Skadi's Star: The Mountain
The huntress-goddess of the Northern Tradition, Skadi was a brave frost-giantess whose father was killed in a spat with the Aesir. She besieged the gates of Asgard, weaponed and fully armored, and demanded weregild for his death, and the Aesir were impressed enough that they let her in and offered her one of their own men as a husband. This move would get her a place in the councils of Asgard, which she coveted. She also coveted Baldur, Frigga’s beautiful youngest son, but Odin lined the willing men up behind a curtain so that only their feet were showing, and told her to pick one by his feet. Instead of Baldur, she picked Njord the Ship-King. They married for a time, but then divorced because they could not agree on where to live—ocean or mountains. By this time Skadi had her important place and thus did not mind, and the two bless couples who wish amicable divorces.
Her star is named after her own sacred mountain land, which she loved better than her god-husband. She is a goddess of bowhunting, skiing, and winter, and her symbol is the white wolf. The star Bellatrix—the left shoulder of Orion, as Ydalir is the right one—has always been the star of a pugnacious female warrior, often referred to as The Amazon. It gives luck and aggressiveness to women with strong Bellatrix involvement in their chart, and is said to give them a hard, sharp voice and “mighty tongues.” To anyone, it gives courage and strategic and organizational ability, but also a tendency to rashness and impulsivity.
Skadi’s legend sometimes turned from simple courage to malice, as in the story of Loki. When he was chained by the gods in an underground cave, Skadi hung a venomous serpent over his head to drip on him. (There are various reasons as to how he wronged her in the past, largely based around a former difficult affair with her.) The Star of Skadi’s Mountain betokens success, but unlike Ullr’s star it comes with a price. In order to gain the top of the Mountain, one must struggle with the venomous serpents in one’s psyche. Only by defeating them will success be achieved; otherwise those internal demons will be exposed to the public and humiliation will follow. For some placements, even if these demons are conquered they will then be projected outward onto others, and the successful individual will be surrounded by envy and angry wagging tongues.