Beyond the Veil: the Pleiades and the Power of Grief

“Canst thou bind the sweet influences of the Pleiades…?”

It’s a curious question posed to Job in his eponymous Book of the Old Testament. Especially after the last few years, Job is a relatable character: he’s a respected citizen, a devoutly pious man, a caring father, and a hardworking businessman. Yet Job’s story is not a happy one. Over the course of the book, Job sees his livestock stolen, his fields burned, his entire household murdered before he himself is beset with terrible illness. Even when his friends advise him to abandon hope, Job continues to appeal to his faith. He endures months of hardship. When God finally responds to his pleas, it’s with a series of puzzling questions — there are no answers for Job.

But God’s riddles reveal a curious cosmology littered with references to stars and their arrangements. Instead of a causal chain of events to explain his struggles, God grants Job an elevated awareness of the vastness of life. When God asks Job about his ability to command the constellations, it’s a reminder of the influence of these stars on humanity and man’s spiritual ascent beyond. The language of ancient astrology was often a metaphor for moral responsibility and the ability to overcome and expand. In order to understand exactly what these sweet influences represent and why one might wish to bind them, we need to examine the sphere of the Fixed Stars.