The most fundamental division in cosmology is the division between Day and Night. The division between Day and Night is so important that it tends to be one of the first, if not the first, division in Creation Mythos.
Judeo-Christian written tradition begins as follows:
In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light;” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
Genesis 1:1-5, New Revised Standard Version
Deanic/Filianic tradition tells the story of the Snake who “had not been shaped by [the Mother], and that was not Her daughter, nor a creature of Spirit.” The Snake “hated all the things that had become.” The Snake tempted the first Daughters of Creation saying:
First of the daughters of creation, you have lived for a time that cannot be counted, and have run for all that time in the footsteps of the Mother, and have never taken rest among the things that are. Only embrace me and you shall have that rest.
The tradition tells how the Daughters of Creation were enticed by the Snake and asked the Mother to darken the world so that they might rest. While the Daughters of Creation were resting, the Snake attempted to destroy creation in a Great Flood. The Mistress of All Things rescued Creation; however, manifestation was permanently changed as a result.
…the light came again, and a rainbow appeared in the sky, shedding its light upon all things. And whereas all things had been golden, now they took on every hue and colour, and the world was beautiful; but it was not as beautiful as it had formerly been.
And She set Her seven Powers in the firmament, giving one to rule each color of the earth.
And She said to Her daughter: what you have done may not be undone, for you have acted with My Spirit, and henceforth shall time be divided into day and night that you may rest. But I shall keep watch in the heavens by night, and there shall be silver light that there may never be complete darkness. By this shall I govern the movements of the waters, that the earth may never again be flooded. The golden light of day will bring all goodness, but it will be too bright for your eyes. The silver light of night, that you may look upon.
The Mythos of God the Mother, The Gospel of Our Mother God.
The division between Day and Night is the most fundamental division in manifestation, and in Classical Astrology, there are many calculations that are different during the day and during the night. The division between Day and Night is hierarchical, with Day being superior to Night. In the Deanic/Filianic tradition the golden light that is “too bright for [our] eyes” governs the Day and the silver light that we “may look upon” governs the Night. According to the Judeo-Christian written tradition, “God made two great lights – the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night, to separate the light from the darkness.”
In Classical Astrology, in addition to the Sun belonging to the Day and the Moon belonging to the Night, Jupiter and Saturn, the Greater Benefic and the Greater Malefic, belong to the Day, and Venus and Mars, the Lesser Benefic and the Lesser Malefic, belong to the Night.
Day
The Day is bright and lively and golden. The Sun is the Ruler and Luminary of the Day. The Day is the Realm of the Spirit. Fundamental to the concept of Sect (Day/Night) is the temperamental quality of heat. The Day is Hot, which means that activity is sped up during the Day. The day is when most of us engage in the primary activity of our life. This is when we go to work, go to school, or take part in what we see as our role or our life purpose. The day is when the Queen is on parade. It is busy, exciting, wonderful and important; on the other hand, most other activities are suspended during this time. For people who were born during the day, the primary focus of their life is their “day job,” and their dominant Luminary is the Sun.
Night
The Night is soft and quiet and gentle. The Moon is the Ruler and Luminary of the Night. The Night is the Realm of the Soul. While the Day is Hot, the Night is Cold. Activity slows during the Night. During the night, the primary activities of the day slow down so that we can engage in the other aspects of our lives, such as eating, sleeping, spending time with those we love, and engaging in leisure activities. For people born during the Night, the primary focus of their lives is not on their “day job,” but upon the other aspects of life, and their dominant Luminary is the Moon.
Gender and the Division Between Day and Night
For quite a long time, astrology has taught that Day is masculine and Night is feminine. This is belief is so deeply ingrained that most people would likely accept this as a truism, whether or not they “believe in astrology.” For reasons I discuss in this article, despite the longevity and stability of this association, I believe it to be dubious.
In the Modern West, discussion concerning gender is tricky and debates about gender are often heated and painful. There are those that believe that gender is strictly biological and qualities of masculinity and femininity are merely “social constructs.” I believe this line of thought to be dubious as well.
My view is in the middle of these extremes. I do believe that masculinity and femininity are real metaphysical principles and that the differences between masculinity and femininity rise beyond the merely physical or societal. On the other hand, I do not believe that this division rises to the level of the fundamental division between Day and Night. I believe that it is a real, but lower level, metaphysical division.
The Wisdom of Our Grandmothers 