Date: Sat, 10 Aug 1996 17:34:21 -0600 From: Geoffrey Hunter Cyndy Ward <wardhunt-AT-cadvision.com> Subject: Re: For Clare -astrological signs -- here is my attempt Nietzche is also Irigaray's lover as implied in the title of "Marine Lover of Friedrich Nietzche". In her eyes, Nietzche is the scientist who attempts to catch her in his vision, to contain her, in order to find his own mastery. Nietzche's Darwinism, man's evoloution into superman, (a perfection in individual which is still the one/whole) conversely woman's 'devolution' to primal fluid. His becomming in the world relies on her and excludes her. Irigaray examines woman's place in his thought as the reversal of all this... by imaging woman's fluidity. She uses the four elements intrinsic to astrology, air, fire, earth, water. These are concieved in astrology as the elements of life. According to Barbara G. Walker (Women's Dictionary of Symbols and Sacred Objects), patriarchal religions have altered the structure of the zodiac from moon signs to sun signs over a period of time. The astrological signs were also originally associated with women's sacred rites (Walker 284). The circle of the zodiac could relate to the circle of Nietszche's becomming, "in her, becomming and being never join up in the shape of a ring"(32). she is water (Pisces), associated with the night and the moon both fluid and yet also material. Irigaray asks (Niet) to remember that his voice relies on a woman who is outside of knowledge in the occult, "something exists which has a language other than your own"(ML.3). Unlike Nietzche's air which attempts a duplication of opposites (his Gemini) or economy of the same (his Libra). Being the human sign, air concerns itself with a union of sorts (humanism) while the air signs are also the unconventional subjects of astrology. They attempt to escape moral/espistemological law by their duality. Aquarius controls history, his Juno having two faces, looking both forward and backward. Gemini with his two selves. Libra trying abolish difference with his balancing scales. Their role to is maintain the great lie of unity and of metaphysics. Nietzche, in all this posturing of air, he fails, according to Irigaray to leave the structure of oppostional thought. In this, he only strengthens the metaphysics he seeks to criticise. The feminine is associated in traditional astrology with the mysterious, water, the fish and the moon. These multiple states exist in a non-heirachical relationship ( both darkness and light, hidden and visible, clear and infathomable). Cancer the crab and Scorpio, both water signs, contain both the emotional and political (intersubjective) realms. He, Nietzche, could also be Aquarius, holding in container of knowledge/language/philosophy, the idea of woman. Irigaray recognises woman's role, "that way I have become your idea"(30). He looks into this container of knowledge and sees only himself in a reflective pool of water. The place of air is closed to woman "except when you capture me in your unique mirror" (30). Nietzche knows both the relective/deceptive quality of water. Air is the element that Irigaray associates with stillness and death and the logos. She asks Niet, is this her water which he (Aquarius) pours out carelessly after using her up in contemplation. This is my attempt ....Cyndy. So whats your sign.
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