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A mysterious Portuguese writer related to Astrology, occultism and mysticism.
Fernando Nogueira Pessoa (1888-1935, Gemini) used to sign his writings by heteronyms, or complete identities with a birth date, under specific influences and, in some cases, counting on a death date.
One of his works, the book Mensagem (Message), is divided into three parts: Blazon, Portuguese Sea and The Undercover. The writer was influenced by theosophy and masonry and, in 1922 wrote Portuguese Sea, a work of twelve poems and a strong mystic and nationalistic style alluding to the Western zodiacal signs.
This article just includes the beginning of the zodiacal pathway, starting from Aries (and translated by me, Julia).
The Infant
God wants, man dreams, the work born.
God wanted the land to be all one,
that sea bonds, not separates anymore.
It consecrate you, and you were unveiling the spume,
and the white fringe went from island to continent,
it cleared, running, to the end of the world,
and the entire land was seen, suddenly,
emerging, rounded, from the deep blue.
Who consecrated you made you Portuguese.
About the sea and us he gave us signal in you.
Fulfilled the Sea, and the Empire was undone.
Lord, Portugal needs to be fulfilled!
The title of the poem refers to Infant D. Henrique, a pioneer worker during the Portuguese discoveries whom, with audacious, adventurer and indomitably spirit, cleared out the way to "discover" America at the end of the XVth century.
The first verse "God wants, man dreams, the work born" refers to the three phases of a densifying energetic process until the work manifests itself.
"God wanted the land to be all one / that sea bonds, not separates anymore." is a reference to the Zodiac as a totality. It symbolises an adventure (Aries) in the seas (Pisces) starting a whole new historic cycle (Aries) at a worldwide level (Pisces).
The verse "It consecrate you, and you were unveiling the spume," is a clear allusion to the Greek myth of Venus' birth. At this moment in the poem, we feel the motion bringing complementary opposite signs closer to each other: Aries ruled by Mars, and Libra ruled by Venus.
The whole second stanza symbolises the meeting of the two complements, the passage from one to two, loneliness and company, extreme and balance.
In the last stanza, Pessoa connects Pisces, Aries and Taurus in an expressive continuity. He refers to Portugal's historic role at the time of building a new perception of the totality (a nation founded under the Sun in Pisces), and alludes to the falling of American Empires during those times (Aries, a new beginning, and the ruler Mars, symbol of war). But the very ending of the verse opens the door to the next sign in the zodiacal round: "Lord, Portugal needs to be fulfilled" indicates that the Arian initiative is just the first step to implement an intention. By following the path, Taurus will provide persistence.
Continue on the zodiacal experience and find the rest of the poems in the original language in Arquivo Pessoa. The list below follows the usual order of zodiacal signs:
O Infante (Aries)
Horizonte (Taurus)
Padrão (Gemini)
O Mostrengo (Cancer)
Epitáfio de Bartolomeu Dias (Virgo)
Os Colombos (Libra)
Ocidente (Scorpio)
Fernão de Magalhães (Sagittarius)
Mar Português (Capricorn)
A Última Nau (Aquarius)
Prece (Pisces)
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