Who Is Medusa? Her Myth, Story, and Astrology Meaning

What do you think about the myth of Medusa? If you’re curious to know how the “wise woman” archetype shows up in your own birth chart, you can book a personalized birth chart reading with me. My signature service is the Astrology Journey, which is like an extended astrology reading experience. It is by far the best way to immerse yourself in your own birth chart.

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Even those who don’t know much about mythology have heard of Medusa — the mythic monster with snakes for hair. She is feared amongst both gods and mortals because of her ability to turn anyone permanently to stone with just one look.

She is the daughter of the primordial sea deities, Phorcys and Ceto, and their family is said to live at the edge of the world. This is an interesting detail of her story. She is quite a fringe character amongst the Greek gods, and it’s interesting to consider that this was the case even from birth.

Some of the oldest myths say that she was born a Gorgon, one of three monstrous sisters with snakes for hair. Another, much later telling of the myth (most famously told by the Roman poet Ovid) describes her as having been born a beautiful mortal woman who became a priestess of Athena during her teenage years. As an Athenian devotee, she would have pledged a vow of chastity.

Her downfall begins when Poseidon, the god of the sea, sexually violates her within Athena’s temple. Even though she was a victim of the situation, Athena nonetheless punished her by transforming her into a Gorgon.

There is a fantastic telling of Medusa’s origin story (the version where she was born a beautiful mortal woman) through Ayana Grey’s I, Medusa. I highly recommend!

In Greek mythology, snakes are not always the feared creatures that we consider them to be in our modern world. Christianity has a lot to answer for in terms of making these extra-flexible friends out to be villains (i.e. the tempting snake from the Garden of Eden).

In ancient Greece, snakes were a symbol of wisdom and divine healing. In many of the ancient healing temples, they would welcome snakes to roam around, seeing them as divine messengers of insight and health. This is why you will often see the snake symbol of medicine through either the caduceus or the Rod of Asclepius connected to pharmacies or doctors’ offices.

When you think about the symbol of the snakes in this context, Medusa is actually a powerful figure. In fact, maybe she is not a monster at all. We might actually see her as an archetype of the wise woman, specifically because the snakes surround her head.

Another indication of this is through her connection to Athena. Athena is a goddess of wisdom and strategy, and was actually born from Zeus’ head. There are many symbols here which point back to cognitive intelligence, wisdom, and the power of thought.

So, why was she feared as a monster?

Well, in ancient Greece, it wasn’t exactly a popular opinion that women should have their own ideas or be considered intelligent. So the concept of a woman who can think for herself and be smarter than a man would have been considered … well … scary!

We can see this symbol literally acted out through the famous heroic tale of Perseus slaying Medusa as part of his hero’s quest. In most versions of this tale, the POV is to side with Perseus. The audience cheers him on as he uses a mirrored shield in order to “see her” without looking directly at her. Ultimately, he decapitates Medusa.

Symbolically, this represents putting things back in order.

Obviously, there are a lot of problems with this scenario. But it’s one we see reflected throughout history, from the witch trials and beyond.

There are a few fascinating pieces of Medusa’s legacy that live on after her death.

Firstly, the mythical flying horse Pegasus is born from her body after Perseus beheads her. Pegasus is actually the son of Medusa and Poseidon, meaning that Medusa’s death becomes the moment of his birth.

The blood of Medusa was also believed to have magical properties. In some versions of the myth, blood taken from the right side of her body could heal or even bring the dead back to life, while blood from the left side was deadly.

And finally, Athena decided to have the face of Medusa placed on her famous aegis as a symbol of power and protection.

There is something quite fascinating about this final piece of the story. Medusa is killed, but her power is not destroyed. Instead, her image becomes a protective symbol worn by one of the most powerful goddesses in the Greek pantheon.

So, after considering all the facets of Medusa’s story, do you see her differently?

Do you connect with her story in a personal way?