New Moon in Aries – March 21, 2023, 17:23 UT

A new astrological year begins, and what a start we will have! The Sun entered Aries on March 20, and the New Moon in the first degree of Aries follows on the next day. Pluto enters Aquarius on March 23, 2023. The New Moon is in conjunction with Neptune and Borasisi in late Pisces and with Mercury and Manwë in early Aries.

Saturn changed signs already earlier in this month, and now it is Pluto’s turn. Pluto’s ingress is a slow process though. It will retrograde back to Capricorn in June, re-enter Aquarius again in January 2024, retrograde back to Capricorn again, and do the final ingress into Aquarius in November 2024. There are some interesting minor planet ingresses in progress too, namely those of Borasisi into Aries and Sedna into Gemini.

The trans-Neptunian Manwë is newly arrived in Aries. The ingress took place at the end of January. Manwë is actually a multiobject system, a contact binary consisting of Manwë and Thorondor, surrounded by rapidly orbiting moonlets. According to the official naming citation, “In J. R. R. Tolkien’s mythology, Manwë is foremost among the deities who rule the world. Manwë takes special responsibility for the air and winds. He resides in the Undying Lands across the western ocean from Middle Earth. For intelligence of events in Middle Earth, Manwë relies on the kingdom of eagles led by Thorondor.” The wise eagles were Manwë’s messengers. Tolkien wrote that Manwë “sees further than all other eyes, through mist, and through darkness, and over the leagues of the sea.”

Mercury too was the messenger of the gods. Mercury represents thoughts, speech, and communication. Mercury conjunct Manwë in Aries can mean forceful and direct communication, paying attention to details, whereas Borasisi and Neptune in Pisces can blur the message.

Neptune and Borasisi have a couple of things in common. They both were discovered exactly in the same degree at 25+ Aquarius, though 153 years apart. Neptune was discovered in 1846 and Borasisi in 1999. Deception and lies are the negative traits that are associated with Neptune. The trans-Neptunian Borasisi is named after the sun in the cosmogony of Bokononism described in Kurt Vonnegut’s novel Cat’s Cradle. The foundation of the fictional religion of Bokononism is based on living by the untruths that make one happy. The ingress of Borasisi into Aries starts in May and is completed in January 2025. Neptune and Borasisi will meet each other in the same degree at 2+ Aries in the summer of 2025, but their exact conjunction does not occur until in May 2026.

Last but not least is Sedna’s ingress into Gemini. Sedna, the primary symbol for climate change, enters Gemini for the first time in June, returns into Taurus in November, and then re-enters Gemini in April 2024. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) just published its report yesterday. Quoting the UN secretary general, António Guterres: “This report is a clarion call to massively fast-track climate efforts by every country and every sector and on every timeframe. Our world needs climate action on all fronts: everything, everywhere, all at once.”

New Moon in Pisces was in conjunction with Saturn, Crantor and Damocles.

Crantor is a peculiar centaur, approximately 60 km in diameter. It was discovered in 2002. This body orbits the Sun in a 1:1 resonance with Uranus, and thus its orbital period of 85.8 years is near Uranus’s 84 years. Crantor follows a complex, transient horseshoe orbit around Uranus. It is a kind of quasi-satellite of Uranus.

Crantor is named from Greek mythology, but not after one of the centaurs, rather a Lapith who was killed by the centaur Demoleon in the wedding of Pirithous, the king of the Lapiths. The name Demoleon means “the lion of the people” in English (Robert von Heeren, The Centaur Research Project). Centaur Demoleon tried to throw a tree trunk at the king of Athens, Theseus, but he managed to evade it, and the trunk hit Crantor instead.

Perhaps Crantor gets at least some of its astrological meaning from Uranus, the planet of unpredictability, rebellion and brotherhood.

Examples:

Billy Graham (Nov. 7, 1918 – Feb. 21, 2018), the American evangelist who held large indoor and outdoor rallies broadcast on radio and television. – the Sun conjunct Crantor in Scorpio

The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club originated on March 17, 1948, in California. – the Sun conjunct Crantor in Pisces

Julian Assange (born July 3, 1971), the founder of WikiLeaks – Saturn-Crantor conjunction at descendant in Gemini

Russel Brand (born June 4, 1975) is an English comedian and actor, known for his flamboyant and loquacious style and manner. – the Sun conjunct Crantor in Gemini

Matt Bellamy (born June 9, 1978) is an English singer and musician, known as the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for English rock band Muse. He is recognised for his eccentric stage persona. – the Sun conjunct Crantor in Gemini

Britney Spears (born Dec. 2, 1981) is an American pop singer. – Crantor at the Midheaven in Cancer

This New Moon in early Aquarius conjunct Pluto is an extreme supermoon, although the Moon is invisible, as it always is at the New Moon. The Sun and the Moon are in conjunction and the luminaries are in line with Earth. The Moon’s orbit around Earth is elliptical, and last time the Moon was this close to us was in 1030.

Instead of the Moon you may be able to see a rare visitor, the green comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) which is now passing through the inner solar system and should be visible if not with bare eyes at least with binoculars. Its closest approach to Earth will be on Feb. 1, 2023. It hasn’t been seen from Earth in about 50,000 years and it won’t be back in millions of years. In the chart comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is now at 21+ degrees of Libra. It is moving clockwise through the zodiac, in the opposite direction than the planets, and at the Full Moon on Feb. 5, 2023, it will be at 22+ degrees of Gemini.

The Sun conjoined Pluto on Jan. 18 in late Capricorn and entered Aquarius on Jan. 20. Pluto is about to start its slow ingress into Aquarius. We are on the threshold of a new era. Pluto enters Aquarius for the first time on March 23, 2023. Pluto returns into Capricorn in June 2023, makes the second enter into Aquarius in January 2024, goes back to Capricorn once again in September 2024, and then in November 2024 enters Aquarius the third and the last time on this round. Pluto’s orbit around the Sun takes 248 years.

Pluto was discovered in 1930 and its companion Charon in 1978. Pluto-Charon is the first known trans-neptunian binary object and the largest of the binary systems in the solar system. The barycenter of the Plutonian system lies in the space between both bodies, and the four small moons (Styx, Nix, Kerberos, and Hydra) orbit not just Pluto but Charon as well.

Already before Pluto’s astronomical binary status was known, its dual nature was obvious to astrologers. The first book published on Pluto was in 1934 by a German astrologer Fritz Brunhübner (1894 – 1965), who wrote:

“Just as the two luminaries form a polarity, so Pluto, too, is a polarity – a duality – seeking union or blending into singleness. Pluto is the ‘die and be’ of Goethe; it is death and rebirth; Pluto kills or destroys but builds out of the elements of the destroyed – out of the old, something new; Pluto rises from the ashes like the phoenix. Pluto is transformations…”

Brunhübner even thought that the mythology of the god Janus had better represented the characteristics of Pluto, and the name Janus would have been more fitting. In Roman mythology Janus was the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, frames, and endings. He is usually depicted as having two faces.

American astrologer Isabel M. Hickey (1903 – 1980) published “Pluto or Minerva: The Choice is Yours” in 1973. She wrote: “There is a very negative side to Pluto. That side is as low as its higher aspect is high. When mob rule takes over, the negative side of this energy causes individuals to act far more viciously than any one of them would act by himself.” She also wrote: “The dark forces use the Pluto force destructively and thereby bring on their own destruction. It takes strength to be a devil. Most of what we call evil is ignorance. Organized evil is beyond the comprehension of the average person. The forces of Light and their work is just as little understood. Always and all ways we can choose which is right for us.”

The New Moon occured in the early degrees of Sagittarius. The Sun and the Moon were part of a noteworthy t-square configuration. The New Moon opposed the wondrous planetoid Sedna, which is retrograding in the last degree of Taurus at the moment. A classical Kuiper belt object called Sila-Nunam in late Leo was the apex of the t-square. Sedna and Sila-Nunam are both named from Inuit mythology.

The New Moon was trine Jupiter, the ruler of Sagittarius. Jupiter was changing its direction and turning into forward motion simultaneously with the New Moon. In the chart Jupiter is still stationary. This is meaningful and adding power to the natural characteristic quality of Jupiter as magnifier and expander. If Jupiter touches another planet in the chart by an aspect, we can expect the effect of that other planet to be emphasized. Jupiter is tightly sextile to Sedna and in quincunx to Sila-Nunam.

Sedna came into our awareness in March 2004 when astronomer Mike Brown amazed us and introduced it to us in his press conference. The body is named after the Inuit goddess of the Arctic Ocean. Sedna’s orbit is one of the largest in the Solar System. The orbit is exceptionally elongated, the orbital period around the Sun is 11,400 years, and Sedna never comes even near Neptune. Sedna starts to change signs next summer and in 2024 enters Gemini. Because of the extremely long orbit, the astrological meaning of this dwarf planet is collective and refers to experiences that reach beyond several generations.

Sila-Nunam was named in 2012 after two Inuit deities, Sila and Nunam. This is a binary object, consisting of two almost equal sized bodies orbiting each other around a point in the free space between them. Sila-Nunam’s orbital period is 293 years. Sila is one of the oldest Inuit deities, even older than Sedna. Sila is the Inuit god of the sky, weather, and life force. Sila’s wife Nunam is the Earth goddess.

Sila-Nunam was discovered in 1997, the same year that an international treaty known as the Kyoto Protocol was signed. The agreement set targets for industrialized countries to cut their greenhouse gas emissions. Now climate emergency is real. The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) ended on Nov. 20, 2022, in Egypt. Sadly, it was not a great success. No matter in what kind of havoc the world may be otherwise, the fight against the climate change must be one of our primary missions. This New Moon in Sagittarius urges us.

The Sun has entered Scorpio, the sign of transformation, passion and strength. The New Moon in early Scorpio is an intense solar eclipse. This is a partial solar eclipse. It will be visible from large parts of Europe, Africa and Asia, if weather permits. Two major cycles are merged now, namely the monthly lunation cycle and the Venus cycle.

The Sun and the Moon are in conjunction with Venus and dwarf planet Haumea, two planets associated with fertility. Venus is in the same degree with the luminaries. The Roman goddess Venus is associated with love, beauty, desire and sex. Astrologically Venus symbolizes that what we appreciate and value, and our relationships. Haumea is the Hawaiian goddess of childbirth and fertility. She can take many different forms and her children sprang from different parts of her body.

The New Moon is always a conjunction of the Sun and the Moon, and it is the starting point of a new cycle. It is a good moment for fresh starts and new beginnings. A solar eclipse occurs usually twice a year when the Moon obscures the Sun’s disc either totally or partially. An eclipse is considered more powerful than the ordinary New Moon.

Each solar eclipse is a member of a particular eclipse family, which has certain characteristics. These series of eclipses are called the Saros series. Each series will run for well over a thousand years and produce a solar eclipse every 18 years when the Sun, Moon, Earth and nodes of the Moon have returned to the same positions relative to each other. We can study the characteristics of a particular Saros series by delineating its birth chart or by searching similarities between events that have occurred 18 years apart at the time of the eclipses. The word saros means repetition.

The current solar eclipse is a member of a Saros series number 6 South. The initial eclipse in 1049 was also in conjunction with Venus. Astrologer Bernadette Brady has delineated it as follows: “The eclipse series is about being forceful and taking power. It has a manic flavour about it, with great force or strength manifesting in the relationship area. Individuals experiencing this Saros Series may experience sudden events, like falling in or out of love, or sudden sexual encounters. The individual may also exert a huge effort in some group activity.”

There is precise repetition in the cycle of Venus too, but in its entirety the cycle is complex. The rose pattern, or the pentagram of Venus, is the path that Venus makes over a period of eight years observed from Earth.

Image: The pentagram of Venus

The exact conjunction of the Sun and Venus occurred on Oct. 22, 2022 in the last degree of Libra, together with Haumea. Venus is now on the far side of the Sun in direct motion, and the Sun is between Venus and the Earth. This is called a superior conjunction. (The inferior conjunction takes place when Venus is retrograding.) If we compare the phases of Venus to the lunation cycle, we can call this current phase “Full Venus” (and the inferior conjunction as “New Venus”). Whereas the New Moon is a fruitful time for starting new, the full phase is the time of fulfillment of that which was started.

Astrologer Anne Massey has studied the cycles of Venus thoroughly in Venus, Her Cycles, Symbols & Myths (Llewellyn Publications, 2006). The New Venus in the same sign repeats every eight years, and the Full Venus also repeats every eight years. The signs change slowly within time. Eight years ago on Oct. 25, 2014, the superior conjunction of Venus with the Sun occurred at this same position in Scorpio. According to Anne Massey, both the New and Full Venus seem to equal an eclipse in strength.

Let’s cherish things that we value, especially our relationships!

Autumnal Equinox – Sept. 23, 2022, 01:04 UT

The Sun entered Libra a couple of days ago on September 23. In the Northern Hemisphere, the autumnal equinox marks the beginning of autumn. Yesterday evening the Moon conjoined with the Sun in early Libra. The New Moon occured in the same degree with centaur Rhiphonos, and opposite Jupiter and the trans-Neptunian Manwë at the Aries Point.

At the New Moon a new cycle is beginning and new possibilities are emerging, especially now that Jupiter, the planet of growth and expansion is oppsite the luminaries in Aries. Rhiphonos in conjunction with the New Moon is emphasizing the theme of growth. Moreover, the trans-Neptunian Chaos is in early Cancer. Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn are the cardinal signs of the zodiac, and they all are associated with beginnings and change.

Manwë shares some common ground with Jupiter. Chaos is named after the void state of the universe in the Greek creation myth, the nothingness preceding creation. Gaia, the personification of the Earth, was one of the first beings born out of Chaos. Only later did the meaning of the word chaos change to mean disorder.

Centaur Rhiphonos was prominent about six months ago as well, at the time of the vernal equinox and the Full Moon in Virgo. Russia had invaded Ukraine a few weeks before. I then described Rhiphonos and some transits to the charts of President Zelenskyi, Ukraine, and the European Union. The Full Moon in Virgo was in conjunction with Rhiphonos of the European Union at 26+ Virgo, and now Venus and Mercury are tightly in conjunction with it, and the Libra New Moon is not far away either. The solar arc directed Moon of President Zelenskyi is still at 2+ degrees of Libra, in the same degree with the current New Moon and the transiting Rhiphonos.

The European Union was formally established in 1993, but I like to use the chart of the Schuman Declaration as the birthchart of the EU (May 9, 1950, at 18:00 CET -1:00, Paris, France). In this chart the 7th house Sun in Taurus is in exact conjunction with the trans-Neptunian Praamzius, named after an old European god, the god of the sky, peace and friendship in Lithuanian mythology. The core principles of the Schuman Declaration were peace and solidarity. The Europe Day held on May 9 every year (the anniversary of the declaration) celebrates peace and unity in Europe. This peace was brutally broken by Russia seven months ago.

In August and September Ukraine launched counteroffensives, which have been successful and caused great humiliation for Putin. Last Wednesday Russia announced a partial mobilization of its reservists, threatened to deploy nuclear weapons in the war, and claimed to be at war with the collective West.

The transiting Uranus is now at 18+ degrees of Taurus. It is in exact conjunction with the Sun and Praamzius of the European Union, opposing President Zelenskyi’s radix Uranus in Scorpio, squaring his Moon in Leo, conjoining Putin’s Jupiter in Taurus, and exactly squaring Putin’s nodes of the Moon in Leo and Aquarius.

What will winter bring to us? Uranus can be unpredictable. Inflation soars and the cost of energy has already risen sharply. In Finland we are even expecting to have two hour power cuts every now and then during the coldest winter months because of the shortage of electricity. However, our problems are nothing compared to those of the Ukrainians; the war is not expected to end anytime soon.

”Europe will not be made all at once, or according to a single plan. It will be built through concrete achievements which first create a de facto solidarity.” – Foreign minister of France Robert Schuman on May 9, 1950.

“If ‘manners maketh man’ as someone said
He’s the hero of the day
It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile
Be yourself no matter what they say.”
– Sting, Englishman in New York

The New Moon in Virgo squares Mars in Gemini and opposes the trans-Neptunian Gonggong in Pisces. This aspect pattern is the t-square (two planets are opposite each other and form a square to a third). Mars is the apex of this pattern. Mars enables focused action. The opposition and square aspects create tension and friction. However, squares are dynamic aspects that create will. In mutable signs approaching the goal may not be as straightforward as in the other sign modes.

In Horoscope Symbols in the beginning of the Mars chapter Robert Hand writes: ”One does not merely exist; one must exist as something or someone in particular. And one must also be able to maintain one’s individuality in the face of pressures from the world and other members of society – pressures that threaten to violate one’s true nature or even survival itself.”

Sting (born Oct. 2, 1951) wrote his famous song Englishman in New York about Quentin Crisp. In some occasions he has said that the song is partly about himself and partly about Crisp. Both Sting and Crisp have a prominent Gonggong in their chart. Sting’s Gonggong in Aquarius is trine his Sun-Saturn conjunction in Libra, sextile his Jupiter-Eris conjunction in Aries, and semisextile his North node in Pisces.

Quentin Crisp (Dec. 25, 1908 – Nov. 21, 1999) was an English eccentric and gay icon who moved to New York in 1981. He was known for his fashion sense and wit. Crisp has said: ”Style is being yourself, but on purpose.” Crisp’s Gonggong is conjunct the Sun and Mercury in Capricorn, square Saturn in Aries, and semisextile Venus in Sagittarius.

Sting wrote in his memoir Broken Music: ”I want to do this on my own terms, I want to be singular, and if that means being marginalized, then so be it. I will become stronger, and even if no one else knows who I am, I shall know myself.”

225088 Gonggong is the fifth-largest known trans-Neptunian object in the solar system and a dwarf planet. It is a scattered disc object with an orbital period of 554 years. The orbit resembles that of Eris, but Gonggong is currently moving farther from the Sun (whereas Eris is approaching the Sun). Gonggong was discovered in 2007 and finally officially named in 2020 after a Chinese water god, known for creating chaos and destruction. Gonggong ends up being killed or sent into exile.

In 2019, the discoverers of the object hosted an online poll for the general public to choose between three possible names: Gonggong from Chinese mythology, Vili from Norse mythology, and Holle from German mythology. Gonggong was the winning name. It has been suspected that the majority of the votes for “Gonggong” came from a vote spamming bot. I woted for Vili, and in the light of these examples I am even more convinced that the astrological meaning of this object can be found rather from Norse mythology. The name Vili means “will”.

In Norse mythology Vili and Vé are the chief god Odin’s brothers, but according to the rune experts, the three actually represent the same entity. Freya Aswynn writes: ”Odin appears in a three-fold form, as Odin, Vili, and Ve. This threefold division represents the three aspects of Odin as warrior, shaman, and wanderer.”

Also Edred Thorsson describes the threefold structure of Odin in Runelore. According to him, Odin (master of inspiration) is the transformative force at the root of consciousness and enthusiasm. Vili (the will) is ”the conscious application of a desired plan consciously arrived at.” Ve (the sacred) is the spirit of separation in an independent sacred space. ”This separation between consciousness and ‘nature’ (that outside consciousness) must be effected before any transformations or ‘work’ can take place. All three are necessary; all three should work together as a whole,” writes Thorsson.

The New Moon is a time for fresh starts. Let’s strive for being ourselves, on purpose.

The New Moon in Leo is in conjunction with asteroid Ceres and trans-Neptunian Varuna. Mercury is in Leo too, squaring the lunar nodes and Uranus in Taurus at the North node. In Pisces a trans-Neptunian object Teharonhiawako is in aspect with the New Moon (sesquisquare), Mercury (quincunx), and Uranus (sextile).

Ceres is the first asteroid discovered (in 1801). It is the biggest asteroid and the only dwarf planet orbiting in the Main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Ceres is named after the Roman goddess of agriculture and grain crops.

Varuna is a large trans-Neptunian object, the largest classical Kuiper belt object known at the time of its discovery (in 2000) and the first object named beyond Pluto (in 2001). Varuna is named after an old Vedic deity, who rides the sea monster Makara and catches liars and those who do not honor contracts with his noose. He is the guardian of moral law.

Mercury rules formal agreements, contracts and treaties. Mercury square Uranus can indicate disruptions and difficulties in compromising or reaching agreements.

Teharonhiawako is actually a binary trans-Neptunian object, named from Iroquois creation myth after two twins who personify good and evil. The primary is named after Teharonhiawako, the maize god. Maize was considered as a special gift from the creator to mankind. The secondary is called Sawiskera after the cruel and destructive twin, who eventually was conquered by his good brother. The myth is a story about the morals of people.

The Ukrainian grain has been the topic of the past week. Ukraine is normally one of the major grain exporters of the world. Now more than 20 million tons of wheat and maize are trapped in the country because of the war. The grain is desperately needed to tackle a global food crisis that has worsened since Russia invaded Ukraine.

Last Friday after difficult negotiations a United Nations-brokered deal was signed to ensure the safe movement of Ukrainian grain to global markets. Russia agreed not to target ports while grain shipments are in transit. The ink had not even dried on the agreement, when Russia the next day attacked the port of Odesa. Putin cannot be trusted; he does not honor international law or any contracts. However, Ukraine aims to start the grain exports soon.

Eventually Putin will have to meet with Varuna.

The first eclipse of the year is a partial solar eclipse in Taurus. A solar eclipse is more powerful than an ordinary New Moon, and this time it may feel even more so, because the Sun and the Moon are in conjunction with Uranus, the planet of sudden change and surprises. Moreover, Mars in Pisces is in sextile to the New Moon, supporting the transition. Chiron in Aries is at the midpoint of Mars and Uranus, helping to detect the area of life that needs special attention.

The Sabian symbol for the eclipse degree is Taurus 11 A woman sprinkling flowers. According to Marc Edmund Jones, “This is a symbol of the soul’s determination to give constant and tangible manifestation of its creative powers, and of its eagerness to pour itself into every potentiality of living. There is here an easy and rewarding partnership between man and nature, so that a natural profusion tends to match his inner generosity of spirit. He feels responsible for the welfare of his world, and its rewards for his interest are very great. The keyword is care.”

The Sun, Moon and Uranus are in conjunction with 15760 Albion (1992 QB1), the first body discovered beyond Neptune after Pluto almost thirty years ago. Albion was the door leading to the unknown and it paved the way for the future. Currently the catalog of minor planets contains about 4,000 trans-Neptunian objects observed since 1993.

In Scorpio, opposite the luminaries and Uranus is 184314 Mbabamwanawaresa, another TNO. Mbabamwanawaresa is named after the Zulu goddess of rainbows, who is called on when guidance is needed to make an important decision.

Eclipses can only happen when the Sun and the Moon are at or near the Moon’s nodes. An eclipse can take place either at the North node or the South node of the Moon. This solar eclipse happens at the North node. The South node represents the past and familiar, whereas the North node is associated with the future and our potentiality. In Taurus in exact to the arcminute conjunction with the North node is the trans-Neptunian 474640 Alicanto.

Alicanto is an ETNO, an extreme trans-Neptunian object, with orbital period of more than 6,000 years. It is named after a mythical Chilean bird, whose presence is said to bring good luck. The Alicanto’s wings shine with metallic colors at night, and it can lead a miner to a treasure or a lost traveler to a safe place, but only if the person following the bird has a good heart.

The eclipse in Taurus occurs at the midpoint of the cosmic nurturer Ceres in Gemini and the visionary Neptune in Pisces. Venus has reached the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction, and now both beneficial planets, Venus and Jupiter, are in a triple conjunction with Neptune. This combination could mean compassion, romantic love, luck, visions, idealism, artistic creativity, and mystic love, for instance. Bear in mind though, that Jupiter is able to exaggerate, and Neptune can escape reality.

The first New Moon of the year occurs at 11+ degrees Aries, in the sign of new beginnings. The Sun and the Moon are lined up in Aries with Mercury and several interesting minor planets. Mercury is the planet of mental activity, traveling and communication, both in spoken and written form. Mercury is in exact opposition to Logos in Libra, a trans-Neptunian binary, which has affinity with Mercury. Let’s take a look at the Aries planets first, and then study Logos further.

At the Aries Point sits Manwë, a trans-Neptunian contact binary with the orbital period of almost 290 years. The secondary is named as Thorondor. Manwë may be a multiobject system shaped like a barbell, likely surrounded by rapidly orbiting moonlets besides Thorondor. According to the official naming citation, “In J. R. R. Tolkien’s mythology, Manwë is foremost among the deities who rule the world. Manwë takes special responsibility for the air and winds. He resides in the Undying Lands across the western ocean from Middle Earth. For intelligence of events in Middle Earth, Manwë relies on the kingdom of eagles led by Thorondor.”

Manwë is currently starting a new cycle and changing signs from Pisces to Aries. Planets operate in a different mode in each of the signs. Manwë was discovered in Pisces in 2003. It entered Aries for the first time in May 2021. The second ingress took place about a week ago. In October 2022 Manwë starts retrograding back to Pisces again, and then in January 2023 ingresses to Aries for the third and last time. It gets no further than the second degree of Aries until in April 2023.

At 11+ Aries, in exact conjunction with the Sun and the Moon, is Leleākūhonua, an extreme trans-Neptunian object (ETNO). The name compares its orbit to the flight of migratory birds and evokes a yearning to be near Earth. The Sun and the Moon as well as Leleākūhonua are right between Mercury and Chiron.

Chiron was the first centaur discovered (in 1977), and the first member of a new class of bodies orbiting between the Main asteroid belt and the Kuiper belt. The discoverer, Charles Kowal, called it a maverick. Officially it became named after the wisest of all the centaurs, Chiron. In astrology it is commonly described as the wounded healer.

Pallas at 17+ Aries is the third-largest asteroid, named after Pallas Athena, the protectress of the city of Athens, and also the protectress of heroes. The goddess Athena is associated with wisdom, handicraft, politics, and warfare. She is an excellent strategist and diplomat. In art Athena can be a symbol of freedom and democracy. Astrologically, Pallas represents creative intelligence.

At 24+ Aries is Eris, the most massive and second-largest known dwarf planet, which orbits the Sun in the scattered disc, beyond Neptune. Eris is named after the Greek goddess of strife and discord.

The astrological symbolism of each planet and minor body is multifaceted and cannot be described just in a few words, but it is quite easy to associate much of the aforementioned symbolism with the horrific war in Europe and with its consequences.

Opposite the Aries cluster at 9+ Libra, and most tightly opposite the New Moon and Mercury, is a binary trans-Neptunian Logos-Zoe with orbital period of about 307 years. In the Gnostic tradition, Logos and Zoe are a paired emanation of the deity, and part of its creation myth. Logos is the divine ordering principle of the cosmos, personified as Christ.

Logos is also a term in philosophy. The term has been used in different ways. It is often translated as some variation of logic or reasoning, but it originally referred to the actual content of a speech and how it was organized. According to the Greek philosopher Aristotle (384–322 BC), a speaker can use three basic kinds of appeals to persuade his audience: ethos (an appeal to the speaker’s character), pathos (an appeal to the audience’s emotion), and logos (an appeal to logical reasoning). You may have encountered the term logos recently in the media, when the press praised Arnold Schwarzenegger’s speech to the Russian people.

I love the Russian people. That is why I have to tell you the truth. Please watch and share. pic.twitter.com/6gyVRhgpFV

— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) March 17, 2022

Actor and former Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger has Mars conjunct Logos in Gemini in his birth chart. The sign of Gemini is ruled by Mercury, and Arnold’s Mercury is rising at his ascendant. In addition, his Mercury is trine his Jupiter in Scorpio. It is no wonder that he is a gifted speaker. His asteroid Pallas is in Pisces, and Pallas, Mercury and Jupiter form a grand trine in the water element, probably the most emphatic of the elements. According to Demetra George, Pallas in Pisces brings out the poetic, inspirational, and illusory qualities in artistic expression, and also creative skill in the media of film and photography. Politically it can be a proponent of nonviolent resistance, she says.

Arnold Schwarzenegger published his speech on Twitter on March 17, 2022. The Sun at 27+ Pisces was at Arnold’s Midheaven. The transiting Sun at your Midheaven is certainly the transit when you get public attention! The transiting Mercury and Jupiter in Pisces were sandwiching Arnold’s natal Pallas at 14+ Pisces and his solar arc directed Moon at 15+ Pisces. His solar arc directed Mercury was at the first degree of Libra, one of the cardinal signs (which are Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn). The first degrees of the cardinal signs are related to the Aries point, which joins individuals with the collective.

Ukraine officially declared itself independent on Aug. 24, 1991. The referendum confirming independence and the first presidential elections took place on Dec. 1, 1991. In The Book of World Horoscopes Nicholas Campion gives the time for the announcement of the result as 6:00 pm GMT. The current New Moon in Aries squares Ukraine’s Uranus in Capricorn in both charts. In the first chart Pallas is at 10+ Libra, opposed by the transiting New Moon. The transiting Logos is in conjunction with it. The New Moon is right at the Midheaven of the latter Ukraine chart. The Moon of the latter chart is at 17+ Libra opposite Eris at 16+ Aries. Pallas of the New Moon is now transiting this opposition tightly. The current new Moon is square the lunar node axis of Ukraine at 11+ Cancer and Capricorn.

President Zelenskyi’s chart also receives transits of the New Moon, especially his lunar nodes at 9+ Libra and Aries. I hope that these are good signs for the diplomatic process and the peace talks.