Thor's Stars: The Charioteer
Capella was the fourth star that was given to me, and the first outright constellation. Actually, it turned out that Thor had been trying to get my attention with it, and I was ignoring it, confused by what I was reading. (Another episode of the point being driven home: Listen to the Gods first. Then you can look things up afterwards.) Anyway, I’d read about the constellation Auriga, the charioteer with goats. To the Greeks, Auriga was a charioteer (possibly Erechthonius) with a she-goat over one shoulder, and the goat is Amalthea who suckled Zeus, the “other” thunder god. Later, he was given two kids tucked under his left arm and his chariot was taken away; he was seen as a herder, and has been associated with farming as well as chariot-driving. Chariots and goats? The god of the thunder who was also the protector of the common farmer? Too obvious, I thought. Don’t assume. I was also confused by some modern writers who claimed that Capella, the brightest star in Auriga and supposedly the she-goat herself, was symbolic of a nurturing mother goddess.
Except that Capella doesn’t seem to be about nurturing in its actual astrological meanings, both Western and otherwise. It is associated with flight – Amelia Earhart had it culminating on her Venus, and the Superman comic was debuted when Capella was rising with Mars – and with curiosity, impulsiveness, and military honors. The early Arabs referred to it as the Driver, and an Akkadian cuneiform text refers to it as the “Tempest God.” The early Chinese also saw Auriga as a chariot – or rather, a flock of them, while later Chinese astrology put those stars in different constellations, but the majority were in a constellation representing the chariots of the five emperors, which was associated with the grain harvest.. Western astrology associated it with flying Mercury and warlike Mars. The Babylonians associated Auriga with shepherds and herding, but also called it “I-Ku”, the Leader. The Arabs just called it “the goat”, and the Bedouins associated it with a herd of goats. It is a fortunate star, a bringer of glory, but also sometimes associated with earthquakes. Looking at these dissimilar but thematic stories, one can see how Thor fits in well. Chariots, goats, herding, and helping to grow the grain with rain.
There is actually a name for the constellation of Auriga in Norwegian folklore, if not in any primary sources – it was sometimes known as Asa bardagi, the sky god’s battle. Some modern mythologists have decided that this refers to the battlefield of Ragnarok, but that doesn’t seem right to me – the term is singular, not plural. Instead, Auriga congealed for me as Thor in full battle mode, hammer in hand and goats pulling hard, the wheels of his chariot screeching across the sky.
When I finally read all this, I hesitantly asked Thor, “So is this one of yours?” He laughed at me – Thor has a great laugh – and told me that of course it was. Capella is Mjollnir, Thor’s Hammer. Mjollnir flies forth, seeks out – thus the overwhelming curiosity – strikes, and returns with glory. It’s all done with Thor’s impulsive, laughing energy.
Mjollnir rising with one of the planets puts a stress on the incredible curiosity; they are happy to fly out of Thor’s hand and seek new and interesting things. They make a lot of noise, but it’s mostly just enthusiasm. They may be neophiles, always looking for the next new thing. Mjollnir culminating is the version that is supposed to bring military honors – or, in this modern society, one could also suggest honors in professional sporting. However, it can also make someone impulsive enough to waste what they gain, so they should be careful of pushing their luck too far. Mjollnir setting or on the nadir suggests that the individual’s impulsiveness causes them to act out, alienating others – it must be remembered that Mjollnir’s energy is actually a weapon, and the setting placement suggests that it is flung without thought or aim. By middle age, if they survive, they will have learned more wisdom. The nadir position is especially associated with earthquakes.
Connecting with the Sun, Mjollnir’s energy will be part of the identity, and the negative aspects will come out of the ego – “To restrain me is to compromise who I am!” They may pride themselves on being straightforward and uninhibited, and may be drawn to succeed in order to prove to others that their sort of person can do just about anything. This placement is associated with the criticism of others, but the native will shrug it off.
Connecting with the Moon, the impulsivity will be more emotional, and the individual will react out of their feelings. There may be an urge to take risks for the sake of excitement, and harsh words may fly during moments of anger that they may regret later. The native will be more hurt by the criticism of others, and may have trouble with partners because of this.
Mercury is one of the ruling influences of flying Mjollnir, and a connection with Mercury emphasizes sharpness of intellect. The individual’s mind flies at new intellectual fields like a raptor, devouring them and moving on to others. This placement is associated with legal action, especially for libel or copyright violation due to carelessness.
When Venus connects with Mjollnir, the individual is reckless in love. They see what they want and go for it, and have a hard time taking no for an answer or being good about rejection. While Mjollnir adds an extra layer of passion to Venus, and makes someone focus strongly on their love object, it does not add to commitment. In fact, they can fly from one passion to the next, each one just as likely to be The Perfect One as the last one.
Mars is the other ruling influence of Mjollnir, and people with a Mars connection can have a very Thor-like irresistible-force masculine manner, regardless of gender. This is the placement most likely to be attracted to military service, and to do well there.
Mjollnir connecting with Jupiter can give someone’s planet of abundance a tendency to give gifts enthusiastically but without much thought for what the receiver actually might want, or what might be good for them. This connection gives a love of travel, often on impulse, and possibly trouble with relatives.
On top of Saturn, Mjollnir can make the native feel isolated, as its independent influence can push them away from others. This connection may cause workaholism, the individual who forges ahead with work while ignoring their personal life. They can be fastidious, and tend to both make and spend money at a rapid rate.
Connecting with Uranus, Mjollnir can create someone whose urge to independence goes over the line into serious eccentricity – a “mad scientist” type. This is connected with clever inventions involving electricity (lightning!). Since Mjollnir grants honors, they may well be lauded for their brilliance, but there is a strong chance that their refusal to take the sensibilities of others into account may plunge them into infamy, and further honors will not come until late age or after death.
Connecting with Neptune, Mjollnir’s independence pushes the native to either reject spirituality or seek their own version of it; they do not meld well with religious groups, but follow their own personal idiosyncratic ideas about it. This is connected with inventions in methods of transit.
Connecting with Pluto, Mjollnir causes an explosive temper, like Thor’s storm. The native tends to bulldoze others, and strongly prefers to be in power in small situations, although they may not be able to handle large ones skillfully and may prefer to be “aimed” by someone calmer and more of a strategist.
Mjollnir rising – on the Ascendant – gives huge curiosity, an enthusiastic and forward manner, and possibly anxiety over sudden occurrences.
Mjollnir setting – on the Descendant – makes the native project those qualities onto the outside world; they may seek them in a mate, or resort to expressing their independence in a belligerent way that alienates them from society. They need to find Mjollnir’s best qualities in themselves and act on those, and assume that they may be misinterpreting the motives of others.
Capella isn’t the only star in Auriga, just the brightest one, the alpha star. While the number of stars in Auriga has changed over time, Thor’s stars include simply Mjollnir (Capella), Thor’s Head with its embedded whetstone (Menkalinan), Thor’s Magic Glove, given to him by the goddess Grid (Upsilon Aurigae) and Toothgrinder and Toothgnasher, Thor’s two goats (El Nath and Lambda Aurigae). All of these stars are associated with military honors, and (in modern times) success at sports. If it’s physical and involves charging around butting heads in some way, the Charioteer is on top of it.
If either of the stars of Thor’s Head or Thor’s Glove (but especially the head) is connecting with any planet, it lends that planet strength and stability, while still evidencing the independent thought of this constellation. If either Toothgrinder or Toothgnasher are connecting with a planet, they give that planet a hotter temper and more difficulty with stopping when they are on a tear.