Venus, the indicator of our values, has changed signs and ingressed to freedom-loving Sagittarius just before the Gemini Full Moon. Uranus, the planet associated with change, unpredictability, and liberation, has stationed direct in Pisces, and now wants to toss us to new paths.

The Sabian symbol for the Moon degree Gemini 11 is A new path of realism in experience. According to Dr. Marc Edmund Jones, “This is a symbol of the enlarged understanding which comes from a personal and immediate participation in the affairs of an everyday world, and of the continuing rewards which result from trying one and another way of doing things.”

The Full Moon occurs when the Luminaries are opposing each other. Now the Sun and the Moon are lighting two distant minor planets, Hylonome and Chaos, respectively. The Hylonome-Chaos opposition is a long-term aspect which covers the years from 2009 to 2011.

When we speak of chaos, we are usually referring to a state of confusion. In Greek mythology, however, Chaos was the primeval state of existence, a dark, formless void from which the first gods appeared.

Mathematically, chaos means deterministic behaviour which is very sensitive to its initial conditions; slight perturbations of initial conditions can lead to large variations in behaviour. Chaos theory is said to have much in common with the creative process. Fractals are geometric patterns related to chaos theory. Fractals are not just mathematical models, but they exist also in nature, for example in snowflakes.

The phrase “edge of chaos” has come to refer to a metaphor that some physical, biological, economic and social systems operate in a region between order and either complete randomness or chaos, where the complexity is maximal. It is this area slightly off the familiar ground, where new energy takes form and fresh solutions emerge.

In Norse mythology, Ginnungagap, a huge abyss of emptiness, was the world corresponding to the Greek Chaos. In the northern part of Ginnungagap lied Niflheim, the realm of ice, and in the southern part was the fire of Muspelheim. Creation proceeded out of the dynamic interaction between the two.

Edred Thorsson writes in Runelore:

“Ginnungagap is a space charged with a field of proto-energy. Niflheimr and Muspellsheimr constitute that energy in a highly polarized and intensified state, which then interacts with itself in the center, where a new formation modelled on innate multiversal patterning is manifested. This is symbolized by ::, which is the pattern of the World-Tree as an ultimate crystallization of this seed pattern. It is also the snowflake pattern, which demonstrates the nature of these unmanifested images to become visible once they are fed with the proper energies and substances.”

Rune Hagalaz (meaning hail) is a rune of disruption. It suggests a potentially frustrating time, when our plans may be hit by unforeseen difficulties. We need to stop and wait until conditions improve. Without challenges in our path, growth would never occur though. Ultimately the hardship resolves into a fruitful result.

Hagalaz is sometimes called the Mother Rune because it has the geometric form from which all the other runes may be generated; it has the structural pattern of all things. It is the shape of the snowflake. It is the sign of the primal reunion of fire and ice: the cosmic hailstone. The hard, damaging hailstone transforms into life-supporting water when it hits the ground.

Eric Francis has described the planet Chaos astrologically like this:

“Chaos is a personal access point to the fertile void within — what you could call the space-out-of-mind that is the richest creative well available. Artists, musicians, poets and other creative writers, those who study the cosmos… are all no doubt familiar with this realm of consciousness. People who see the awesome creative majesty of their dreams, or feel the presence of the wild unconscious, are also intimate with this source. But the planet Chaos is like the nib of the visionary pen; it is the action point, the moment or focus of expression of that wild storm of creativity in the living, waking world. And from the world, it’s a keyhole or periscope where we can glance at the cosmos within.”

Eric’s keywords for Centaur planet Hylonome are self-inflicted. In mythology Hylonome was the fairest of all the female centaurs. She was in love with the handsome Cyllarus, who was accidentally killed by a javelin. On witnessing this, Hylonome threw herself on the javelin and died.

Hylonome conjunct the Sun is reminding us that it is not just impulsive behaviour that may harm us; a life with too little input will fall into a static state and lose energy. In Astrology, A Place in Chaos, Bernadette Brady points out that our lives unfold in a fractal like manner. We need to find “the edge of chaos” located somewhere outside our comfort zone, and find the balance between the routine and the spontaneous.

Hávamál, the ethical code of conduct of the Vikings, says: “A fool thinks he’s full of wisdom when he’s safe and sound.”

References:

Dr. Marc Edmund Jones, The Sabian Symbols in Astrology, Aurora Press, 1993
Bernadette Brady, Astrology, A Place in Chaos, The Wessex Astrologer, 2006
Edred Thorsson, Runelore, Weiser Books, 1987
Paul Rhys Mountfort, Nordic Runes, Destiny Books, 2003
Nigel Pennick, Runic Astrology, Capall Bann Publishing, 1995
Eric Francis, The Delicate Touch of Chaos, Planet Waves, 2004
Hávamál, The Sayings of the Vikings, Gudrun publishing, 1992
Wikipedia

The passionate Scorpio New Moon occurs at the time of a Saturn-Pluto square, the first in a series of three. The current square was exact on Nov. 15, 2009. We get to experience the two other squares next year, the second one already in January, and the last one in August. For more information on the Saturn-Pluto cycle, please read what Eric Francis writes about it at Planet Waves: Beyond the Reactionary Floorshow.

A new moon is a potent time for beginnings. Pluto is the powerful ruler of Scorpio, the sign of renewal and transformation. Besides squaring Saturn, Pluto is now also forming a sextile to an actual dwarf planet candidate called Snow White, currently in the first degree of Pisces. Mercury, the messenger of gods, in the early degrees of Sagittarius, is square to Snow White.

Snow White is a nickname for a big and bright Kuiper belt object 2007 OR10. The name was given to her by the discoverers, Schwamb, Brown and Rabinowitz. This distant icy planet has just recently received a permanent number 225088, which means that now she can be officially named, too. According to astrologer Philip Sedgwick who has contacted Mike Brown, any name proposal hasn’t been made yet by the discoverers. 2007 OR10 is currently the largest known solar system object without an official name.

The orbital period of Snow White is about 552.5 years. The orbit resembles that of Eris.

Philip Sedgwick offers us preliminary keywords on his website http://www.philipsedgwick.com/, though he points out that they are by no means complete and will be revised as research continues. Establishing the astrological meaning of any planet is a long process.

Fairy tales resemble myths. They can have symbolic meanings, and often slightly different versions of the same story are told in different cultures. In the story of Snow White a beautiful maiden bites a poisoned apple, which was given to her by her evil stepmother. She falls into a deep sleep and is thought to be dead. Time passes, and a prince traveling through the land sees Snow White and falls in love with her. The prince takes her coffin with him. The movement causes a piece of poisoned apple to fly from Snow White’s mouth, so she awakens.

Snow White’s mock-death and transformation story is actually one version of the Greek myth of Demeter and Persephone. Demeter’s daughter Persephone became the goddess of the underworld when Hades (Roman Pluto) abducted her from the earth and brought her into the underworld.

Persephone was freed, but during her captivity she had eaten pomegranate seeds, the food of the underworld, and was therefore forced to spend a part of each year in the underworld with her husband. For the other part, she is able to return to live with her mother on the earth.

The apple is an element that appears in various tales and myths all over the world. Eris was the Greek goddess of strife. She tossed into a party the apple of discord, addressed “to the fairest one,” thus provoking a quarrel between goddesses about the appropriate recipient.

In Norse mythology, the golden apples are the source of the god’s immortality and eternal youth. They are in the possession of the goddess Idunn. She is depicted as a young maiden who carries a basket full of apples. At the onset of the Ragnarök she sinks down into the roots of Yggdrasil (the tree of life) and disappears from the earth to reappear afterwards with new life.

English scholar H. R. Ellis Davidson notes a connection between fertility and apples in Norse mythology. She concludes that in the figure of Idunn “we must have a dim reflection of an old symbol: that of the guardian goddess of the life-giving fruit of the other world.”

The Scorpio New Moon is square to the triple conjunction of Jupiter, Chiron and Neptune in Aquarius, drawing out the healing powers of the conjunction. We can safely give up on some effete patterns in our lives and start something new.

References:

Wikipedia, (225088) 2007 OR10

Wikipedia, Snow White

Wíkipedia, Eris (mythology)

Wikipedia, Demeter

Wikipedia, Idunn

Freya Aswynn, Northern Mysteries & Magick, Llewellyn Publications, 2006

The New Moon occurs at 28+ degrees of the creative sign of Leo, near the so-called Sphinx point, the region on the Leo-Virgo cusp. The Sphinx represents mysteries. Eric Francis sheds light on the subject in his article Leo and the Sphinx.

Unsolved mysteries are represented in this chart also by asteroid Sphinx in conjunction with Mars in Gemini. They sextile the New Moon. Some of these mysteries may get resolved by the help of the current aspect setting.

The New Moon opposes the triple conjunction of Jupiter, Neptune and Chiron in Aquarius. These planets offer us awareness and inspiration. Together with the triple conjunction is asteroid Pandora. Martha Lang-Wescott writes about Pandora:

“You’ll recognize Pandora at work whenever you hear someone say, ‘Yes, but I didn’t know THAT was gonna’ happen!’ Pandora initiates a whole new ball game; it throws you a curve ball; it shows you that ‘with two, you get egg roll.’ And it uses curiosity and a desire for change to propel you into an entirely unexpected circumstance. …Often it leads one to paths they would not have tried — the sudden circumstance or consequence forces exploration of untried or latent talents.”

Mercury has entered its echo phase. It is in close conjunction with dwarf planet Makemake. Communication has an important role. Philip Sedgwick has suggested the following keywords for Makemake:

“Articulate and ultra-communicative. Self-assuredness, especially by verbal means. Clever, quick-witted and interested in invoking insight and inspiration with speech. Quick to report findings, regardless of impact.” Please read more at http://www.philipsedgwick.com/.

The New Moon is in conjunction with Centaur planet Elatus. Tracy Delaney has written an excellent article on Elatus. According to Tracy, “Working with Elatus in charts, the art of communication is a theme commonly picked up by astrologers for this object… In its highest form I think Elatus is about communicating that which is deeply felt and comes through you, echoing the arrow passing straight through him in the myth, changing him as it does so. This is really all you can do with anything that comes from Neptune, where words are inadequate. The struggle comes when you try to do it the other way round; the frustrating process of grasping for the right words which seem out of reach, struggling to express yourself, not making yourself understood etc. You could look at it as a lesson about getting your ego out of the way, in this case to allow inspiration to come, for which you can take no credit. It seems to me that all the Centaurs have this same basic lesson, taught through their very different paths. I think Elatus could relate to learning through the whole creative process in that way, and the phenomenon of affecting others by it in ways you’ll never know.”

Please read the whole article at Serennu.

References:

Eric Francis, Leo and the Sphinx

Martha Lang-Wescott, Treehouse Mountain —

Martha Lang-Wescott, Mechanics of the Future: Asteroids, Treehouse Mountain, 1996

www.philipsedgwick.com/

Tracy Delaney, Astrology Notes: Chiron & Elatus 

The New Moon in the last degree of Cancer is a total solar eclipse, the second of the three eclipses of the summer. This is the longest solar eclipse of the 21st century, lasting as long as 6 minutes and 39 seconds in some places. This is possible because Earth happens to be near its farthest point from the Sun. At the same time, the Moon will be near its closest point to Earth.

A solar eclipse can occur only on a New Moon and when the luminaries are in conjunction at or near either of the lunar nodes. The Moon is aligned between the Sun and Earth and blocks the Sun’s rays.

In Norse mythology, Sol is the goddess of the Sun, who rides through the sky on her chariot, pulled by two horses. She is chased during the daytime by the wolf Skoll, who tries to devour her, just like her brother Mani is chased at night by the wolf Hati. It was believed that during solar eclipses the Sun was in danger of being eaten by Skoll.

At Ragnarök, “the final destiny of the gods”, Sol will be swallowed by the wolf, but her daughter, no less lovely than herself, will follow the same path as her mother. The light appears again after the dark. The Norse believed firmly that a new world will emerge even after the greatest of destruction.

Eclipses are intense. “They tend to speed up the process of life, shake the tree of fate, and propel us from one reality into the next,” has Eric said. We can use eclipses as times to make necessary changes.

Dagaz/Dag is a rune of change and unlimited possibilities. Nigel Pennick writes:

“It is the sort of change studied in catastrophe theory, where one apparently stable state ‘flips over’ suddenly into another, quite different, yet steady, state. …The physical form of the Dag rune mirrors the balance between the polarities, especially light and darkness.”

References:

NASA Science News, Longest Solar Eclipse of the 21st Century

Encyclopedia Mythica, Sol

Eric Francis, Eclipses

Nigel Pennick, Runic Astrology, Capall Bann Publishing, 1995

Wikipedia, Dagaz

The lunar eclipse in the middle of the sign of Capricorn squares Haumea in Libra.

The dwarf planet Haumea and its moon Namaka are currently undergoing a series of mutual events. Observation of these transits, eclipses and occultations will provide important information on the size and shape of Haumea and its moons.

In honor of Haumea I am republishing an edited piece from last September. The original article was cowritten with Eric Francis.

Haumea, one of the strangest objects in the Solar System

On Sept. 17, 2008, a trans-Neptunian minor planet previously known as 2003 EL61 was classified as the fifth dwarf planet in our solar system and named Haumea, after the goddess of childbirth and fertility in Hawaiian mythology.

The discussion about the planet definition and about Pluto’s status continues. The official definitions can be obscure, so let’s briefly recall the astronomical facts.

In August 2006 the International Astronomical Union (IAU), which approves names and categories of celestial bodies, gathered in Prague and approved the first-ever definition of a planet. As a result, Pluto’s designation was changed from planet to a new category, dwarf planet. The first members of this category were Ceres, Pluto and Eris. At the time, Eris had not yet received a proper name and was known as 2003 UB313. That left eight “official” planets in our solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn (the classical planets of antiquity), plus Uranus and Neptune (two of the modern planets).

The Prague meeting recognized the dwarf planet Pluto as an important prototype of a new class of trans-Neptunian objects. The IAU would set up a process to name them.

In June 2008 the IAU chose the name “plutoid” as name for Solar System objects like Pluto, i.e. dwarf planets that orbit beyond Neptune. Only the brightest of the dwarf planets fit in this category though. The two known and named plutoids at the time were Pluto and Eris. The two other objects discovered by this point that qualified as a plutoid were 2003 EL61 (which became Haumea) and 2005 FY9 (which became Makemake). The dwarf planet Ceres, located in the main asteroid belt, is the only object of its kind, so a separate category of Ceres-like dwarf planets was not proposed. Ceres is unusual because it accounts for one-third of the mass of the entire inner asteroid belt.

In July 2008 the IAU gave the name Makemake to the object formerly known as 2005 FY9 and officially made it the newest member of the plutoid family and also classified it as the fourth dwarf planet in our Solar System.

On September 17, 2008, the IAU announced that the object previously known as 2003 EL61 was classified as the fifth dwarf planet and named Haumea. The two moons of Haumea were named Hi’iaka and Namaka.

Haumea is one of the three bright objects whose existence was announced in July 2005. The two other bodies were Eris and Makemake. Mike Brown’s team — the discoverers of Haumea — nicknamed it “Santa,” because they were observing it around Christmas in 2004.

Haumea was discovered on December 28, 2004 — two days after the Asian tsunami. In the discovery chart of Haumea it is located in a tight conjunction with asteroid 8543 Tsunemi. Of course, the name Tsunemi originally has nothing to do with tsunamis. The JPL Small-Body Database tells me that asteroid Tsunemi was named after Hiroshi Tsunemi from Osaka University, a scientist who has worked in X-ray astronomy.

Astrologer Jacob Schwartz has noticed that sometimes the names of asteroids work very well, although they are chosen seemingly whimsically to honor colleagues, family members, familiar places, etc. “The sounds of names ascribed by these astronomers carry a cycle of meaning relating to events and experiences far beyond the meaning intended by the scientists who named them,” he writes.

In the New Moon chart of Sept. 29, 2008, Haumea was together with asteroid 916 America at 14+ Libra. The focus of the whole world was on the economic crisis and the presidential election in the USA. Note that 14+ Libra was the ascendant of the chart of the Sept. 11 false flag attacks. The planet Mercury was rising at the time, also located precisely in that degree.

Haumea is named after the goddess of childbirth and fertility in Hawaiian mythology. The Sabian Symbol for the discovery degree for 12+ Libra is beautiful and aptly speaks about children: Libra 13. Children blowing soap bubbles.

“This is a symbol of man’s reassurance through the presence of the beautiful and the good in every least promising form of human relationship,” Marc Edmund Jones writes in his book of Sabian symbols. “People are disposed kindly toward their fellows, but there is no growth in the mere rhythm of everyday routine, and human individuality knows it must be up and at the business of selfhood whether constructively or otherwise. Implicit in the symbolism is the challenge to rise above childish things while yet clinging to childlike ways. The keyword is enchantment. When positive, the degree is a consistent simplicity of character which enables anyone to maintain his touch with a transcendental magic of being, and when negative, a constant and idle daydreaming.”

Haumea is one of the strangest objects in the Solar System. It is the third largest Kuiper Belt object after Eris and Pluto. In the very distant past another object probably slammed into Haumea at high speed, and this giant impact led to all of its odd properties.

Haumea is the fastest rotating body and also the most bizarrely shaped body of its size class. The rotation period is only about four hours. The shape of Haumea is therefore stretched out and resembles an American football. The rotation time is near the point where body of this size starts to break down.

Haumea has two tiny moons. In mythology Hi’iaka and Namaka are two of Haumea’s children. Hi’iaka was born from the mouth of Haumea and carried by her sister Pele in egg form from their distant home to Hawaii. She danced the first Hula on the shores of Puna and is the patron goddess of the island of Hawaii and of hula dancers. Namaka is a water spirit, who was born from the body of Haumea. When Pele sends her burning lava into the sea, Namaka cools the lava to become new land.

Haumea’s many children sprang from different parts of her body. She takes many different forms and has experienced many different rebirths. the Kuiper Belt object Haumea is followed in its orbit around the Sun by a swarm of icy bodies that were originally ejected from the surface of Haumea during the giant impact. According to Mike Brown the goal is to name also these members of the family specifically after other mythical children of Haumea.

The goddess Haumea represents the element stone. Observations of the dwarf planet Haumea hint that, unusually, it is almost entirely composed of rock. Most things out in the Kuiper Belt (the band of space that Pluto occupies) are about equal portions of rock and of ice, but, apparently, Haumea has only a thin icy outer shell and the interior is rock.

Haumea is on an unstable orbit and possibly becomes a comet one day in the future, in perhaps a billion years. According to its discoverer, Mike Brown, it will probably be 10,000 times brighter than the spectacular comet Hale-Bopp, making it something like the brightness of the Full Moon and easily visible in the daytime sky.

Astrologers never demoted Pluto. Many of them are now working to establish also the astrological meaning of Haumea. This is a long process. Eric Francis has summed up the process of understanding a new planet excellently in his answer to a curious reader a couple of years ago: How Can Astrologers Already Interpret Xena’s Meaning?

References:

Mike Brown, Mutual events of Haumea and Namaka

Wikipedia, Haumea

The Haumean New Moon

The New Moon in Cancer followed close to the solstice, falling opposite Pluto and squaring the Aries Point in the chart. No doubt, this is one of the most important lunations of the year.

The Aries Point is one of the cardinal points which are the first degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. They are sensitive points in the chart.

The heavens are said to rest on four corners which are universal in ancient mythologies and symbolize the elements of Fire, Water, Air and Earth. In the Norse creation myth Odin with his brothers placed four dwarves (Nordri, Sudri, Austri and Vestri) to hold up giant Ymir’s skull and create the heavens. Then using sparks from Muspelheim, the realm of fire, the gods created the Sun, Moon and stars.

“These elements were all later personified as Gods, Genii, and Winds, progeny of the Great Mother, the ‘Bearer of the Waters,’ or the enceinte mother. She was the primordial ark, and long before boats were built was called the Ship of Life or the Ship of the North. And this primitive ark or ship contained within herself the causation of all the Fours, which still cling to the cardinal points and the corss,” writes E. Valentia Straiton.

The New Moon occured in exact conjunction with Vesta and in very close conjunction with Cyllarus.

Vesta is the asteroid of burning fire, the eternal flame of creativity. Vesta is comfortable in Cancer, the home sign of the Moon. Vesta represents focus and integrity. This is great time for dedication and commitment. In ancient Greece, a warm hearth dedicated to Hestia, the Greek equivalent for Vesta, was central to every home.

Commitment can be applied also to Cyllarus, one of the Centaurs. Eric Francis writes about him:

“Cyllarus reminds us to be conscious of the choices we are making in our lives — particularly the choice to fight, or walk away from one. Cyllarus says that the decisions we make directly affect our relationships, and we need to be conscious of our choices in this context. We are connected by the threads of our lives to every person in our lives.”

In Greek mythology Cyllarus was a young and beautiful Centaur, and though the Centaurs were not gods but a group of troublemakers, the story of Cyllarus has many points of contact with the Norse myth of Balder, the most beautiful and beloved of the gods.

Balder was a solar god who was pierced by a mistletoe and whose body was burned on a funeral pyre at the summer solstice. After Ragnarök Balder returns to life (symbolized by the lights of the Christmas tree at the winter solstice). The bonfires are still lit in Scandinavia on Midsummer Eve.

A feeling of magical moment is intensified by three minor bodies conjoined in early Libra, at one of the cardinal points: Asteroid Freia is named after the Norse goddess of love, beauty and fertility. Okyrhoe is a Centaur, the daughter of Chiron and Chariklo. Her name means “swift-flowing.” and she was a prophetess. She was transformed into a mare by Zeus for revealing the secrets of the gods. Asteroid Karma was discovered by a Finnish astronomer Liisi Oterma. The name refers to concept of the cycle of cause and effect.

So perish the old Gods!
But out of the sea of Time
Rises a new land of song,
Fairer than the old.
Over its meadows green
Walk the young bards and sing.

– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

References:

E. Valentia Straiton, Celestial Ship of the North, Kessinger Publishing, 1992 (published originally in 1927)

Wikipedia, Creation myth

Eric Francis, Small World Stories, Cyllarus

Holy Nation of Odin, Balder

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Tegner’s Drapa (on the death of Balder the Beautiful)

The Sun reaches its most northern position around June 21 each year. This is the day of the summer solstice in the Northern hemisphere, the longest day of the year, and the shortest in the Southern hemisphere. The Sun enters Cancer.

The first degree of Cancer is one of the Cardinal Points. They are sensitive points in the chart, which tend to connect us to big events of the world. Solstice charts can give astrologers clues for the cosmic climate of the next few months. Solstices are also natural turning points in our personal lives.

A solstice occurs twice each year, when the Sun reaches its northernmost or southernmost extreme. At these points the Sun appears to stand still.

Astrology originated from astronomical observation. Our ancestors had a conscious relationship with solar and lunar cycles. They built enduring stone monuments related to astronomical alignments. Stonehenge in England is probably the most famous of the prehistoric monuments in the world.

Stonehenge is said to be planned and deliberately oriented so that the summer solstice Sun rose directly over the so-called Heel Stone and the first rays shone into the center of the monument. However, there is evidence indicating that ancestors did not visit the site at all in the summer, but rather during the winter solstice. Current theories suggest that Stonehenge was simultaneously used for astronomical observation and for ritual function.

The Finnish Stonehenge

Last month the Internet publication of Ursa Astronomical Association, Tähdet ja Avaruus, was reporting of the greatest archaeastronomical finding in Finland; the so-called Giant’s Churches were used for observing the Sun.

The Giant’s Churches are Neolithic stone structures, unique to Ostrobothnia in the western Finland. A recent study by astronomer Marianna Ridderstad from University of Helsinki and archaeologist Jari Okkonen from University of Oulu shows that many of these mysterious constructions are found to have orientations to the risings and settings of the Sun on the main solar dates of the year.

The Giant’s Churches were built 2500 - 2000 BCE, and there are about 40 of them. They were originally built on the seashore or on islands, but are now situated as far as 30 kilometers inland because of the post-glacial rebound. Their shape varies from oval to rectangular. The largest of them are 50 - 60 meters long. The walls are relatively low and they are usually constructed from rather small stones. Most of the structures have from two to four gates.

It is not quite clear why the Giant’s Churches were built. Their function has been a matter of debate more than a hundred years. There are no signs of permanent inhabitation inside the structures. Probably they were used as ritual sites, and they may have had other functions, too. The study which was carried out in 2008 - 2009 and published in May, 2009, shows that their orientations may be significant in relation to important solar dates.

The solar events considered in this study were the solstices, the equinoxes and the so-called Mid-Quarter Days. In Finland, the most important festivals coinciding with these events have traditionally been Vappu (St. Valborg’s Day) in May and Kekri, which was the ancient festival of the dead predating historical times, celebrated in November.

The purpose of the Giant’s Churches is still partly unknown and further research on the sites will be carried out.

* * *

To the readers around the world, I want to wish you a happy Solstice!

References:

Wikipedia, Solstice

Wikipedia, Archaeoastronomy and Stonehenge

Tähdet ja avaruus, 14.05.2009, Suomen suurin arkeoastronominen löytö: Muinaisista jätinkirkoista havaittiin Aurinkoa

Marianna Ridderstad and Jari Okkonen, Orientations of the Giant’s Churches in Ostrobothnia, Finland

Polarity is a quintessential principle in astrology. It is one of the keystones of Hermetic philosophy. This principle embodies the idea that everything is dual; there are two sides to everything. Good and evil, for example, are the two extremes of the same thing, and there are many varying degrees between them.

Another Hermetic principle is that of gender. Everything in the cosmos has its masculine and feminine principles. All things rise and fall; sometimes the masculine aspect is manifesting itself more clearly, and at other times the feminine.

In astrology these principles are at work in the opposite signs of the zodiac, in the house polarity, and also on the plane of the planet symbolism.

In the Sagittarius Full Moon chart, the Sun and the Moon, a pair of masculine and feminine symbols are opposite each other, as they are at the moment of any Full Moon. Another pair of planets representing the principle of gender are Venus and Mars, this time conjoined in the early degrees of Taurus. They are trining Pluto in Capricorn.

Isabel M. Hickey was emphasizing the dual nature of Pluto in her pamphlet Pluto or Minerva: The Choice is Yours in 1973. She proposed that there was what we normally think of as the Plutonian aspect of Pluto, and then the wisdom aspect, which she described as Minerva. Quoting Hickey: “Every energy that challenges us has two poles that act as attracting forces. As individuals we are pulled by both of them until we find the balancing force in the third force which is the center between the two opposing pulls.”

It turned out later that Pluto is a binary planet. In 1978 Pluto’s companion Charon was discovered. A binary planet is a pair of worlds that are usually roughly similar in mass. They orbit around their common center of mass, called the barycenter. The barycenter is the point between two objects where they balance each other.

Typhon is another binary planet. In Greek mythology Typhon was a son of Gaia and Tartaros, a monster who was the source of destructive storm winds and volcanic eruptions. He lived beneath Mount Etna in Sicily. Typhon was so huge that his head was said to brush the stars.

The Full Moon of June is square to the Saturn-Typhon conjunction in Virgo. The Sun squared Typhon the day before the Full Moon. It is intriguing that the Sabian symbol for the degree that Typhon is currently occupying is Virgo 17, A volcano in eruption. Marc Edmund Jones writes: “This is a symbol of that constant expansion of self and nature which constitutes reality in its most fundamental terms, emphasized here on the side of physical force and the blind urge of life to continue to be.”

There is a tendency in astrology to assume that new planets have a negative meaning. They are typically seen in their shadow expression first. There are always two sides to the story though. This is crucial to remember, especially when a binary is involved.

I have written about Typhon and told the grim Greek myth many times before. I have mentioned some major natural disasters in the connection of this destructive monsterous force. I’ve been aware that this can’t be the whole truth about the astrological symbolism of Typhon.

I was thrilled last week when I came across Internet sources referring to ancient Egyptian mythologies which include in their pantheon of gods a female deity called Typhon, the Great Mother.

From the Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary I found out that Typhon was associated with the crocodile. The ancient Egyptians did not regard Typhon as the enemy, the destroyer. Typhon was one of the most powerful and venerated of the divinities, giving blessings, life, and inspiration to the people, and in especial perhaps to rulers of Egypt.

Quoting The Secret Doctrine, by H. P. Blavatsky: “The Crocodile is the Egyptian dragon. It was the dual symbol of Heaven and Earth, of Sun and Moon, and was made sacred, in consequence of its amphibious nature, to Osiris and Isis.”

According to Gerald Massey, an English poet and self-taught Egyptologist: “The Old Dragon of Chaos and the Abyss is the same whether called Tiamat, Tavthe, or Typhon. By Typhon I mean the beast that imaged the first Great Mother, hippopotamus in front and crocodile behind, who therefore is the Dragon of Egypt. Her name of Tep, Teb, or Tept is the original of Typhon. Tiamat = Tavthe represents that abyss of the beginning which is the Egyptian Tepht. This Tepht is the abyss, the source, the void, the hole of the snake, the habitat of the dragon, the outrance or uterus of birth as place which preceded personification.”

Then I found an interesting e-book called Celestial Ship of the North, by E. Valentia Straiton, published originally in 1927. She writes:

“The Abyss, in Egypt is a name of the North, and the original mother of this Abyss, which was Space, was called Typhon, the Mother of Beginnings, the Mother of the Fields of Heaven, the Mother of Revolutions (time cycles), as well as the Mother of Gods and Men… We read that from one Mother the Universe was born. This was the Mother Typhon, a primordial figure of Power. A very ancient form of Typhon was the Water Horse, the “Bearer of the Waters” which was the Hippopotamus. This animal has four toes on each of its four feet, and therefore was considered a type of the four corners of the earth.”

The minor planet Typhon is a binary. Now we have both sides of the coin represented in the mythology: the huge and destructive Greek Typhon, and the powerful Egyptian Mother of Beginnings.

In the Egyptian mythology Typhon in the form of the crocodile is connected to Osiris, the god of the afterlife. In the Full Moon chart asteroid Osiris is sharing the same degree with the Jupiter-Chiron-Neptune conjunction at 26+ Aquarius and drawing our attention to the feminine principle of Typhon. We need to start searching this balancing force of the Great Mother now.

References:

The Kybalion

Kirsti Melto, Kuiper Belt Binaries, Small World Stories, 2008

Isabel M. Hickey, Astrology, A Cosmic Science, CRCS Publications, 1992

Dr. Marc Edmund Jones, The Sabian Symbols in Astrology, Aurora Press, 1993

Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary, Theosophical University Press Online Edition

Gerald Massey, In Reply to Professor A. H. Sayce, Originally published in a private edition c. 1900

E. Valentia Straiton, Celestial Ship of the North, 1927

Wikipedia, Osiris

The torch we know by its flame,
which brings illumination and light
wherever noble souls congregate.

– The Old English Rune Poem

Gemini is an air sign, and the element of air represents the intellect, mentality and ability to communicate. Mercury, the ruler of Gemini is retrograding in Taurus. When a planet is retrograde it tends to turn the energy of the planet inward.

This New Moon in Gemini can help us to get intuitively in contact with the light within, start off a special learning and teaching process and share it with our friends and community, or even in a wider concept, for the good of the humanity.

The current astrological climate has its parallel in the energies represented by the rune Kenaz.

The New Moon is square asteroid Hermes in Pisces. Mercury retrograde is squaring the triple conjunction of Jupiter, Chiron and Neptune in Aquarius, another air sign. Uranus, the ruler of Aquarius is sextiled by Mercury. In Greco-Roman mythology Hermes/Mercury, the messenger of the gods, was traveling the pathways between the worlds.

Jupiter conjoined Chiron the previous day. Jupiter, Chiron and Neptune are now in tight conjunction, all three sharing the same degree in Aquarius. This is an aspect of strong intuition and devotion, and it encourages us to teach and inspire our fellow humans. Aquarius is the humanitarian sign, where we as individuals are able to connect with the wider world.

Chiron’s elliptical orbit around the Sun links the realms of Saturn and Uranus. The Sabian symbol for the discovery degree of Chiron is Taurus 4: The rainbow’s pot of gold. Barbara Hand Clow called Chiron the rainbow bridge between the inner and outer planets.

In Norse mythology also we find the rainbow bridge, Bifröst. It is a bridge that links the worlds above and below, the earth and heaven. It is sometimes called a bridge of flame, and it also symbolizes the world within.

Norse god Heimdal is the guardian of the rainbow bridge. He is one of the solar gods, whose domain is between the worlds, on the threshold, just as Chiron has been sometimes described as a doorway between the worlds. Heimdal is said to have taught the runes to humankind.

Kenaz is one of the runes that are used to invoke Heimdal. Kenaz symbolizes the torch, the inner light, the torch of learning. It is associated with consciousness, creativity, wisdom and mental agility. Kenaz can stand for a burning dedication to an outside cause. It symbolizes a gathering of people sharing the light. It is a guiding torch which can be handed from one person to another. The torch is a fire which is controlled and made of service to the humankind.

Here we get a link to the Greek myth of Prometheus, who was known for his intelligence, and who stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mortals. Richard Tarnas has proposed that Prometheus is a more fitting figure for the astrological traits of the planet Uranus — the creative spark, technological breakthrough, sudden enlightenment, intellectual and spiritual awakening — than the sky god Ouranos.

Zeus punished Prometheus by having him bound to a rock while a great eagle ate his liver every day only to have it grow back to be eaten again the next day. Here we get a connection to Chiron, too. Chiron had been wounded by Hercules’ poisonous arrow. He was in great agony, but he was not able to heal himself, nor was he able to die, because he was an immortal. Prometheus could only be released if an immortal offered to take his place. Chiron agreed to take the place of Prometheus, and thus eventually was released from his pain.

In the chart Mercury retrograde is in conjunction with two asteroids, Apollo and Sphinx. They are emphasizing the theme of the acquisition of knowledge and passing the information forward. Asteroid Sphinx stands for mysteries and missing information, but usually when questions arise, the curiosity pushes us to seek the answers.

In mythology Apollo was a solar god. He was the patron god of music and poetry, and half brother of Hermes, who created the famous lyre for him. Asteroid Apollo is an Earth-crosser asteroid on a strange orbit around the Sun, different from the Sun itself which is the center of our solar system. This is why Eric Francis has proposed that astrologically Apollo might be a light-bringer in other ways than the Sun, perhaps representing something of the inner quality or talent of seeing the light where others might not see it.

Asteroid Pandora represents a point of curiosity, and now shares the same degree with the triple conjunction of Jupiter, Chiron and Neptune. We may be allured by new ideas, and by exploring them we may suddenly discover some hidden talent in us.

By trusting in one’s own intuition, and by determined effort, the torch can be handed over.

References:

Paul Rhys Mountfort, Nordic Runes, Destiny Books, 2003

Melanie Reinhart, Chiron and the Healing Journey, Penguin Books, 1998

Marc Edmund Jones, The Sabian Symbols in Astrology, Aurora Press, 1993

H. R. Ellis Davidson, Gods and Myths of Northern Europe, Penguin Books, 1990

Freya Aswynn, Northern Mysteries & Magick, Llewellyn Publications, 1998

Richard Tarnas, Prometheus the Awakener, Spring Publications, 2004

Martha Lang-Wescott, Mechanics of the Future: Asteroids, Treehouse Mountain, 1996

Eric Francis, The Spiral Door Almanac, 2007

This month the Full Moon occurs in Scorpio, the sign famous for its attraction to deep secrets. Mercury in early Gemini has just stationed retrograde turning the focus inward. The Sun, Moon and some Centaur planets have formed a grand cross in fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius).

A grand cross is a challenging aspect pattern which calls for attention. This is a potent time to unveil, face and resolve hidden matters from the past.

A grand cross is formed by two oppositions and four squares. The Sun and Moon are opposing each other on the Taurus-Scorpio axis. Centaur planet Chariklo is in conjunction with the Moon. The other opposition is formed by two Centaurs, Nessus in Aquarius and Elatus in Leo.

From Tracy Delaney’s article on Chiron and Elatus you can learn interesting facts about Elatus. She writes:

“In its highest form I think Elatus is about communicating that which is deeply felt and comes through you, echoing the arrow passing straight through him in the myth, changing him as it does so. This is really all you can do with anything that comes from Neptune, where words are inadequate. The struggle comes when you try to do it the other way round; the frustrating process of grasping for the right words which seem out of reach, struggling to express yourself, not making yourself understood etc. You could look at it as a lesson about getting your ego out of the way, in this case to allow inspiration to come, for which you can take no credit. It seems to me that all the Centaurs have this same basic lesson, taught through their very different paths. I think Elatus could relate to learning through the whole creative process in that way, and the phenomenon of affecting others by it in ways you’ll never know.”

In the excerpt above, Tracy is referring to Neptune in the discovery chart of Elatus. Currently the Jupiter-Chiron-Neptune conjunction in Aquarius is tightening, and I think this planetary composition is making her delineation very apt just now.

Nessus was the third centaur to be found (after Chiron and Pholus). He was discovered in 1993 by David L. Rabinowitz, the same guy who in recent years as a member of Mike Brown’s team has contributed to many notable minor planet discoveries.

Nessus is a Centaur planet that assists with identifying and healing of abuse patterns which sometimes are invisible. The themes of Nessus can stretch over generations, or be collective. The pattern indicated by Nessus can be psychological, physical or sexual in nature. The theme of responsibility and not passing the responsibility to any point further, or to anybody else is important. Here is an excellent article by Eric on Nessus.

Chariklo is the largest known Centaur planet. In mythology Chariklo was a nymph, the wife of Chiron.

Centaurs are in dynamically unstable orbits that will eventually lead either to ejection from the solar system, an impact with a planet or the Sun, or evolution into a short-period comet. The orbit of Chariklo is more stable than the orbit of Nessus and Chiron, for instance. Also, in the discovery chart of Chariklo the aspect pattern reflects balance and harmony.

There is a grand sextile – a six pointed star — in the discovery chart of Chariklo, formed by Chariklo herself in one of the points and main planets in the other five points. A grand sextile is a rare aspect figure consisting of 60 degree aspects. Sextiles are considered to be beneficial. Juno at 4+ degrees of Taurus – conjunct the discovery degree of Chiron — is a symbol of the celestial marriage between Chariklo and Chiron.

Astrologically, Chariklo is about compassion, devotion and emotional connection, among other themes. Eric has noted that Chariklo can represent the inability to leave, or difficulty with leaving an inappropriate or hurtful companion. In the Full Moon chart the square between Nessus and Chariklo brings subjects like codependency and dysfunctional relationships into my mind.

Centaurs are agents of transformation, pushing us toward consciousness and change. Learning the art of communication, maybe in Elatus’ style, could ease the process.

References:

Serennu, Chiron & Elatus

Wikipedia, 7066 Nessus

Wikipedia, David L. Rabinowitz

Eric Francis, Nessus, Small World Stories, 2008

Melanie Reinhart, Saturn, Chiron and the Centaurs, CPA Press, 2002

Wikipedia, Chariklo

Eric Francis, Chariklo, Small World Stories, 2008