Here is a man who had the gift of simpatía, a man who wrote under the spell of his own distinctively poetic and experimental literary genre. Through his unique ‘Borgesian’ style of fiction writing, Jorge Luis Borges 1 demonstrates the whirlwind of his mind 2. This 'labyrinthine' heart not only introduced the literature of Latin America to a global audience but also laid the foundation for the ‘Latin American Boom’ that carried writers such as Julio Cortazar, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Mario Vargas Llosa to prominence.
Stellar Wheel
virgo
Jorge Luis Borges
01Hover over these to get the full astrological reference
BY SANJA KLJAIĆ
10 minute read
10 minute read
Pachamama’s cult child
As a man of letters, Borges was described as a master of dialogue, both for his conversation and literary work, 3 4 a writer who gloried in the simple things of earth and human existence. He deeply understood his own private metaphysics, similar to Franz Kafka and Edgar Allan Poe. He created outside time and space, outside imaginary and symbolic worlds 5 6.
“I saw, close up, unending eyes watching themselves in me as in a mirror; I saw all the mirrors on earth and none of them reflected me; I saw the Aleph from every point and angle, and in the Aleph I saw the earth and in the earth the Aleph and in the Aleph the earth; I saw your face, and I felt dizzy and wept, for my eyes had seen that secret and conjectured object whose name is common to all men but which no man has looked upon -- the unimaginable universe.”
Here, Borges describes the physical body as the ultimate space of spiritual experience, a mirror that reflects all worldly objects. Borges’ dreamlike representations of reality can be interpreted as an autobiographical elaboration of his mental state, where several alternative events, infinite possibilities, and multiple universes coexist 7 8 9 It is widely accepted that Borges delighted in playing with both the text and the reader. In his works, we witness a tantalising loss of self, a focus on the pleasures of reason, reverie, and imagination of his private Universe or, better said, Multiverse.
Borges was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1899 under the starry vibrations of Virgo 10 11. This archetype of great beauty and purity is related to the Archangel Mary, who is the personification of material well-being and prosperity. The celestial Virgin’s responsibilities are many; she is the guardian of wheat harvest and distributor of grain. The wheat, held by the earthly maiden of plenty, is symbolic of reaping the fruits of your labour “for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
Virgo is a symbol of introspection, self-discipline and continuity, she plants her garden and decorates her soul, and as such glows with the Spiritus Mundi that dwells inside.
Her archetype in Jorge Luis manifests itself through his work of excellence. Our writer summons the quintessence of Virgo energy by being of service through the ‘written’ word. Like the virgin, Jorge Luis graciously, patiently, and ritualistically perfected the temperament of his work and pushed it into profoundly resonant realms.
Virgo’s creative purpose is to aid, heal, and assist. She achieves this with the help of her guardian saint Mercury 12, the nimble intermediary of the gods, who carries a caduceus, the symbol of medicine. Like the Egyptian god Thoth and the Greek god Hermes, Mercury is considered a healer of the mind and a god of intellect, augury, written and spoken word, trade, and commercial success.
The divine feminine aspect of Mercury is Rosmerta, the goddess of fertility and abundance. Rosmerta, embodied by the symbol of the cornucopia, is often depicted seated with Mercury as a divine couple. Rosemerta links wonderfully with Virgo's energy. Virgo initiates hard work, savings, investments, and all manifested wordily goods produced within the 6th house, while Rosmerta, with her sacred symbol of cornucopia, overflows Virgo with abundance 13 14.
Like the constellation of his Sun, Borges delighted in uncovering hidden energy behind the words.
He saw language as the major instrument by which mankind sought to impose some limits on the infiniteness of the universe.
If every name is …
the archetype of its thing,
Among the letters of ring, resides the ring,
And it in the word Nile al the Nile remains.
(El Golem, 1964)
Linked to this and something that was of interest to Borges is the subject of Kabbalah. Each letter in Kabbala is an energetic vortex, an instrument of God’s intelligence. By deciphering letters one moves closer towards the frequencies of blissful reawakening.
In Borges’ view, “the word Kabbalah denotes an interpretative system of the Holy Scriptures, a Jewish system of exegesis that leads to an approach to God and the understanding of the universe.” Kabbalists study the coded sacred text and analyse the mystery of God and Creation.
The passionate ode of these ancient teachings is: study the work, receive its energy, and express it through your physical vessel. After all, Virgo knows that the spirit in the ‘word’ creates the material ‘world.’ Borges similarly conducted himself. Through Mercury’s light blue glow, he brought the energy of the written word into the soul of the earth.
On the subject of nationalism, Borges avidly argued that nationalism is a misconception and one of the primary afflictions of our time:
“we love overemphasising our differences, if humanity is to be saved, we must focus on our affinities, the points of contact with all human beings, national borders should be abolished on the earth so that every person would be a citizen of the world”.
From a young age, Borges was extremely close to his parents, Jorge and Leonor, 15, and his younger sister Norah with whom he would spend hours playing at home, imagining invisible friends and inventing fantasy tales:
“If I were asked to name the chief event in my life, I should say my father’s library, I believe that my first reading was Grimm’s' Fairy Tales in an English version. I was very young; I can't remember a time in my childhood when I didn't know how to read or write. I was educated by my father's library, perhaps more than by high school or the university. Much of that formation I owe to my grandmother, who was English and knew the Bible by heart. So, I could say that I came upon literature via the Holy Ghost and by the verses, I used to hear at home.”
In ‘Twenty-four Conversations with Borges,’ he recounts how his fellow school students failed to understand him. They perceived him as a mannerly boy who dressed peculiarly, did not enjoy sports, and excelled in academics 16.
To have one's beautiful colours not "fit in " is often one of the toughest stories a child can experience in their book of life, and yet these stories are often very amusing and rich with insights that go on to shape that child's vistas of imagination and their individual perception of Self.
Jorge Luis continues to describe his literary boarding school in Switzerland, that, unlike his education in Argentina, was a positive experience. The young Jorge Luis in Geneva was allowed to expand his intellect 17 18 and gain a new level of personal confidence. But most importantly, he gained new friendships that would last a lifetime.
After his schooling, Borges set sail for Spain and joined a literary group of writers, poets, and essayists to continue producing important work. His father, an admirable man, had big dreams for Jorge Luis.
“my father advised me to write a great deal, I believe that in some way he foresaw that I would be a writer, that I had a literary destiny, and he encouraged me to fulfil it.” 19 20
Borges struggled for many years with shyness and found it hard to be recognised. Following his family’s return to Buenos Aires, this introverted bohemian made it his mission to imbue his city of birth with emotional significance. Before he succumbed to hereditary blindness, Borges found inspiration in the streets of Buenos Aires; in its dark suburbs, he found his poetry.
Our Virgo vanguard never felt contempt for his failing eyesight, nor did it keep him from achieving literary success. He viewed his blindness as a gift and resource given to him for a greater purpose 21, a purpose that existed beyond the realm of the intellect. Unsurprisingly, Borges depended on his friends and his literary colleagues to read to him and to collaborate on writing.
“All that happens to us, including our humiliations, our misfortunes, our embarrassments, all is given to us as raw material, as clay, so that we may shape our art.”
Concerning romance, Borges constantly found himself in love with women who left him feeling unfulfilled. He was incredibly forthcoming about his split personality when it came to relationships with the opposite sex 22. Romantic loves were difficult, awkward, and even disastrous for Borges. Smitten, head over heels, he would find himself rushing towards a woman, only to find himself repulsed by the intricacies of intimacy.
“It is love. I will have to hide or flee. The walls of my prison are growing, like an atrocious dream…”.
Despite his unsuccessful relationships, Borges continued to produce revolutionary fiction. His literature assuredly rose to the level of excellence, earning him the title
of “the Spanish-language writer of our century.” His keen mind and boundless energy allowed him to lecture and tour the world, experiencing prolonged success in his professional career 23 24. The creative universe of his peculiar phraseology gave this darling heart his own voice, a voice that unconsciously crept into the magical realism of literature. In his Praise of Darkness, he concludes:
“I reach my centre, my algebra and my key, my mirror. Soon I will know who I am.”
Literary sources:
Alifano, R. 1984 Twenty-four Conversations with Borges: includes a selection of poems and interviews, NY: Lascaux Publishers.
Borges, J., L. 1994 Borges on Writing, US: Ecco Press Publisher
Borges, J., L. 1974 In Praise of Darkness, US: E. P Dutton and Co., Inc.
Borges, J., L. 2004 The Aleph and Other Stories, UK: Penguin Books
McNeese, T., 2008 The Great Hispanic Heritage: Jorge Lois Brogues, NY: Infobase Publishing.
Image Reference:
1. Portae Lucis by Joseph Gikatilla (1248 -1325) Augsburg, 1516 The book is a Latin translation by Paulus Ricius of Gikatilla's most influential kabbalistic work. Wikipedia commons
2. Unknown Illustrator 1854, The Idler's Progress, illustrated in the life of a young German Nobleman. British Library digital image
3. Máršan, Robert 1898 Čechové a němci r. 1848 a boj o Frankfurt, British Library digital image
4. Cameron Baxter, A Comprehensive Guide To Navigating Parallel Dimensions 1960
1
Ascendant in Cancer home is where the heart is. Jupiter in trine with Ascendant indicates that Borges was one darling heart filled with optimism and enthusiasm for life.
2
Creative and visionary ideas generated and brought forward (Uranus in Sagittarius in the 5th house)
3
An easy expression of ideas; artistic quality of mind, entertaining and refined conversationalist (Mercury in Leo in the 2nd house) "You who read me, are you sure of understanding my language?"
4
Precision in communicating 'meaning' and standing out intellectually (Mars in Libra in the 3rd house) firm focus on the expansion of knowledge and intellectual conversation.
5
Pluto conjunct Neptune and South Node in the 12th house - deep spiritual transformations divinely orchestrated. This aspect indicates that Jorge was a wise, old soul who existed for thousands of years, learning and preparing himself for mastery.
6
Hence the ease in perceiving multiple dimensions of reality where all versions of himself were happening simultaneously.
7
Pluto in the 12th house asks for the continuous evocation of Borges as a person and Borges as a multifaceted storyteller of mythical dimensions.
8
He was an individual who had a strong connection with numinous realms, he saw the world through the mystical third eye; a dreamer who withdraws from the mundane world of 3D reality (Neptune in Gemini in the 12th house)
9
Neptune quintile Moon indicates that Jorge Luis had the power to see the whole universe present in one word. This aspect shows that as an individual, he was more than a mental creative, he was a channel for higher forms of thought.
10
Jorge Luis valued his intellect the most; his work and his service to others was his raison d'être (Sun in Virgo in the 2nd)
11
Borges had a well-developed sense of value; he was conscious of his artistic expressions; in his dialogues, he would demonstrate to others how to be appreciative of their earthly treasures (Sun conjunct Mercury & Venus in the house of Taurus)
12
Mercury trine Midheaven indicates a strong tendency to believe in his purpose and mission, he had an inherent need to go his own way, to believe what he in his mind perceived as truth.
13
Borges’ Saturn in Sagittarius, nestled in the 6th house, indicates that he looked forward to reaping his well-earned rewards.
14
Profound mentality. Prolonged periods of isolation and long hours of concentration are needed to produce brilliant scholarly work (Saturn tine Mercury).
15
Jupiter in Scorpio in the 4th house shows inherent spirituality and the gift of precise observation. Happy childhood and a natural sense of security. Inclination to colourfully elevate the mystical and secretive side of life.
16
New horizons related to new values; his focus was on the mind and beauty rather than sports (Venus conjunct Mercury)
17
Part of Fortune in Scorpio in the 5th house - ascension to higher states of being. Creating from an elevated state of consciousness.
18
His overflowing creative energies helped in developing his own writing style unlike others of his time and express this style in his very own unique and innovative way (Part of Fortune conjunct Uranus)
19
Seeker of pleasure in literary and visual art (Venus in Leo in the 2nd house). Leo here asks - does this serve me, and if so, how? "Personally, I am a hedonistic reader; I read books for the aesthetic emotions they offer me, and I ignore the commentaries and criticism."
20
The subconscious part of Jorge Luis was ardent in nature; this independent visionary philosopher allowed the impulsiveness hidden within his subconscious realm to pull him to challenge himself and overcome his follies (Moon in Aries in the 9th house).
21
Moving on with life while deep inner shifts are taking place (Chiron in Sagittarius in the 5th house). Jupiter sextile Chiron - healing by embracing and genuinely understanding the “wounded” aspects of himself.
22
A unique and unconventional approach to romance and love affairs (Uranus conjunct Chiron). Chiron trine Moon general fears of intimacy could stem from his dominating and overbearing mother, whom he nevertheless loved dearly.
23
He found his purpose in seeking and exploring the bigger picture (North Node in Sagittarius in the 6th house). North Node conjunct Saturn indicates that this time around, Borges had a strong desire to materialise his wisdom.
24
South Node in Gemini in the 12th house - having passed many lifetimes learning and contemplating things, Jorge Luis found it natural to want to serve humanity through his teachings.