, in Norse mythology, Loki (also a trickster god) is credited with acquiring the sacred fire from an eagle, delivering it to mankind for their benefit, pissing off his divine cohorts in the process. Prometheus was credited with founding human arts and sciences, delivering this knowledge to humans, represented by the fire he stole. And as such, the concept of Lucifer, who has become associated with this myth, has come to represent these same ideas and pursuits to many.
The gods do not like this in these stories. In the Greek myth, Prometheus is bound to a giant boulder by Zeus for his deed. Everyday, an eagle (a symbol of Zeus) came and ate his liver. Yikes! Unfortunately, every night, his liver would grow back and become eagle food all over again. Eternal punishment was the price. He was freed by Heracles later in Greek myth, but the sentence was forever when it was leveled on him originally. If you know your Christian mythology, you likely see the connections here as Lucifer (aka Satan, aka the Devil, aka the Serpent) suffered being imprisoned down in the pit (hell) chained and tormented for his crimes. In the case of this Garden of Eden baddie, the Bible describes his sin as tempting Eve to eat the fruit from a particular tree that would give them “the knowledge of good and evil.”
“Then the Lord God said, ‘Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil.’”
The Greek Titan Prometheus desperately hoping that eagle is going after his liver because the other thing ain’t growing back 😳
Notice that collective “us” in the response from this, supposedly, singular god. Doesn’t make sense within the context of what the Bible has come to represent to believers, but makes perfect sense when you consider the common framework of this type of myth.
A group of gods want to keep humanity naive and controlled. A rebellious figure from their own numbers is super into humanity and wants to see them reach their full potential. The rebel delivers the knowledge of the gods to humans in some form and is then punished harshly by the other gods for their betrayal while mankind employs their newfound enlightened state and builds civilization.
Interesting, right?
Let’s get back to where Lucifer originated though.
The primary fact to understand about this character that has haunted the fears of the superstitious, represented the invisible boogieman under every rock for the religious, and inspired a pretty good TV series, is that he is the result of a choice made while translating the Bible into English during the early 17th century.
There is only one place in the entire Bible that contains the word “Lucifer”, and it only occurs in the King James Version. That’s the one with all the thou’s, thine’s and doeth’s your grandma probably hit you with.
“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!”
The Fall of Lucifer from John Milton’s 1667 Poem, “Paradise Lost”
First off, in context, this whole discussion happening around this part of the book of Isaiah is about King Nebuchadnezzar. It’s a bunch of highly visual and allegorical talk about him doing some shit that made god mad, and how he will fall from his exalted position as King of Babylon. So, it doesn’t even have anything to do with some spiritual, evil force in the first place, but whatever.
Where did they come up with the word “Lucifer” though?
It starts in a translation of the Bible into Latin that a dude named Jerome completed during the latter period of the 4th century CE. The word vulgar is Latin for “common,” from which this translation gets its name. It is known as the Vulgate, Latin being the “common tongue.”
The Vulgate was the result of Jerome using the Septuagint - the Greek translation of the Jewish Scriptures begun during the mid-3rd century BCE, though Jerome likely used more recent translations from the 2nd century CE as the originals did not survive the ravages of time and the violence of the age.
His translation of Isaiah 14:12 required a Latin rendering of the Greek word heosphoros, meaning “bringer of dawn”. Jerome handled this using the Latin for “light” (lux) plus the word for “bearer” (ferre). Our words lumen, luminous and illuminate are some of the derivatives from lux. The Latin word ferre is where we get our word ferry, which carries people and things. Makes sense. So far, so good. Seems like Jerome nailed it.
His Vulgate would become the Bible for over a thousand years. It would be copied countless times by countless penitent monks over centuries and centuries. And in the process, changes were, of course, inevitable. Some were errors based on human fallibility. Others were intentional in order to prop up theological ideas of the day or to try and clarify confusing passages. Some, though, came from guesses and hunches. As these scribes were dealing with multiple copies of source material, there were often differences. A decision would result from the analysis of these differences and the copy being worked on would reflect the monk’s final take. In some copies of the Vulgate, still existing, the text is written as Jerome likely intended it. However, other copies have the two words pushed together resulting in one word. What do you do when faced with such things while dealing with the supposedly perfect, god-breathed, inspired, infallible Word of God? You probably do something human like pick your favorite and roll with it. Or, maybe more likely, sweat out the decision, torment yourself with the implications, go with your gut when the deadline comes, and hope you don’t wake up with leprosy because you fucked up God’s Word. The point is, this was a very human endeavor and fertile ground for all kinds of opportunities for changes to happen along the way.
As the Bible was being translated into English centuries later, people working on what would become known as the King James Bible (1611) used copies of the Vulgate heavily. Faced with trying to decide which variant was correct, they chose to translate this into English as “Lucifer”, one word and a proper name. This gave whole new meaning to the verse itself, switching the subject from an earthly king about to get his, to a spiritual scene of the devil being thrown out of heaven by god.
And thus, Lucifer was born.
Greek - heosphoros = “Bringer of dawn”
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latin - lux ferre = “Light bearer”
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Copy error in 1611 KJV Bible = ”Lucifer”
How does this relate to Astrology though?
Well, it turns out there was a celestial body that was referred to by the Greeks as “the light bearer” (lux ferre, in Latin) or “the morning star” (some biblical versions use this term instead). It was significant among the other objects in the sky and held a special role in their observation. And, it seems, this astrological concept was employed to make a point about the King of Babylon in Isaiah. The message was, “you were the greatest possible, but you are headed for a huge fall.”
That astrological “light bearer” was the planet Venus.
Venus was referred to by this moniker because it is typically the brightest (usually only) planet visible on the eastern horizon as the Sun begins to rise above it.
“I’m your Venus. I’m your fire. At your desire” - Pure magic from 1988
That black dot in front of the Sun is the planet Venus who “brings the light” at dawn. Also referred to as the “morning star” by the ancients.
Due to Venus’ close distance to the Sun (relative to Earth), it is never more than 78° from the Sun on your chart. You will find the planet is always either in the same sign as the Sun, or no more than two signs away. The majority of its cycle is spent very close to the Sun, with Sun-Venus conjunctions happening often. While Mercury is even closer, as the innermost planet, Venus’ atmosphere is very reflective of the Sun’s light causing it to glow intensely from our viewpoint here on Earth, one planet away. Mercury, in contrast has no atmosphere and is essentially a chunk of pummeled rock making it much more difficult to see, especially as sunlight begins to flood the sky at dawn. Due to her brightness and proximity to the Sun, the planet Venus became “the light bearer” or “the bringer of dawn” - the one who brings the Sun up above the horizon to start another day.
So Isaiah was alluding to Venus here, not some personage named Lucifer.
What does Venus represent in mythology? Beauty. She was the most beautiful of the gods as the Roman analog of Aphrodite, Olympian goddess of beauty and love.
Cue Bananarama.
This is why Venus represents love, glamour, beauty, style, art and pleasure in your profile. It is our amorous nature given characteristics and motivations by the sign Venus falls in on our chart.
Lucifer in the Modern Age
Unfortunately, it hasn’t really mattered that the invention of this “devil” was through human error by people caught in religious delusion. This creation became a very useful tool for the Church when it came to needing a good boogeyman.
Today you will hear all kinds of strange people on YouTube declaring a “Luciferian Agenda” around basically everything that scares, offends, or confuses them. They might as well be decrying the evil workings of Mickey Mouse - he’s more real, and you really are getting fucked by Disney somehow, probably.
Right-wing, conspiracy whack jobs, such as Alex Jones, love to speak of the “globalists” being “Luciferians.” Others aim this accusation towards “the Liberal Media,” “Hollywood,” “International Bankers,” or “Elite Lawyers”. Be very careful of people peddling such language and demonizing because they are rooted in ideas that are shameful and dark. You see, what they really mean by those term is, “Jews.” They actually come by these types of ideas not by their own innovation, but through very long standing anti-semitic associations of Jewish people with evil, deviousness, greediness, and deceit - who does that sound like to you…..hmmmmmmm…..I don't know, maybe Satan/Lucifer. It is an abhorrent history of bigotry and attempted genocide over the centuries of Christendom and its current, zealous iterations. It did not start with the Nazis, nor did it end with them unfortunately. It is a dark, continuous theme that continues to haunt and sow destruction in our societies around the world. Next time someone starts ranting about “Lucifer” and how there is an “agenda” secretly being worked behind the scenes by these supposed elite schemers, listen very intently at what they are actually saying, or even better, turn that shit off.
The Sigil of Lucifer
Lucifer is also used symbolically in left-hand path philosophical and spiritual pursuits such as Modern Satanism. Organizations such as the The Satanic Temple, a name that evokes fantasy ideas from horror movies and Christian imagination, but in reality are political activists fighting to ensure Church and State remain separate, Women’s Rights are advocated for, and the unhoused have the food, shelter and hygiene products they need. Real fucking evil, right?
You may have seen the image displayed her (The Sigil of Lucifer). This symbol, as far as has been found, originated in a book known as the Grimoirium Verum, the Grimoire of Truth, found to likely to have been written in the 18th century, but attributed to a guy named Alibeck the Egyptian from Memphis (Pharaohs, not Elvis) who supposedly wrote it in 1517. He didn’t, and scholars are pretty conclusive on its origination in Rome sometime in the 1700s. A Grimoire is essentially a book containing spells and evocations that allowed for magical workings. This particular guide was around invoking and working with Lucifer. This book is full of dense Christian doctrine and dogma, demonstrating its intent possibly being propaganda to “prove” the presence of real devil worshippers, thus scaring and controlling the superstitious populace, or maybe it is just the rantings of someone suffering severe mental delusion steeped in Judeo-Christian imagery. Who knows? However, it is the first place this symbol shows up. It is so frightening, in fact, that you can get a copy - fully illustrated - from Amazon with Prime Delivery, for under $20. Now that’s some convenient - and affordable - evil right there ;)
As best can be determined, there are a few concepts being depicted that are inline with historical representations stretching back far into our human past. The upside-down triangle with the legs is known as the “chalice” - the dark source of creation, potential and spiritual receptiveness. The upside-down triangle signifies the elemental symbol of water (the subconscious, intuition, emotional world, and deep instincts).
Read more about the Dualities and Triplicities here.
The X represents the power, passion, and nature of the physical world, overlaying and balancing the spiritual depths that water represents. The V at the bottom is a symbol of duality - dark/light, masculine/feminine, active/receptive, etc. - showing the connectivity and balance between all of these opposing concepts and realities. One is not without the other, ever.
So Let’s All Calm Down
Lucifer is an invention, by mistake, then hijacked by those who would control through their ideas of god. The Church went buck wild with this evil being, slapping him on anything and everything that stood against their view of the world, life, mankind, morality, politics, everything. In other words, he was a spiritual means used to a pursue and accomplish very human, physical, and carnal ends.
Concepts that remain foundational for the Christian worldview in 2023, and, yet, totally made up ;) And, just one more time, they are usually talking about the Jews. So beware the nonsense you allow into your head.
Instead, replace it with your new understanding that the Bible simply reflected mankind’s use of the stars and our observation of human behavior beneath them, and we can still consider the role ideas symbolized by Venus playy in our human experience and expressions.
Heretically Yours 😈
