Category Archives: Ceres

Asteroid Basics: A Quick Guide to Reading Them in the Chart

19 Friday Jan 2024

Posted by in Asteroids, astrology, Ceres, Chiron, Juno, Pallas, Vesta

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‘Jupiter and Juno on Mount Ida (detail)’ By James Barry 1790 {{PD}}

This article first appeared in a 2015 edition of Eclipse; the current version has been added to and modified.

Juno: the Consort, the Mate, the Woman in Charge by virtue of her position and status, a figure who should be listened to and respected, but who is repeatedly disrespected by her philandering spouse and ignored by others–hence her reputation for anger and vindictive displays. Who can blame her? No one likes being frustrated, which is why Juno’s magic comes from learning Self-empowerment, a condition where one doesn’t rely on others to feel effective in the world. Juno for a woman shows where and how she gains empowerment (through sign and aspects), with the sign opposite the one in which Juno sits giving hints about the kind of person with whom she’d like to mate (combine this with 7th House indicators for a more complete picture on the potential acceptable spouse–the 5th is for purely romantic considerations, and may not figure into mate selection at all). For women Juno’s front and center in terms of feeling one has an impact on one’s world and in how thoroughly one is in charge of one’s own Fate, and until she is determining her own Path, Juno may also show where a woman is being held back from that kind of Self-determination. For men it’s much more subtle, riding just below consciousness, and awareness of empowerment potentials. For both men and women Juno shows empowerment gained by personal effort and by status through association with other powerful entities; for men it further describes the kind of person seen as appropriate ‘mate’ material, especially in terms of the behaviors characteristic of the sign in which Juno sits. Typically men notice Juno most when they are seeking a spouse (and this is so no matter the sexual preference). Someone is assessed by the Juno standards, usually without too much conscious thought—they either strike him as appropriate to partner with or not. The keyword for reading Juno in the chart is ‘empowerment’, keeping in mind that this designates by aspect and transit where that struggle is occurring, or where we are trying to implement it, rather than guaranteeing the empowerment needs will be fulfilled there.

‘Ceres’ By Osmar Schindler c1902 {{PD}}

Ceres: she’s Mother Nature, but also every maternal figure (like the Moon), especially the ones who think they know best (not like the Moon), and she represents all growing things (though agriculture technically falls under Pallas–Ceres is instead Nature, with a capital ‘N’). Ceres is also all manner of negotiations, and generally every authority you’ve ever known who came by that authority as a given, a natural authority. Ceres has the life force itself behind her, giving her a source of power that drives all life on Earth–but such extreme power can also mean she fails to recognize the autonomy of others or their boundaries, overestimating both the reach of her authority and her rightful territory. The keywords for reading Ceres in the chart are ‘personal authority/ power’, though keeping in mind that the entity represented feels they have authority no matter what their actual position; also remember the potentials for the maternal influence (though it may only be a feeling or a ‘superior/ inferior’ relationship attitude), negotiation, and the over-stepping of boundaries, as well as health concerns centered on the body’s interaction with Nature (for instance, allergies).

‘Pallas Athene Visits Invidia’ By Karel Dujardin 1652 {{PD}}

Pallas: the child of Metis and Zeus, Metis being a Titan and representing ‘magical cunning’ (the original connotation of her name) and wisdom. She’s equal parts shrewdness and smarts, with a little dazzle thrown in (via the ‘Trickster’ label). It was foretold that Metis would have extremely powerful children, so as soon as Zeus and Metis got together, he began to worry. Zeus’ answer to all this was to trick Metis into turning into a fly, then swallowing her—what a guy! She was already pregnant with Pallas Athena, and began to create her child’s armor while still imprisoned inside Zeus. This gave him a massive headache—which he hoped to alleviate by having Hephaestus (Vulcan) open his forehead (great idea!) with an axe or a hammer (this sounds far too much like the description for an episode of ‘Jackass’). Of course, we know what popped out of Zeus’ skull with that rupture: a fully grown, fully armored, Warrior goddess, Pallas Athena. In terms of the asteroid, we need to be aware that Pallas’ history caused her to be created knowing a great deal already, and to be strong enough and smart enough to implement it.  Though her keywords are ‘wisdom and practicality’, she also signifies the productive and lucrative outcome of organized labor (such as agriculture) and represents skills of all kinds, but especially those of a practical nature (like weaving), and she can do the Warrior thing in a controlled and intelligent way that is often more effective than the full-tilt of Mars/ Ares. Pallas shows us where we may carry natural, internal wisdom–if only we’ll access it.  

‘In the Temple of Vesta’ By Constantin Hölscher 1902 {{PD}}

Vesta: is what we care about to the point of reverence. She represents those core things in life we find sacred, that we feel compelled to honor with our life energy. Though for each individual that involves a different set of concepts and material matters, they all hold in common the reverential attitude that means we will organize our lives around paying homage to these subjects and life areas—so, we will defend, put our energy into, even worship, Vestal things. She also describes (along with the Moon) the character of our need for emotional fulfillment and nurture according to the sign in which Vesta sits, and describes what feels like ‘home’ to us, the conditions we need, whether they are internal or external, in order to rest, relax, and thrive. Vesta can apply to the mate relationship within the ideal of dedication to the partner (and so apply as well to the sex life, which can carry the aura of a spiritual ritual), and of course to any matter, idea, or physical effort we see as appropriate to dedicate our life energy to. Keywords are ‘sacred’ and ‘commitment’, but keep in mind that aspects will elaborate on all potentials, including defending what shouldn’t be defended because of misplaced reverence, and an inability to respect (at least initially) some contacted energies (in hard aspect).

‘The Education of Achilles’ By Auguste-Clément Chrétien 1861 {{PD}}

Chiron: is the primal wound, one gained pre-verbally and so often not consciously recognized. Theoretically, within that wound lies a unique gift that with personal evolution is offered to others, then may move on to expression at a transpersonal level. You have a unique experience of your Chirotic injury, and that makes you specifically qualified to offer that particular kind of healing to others, once you’ve dealt with it yourself. My contention is that the big blow-out of 2012 that some assumed would be the end of the world was in fact a situation of shifts in many extant energies—Chiron being one. I think that Chiron’s gift, which previously could only be used to aid others, not oneself, became available to the individual for the first time at this point. We are now able to use our own Chirotic strength to heal ourselves, since the wound is always directly related to the gift; that means we hold the answer to our own healing. Keywords for Chiron are ‘wound’, ‘gift’, and ‘healing’; you’ve got to hold all three in your mind at once.

Dear Readers, Have a wonderful weekend!

Spotlight: An Earth Grand Trine–And What About Ceres?

14 Thursday Dec 2023

Posted by in astrology, Ceres, current events in the sky, Grand Trine, Jupiter retrograde, Mercury retrograde, Retrogrades + Directions

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‘Venus, Cupid and Ceres’ By Cornelis van Haarlem 1604 {{PD}} It’s such a drag to have to wear a shirt, isn’t it, ladies? Ceres is the one with wheat in her hair.

Freshly retro Merc in Capricorn connects with retro Jupiter in Taurus and the Black Moon Lilith point to form an Earth Grand Trine. One, BML, is just a mathematical point, you may argue–and yet by its very contact with these other two we see this point in Virgo bring a little intellectual heft, a little airiness via ruler Mercury, to what might otherwise be a formidably dense formula–and that’s only exaggerated by the way both bodies are in apparent retrograde motion. Have you ever seen a child who doesn’t yet grasp the concepts around concealing their entire body play hide-and-seek? Invariably, they will scrunch into a corner or behind something and cover their eyes–with so much of the rest of them visible to all! That’s what we’ve got here: Jupiter and Mercury behaving as if they aren’t really noticeable, and Black Moon Lilith mustering constructive criticism in order to make both planets deal with their current energy states head on.

Jupiter in Taurus retrograde would tell you money and things aren’t important, that what you know or believe doesn’t really affect what surrounds you or what comes to you, and Mercury in Capricorn retrograde may have warring assumptions all at once: thoughts that embrace the status quo and current power structure as if they’re solid and will last forever, and at the same time thinking repeatedly of the ways the present framework and rules can be skirted, undermined, or exploited through a loophole.

Then along comes the Black Moon Lilith point–which critiques and creates lists for the other two, asking: what about the social sphere and the place it offers you is unsatisfactory? Is what you have and the environment you create nurture and comfort you, or is it designed to impress others? Does your thinking support the power elites, or your own interests? And are you confused about what really benefits you, and what works against you?

Black Moon Lilith insists you face/ deal with what you have been ignoring, denying, or with things that enrage you but are suppressed; in the case of Jupiter, this hinges on social roles and interaction, and with Mercury this is about the mentality you exercise. With both bodies retrograde, the examination of these areas can seem that much more difficult, as the energies feel less accessible, more hidden, and somehow contrary, even when you come at them as consciously as possible. So, right now we have an ongoing examination of social roles, thinking, and the material reality they create for each one of us. Tips to handle this? At present letting things flow around you, with less insistence on control and less deliberate expression of the Will, is probably a good idea; if you can keep things low key, watch the symbolism inherent in every day life, and practice acceptance, you’ll get to the end of the Merc retro period (early AM PST of January 2nd) and Jupiter retro period (early AM PST of December 31st) with a much more fact-based and realistic understanding of both your material situation and the social sphere and your role in it. After both are direct, you can move forward both more confidently and more effectively.

And what about Ceres? It’s at 8 degrees Sagittarius, same degree as Merc and BML–and it’s square BML, and so semi-sextile Mercury. This suggests that much of what we find out at this time will be seated in Nature, both in our place within it, and in our relationship to it. We’re going to find out things, learn facts, experience the validity (or ineffectiveness) of our beliefs, and this will shape our sense of personal authority, our ability to genuinely nurture, our health, and again, our command of our environment, going forward. The retros offer us chances to reconsider–and the other related bodies help us discover what it is we need to know.

A Question of History: Was England’s Richard III a Victim of Ceres?

23 Tuesday May 2023

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, Astrology and Food, Astrology and Health, Ceres, Natal Delineation, Transit Effects Explored

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I’ve done a series of articles over the years on different historical mysteries, always titled ‘A Question of History’; this one first appeared in a 2014 issue of ECLIPSE.

Periodically I like to inspect historical personages and events taking an astrological perspective, so when I ran across an article (in The New Statesman, and no longer available online) on England’s Richard III and a potential allergy, I had to check it out, particularly considering the way Ceres is becoming more and more obviously prominent in instances of allergy, sensitivity, and in autoimmune diseases of all kinds—I wanted to see if Richard’s famous change of demeanor after excusing himself for a strawberry feast  during a council meeting of 13 June 1483 was possibly related to just such a reaction. If so, it may have had history-affecting consequences, as Richard’s fear that he may have been poisoned or the victim of witchcraft (there is even a suggestion that ingesting a massive number of strawberries may have caused the withering effect to one arm that we heretofore had believed through eyewitness description was a birth defect) led him to lash out against those who might take the crown—including his nephews, better known as ‘The Princes in the Tower’, Edward V of England, for whom Richard was acting as Protector, and his younger brother, Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York (at the time the Tower of London was not yet used exclusively as a prison; the boys were lodged there, under guard and for their protection, so the story goes). After the strawberry incident, Richard announced he was taking the crown for himself and the boys ‘disappeared’; his suspicion of even his closest allies planted the seeds for the difficulty of his reign and the horrible reputation that follows him to this day.

Richard III is believed to have been born 2 October 1452 Julian Calendar 9:02 AM LMT (time is certain) Northhamptonshire England. Times of 9 AM and 7 AM have also been put forward, but the time of 9:02 was deduced by astrologer Martin Harvey in the British Astrological Journal Spring 1967, “Time deduced from a 1452 account in Latin, October 2, 1452 OS, 9:15 AM LAT” as per Astrodatabank.

Right away we notice the Scorpio Ascendant sextile Juno (which body I’ve conjectured before may in a man signal a sense of Self-completion, as in not feeling the need for complementary energies, which means the psyche has no room for another—it’s a placement, then, of total Self-empowerment that claims the right to do as he pleases—because no one, and so no other viewpoint, figures in). The apex to the Finger created is the Earth-retro Mars conjunction in Aries—certainly easy to associate this vanity/ ego uncertainty/ identity as a man as it manifested through the personality resulting in the death Richard suffered, as a Warrior at the Battle of Bosworth Field, with blows to the head (Aries) so hard that his crown was driven into his skull (and we know this as his remains, verified by mitochondrial testing of two of his sister’s descendants compared to the DNA found, identified the skeleton discovered under a UK car park in 2012 as definitively his).

But was he susceptible to Mother Nature? Wow, was he ever! Ceres sits at 29 Libra 11, under stress and hidden just inside the 12th and a hair above the start of the 1st House; it’s the T-arm of a wide Vesta-Uranus opposition, suggesting that stress from Nature shows up in erratic and sudden behaviors that are contrary to the highest values. Ceres is the body of latest degree; it implies that all matters end in some sort of ‘reaction’, be it in relation to his sense of authority, his boundaries, his negotiating power, or his interaction with Nature.

‘Strawberries in a Basket‘ By Joseph Decker 1887 {{PD}}

Ceres is quincunx the natal Taurus Moon in the 7th; the Moon is another indicator of sensitivity, in Taurus implying a sensitivity to the environment and particularly to food and atmosphere (and of course the meeting where the impressive change to his demeanor occurred was in mid-June, a high point for strawberries and every other blooming thing!) Placement in the 7th suggests that Richard may have had a very reactive personality, emotionally and intuitively hypersensitive to others, and this is reiterated by the Moon’s opposition to Venus in the 1st.

Richard’s Ceres is also conjoined a 00 Scorpio Mercury (lungs, nerves, highly sensitive to what’s communicated, and at 00 he’s just learning to deal with this in a Scorpionic fashion). The asteroid also sextiles the North Node (while not driving the destiny, it easily figures in), trines Jupiter, ruler of the 2nd (the Ceres nature affects his relationship with the social sphere, his knowledge—indicating potential for the mind and reasoning to be affected by any reaction—and his grasp of the ‘Big Picture’), and is widely conjoined Saturn, again emphasizing the impact of the surrounding reality via Ceres. We also see his Mars in Aries conjoined his Earth, both in the 6th of health, yet again showing the importance of the environment and his own choices and actions on the health picture. This is not to mention the Grand Trine of Ceres, Jupiter, and the South Node, which does suggest that knowledge from the past, lessons learned, would guide ‘reaching out’ efforts and attempts to widen his authority and influence—and this is something that probably initially went very right for him, getting him to the position he enjoyed in June of 1483.

A look at the transits on the day of Richard’s strawberry feast include the Sun fresh in sensitive Cancer trine his Ceres-Mercury, and Saturn at 00 Scorpio conjoined his Mercury, highlighting nervous sensitivity to the material world; transiting Zeus is exact conjoined his Pluto (destructive desires!); transiting Ceres trines his Saturn (again, the influence of Nature made manifest), transiting Eris widely conjoined his Earth-Mars (irritation!); and there were not one but three transiting bodies at 29 degrees during the day, if we include the Virgo Moon (at 29 degrees for a noon chart, so perfect for an allergic reaction) as well as Jupiter and Pallas, all impacting natal Ceres, expanding the potential for sensitivity and reaction, and this in turn having an impact on the common sense and wisdom of the individual (Pallas)—and with Jupiter in the mix, we might consider the reaction could’ve been extreme, even potentially fatal.

There is one other thing: a natal aspect of the 24th Harmonic of 105 degrees (popularly termed the Squine, as it’s halfway between a square and a trine!) between Richard’s Zeus and his Ceres and Mercury. Though some feel there’s no reliable interpretation to be applied to this aspect, I believe that’s generally so because enough astrologers haven’t observed it in action for a long enough time to find consistent characteristics. We must keep in mind, too, that Ceres is not just about one’s interaction with Nature; it’s also about one’s sense of authority and interaction with those who hold authority, concerns boundaries and the propensity to overstep them, and applies to one’s negotiative abilities. If Richard’s Ceres was ‘triggered’ by strawberry consumption, and this affected the thinking (Mercury), then too it could’ve affected the ambitions and desires (Zeus)—and as we know, when the ambitions are touched by fear such as may have occurred with a biological reaction interpreted as poisoning or an occult attack, then it wouldn’t be surprising for the ‘victim’ to have grabbed as much power and control for himself as possible in a bid to insure his own safety, leading to the ominous and still unanswered disappearance of two little boys, and changing the course of a kingdom.“

The Princes in the Tower By John Everett Millais 1878 {{PD}}

Addendum on the Princes in the Tower: Though we still can’t be sure what was the fate of the two princes, the bones of two children were discovered in the Tower in 1674; these were re-buried in Westminster Abbey, which now refuses to allow disinterment and testing to see definitively if these were the nephews of Richard III. And the mystery continues.

Pluto Backs It Up

26 Monday Apr 2021

Posted by in astrology, Ceres, Pluto Retrograde

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Hangin’ out with the party planner. ‘Bacchus, Ceres, Proserpina and Pluto’ By Pieter van Lint c1660 {{PD}}

In both senses of the phrase: Pluto enters apparent retrograde (a visual phenomenon caused by our viewpoint here on Earth), and in going back over territory he just crossed, returns, we might say, to the scene of the crime. With this latter meaning we see the god of the Underworld re-trace his steps, with the result for us that anything shaken loose, ripped open, torn asunder, or apparently destroyed or transformed recently (since roughly late December-early January) will get a second look.

Pluto turns around at 26 Capricorn 48, with only a single aspect on the horizon, as Ceres heads toward perfecting a square with the ‘heaviest’ planet in the solar system (yes, it’s a planet! I insist). Heaviest, of course, describes the impact of something so slow-moving, the psychic grind akin to the passage of a glacier over the tundra–it creates tremendous pressure, a weight that flattens in slo-mo whatever is in its path. We might initially think that this is a totally destructive interaction, but in reality it creates, as well. Intense pressure forms diamonds, and releases seeds from their shells as when fire sweeps a forest floor. Pluto can bring the loss or tragedy that sets us on a new and better path, and we need to remember that when something is destroyed, that makes room for a fresh beginning.

The Ceres aspect is already in effect and will remain so as Ceres completes that last little span, with the aspect perfecting and then beginning to separate by the 30th. It’s not unusual for another body to be the instigator in an aspect with Pluto; it’s almost inevitable that the majority of Pluto aspects will be formed as other bodies move into position– seeing Pluto make the contact itself is rare.

Here we have the king of the Underworld in a conflict dynamic with his mother-in-law, who just happens to be Mother Nature herself. Don’t forget, their power stand-off was a formidable one that involved Ceres negotiating for time with her daughter–and Pluto conceding some, which should tell you what a powerful figure Ceres is. Symbolically this is a clash between gods, the meeting of entities that represent and control primal forces, one side chiefly generative in its thrust (Ceres, life-giving) and the other with the capacity to take things to ashes (Pluto, destroying), but with both also containing the opposite ability; that is, death is the inevitable end to life, and from nothing (which we can call death) comes the spark that creates new life (the phoenix potentials of Pluto).

Difficulties between these two were over a third entity, Ceres’ daughter who became Pluto’s wife, Proserpina/ Persephone. I’m struck in this situation by the way two Beings who hold immense amounts of power take it for granted that it’s within their rights to decide the fate of another. Ceres oversteps in a motherly way, trying to control the commitments of a grown daughter, while Pluto oversteps in the way of a partner who sees it as natural that he decides how his significant other spends her time. In essence, neither respects the individuality and autonomy of Persephone; neither sees her as a complete Being with rights of her own.

Pluto is currently in Capricorn, suggesting that his energies are concentrated on breaking down established norms, authority, and structures societal, governmental, and that offer security, dependability, regularity. Ceres squares him from Aries, implying a strong individual Will comes to call out (and so question) Pluto’s destructive priorities. Pluto is always looking for a clean slate, whether that’s a productive approach or not; Ceres is always looking to exercise personal authority, even if it infringes on others. Both have trouble with boundaries (and by trouble I mean neither one recognizes those, unless another equally strong individual steps forward to enforce them).

There’s also the fact that Pluto carries an implicit promise of re-generation, while Ceres carries one of the inevitability of Nature always returning to balance–so at the very least, that tells us that despite the clash, a compromise will be reached when these two meet, a balance agreeable to both destructive and generative energies.

So, we have to ask ourselves what developed since late December that caused something destructive, a loss or elimination or change that struck us profoundly, that in reality has broken open the seeds of a new venture, that has offered greater personal autonomy, or that has altered the power balance or our own relationship with Nature (with this latter think health, or our own efforts at growing or producing natural product, as small as herbs on the windowsill, as big as agribusiness or the construction of a dam). That change-through-loss now offers us a new (or renewed) path–and over this retro period we’ll have the chance to review what changed, to course-correct, and to exercise our own prerogatives along ‘natural’ lines in shaping what the results of that loss or removal will, ultimately, bring.

This will very likely frame itself as some form of You (the ‘I Am’ of Aries) versus the current powers-that-be, which are undergoing inevitable changes of their own (Capricorn). Expect to negotiate; know that Mother Nature will have her say, will figure in (remember that ancient commercial, ‘It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature’? Don’t even try); and be aware that there is a quiet but central entity somewhere that needs to be listened to, if only to show the Universe that you’re not an egotistical brute (Aries) or a rigid conformist (Capricorn) but someone who’s fully aware of and considerate of the impact your choices have on others.

Also note: as Ceres moves away from Pluto, Jupiter comes along by sextile, with the aspect perfecting as both are in 29 tense degrees of their own sign, this on 5 May. Expect feedback over the negotiation/ change/ power struggle, from the social sphere, via irrefutable facts, with an infusion of knowledge, or with a new sense of optimism or access to new opportunities. That should tell you: don’t be afraid of loss or change, something new always, always, comes from it, and whether you are able to see it or not, it’s always to your benefit (eventually, though in-the-moment it can be quite hard to believe–another Jupiterian concept).

A Good Day To . . . 25 April 2020 + A Little on Ceres

24 Friday Apr 2020

Posted by in astrology, Ceres, current events in the sky, forecast, Retrogrades

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‘Ceres Enthroned’ By Michele Pannonio c1450-60 {{PD}}

A Little on Ceres

Here’s a question: Does Ceres (Mother Nature) in Pisces (related to fluid-borne illness, hard to diagnose symptoms, returning to the Collective, miasmas, and unreality, just to name a few correspondences) necessarily represent Covid-19? Many have stated that the recent Saturn-Pluto conjunction kicked it off, and that this represents Covid. Just as with the astrology of a human being, many factors can apply to the overall picture. I do think Ceres’ move into Pisces while trine the North Node is significant. That contact to the Nodes, just as they are poised to move from Cancer into late Gemini (because remember, the Nodes shift and shift but overall move backward through the zodiac) suggests the direction of energy will move from caring to a kind of communicating where networking and connections are integral to the sharing of information. The NN in Cancer brought forward so many moving and Selfless acts of kindness with the onset of these trying times; the change to Gemini, we might reasonably anticipate, will usher in connecting and networking prompted by stress (as the first place the Nodes go is to that under pressure 29th degree). So, perhaps soon we can look forward to some true cooperative efforts, a genuine pooling of information that can take us forward, and benefit everyone. And it’s notable that Pallas is at 29 degrees of Capricorn right now, implying a last ditch effort to avoid being practical or failing to call whole-heartedly on those with appropriate skills to address changes to structures, institutions, ‘the rules’, and reality itself. We certainly see this every day in the US at the Corona virus briefings, where it’s much more a PR stunt (“If we can persuade them everything’s okay, then it’s okay!”) and the President’s time for Self-promotion, than it is about mobilizing efforts to fight the virus. Don’t worry–the Nodal move into Gemini/ Sagittarius should bring more attention to actual information, to the facts, and to a pooling of resources so that more or less we all get on the same page.

Yes, Saturn-Pluto certainly paints a picture of a destructive plague decimating the current social order, deconstructing the status quo, promising to forever change what is–but I think Ceres tells it from a slightly different perspective, that of the state of the planet. Earth is sick, in effect, and that just so happens to affect some of the species that live on her. In this sense, Ceres is the state of health of the planet, the eco-system that expresses viability, analogous to an individual’s state of health, while the Earth corresponds to an individual’s body. Ceres in Pisces, then, suggests we may not be able to know or contain this state of Being, that control may never happen–which means accommodation must instead. Ceres as symbol of our relationship to Earth has moved from a condition of intellectualizing our interaction, and understanding but not doing anything about the relationship itself (Aquarius). That is, we went along, analyzing what was happening, but treating it as effects of the modern, something to study, but not to act on or react to as there seemed to be so little urgency, until suddenly, there is. With current events, Earth and humankind are trying to achieve a better balance, something to supersede the increasingly uneasy living arrangement we’ve had up until now. Together we can make it work.

The 25th is a Good Day To . . .  expect rewards and benefits to suddenly appear from within some fairly difficult circumstances or because of some hard-to-accept restrictions, barriers, or boundaries. Accepting limitations offers us something positive, Love or Money or satisfaction or praise (Venus is currently in Gemini), and that should take the sting out of the negative things we hear and the negative social situation that surrounds us.

Too, Pluto retrogrades today, possibly withdrawing the feeling that we can change things at all. Despair or fear would be a normal reaction–but one you need to realize is based in a temporary condition. This too shall pass is one of the wisest things we can remember at this time.

A Good Day To . . . is based on the aspects perfecting on each day, Pacific time.

1-2 August 2018 Control

31 Tuesday Jul 2018

Posted by in astrology, Ceres, current events in the sky, forecast

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Evelyn de Morgan – ‘Demeter Mourning for Persephone’ 1906 {{PD}}

The 1st we see perfection of a single aspect, Mars square Uranus, but oh, that’s likely to grab us by the hair or other body part and give us a swing or two! In this equation, Mars retrograde in Aquarius is like the pull of an open drain, and Uranus in Taurus is our own Willfulness firmly dug into some facet of our material reality; Mars’ backward slide threatens our comfort, our sustenance, our resource. What we may not realize right off is that what’s happening is caused by our own choices or actions, and so can be changed by us at any time. It’s a wee lesson in just how much control we do have over our own lives–it makes it obvious, it’s much much more than we usually like to admit.

I’m a little put off when I see astrologers and others putting so much emphasis on Ceres/ Demeter as a mother figure. Yes, she’s Mother Nature, making her a kind of overarching symbol of fertility and Life in all its forms, but it’s in her as a personal mother figure that I have complaints. She’s probably best known from the story of how autumn and winter came to be (apparently, it was summer all the time before this). Her beloved adult daughter, Persephone/ Proserpina was abducted by Pluto, plunging Ceres into mourning, until she negotiated 6 months for her daughter above ground with her, and 6 below with her new captor–and the seasons were born, with spring and summer the times when Persephone was above ground, and her mother satisfied.

Now first of all, what kind of mother negotiates the terms of imprisonment for her daughter–what mother says, ‘Okay, kidnapper, you can have her for a while, and then I get her for a while’? That validates a kind of ‘might makes right’ mentality, as if because Pluto was capable of overpowering Persephone, he then had a right to ‘own’ her. Of course, Ceres’ own rule about eating when in Hades preventing one from leaving was part of the reason–Persephone had eaten 6 pomegranate seeds, condemning her to remain–but the real question is, Was Persephone kidnapped at all?

I have this idea that kidnapping is a cover story for elopement–it saves Ceres’ pride if she believes her daughter left her involuntarily–and a mother who doesn’t want to see her daughter grow up and exercise her free will (she ran off with Pluto–sex!–after all) is propagating a dysfunctional relationship, to say the least. So in my mind, Ceres is not so much an indicator of caring motherhood as she is a figure of inappropriately controlling ownership of another human being. She commands her daughter live at her side in enforced innocence, then insists she be given back, like a thing, then uses her power to finagle a deal where her child must spend at least part of her time in her childhood circumstances–and never once is Persephone asked what she wants.

We may tend to dismiss Ceres’ extremity of reaction and that of someone who cares deeply as showing Love–but caring deeply doesn’t remove the need to recognize the validity of others’ choices, their right to Self-determination, or negate their right to be autonomous. It’s an important distinction in all relationships: just because someone cares doesn’t mean they get to control who you are. Notice where Ceres is in the natal chart, with what it interacts, and think of personal authority, negotiative ability, connection to Nature, and inappropriate intrusion on the autonomy of others, especially offspring; leave the mothering to the Moon.

By Edward Kimmel from Takoma Park, MD – Climate March 0905 Mother Nature, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58449830

Speaking of Ceres, on the 2nd we have a single aspect perfecting, this time it’s Ceres sesquiquadrate Black Moon Lilith. Everything we’ve been trying to ignore or deny, or that has enraged us, pops back up in difficult ways when we try to exercise our authority, or when someone else who believes they should have a say over us makes their wishes known. Ceres is smack in the middle of Virgo, and BML is at 29 tense degrees; this implies those ignored matters are at a bursting point and can no longer be pushed aside, and it also means that our own critical faculties may make it very clear what’s wrong, and what must be done. For a number of us, this may spell reactive upsets related to diet or allergies, or even to the smoke from a multitude of fires burning around the globe, and some of these reactions may cause a true emergency. Proceed with care.

Someone asks, ‘Do we need to worry about whether an asteroid is retro or direct?’ I don’t think so, not yet–we haven’t had enough time to monitor each one sufficiently to know if this has an astrological impact. Since a retrograde is apparent, rather than literal, it’s nothing so much as a statement of viewpoint, not something that truly defines meaning. I find our attention is much better spent on learning the potentials of interactions among the planets, delving into the nuances, as so far (thirty plus years in) I’m finding that everything is already presented by planetary relationships–the asteroids only add definition and specificity to ‘statements’ already made in the basic natal chart.

And a Little More on Ceres

06 Tuesday Mar 2018

Posted by in Asteroids, astrology, Ceres, current events in the sky, Finger of God, Gemini

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Also known as Ceres: ‘Demeter Mourning for Persephone’ 1906 By Evelyn de Morgan {{PD}}

I was wondering if the spate of attention I’m giving Ceres (or Ceres is drawing me toward!) warranted a little investigation. The current picture is this: Ceres is in apparent retro motion in Leo, in close quincunx to Juno in Pisces–and Juno is sextile Saturn in Capricorn, within range of a quincunx to Ceres, so making Ceres apex to a Finger of God. Why does it seem Ceres is so often involved in a Finger? Maybe that’s about Ceres as a natural expression of the flow of energy, with the influences exerted by Nature and our own expressions of Ceres (Nature, agriculture, the power of authority, negotiation, food sensitivities and allergic reaction, to name just a few) ways of dealing with and responding to the extant energy stream (and so to power, and to its consequences) in the world.

This particular Finger implies that empowerment through dreams, visions, creativity, or the loss of this through deception or misunderstanding couples with the reality picture to result in a personal (Leo) experience of the extents of our authority, our body’s ability to process food and/ or the environment, of our role in nurturing or guiding another (a maternal role), and/ or in a need to negotiate in order to see our dream or project realized, or our authority (perhaps even our autonomy) returned. Ceres is also widely sesquiquadrate Vesta, pinpointing the home environment and something to be learned there (Sagittarius placement) that can help further or restore our empowerment options.

And here’s a re-post from the blog: What You’re Asking: Ceres and the Death of Shelley, Synchronicities, and Rejecting a Gemini Man

What does Ceres have to do with health?

In mythology Ceres’ Greek predecessor, Demeter, was goddess of Nature, abundance, and the fruits of the Earth, but by the time she reached Rome and her current name and form, she was decidedly more tame: a goddess of agriculture, of Nature that’s been shaped and subjugated to man. That suggests that in modern conception she may deal with the balance of the body and its vulnerabilities to natural elements, of being overwhelmed from without (drowning, buried in a landslide, struck by lightning, for instance, or from things like allergens and starvation) and from within by invasion (of germs, viruses, bacteria, fungi). She doesn’t offer a total picture of health in the natal scenario or by transit, but does speak of certain conditions one may be prone to, or illnesses susceptible to, aside from her other meanings: a sense of personal power and authority, a maternal interest in others (which can easily tip into a controlling one), territoriality, and negotiation.

Romantic poet Percy Shelley (4 August 1792 10 PM Horsham England) was just coming up on a Lunar Return in Pisces the day he drowned in a boating accident (8 July 1822 Lerici Italy). He has Ceres natally conjoined the Sun, Venus, Pallas, and Uranus in Leo in the Whole Sign 4th (and though Juno’s close enough to the Sun, it’s too wide for Ceres, in my opinion); Ceres is also opposed Pluto and quincunx the natal Moon and Sedna in Pisces. Already we can see that Ceres was a vital part of the life, and so of the death as well. In the context of the drowning event, the natal scenario suggests sudden accidents (Uranus) based on unwise decisions (Pallas–staying on the water despite the storm) activated the Self-destruction he had always been conscious of, and perhaps at times had to fight (Sun opp Pluto), with Ceres’ involvement implicating the elements, the weather, even potentially activating an emotional attachment to the water, and a need to adjust (the quincunx) to prevent getting lost in it! (the Pisces Moon)

The Cremation of Percy Bysshe Shelley, by Louis Édouard Fournier

The Cremation of Percy Bysshe Shelley, by Louis Édouard Fournier

On the day he died, Shelley’s Ceres was contacted exact by degree by the transiting South Node, suggesting a ‘pull back’ to a previous (pre-birth?) state; t Ceres was opposed natal Mercury in the 5th=the elements literally in opposition to the lung function; t Merc was conjoined n Chiron in Cancer in the 3rd of lungs, breathe=water water everywhere, water that injures; t Mars was conjoined the n NN, spurring actions and choices that take one into the future; and t Earth sextiled the n Moon-Sedna, forming the base of a Finger of God with apex n Ceres-Pallas=here’s a recipe for the environment ganging up with instincts and emotions to prompt that natal judgment of Nature. Shelley may have believed he was very practical (Pallas) in his relationship to the elements and the natural world (Ceres), feeling that instinct (Sedna) and emotion (the Moon) would inform his choices. There’s a sense that he didn’t fear them, that instead the Pisces Sedna-Moon may have seen the obliteration threat of the natal Pluto opposition as a kind of Oneness with Nature–absorption rather than obliteration. Too, the transiting Sun had just run over his natal Black Moon Lilith=he may have been more than a little in the mood to explore the darkness.

To A Star

Sweet star, which gleaming o’er the darksome scene
Through fleecy clouds of silvery radiance fliest,
Spanglet of light on evening’s shadowy veil,
Which shrouds the day-beam from the waveless lake,
Lighting the hour of sacred love; more sweet
Than the expiring morn-star’s paly fires:–
Sweet star! When wearied Nature sinks to sleep,
And all is hushed,–all, save the voice of Love,
Whose broken murmurings swell the balmy blast
Of soft Favonius, which at intervals
Sighs in the ear of stillness, art thou aught but
Lulling the slaves of interest to repose
With that mild, pitying gaze? Oh, I would look
In thy dear beam till every bond of sense
Became enamoured–  

That was definitely written by a guy with Sun-Venus-Ceres-Pallas-Uranus conjoined, all opposed by Pluto!

Synchronicities

Synchronicities have been everywhere lately–have you noticed that for you, too? Those little mentions or phrases or events or people that grab your attention simply by the unlikely way they’re brought into one’s compass repeatedly within a short period. To my mind that signals we’re in a kind of flow, that attunement to the optimum vibrational level for you is very close to perfect–and that implies intuition is sharp and accessible, that information is yours to pluck right out of the air, that you can ‘know’ without anyone telling you. Though our tendency is to breeze through these interludes, to remark ‘Isn’t that strange?’ when we hear the same song or its lyrics or mention of the singer in every store and elevator and TV show and conversation we’re exposed to the entire weekend, and at the same time to be very focused consciously on the here-and-now, what we really need to do is pause; this is a point when we are cruising along with a lot of our perceptual abilities working below the surface, and we can see the world very clearly, if we are willing to. We can get our questions answered, if we’ll only stop looking out, and take a moment to look within.

Carl Schweninger the Younger 'Not Willing' 19th century {{PD}}

Carl Schweninger the Younger ‘Not Willing’ 19th century {{PD}}

rejecting a Gemini man

Are you thinking there’s some magic word (he’s a Gemini, after all) that will make him take it well, not make a fuss, even see it as a gift? There’s not, and it’s likely that if he senses you are trying to out think him (by manipulating or being one step ahead, the latter of which you automatically are if you know something–that you intend to reject him–that he doesn’t) he’ll be very resentful, indeed. Geminis are highly focused on thinking, processing info, communicating, networking–so he may already be aware, whether it’s through the grapevine or through reading your body language and tone in previous encounters, that you aren’t interested. That puts you in a precarious position: if he does know and he’s still coming at you, he’s forcing you to say it outright, and if he doesn’t know, he’s going to feel especially upset that he didn’t parse it out ahead of time (it’s a Gemini thing–they always think they should’ve known!) All you can do, really, is send a clear, consistent, and polite message through every pore of your Being and, obviously, word spoken: no thank you. Problems will only arise if you’ve been ambivalent in your feelings or in your behavior, wrongly believing that will ‘let him down easy’ (and if so I bet you’re horoscope is chock full o’ Water signs). Come clean without engaging in any way that sends the wrong (that is, an enmeshed behavioral or contradictory) message, and it should go fine–the last thing you want to do, and he wants to feel you’ve done, is mislead him.

I hope you’re having a great week!

Just a Little AstroEssence 17 August 2013: ‘Keep Your Senses Open!’

17 Saturday Aug 2013

Posted by in Ceres, current events in the sky

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'Demeter/ Ceres Mourning Persphone/ Proserpina' Evelyn de Morgan 1906 {{PD}}

‘Demeter/ Ceres Mourning Persephone/ Proserpina’ Evelyn de Morgan 1906 {{PD}}

17 August the Sun conjuncts Ceres. This is a spotlight trained on our relationship with nature, with our children or those we hold dominion over (as in the role of boss, for instance, or in more subtle ways, such as when we are a customer and a server is dependent on us for their tip, though just as easily we are dependent on the server), and gives us a clear sense not only of what power we naturally hold, but of the power we might hold in future, as well. This also puts issues of diet, particularly of those items that affect us badly, in focus–and if you happen to be in an agriculture, child-care, or nutrition-related business, this is the time to do a thorough inventory and re-assess needs and plans in light of the current situation. An enlightening day, in many ways–keep your eyes (and your senses!) open.

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Ceres Enters Taurus: ‘Let’s Eat!’

10 Tuesday Apr 2012

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Somehow I can’t imagine Juno would approve of this: a peacock served in full plumage, detail from Brueghel’s ‘The Senses of Taste, Hearing, and Touch’ 1618 {{PD-Art}}

Or maybe that’s ‘Let me tell you what to eat!’ Ceres doesn’t give up her sense of authority and dominion just because the material comforts and conditions are emphasized; instead, she feels them more. Her role as Mother Nature is key to her reactions and identity as she transits the sign of the bull. She translates her command of nature into a command of those over whom she feels she holds authority, and the result can be an unreasonable push by some to control the intake, output, and asset-level of others. You’ll recall that Ceres took her maternal oversight very seriously, literally negotiating daughter Proserpina/ Persephone’s position in the Underworld–and that means she won’t hesitate to overstep personal boundaries to try to control the situation.

There’s an advantage to her relationship with nature, though, that brings forward an enjoyment of the material during her transit of Taurus: the comforts and pleasures of physical existence are brighter, stronger, tastier, more pungent, fragrant, stimulating, and as a consequence of the world feeling so real and in your face we may feel alive in a way we haven’t for some time. This coincides with a relatively warm spring in the Northern Hemisphere, which may exaggerate the effect for those who are able to get out and about in the sunshine.

It’s time to plant (don’t be too tied to the Moon phases–they seem to affect growth rates more than anything else, though I would avoid planting or transplanting in the Dark of the Moon–we must remain aware of the pull of the Lunar orb, and the way she symbolizes progression, and so growth); it’s also time to create, especially with Ceres kicking off her transit of Taurus with a first aspect of sextile to Neptune. This will enhance imagination and inspiration, and give even the dullest of us some truly fertile creative material and some unique, nature-keyed inspiration 🙂

If you have natal placements in Taurus you’ll likely take on a Ceres-type persona as she contacts the body or point; if you have natal placements in Scorpio, as Ceres makes opposition contact you may find yourself up against a Ceres-embodying individual, and in this latter instance, whatever you do, don’t attempt to negotiate–Ceres can’t be beat in the hammering-out-a-compromise department. In square by transit to a natal placement, Ceres may present us with a conflict via temptation: we may be drawn away from appropriate expression of the contacted energy with the promise (or mirage) of sensual comforts or delights, or with an offer of authority of our own.

 

30 September 2010: Recognizing the Seeds

30 Thursday Sep 2010

Posted by in astrology, Ceres, current events in the sky, ECLIPSE magazine, Grand Cross/Grand Square, Juno, Pluto

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We move in the wake of our power issues (see previous post for the 29th) all the way through 7-ish PM Pacific, when the Cancer Moon conjuncts the South Node, joining the Nodes in forming a Grand Cross with the Sun/ Earth axis, plus Saturn; the Moon goes from dealing with those very basic and intense power concerns (and even if you didn’t experience an obvious power situation, you likely sensed one, via the Moon’s intuitive function) to involvement in a heavy kind of life-direction-determining event. This all sounds very dramatic but for most of us it won’t be; it’s instead the small, quiet moment that changes everything–so even if you aren’t aware of a big, life-changing thing, you need to realize that there is something path-determining going on today. Recognize the seeds as they are sown, and that even small choices will reverberate.

A trine to Mars in Water forms in the 2 AM hour PDT of October 1st, suggesting that actions mesh well with the emotions; the trick here is to have already brought the emotional state into harmony with the personal intents (natal Sun). If the Self is vibing all of a piece (as they say!) one’s actions and choices will be supported and the intuition will guide. If disharmonies remain unconscious, are disregarded, or carefully swept under the rug, this aspect can mean it’s really easy to facillitate some bad ideas–or at least, act in ways that may be Self-defeating, in the long run.

By 4 AM PDT of the 1st the Moon trines Venus–and whether we’ve chosen well in our actions or not, we’re likely to feel good about it. It’s a bit odd, but not the time to worry about assessing effects or modifying results; instead, relax into the depth and beauty of Venus and the Moon complimenting each other in the feeling element.

Something remarkable is going on–and by remarkable, I don’t necessarily mean positive, but rather mean that things, mostly intangibles, are happening and require our notice–they need to be remarked upon–and yet, I think most of what we’re perceiving is coming through as an irritant: life seems like a downer right now, but most of us have great difficulty pointing to exactly why, as even our more undesirable circumstances show some obvious pluses. Everything is in flux (and I can almost hear some of you adding, still!) but I think the Ceres/ Pluto exact meeting on October 19th may explain a lot. See more on that here http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com/new-summer-2010-eclipse/ and see my new book on Juno, its meaning in both womens’ and mens’ natal charts and in synastry here http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com/ And Thanks to All who’ve supported the book in word, thought, and through purchase–it’s very much appreciated! My ‘Thank You’ for purchasers of JUNO IN THE NATAL CHART is one question answered. Contact me at my email juliedemboski @ hotmail with a specific, focused question, include your birth data, and I will decide how to determine the answer (transits, Solar Arcs, natal indicators, or horary) Please do not try to squeeze a whole reading into one question! At my discretion I will trim ‘too bigs’ down to a one question essence, and you could be disappointed with my choice, so prepare your query with care; and remember, specific questions bring specific answers! If you bought the book under a name and/or email other than the one from which you’re writing, please provide the email address under which it was bought. Please DO NOT send a question before purchasing the book, or your query will be discarded. Also allow me some time to get to your question. Answers will be brief! This is a limited-time offer. Get the book here http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com Thanks!