The New Moon at 10+ degrees of Libra was an annular solar eclipse. In the same degree with the Sun and the Moon were two main-belt asteroids, Astraea and Mnemosyne, and one of the largest trans-Neptunian objects, Makemake. Mercury was in a close conjunction with the eclipse.

Libra is the sign of relationships and balance. The eclipse appeared on the South node of the Moon. The South node is said to represent familiar things and the past. Sue Tompkins has suggested the keywords “association, joining, entanglement, connection, meeting, remembrance” for the South node (Sue Tompkins, The Contemporary Astrrologer’s Handbook, 2006).

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun. The Moon’s orbit around Earth is slightly elliptical, and that’s why the Moon sometimes appears smaller than the Sun. A solar eclipse that occurs when the Moon is near its farthest distance from Earth is called an annular eclipse. The Moon doesn’t completely cover the Sun, and the Sun appears as a very bright ring, surrounding the dark disk of the Moon. On October 2, 2024, ”the ring of fire” was visible in parts of South America. The eclipse was seen as a partial solar eclipse in parts of South America, Antarctica, North America, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean, including Hawaii.

Rapa Nui (Easter Island) was in the relatively narrow path of the annular eclipse, which is noteworthy considering that the eclipse was in exact conjunction with Makemake.

136472 Makemake is one of the three big discoveries that were announced at the end of July 2005, namely Eris, Haumea and Makemake. Makemake is the largest cubewano and the brightest trans-Neptunian object after Pluto. It is fairly round and the estimated dimensions are 1434 x 1420 km. The orbital period is about 306 years. Makemake will reach its aphelion in 2033. Makemake was long thought to be alone, but in 2015 a moon was discovered and nicknamed ”MK2”. There may be another large, undiscovered satellite orbiting Makemake.

A recent study from February 2024 challenges our understanding of distant icy worlds like Makemake. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) gave scientists a surprise. Evidence of internal geochemical activity on Eris and Makemake suggests that there may be water oceans beneath their surface.

The discovery team of Makemake nicknamed the object “Easterbunny” because of its discovery shortly after Easter. The official name Makemake was chosen in part to preserve the object’s connection with Easter. It is Polynesian in origin and is the name of the creator of humanity and the god of fertility in the mythology of the Rapa Nui, the native people of Easter Island. Makemake was the chief god of the Tangata manu bird-man cult and was worshiped in the form of sea birds, which were his incarnation. His material symbol was a man with a bird’s head.

The bird-man cult included an annual dangerous competition on Rapa Nui. The contestants had to swim to the nearby island to collect the first egg of the season of a certain tropical seabird, and then swim back to Rapa Nui. Many lost their lives. The winner was entitled to gifts of food, and his clan would have sole rights to collect the wild bird eggs and fledglings of that season. The winner had to go into seclusion for a year and spend his time eating and sleeping, and could not engage in any other activity. He did this for his community.

Easter Island is one of the most isolated inhabited places in the world. The island is famous for its monumental statues called moai. Rapa Nui history has been presented as a warning for humanity’s overexploitation of resources. There was an environmental collapse and a cultural collapse on the island. The trees were cut down, and when the wood ran out, the islanders couldn’t even make canoes and became completely isolated from the rest of the world. The few hundred people left were unable to remember their past, they lost their collective memory. According to the newest research, although the residents did cut down the trees, they were able to adapt to the changing environment. The island never had more than a few thousand people prior to European contact. Europeans brought disease and slave traders took a third of the island’s population. In the 1870s, there were only 110 people left on the island.

Asteroid 5 Astraea was discovered in 1945. The four first asteroids, Ceres, Pallas, Juno and Vesta, were first classified as planets. However, after the discovery of Astraea, new asteroids started being discovered at a rapid pace, and it became apparent that there were thousands of members of this new type of celestial body. Astraea’s orbital period is little over four years and the mean diameter is 125 km. The fifth asteroid was named after Astraea, the Greek goddess of justice. She was the last of the immortals to live with humans during the Golden Age. As mankind became wicked, she was the last to stay on earth. Zeus then placed her amongst the stars as the constellation Virgo. The scales of justice she carried became the constellation of Libra. According to myth, Astraea will one day come back to Earth, bringing with her the return of the utopian Golden Age.

Martha Lang-Wescott suggests that Astraea may have something to do with the difficulty of letting go of things, people or events. This can be a virtue or a hindrance. Astraea gives persistance, or it can make you cling to situations longer than is good for you. Astraea can make it difficult to know exactly when things are starting or ending. Also, one can become the observer, the witness who stands without judgment and ”insures that a cycle has truly reached completion (Martha Lang-Wescott, Mechanics of the Future, 1996).”

57 Mnemosyne is a large asteroid discovered in 1859. It’s orbital period is over 5 years and the diameter is about 113 km. It is named after the Greek goddess of memory and remembrance, and the inventress of language and words. The Theoi Project site mentions that she “represented the rote memorisation required to preserve the stories of history and the sagas of myth before the introduction of writing.” Asteroid Mnemosyne emphasizes planet Mercury’s function in the chart, as Mercury is associated with memory, and with written and spoken communication.

Memories can fade or become distorted. Perhaps one of the challenges of this eclipse is to find the right balance between the memories you hold dear and carry with you and the ones you’d better let go of. Rapa Nui has slowly revealed some of its secrets, as has the planet Makemake. Scientific research will continue, and so does the astrological research of Makemake.

Salvador Dali (May 11, 1904 – Jan. 23, 1989), the Spanish surrealist artist, had Makemake in Taurus in conjunction with his Sun, Mercury and Mars. His Makemake is occupying the midpoint of Astraea and Mnemosyne. One of Dali’s most famous works is The Persistence of Memory, which depicts a surrealistic image of soft, melting pocket watches. It has been interpreted that in the painting, everything created by man is perishable, the only permanent thing is the cliffs in the background, where the true permanence of memory resides. In his last years Dalí became withdrawn and he lived almost in isolation.

The New Moon on September 3, 2024, occurs in the Mercury ruled sign Virgo, the sign that strives for perfection. Mercury in Leo stationed direct on August 28 and gave a boost to matters ruled by Mercury. Pluto retrograded back to Capricorn on September 1 and is now in the last degree of Capricorn. The New Moon is in conjunction with plutino Orcus and asteroid Nemesis. An aspect pattern called the Hammer of Thor is formed by Pluto, Eris, and the conjunction of the Sun, the Moon, Nemesis and Orcus.

Orcus is the second-largest known plutino, after Pluto itself. Its diameter is comparable to that of Ceres, the largest main-belt asteroid. Orcus shares some remarkable similarities with Pluto. The orbital period of Orcus is 245 years, just slightly shorter than Pluto’s period. Their elongated orbits are nearly identical, except they are pointing in opposite directions. Because both are locked in 3:2 resonance with Neptune, they will always stay in opposite phases of their orbits. Both Pluto and Orcus form a binary system with their relatively large companion. Orcus’s satellite is named Vanth.

According to the naming rules of the International Astronomical Union, all plutinos are given mythological names associated with the underworld. Orcus was named after the punisher of false and broken oaths of Etruscan origin. He was inescapable. Vanth was a bit more gentler spirit, a female demon who guided the deceased to the underworld. According to astrologer Jeremy Neal, ”the mythology of Orcus, from ancient to Medieval times encompasses themes and tenets of integrity, revenge, judgement, isolation, desolation, implacability and imprisonment and these form the foundation of the astrological lexicon for this dark, distant and enigmatic entity.”

Nemesis is a large main-belt asteroid with a diameter of 180 km and an orbital period of 4.5 years. It was discovered in 1872 and named after the goddess of retribution in Greek mythology. She was the distributor of fortune, neither good nor bad, but simply to each according to what was deserved. She is the symbol of our conscience and guides us towards right action, describes Demetra George. We will face the consequences of our actions.

The quadruple conjunction of the Sun, the Moon, Orcus and Nemesis in Virgo forms the apex of an aspect pattern called the Hammer of Thor. The pattern is formed by two planets squaring one another, and both making sesquisquare aspects (135 degrees) to a third planet. At this New Moon, Pluto in the last degree of Capricorn is square to Eris in late Aries, and both are sesquisquare to the aforementioned Virgo planets. Thor’s Hammer has been described as a particularly difficult pattern. According to Jeremy Neal, ”it generally connotes a difficult energy (represented by the square) which has to find an outlet through the apex planet. This is why – like Thor’s Hammer – it is a weapon of great destructive potential.” It can also be used as a force for good. In Norse mythology, Mjölnir, the hammer of the thunder god Thor was used both as a devastating weapon and as a divine instrument to provide blessings. It was a magical weapon which would never fail, never miss, and would always find its way back to Thor’s hand. It is a protective symbol.

One important news topic of the week has been Vladimir Putin’s visit to Mongolia on September 3. Mongolia is a sparsely populated country between Russia and China. It is a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has issued an arrest warrant for Putin over war crimes. Members of the ICC are bound to detain suspects if an arrest warrant has been issued. It seemed clear in advance that Mongolia would not take measures to arrest Putin, because otherwise he would not have taken the risk of traveling. Mongolia is totally dependent on Russian energy. However, Mongolia will have to face consequences for not fulfilling its obligations. In Mongolia’s chart (a declaration of independence on March 3, 1921, 12:00 noon LMT, Kyakhta, Russia) the Pisces-Sun opposes Jupiter in mid-Virgo (the chart data from The Book of World Horoscopes by Nicholas Campion). Jupiter rules the justice system. The conjunction of the New Moon, Orcus and Nemesis transits tightly Mongolia’s Sun-Jupiter opposition.

Then let’s look at Putin’s chart (Oct. 7, 1952, 09:30 MSK, St. Petersburg, Russia). He has a precise Thor’s Hammer formed by Chiron in Capricorn, Eris in Aries, and Pluto at his Midheaven in Leo. Pluto is the apex of the hammer and should find a way of releasing the pressure. Putin’s hammer pattern is under a lot of pressure right now. Mercury stationed direct on August 28 at 21+ degrees of Leo, right at his Midheaven and Pluto. Mercury rules formal contracts and agreements as well as travel and tranportation, among other things. The transiting Pholus at 7+ Capricorn and the transiting North node of the Moon at 7+ Aries are activating his pattern too. In addition the current New Moon in Virgo (together with Orcus and Nemesis) transits his tenth house of aspirations, career, and public status.

When we look at Putin’s solar arc directed chart progressed to September 3, we can see some prominent conjunctions. His solar arc directed Orcus at 12+ Virgo is in conjunction with the current New Moon. His solar arc directed Pluto at 4+ Scorpio is at his radix ascendant, and his solar arc directed Sun at 26+ Sagittarius is conjunct his radix Mars.

Putin has repeadetly violated international law and agreements. Eventually he will have to face the consequences for his actions too. He will meet his Nemesis, although it hasn’t happened yet on this trip.

The Full Moon in Aquarius opposes the conjunction of the Sun, Mercury and Vesta in Leo. Mercury turned retrograde on Aug. 5, 2024. Mercury retrograde can bring unconscious material and unfinished business from the past to the surface. Vesta conjunct the Sun in Leo refers to one’s identity and purpose. There are several charged t-squares in the chart, suggesting that something is brewing and seeking release.

Uranus in Taurus is in exact square to the Sun and the Moon. The unpredictable and rebellious Uranus is in tight conjunction with Lempo, the goddess of love (or fairy tale gone bad), and Alicanto, the mythical bird guiding a miner to the treasure (or off the cliff).

Centaur Pholus in Capricorn dances with Quaoar square to the lunar nodes. Pholus has been described as the centaur of fast moving changes and rapid transformations. Pholus is associated with the “small cause, big effect” events.

Mars and Jupiter are in conjunction in Gemini. Venus in Virgo opposed Saturn in Pisces and squared Jupiter in Gemini this morning. The exact Jupiter-Saturn square takes place about three hours after the Full Moon. At 19+ Gemini there is a third body in conjunction with Mars and Jupiter, namely centaur Oterma that was discovered as a comet (in 1943) but currently has a centaur-like orbit contained between Jupiter and Saturn. Saturn is in conjunction with centaur Nessus. Centaurs can bring some dark stuff from the psyche to the surface, but they have a healing capacity too.

The themes of Nessus deal with the abuse of power, sexual abuse, revenge, oppression, and patterns of helplessness. They can stretch beyond one person’s lifetime, through several generations. Nessus helps in recognizing the patterns. Melanie Reinhart’s keywords are “The buck stops here”.

The transgenerational trauma is a concept that has been studied in psychology and in genetics. Research suggests that trauma can leave a chemical mark on one’s genes, which can then be passed down to future generations. That which is not dealt with becomes a burden of the next generation. For example, wars, famines and genocides are thought to leave a mark on the descendants of those who suffered them. Trauma doesn’t cause a genetic mutation, but it can alter the mechanism by which the gene is expressed.

Fittingly for the Nessus topic, it was announced today that a new interdisciplinary research starts at the University of Tampere. It explores the effects of war stress on Finns in three generations. The research is based on the service records of 1,300 Finnish men who served in the army between 1939 and 1945. The research gives an opportunity to trace the biological factors that convey the consequences of the environmental exposures experienced by the parents to the offspring and their health. The first research results are expected next year.

The New Moon in Cancer occurs in the same degree with centaur Bienor. Asteroid Ceres in Capricorn is exactly opposite the Sun and the Moon.

Of the named centaur planets, Bienor is the third largest after Chiron and Chariklo. Its diameter is approximately 200 kilometers. Bienor orbits between Saturn and Uranus, grazing the orbit of Uranus. The orbital period is around 67 years, longer than that of Chiron or Chariklo. Bienor will reach perihelion in January 2028.

Bienor was discovered in August 2000. Bienor seems to have a highly elongated body. Chiron and Chariklo possess rings, and it is hypothesized that Bienor has either a ring or a satellite (or both), or it may be a binary system.

The name Bienor means “strong one”. In Greek mythology Bienor is one of the centaurs who fought against the Lapiths at the wedding of king Pirithous. Not much is said about individual centaurs in mythology, but the manner of their death, among other things, can be used to outline the astrological meaning of the centaur planets. The death of a centaur is metaphorical and symbolizes transformation and healing. Most of the centaurs were killed by arrows or spears, but Bienor’s death was different. The hero Theseus jumped on his back, which was “never trained to carry riders”, smashed his face and pounded his temples. Perhaps this brutal depiction offers clues.

Among the people who have a prominent Bienor are the first President of the United States, George Washington (the Sun conjunct Bienor in Pisces), President Barack Obama (the Sun conjunct Bienor at the descendant in Leo), the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy (the Sun-Venus conjunction in Aquarius sextile Bienor in Sagittarius), the late Prime Minister of Sweden, Olof Palme (the Sun and Mercury conjunct Bienor in Aquarius), the artist and singer Yoko Ono (the Sun conjunct Bienor in Aquarius), and the English singer-songwriter PJ Harvey (the triple conjunction of the Sun, Jupiter and Bienor in Libra).

PJ Harvey has revealed in interviews, that her goal is not to repeat, but challenge herself and to do things that are new and frightening.

The new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, took office on this New Moon day. The Labour Party won Britain’s general election, and the victory ended 14 years of Conservative government. The Brits wanted change, and Prime Minister Starmer has promised a national renewal.

So far astronomers have only a limited understanding of the physical properties of Bienor. They have gathered data for instance through the technique of stellar occultations. Further data collection is necessary for them to fully understand the body. This is also true in astrology; Astrologers should put Bienor in the charts and further study this notable centaur to understand it better.

Summer Solstice – June 20, 2024, 20:51 UT

The Summer Solstice was on June 20 when the Sun entered Cancer. The Full Moon in Capricorn followed on June 22. The Sun in Cancer is in conjunction with centaur Asbolus, the trans-Neptunian Chaos, and Venus. The Sun squares Neptune in late Pisces and the trans-Neptunian Borasisi in early Aries.

Centaur Asbolus was discovered in 1995. It orbits between Jupiter and Neptune and the orbital period is about 76 years. The planet was named from Greek mythology after centaur Asbolus, a seer that was capable of reading omens in the flight of birds. The name Asbolus means ”sooty” or ”carbon dust”.

In mythology the centaurs are best known for two pivotal fights. One took place between the centaurs and the Lapiths at king Pirithous’s wedding. The other one occured at centaur Pholus’s cave, when Heracles tried to steal the wine which belonged to the whole centaur tribe. Asbolus foresaw the upcoming battle at Pirithous’s wedding, but he was not able to assure the centaurs and prevent them from attending the ceremony, and so many of them lost their lives. When Heracles visited Pholus, it was Asbolus who brought the other centaurs to Pholus’s cave, and thus indirectly and involuntarily contributed to Chiron’s and Pholus’s deaths. Asbolus himself is said to have been crucified by the arrows of Heracles.

Chaos is a cubewano discovered in 1998. Its orbital period is almost 310 years. Chaos was the first of the primordial gods, a void state preceding the creation of the universe. Today we understand chaos as a state where things are out of order, but initially it was an empty, formless and fertile space. Gaia, the personification of Earth emerged from Chaos. As the goddess of the air Chaos was also the mother of birds.

At the Aries point another cubewano, Borasisi with an orbital period of 287.5 years, is in the middle of its sign change, which started in May 2023 and ends in January 2025. Borasisi was discovered in 1999 at 25+ Aquarius, the same degree where Neptune was discovered in 1846. These two bodies are now in conjunction. Neptune is associated with dreams, illusions and untruths, among other things. It dissolves boundaries and thus can make it difficult to tell the truth from a lie. Neptune can also manifest itself in a creative way. Borasisi seems to have much in common with it.

The name Borasisi comes from Kurt Vonnegut’s novel Cat’s Cradle. He uses satire and black humor to examine the relationship between truth and lies. Borasisi is the personification of the Sun in the cosmogony of Bokononism, which Vonnegut describes in his novel. The foundation of the fictional religion of Bokononism is based on living by the holy untruths that make one happy. Many talented writers have a prominent Borasisi in their charts, for example Agatha Christie, F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Faulkner, H. P. Lovecraft, and Henry David Thoreau.

Our challenge today is to find out if the news of the day is true, if the email you receive is just an attempt to empty your bank account, and if the picture you see in your news feed is real or the product of artificial intelligence. For instance, last night I received an email inviting me to join the Illuminati. Not all cheating attempts are so obvious though. Hopefully the presence of Venus, the planet of artistic endeavors, channels the current energies to more positive artistic manifestation instead of deceit.

The New Moon at 16+ Gemini is in exact conjunction with Venus and square to Saturn in Pisces. The New Moon is not tightly in conjunction with any of the named distant minor planets. One of the large Kuiper belt objects that are not yet named, (532037) 2013 FY27, is at 17+ degrees of Virgo square to the New Moon and sesquisquare to Pluto in Aquarius. It forms a t-square with Saturn in Pisces, and the triple conjunction of Venus and the lumiaries in Gemini. At the Summer Solstice in two weeks, 2013 FY27 will be square to the Moon in Sagittarius.

2013 FY27 is one of the three largest unnamed objects in the solar system. It is the ninth intrinsically brightest known trans-Neptunian object. It is bigger than Ixion and almost as big as Varda. 2013 FY27 is a scattered disc object like Eris. It is a binary system with two components approximately 740 km and 190 km in diameter.

2013 FY27 was discovered by Scott Sheppard and Chad Trujillo in March 2013. The orbital period is 448 years. It is currently near its aphelion (the farthest point of its orbit around the Sun), about 80 AU from the Sun. Over time, it will come much closer to Neptune’s neighborhood.

According to the naming rules of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), when the orbit of a minor planet becomes well enough determined so that its position can be reliably predicted into the future, the minor planet receives a permanent designation, a permanent number. The discoverer has the privilege to suggest a name for the body for a period of ten years following the numbering. The permanent number 532037 was assigned for 2013 FY27 five years ago, in May 2019. I hope that the discoverers will make a name proposal soon, unless they already have done so, and this body will get a proper name.

IAU and the science podcast Radiolab have announced a competition to name another unnamed body, one of the quasi-moons of Earth. A quasi-moon is an asteroid that actually orbits the Sun, but if you watch it from the Earth, it looks like it’s orbiting our planet just like the Moon does.

The object in question is (164207) 2004 GU9, an Apollo asteroid discovered on April 13, 2004, near Socorro, New Mexico, by the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research project (LINEAR). In the discovery chart it was retrograding at 14+ degrees of Leo opposite Neptune in Aquarius and sextile Mars in Gemini.

People worldwide can suggest a name for the quasi-moon between June 1 – September 30. “We’re excited to bring people together around something that unites us across timezones, national borders, languages, and all manner of differences – our shared sky,” said Latif Nasser, co-host of Radiolab.

If you are interested in participating, read more here:

https://www.iau.org/news/pressreleases/detail/iau2406/

Dr. Michael Brown presented the discovery of Sedna at a press conference held twenty years ago, on March 15, 2004. Last month Sedna entered from Taurus to Gemini. This Full Moon in Sagittarius is the first Full Moon after the sign change and the first in more than 11,000 years with Sedna in Gemini.

The Sun in early Gemini is in conjunction not only with Sedna, but also with centaur 39P/Oterma in Gemini, and Venus and Jupiter in Taurus.

Sedna

One of the most remarkable new celestial bodies that has been found in our solar system on the 21st century is Sedna. It was discovered in November 2003 by an American team led by astronomer Mike Brown, and it came into our consciousness in March 2004 when Mike Brown held a press conference about the matter. At the time Sedna was the most distant and largest object found in the solar system after the discovery of Pluto, and its orbit around the Sun was in its own class.

In astronomer Mike Brown’s natal chart (born June 5, 1965, 02:35 p.m. CST +6:00, Huntsville, AL), Venus in the last degree of Gemini is in exact sextile to Sedna in the last degree of Aries. When Sedna was discovered, it was at 17+ degrees of Taurus (telescope image on Nov. 14, 2003, 06:32:57 UT +0:0, Palomar Mountain, CA) transiting Brown’s Neptune in Scorpio, his Mars in Virgo, and Saturn in Pisces. His solar arc directed Sedna progressed to the discovery day was in conjunction with his radix Mercury at 7+ degrees of Gemini.

Because this new minor planet was the farthest and coldest place in the solar system, it was named from Inuit mytholgy after Sedna, the goddess who lived at the bottom of the Arctic Ocean. Sedna created marine animals. Mike Brown has described the object as the most scientifically important discovery beyond Neptune, because understanding its unusual orbit will likely yield valuable information on the origin and early evolution of our solar system. Remarkable things have already been learned. The myth and astrology of Sedna can help us understand also the future of our planet and our own influence on it. Sedna is both astronomically and astrologically current and significant.

The myth

In mytholgy Sedna was a beautiful young girl who lived with her father. Sedna had many suitors, but she rejected them all. The family was short of food, so when the next hunter that appeared to be well-to-do came to propose to Sedna and assured that he would take good care of her, the father promised his daughter to him. The man took the girl to his home island, where she realized that the groom in fact was a bird disguised as a man, and he offered Sedna nothing but a nest on a rock and raw fish for food. Sedna’s father heard her cries for help and came to rescue her with his kayak. The bird went after them and with his wingbeats raised a terrible storm, which almost overturned the kayak. In his distress, and to save himself, Sedna’s father threw the girl into the icy sea. She tried to cling to the side of the kayak, but her father chopped her icy fingers off, so she could not hold on anymore. Her fingers became the seals, walruses and whales. Hurt and enraged, Sedna sank to the bottom of the ocean and transformed into a mighty goddess of the sea. Without her fingers, Sedna is no more able to clean her hair, so the unhappy Sedna raises storms and prevents people from getting food from the sea. The shaman must then visit her at the bottom of the sea and comb her entangled hair. Then Sedna calms down and sends seafood again to feed people.

There are various slightly different versions of the myth. In one of them, Sedna was a girl with a huge appetite. She even tried to gnaw her father’s arm while he was sleeping. According to another, Sedna can not only prevent people from getting their livelihood from the sea, but also send them disease.1) One of the most impressive, in my opinion, tells that peope’s ingratitude, broken promises and sins accumulate in Sedna’s hair. When the burden becomes too great, Sedna sends hunger and disease to the people. A shaman must then descend to her to comb her hair. When the shaman returns, the community gathers around him. One by one, people confess their transgressions, including crimes against nature. After the secrets have been revealed, Sedna is satisfied again and releases the seafood for the nourishment of the people.2)

Sedna astronomically

For its size, Sedna is probably a dwarf planet. It is one of the reddest objects, almost as red as Mars. Sedna orbits the Sun beyond the Kuiper belt, in the farthest reaches of our solar system. The orbit is an extremely elongated ellipse, and in terms of time, one revolution of Sedna takes no less than 11,400 years. Even when it is closest to the Sun in its orbit (perihelion), it does not come close to Neptune, nor does it touch the Kuiper belt. Sedna will enter perihelion in 2076. It has been proposed to send a spacecraft to study it as it approaches.

The last time Sedna in its orbit was at this same phase, the Earth was just melting and the climate was warming after the last ice age. At the end of the ice age, Finland was largely covered by water, and ice still covered at least Lapland. Estonia was probably already settled, but Finland was settled a little later.

In the astrological chart, Sedna’s long orbit shows up in its own way. Sedna spent about 230 years in Pisces and 100 years in Aries. In 2023 Sedna started change signs. In April 2024, it proceeded from Taurus to Gemini after spending about 56 years in Taurus. It will be 43 years in Gemini, and 40 years in Cancer, where it is closest to the Sun. After that, the time spent in each sign begins to increase again, until thousands of years pass in the opposite signs of the chart. Now that Sedna is close to the Sun, we can receive its transits, but while it is moving extremely slowly in the farthest parts of its orbit, it is like a fixed star. So we are now living in completely unprecedented times!

So far, two more objects like Sedna have been found, and there are probably many more. Together the three already discovered form the class of sednoids, which is one of the subgroups of ETNOs (extreme trans-Neptunian objects). The orbits of some bodies do not seem random, but as if they were influenced by a previously unknown planet in the solar system. Calculations based on computer modeling support the existence of a planet with an assumed mass of ten times the mass of the Earth, but with a telescope “Planet Nine” has not yet been observed. Astronomers, Mike Brown in the lead, continue their search.

The astrological Sedna

Karen Hamaker-Zondag is one of the first astrologers to study Sedna and publish her thoughts on it. She has stated:

”…the discovery of the new planets are part of the bigger movements in the collective unconscious. As above, so below! The discovery of so many new objects is truly important in our time, and astrologers should address that. As the collective unconscious contains the archetypes, we have to consider the question whether Cheiron, Pholus and Nessus (Centaurs) and Sedna are archetypal. I think they are, not only because they are images in real myth, which makes them already archetypal, but also because their stories do reflect human issues.”3)

In the birth chart of Karen Hamaker-Zondag (born Dec. 2, 1952, 01:30 p.m. CET -1:00, Schiedam, Netherlands) Sedna is at 24+ degrees of Aries sextile to the Moon in Gemini, trine Pluto in Leo, and opposite the Saturn-Neptune conjunction in Libra.

The myth of Sedna and its many variations offer plenty of material for interpretation. The extremely long orbit of the planet refers to experiences spanning over generations and to collectivity. One of the strongest topics is the consequences of human greed and disregard for nature, i.e. climate change and related phenomena.

The purpose of the World Ocean Conference held in Indonesia May 11-14, 2009, was to raise awareness of the impact of climate change on the state of the oceans and to develop a common understanding and firm commitment to sustainable development for the oceans. The most important astrological event of 2009 was the triple conjunction of Jupiter, Neptune and Chiron in Aquarius. The conjunction was precise in May. On the opening day of the conference, May 11, 2009, the Sun and Sedna were in conjunction in Taurus, and they squared the triple conjunction of Jupiter, Neptune and Chiron in Aquarius.

Water and arctic cold are the elements of Sedna. A strongly aspected Sedna in a personal chart can mean an interest in the arctic region or in things related to the sea, or perhaps just simply a strong attraction to northern landscapes.

For example, the Finnish singer Antti Tuisku (born Feb. 27, 1984, Rovaniemi, Finland), the “son of the north”, has talked about his strong longing for his home region in the north, where he needs to return regularly to recharge his batteries. According to his own description, Rovaniemi is a safe harbor for him, which reminds him of the most important and essential things in life.4) Antti Tuisku’s Jupiter in Capricorn is in a trine to Sedna in Taurus, emphasizing Sedna’s importance in his life. Jupiter is also loosely conjunct Neptune, the ruler of his Sun sign. Tuisku’s Pisces Sun is sextile to Jupiter and Sedna, in other words his Sun is at the midpoint of Jupiter and Sedna, connecting the meaning of these planets to his selfhood.

Environmental activism

The publication of Silent Spring in 1962 by the American marine biologist and author Rachel Carson (born May 27, 1907, 02:00 a.m. EST +5, Springdale, Pennsylvania) is often considered the beginning of the global environmental movement. In her book Carson tells about the migration of chemical pesticides in the ecosystem and their effects on human health and nature. The book influenced the banning of DDT use in the United States. In Rachel Carson’s radix chart, Sedna is in the 1st house in Aries. It is the apex of a T-cross. It squares Uranus in Capricorn and the Ceres-Jupiter-Neptune conjunction in Cancer. Pholus in Libra completes the pattern as a Grand cross. Pholus is a centaur planet which is, among other things, associated with poisons. Carson’s Mercury in Gemini is sextile to Sedna.

The New Yorker magazine started publisihing Silent Spring in serial format on June 16, 1962.5) At that time, Sedna was transiting in late Aries, squaring Rachel Carson’s nodes of the Moon on the Cancer/Capricorn axis. Carson’s solar arc directed Sedna was in Gemini in conjunction with her natal Sun. Her solar arc directed Sun in turn was in late Cancer conjunct her natal North node of the Moon. The book became a sales success.

The United Nations’s International Mother Earth Day is celebrated annually on April 22 with the aim of organizing civic activities for the benefit of clean nature and environment. The day emphasizes living in harmony with nature. The anniversary dates back to the 1970s, when student Denis Hayes coordinated the first Earth Day celebration in the United States. When the first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970, the Sun was in conjunction with Sedna in early Taurus. Jupiter in Scorpio was opposing the conjunction.6)

The goal of the international environmental organization Greenpeace is to ensure the Earth’s ability to sustain life in all its diversity. The predecessor of the organization was the Don’t Make A Wave committee founded in 1970. The name was later changed to Greenpeace Foundation (May 4, 1972, Vancouver, Canada). The organization itself considers its activities to have already started when the fishing vessel Phyllis Cormack, hired by the Don’t Make A Wave committee, set off on a sea voyage towards Alaska to protest the United States’ nuclear tests (Sept. 15, 1971, Vancouver, Canada). At both of the aforementioned times, Sedna was in early Taurus. When Phyllis Cormack took off, the nurturing Ceres in the last degree of Cancer was square to Sedna. Mercury, the patron of messengers and travelers, was in Virgo trine to Sedna, and the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction in Sagittarius (a long sea voyage) formed a quincunx to Sedna. At the time of the name change the following year, Sedna was square to the Moon’s nodal axis.

Jim Bohlen (July 4, 1926 – July 5, 2010) and Robert Hunter (October 13, 1941 – May 2, 2005), who are among the founding members of Greenpeace, took part in the Phyllis Cormack’s trip to Alaska. Jim Bohlen’s birth chart has a conjunction of Mars and Sedna in Aries. It squares the Sun-Pluto conjunction at the North node of the Moon in Cancer. At the time of the sea voyage and the establishment of the organization, Sedna was transiting Bohlen’s Chiron in early Taurus. Robert Hunter also has a Mars-Sedna conjunction in Aries. Hunter’s radix Sun in Libra is in exact opposition to his Sedna. Additionally, Jupiter in Gemini is sextile to Sedna. When Phyllis Cormack left Vancouver, the Sun transited at Hunter’s North node of the Moon and squared his Jupiter.

Terry A. Simmons (April 12, 1946 – Nov. 14, 2020) was not one of the founding members of Greenpeace, but he had been involved in the activities of the Don’t Make A Wave committee and also participated the trip to Alaska. Simmons has an exact Sun-Sedna conjunction in Aries, to which Jupiter in Libra is exactly in opposition.

Paul Watson (born Dec. 2, 1950, Toronto, Canada) is an internationally known environmental activist who has been defending dolphins and trying to prevent illegal whaling. He is one of the founders of Greenpeace. In Watson’s birth chart, there is a Fire grand trine formed by Sedna in Aries, Pluto in Leo, and the Mercury-Chiron-Pallas conjunction in Sagittarius (Pallas, the master of tactics). Sedna is square to Mars in Capricorn and in opposition to Neptune in Libra. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, founded by Watson, has even been accused of eco-terrorism because of the tactics it has used.

Polar expeditions

Myths hardly ever come literally true in anyone’s life. When Mike Brown revealed in the press conference on March 15, 2004, that Sedna had been discovered, we in Finland were amazed, because we were currently following the days-long search of the French-Finnish polar explorer Dominick Arduin, who moved to Finland about 15 years earlier. She disappeared at Arctic Cape, from which a route through the frozen open sea to the geographical North Pole leads. Arduin wanted to be the first woman to reach the North Pole by skiing alone. The incident had some uncanny similarities to the myth of Sedna.

Dominick Arduin’s previous attempt to the North Pole in March 2003 had been aborted after she fell into freezing water. Due to frostbite, several of her toes had to be amputated. Global warming affects the decrease of sea ice, and the sea was not frozen properly. A huge area of open water had to be crossed by kayak first. Arduin started her second attempt on March 5, 2004, but contact with her was lost the very next day. It is believed that she sank in the Arctic Ocean. The helicopter searches ended without success on March 21, 2004.

In Dominick Arduin’s birth chart (Feb. 7, 1960, Paris, France – March 2004) the Sun is at 17+ degrees Aquarius. Her Sedna at 26+ degrees Aries is in exact aspect to several of her planets, so it’s no wonder she was drawn to the north. Sedna is in sextile to Mercury and Chiron in Aquarius, trine to Jupiter in Sagittarius, and also in aspect to the nodes of the Moon in Virgo and Pisces, all the aforemetioned planets in 26+ degrees of their signs.

Astronomer Mike Brown first observed Sedna in telescope images taken on Nov. 14, 2003. Interestingly, a few days earlier — and while Arduin was already busy preparing for his second attempt — on Nov. 9, 2003, a Sedna-colored total lunar eclipse took place at 16+ degrees Taurus. The eclipsed Moon was conjunct Sedna at the North node of the Moon and quincunx Pluto in Sagittarius. The lunar eclipse and Sedna made a tight transit square to Arduin’s radix Sun and in addition the transiting Pluto made a sextile to it.

The last weak signal from Dominick Arduin’s satellite transmitter was heard on March 6, 2004, at 06:36 UT.7) At that time, a small centaur-like minor planet named Damocles was transiting at 16+ Aquarius conjunct her Sun. The sword of Damocles is initially a metaphor for the insecurity of those in power, and how power can suddenly be lost. The meaning has broadened to generally mean a sudden and previously undetected threat. The slow moving Sedna was still at 17+ degrees Taurus squaring Arduin’s Sun. When her natal chart is progressed to the date of the disappearance using the solar arc method, the progressed Damocles is at 26+ degrees Aquarius in aspect to all those planets that are located at 26+ degrees in her natal chart. Her progressed Sun is found at the Aries point. Although Dominick Arduin didn’t make the record she was aiming for, she gained fame nonetheless, unfortunately due to her dramatic disappearance.

The only Finn who has reached both poles without external support is Kari “Poppis” Suomela (born Aug. 29, 1966, Somero, Finland). He has also been at the magnetic North Pole and skied through Greenland. Sedna was heavily involved in his polar expeditions. In Suomela’s chart, Mars in early Leo activates Sedna in the first degree of Taurus with a square. Neptune in Scorpio is conjunct the nodal axis of the Moon, and the Uranus-Pluto conjunction in Virgo is trine to the North node of the Moon in Taurus.

Poppis Suomela’s conquest of the geographic North Pole was made as a member of a group of the Paratrooper Guild, which set off from Canada on March 5, 2006. The Finnish flag was raised on the pole 56 days later on April 29, 2006. On the starting day, there was a T-cross in the chart formed by Jupiter in Scorpio, Neptune in Aquarius and Sedna in Taurus, all at 18+ degrees of their signs. The transiting Jupiter-Sedna opposition aligned with Suomela’s nodal axis, Sedna at the North node and Jupiter conjunct Suomela’s Neptune. Suomela’s solar arc directed Jupiter was conjunct his radix Sun at 5+ degrees of Virgo. On the starting day the transiting Mars was conjunct his solar arc directed Sedna at 8+ degrees Gemini, and exactly at the midpoint of the Sun and Mars of the the flag raising day.

Poppis Suomela began his skiing to the South Pole with another polar explorer on Nov. 11, 2008, and they reached it 44 days later on Christmas Eve 2008. Neptune and Sedna move very slowly, so at the beginning of this expedition too, there was a T-cross involving Neptune and Sedna. This time the Sun was in Scorpio instead of Jupiter.The planets transited Suomela’s nodal axis. It received transits also from Jupiter in Capricorn and the opposition of Saturn and Uranus on the Virgo/Pisces axis. Suomela’s solar arc directed Uranus at the first degree of Scorpio was opposite his radix Sedna in Taurus.

Oceanography

The Challenger Expedition between 1872 and 1876, led by Captain George Nares (April 24, 1831 – Jan. 15, 1915), was the first major scientific oceanographic expedition and is considered to have laid the foundation for marine science. Oceanography is a multidisciplinary field that aims to understand and predict ocean phenomena. HMS Challenger set sail from Portsmouth, England, on Dec. 21, 1872. During the voyage thousands of new species were discovered, the deepest known point on the sea floor, the Challenger Deep in the Pacific Ocean, was explored for the first time ever, and the ship even got close to Antarctica.

In George Nares’s birth chart, Sedna is heavily aspected at 23+ degrees of Pisces. It is sextile to Mercury in Taurus and square to Mars in Gemini. There are two Yod aspect patterns, also known as the finger of God aspect pattern, in the chart (two planets are in sextile with each other and both form a quincunx to a third). Sedna is involved in the first Yod pattern, being sextile to Neptune in Capricorn. Saturn in Leo is the apex of the Yod, forming quincunxes to Neptune and Sedna. The second Yod is formed by Mars, Saturn and Neptune, and Neptune is the apex of it.

When HMS Challenger set off on its journey on Dec. 21, 1872, Sedna was at the Aries point, reflecting the significant social effects of the oceanographic expedition. Sedna was square to the Sun in Capricorn, sextile to the North node of the Moon in Gemini, trine to Uranus in Leo, and in quincunx to Jupiter in Virgo. Captain Nares’s Sedna, progressed to that date by the solar arc method, was impressively in early Taurus in conjunction with his radix Sun. His solar arc directed Uranus was in Pisces conjunct his radix Sedna.

As Captain Nares had previous experience in the Arctic, he was transferred from the Challenger project to lead the British Arctic Expedition in 1875 – 1876. HMS Alert and HMS Discovery set sail from Portsmouth on May 29, 1875, at 16:00. The captain mentions the time in his Narrative of a voyage to the Polar Sea.8) Although the expedition failed in its goal of reaching the North Pole, Nares nevertheless became the first explorer whose ship sailed all the way north through the channel between Greenland and Ellesmere Island. At the time of the departure, Sedna was strongly present in the chart again. After the Challenger Expedition, it had moved about one degree forward in early Aries. Mars in Capricorn was square to Sedna and trine to the Venus-Neptune conjunction in Taurus. Neptune was transiting conjunct Nares’s Taurus Sun, the Moon in Pisces was transiting over his radix Sedna, and transiting Jupiter in Libra was square to his radix-Neptune.

The Challenger Deep is named after Captain Nares’s ship. The depression extends about 11 km below the water surface, so the huge water pressure makes exploring it challenging. One of the few who have visited the bottom is the director James Cameron (born Aug. 16, 1954, Kapuskasing, Canada). On March 25, 2012, he descended alone in a small diving device called Deepsea Challenger, exploring the ocean floor for a few hours. At the time, Venus and Sedna were in conjunction in Taurus. In Cameron’s birth chart, there is a Fire grand trine formed by Sedna in Aries, the Sun-Pluto conjunction in Leo, and Mars in Sagittarius. Neptune in Libra completes the Grand trine into a Kite pattern. Astrologer Sue Tompkins has noted that people with the Fire grand trine often seem to be protected in dangerous situations, and they frequently are unaware of any risks involved.9)

Cameron’s submarine reached the bottom on March 25, 2012, at 21:52 UT. The Venus-Sedna conjunction in Taurus made a transit square to Cameron’s radix Sun and Pluto, and formed a temporary Yod with his radix Neptune and Mars. The chart cast for the time of the descent has an Aries ascendant, with Ceres rising nearby and transiting conjunct Cameron’s radix Sedna.

James Cameron was fascinated by diving long before he descended into the depths of the Challenger Deep. He produced and directed the movie Titanic in the late 1990s. The film crew visited the actual wreck of the Titanic numerous times for the filming. Cameron has said that he didn’t particularly want to make a movie, but to dive on the shipwreck.10)

Titanic won eleven Oscars and remained the world’s financially most successful film for twelve years. At the time of the Hollywood premiere on Dec. 14, 1997, Sedna was in the middle degrees of Taurus in an exact trine to the North node of the Moon. The transiting Jupiter in Aquarius was opposing Cameron’s Mercury-Sun-Pluto conjunction in Leo. The transiting Sun-Mercury conjunction in Sagittarius was conjunct Cameron’s Mars and trine to his Sedna.

Svalbard Global Seed Vault

Global warming due to the effect of climate change is faster in arctic regions than in other parts of the world. In May 2010, at the time of the New Moon, I noted that Sedna was not happy that spring. An oil rig had exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in April and it was still spewing oil into the sea. The biggest oil spill in history had catastrophic consequences for nature and the inhabitants of the local coasts.

The New Moon in Taurus on May 14, 2010, was in conjunction with Sedna, which was at the midpoint of Venus and Eris and in an exact square to Damocles in Aquarius (a threatening situation). In addition, in the New Moon chart, Ceres (the goddess of grain and harvest) and Pluto (the god of the underworld) were in conjunction. Chiron had just entered Pisces and was conjunct Neptune. On the same day, Svalbardposten, the local newspaper published in Svalbard, reported that it was too warm in the Svalbard Seed Vault and that there was a water intrusion in its tunnels.

The seeds of all the different crops in the world are stored in the ”doomsday” vault in case of climate change, nuclear war and other situations that lead to the destruction of agriculture. Seeds of traditional Finnish crops have also been delivered there, including the barley variety needed in the production of Koskenkorva spirit. Preservation of the genetic material of the seeds is important. The seeds must be frozen, and they are supposed to remain safe inside the permafrost of the Svalbard. However, Svalbard has since been found to be the fastest warming place on Earth.11)

The cornerstone of the seed vault was laid on June 19, 2006. The North node of the Moon was at the Aries point, symbolizing a future-oriented event affecting both an individual and the whole of humanity. The Sun was in late Gemini conjunct asteroid DNA (genes), in opposition to Pluto (underground vault) and in trine to Ceres (seeds) in Aquarius. In the sign of Aquarius, Damocles was conjunct Neptune and square to Sedna in Taurus (Sedna warns of a watery threat).

The opening of the Svalbard Seed Vault was on Feb. 26, 2008. Pluto had entered Capricorn and squared the Aries point. In Taurus, the exact Ceres-Sedna conjunction was opposite asteroid DNA in Scorpio and squared the Chiron-Damocles conjunction in Aquarius. The signs of danger could have been read on these charts. The seed vault has had similar problems later as well. Efforts have been made to improve the safety of the vault.

Conclusion

Sedna wants to be heard. If we ignore her warnings, we may face her wrath. Nature takes care of us, but it also has the ability to destroy. In Inuit culture, people lived on the terms of nature, and cooperation was essential. It is the same for us if we want to preserve our planet for future generations.

1) Jennifer T. Gehl, The Return of Planet Sedna, Healing Arts Press 2019

2) Karen Hamaker-Zondag, Sedna, The Centre for Psychological Astrology 2007 / Astro Logos Ltd 2007

3) Karen Hamaker-Zondag, Sedna, The Centre for Psychological Astrology 2007 / Astro Logos Ltd 2007

4) https://www.seiska.fi/Telkkari 2.4.2022

5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Spring

6) https://www.earthday.org/history/

7) Saariselän Sanomat

8) George Nares: Narrative of a voyage to the Polar Sea during 1875–76 in H.M. ships ‘Alert’ and ‘Discovery’’

9) Sue Tompkins, The Contemporary Astrologer’s Handbook, Flare Publications 2006

10) Interview of James Cameron in the Playboy magazine in December 2009

11) NCCS report no. 1/2019 Climate in Svalbard 2100

We have a New Moon like no other. Sedna has entered Gemini!

The Sabian symbol for the New Moon degree is Taurus 19 ”A newly formed continent”. Besides the Sun and the Moon, also Venus, Jupiter and Uranus are in Taurus. Sedna entered Gemini on April 27, 2014. Sedna shares the first degree of Gemini with centaur Oterma.

Sedna is one of the most remarkable new celestial bodies found in our solar system in the 21st century. It came into our consciousness twenty years ago, in March 2004, when Dr. Mike Brown presented the discovery of a mysterious new object which he hoped to be called Sedna after the Inuit goddess of the Arctic Ocean. At the time Sedna was the most distant and largest object found in the solar system after the discovery of Pluto, and its orbit around the Sun was in its own class. The current New Moon occurs right next to the discovery degree of Sedna (17+ Taurus).

Sedna’s orbit is an extremely long ellipse, and one Sedna’s revolution takes no less than 11,400 years. At the moment Sedna is approaching the Sun and therefore it moves fast. It entered Gemini for the first time in June 2023, returned into Taurus last November, and now re-entered Gemini to spend the next 43 years there. Sedna comes to perihelion in 2076 in Cancer.

The exceptionally long orbit of Sedna refers to experiences that reach beyond several generations and are collective. It is an indicator of environmental problems and climate change. Water and arctic cold are Sedna’s elements. At the moment we have a cold spell in spring in Finland. The wind blows from the north and the cold air mass above the Arctic Ocean has also spread over Finland. The whole of May is predicted to be cooler than usual.

The first centaur to be discovered was Hidalgo in 1920. However, centaurs were not recognized as a distinct population until the discovery of Chiron in 1977. In 1989 Chiron was found to exhibit behavior typical of a comet. Centaurs typically exhibit the characteristics of both asteroids and comets. Centaur 39P/Oterma was discovered in 1943 by the Finnish astronomer Liisi Oterma. At the time it was an active comet, but a close approach to Jupiter in 1963 put it on its current inactive centaur orbit between Jupiter and Saturn. Its orbital period is nearly 20 years. It came to perihelion in July 2023.

The Sabian symbol for the discovery degree of centaur Oterma is 5 Libra ” A man teaching the true inner knowledge”.

Centaur Oterma entered Gemini on May 5, 2024, and is now in the first degree of Gemini together with Sedna. For twenty years has Sedna kept on giving us warnings what comes to the environmental state of Earth. We haven’t taken her warnings seriously. Gemini is the sign of teachers and learning. This could mark the time when mankind is finally understanding the seriousness of the situation and capable of changing the direction of development for the better.

The Full Moon in Scorpio was in exact conjunction with centaur Elatus.

Centaur planet Elatus was discovered in 1999 at 5+ degrees of Taurus. Its orbital period is 40.6 years, so it has now traveled almost half of its round around the Sun since its discovery.

In Greek mythology, during a battle with Hercules, Elatus was killed by a poisoned arrow that passed through his arm and continued to wound Chiron in the knee. The name of the centaur Elatus is associated with woodlands and means “fir man”, perhaps because he used to pull up whole fir trees and use them as weapons.

The former Prime Minister of Finland, Sanna Marin, shared a photo of her with President Obama yesterday on Instagram. They both have a prominent Elatus. Sanna Marin has a Scorpio Sun in a tight conjunction with Elatus. Barack Obama’s Mercury-Elatus conjunction in Leo opposes his Jupiter in Aquarius. Maybe Elatus correlates with leadership skills, speaking skills, or the ability to make oneself heard by others.

https://www.instagram.com/sannamarin/p/C6G7zTItyJF/?img_index=1

The New Moon in Aries is a total solar eclipse visible across North America. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, completely obscuring the light of the Sun momentarily. All three bodies are in line. In the astrological chart, the Sun and the Moon are in conjunction, as always at the time of the New Moon. Even if the eclipse is not visible where you live, its astrological significance is not reduced because of it. In addition, the eclipse degree can remain as a sensitive point for years to come.

The eclipse occurs exactly in conjunction with the centaur planet Chiron, in the same degree and down to arc minutes. The trans-Neptunian Eris is also prominent in the chart. It is in the same degree with Mercury retrograde. Mercury turned retrograde on April 1, 2024.

We associate both the New Moon and Aries, the first sign of the zodiac, strongly with new beginnings. The eclipse intensifies the power of the moment. The eclipse is like a transition point that gives a chance to adjust the direction that we are taking. In Aries there is pioneering spirit, self-motivation and action.

Each solar eclipse is a member of a specific Saros series. Each series starts as a tiny partial eclipse at either the North or South Pole, produces an eclipse every 18 years, and finishes at the opposite Pole. Each eclipse family has the characteristics of its own. Today’s eclipse belongs to the Saros series 8 North, which started in 1501 at the North Pole. We can cast the chart for the initial eclipse and use it to help interpreting the current eclipse chart. The initial eclipse was in Gemini (ruled by Mercury), and astrologer Bernadette Brady has delineated it like this: ”Inventiveness and flashes of genius are the hallmark of this Saros Series. The individual will have intuitive leaps, insights, good ideas, visions or vivid dreams. This new-found inspiration will pull the person away from his or her social life or relationship, thereby causing strain in the private life. This is a time when the person needs to be free, if only for a few weeks.” (Bernadette Brady, Predictive Astrology, 1992)

Centaur planet Chiron was discovered in 1977. It orbits the Sun on an elliptical orbit that is merging the realms of Saturn and Uranus. The orbital period is about 50 years. Observations in 1989 showed that Chiron had developed a cometary coma. A tail was detected in 1993. Today it is classified as both a minor planet and a comet. Chiron has three rings (yes, three rings!) and their structure is constantly evolving. The evidence of the rings was provided by several observations of occultations, the latest of which was in 2022. What a maverick!

Sue Tompkins and Melanie Reinhart have written: ”…In this sense Chiron bridges the realms of Uranus (radical change, revolution and the overturning of old collective structures) and Saturn (lord of manifestation and preserver of existing forms). By weaving both impulses into a higher synthesis, more uniquely personal than either planet, Chiron’s process may help us to individuate beyond the various pressures of the collective to which we are all subject. Commitment to the healing of ourselves, others and our environment is the price this minor planet seems to be asking us to pay.” (Sue Tompkins, The Contemporary Astrologer’s Handbook, 2006)

According to Barbara Hand Clow, ”Chiron is a knife-like tool you can use to dissect levels of awareness.” (Barbara Hand Clow, Chiron Transforming Bridge Between the Inner and Outer Planets, 2004)

Mercury is now retrograding in Aries. Retrograding planets work a bit differently than planets in direct motion. Their energy is said to be more introspective. Martin Schulman has said: ”…through one’s Retrogrades, it is possible to ultimately become one’s own Guru through the enormous self awareness that emerges the minute the ‘not me’ identity is no longer a strong vibratory force in the person’s life.” By the ”not me” identity Schulman means the part of us that society, tradition, and our parents have taught us.

Although Schulman writes about ”Retrograde Mercury Personality”, the following can be adapted to transits as well: ”Once the communication barrier is passed, there is a tremendous amount of insight that comes out of the Retrograde Mercury. To make this easier, the Retrograde individual should not try to make the form of his life fit into the ideas and opinions of others around him. Instead he can find more comfort in being grateful for his rather unique way of seeing things.” (Martin Schulman, Retrogrades and Reincarnation, 1977)

Now Mercury and Eris are in a tight conjunction in Aries. Eris is is the most massive and second-largest known minor planet in the Solar System. It was discovered in 2005 and the next year named after the Greco–Roman goddess of strife and discord. It is a TNO in the scattered disk with the orbital period of almost 560 years.

Amy Shapiro writes about Eris-Mercury aspects: ”Mercury, like the chemical element, in its purest state is a tool of reflection, as a mirroring surface for what is near it. Eris polarizes all that she encounters.” (Amy Shapiro, Inviting Eris To The Party, 2014)

The last quote is from Henry Seltzer, and he too is talking about natal aspects between Mercury and Eris, but we can apply this again to the current transits as the stepping stone on our path to find our true ”me” identity: ”All the intellectual roads that you traverse have the power to bring you into closer connection with yourself. It is a life-long study to discover who you really are, on the inside, and once you do, you find that you are in a far better position to express your unique attitudes to the world around you.” (Henry Seltzer, The Tenth Planet, 2015)