Today we turn our astrological radar on another largely
forgotten African American hero, Harriett Ann Jacobs. She was born into slavery
in Edentown, North Carolina on Feb 11, 1813 to an owner who sexually abused her
for years. When she turned fourteen, he built her a cabin away from the main
house so that his wife would not learn of his abuse. In a desperate attempt at freedom,
she took a white lover, Samuel Sawyer, who despite being a lawyer was unable to
free her from the abusive Dr. James Norcom. Norcom created a convoluted
“ownership” contract that kept Harriett and the two children she had with
Sawyer his property.
In 1835, unable to stand the abuse any longer, she
escaped and for seven years lived in a nine by seven foot, rodent infested crawl
space in her grandmother’s shack where she was able to only catch glimpses of and
hear her children occasionally. This is a horrible situation for any mother and
made doubly so for Jacobs born with her Moon in Cancer, the sign of the mother
nurturer. (Sawyer eventually bought his
own children from Norcom but never freed them.)
When she finally made her way to freedom and Philadelphia,
she became involved in the Anti-Slavery Reading Room and other abolitionist
programs. However, following the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act, Harriett
shuttled between Boston and New York, often in hiding, until a friend
officially bought her freedom for $300.
That demand for freedom despite all odds and at all costs
is a quality of Ms. Jacobs’ South Node in Aquarius. (For a full explanation of
the North and South Node, roles in an astrological chart see my previous entry
on Ida Wells.) Coming from past lives as a freedom loving Aquarian the horrors
of slavery were exceptional hard for her to bear. Freedom for Aquarians is as
precious as air.
Upon learning that Harriet Beecher Stowe might use her
story in a book Harriet’s Aquarius energy again demanded freedom. This time it
was the freedom to write her own book. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl opened the eyes of many of
Northern churchwoman to the ravages of slavery on a “woman’s chastity” and made
the world aware of what few spoke about for generations – slave rape. During
and after the Civil War she aided the adoption of children orphaned by slavery
and worked with slave–refugee groups using her celebrity to raise money.
By
writing her own book and telling her own story, Ms. Jacobs was using the
talents of her South Node – her relentless quest for freedom – in service to
her North Node – the sign opposite Aquarius, Leo. Leo demands attention. She
had the inner strength to know that no one could tell her story as well as she,
not even the revered Ms. Stowe
As
a slave and then a run-away Ms. Jacobs never had a meal fit for a Leo, the King
of the Zodiac. Had I the chance to cook for her from my book, ‘Signs of the
Tines: The Ultimate Astrological Cookbook” I would chose a dish a designated
for Leo, my Lobster Ravioli with Mushrooms and Sage Cream Sauce.” I only hope
that somewhere in her later years she tasted something that luxurious. It would
have suited her well.
Tomorrow
we will look at the life of the abolitionist Angelina Emily Grimké Weld.
Joan Porte is the author of “Signs of the Tines: The
Ultimate Astrological Cookbook.” It is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble
and www.signsofthetines.com. For karmic soul chart readings contact Joan
at Joansastrology@gmail.com or
visit her blog at www.joansastrology.blogspot.com.
Download her podcast Astrological
Cooking at http://webtalkradio.net/internet-talk-radio/astrological-cook/.
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