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.

The New Moon in Virgo squares the lunar nodes and opposes (66652) Borasisi-Pabu in Pisces. The north node of the Moon is in conjunction with centaur 8405 Asbolus.

(66652) Borasisi-Pabu is a trans-Neptunian binary, which was discovered in 1999 and named in 2007 from the fictional cosmogony described in Kurt Vonnegut’s novel Cat’s Cradle: “Borasisi, the sun, held Pabu, the moon, in his arms and hoped that Pabu would bear him a fiery child. But poor Pabu gave birth to children that were cold, that did not burn; and Borasisi threw them away in disgust. These were the planets, who circled their terrible father at a safe distance. Then poor Pabu herself was cast away, and she went to live with her favorite child, which was Earth.”

Astrologically 66652 Borasisi may tell about family patterns. Also Vonnegut’s themes of free will, truth and lies, or misuse of technology, are relevant. In Vonnegut’s novel, the foundation of the fictional religion of Bokononism is based on living by the untruths that make one feel better. Sometimes we all tell white lies. It would be a lot easier for most of us just accept what is offered. However, in the present world our ongoing challenge is to figure out whether the day’s news holds true, whether the person who wants to be your facebook friend is authentic, or if the notification from the post is just an attempt to capture your bank account.

The Sabian symbols of this chart seem influential. The Sabian symbol for the New Moon is Virgo 26 “A boy with a censer,” and the symbol for Borasisi is Pisces 26 “A new moon that divides its influences.” The latter is echoing the position of the Sun, Moon and Borasisi square to the nodes of the Moon on the Gemini/Sagittarius axis. Mercury, the ruler of the north node is in exact square to Jupiter, the ruler of Sagittarius, where the south node is. The lunar nodes are not the easiest points of the astrological chart to be interpreted. The nodes in the natal chart can be showing the soul’s karmic mission, or one’s life purpose. Anyway, the north node is associated with the future and the south node with the past. Now the planets halfway seem as if they were readily slipping in either direction.

The New Moon in the analytical sign of Virgo with the assistance of centaur Asbolus (associated with protection and survival) conjunct the north node, will help to choose the direction.

The New Moon at 26+ Leo is in conjunction with Mercury and opposite 5335 Damocles at 26+ Aquarius. The New Moon is in a flowing trine to the exact Mars-Eris conjunction in Aries. The New Moon forms a tight, irritating quincunx to Saturn in Capricorn. The people of Belarus are living this play of planets right now.

5335 Damocles is the namesake of the damocloids, the odd group of small bodies, like aggressive centaurs. Its orbit reaches from inside the aphelion of Mars to outside Uranus. When it was discovered in 1991, it was found to be on an orbit completely different from all others known.

According to the official naming citation, “Legend has it that Damocles, a courtier of the tyrant Dionysius the Elder of Syracuse, was invited to a feast, where he was seated below a sword suspended by a thread. Intended to demonstrate the impermanence of power, the ‘sword of Damocles’ has become a symbol of impending disaster. This minor planet, in an unusual orbit of very high eccentricity and inclination and crossing the orbits of Mars to Uranus, could itself be seen as such a sword during periods of its orbital evolution when it becomes an earth crosser.”

“The Sword of Damocles” is the metaphor for the imminent and ever-present peril faced by those in positions of power. It is often used also in a broader sense, and simply meaning an unexpected peril.

The orbital period of 5335 Damocles around the Sun is nearly 41 years. However, astrologically it spends most of it, around 30 years, in Aquarius, and hurries through the eleven other signs of the zodiac in about ten years. On the current round Damocles made its final ingress from Capricorn to Aquarius in 1994. In April 2021 it will visit Pisces for the first time, and by 2026 has ingressed Pisces entirely.

Belarus declared independence on Aug. 25, 1991. President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko (in office since 1994) is the last dictator of Europe. The election on Aug. 9, 2020, as with previous elections, was not free and fair. The opponents are repressed, the media is not free, and journalists and demonstrators have been brutally beaten. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the opposition candidate has claimed to won the election. The protest on Aug. 16 gathered 100,000 – 200,000 people on the streets of Minsk, demanding the departure of Lukashenko.

In the independence chart of Belarus, Mercury; Jupiter; and Venus are at 25+ — 27+ degrees of Leo, and the transiting Damocles in Aquarius has been hovering opposite them for a few years now (because of the retrogradation phenomenon). The natal Sun of Belarus is at 1+ degrees of Virgo. President Lukashenko’s natal Pluto is at 25+ Leo and his natal Sun at 6+ degrees of Virgo. Is Lukashenko’s dictatorship coming to an end soon now, or will the Sword of Damocles hit later when the transiting Damocles reaches Pisces and starts to oppose both the Sun of Belarus and the Sun of Lukashenko?

People with prominent Damocles:

John Profumo (Jan. 30, 1915 – March 9, 2006) was a British politician whose career ended in 1963 after a sexual relationship with the 19-year-old model Christine Keeler – Sun, Mars and Uranus conjunct Damocles in Aquarius.

James Dean (February 8, 1931 – September 30, 1955) was an American actor, who died in a car crash. – Sun conjunct Damocles in Aquarius.

Sauli Niinistö (born Aug. 24, 1948) is President of Finland (in office since 2012). Niinistö and his two sons narrowly survived the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. They were in Khao Lak, Thailand, and survived by climbing up and down an electricity pylon and adjusting themselves with the water level. – Damocles at the Aries Point quincunx the Sun in Virgo and square Uranus in Gemini.

William Knox Schroeder (July 20, 1950 – May 4, 1970) was a student at Kent State University, Ohio, when he was killed by Ohio National Guardsmen in the Kent State shootings. – Sun conjunct Damocles in Cancer.

Scooter Libby (born Aug. 22, 1950) is the former adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney. In October 2005, Libby resigned after he was indicted by a federal grand jury concerning the investigation of the leak of the covert identity of CIA officer Valerie Plame Wilson. He was convicted. – Sun conjunct Damocles in Leo.

Ellen DeGeneres (born Jan. 26, 1958) is an American comedian and television host. In summer 2020, DeGeneres has faced allegations of abuse, racism and sexual harassment against her staff. – Sun and Venus conjunct Damocles in Aquarius, opposite Uranus in Leo.

Ayrton Senna (March 21, 1960 – May 1, 1994), a Brazilian racing driver, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest Formula One drivers of all time. He died in an accident at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. – Sun at the Aries Point semisquare Damocles at the ascendant in Aquarius.

Julian Assange (born July 3, 1971), the founder of WikiLeaks – Mars conjunct Damocles in Aquarius.

Anders Behring Breivik (born Feb. 13, 1979) is a Norwegian terrorist. – Sun conjunct Damocles in Aquarius.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (born Sept. 15, 1984) In 2018 he married American actress Meghan Markle. In January 2020, the couple announced their intention to step back as members of the royal family. — Damocles in Pisces square the lunar nodes (Gemini/Sagittarius).

The New Moon occurred at 28+ degrees of Cancer, in the home sign of the Moon. This was the second New Moon in Cancer this summer. The first was the solar eclipse on June 21, 2020. The current New Moon was exactly opposite Saturn in Capricorn. Also Saturn is in its own sign now. A planet is said to be at home in the sign that it rules, which doesn’t necessarily mean that it would work better there, but it is strong and comfortable at home.

In Capricorn in conjunction with Saturn is one of the most intriguing bodies in the group of centaurs, 10199 Chariklo. Chariklo was discovered in 1997 and named after the water nymph Chariclo, the wife of centaur Chiron. In Greek mythology nymphs were regarded as personifications of nature, and usually depicted as beautiful maidens. The name proposal came from astrologers.

Chariklo is the largest known centaur with its diameter of approximately 252 km. Its shape is probably elongated. The orbital period is almost 63 years. The orbits of the centaurs are typically eccentric, and they usually cross the orbits of one or more of the giant planets. The orbit of Chariklo is quite moderate. Chariklo orbits the Sun between Saturn and Uranus, grazing the orbit of Uranus.

In 2014 came the surprise; astronomers announced the discovery of two rings around Chariklo. It is the first minor planet known to have rings and the smallest known celestial body to have rings.

In the discovery chart of Chariklo, it amazingly forms a rare aspect pattern, the six pointed star, together with the Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Pluto. Chariklo’s name means “Graceful Spinner”. Astrologically Chariklo represents compassion and devotion, and it is a supportive and nurturing energy.

The New Moon was in conjunction with 52975 Cyllarus, another centaur planet. Cyllarus was discovered in 1998 by American amateur astronomer Nichole Danzl and named from Greek mythology after the handsome and young centaur, who was loved by many. This name was also proposed by astrologers. Cyllarus was fatally wounded by a spear in the battle called the Centauromachy at the wedding party of Pirithous, the king of the Lapiths. Nobody knows who the striker was. One action led to another. Hylonome, the loving wife of Cyllarus then threw herself onto the same spear that had killed her partner.

The orbital period of 52975 Cyllarus is almost 133.5 years and its orbit crosses those of Uranus and Neptune. Cyllarus is faint and only about 70 kilometers in diameter. Cyllarus came to perihelion (the point in its orbit that is nearest to the Sun) in September 1989.

Devotion, love, despair, sacrifice and unexpected consequences are among the themes of Cyllarus. It reminds us that the decisions we make directly affect not just us but also other people around us.

The mythological centaurs were a group of troublemakers, who drank and brawled, and many of them died in a battle. A death of a centaur is a symbolic one. The centaurs represent shadow material in our consciousness. Change and growth can be reached through awareness. Centaur Chiron represents that awareness and healing. Chiron’s lineage was different from other centaurs. He was a great teacher and healer, the wisest of all the centaurs.

A week ago, on July 14, Mars conjoined Chiron at 9+ degrees of Aries. Mars is the ruler of Aries, so Mars is comfortably in its home sign, too. Mars is giving the courage and will that is needed in a crisis.

Last month I mentioned the recent naming of 541132 Leleākūhonua, an extreme trans-Neptunian object with the tremendous orbital period of over 30,000 years. At the moment Leleākūhonua is about two-and-a-half times farther out than Pluto’s current location, but approaching the Sun (coming to perihelion), and that is why the discovery was possible at all. The Hawaiian name compares its orbit to the flight of migratory birds and evokes a yearning to be near Earth. The ephemeris has now become available. The position of Leleākūhonua at the moment is at 10+ degrees of Aries. The conjunction of Mars and Chiron a week ago took place in conjunction with Leleākūhonua, and since the meeting happened so close with the naming, there seems to be some relation between the two incidents. The triple conjunction of Mars, Chiron and Leleākūhonua is still valid.

Summer Solstice – June 20, 2020, 21:44 UT

The eclipse season of this summer began two weeks ago on June 5, 2020, with a lunar eclipse in Sagittarius. There are three eclipses in this eclipse season. On June 21, 2020, there was the New Moon in Cancer, which was also an annular solar eclipse. Two weeks later, on July 5, 2020, there will be another lunar eclipse in Capricorn.

On June 20, 2020, at 21:44 UT, the Sun entered Cancer. The summer solstice is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Only about nine hours after the ingress of the Sun, on June 21, 2020, at 06:41 UT, the solar eclipse occurred in the first degree of the sign, in a close conjunction with the lunar North Node. The Nodes indicate the relationship between the Sun, the Moon and the Earth. They are points where the Moon’s orbit around the Earth intersects the Earth’s orbit around the Sun. The North Node is oriented in the future. In both charts it is in the last degree of Gemini. Mercury, the ruler of Gemini is retrograding, which suggests challenges on the way.

The solar eclipse in Cancer occurred in a perfect square to the Aries point, which represents one’s relationship to the larger world around one.

The Cancer solar eclipse was in conjunction with the main belt asteroid 10 Hygiea, which in spite of its small size meets the requirements of a dwarf planet because of its round shape. Asteroid Hygiea is associated with preserving good health. It was named after the Greek personification of health, cleanliness and hygiene. She is reminding us, that although the pandemic restrictions are being loosened in many countries, the virus has not disappeared, and we still need to follow good hygiene practices.

The Minor Planet Center has announced two new namings of the trans-Neptunian objects in June 2020. Provisionally designated 2015 TG387 is now 541132 Leleākūhonua. It was discovered by American astronomers David Tholen, Chad Trujillo and Scott Sheppard in October 2015. Based on the letters TG in its provisional designation and the discovery around Halloween it was first nicknamed as The Goblin.

541132 Leleākūhonua is an extreme trans-Neptunian object (ETNO) and a sednoid. Its elliptical orbit fits exactly into the models of how distant objects should behave if Planet Nine exists. According to the official naming citation, “Leleākūhonua is a life form mentioned in the Hawaiian creation chant, the Kumulipo. The name compares the orbit to the flight of migratory birds and evokes a yearning to be near Earth.” Its orbital period around the Sun is about 35,760 years.

What was the world like 35,000 – 36,000 years ago, when Leleākūhonua last time was in this same position in its orbit? It was before the Last Glacial Maximum. Most parts of North America and northern Europe were covered with ice. The Neanderthals had disappeared only recently, around 40,000 years ago. The oldest cave art discovered in the world is from around 40,000 BP. Some of the early Europeans managed to survive the Ice Age.

The ephemeris of Leleākūhonua is not available at the moment, so unfortunately I am not able to place it in the charts yet.

The other recently named trans-Neptunian is 184314 Mbabamwanawaresa, a cubewano discovered in March 2005 by an American astronomer Marc W. Buie. The orbital period around the Sun is 302 years. In the astrological chart Mbabamwanawaresa is now at 8+ degrees of Scorpio opposite Uranus in Taurus.

184314 Mbabamwanawaresa was named after a Zulu goddess of rain, agriculture, and the harvest. “She is the goddess of rainbows, a symbol of the link between heaven and Earth. She is particularly revered for teaching the people of southern Africa the art of making beer.” Beer is one of the oldest and most popular drinks in the world, and certainly one of the most social ones. Currently we have had to reduce our social contacts to minimum. Perhaps Mbabamwanawaresa’s symbolism is in connection to this situation.

A few days ago Alaska officials airlifted a wrecked bus from a remote trail outside Denali National Park into another location. Perhaps you have seen the film Into the Wild (2007), which tells the story of Christopher McCandless, a young man who hiked into the Alaskan wilderness in the early 1990s. He spent the last months of his life in that bus and died in it in starvation. He distanced himself socially of his own will. Christopher McCandless had Jupiter in conjunction with Mbabamwanawaresa in early Virgo, opposite retrograde Mercury – the ruler of Virgo – in late Aquarius. Jupiter is one of the so called social planets. Its principle is expansion. It can represent exploration, love of freedom and independence, for instance. The negative side of Jupiter is excess, and in this case perhaps the extreme withdrawal from society.

Jon Krakauer, a writer and mountaineer, the author of the book Into the Wild, which was later filmed, has his Moon conjunct Mbabamwanawaresa in Leo. Sean Penn, the director of the film has the Sun-Mbabamwanawaresa conjunction in Leo. Emile Hirsch who portrayed McCandless has his Pisces Sun opposite Mbabamwanawaresa in Virgo. Eddie Vedder, who performed the songs on the soundtrack of the film, has his Capricorn Sun in trine to Mbabamwanawaresa in Virgo.

The New Moon occurs at 3+ degrees of Gemini on May 22, 2020. Earlier in the day Mercury, the ruler of the sign, and Venus retrograde conjoined at 20+ degrees of Gemini. Two asteroids, 10 Hygiea (symbolizing health, cleanliness and hygiene) and 4 Vesta (named after the goddess of the hearth, home, and family) are in conjunction with Mercury and Venus.

The New Moon in Gemini is trine Saturn in Aquarius, sextile to Varuna (the great equalizer) in Leo and in quincunx to Zhulong (the indicator of the change in a blink of an eye) in Scorpio. The long term square between Varuna and Zhulong has been developing since 2018. We have now experienced the two first exact squares from the total of seven, the first one in January and the second in April.

Gemini, the butterfly of the zodiac, is a social sign. It is associated with communication, curiosity and traveling. Gemini rules lungs, hands and the nervous system.

Finland has cautiously started to loosen the pandemic restrictions. The primary schools were reopened in a controlled manner on May 14, and the guidelines for senior citizens have been eased. The cafes and restaurants will be permitted to open, with certain limitations, on June 1. Our spring has been cold, but now the weather is quickly warming, too. It feels as if everything in life is lightening.

Gemini, the Twins, is a sign of dualism. We are allowed to enjoy spring and focus on the positive, as long as we remember that Covid-19 is a serious disease, and we still need to take care of ourselves and our loved ones.

The New Moon at 3+ degrees of Taurus occurred at the discovery degree of Chiron. The Sabian symbol for this degree is Taurus 4 “The rainbow’s pot of gold.”

The New Moon was in conjunction with Uranus (rebellion) and a part of a grand cross formed by the Sun and Moon in Taurus, Saturn (limitations, tests) in Aquarius, Varuna (the great equalizer) in Leo and Zhulong (a change in a blink of an eye) in Scorpio. Taurus is ruled by Venus (what we appreciate). Venus is in conjunction with asteroid Hygiea (health, hygiene). The symbol of Hygiea in the chart is the caduceus staff.

The aforementioned aspects describe our current situation excellently.

COVID-19 may have started to spread in Wuhan already in October 2019, although officially the earliest traceable patient started experiencing symptoms on Dec. 1, 2019. The World Health Organization (WHO) was informed about the outbreak of pneumonia of unknown origin on Dec. 31, 2019. In January 2020 the virus started to push into our awareness. WHO declared the pandemic on March 11, 2020.

As of autumn we were watching the sign of Capricorn, where Saturn was getting closer to Pluto (the lord of transformation). There was also a solar eclipse in Capricorn on Dec. 26, 2019. The Saturn-Pluto conjunction took place on Jan. 12, 2020, only two days after the lunar eclipse in Cancer. Astrologers were anticipating changes, but it is safe to say that nobody could foresee the thoroughness with which our whole world changed in a short time. There have been other significant aspects, like Chiron square Pholus, and the Eris’s squares; Saturn and Pluto squared Eris in January and Jupiter in March.

Still another long term aspect has been developing in the background, namely Varuna square Zhulong. This square has started to form already around 2018 and will fade away around 2024. The first exact square between those two seems to have been on Jan. 13, 2020. The second will be on April 27, 2020. There are altogether seven exact aspects, of which the last one will be in October 2022. At this point nobody knows the actual duration of the pandemic, but this sequence could fit quite well with it. The virus will hardly disappear anytime soon.

Varuna is a trans-Neptunian object discovered in 2000 and named the next year after one of the oldest of the Vedic deities, the maker and upholder of heaven and earth, who deals with matters of truth, lies and keeping agreements. Varuna was the first trans-Neptunian minor planet to receive a name (after Pluto). Eric Francis’s keywords for this vast energy behind everything are “the great equalizer.” According to Eric, Varuna is “calling us to take both personal and collective responsibility for our world.”

Our vulnerability to the coronavirus can depend on several factors, for example age, occupation, social economic status, or where one lives. That being said, in our lifetime there hasn’t been any other phenomenon, which had put us in more equal position with each other. The virus has not spared royalty, politicians, celebrities, or isolated indigenous people living in the middle of a rainforest.

Zhulong is one of the most recent namings. Zhulong is a scattered disc object discovered in 2014 and named last year after the torch dragon, the Chinese deity who controlled the day and night by opening and closing its eyes. Zhulong seems to tell about the fragility of life, and how everything can change in a blink of an eye.

The Varuna-Zhulong square has been triggered time after time during the past six months. The New Moon in Scorpio on Oct. 28, 2019, was in conjunction with Zhulong and square to Varuna. The New Moon in Sagittarius on Nov. 26, 2019, was opposite Hygiea and trine Varuna. The New Moon in Capricorn on Dec. 26, 2019, was a solar eclipse, and sextile to Zhulong and in quincunx to Varuna. The New Moon in Aquarius on Jan. 24, 2020, was opposite Varuna and square to Zhulong. The New Moon in Pisces on Feb. 23, 2020 was trine to Zhulong and in quincunx to Varuna. The New Moon in Aries on March 24, 2020, was sextile to Hygeia, trine to Varuna and in quincunx to Zhulong. The current New Moon in Taurus on April 23, 2020, was opposite Zhulong and square to Varuna.

The following two examples are to some extent comparable with our current situation.

The Spanish flu in 1918 was one of the deadliest pandemics in history, which infected about a third of the world’s population at the time. On March 4, 1918, U.S. Army cook Albert Gitchell, from Haskell County, reported sick at Fort Riley. He is considered the first recorded victim of the flu. In the chart cast for that day, the Sun, Hygiea and Varuna are in triple conjunction in the same degree in Pisces. Pluto and Zhulong were in exact conjunction in Cancer.

HIV/AIDS has had a large impact on society. AIDS was first clinically reported on June 5, 1981, with five cases in the United States. In the chart the Sun is in conjunction with Varuna in Gemini and sextile Eris in Aries. Hygiea in Gemini is opposite Neptune in Sagittarius and sextile to Zhulong in Leo.

We have a long way to go when it comes to COVID-19 pandemic. Chiron’s pot of gold is not quite within our reach. We need a lot of self-discipline, which only Saturn can offer. Eventually we will get there.

More about Hygiea, Varuna and Zhulong available here:

New Moon in Sagittarius – Nov. 26, 2019, 15:05 UT (Hygiea)

Small World Stories by Eric Francis (Varuna)

New Moon in Scorpio – Oct. 28, 2019, 03:38 UT (Zhulong)

The vernal equinox was on March 20, 2020. The Sun entered Aries, the first sign of the zodiac, and passed the Aries point. It is the point in which the most personal intersects with the larger world around one. The equinox chart shows the themes of the upcoming astrological year.

The New Moon in Aries took place on March 24 in the early degrees of the sign, in conjunction with Chiron and Salacia. The New Moon squared the lunar nodes on the Cancer-Capricorn axis and the Pholus-Quaoar conjunction in Capricorn. The tight triple conjunction of Jupiter, Pluto and Mars in Capricorn is squaring Eris in Aries. The New Moon opposed Makemake in Libra.

136472 Makemake is a cubewano discovered 15 years ago, in March 2005. It is one of the five minor planets which officially have received the dwarf planet status so far. The orbital period is 306 years. The discovery team (Brown, Trujillo and Rabinowitz) nicknamed it “Easterbunny” because of its discovery shortly after Easter. In 2008 Makemake was named after the creator god of humanity in the myths of the Rapa Nui, the native people of Easter Island.

The god Makemake was also the chief god of the birdman cult of the Rapa Nui, an annual dangerous competition. 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.

We are now in the situation where we need to restrict our living. We need to reduce our social contacts to minimum. Luckily we have phones, the internet, and the social media, so we are not totally secluded. Our pursuit is nothing compared to that of the birdman. We need to do this now for our health care workers and for our community.

The official naming of Gonggong, a trans-Neptunian known so far as 2007 OR10, couldn’t have been released at more convenient time. The New Moon in Pisces was in exact conjunction with Gonggong.

Gonggong was discovered in 2007 by American astronomers Megan Schwamb, Michael Brown, and David Rabinowitz. The size estimate has varied during the years. According to the latest measurements in 2018, it is the fifth-largest trans-Neptunian object, right after the official four dwarf planets Pluto, Eris, Haumea and Makemake.

Gonggong is a scattered disc object. The orbital period is 553 years. It completes three orbits around the Sun for every ten orbits completed by Neptune. It is currently moving farther from the Sun after reaching its perihelion in 1857. Gonggong has a satellite.

Last spring the discovery team hosted a poll for the general public to help choose the name for 2007 OR10 between three possible options: Gonggong from Chinese mythology, Vili from Norse mythology, and Holle from German mythology. I was hoping that Vili would win. The Vikings found the Americas before Columbus, so wouldn’t it be only fair to give a name for one of the distant bodies from the Norse mythology? There is already an asteroid named Odin, and the name can’t be used anymore, but Odin is a god of many names. Vili was an excellent option, meaning “will”. Although Vili is mentioned as Odin’s brother in the mythology, he actually represents one aspect of Odin himself.

Gonggong was the winning name, and it was proposed to the International Astronomical Union. Gonggong is a Chinese water god with red hair and a serpent-like tail. He is known for creating chaos, causing flooding, and tilting the Earth; he is often depicted with the head of a human and the body of a snake. Gonggong is often attended by his minister, Xiangliu, a nine-headed poisonous snake monster for whom the satellite is named.

People with a prominent Gonggong:

Dane Rudhyar (March 23, 1895 – Sept. 13, 1985) was a French-born American author, composer, philosopher and astrologer. He is a pioneer of modern transpersonal astrology and one of most respected astrologers of the 20th century. — Gonggong conjunct ascendant in Sagittarius.

Martin Luther King, Jr. (Jan. 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Christian minister and activist, the leader of the Civil Rights Movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968. He was advancing civil rights through nonviolence. — The Sun conjunct Gonggong in Capricorn.

Jane Fonda (born Dec. 21, 1937) is an American actress, political activist, and former fashion model. — Jupiter and Gonggong conjunct ascendant in Capricorn, the Jupiter-Gonggong conjunction = Sun / Mars.

Richie Havens (Jan. 21, 1941 – April 22, 2013) was an American folk rock musician. He opened the 1969 Woodstock rock festival, which was a major turning point in his career. He also devoted his energies to educating young people about ecological issues. — The Sun conjunct Gonggong in Aquarius.

Angela Davis (born Jan. 26, 1944) is an American political activist, academic, and author. Ideologically she is a Marxist and was a member of the Communist Party USA until 1991. She has written several books on class, feminism, and the U.S. prison system. — A Grand trine in air formed by a triple conjunction of Mars, Uranus and Vesta in Gemini, Neptune in Libra, and a conjunction of the Sun, Echeclus, Okyrhoe and Gonggong in Aquarius. Eris in Aries completes the pattern into a Kite configuration.

George R. R. Martin (born Sept. 20, 1948) is an American novelist in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres, screenwriter, and television producer. He has been called “the American Tolkien”. He wrote the series of epic fantasy novels A Song of Ice and Fire, which was adapted into the HBO series Game of Thrones. — Gonggong on the Midheaven in Aquarius square the lunar nodes.

John Belushi (Jan. 24, 1949 — March 5, 1982) was an American actor, comedian and singer. He founded the Blues Brothers with Dan Aykroyd. He struggled with heavy drug use and died from drug overdose in 1982. — The Sun conjunct Gonggong in Aquarius, the Sun-Gonggong conjunction = Chiron / Eris.

Jörg Haider (Jan. 26, 1950 – Oct. 11, 2008) was an Austrian right-wing populist politician. He died in a car accident shortly after the 2008 Austrian Parliamentary elections. — The Sun conjunct Gonggong in Aquarius.

Phil Collins (born Jan. 30, 1951) is an English musician. He was the drummer and the lead singer of the rock band Genesis, and is also a solo artist. He is one of the world’s best-selling artists and praised by many, but also been called as “the most hated man in rock” and as “the pop star that nobody likes”. — The Sun conjunct Gonggong in Aquarius.

Dennis Delaney (born Jan. 29, 1953) is an American playwright and actor, and former environmental activist who became the first National Director of Greenpeace USA in 1980. — The Sun conjunct Gonggong in Aquarius.

Oprah Winfrey (born Jan. 29, 1954) is an American talk show hostess, actress, producer, and publisher. – Triple conjunction of the Sun, Venus and Gonggong in Aquarius.

Nicolas Sarkozy (born Jan. 28, 1955) is a French politician who served as President of France from 16 May 2007 until 15 May 2012. He has been charged with corruption by French prosecutors in two cases, notably concerning the alleged Libyan interference in the 2007 French elections. — Triple conjunction of the Sun, Albion and Gonggong in Aquarius.

John Lydon, also known by his former stage name Johnny Rotten, (born Jan. 31, 1956), is an English punk musician. He is best known as the lead singer of the punk band the Sex Pistols, which lasted from 1975 until 1978, and again for various revivals during the 1990s and 2000s. They are regarded as one of the most influential acts in the history of popular music. — A stellium consisting of the Sun, Gonggong, Albion, Damocles, Chiron, Pholus, Mercury Rx and Pallas in Aquarius.

Ayrton Senna (March 21, 1960 – May 1, 1994) was a Brazilian racing driver who is widely regarded as one of the greatest Formula One drivers of all time. He died in an accident while leading the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. — Damocles and Pholus conjunct Gonggong on the ascendant in Aquarius, the Damocles-Pholus- Gonggong conjunction = Moon / Mercury Rx.

Eva Cassidy (Feb. 2, 1963 – Nov. 2, 1996) was an American singer and guitarist, consistently voted one of the greatest singers of all time. She died of melanoma in 1996. Her posthumously released recordings, including three number-one albums and one number-one single in the UK, have sold more than ten million copies. — A stellium consisting of the Sun, Gonggong, Satrurn, Damocles, Pholus, Albion and Chariklo in Aquarius.

Sherilyn Fenn (born Feb. 1, 1965) is an American actress, best known for her role as Audrey Horne on the TV series Twin Peaks (1990–1991, 2017). Anyone who watched the series can remember her dancing to Angelo Badalamenti’s music. Fenn has said about Audrey: “Audrey’s been great for me. She has brought out a side of me that’s more mischievous and fun that I had suppressed, trying to be an adult. She has made it OK to use the power one has as a woman to be manipulative at times, to be precocious. She goes after what she wants vehemently and she takes it. I think that’s really admirable. I love that about her.” – A conjunction of the Sun, Moon, Ceres, Gonggong and Damocles in Aquarius.

Lisa Marie Presley (born Feb. 1, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter. She is the only child of singer and actor Elvis Presley and actress Priscilla Presley. — The Sun conjunct Gonggong, Vesta and Damocles in Aquarius.

Bobby Brown (born Feb. 5, 1969) is an American singer, rapper, and actor. He is noted as one of the pioneers of new jack swing, a fusion of hip hop and R&B. He was married to Whitney Houston, with whom he had a daughter named Bobbi Kristina Brown. — The Sun conjunct Gonggong and Damocles in Aquarius.

Lisa Hannigan (born Feb. 12, 1981) is an Irish singer, songwriter and musician. She began her career as a member of Damien Rice’s band, but was fired from the band by Rice. She began her solo career in 2007. Hannigan performs using “broken-down, wheezy old instruments”. Herbie Hancock has said of her vocals, “There’s so much jazz in the notes and phrases that she picks… I mean some of the things sound like choices that Miles would have made.” — The Sun conjunct Gonggong in Aquarius.

Gyaincain Norbu (born Feb. 13, 1990) is considered the 11th Panchen Lama of Tibetan Buddhism by the government of the People’s Republic of China. After the death of the 10th Panchen Lama, a dispute between the Chinese leadership and the exiled 14th Dalai Lama resulted in two competing candidates. — The Sun conjunct Gonggong and Salacia in Aquarius.

There is a grand cross aspect pattern in the New Moon chart, formed by the Sun-Moon conjunction in Aquarius, Uranus in Taurus, Varuna in Leo, and Rhadamathus-Zhulong conjunction in Scorpio. Uranus and Zhulong promise a sudden change, Varuna and Rhadamanthus dispense justice.

20000 Varuna is a trans-Neptunian object discovered in 2000 and named after one of the oldest of the vedic deities, the maker and upholder of heaven and earth. Varuna deals with matters of truth, lies and keeping agreements. He “punishes those who sin without remorse, and forgives those who err with remorse.” Varuna has been described as a vast energy behind everything, and “the great equalizer”. He is calling us to take responsibility for our world.

38083 Rhadamanthus is another TNO. It was discovered in 1999 and named after a Greek mythological figure, the wise king of Crete, the son of Zeus and Europa. He had a great sense of justice, and because of that he became one of the judges of the dead.

472235 Zhulong is a scattered disc object discovered in 2014 and named in 2019 from Chinese mythology. Zhulong was a giant red solar dragon with a human face and scarlet serpent body. It controlled the day and night of the world by opening and closing its eyes. Zhulong has been called also the Torch Dragon, since he was described in some of the classic texts as carrying a torch.

The Sabian symbol for Scorpio 4, the current degree of Zhulong, is also talking about shine. The symbol is “A youth holding a lighted candle.” The first image that came into my mind was the face of Greta Thunberg (born Jan. 3, 2003), the Swedish teenage environmental activist, who is at the moment attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Greta has natally a centaur called Okyrhoe at 3+ degrees of Taurus. This means that the current New Moon along with Uranus and the aforementioned trans-Neptunian minor planets in the grand cross configuration are all transiting her natal Okyrhoe.

52872 Okyrhoe is a centaur orbiting between Jupiter and Saturn. It was discovered in 1998 and named after Ocyrhoe, the nymph daughter of Chiron and Chariklo. She was a prophetess who was transformed into a horse for revealing the secrets of the gods. Her ability to speak was thus taken.

I’m hoping that in Greta’s case the current transits to her natal Okyrhoe are pushing it to the opposite direction, finally letting her get her message through to the world leaders. According to astrologer Mark Andrew Holmes, “Okyrhoe seems to indicate being criticized or attacked, being able to cope with attacks or unpopularity, ability to stand up for one’s beliefs or principles.”

Greta Thunberg’s natal Sun at 12+ degrees of Capricorn is in close conjunction with her Chiron. The transiting Jupiter at 12+ Capricorn is now right over her natal Sun-Chiron conjunction. Jupiter is the planet of growth and expansion. It was traditionally known as the “greater benefic”. A Jupiter transit is usually good and makes things work out well. Hopefully it will strengthen Greta’s role as a teacher and healer. She said in Davos:

“Since last summer, I’ve been repeating these numbers over and over again in almost every speech. But honestly, I don’t think I have once seen any media outlets or person in power communicate this and what it means. I know you don’t want to report about this. I know you don’t want to talk about this, but I assure you I will continue to repeat these numbers until you do.”