Medusa, Algol, Hera

This is a transmission from Steve Nobel’s YouTube channel which really resonates with me:

I’ve been interested in Medusa imagery for over a year now. It first came up when I read about the fixed star Algol. 

Algol is considered by some a demon star but it is more complex than that. I have Algol midheaven and it certainly plays out in my life.  I read that imagery of the head and neck are associated with Algol. Some people with poor Algol placements have been beheaded. Algol can be associated with addiction and insanity but well placed, it is protective against evil magic. 

I am fascinated in how astrology plays out in my life, even though I did not believe in it, I am very much like my birth chart. Interestingly I resonate with the imagery of Algol midheaven; much of my life does focus around my head and neck. I am a singer and a speaker and Im into food and biohacking with supplements. As a virgo ascendent, I experience much growth through being sensible and practical and taking care of the small things consistently. In my life, I’ve struggled with sensible eating because I try to process emotions through eating. 

Algol is the arabic root word for alcohol and it can be associated with addictions. So, I personally don’t like to drink because I come from a culture that drinks a lot and have ended up with a karmically sensitive liver but I did smoke lots and lots of weed during my 20s. I finished my journey with that plant medicine and my psychedelic of choice is self-brewed ayahuasca. I have experienced incredibly revelation through the use of ayahuasca, most particularly during a time when dark magic was being used on me. 

All incredibly Algol symbolism.  Im not sure how much more of a walking, talking Algol midheaven native I could be. 

When I was researching Algol online, I read that this star is associated with Medusa. I guess this makes sense since Medusa is beheaded.  Im into mythology and it’s fascinating to consider how stories originating from matriarchal cultures are re-interpreted in patriarchy. The Medusa story stinks of “incomplete” and “misinterpreted”.

The Greek myth I have heard goes something like this:

Medusa was a priestess of Athena who was raped by Poseidon. Athena than disowned her and cast her away and Medusa became an evil witch who turned people into stone until one day, Perseus beheaded her and used her evil stare against her, turning her into stone. He used her head as a weapon during battle and from her blood sprang forth Pegaus, Perseus’ flying horse. This is quite rich symbolism. It bring out this idea that the poison contains the anecdote. Medusa was allegedly evil but from her blood emerged Perseus flying horse ally. 

Maybe Medusa was a priestess and she had a relationship with Poseidon which gave her great power. Im not sure how to understand Medusa’s head of serpents. I like snakes and have one as a pet. Snakes are symbols of an ancient mystery tradition that has something to do with kundalini and energy currents in the human body and throughout the universe. Snakes are symbolic of lost Earth wisdom. 

What can be said of Hera other then, “sucks to be her”. I don’t know much about Hera other than she’s Zeus’ wife. Allegedly they were happy once upon a time but then he started having affairs. Hera spends her time running around punishing the women he has affairs with. This is terribly patriarchal and does not focus much on who Hera actually is. I have only heard about Hera in the context of Zeus. Who is Hera? As Zeus’ counterpart in the pantheon, shouldn’t she be incredibly powerful? Why is she portrayed as vengeful towards women?