Title: Venus and Mars are lovers – so why “weed warriors”: A cosmological exploration
Abstract: Conventional attempts to control, prevent, manage or eradicate weeds chemically are poisoning the Earth. Weeds are considered an ‘enemy’ of agriculture, ecology and the average urban gardener or landscaper. The language surrounding weed issues is often highly emotionally charged. Some common words and phrases used in weed discourse are “A War on Weeds”, “Weed Warriors”, “Danger”, “Toxic” and “Weed Killer”. Viewed from a Jungian astrological perspective, all these terms and phrases are embodied in the Mars Archetype. Mars is the ancient God of War and in every war there needs to be an enemy. In the case of weed control, the enemy is nature. Weeds are plants doing what comes naturally to them. It is said that nature abhors a vacuum, and moves to fill that space. Weeds see an empty, neglected unused, unwanted and unloved space and so move in to fill it. In astrological lore Venus is the remedy for an out-of-balance Mars. The archetype of Venus is associated with the earth, agriculture, culture and cultivation, sharing, befriending and compromising, as well as love and creativity. In this paper I explore how the astrological Mars in the form of the Weed Warrior Archetype is played out in current weed control methods. I then explore ideas about how Venus and Mars can work together in creative and ingenious ways to foster a beneficial relationship for both nature and ourselves. [Peric, Z. (2012). Venus and Mars are lovers – so why “weed warriors”: A cosmological exploration. Proceedings of 4th Association for the Study of Literature, Environment and Culture (Australia-New Zealand) Biennial Conference, September 1 - 2, Melbourne.] View PowerPoint Presentation ${imageDescription} Comment
