Taylor Swift and Sedna: A Symbolic Journey of Perseverance and Transformation
“Every single thing I touch becomes sick with sadness, Cause it's all over now, all out to sea”, Bigger than the Whole Sky
- Taylor Alison Swift
Taylors Swift Eras Tour: Folklore Set, "My Tears Ricochet".
Taylor Swift is the perfect example of the symbolic meaning of Sedna, the Inuit sea spirit. Although we don't have her exact birth time, we know that Taylor has natal Sedna at 10 degrees Taurus in her chart and many events in her life have happen when Sedna was active or transiting planets were activating her natal placement. Using Taylor Swift's "noon" chart, it demonstrated the myth of Sedna and the challenges she has faced within the music industry. A birth time was not necessary in order to see her story be embodied in the myth of Sedna and how she has overcome the battles she has faced in her career. Whether it has been through her master’s recordings being sold or just an archetypal myth being demonstrated through her performances at The Eras Tour, you can see the living myth being mirrored in her life. (Please note that when working with certain astrological timing techniques and slower moving dwarf planets like Sedna, having birth times are important, but not necessary.)
But first, let quickly go over on who is Sedna? Sedna, the first dwarf planet to be named outside the Greco-Roman tradition, carries a profound myth that deserves global recognition. In Inuit mythology, Sedna is the goddess and protector of the oceans and marine life. According to her myth, she was once a beautiful Inuit woman who lived with her father. Her story varies across different Inuit communities, but the central theme remains consistent. Sedna's father was a cruel and possessive man who wanted to ensure she married well. He would bring her various suitors, but Sedna rejected them all as she was a disobedient daughter who refused her father's wishes and married a seabird against his will.
This angered her father, who decided to take her back home by boat. During the journey, a terrible storm arose, and fearing for their lives, the father threw Sedna overboard to save himself. Sedna clung desperately to the side of the boat, but her father chopped off her fingers one by one. Each severed finger transformed into a sea creature, such as fish, whales, and seals. Sedna, maimed and abandoned, sank into the depths of the ocean, where she became the powerful goddess of the sea and its inhabitants.
Beyond her aquatic dominion, she guides us on a spiritual journey toward wisdom, respect, and harmony with ourselves and our environment. Sedna in our charts can have a strong symbolism with out Daimon, our spiritual destiny, strength and perseverance for a cause or something we feel strongly on an individual level, but also affecting on a collective level.
In addition, Sedna can reflect the dynamics of power and the consequences of hubris, as well as underscoring the importance of challenging the status quo for personal and collective growth. I can also lead to themes of Betrayal & Victimization, Breaking Tradition & Protocol, and can speak to issues of identity and security. Karen Hamaker-Zondag described Sedna as a misbalance between masculine and feminine values. She further stated that Sedna’s myth can also deal with issues around equality, disrespect, Independence, staying true to self, and not resisting fate.
Taylor Swift's Challenges in the Music Industry: If you’re a Taylor Swift fan (Swiftie) you know that she has had many battles and struggles with the public and the music industry. One of the most famous events in Taylor Swift's career was when her masters were sold and purchased by Scooter Braun on June 29, 2019. In 2020, she announced her music re-recordings, marking the beginning of her resurgence at the top of her game. Although her birth time is not confirmed and we don’t know what house Sedna is placed in her chart, we do know that Taylor embodies the living archetype and myth or Sedna. Her lyrics, music, and hard work demonstrate the perseverance she has shown in dealing with conflicts involving Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, the music industry, the public, and the loss of her masters.
The Sedna Symbolism in "My Tears Ricochet" Performance
One of the best examples of a myth playing out in real time and living through a performance is in Taylor’s Eras Tour Performance of “Myth Tears Ricochet”. In this video, you can see a small compilation of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour performance of "My Tears Ricochet" from the Folklore album. During the beginning part of her set, you can see her walking through graves, which could symbolize a shamanic death. Later, her tears turn into candle wax that falls into the ocean. The tears represent her own death, and you can see Taylor's tears falling into a body of water on the screen.
Following this, Taylor falls into the ocean and sinks into the depths, much like Sedna did after her death. The "battleship" begins to sink beneath the waves into a whirlpool, and the next thing you see is Taylor's point of view from the bottom of the ocean looking up as the boat sinks. The video ends with her in a black dress, appearing to be at the bottom of some floors.
In the Folklore Long Pond Sessions, Taylor is having an interview with one of her producers, Jack Antonoff, talking about the Deeper Meaning of "My Tears Ricochet" (click here to see interview). Taylor said, "What we do after things happen to us is what matters. It’s when bad things happen to us, something you felt was unfair or screwed up," Taylor Swift explains. During the Long Pond Sessions on the Disney channel, Taylor reflects on this song, “this song is about karma and greed, and about when someone who was once your companion and best friend becomes your worst enemy. My Tears Ricochet is a song about betrayal and the profound emotional journey that follows.”
Sedna at 28 degrees in Taurus trine Saturn at 28 degrees in Capricorn
Reputation Album, Sedna and Algol
As you can see, the day Reputation Album was released, Sedna was at 26 degrees in Taurus, conjunct the fixed star Algol. This fixed star can represent someone or something loosing their mind over something, and as many know, this album was written during a time she went through a death and rebirth of her character. This album was also a response to Kanye West and Kim Kardashian setting her up and black mailing her, causing her to go through a emotional spiral and isolating herself from the public eye. Till this day, Reputation is one of Taylors most beloved albums by her fans and one of her most anticipated re records. In the chart above, you can also see that the rising sign is in Leo with the ascendent at 29 degrees conjunct the fixed star Regulus. So we know there was a fall from grace after success with this album. This was the only album that was not nominated for a grammy, which was a big loss for Taylor.
Taylor's natal Mars is at 26 degrees Scorpio. Sedna is conjunct Fixed star Algol.
In addition, the fixed star Vindemiatrix was at 10 degrees in Libra conjunct Mars at 11 Libra in the 3rd house. The fixed star Vindemiatrix is the star of loss, but provides strength to plant seeds for the future. Vindemiatrix is also known as the “Harvest gatherer”, which brings meaning to harvesting what you have planted. Taylor has been harvesting quite a bit since the beginning of her re recordings, with this album being one of the most anticipated re records, bringing the rise of this album once again (supported by the mutual reception between mars and venus). This album is a representation of Taylor overcoming betrayal, facing her fears, and rising above challenges is a testament to her strength and resilience.
Taylor Swift's journey and her powerful performance of "My Tears Ricochet" resonates deeply with the myth of Sedna. Not just in this performance, but you can also see the living myth in Taylor’s story throughout her experiences such as her Masters being sold, or in 2009 when her VMA acceptance speech was interrupted, or the recording of the Album Reputation. And as many know, Taylor’s Reputation Album marked the beginning of her battle with Kanye west and Kim Kardashian versus her public image. Her story of overcoming betrayal, facing her fears, and rising above challenges is a testament to her strength and resilience. Through this symbolic connection, we can see how Taylor Swift embodies the spirit of Sedna, inspiring us all to persevere and transform in the face of adversity.
Click below is the video on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9XjJz1JfPz/?igsh=MWQ1ZGUxMzBkMA==
