I think part of the issue here is semantics. Look here: annihilation \An*ni`hi*la"tion\, n. [Cf. F. annihilation.] 1. The act of reducing to nothing, or nonexistence; or the act of destroying the form or combination of parts under which a thing exists, so that the name can no longer be applied to it; as, the annihilation of a corporation.
This is my interpretation of annihilation. Note that it says nothing about the speed with which the act occurs. Again, I maintain that's a flaw in the way our age has led us to interpret the word - when we think of annihilation, we think of nuclear bombs, spontaneous combustion, the Phoenix going WHOOSH!. But the same process can take place over months, years (like ten, in the case of Odysseus), centuries. What matters is that in the end, there is nothing left of what came before. Of all the people that I think would be (or are) talking about ego annihilation, I can say with some certainty that none of them experienced that act suddenly or instantaneously. That's one of the things Cat and I have been talking about regarding the whole Phoenix meme: people get behind the idea of the Phoenix as rebirth, and forget about the fiery death part. Or, if they remember the fiery death, I think some assume that it'll be a quick and (mostly) painless experience - when in reality it can take a LONG time to get to the other side!
It's also relevant to me that in the X2 movie, what Phoenix hints we see are brought about by water - suddenly and violently, at that. Again, I don't think that water is always peaceful or slow - I know WAY too many Scorpios for that to be the case! ;) Regarding Pisces and rebirth - I've heard many people (you included, I think, but I don't want to put words in your mouth) that have called the Pisces/Aries cusp the "phoenix cusp." I find I agree. What you've got there is the Neptunian influence of Pisces (manifested in all sorts of ways - see my earlier comment) being reborn (which necessitates ego annihilation). And what do you get? Aries, the sign of ego, and the beginning of a new cycle.
As far as cosmic one-ness and the dissolution of personal identity, we may have to agree to disagree on that point. To remain yourself outside of the One (or Kether, depending on how you look at it) means that there isn't a One - there's at least a Two. Incidentally, Kether (which for those playing at home is the crown/first sphere of the Qaballah, or the Tree of Life, and which signifies the timeless and eternal, the first manifestation of Deity in the universe) is associated with Neptune as well.
For the record, I like what Bojenna has to say about this as well (though I wonder which Bojenna it was that was speaking...) - occasionally I aspire to be an Aethernaut myself, but I haven't mastered Astro-Ethereal Mechanics just yet. I'll be taking the course again during Second Summer session. ;)
Lots more to say about this, always. There may be some journal entries coming in the near future - but I really do have to get some work done right now. ;)
For Sarah...
I think part of the issue here is semantics. Look here:
annihilation \An*ni`hi*la"tion\, n. [Cf. F. annihilation.] 1. The act of reducing to nothing, or nonexistence; or the act of destroying the form or combination of parts under which a thing exists, so that the name can no longer be applied to it; as, the annihilation of a corporation.
This is my interpretation of annihilation. Note that it says nothing about the speed with which the act occurs. Again, I maintain that's a flaw in the way our age has led us to interpret the word - when we think of annihilation, we think of nuclear bombs, spontaneous combustion, the Phoenix going WHOOSH!. But the same process can take place over months, years (like ten, in the case of Odysseus), centuries. What matters is that in the end, there is nothing left of what came before. Of all the people that I think would be (or are) talking about ego annihilation, I can say with some certainty that none of them experienced that act suddenly or instantaneously. That's one of the things Cat and I have been talking about regarding the whole Phoenix meme: people get behind the idea of the Phoenix as rebirth, and forget about the fiery death part. Or, if they remember the fiery death, I think some assume that it'll be a quick and (mostly) painless experience - when in reality it can take a LONG time to get to the other side!
It's also relevant to me that in the X2 movie, what Phoenix hints we see are brought about by water - suddenly and violently, at that. Again, I don't think that water is always peaceful or slow - I know WAY too many Scorpios for that to be the case! ;) Regarding Pisces and rebirth - I've heard many people (you included, I think, but I don't want to put words in your mouth) that have called the Pisces/Aries cusp the "phoenix cusp." I find I agree. What you've got there is the Neptunian influence of Pisces (manifested in all sorts of ways - see my earlier comment) being reborn (which necessitates ego annihilation). And what do you get? Aries, the sign of ego, and the beginning of a new cycle.
As far as cosmic one-ness and the dissolution of personal identity, we may have to agree to disagree on that point. To remain yourself outside of the One (or Kether, depending on how you look at it) means that there isn't a One - there's at least a Two. Incidentally, Kether (which for those playing at home is the crown/first sphere of the Qaballah, or the Tree of Life, and which signifies the timeless and eternal, the first manifestation of Deity in the universe) is associated with Neptune as well.
For the record, I like what Bojenna has to say about this as well (though I wonder which Bojenna it was that was speaking...) - occasionally I aspire to be an Aethernaut myself, but I haven't mastered Astro-Ethereal Mechanics just yet. I'll be taking the course again during Second Summer session. ;)
Lots more to say about this, always. There may be some journal entries coming in the near future - but I really do have to get some work done right now. ;)