The Full Moon is in exact conjunction with centaur Aphidas retrograde at 8+ degrees of Virgo. 121725 Aphidas was discovered in 1999 and named after the Greek centaur who remained in a drunken sleep during the battle between the Centaurs and Lapiths.

The myth and my earlier studies on Aphidas proposed to me that astrologically Aphidas may represent one’s complicated relationship with publicity and some kind of withdrawal. Many celebrities with a prominent Aphidas have a difficult relationship with the media and have even withdrawn from their career at the peak of their fame.

A week ago the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, confirmed that they will not be returning as working members of the British monarchy. Harry and Meghan announced their intention already, about a year ago, and are now living in Southern California. Meghan Markle retired from acting in 2017 when she became engaged to Prince Harry. Yesterday Prince Harry revealed in an interview that he stepped back from his royal duties because the British press was toxic and was destroying his mental health.

The aforementioned news propelled me to check Aphidas in the charts of Harry, Meghan and some other members of the British royal family. Divorces in the royal family are interesting in this respect too. The royal duties of the other party are simultaneously taken away with the divorce. Uranus is the classical indicator of divorce, but I was curious to see if also Aphidas had some part in these cases.

Both Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have a Chiron-Aphidas conjunction in their natal charts. Harry’s conjunction is in Gemini opposite his Uranus in Sagittarius, and Meghan’s is in Taurus. Meghan’s Chiron-Aphidas conjunction at 21-22 degrees of Taurus, forms a yod configuration with her Pluto in Libra and Neptune in Sagittarius.

In a direct chart comparison Harry’s Moon at 21+ Taurus is exactly conjunct Meghan’s Aphidas, and thus also affected by all the planets in Meghan’s yod. Also Harry’s Sun at 22+ Virgo is aspected by those planets. The transiting Aphidas in Virgo is now tightly squaring Harry’s natal Chiron-Aphidas conjunction in Gemini and also his natal Uranus in Sagittarius.

Princess Diana’s death in 1997 and the role of the press in it traumatized Prince Harry in his childhood and contributed to his recent reactions and his willingness to protect his own family. In the natal chart of Princess Diana, she has the conjunction of Aphidas and Varda at 23+ Libra right at her Midheaven, the cusp of the 10th house. She really was the Star-queen, the queen of the light, symbolized by Varda. The 10th house represents one’s most cherished goals and the “calling” in the life. While the aggressive press certainly was not anything what she aspired, it was what she encountered, and it is one of those things that we instantly remember when we think about her. Thus we can understand Aphidas at her Midheaven.

When Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson was born, the Sun was in conjunction with Aphidas and Varda in Libra. She has been constantly in the tabloids. Prince Andrew and Sarah announced their separation on March 19, 1992. Sarah did not carry out royal engagements after the separation. The transiting Aphidas at 2+ degrees of Cancer was opposite Sarah’s natal Saturn in Capricorn and strictly squaring Sarah’s nodes of the Moon on the Libra and Aries axis. The lunar nodes symbolize our karmic pathway from the past to the future. When a planet is in a square aspect to the nodes, it must be addressed before growth can be attained. The transiting Uranus-Neptune conjunction in Capricorn was squaring Sarah’s natal Aphidas in Libra.

When the marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana was dissolved, and Diana also resigned from most of her charities on Aug. 28, 1996, Aphidas was transiting in Cancer in conjunction with Venus and Mars. These three planets made a transit square to Diana’s natal Aphidas at her Midheaven.

There is a powerful concentration of energy in Aquarius, a stellium of six planets including the Sun, Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, Venus and Mercury, and asteroid Pallas. A stellium is a cluster of planets in one zodiac sign or astrological house. The two benefics, Venus and Jupiter, are in exact conjunction. Mars and Uranus in Taurus are causing friction by squaring the stellium. The New Moon is in exact sextile to Eris in Aries.

Aquarius is an unconventional and community-oriented sign. It is the sign of freedom and rebellion. Lately we have seen a lot of rebellion, as there have been huge political protests in Russia, Belarus, Myanmar, and protests against corona restrictions all over the world. The coronavirus is still spreading, and we have to do our best to cope with it. At the same time there are also other serious concerns which demand attention and must be dealt with, such as global warming. We need Aquarian collaboration and innovativeness if we want to survive.

A study which was published last year indicates that the oil and gas industry has had a worse impact on the climate than previously was believed. The global warming is accelerating the loss of species, increasing the risk of pandemics, and producing extreme weather events. Last Sunday a Himalayan glacier broke and caused massive flooding in India, smashing a dam and killing people. The impact of global warming is greatest in high latitude regions.

The New Moon in Aquarius is forming a t-square with two distant minor planets which are named after deities from the Arctic region. The Sun and the Moon oppose Sila-Nunam in Leo and square Sedna in Taurus. When Sila-Nunam was discovered 24 years ago, there was also a stellium in Aquarius then.

Sedna was discovered in 2003. The orbit is extremely long and elongated, taking approximately 11,400 years to complete. Sedna was named after the Inuit goddess of the sea, and she created the sea animals.

Sila-Nunam is a binary system discovered in 1997. The components are of almost equal size and both are elongated with their long axes pointing to each other. The bodies are named after Inuit deities. Sila was the Inuit god of the sky, weather, and life force. Nunam was the Earth goddess, Sila’s wife. She created the land animals and, in some traditions, the Inuit people. Sila breathed life into the Inuit.

June 16, 1962 – The serialization of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring began in The New Yorker. This environmental science book was released as a book on Sept. 27, 1962, giving rise to the modern environmentalist movement. Carson accused the chemical industry of spreading disinformation, and public officials of accepting the industry’s marketing claims unquestioningly. Rachel Carson (May 27, 1907 – Apr. 14, 1964) was an American marine biologist, author, and conservationist.

Carson had attended the White House Conference on Conservation in May 1962, where the upcoming serialization of her book was promoted. The Sun conjoined Sila-Nunam in Gemini on June 1, 1962. When the serialization began on June 16, Mercury was conjunct Sila-Nunam in Gemini. Rachel Carson has natally the Sun in Gemini sextile Sila-Nunam in early Aries. On June 16, 1962, the conjunction of Mercury and Sila-Nunam was transiting her natal Mercury.

June 15, 1971 – Norway began oil production in the North Sea. The Sun was in conjunction with Sila-Nunam in Gemini.

June 23, 1980 – The 1980 United States heat wave was a period of intense heat and drought throughout the summer of 1980. It is among the most devastating natural disasters in terms of deaths and destruction in U.S. history, claiming at least 1,700 lives and massive agricultural damage. In Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, high temperatures exceeded 100 F (38 C) a total of 69 times, including a record 42 consecutive days from June 23 to August 3. The Sun was conjunct Vesta and Sila-Nunam in Cancer, sextile Jupiter in Virgo.

Feb. 3, 1997 – 79360 Sila-Nunam was discovered. Later the same year an international treaty known as the Kyoto Protocol was adopted. For the first time the industrialized countries agreed on targets to cut their greenhouse gas emissions.

July 26, 2005 — Mumbai, India receives 99.5 cm of rain (39.17 inches) within 24 hours, bringing the city to a halt for over 2 days. The Maharashtra floods of 2005 refer to the flooding of many parts of the state, including large areas of the metropolis Mumbai, in which at least 5,000 people died. The Sun was conjunct Sila-Nunam in Leo and square Deucalion (association with flooding) in Scorpio.

Jan. 9, 2012 — 79360 Sila-Nunam was named after Inuit deities. The next day the news announced that Alaska saw record snowfall. Sila-Nunam was in Leo. The Sun in Capricorn was trine Sedna in Taurus and sextile Huya (named after a rain god) in Scorpio. During the previous few weeks, almost 15 feet of snow had fallen on Cordova. The town issued a disaster declaration on Jan. 6.

May 1-4, 2012 – The Greenpeace activists protested the Finnish icebreaker Nordica’s involvement in Arctic oil drilling. Nordica was chartered for Shell Oil Company to support exploration drilling operations. The activists tried to prevent Nordica from leaving Helsinki, they boarded the icebreaker at sea, and they stopped boats in front of the icebreaker. The Sun in Taurus was square Sila-Nunam in Leo, Jupiter conjunct Sedna in Taurus.

Aug. 18, 2019 — 100 activists, officials, and other concerned citizens along with Iceland’s Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson hold a funeral for Okjökull glacier, which has completely melted as the direct result of climate change. The memorial plaque reads: “Ok is the first Icelandic glacier to lose its status as a glacier. In the next 200 years all our glaciers are expected to follow the same path. This monument is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it”. The Sun was conjunct Sila-Nunam in Leo and opposite Damocles in Aquarius.

The Full Moon at 9+ degrees of Leo opposed the Sun in Aquarius. The Sun is in exact conjunction with Jupiter. The Moon was in exact conjunction with asteroid 10 Hygiea, which is the fourth largest asteroid in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter (after 1 Ceres, 4 Vesta and 2 Pallas). Both the Sun and the Moon triggered Mars at 10+ Taurus with tight square aspects. In Taurus Mars and Uranus are still in conjunction, although the conjunction has gradually started to loosen.

No matter how tired you are of reading about the corona virus or about the precautions of the covid-19 disease, asteroid Hygiea in this chart is reminding us precisely of them. The Leo-Aquarius axis is connected to the interests of an individual versus those of a community.

The name of asteroid 10 Hygiea comes from Hygieia, the Greek goddess of health, cleanliness and hygiene. She was one of the sons and daughters of Asclepius, the god of medicine. Asclepius was more directly associated with healing; Hygieia was associated with the prevention of sickness. Her name is the source of the word hygiene. 10 Hygiea is also astrologically connected to health matters. Astrologer Martha Lang-Wescott, who has specialized in working with asteroids, has summarized the meaning of Hygeia in the perception that “cleanliness is next to godliness!”

Mutated virus variants are spreading and the rollout of widespread coronavirus vaccinations have to be postponed because of the low levels of deliveries of the vaccine. The Moon in the sky is always changing. Its shape, color and place in the sky changes constantly, and thus we can associate the Moon with mutations. Mars represents all sharp equipment, including needles. Mars is also associated with infectious diseases.

The Full Moon is always an opposition of the Sun and the Moon. The Moon does not have a light of its own, but reflects the light of the Sun, and at the Full Moon the face of the Moon is totally lit. Asteroid Hygiea is now in the spotlight too. Jupiter acts like a magnifier.

10 Hygiea was discovered in 1849 by Annibale de Gasparis, an Italian astronomer. The Sabian symbol for the discovery degree of Hygiea is Libra 7: A woman feeding chickens and protecting them from the hawks. At the time of its discovery, Hygiea was considered to be a planet, like several other asteroids that were found before. The rapidly expanding number of small bodies discovered between Mars and Jupiter lead to their reclassification as asteroids in the 1850s.

There was no definition of a planet until in 2006, when the International Astronomical Union (IAU) established the categories of planets, dwarf planets and small Solar-System bodies. The first members of the dwarf planet category were Pluto, Eris and Ceres. According to the definition, a dwarf planet has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium shape (they are nearly round).

In 2008 the IAU announced the subcategory of plutoids for the trans-Neptunian dwarf planets. The IAU stated: “The dwarf planet Ceres is not a plutoid as it is located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Current scientific knowledge lends credence to the belief that Ceres is the only object of its kind. Therefore, a separate category of Ceres-like dwarf planets will not be proposed at this time.” Little did they know.

In 2019 it was announced that Hygiea had been observed to be nearly as spherical as Ceres and is close to a hydrostatic equilibrium shape, and therefore could be reclassified as a dwarf planet. A recent study showed that Hygiea is also the only known asteroid whose surface composition appears similar to that of the dwarf planet Ceres. This fact has an interesting point of contact with the astrological meaning of these two asteroids as taking care of the wellbeing of humans.

In 2008 two more trans-Neptunian bodies, Haumea and Makemake, were added to the category of dwarf planets / plutoids. There have been no new additions since, and nobody uses the term plutoid, whereas everybody talks about minor planets or asteroids instead of using the new term “small Solar System body”. The establishment of a new subclass for the main belt dwarf planets and the possible reclassification of 10 Hygiea hardly happen in any time soon.

The Sun and the Moon in Capricorn are in conjunction with Pluto and square to Eris in Aries. Several intense aspects in the chart are asking you to be cautious in the coming days.

Pluto and Eris had the leading roles in the play which led astronomers in 2006 vote on the definition of a planet, and in other words, to decide if Eris would be included or Pluto excluded from the category. Eris’s energy is provocative. Eris does not like to be excluded. Both Eris and Pluto can indicate power struggles.

Quoting Amy Shapiro from Inviting Eris To The Party (Amy Shapiro, New Age Sages, 2014): “In our party analogy, Eris-Pluto will teach you to tango, an intensely passionate and powerful dance, just as Eris and Pluto’s orbits overlap in space.” She also writes that “Eris-Pluto square brings hard choices. Situations grow toxic if the focus is only self-interest.”

Eris has ended its latest six months long retrograde period and turned in direct motion just recently, on Jan. 10th. The rebellious Uranus stations direct on Jan. 14th. Both are then able to express themselves in their most natural way. Saturn, Jupiter and Mercury in early Aquarius are squaring Uranus in Taurus. The Mars-Uranus conjunction is tightening. The exact conjunction happens on Jan. 20th. The Mars-Uranus combination is prone to show extreme behavior.

In fact Uranus in Taurus is forming a grand cross with Varuna in Leo, Zhulong in Scorpio and the aforementioned planets in Aquarius. The trans-Neptunian Zhulong is named after a Chinese dragon deity who controlled the day and night by opening and closing its eyes. Sometimes the course of our life can change dramatically in a blink of an eye.

Besides Pluto, the New Moon is in conjunction with centaur Amycus and plutino Arawn. Arawn is named from Welsh mythology. The myth tells how the god of underworld switches places with a mortal man. Among other things, the story tells about loyalty.

Amycus is named from Greek mythology after one of the centaurs that fought with Lapiths at the wedding of the king Pirithous. The centaurs were invited to the wedding, but they became drunk and lost their control. In the battle centaur Amycus was responsible for the first death of one of the Lapiths. Amycus was killed too, and the Lapiths defeated the centaurs.

Centaurs are symbolizing the dual nature of the man. Besides the civilized, human nature there is also the wild, animal nature in us. We need to remember that our behavior affects not just ourselves but other people too, and our actions always have consequences. We are connected to each other, and together we form humanity.

Saturn rules Capricorn. Saturn’s discipline and authority will help us through the next weeks.

The incredible year 2020 started in January with the Full Moon in Cancer. Now when the year is coming to its end, the Full Moon occurs in Cancer again. The Sun in Capricorn is in conjunction with Mercury and trine to Uranus. The Sun and Mercury are in conjunction with asteroid 31 Euphrosyne.

You don’t often bump into asteroid Euphrosyne in astrological writing. This is actually surprising, as astronomically it is quite a special asteroid, and astrologically its message is pleasing.

A quick google search brought me only a link to The Astrology Book: The Encyclopedia of Heavenly Influences by James R. Lewis (2003, by Visible Ink Press): “Euphrosyne, whose appellation means cheerfulness or joy, was named after one of the three Graces (the other two are Thalia and Aglaja). Euphrosyne was a daughter of Zeus and Eurynome. Like its mythological namesake, the asteroid confers the ‘grace’ of joy to natives in whose chart it is prominent.”

Euphrosyne was a goddess of good cheer, joy, mirth and merriment. The three Graces were often represented as the companions of other gods, such as Hera, Hermes, Eros, Dionysus, Aphrodite and Apollo. They gave their grace and beauty to everything that delighted and elevated gods and men.

31 Euphrosyne is a Main belt asteroid discovered in 1854 by James Ferguson at the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. It is one of the earliest asteroid discoveries, the 31st, and the first one found from North America. 1 Ceres in 1801 was the first, and currently the number is more than a million. Asteroids range in size from 940 km down to small rocks, less than 1 km in diameter. Euphrosyne is one of the biggest objects in the Main belt; it is the 9th- or 10th-largest with its approximately 270 km diameter. It is even larger than Chariklo, the largest known centaur planet.

Euphrosyne is the third-roundest known asteroid (after 1 Ceres and 10 Hygiea). It is not in hydrostatic equilibrium though (like the dwarf planet Ceres). The round shape is thought to have formed because of a collision and the re-accumulation process that followed. Euphrosyne has a high orbital inclination and eccentricity. It orbits the Sun near the asteroid belt’s outer edge. The orbital period is little over 5.5 years.

Euphrosyne is the namesake of an asteroid family of two thousand asteroids that formed in the collision mentioned before. They share similar spectral properties and orbital elements as Euphrosyne. Euphrosyne has a moon, likely resulting from the same collisional event that created the family. The small satellite was discovered in 2019.

The turn of the year is the time to reflect the past. This has been a year of hardships for most of us. The year may have brought achievements to some people though, and some may have discovered joy in helping others. Some have lost their friend or a relative, while others may have a new baby in the family, making their life more meaningful and sweeter than before. Now it is also the time to look forward. In the beginning of a new year the hopes are high. Whatever the year 2021 may bring, Euphrosyne is reminding us that eventually there will be merrier times ahead, for all of us.

Winter Solstice – December 21, 2020, 10:02 UT

This has been an unforgettable year. At the end of the year notable astrological events are taking place and giving us hope. The New Moon in Sagittarius on Dec.14 was a total solar eclipse near our Galactic Center, the center of the Milky Way. The eclipse occurred in exact conjunction with the trans-Neptunian 174567 Varda. The eclipse took place opposite Asbolus, which has survivor quality to it. In addition there is a visible Christmas star in the sky, the shining conjunction of the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn.

A total solar eclipse happens when the Sun is completely covered by the Moon. The Moon is passing between the Earth and the Sun. The eclipse is visible only from specific areas on Earth, and this time only from Chile and Argentina. This doesn’t reduce its astrological significance.

In Silmarillion, the posthumous collection of J. R. R. Tolkien’s works which provides the background to The Lord of the Rings, it is Varda, the queen of the Valar, who set the vessels of the Sun and Moon upon their courses. Tolkien describes the solar eclipse like this:

”The maiden whom the Valar chose from among the Maiar to guide the vessel of the Sun was named Arien, and he that steered the island of the Moon was Tilion.

“But Tilion went with uncertain pace, as yet he goes, and was still drawn towards Arien, as he shall ever be; so that often both may be seen above the Earth together, or at times it will chance that he comes so nigh that his shadow cuts off her brightness and there is a darkness amid the day.”

174567 Varda is a binary cubewano. The primary is named after Varda, the creator of the stars in J. R. R. Tolkien’s fictional mythology. She was so beautiful that it was impossible to describe it in words. Her face was radiating light. Although the Sun’s light was blocked today, Varda was still sharing her love and beauty.

174567 Varda’s satellite is named Ilmarë after Varda’s handmaiden. Tolkien was inspired by many mythologies, and the name Ilmarë possibly comes from the magical Finnish blacksmith Ilmarinen in our national epic, the Kalevala.

The star queen Varda reigned beside Manwë, a Jupiter-like deity. When they were together, Manwë saw further than all other eyes, and Varda heard more clearly than all other ears. 385446 Manwë is another trans-Neptunian minor planet, and it is now in Pisces in sextile aspect to the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in Capricorn and square to the Galactic Center in Sagittarius. Also Venus in Scorpio is sextile to the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction.

The great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn has already begun. The previous time that these planets were so close each other in the sky was 400 years ago. This rare Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in Capricorn is not yet exact. Saturn’s ingress to Aquarius happens on Dec. 17, and Jupiter changes signs on Dec. 19. The Sun enters Capricorn on Dec. 21, which is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Later on that same day the exact conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in the first degree of Aquarius happens.

The Finnish meteorologist Pekka Pouta said today that Finland is now the core of the darkness in the whole world, because we don’t have snow at all halfway across the country. It helps to know that Varda’s light is available for us all.

The examples of Varda:

Galilei Galileo (Feb. 16, 1564) – Jupiter and Saturn conjunct Varda in Cancer.

George Washington (Feb. 22, 1732) – The Moon conjunct Varda in Capricorn.

Florence Nightingale (May 12, 1820), — The Sun and the Moon conjunct Varda in Taurus (chart rating DD).

John Cage (Sept. 5, 1912) was an American composer, music theorist, artist, and philosopher. Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde. He has described music as “an affirmation of life – not an attempt to bring order out of chaos nor to suggest improvements in creation, but simply a way of waking up to the very life we’re living”. – The Sun conjunct Asbolus and Varda in Virgo.

Nicanor Parra (Sept 5, 1914) was a Chilean poet and physicist, brother of Violeta Parra. He is considered one of the most influential poets in the Spanish language of the 20th century, often compared with Pablo Neruda. – The Sun conjunct Cyllarus and Varda in Virgo.

Leonard Cohen (Sept. 21, 1934) – The triple conjunction of the Sun, Ixion and Varda at the ascendant. The Sun is in late Virgo, Ixion and Varda in early Libra (chart rating AA).

Günter Wallraff (Oct. 1, 1942) is a German writer and undercover journalist. — The Sun conjunct Mars, Varda and Ixion in Libra, opposite Eris in Aries.

Cat Stevens (July 21, 1948) – Neptune and Varda at the ascendant in Libra (chart rating A).

Kamala Harris (Oct. 20, 1964) – The Sun conjunct Varda in Libra, opposite the Moon in Aries.

Edward Snowden (June 21, 1983) – The Moon conjunct Varda in Scorpio.

The Full Moon in Gemini is a penumbral lunar eclipse, which means that the Moon is not totally darkened by the shadow of the Earth. The eclipse takes place on the North node of the Moon, meaning it is future oriented. Gemini is the sign of communication and its ruler Mercury, the messenger of the gods, is in the intense Scorpio in sextile aspect to the tightening Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in the late degrees of Capricorn.

Jupiter in its part rules the sign of Sagittarius, where the Sun is now. Sagittarians like to explore and reach far. The Sun is in conjunction with an oddball among the asteroids, 514107 Kaʻepaokaʻawela.

514107 Kaʻepaokaʻawela is a small asteroid that shares Jupiter’s orbit around the Sun, but it is moving in the opposite direction, and yet survives. Its orbit is quite stable. Kaʻepaokaʻawela has been in its co-orbital relation with Jupiter for at least a million years and will continue to be at least another million years. What is more, Kaʻepaokaʻawela may be of interstellar origin.

In the discovery chart of Kaʻepaokaʻawela (discovered in 2014), Kaʻepaokaʻawela is in conjunction with Jupiter in Leo. The Moon of the discovery chart is at 26+ Capricorn, exactly where Jupiter is transiting now. Mercury was in conjunction with Saturn in Scorpio, right where Mercury is currently.

Recently we have been offered imagination stimulating news. The huge Arecibo observatory in Puerto Rico will be shut down. Scientists and astronomers have used the telescope to find potentially hazardous asteroids and in search for extraterrestrial life. In the Utah desert a mysterious shining metal monolith emerged and then suddenly disappeared again. Last but not least, an amateur astronomer believes he has found evidence for a source of the famous Wow! signal. The Wow! signal was a strong and unique radio signal received by Ohio State University’s Big Ear radio telescope in the United States 43 years ago. The signal appeared to come from the direction of the constellation Sagittarius and bore the expected hallmarks of extraterrestrial origin.

Eclipses portend change. They allow us to pause and reflect. If you detect a strange signal in the coming weeks, don’t rush to pack your bags; it is unlikely the aliens are contacting you, rather it is a message coming within, from your unconscious, able to be heard now that the “radio noise” was abated because of the eclipse. Pay attention to your inner voice.

My research results for prominent charts for Kaʻepaokaʻawela are below. Kaʻepaokaʻawela seems to indicate people and events that are bizarre, not necessarily accepted by the majority, rebellious if not anarchistic, reaching beyond the borders, people doing their own thing or walking their own path, or transmitting on a special wavelength.

Examples:

Srinivasa Ramanujan (Dec. 22, 1887– Apr. 26, 1920) was an Indian mathematician. His work was completely novel; his original and highly unconventional results have opened entire new areas of work and inspired a vast amount of further research. “The Man Who Knew Infinity” is a 2015 British biographical drama film about him. – The Sun conjunct Kaʻepaokaʻawela in Capricorn

Edwin Hubble (Nov. 20, 1889 – Sept. 28, 1953) was an American astronomer, whose name is most widely recognized for the Hubble Space Telescope, which was named in his honor. — The Sun in Scorpio conjunct Kaʻepaokaʻawela in Sagittarius

May 7, 1895 — Alexander Popov, a Russian physicist, presented a paper on a wireless lightning detector he had built that worked via using a coherer to detect radio noise from lightning strikes. – The Sun-Mercury conjunction in Taurus square Kaʻepaokaʻawela in Leo

Ernest Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, journalist, and sportsman. Hemingway believed the deeper meaning of a story should not be evident on the surface, but should shine through implicitly. – The Moon conjunct Kaʻepaokaʻawela in Capricorn (chart rating AA)

Frida Kahlo (July 6, 1907 – July 13, 1954) was a Mexican painter. Kahlo has been described as a surrealist or magical realist. — Kaʻepaokaʻawela at the ascendant in Leo (chart rating AA)

The International Anarchist Congress of Amsterdam (from Aug. 24 to Aug. 31, 1907), — There is a triple conjunction formed by the Sun, Venus and Kaʻepaokaʻawela. The Sun is in Virgo, Venus and Kaʻepaokaʻawela are in Leo.

Nelson Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – Jan. 26, 1979) was an American businessman and politician. – The Sun conjunct Arawn and Kaʻepaokaʻawela in Cancer, Kaʻepaokaʻawela square the Libra ascendant (chart rating B)

Kim Philby (Jan. 1, 1912 – May 11, 1988) was a British intelligence officer and a double agent for the Soviet Union. He was known for passing more than 900 British documents over to the KGB. In 1963, having finally been unmasked as a Soviet agent, Philby defected to Moscow, where he lived out his life until his death. – The Sun conjunct Gonggong and Kaʻepaokaʻawela in Capricorn

Britt Wadner (Jan. 16, 1915 – March 13, 1987) was a Swedish model and pirate radio manager. — Kaʻepaokaʻawela in Scorpio sextile the Sun in Capricorn, square Jupiter in Aquarius, trine Eris in Pisces and quincunx Saturn in Geimini

On March 6, 1962, the Swedish offshore station Radio Syd started broadcasting. At the time Kaʻepaokaʻawela in Sagittarius was transiting in conjunction with Britt Wadner’s Venus. The Pirate Radio Act banned ownership of radio transmitters and also prohibited broadcasts from international waters if they disrupted Swedish Radio. Wadner was sentenced three times for violation of the law.

Zecharia Sitchin (July 11, 1920 – Oct. 9, 2010) was an author of books proposing that an explanation for human origins is involving ancient astronauts, extraterrestrials from Nibiru, a planet beyond Neptune. His books have sold millions of copies worldwide. His ideas have been rejected by scientists and academics. – A triple conjunction of the Sun, Venus and Kaʻepaokaʻawela in Cancer

Anne Francis (Sept. 16, 1930 – Jan. 2, 2011) was an American actress, known for her role in the science fiction film Forbidden Planet (1956), which was the first science fiction film to depict humans traveling in a faster-than-light starship of their own creation. It was also the first film to be set entirely on another planet in interstellar space. — The Sun conjunct Kaʻepaokaʻawela in Virgo

Edgar Mitchell (Sept. 17, 1930 – Feb. 4, 2016) was an American astronaut and ufologist, whose interests included consciousness and paranormal phenomena. He believed aliens have crash-landed on earth. Mitchell walked on the Moon, and on his way back to Earth during the Apollo 14 flight he had a powerful meditation experience. — The Sun conjunct Kaʻepaokaʻawela in Virgo

Yuri Gagarin (March 9, 1934 – March 27, 1968) was a cosmonaut who became the first human to journey into outer space – The Sun conjunct Kaʻepaokaʻawela and Hidalgo in Pisces

Gene Cernan (March 14, 1934 – Jan. 16, 2017) was an American astronaut and as commander of Apollo 17 in December 1972, the final Apollo lunar landing, he was the last person to walk on the Moon. — Kaʻepaokaʻawela conjunct the Sun and Pallas in Pisces, trine Pluto in Cancer and quincunx Jupiter in Libra

Carl Sagan (Nov. 9, 1934 – Dec. 20, 1996) was an American astronomer, planetary scientist, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author, poet, and science communicator. His best known scientific contribution is research on extraterrestrial life. Sagan assembled the first physical messages sent into space: the Pioneer plaque and the Voyager Golden Records, containing sounds and images that could potentially be understood by any extraterrestrial intelligence that might find them. — Kaʻepaokaʻawela conjunct the Midheaven and the North node in Aquarius and square to Mercury-Jupiter conjunction in Scorpio (chart rating AA)

Ridley Scott (born Nov. 30, 1937) is an English film director and producer. The science fiction film Alien (1979) was his commercial breakthrough. — The Sun conjunct Kaʻepaokaʻawela in Sagittarius

Gordon Lightfoot (born Nov. 17, 1938) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist, who is often referred to as Canada’s greatest songwriter. His music career has spanned more than six decades. — The Sun-Kaʻepaokaʻawela conjunction in Scorpio square Jupiter in Aquarius

Pelé (born Oct. 23, 1940) was a Brazilian professional footballer, who was regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Among his contemporaries, the Dutch star Johan Cruyff has said; “Pelé was the only footballer who surpassed the boundaries of logic.” — The Sun conjunct Kaʻepaokaʻawela in Libra

The first Kinsey Report, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male, is published in the United States (Jan. 5, 1948). The Kinsey Reports are two scholarly books on human sexual behavior. The pioneering work was immediately controversial, because it challenged conventional beliefs about sexuality and discussed subjects that had been taboo. — The Sun and Mercury conjunct Kaʻepaokaʻawela in Capricorn

Mantell UFO incident (Jan. 7, 1948), Kentucky Air National Guard pilot Thomas Mantell crashes while in pursuit of an unidentified flying object. The event was among the most publicized early UFO incidents. — The Sun and Mercury conjunct Kaʻepaokaʻawela in Capricorn

Pablo Escobar (Dec. 1, 1949 – Dec. 2 1993) was a Colombian drug lord and the founder and leader of the Medellín Cartel. Escobar is the wealthiest criminal in history, a “Robin Hood-like” figure for many in Colombia. – The triple conjunction of the Sun, Chariklo and Kaʻepaokaʻawela at the Midheaven in Sagittarius (chart rating B)

T. S. Eliot speaks against television in the UK (Nov. 20, 1950) — The Sun conjunct Kaʻepaokaʻawela in Scorpio

Sid Vicious (May 10, 1957 – Feb. 2, 1979), the bassist and vocalist of the British punk band the Sex Pistols. — Kaʻepaokaʻawela = Sun / Mercury in Taurus, square Chiron in Aquarius

Sharon Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an American actress. — The Sun conjunct Kaʻepaokaʻawela in Pisces, Kaʻepaokaʻawela at the descendent (chart rating C)

Bob Lazar (born Jan. 26, 1959) is an American conspiracy theorist, who claims that he examined an alien craft in the late 1980s at a secret site located several kilometers south of the Area 51 in Nevada. His story has been analyzed and rejected by skeptics and some ufologists. — The Sun conjunct Kaʻepaokaʻawela in Aquarius

Ghislaine Maxwell (born Dec. 25, 1961) is a British former socialite, known for her association with the sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein. Maxwell was arrested by the FBI in July 2020 and charged with enticement of minors, sex trafficking of children, and perjury. — Kaʻepaokaʻawela at the descendent in Sagittarius square Pluto in Virgo (chart rating AA)

The Morse Message (Nov. 19, 1962) The Morse Message was a series of brief radio messages in Morse code that were transmitted from the Crimean town of Yevpatoria. The message was the first radio broadcast intended for extraterrestrial civilizations in the history of mankind. — Mercury and the Sun conjunct Kaʻepaokaʻawela in Scorpio

Jodie Foster (born Nov. 19, 1962) is an American actress and director. She starred the film Contact (1997) as a scientist searching for extraterrestrial life in the SETI project, a science fiction film based on a novel by Carl Sagan and directed by Robert Zemeckis. — Mercury and the Sun conjunct Kaʻepaokaʻawela in Scorpio

Arecibo Observatory, a radio telescope, officially begins operation in Puerto Rico (Nov. 1, 1963). — The Sun and Mercury are conjunct Kaʻepaokaʻawela and Arrokoth in Scorpio. (The name ‘Arrokoth’ reflects the inspiration of looking to the skies, and wondering about the stars and worlds beyond our own.)

Greenpeace Foundation (May 4, 1972) The Don’t Make a Wave Committee was the name of the anti-nuclear organization which later evolved into Greenpeace, a global environmental organization. This is the date for the name change. — Jupiter conjunct Kaʻepaokaʻawela in Capricorn

Brian Molko (born Dec. 10, 1972) is a Belgian-born British-American musician and songwriter, the lead vocalist of Placebo. He has been quoted as calling the band “music for outsiders, by outsiders”. — The Sun conjunct Kaʻepaokaʻawela in Sagittarius

Brandon Teena (Dec. 12, 1972 – Dec. 31, 1993) was an American trans man who was raped and murdered. Teena’s murder for its part led to increased lobbying for hate crime laws in the United States. — The Sun conjunct Kaʻepaokaʻawela in Sagittarius, opposite Nessus in Gemini

The Arecibo message (Nov. 16, 1974) is an interstellar radio message carrying basic information about humanity and Earth, designed with help from Carl Sagan, among others. — The Sun conjunct Kaʻepaokaʻawela and Arrokoth in Scorpio

The Wow! signal (Aug. 15, 1977) The Wow! signal was a strong narrowband radio signal received by Ohio State University’s Big Ear radio telescope in the United States. The signal appeared to come from the direction of the constellation Sagittarius and bore the expected hallmarks of extraterrestrial origin. — Jupiter in Gemini square Kaʻepaokaʻawela in the first degree of Libra (an Aries point event)

The Voyager Golden Records are two phonograph records that were included aboard both Voyager spacecraft. Voyager 2 was launched on Aug. 20, 1977 and Voyager 1 on Sept. 5, 1977. The content of the record was chosen by Carl Sagan. Both space crafts have entered in interstellar space. Both launch charts have a prominent Kaʻepaokaʻawela.

Space Shuttle Columbia launched for the first time (Apr. 12, 1981) — the first time a manned reusable spacecraft has returned from orbit. — The Sun-Venus-Kaʻepaokaʻawela conjunction opposite Pluto

New Horizons closest approach to Arrokoth (Jan. 1, 2019) — The Sun conjunct Kaʻepaokaʻawela in Capricorn

The New Moon at 23+ degrees of Scorpio is sextile to the Jupiter-Pluto conjunction in Capricorn and in quincunx to Eris is Aries. The New Moon in Scorpio is in conjunction with a trans-Neptunian minor planet named Deucalion.

The New Moon, which is the conjunction of the Sun and the Moon, is the first phase of the lunation cycle. It is always a good time for new beginnings, new ideas, or new projects. This New Moon has some special features that are highlighting the fruitfulness of this time.

Mars in Aries has just stationed and turned in direct motion, pushing things forward. Aries is the first sign of the zodiac and thus a starting point for a new cycle. Mars in its own sign Aries is daring and full of motivation.

The conjunction of Jupiter and Pluto can produce a huge drive to accomplish great things. Jupiter magnifies everything it touches and Pluto is the planet of transformation. The last of the three exact Jupiter-Pluto conjunctions in Capricorn happened on Nov. 12. The New Moon in Scorpio forms a sextile to the conjunction, an aspect which allows the planets involved to work efficiently together.

53311 Deucalion is a trans-Neptunian small body with the orbital period of over 295 years. It is a classical Kuiper belt object, also called a cubewano. There is no official definition of cubewano. However, the term is used to refer to objects which are not in orbital resonance with Neptune and do not cross the orbit of Neptune. Deucalion has a low-eccentricity orbit and a very small inclination, like a classical planet. According to the naming rules of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) the cubewanos are given mythological or mythic names associated with creation.

53311 Deucalion was discovered in 1999 and named in 2003 from Greek mythology after Deucalion, son of Prometheus. Prometheus had created humans from clay and given them fire, which he had stolen from the gods. Many astrologers think that the appropriate name for planet Uranus would actually be Prometheus.

Deucalion is the main character of the Greek flood myth, which resembles the story of Noah from the Bible. Flood myths occur in many cultures. The flooding waters are sent by a deity in order for cleansing of humanity and in preparation for rebirth. The flood in the Greek myth was caused by the anger of Zeus. All humans were drowned except for Deucalion and his wife Pyrrha, who had been forewarned by Prometheus and built an ark. When the deluge was over, the ark landed on a mountain. Deucalion and Pyrrha consulted an oracle about how to repopulate the Earth and were told to “throw the bones of their mother” behind them. They understood that their mother is Earth and her bones are stones. The stones they then threw over their shoulders became men and women.

Humanity today is facing many problems, for example the covid-19 pandemic, the climate change, polarization of people, terrorism, political violence, the normalization of far right groups and the rise of fascism, and the challenges of the digital world, just to name a few.

In 2003, soon after the naming of 53311 Deucalion, astrologer Raimo A. Nikula shortly delineated the body as if he had been describing our world today. He noted that the myth of Deucalion reveals a need to create a new culture. Before the chance for a new start for humanity, there is a period of peril which is testing humanity’s endurance. According to him the symbolism of Deucalion is associated mostly with the sign of Aquarius. The new social norms creating the new culture should occur both the individual and collective levels. Just recently astrologer Eric Francis pointed out that the astrology of the forthcoming years will focus on Aquarius. “We are all here together. No person is an island. We rely upon one another,” he wrote.

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My special thanks to Chad Townsend for the discussion on the subject and for his valuable help!

All Saints’ Day, Halloween and the Finnish Kekri, now all are celebrated on the same weekend. And above all, a spectacular Full Moon rose in the sky on Oct. 31.

At this time of the year the veils between the worlds are thin. Kekri is the old Finnish pagan harvest festival. Whether the character called Kekri was a god or a ghost, we don’t know for sure. However, the dead relatives and ancestors were invited for dinner, and sauna was prepared for them as well.

The Moon is in Taurus in conjunction with Uranus and 15760 Albion, the first cubewano. The Moon is opposite the Sun in Scorpio, the sign associated with sex, death and transformation. Venus, the ruler of Taurus, is in Libra, which is another sign ruled by Venus, and it is opposing Chiron in Aries. The exact Venus-Chiron opposition takes place the next day, on Nov. 1.

The opposition is an aspect of confrontation, of meeting something or someone face to face. There is potential for conflict, but it also brings awareness. The signs in opposition are complementary to each other. The aspect often works through relationships. Libra is the sign associated with relationships, Taurus with values. Venus as the ruler of these two signs has to do with both associations, as it shows what we appreciate and how we bond with other people.

Howard Sasportas has described the transits of Uranus like this: “Uranus transits can activate our ability to connect with and understand the workings of the universal mind, allowing us to glimpse its intention and direction. When this happens, we may become the channel or agency through which some new idea or trend circulating in the collective psyche can manifest.”

Uranus is the rebellious rule-breaker. Robert Hand writes about Uranus in Taurus: “Uranus in Taurus is difficult because the revolutionary, rebellious and instantaneous quality of Uranus is not suited to the slow and gradual nature of Taurus. Signs such as Gemini allow Uranus to release its energies in a series of small discharges, preventing it from blowing up. But the nature of earth resists the electricity of Uranus such that when the energy is released, it is released in a tremendous explosion.”

15760 Albion, previously known as 1992 QB1, was the first minor planet found beyond Neptune (in 1992) after the discovery of Pluto in 1930. It was the turning point, which opened the door for discoveries of thousands of icy bodies in the outer regions of our solar system. Albion was named from the creation mythology of William Blake, an English poet and visionary. Albion is also the ancient and mythological name of Britain. Blake’s works don’t open up easily. Astrologically Albion can represent the edge, the bridge leading to the unknown, and the archetype of the thresholder.

“In the universe, there are things that are known, and things that are unknown, and in between, there are doors,” has William Blake said. The symbol for Chiron is a key, and keys open doors allowing us to enter into a new space. Chiron brings awareness and builds bridges. Chiron has been described as a maverick, so there is some Uranian flavor in it.

Taurus resists change and Libra seeks balance, but by this Full Moon in Taurus the stability will be shaken, one way or another.

The New Moon in Libra is opposite the retrograding Mars-Eris conjunction in Aries and square to Jupiter, Pluto and Saturn in Capricorn. Two distant minor planets, centaur 10199 Chariklo and plutino 15810 Arawn are also in conjunction with the Capricorn planets. There is an impressive cardinal t-square pattern formed by all these planets.

A t-square is an aspect pattern formed by two planets opposing each other and both of them squared by a third planet. It is a very stressful configuration. The tension is searching release, which can result in impatience and indiscretion. There are more than just three planets involved in the current t-square and the participants add extra weight to the aspects.

The Sun and the Moon in Libra are opposing Mars (action, passion, anger, aggression) and Eris (chaos, discord, provocation) in Aries. Mars is strong in its home sign, but now it is retrograding, which can hinder its normal behavior and cause huge frustration. Also Eris is retrograding. The empty leg of the t-square, which in this case is in Cancer, could act as the discharge point for the tension, but now the heavy Capricorn stellium concentrates the energy strongly on the apex in Capricorn.

The building energy that the t-square produces is not just a stress factor, but a possibility for successful work if it is handled constructively. Fortunately the New Moon in Libra is concerned of balance and justice. Moreover, the “graceful spinner” Chariklo is in the mix. Chariklo provides support.

The presence of Arawn offers an excellent moment for some serious soul searching. Van Morrison has the Sun-Arawn conjunction in his natal chart, and his works often tell about the spiritual search and healing. In an old interview, when it was a question about the identity crisis he had went through, he said: “…what they call in psychology an identity crisis… What it is as a matter of fact, it’s called growth… The whole point is, dig yourself.” Arawn may have a lot to do with being real, or showing our original essence.

15810 Arawn was discovered in 1994 and named in 2017 from Welsh mythology. Arawn was the ruler of the Celtic otherworld, Annwfn, meaning “the in-world”, derived from an (“in, inside”) and dwfn (“world”). Annwfn was like a paradise, a world of eternal youth where disease was absent and food was ever-abundant.

Jupiter is a planet of faith and self-confidence. It likes to explore and is interested in the search for meaning. Jupiter is now tightly conjunct Arawn. Mercury has just turned retrograde in Scorpio, which for its part is encouraging us to seek within.