Introduction, name meaning, Astrology, Symbolism etc

 Hi stranger, whatever the reason is you landed here! This is a sort of presentation, so nice to meet you!

I launched this blog in late 2020 if I'm correct (it's not my first one at all) but I didn't manage to take care of it and post on it on a regular basis.
There's a lot of reasons to this that I might explain later if I find them relevant, but right now, I just want to share a "proper" introduction;

My name is Ariane Verticordia, I'm French and live in France.
I intend to write here, but am not sure about what exactly yet.
I'd like to share my philosophical thoughts. Talk about what I've learnt via Astrology and how to not be fatalist while using it etc (because God, this subject has become way too popular in the past 4-5 years! And I see lots of incorrect info :sigh:)
I also would like to talk about Art and books. Like all the art-movements that inspire me and that gives me the strength to live my life in a world lacking of ideals and consciousness in everything.

Well there's a lot of subjects that I like in fact, so it's not easy to put everything in a jar and extract the perfect summary to you! But that's it, I'm an artist and a thinker and I like to share thoughts. 

 

So yeah, Ariane Verticordia.  

• Ariane is my real first name, given at birth by my parents (in France you can't change your name easily anyway but you may not know this fact).
  I kept it because I really love my name. It comes from Greek "Ariadne" (Ἀριάδνη) and means "Most Holy" (ari= most, adnos= holy).
  
  I also identify greatly to the Myth of Ariadne; Basically she helped the most misogynist hero of Ancient Greece -Theseus- to escape the maze where the Minautor is. Soon after he killed the beast, she eloped with him (her half-brother by the way). But later he abandoned her on an island, preferring her sister Phaedra. After this the Myth is not always the same depending on the author. Sometimes Dionysus falls in love with her and ask her to be his wife/proclaim she is his wife. And to prove her his loyalty he gives her his crown, creating later the Corona Borealis constellation.
  In others versions she refuses to wed with him, so he sends Artemis to kill her.
  
  For me this Myth is about being used and then abandoned. But a greater life lies ahead if you accept it. Sometime losing is winning.
  
  Ariadne is sometimes referred as a Snake goddess in Crete too. But I don't have much prove of this so I'm not sure.
  
  

  

  Ariadne - J.W.Waterhouse (1898)

  
  

  
  

• Verticordia, on the other hand, is a pen name.
  Taken from the painting "Venus Verticordia" of Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1864-1868), it's full of meaning to me (and to the author):
  
  Firstly, my main planet in Astrology is Venus ♀, because I'm a late Libra ♎︎ Ascendant and, as Venus rules it and is found really close to the MC (Medium Coeli aka Midheaven) in my chart, she is strong, she even is the chart ruler. So I'm what we call in astrology a Venusian.
  Aphrodite (Venus) sacred animals are: Turtle-doves, Geese, Sparrows, and sometime Swans, just like Apollo (sources: https://www.theoi.com/Olympios/AphroditeTreasures.html).
  And those sacred animals are in fact my favourite ones. I even own Ringneck-doves.
  As I am very keen on symbolism, for me everything stated here is linked together.
  
  Secondly, "Verticordia" means "Changer of the heart" and "refers to Venus's ability to turn women's hearts towards virtue" (source: Bentley, D.M.R (2008). "'Of Venus and of Cupid,— Strange Old Tales' in the Work of D. G. Rossetti". Victorian Review. 34 (2): 85.)
  As I said before, my first name is about being "Holy" and "Virtuous".
  I also, as a Virgo ♍︎ Gibbous Moon 🌔︎, I am very sensitive to anything "pure". I like things to be clean and I've been preserving myself as a "Virgin" until my 20s. Losing my virginity was quite a strong commitment to me at the time, as I was afraid of sexuality for many personal reasons.
  The Moon is important in my natal chart because I'm a Cancer ♋︎ Sun ☉, and the Moon rules it.
  So yes Verticordia resonates in me.
  
  Finally, Dante G. Rossetti is one of my favorite painters of all times. I'm particularly attracted to the Pre-Raphaelite movement and their painters.
  
  

  

  Venus Verticordia - D.G.Rossetti (1864-1868)
  

  
  

The final word would be that I am very keen on Romanticism, the Victorian and Edwardian Eras, Art Nouveau, Pre-Raphaelites, Art&Craft... anything from those periods of time inspire me and my own world and work. I'm even beginning to sew historically so maybe I'll share some work here too!

That's it for now. Next time I will explain my personal logo ^_^