It is said that Lilith will one day come calling. She will come in your dreams, in a vision, or find some way to creep into your consciousness, especially if you are into all things cosmic.
I have known about Lilith for some time, but I have never really known what she was all about and I still don’t. But I’ve come to understand that’s the nature of Lilith.
Trying to understand Lilith is trying to hold a moonbeam in your hand (for all you Sound of Music fans out there).
Her energy is a mystery and in astrology, Lilith confusingly rules over three different things –
- Asteroid Lilith
- Black Moon Lilith
- Dark Moon Lilith
These three Liliths are all connected and are said to open a portal to her energy. They are also said to represent the triple goddess, an understanding into the light, dark, and balance of femininity. The three Lilith’s can also be seen as a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.
Before we dissect these three Liliths in astrology, let’s talk about the myth of Lilith.
Lilith
Lilith was said to be Adam’s first wife. Before Eve came along, there was Lilith. But the thing with Lilith is that she was not willing to be subservient to Adam, least of all in the bedroom.
She was her own woman and wanted to be considered equal to Adam, but Adam wasn’t having any of it, so Lilith escaped and found a lair of demons that took her in. There she had her sexual awakening. She slept with all the demons and had many demon babies as a result.
Adam wanted her back, and threatened to have her demon babies taken away if she refused him, but Lilith didn’t budge. She maintained her freedom, she belonged to no man, and there in the underworld she became more powerful.
So, in all areas of astrology when we talk about Lilith this is the energy we are referring to. Lilith represents sexual freedom, feminine power, taking control, and the inner rage that is felt when we finally break free of the cage.
Lilith represents the side of us that is willing to push the boundaries and to do something even though we know it comes with some heavy consequences.
It is important to note here that even though Lilith is all feminine, it’s not referring to gender, we all have feminine energy within us, just like we all have the energy of Lilith somewhere in our natal birth chart. (More on this later).
Let’s now take a look at the three Lilith’s that are used in astrology and how they represent her birth, death, and rebirth, and how these things can be mirrored in our own lives too.
The Birth: Lilith the Asteroid
Lilith is the name given to the physical Asteroid 1181, which was discovered back in the 1920’s. This asteroid is nestled between Mars and Jupiter.
This is Lilith on the surface. This is Lilith as Adam’s wife before she undergoes her transformation and finds herself as the mother of demons.
She has been considered a strong and suitable candidate for Adam. Can you imagine how many women wanted that role? And how powerful or special he would have been considered?
She is chosen as his wife and she wants to do it well. She wants to be the wife that everyone’s told her to be, but there is a power that is far greater inside of her. A power and independence that is longing to be honored and noted, which is why Adam asking her to be subservient eventually leads her to stand up to him and say a firm no.
And it’s this decision that starts her “death” process where she flees and finds herself in the company of demons. She is deep in the shadow work now and there is no turning back.
The Death: Black Moon Lilith
Black Moon Lilith is the most commonly used “Lilith” in astrology. This is not a physical object in the sky but instead a mathematical point between the Earth and the Moon. It is actually the point that measures the distance when the Earth is furthest from the Moon during its orbit.
In other words, Black Moon Lilith is like this void, this space between the planet we live on and the Moon that affects our tides and the oceans within us.
There are actually two ways to calculate Black Moon Lilith, but I’ll leave that alone for the time being.
Black Moon Lilith signifies our deeper, darker emotions. If Pluto is Lord of the Underworld, Black Moon Lilith can be seen as Goddess of the Underworld.
If we think of the Phoenix rising from the ashes, Black Moon Lilith is the fire. It’s whatever burns us while we undergo our rebirth and there is something about Black Moon Lilith’s fire that can only be tamed once it has had the freedom to rage.
Black Moon Lilith represents our rage, our triggers, the things that get us heated and motivated to act.
Black Moon Lilith is the part of us that rages with the demons, even though we know it may be considered “wrong” or not socially correct.
We do it not just to be “bad” but because there is something inside of us that wants to challenge the norm, that wants to push the boundaries, that wants to see just how far we can go.
Black Moon Lilith is like the destructible, self-sabotaging, thrill-seeking, midlife crisis in all of us. It’s the stuff that can consume us on the inside unless we stand up and face it. It’s the contents of the fire that burns us so we can rise up again reborn.
The Rebirth: Dark Moon Lilith
It was once recorded that Earth had two Moons. This second Moon was called Dark Moon Lilith or sometimes just the Black Moon. The presence of this second Moon was debunked and chalked up to nothing more than a band of cloud and dust that was mistaken for a Moon.
While it remains a scientific fact that Earth only has one Moon, there are many who feel that this Dark Moon is perhaps Lilith in her final rebirth and she will emerge when the world is ready for her.
Some also believe that Dark Moon Lilith is a Moon from another dimension, and others believe that it is perhaps the remains of a former planet that is now no longer. Either way, the legend of Dark Moon Lilith still lives on.
There is a really great reference here from Astrologer, Laura Walker if you want to read more on Dark Moon Lilith.
Lilith in your Astrology Chart
On a collective level, I feel Lilith represents the rebirth of the feminine consciousness and the evolution of feminine energy that we are yet to experience in our lifetime.
On a personal level, she represents the fears that trigger us and pave the way for our own transformation.
In order to really dive deep into Lilith and her role in your transformative life journey, you have to understand what sign she was in at the time of your birth.
Finding all three Liliths in your astrology chart can be a bit tricky, so I recommend starting with the most commonly used Black Moon Lilith. Here is a good reference to help you get started.
In my experience, if you start researching and understanding your Black Moon Lilith you will have a pretty holistic portrait of the role of Lilith in your life journey.
If you are looking for something more advanced and want to find all Liliths, go to astro.com and use the extended chart selection. If you need help, here are some step by step instructions.
I hope to share more on Lilith in articles to come.
References:
Astro-charts.com: Understanding Lilith and her significance in Astrology
Mountain Astrologer: The Dark Goddess Lilith
