Puella
The Maiden – Girl – Harmony, Mirror, Beauty, Purity, Woman, Breasts – Outer Air, Inner Water
Puella is the Geomantic Figure associated with female sexuality, fertility, women, and the Yin, as opposed to Puer’s Yang, male sexuality, virility, and men. This is not to say that Puella does not exist independently of Puer; she most certainly does, and it is only because Puer is ordered first and he therefore serves as a useful tool to illustrate Puella, that this question even arises. Puella is, unlike her opposite, a Stable element, and like Albus is associated to some extent with caregiving. The shape that the Figure itself assumes is that of a figure with full breasts, emphasizing the sexual yet maternal nature of this Figure. It is strongly associated with female sexual energy and accompanying fertility. Puella also represents love and the deep inner strength that goes along with it – hence why her Inner Energy is Water. She draws upon her vibrant and full inner life in order to support her rationality, ideals, and loftiness. Interestingly, the female sexuality is sometimes portrayed as aloof and teasing, always out of reach; one possible reason for Air being its Outer Energy.
However, in the Figure itself, Air is passive. Fire, Water, and Earth are yet still somehow held together – opposites that do not fly apart. Why do they not fly apart? Because of the harmony that Puella’s inner strength and love produces. Astrologically, she is associated with Venus and Libra – too symbols that are not too much alike, yet still held together. Puella is associated with grace and beauty, like Venus, and also with her large stores of sexual energy. Libra also represents Puella, though, for Puella is able to provide a sense of balance and harmony to her surroundings, as well as herself. She is confident, and this confidence can spread to others.
Puella is the Maiden archetype because she seeks union. She is almost complete, just like Puer is, and seeks to complete it. Rather than questing for this completion, as Puer does, Puella instead seeks to bond with others in harmonious exultation in order to complete herself, filling her passive Air. Puer and Puella were matched for each other. Puer’s only passive element is Water, which is Puella’s Inner Energy. Puella’s only passive element is Air, which is Puer’s Inner Energy. Puer seeks out Puella via his questing, and Puella provides the harmony necessary for union and completion, showing them the way (Via).
Puella is, then, very receptive to things coming her way, and adapts and changes them. She is focused on achieving self-satisfaction and reaching deep into herself and understanding what is there. She may be lost in dreams and meditation, but she only seeks to reflect upon and improve herself. Her attentions can be fickle and fleeting, and Puella tends not to be associated with permanence, but instead with more short-term thinking and benefits. Happiness and harmony derived from Puella are often short-term only. However, she has more than enough love to give to others, and is always willing to extend the hand of friendship.
Puella is associated, like many “female” esoteric symbols, with the earth and the material. As such, Puella can represent material stability. Puella is a very ambivalent sign, with both positive and negative aspects. She can be fickle, but also stable. She can be self-absorbed, but also caring. She is able to hold others together through her natural sense of harmony, and bring balance to others, She is graceful and beautiful with a sometimes calming, tranquilizing effect, and yet often focuses on herself, representing a form of self-improvement.
It is important to remember that Puella does not represent women or the feminine. Rather, it represents those elements commonly associated with the feminine in older and esoteric traditions. It is ridiculous to assert that there is one definition of femininity. Puella is one possibility, but there are many others. The same idea holds true for Puer and masculinity.
EsoTarot 