Asteroids in astrology

Last updated

Asteroids are relatively new to astrology, having only been discovered in the 19th century. Their use has become significant to a few Western astrologers yet still only a minority of astrologers use the asteroids in chart interpretation. Their use in astrology began with Eleanor Bach's publication of the first asteroid ephemeris in 1973. [1] Their use was popularized following Demetria George's publication of Asteroid Goddesses in 1986 [2]

Contents

The first four

Ceres, Pallas, Juno and Vesta (in order of discovery) were the only known asteroids from 1808 until 1845, when additional asteroids began to be discovered. They started being recognized by astrologers in the 1970s.

Ceres

Ceres symbol (planetary color).svg

Ceres was the first asteroid discovered and now is labeled as a dwarf planet, taking up about 1/3 of the entire mass of the asteroid belt. [3] (According to some astrologers, to get an understanding of the nature of a planet, astrologers may study the characteristics and positions of known planets at the time of discovery, observe the trend of significant events at the time, and evaluate over time what the newly discovered celestial body tends to relate to in the charts of living people.) In mythology Ceres was the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Demeter. She was the goddess of agriculture and when her daughter Persephone was kidnapped by Pluto in an attempt to force her to marry him, Demeter became so distraught looking for her daughter that she neglected the Earth which became cold and most plants died. This was the first autumn and winter season, which came back every year even after Persephone had been saved by Hermes because she had eaten a pomegranate that made her Pluto's wife forever, and he demanded she return to him once a year. [4] These myths, including the fact that Ceres is the roundest asteroid (it resembles the Moon) signify that in astrology the placement of Ceres in a birth chart is said to show what the native needs to feel loved and nurtured. [5]

Pallas

Pallas symbol (planetary color).svg

Sometimes known as "Pallas Athene", this is the second asteroid discovered and the third in mass. There are many Pallases in mythology. Some sources say Pallas was Triton's daughter and Athena's playmate who was killed and Athena mourned her by changing her name to Pallas and making a wooden statue of her, which Zeus dropped to the Land of Troy where a temple was built in its honor. Others say that Pallas was an old god who combined with Athena. In these respects, Pallas can be interpreted as an indicator of effort. Other astrologers interpret it as an indicator of wisdom, intelligence, healing (perhaps through effort) as the titan named Pallas was a god of these things. [6] This asteroid, like Vesta, is also sometimes called an influencer of Virgo.

Juno

Juno symbol (planetary color).svg

This asteroid was the 3rd to be discovered and is 9th in mass ranking (1 Ceres, 2 Pallas, 4 Vesta, 10 Hygiea, 511 Davida, 704 Interamnia, 65 Cybele, 52 Europa are considerably bigger and more massive). In mythology Juno is the Roman equivalent of the Greek Hera. Hera was a very important goddess in both Greek and Roman culture. She was a wife of Zeus and hailed as the Queen of Gods and Zeus' main concubine (at least the myths imply that this was what she thought herself). She was the goddess of marriages, unions, and was also associated with finance and found cows and peacocks to be sacred. She was also very jealous and aggressive, especially when Zeus was involved with another woman; she would often kill the children Zeus and the other women or goddesses would create together, including attempts to kill Hercules and Dionysus—or the woman herself. For these reasons, Juno is used in astrology as an indicator of what a native requires to feel satisfied in love or romance, or what is one needs in order to feel their marriage is successful and satisfying. Because of Juno's association with relationships, money, cows and jealousy, it also appears to have an influence of the sign Taurus.

Vesta

Vesta symbol (planetary color).svg

This asteroid is the second largest in mass, fourth to be discovered of which it is the fastest to travel the zodiac and the last asteroid to be counted as a planet. In mythology Vesta the virgin goddess, the Roman version of Hestia, though she was of higher importance to the Romans, was regarded as one of the most important goddesses of all, though ironically she never was depicted in any visual art (in Greece, some vases with her image however have been found), or at least none of it has ever been found. She was the goddess of hearth, when a baby was born she was the goddess they would ask to bless it and protect the home. In every city and home in Rome there was a sacred fire made to Vesta that was protected and not allowed to go out. Astrologers use Vesta to determine what it is that you are devoted to and how your sexuality will develop. Vesta, having been a protective virgin goddess is said by some to be an influencer of the sign Virgo, this is accepted by many in the astrological community, but many prefer to instead of calling the influence an outright rulership an "affinity" or simply do not support this claim. It also seems to bear influence over Scorpio.

Other asteroids

After the first four asteroids were discovered, there wouldn't be another discovered for 38 years (Astraea). The first four gained popularity as full-fledged planets, but the rapid development of telescopes led to new asteroids being frequently discovered in what is now known as the main-belt, and they started being called minor planets.

Hygiea

Hygiea symbol (planetary color).svg

The asteroid Hygiea was the 10th discovered and is fourth in mass ranking. In mythology Hygieia was the feminine part and the consort of Asclepios, the Greek god of medicine and a mythological healer strongly connected to the Solar cult of Apollo. It seems that Hygiea rules the health practices and is integrated into medical astrology, but in her negative side has something to bring in cases of depression and anxiety of a higher level than usual. The status of Hygiea is practically unknown at the moment in western astrology.

Chiron and the centaurs

Chiron symbol (planetary color).svg

The centaurs were recognized as a distinct population with the discovery of 2060 Chiron in 1977. It was initially announced as the tenth planet, and received attention from astrologers. A few astrologers have investigated other centaurs, but only Chiron is commonly treated.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Athena</span> Goddess of wisdom and war in ancient Greek religion and mythology

Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of various cities across Greece, particularly the city of Athens, from which she most likely received her name. The Parthenon on the Acropolis of Athens is dedicated to her. Her major symbols include owls, olive trees, snakes, and the Gorgoneion. In art, she is generally depicted wearing a helmet and holding a spear.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demeter</span> Greek goddess of the harvest, grains, and agriculture

In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Demeter is the Olympian goddess of the harvest and agriculture, presiding over crops, grains, food, and the fertility of the earth. Although she is mostly known as a grain goddess, she also appeared as a goddess of health, birth, and marriage, and had connections to the Underworld. She is also called Deo. In Greek tradition, Demeter is the second child of the Titans Rhea and Cronus, and sister to Hestia, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus. Like her other siblings but Zeus, she was swallowed by her father as an infant and rescued by Zeus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Persephone</span> Greek goddess of spring and the queen of the underworld

In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Persephone, also called Kore or Cora, is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. She became the queen of the underworld after her abduction by her uncle Hades, the king of the underworld, who would later also take her into marriage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hestia</span> Greek goddess of the hearth

In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Hestia is the virgin goddess of the hearth and the home. In myth, she is the firstborn child of the Titans Cronus and Rhea, and one of the Twelve Olympians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4 Vesta</span> Second largest asteroid of the main asteroid belt

Vesta is one of the largest objects in the asteroid belt, with a mean diameter of 525 kilometres (326 mi). It was discovered by the German astronomer Heinrich Wilhelm Matthias Olbers on 29 March 1807 and is named after Vesta, the virgin goddess of home and hearth from Roman mythology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2 Pallas</span> Third-largest asteroid

Pallas is the second asteroid to have been discovered, after Ceres. Like Ceres, it is believed to have a mineral composition similar to carbonaceous chondrite meteorites, though significantly less hydrated than Ceres. It is the third-largest asteroid in the Solar System by both volume and mass, and is a likely remnant protoplanet. It is 79% the mass of Vesta and 22% the mass of Ceres, constituting an estimated 7% of the mass of the asteroid belt. Its estimated volume is equivalent to a sphere 507 to 515 kilometers in diameter, 90–95% the volume of Vesta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3 Juno</span> Asteroid in the asteroid belt

Juno is a large asteroid in the asteroid belt. Juno was the third asteroid discovered, in 1804, by German astronomer Karl Harding. It is one of the twenty largest asteroids and one of the two largest stony (S-type) asteroids, along with 15 Eunomia. It is estimated to contain 1% of the total mass of the asteroid belt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hygieia</span> Ancient Greek goddess of good health and cleanliness

Hygieia is a goddess from Greek mythology. Hygieia is a goddess of health, cleanliness and hygiene. Her name is the source for the word "hygiene".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Astronomical symbols</span> Symbols in astronomy

Astronomical symbols are abstract pictorial symbols used to represent astronomical objects, theoretical constructs and observational events in European astronomy. The earliest forms of these symbols appear in Greek papyrus texts of late antiquity. The Byzantine codices in which many Greek papyrus texts were preserved continued and extended the inventory of astronomical symbols. New symbols have been invented to represent many planets and minor planets discovered in the 18th to the 21st centuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">10 Hygiea</span> Major asteroid

Hygiea is a major asteroid located in the main asteroid belt. With a mean diameter of between 425 and 440 km and a mass estimated to be 3% of the total mass of the belt, it is the fourth-largest asteroid in the Solar System by both volume and mass, and is the largest of the C-type asteroids in classifications that use G type for 1 Ceres. It is very close to spherical, apparently because it had re-accreted after the disruptive impact that produced the large Hygiean family of asteroids.

Phaeton was the hypothetical planet hypothesized by the Titius–Bode law to have existed between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, the destruction of which supposedly led to the formation of the asteroid belt. The hypothetical planet was named for Phaethon, the son of the sun god Helios in Greek mythology, who attempted to drive his father's solar chariot for a day with disastrous results and was ultimately destroyed by Zeus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Astrological symbols</span> Symbols denoting astrological concepts

Historically, astrological and astronomical symbols have overlapped. Frequently used symbols include signs of the zodiac and classical planets. These originate from medieval Byzantine codices. Their current form is a product of the European Renaissance. Other symbols for astrological aspects are used in various astrological traditions.

There are several real or apparent name conflicts between different Solar System bodies, in spite of efforts to give every named body a distinct name. Most of these conflicts are between asteroids and natural satellites of planets, which are named according to different but partially overlapping schemes. Most satellites are named after people and divinities in Greek and Roman mythology; this is rarely true of asteroids currently, with the exception of centaurs and Jupiter trojans, but formerly many asteroids had mythological names, which consequently came into conflict with the names of natural satellites.

A planet symbol or planetary symbol is a graphical symbol used in astrology and astronomy to represent a classical planet or one of the modern planets. The symbols were also used in alchemy to represent the metals associated with the planets, and in calendars for their associated days. The use of these symbols derives from classical Greco-Roman astronomy, although their current altered shapes were developed in the 16th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nike (mythology)</span> Personification of victory in Greek mythology

In Greek mythology and ancient religion, Nike is the goddess who personifies victory in any field including art, music, war, and athletics. She is often portrayed in Greek art as Winged Victory in the motion of flight; however, she can also appear without wings as "Wingless Victory" when she is being portrayed as an attribute of another deity such as Athena.

The Magi Society is an international association of astrologers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Planets in astrology</span> Astrological interpretations of the planets of our solar system

In astrology, planets have a meaning different from the astronomical understanding of what a planet is. Before the age of telescopes, the night sky was thought to consist of two similar components: fixed stars, which remained motionless in relation to each other, and moving objects/"wandering stars", which moved relative to the fixed stars over the course of the year(s).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virgin goddess</span>

In Greek and Roman mythology, several goddesses are distinguished by their perpetual virginity. These goddesses included the Greek deities Hestia, Athena, and Artemis, along with their Roman equivalents, Vesta, Minerva, and Diana. In some instances, the inviolability of these goddesses was simply a detail of their mythology, while in other cases virginity was also associated with their worship and religious rites.

In Greek mythology, Erinoma or Erinona is a beautiful maiden who attracted the attention of both Zeus and Adonis, as well as the wrath of Hera and Aphrodite. Her story seems to be a local variant of Adonis's myth originating from the island of Cyprus, and survives only in the late works of Servius, a Latin grammarian who lived during the early fifth century AD.

References

  1. George, Demetra (Winter 2006–2007). "REViSitinG tHE AStEROid GOddESSES". The Beltane Papers. No. 39. pp. 40–41. ProQuest   229504595.
  2. George, Demetra, and Douglas Bloch. Asteroid Goddesses: The Mythology, Psychology and Astrology of the Re-Emerging Feminine. Ibis Press, 1986. [ page needed ]
  3. Pitjeva, E. V. (June 2004). "Precise determination of the motion of planets and some astronomical constants from modern observations". Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union. 2004 (IAUC196): 230–241. doi: 10.1017/S1743921305001419 . S2CID   122773399.
  4. "Astrology Club".
  5. "Asteroid Ceres in Astrology, Mythology and Astronomy". 9 September 2017.
  6. "Pallas Astroid".