New Moon in Libra — October 09, 2018, 03:47 UT

Venus stationed retrograde on Oct. 5, 2018, in Scorpio. A few days later, on Oct. 9, 2018, the New Moon occurs in Libra, the sign which is ruled by Venus. Every New Moon – the conjunction of the Sun and the Moon – starts a new lunation cycle. We begin this lunation in awareness of a new planetary energy, 471143 Dziewanna.

471143 Dziewanna is currently at 11+ degrees of Scorpio, and Venus turned retrograde at 10+ degrees of Scorpio, only one degree apart from it. The New Moon was in conjunction with asteroid 1 Ceres, the first asteroid to be discovered, today classified as a dwarf planet.

1 Ceres is named after the Roman goddess of grain and agriculture. She is Earth Mother. Ceres had a daughter, Proserpina, whom she loved dearly. One day Pluto abducted young Proserpina and made her the queen of the Underworld. Ceres desperately searched her daughter everywhere, but she couldn’t find her. In her grief and anger Ceres stopped the growth of fruits and vegetables. Every year Proserpina has to spend six months with Pluto, the other six months she is allowed to live with her mother. When Proserpina returns, Ceres allows plants grow and flowers bloom again. The myth describes the change of the seasons, and eternal cycle of renewal.

471143 Dziewanna is a newly named scattered disc object. It is very likely a dwarf planet and it is coming to its perihelion in 2038 (the point in its orbit where it is nearest to the Sun). It was discovered in 2010 by astronomers Andrzej Udalski, Scott Sheppard, Marcin Kubiak and Chad Trujillo during the Polish OGLE project of Warsaw University. According to the official naming citation, “Dziewanna is a Slavic Goddess of the wild nature, forests and the hunt. Gold-haired, young and beautiful, she brings the spring and revitalizes the Earth. Wild yellow mullein flowers (Polish: dziewanna) are her symbol. Dried, they served as torches during her celebrations.”


Dziewanna plants in my garden.
Photo: Copyright © Kirsti Melto.

Like Ceres, also Dziewanna is the goddess of agriculture. She is also the goddess of the Moon and often depicted with wolves. Goddess Dziewanna has much in common with the Roman goddess Diana, the goddess of the hunt, wild animals and the Moon. Like her Roman equivalent, Dziewanna is a maiden goddess. However, according to the site of the Lake Area Goddesses, “Dziewanna is married; married and free of the control of a man at the same time.” Quoting the site, “She is a true virgin, whole unto herself.” An appearance of a new planet expands our consciousness and opens up new possibilities for us. At this moment of time the energy of Dziewanna is welcomed.

Andrzej Udalski, the discoverer of 471143 Dziewanna, said in an interview: “I hope that putting Dziewanna in the sky will encourage researchers of Polish and Slavic traditions and cultures to learn more about this mysterious goddess.” He adds: “Fantasizing even more – it might also encourage scientists, engineers or technical university students to design an extremely ambitious space project. (…) It would be very interesting to see the true face of our Dziewanna and learn its secrets.” As an astrologer I am happy to join this endeavor.

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