New Moon in Aries — March 28, 2017, 2:57 UT

The first New Moon of the year occurred on March 28 at 7+ degrees of Aries. The sign of Aries has been the scene of many interesting astrological developments lately, including the Uranus-Eris conjunction on March 17 at 22+ degrees of Aries. Among the most interesting events is the sign ingress of 120347 Salacia.

On March 1, Salacia left Neptune’s world and entered Aries. Salacia at the Aries Point is a rare event, because Salacia’s orbital period around the Sun lasts about 270 years, a bit longer than that of Pluto. Salacia spent over 23 years in Pisces, and it will spend the next 25 years or so in Aries.

120347 Salacia is one of the largest trans-Neptunian objects. Its dark surface is unusual among the objects in its size range, and that is why it was at first considered much smaller than what it actually is. Salacia is almost certainly a dwarf planet, and on Mike Brown’s dwarf planet list it is ranked as the tenth largest object. The misunderstanding of the size presumably has had an effect on the diminutive attention payed on Salacia in astrology.

120347 Salacia is named after the Roman goddess of salt water and the consort of Neptune. According to the myth, Neptune wanted to marry the beautiful nymph Salacia. She wanted to preserve her virginity – perhaps also her independence – so she fled as far as she could and hid from him in the Atlantic Ocean. Neptune sent a dolphin to look for her and persuade her to come back and marry him. Salacia agreed, and so she became the goddess of the sea. She was depicted with dolphins and seals, and other sea creatures.

Salacia was a bit overlooked goddess in mythology, too. She was diminished to represent an aspect of Neptune, the violent and gushing waters. Her Greek equivalent was Amphitrite, the wife of Poseidon. Only in one occasion – but in a significant one – she appears as a real goddess, namely at the birth of the Sun god Apollo, one of the most important deities in Greek and Roman mythology.

The Vernal Equinox was on March 20, when the new astrological year began. The Sun entered Aries and conjoined 120347 Salacia, already there occupying the first degree of the sign. Salacia’s sign ingress had taken place on March 1. More than suitably the Sabian Symbol of the Aries 1 by Dr. Marc Edmund Jones is “A woman rises out of water, a seal rises and embraces her.” Do you recognize Salacia?

Since Salacia was seen as one aspect of Neptune, I think she was quite comfortable in the water sign of Pisces, which is ruled by Neptune. Perhaps Salacia in Aries will reflect the part of the myth, in which she showed her independence and bravely fled to an unfamiliar territory.

In the New Moon chart the retrograding Venus and asteroid Pallas are in conjunction with Salacia, and the Sun and the Moon are also with a wider orb. Venus has already once passed over Salacia, still in Pisces at the time. Venus will be retrograding over the Aries Point and Salacia again on April 1. Venus retrograde ends on April 15, and the third conjunction of Venus and Salacia happens on May 1.

The current astrology highlights Salacia. Let’s pay attention and take notes!

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