Copyright
2003. All Rights Reserved
"At
first I thought, 'OH NO. Not more stuff to put in the chart! I'm
confused enough already.' But over the years, I have come to value
the asteroids as a vital part of chart interpretation."
- Michael Lutin, Vanity Fair astrologer, author, lecturer and
very funny guy!
In the
mid 70's, a whole new cast of astrological players found themselves
appearing on the global astrological stage: four asteroid goddesses
and one mystery body, Chiron. The four asteroid goddesses: Ceres,
Pallas Athene, Vesta and Juno, together with their comet/planetoid
male counterpart Chiron, changed the face of astrology forever.
The pantheon
of astrological planets had long since been male dominated. Out of
the twelve (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus,
Neptune and Pluto), only two were feminine: Moon and Venus, and the
rest mostly archetypes that could swerve toward the less positive
male traits: the potentially selfish, cold and withholding nature
of Saturn; the Plutonic capacity for ruthlessness, even destruction,
and, the excessively over active Sun that can easily veer toward
narcissism.
The appearance
of four powerful female goddess archetypes: Ceres (mother/the Universal
Mother); Juno (partner/Queen of Heaven/ Divine Consort); Vesta (sister,
High Priestess) and Pallas Athene (daughter/genius/warrior/Goddess
of Wisdom) made a powerful impact on the previously male dominated
astrological kingdom. Chiron, too, the newest male planetary body,
introduced an entirely new humanitarian and profoundly compassionate
mediating male energy.
Discovered
in the beginning of the 18th century, from the more than 10,000 asteroids
in the sky, located in a belt, between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter,
that revolves about every four years, the Asteroid Goddesses were
popularized by New York based astrologer Eleanor Bach. She has been
called "the Mother of the Asteroids" after she published
the first Asteroid Ephemeris, twenty-five years ago in 1972, during
the height of the Feminist Movement, and three years before the discovery
of Chiron.
The years 2000-2002 marked both the Lunar Return (emotional coming of age),
and the Saturn Return (coming of age of the life purpose) of the publication
of this indispensable ephemeris; so it is no accident that many are interested
in just how to practically apply the understanding of these asteroids in both
their own natal charts and those of others.
Interpretation
of the Asteroid Goddesses
Ceres:
the Mother
During a lecture by NCGR (National Council for Geocosmic Research) Baltimore
Chapter VP Mindy Krupp in 1993, I learned for the first time how to simply
interpret the Asteroids Goddesses in the chart. I learned, that in a nutshell,
Ceres simply represents mother, as well as all aspects of motherhood, from
the perspective of both the child, the mother, and the way these impulses
get filtered through our own psyches, as individuals*.
In Roman
mythology, Ceres, also known in Greek, as Demeter (deriving from
da mater or earth mother) was goddess of agriculture and the harvest,
as well as being the mother of Persephone.
Persephone
Myth
For those who remember the Persephone myth, Persephone was abducted by Pluto
and brought to the underworld where he kept her as his wife. Her mother Ceres
or Demeter was so heartbroken that she withered up and nearly perished. As
Ceres or Demeter was the goddess of the harvest, this affected all living things
on the earth which also began to die.
The gods
concerned for the well-being of the earth, negotiated with Pluto,
and worked out an arrangement whereby Persephone was allowed to emerge
from Pluto's lair and live with her mother on the earth for half
the year. Her mother was so filled with joy that she recovered, as
did all living things. The months of spring and summer are therefore
attributed to the return of Persephone to her mother. And autumn
and winter, the seasons when Persephone returns, as wife, to Pluto
in the underworld. This myth becomes increasingly important as we
explore the role of Persephone, and the other Dark Asteroid Goddesses
impact in the chart in future articles. Therefore, Ceres, is sometimes
found prominently in the charts of those who have lost a child.
Juno, the Partner
Juno, goddess of marriage and guardian of childbirth, represents all aspects
of partnership, particularly as spouse, and has a distinctly Scorpionic
overtone, due to her tendency towards jealousy and possessiveness. Juno
can also be a marriage indicator, particularly in synastry, or chart comparison,
when it impacts another's personal planets, such as Sun, Moon, Venus or
Mars or through timing by transit, progression or return.
The sign
that Juno is in, in your chart, also reveals what you are looking
for in any committed sexual or business partnership, as well as any
enduring friendship. And, it can also provide insight into recurrent
relationship patterns, and may suggest a means of resolving these
reoccurring themes, as well.
Despite
her husband Zeus or Jupiter's flagrant infidelities and deceptions,
Juno always returned to her husband, personifying the vow of marriage:
for better or worse, in sickness and in health, 'til death do us
part. Therefore, it comes as no surprise to us, that Juno is prominent
in the chart of Hilary Rodham Clinton.
In Hilary's
chart, Juno is in the 29th degree of Sagittarius (sometimes the sign
of lawyers/politicians), right on the cusp of the 7th house of marriage,
indicating she is finishing up a major incarnational cycle associated
with marriage and partnership. Who better has personified, through
example, her adherence to the vows of marriage? Like Hilary Rodham
Clinton, long before meeting Jupiter/Zeus, Juno was a great goddess
in her own right and very much an equal to Jupiter.
Vesta, the Devoted
Sister
Vesta corresponds with the archetype of the sister, both as sibling, and, as
a description of one who has taken a vow of celibacy, and joined the nunhood.
Like the Vestal Virgins who kept the temple fires burning, she represents
egoless devotion and dedication. Vesta placements may also indicate dedication
to an excess or workaholism.
This meaning
of Vesta came as an epiphany to me, as I, who have throughout my
life had periods of extreme workaholism, had never been able to find
any planetary indication of this in my natal chart. Suddenly, there
was Vesta (representing workaholism) smack dab on my own midheaven
exact (representing career or life's work), illuminating this tendency
in high relief.
Pallas, the Daughter
or Genius
Pallas Athena or Pallas, is as close to a male energy as a female can be, embodying
the archetype of both warrior and daughter (think of the first-born daughter,
of the daughter of a father who wanted a boy; or the now, somewhat, archaic
term of tom boy.). Pallas represents both warrior energy, and, where you
have a great genius in the chart, but may doubt yourself.
Due to
her brilliance at finding patterns, when she is conflicted by aspect
in the chart, we may find learning disabilities, such as dyslexia;
difficulty maintaining harmony in relationships, or overly aggressive
tendencies that may obscure or impede her natural genius.
Impact in the
Natal Chart
In order to understand any new astrological concept, it is always useful to
spend some time working with your own natal chart. Noting what sign and
house the Asteroids Goddesses are in, and what major aspects are formed
to them. Through working with your own themes, this will begin to shed
light on how these energies operate for you and what areas of your life
they affect.
Today,
most astrology software provides the option to elect the inclusion
of both the Asteroid Goddesses, and Chiron. I highly recommend you
make this selection, and begin to discover your own sacred mysteries
and ancient wisdom schools of feminine power and justice. There immersed
in your own psyche -- you may find the Goddess inherent in you, male
and female alike -- waiting to be unleashed, embraced, better understood,
and more potently expressed.
*The
mother/daughter challenge of individuation is deeply delved into in
Nancy Friday's popular book of the 70's My Mother/Myself.
More
about the Asteroid Goddesses....
*Eleanor Bach's Asteroid Ephemeris
*Mark Pottenger's CCRS Asteroid Program (includes over 10,000 asteroids)
*All by Demeter George: Asteroid Goddesses (also by Douglas Bloch)
*Asteroid Goddess Report Writer- Astrolabe (also by Douglas Bloch)
*Finding Our Way Through the Dark: The Astrology of the Dark Goddess Mysteries
by Demetra George
*Jacob Schwartz's Asteroid Name Encyclopedia and website: Jacob@asteroids.com
*Lee Lehman's Ultimate Asteroid Book
*Dictionary of Minor Planet Names (orders@springer-ny.com)
*Zip Dobyn's Mutable Dilemna/Asteroid World (www.ccrsdodona.org)
*Roxana Muise's service for calculating asteroid ephemeredes and personal asteroid
positions (roxanamuise@comcast.net)
Free
Astrology For The Soul and Free Horoscopes:
AstrologyForTheSoul.com
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