By Kirsti Melto and Eric Francis

The New Moon in Gemini is in close conjunction with Venus. Soon, on June 9, 2008, we will experience the exact conjunction of Venus to the Sun, a Full Venus, which marks the midpoint between the 2004 and 2012 Venus transits of the Sun.

The orbit of Venus lies closer to the Sun than the orbit of the Earth. Because of this, Venus is always somewhere in vicinity of the Sun. The only major aspect possible between Venus and the Sun is the conjunction.

A Full Venus is a phase of Venus corresponding to a Full Moon. Venus is fully lit by the Sun. The Full Venus in the same sign repeats every eight years. Venus is then in direct motion and conjunct the Sun; this is also called an exterior conjunction. An interior conjunction is when Venus is retrograde and conjunct the Sun.

Conjunctions happen all the time, and during a typical conjunction between Venus and the Sun, Venus will pass a little above or below the Sun. During a transit, Venus will cross the disk of the Sun. A transit is a kind of eclipse. Transits of Venus are among the most rare of planetary alignments.

Transits of Venus are currently only possible in June or December when Venus’ orbital nodes pass across the Sun. If Venus reaches inferior conjunction at this time, a transit will occur. They occur in pairs: on nearly the same date eight years apart, in roughly the same zodiac degrees. The pattern repeats every 243 years, with pairs of transits eight years apart separated by long gaps of 121.5 years and 105.5 years.

Venus is known as the lesser benefic (Jupiter is the greater one). Peace, harmony and balance are positive attributes of Venus. The Peace symbol turns 50 this year; Gerald Holtom designed the forked symbol for the Direct Action Committee Against Nuclear War in 1958.

In Mysteries of Venus by Mark Lerner, the author draws a connection between the shape of the peace symbol and position of the Venusian signs in the zodiac. He writes:

The peace banner is nothing more than an astrological symbol showing the primacy of three key Venusian signs — Taurus and Libra (where Venus rules) and Pisces (where Venus is exalted and most powerful). We might say that the true Venusian flag of our world is the peace banner with its unusual trident-like figure (creativity) within a circle (unity and wholeness).

Venus is the esoteric ruler of Gemini. Alice A. Bailey in Esoteric Astrology proposes a system of planetary rulership alternate to the one traditionally used by astrologers. In this system, Venus rather than Mercury is the ruler of Gemini. She describes Venus as the Earth’s soul: “The planet Venus is to the planet Earth what the higher Self is to the Personality.” Venus is about intelligence: notably, emotional intelligence.

Both exoteric and esoteric rulers of Gemini, Mercury and Venus, respectively, are conjunct the New Moon of June. Retrograding Mercury in this conjunction feels like taking an introspective erotic journey, perhaps a meeting with someone from the past. Passing encounters can lead to some truly unusual places. Mercury is square Logos in Virgo, so something truly intelligent may be in the works.

The Sun, Moon and Venus are exactly opposite Ixion on the Great Attractor in Sagittarius. Mercury is opposite Quaoar.

The Great Attractor is like some kind of huge magnet, a mass of dark matter pulling everything toward it. The point has a polarizing effect, sometimes pushing emotions, opinions and ideas to extremes. With Venus opposite the Great Attractor, our values are in some way tested, as is our collective sense of protection of what we value.

A prior lunation to the Venus transit of 2004 (a New Venus) was a Full Moon in Sagittarius on June 3, 2004. The Moon was then on the Great Attractor conjunct Quaoar. It is quite possible that events or feelings that we were living through four years ago may surface again, especially thinking that Mercury is now retrograde.

Quaoar deals with family patterns and how they influence our consciousness. These are patterns that existed before we were born and into which, as members of a family system, we were integrated without really noticing. Ixion is the dark side of human nature and that which we are all capable of. Together, these two planets represent the darkest face of the abuse that takes place in families. The most important thing necessary for healing seems to be the awareness that something was actually wrong.

Venus’s cycle through the zodiac forms a five-pointed star; a pentagram. Venus is very punctual in her cycle. The distance between each New and Full Venus is 72 degrees, or a quintile aspect (a circle divided in five). The Sun, Moon and Venus in this New Moon chart are forming a quintile to the Aries Point, a point associated with big events linking the public and private orders of reality.

Asteroid Urania is also conjunct the New Moon. In Greek mythology, Urania, which means heavenly, is one of the nine Muses, who with their graces inspire arts and all creative work. Urania is the muse of astronomy, astrology and mathematics. Urania’s position adds some extra meaning to this moment. Urania is saying, “Pay attention: Note this event!”

By Kirsti Melto and Deirdre Tanton

Taurus is an earthy and fertile sign. It is the warm soil, where seeds sprout and grow in the spring. The Moon is exalted in Taurus. A planet in its exaltation is usually able to express its nature to the best advantage.

The New Moon at 15+ degrees of Taurus occurs on Beltane. Beltane is a cross-quarter day falling halfway between the vernal equinox and the summer solstice. Cross-quarter days originated as pagan holidays in Northern Europe and the British Isles. On Beltane the traditional summer begins. It is a time to celebrate life and renewal and a time of hope.

Walpurgis Night is a holiday celebrated on April 30 or May 1, in large parts of Central and Northern Europe. The festival is named after Saint Walpurga (born in Wessex in 710), who was declared a saint on May 1. In the Finnish and Swedish calendars the first of May is named after Saint Walpurga. Viking fertility celebrations took place around April 30. Because Walburga worship was similar to Viking spring celebration, the two dates became mixed together into one — the Walpurgis Night celebration.

In the Norse tradition, Walpurgis Night is considered the time when Odin, the chief god of the Norse pantheon, symbolically died to retrieve the knowledge of the runes. Odin hanged from Yggdrasil, the great cosmic ash tree, for nine days and nine nights as a sacrifice to master the runes. Odin’s death lasted until midnight, and then light returned to the world. The night was celebrated with large bonfires lighted around the countryside. It is said to be a time of weakness between the living and the dead, as on Samhain, a festival dedicated to the harvest and the dead. The living invited deceased friends and relatives to warm themselves by the Beltane fires. One of the bonfire’s purposes was purification. Cattle, the source of wealth in those days, were often led through the purifying smoke.

Maypoles remain common in Scandinavian countries today. The May Pole is a symbol of fertility and it also relates to Yggdrasil. The tree of life has its roots deep in the earth and its branches reaching toward heaven. Yggdrasil is linking the underworld, the world of the living, the heavens and numerous other realms.

The New Moon of May semisquares (45 degrees) the Aries Point and forms a sesquiquadrate (135 degrees) to Pluto. Both of these aspects resemble a square and they can be challenging. The New Moon is in quincunx to the Great Attractor, a powerful point outside our galaxy. The Great Attractor has a polarizing effect on people and situations.

In the New Moon chart asteroid Amor is in a delicious conjunction with Venus and the Centaur planet Asbolus. Venus is the ruler of Taurus. Amor is in the discovery degree of Chiron at 3 degrees of Taurus. Asbolus is the archetype of the survivor. According to Martha Lang-Wescott asteroid Amor tells about conditions that one places on unconditional love. Amor being conjunct Venus and Asbolus in Taurus, the conditions involve utmost loyalty as well as steadfast sensuality.

The Sun and Moon are conjunct asteroid Hephaistos. Amor is an alternate name for Cupid, son of Venus. In mythology Roman Vulcan, or Greek Hephaistos was god of fire who among other things manufactured Cupid’s arrows. Hephaistos was the artist god who worked in a smoky forge underneath a volcano. He became a patron of blacksmiths and artisans. He was also regarded as one who aided the spread of vegetation, because volcanic soil was generous especially for grapevine. The British occultist Alice A. Bailey proposes in her book, Esoteric Astrology, that the esoteric ruler of Taurus is Vulcan, “the one who goes down into the depths to find the material upon which to expend his innate art and to fashion that which is beautiful and useful.”

The Sun and Moon are opposite asteroid Pandora. In Greek mythology, Pandora was the first mortal woman. She was fashioned from clay by Hephaistos. According to the myth, Pandora had been forbidden to open a jar which contained all the evils of mankind. The gods had concealed among the evil spirits one kindly creature, Hope, whose mission was to heal the wounds inflicted by the evils. Pandora was curious and could not resist opening the jar, and so the evils got loose; only hope was left inside. Astrologically Pandora represents curiosity, unexpected consequences, and hope. She can suddenly throw you on an entirely new path.

Myths are alive and can change over time. The story of Pandora was repeated on Greek ceramics. On a fifth century amphora Pandora is depicted emerging from the earth; she is the Earth, a divine giver. Over time this life-bringing goddess devolved into a human who released misery into the world. This may reflect a shift from matriarchy to patriarchy in Greek culture.

Planting a seed in the warm Taurean soil on this New Moon may yield a stable new sprout, perhaps leading to an abundant harvest. Let us rejoice and enjoy the generous gifts of the Earth.

By Kirsti Melto and Eric Francis

The first New Moon of the new astrological year is a great time for new beginnings.

The New Moon in Aries tightly opposes the asteroid Astraea in Libra, indicating that we need to meet our conscience face to face and weigh our actions on the scales of justice. In mythology, Astraea was a personification of justice. She was the last of the immortals to live with humans during the Golden Age. As mankind became wicked, she was the last to stay on Earth. Zeus then placed her amongst the stars as the constellation Virgo. The scales of justice she carried became the constellation of Libra.

Venus is in the last degree of Pisces about to enter the Aries Point — a point which is the intersection of personal responsibility and collective movement — within a couple of hours after the New Moon. Venus squares the now retrograding Pluto in early Capricorn.

The Sun and Moon form a sesquisquare aspect to Saturn. Icarus, an asteroid from the Apollo group, opposes Saturn. At its perihelion Icarus gets closer to the Sun than Mercury. It is named after Icarus of Greek mythology, who flew too close to the Sun. Astrologically Icarus can represent a desire to break free, or take a risk, so the current opposition to Saturn in the Mercury-ruled Virgo may increase willingness to break some customary behavioral or mental patterns. Mythological Icarus flew high, so asteroid Icarus can also point to matters where we possibly want to have a broad perspective.

The Moon and Mars are occupying one another’s signs. They are in mutual reception which means that they can, in a way, switch places or roles, thus leaving them bound with a kind of shared role or obligation. Mars is in conjunction with asteroid Apollo, the namesake of the earlier mentioned Apollo asteroids. Apollo’s orbital period is 1.8 years. Its rotation period is slightly over three hours and the speed is slowly but steadily increasing because of the solar radiation from Apollo’s surface, amounting to one extra rotation cycle in just 40 years.

In mythology Apollo is a Sun god. He represents harmony, order and reason, while Dionysus, god of wine, represents ecstasy and disorder. The Greeks considered the two gods like brothers, and while Apollo spent his winter months in Hyperborea, a mythical land in the distant north, he left the oracle at Delphi to Dionysus in the meanwhile. Apollo was said to return at the beginning of spring.

Astrologically asteroid Apollo is a light-bringer in other ways than the Sun, the centre of our solar system. It may represent something of the inner quality or talent of seeing the light where others might not see it, in the strangest of places if you look for it right. Martha Lang-Wescott has proposed that it may symbolize provocation or going against the odds. It can be very useful in allowing one to tackle situations where the odds of success are small.

In Aries we find also Mercury and Pallas Athene. Pallas, one of the first asteroids, is about protection, strategy, law and government. Pallas Athene was a warrior goddess and the goddess of wisdom.

Asteroid Photographica in the first degree of Libra is in connection with the Aries Point and Pluto. Photographica deals with visual imagery, often literally with all things photographic. We saw a startling symbol of these aspects last week in the photo taken from the Icarus perspective showing the massive ice shelf in Antarctica on the verge of breaking up due to global warming.

Climate change is now officially a human rights issue, as the UN Human Rights Council has passed a resolution on the subject, recognizing that the world’s poor are particularly vulnerable. The human rights of millions of people may be threatened. The council describes climate change as a “global problem that requires a global solution.”

The Oort cloud object Sedna at 20+ degrees Taurus is currently receiving several aspects. She forms a Grand Trine in Earth with Jupiter in Capricorn and Logos in Virgo. Sedna squares Chiron in Aquarius, sextiles Uranus in Pisces and semisextiles Eris in Aries.

Sedna was discovered in 2003 and named in honor of the Inuit goddess of the sea. Sedna is something very unusual in our solar system with her extremely long orbital period of more than 10,000 years. Interesting that it was conjunct Chiron in early Taurus at the time of Chiron’s discovery, and as such can be counted as part of the “rainbow bridge” reality that Chiron represents.

Sedna reminds us about the warming of the climate. Astrologer Karen Hamaker-Zondag has noted that Sedna wants to be known. She gives us subtle warnings. If we don’t pay attention to her, we may have to deal with her strength.

Asteroid Karma at 20+ degrees Gemini makes a quincunx to Jupiter, trines Chiron, squares Uranus and Logos, sextiles Eris and semisextiles Sedna. Karma is a main-belt asteroid discovered in 1953 by Finnish astronomer Liisi Oterma. If talking spiritually “karma” is the law of cause and effect under which every action we take has consequences. Also the lack of action, or lack of awareness where we should have it, counts. The concept of “wyrd” in the Northern tradition corresponds roughly to the principle of karma. Wyrd is a concept according to which past actions continually affect and condition the future. The web of wyrd is not fixed, it is flexible, and by conscious intervention we can affect the outcome.

On March 29 cities all over the world went dark for 60 minutes to mark Earth Hour, a worldwide campaign to highlight the waste of electricity and the threat of climate change. “What’s amazing is that it’s transcending political boundaries — it really seems to have resonated with anybody and everybody,” said Andy Ridley, Executive Director of Earth Hour.

Small gestures and decisions can make a big difference. With the assistance of the light of Apollo we can go against the odds.

By Kirsti Melto and Eric Francis

New Moon in Pisces — March 7, 2008, 17:14 UT.

MAKE ROOM for divine madness and get ready for the Bacchanalia, held in a “gigantic tent.” The stars are now inviting you to a wild party. The Bacchanalia were wild and mystic festivals held in March in honor of the Roman and Greek god Bacchus.

The Sabian Symbol for this New Moon is Pisces 18 A gigantic tent. (The Sabian Symbols are a degree-by-degree symbolic reference system that helps illustrate and demonstrate the level of astrology that is symbolic). This is what Dr. Marc Edmund Jones says about this symbol:

“This is a symbol of the completeness with which man is able to see his experience both steadily and whole, dramatized here by the circus as representing an utterly naive intensification of self-consciousness. The totality of life is brought to some single center in every moment of true excitement or total sharing of skills and risks, and each individual at such times has a renewed insight into his capacity for putting his world in order for his ultimate on-going as well as for his immediate entertainment. The keyword is apportionment.”

On this New Moon of March, planets and asteroids have gathered in a razzle stellium in Pisces — like the colorful crowd accompanying Bacchus on his travels. Pisces is the last sign of the zodiac; winter is soon turning to spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and a new cycle of life is about to begin. Worship of Bacchus was related to the cycle of seasons and to the renewal of nature. Bacchus was also the patron deity of the theatre, which is one of the more Piscean activities.

The Sun and Moon are closely conjunct the rebellious and experimenting Uranus. In the same degree with Uranus there are two asteroids, Child and Bacchus. Also Vesta and asteroid Orpheus are in Pisces.

Asteroid Child can relate to one’s experiences as a child, but it also can indicate childish reactions, or stir up the childlike spirit within.

Asteroid Bacchus is named after the Roman god of wine, fertility and inspired madness. It was discovered in April 1977 by Charles T. Kowal (the same guy who later on the same year discovered Chiron). The god Bacchus was known by various names. He was also called Dionysus or Liber (also Liber Pater). He is the liberator who frees one from one’s normal self by madness, ecstasy, or wine. In Roman mythology, Liber was originally associated with husbandry and crops, but then was assimilated with Dionysus.

In art, Dionysus is usually depicted as a young, attractive and feminine man, wearing a crown made of vine leaves and grapes and holding a staff. He traveled from land to land, taught people farming and the art of making wine, and he spread drunken ecstasy and disorder everywhere he went. He was followed by singing, noisy, unruly revelers, many of them women. Peak experiences, pushing things past the limits, divine inspiration, wildness, excess, altered states, intoxication, alcohol, drugs, and escapism are attributes that can be associated with Bacchus/Dionysus. The archetype has a strong Neptunian association but the energetic intensity involved is similar to Pluto and Chiron.

Bacchus was the consort of Ceres and the father of the fertility goddess Libera, who is associated with Persephone of Greek mythology. At the moment asteroid Libera is also in Pisces in close conjunction with the Sun, Moon and Bacchus. In Taurus we find asteroids Ceres and Dionysus in conjunction. They are opposing Pandora and Psyche also in conjunction in the corresponding degrees of Scorpio. These aspects are echoing the unpredictable nature of this chart.

Pandora relates to curiosity. “Pandora’s box” is a familiar concept — we may face unexpected consequences for our actions or be getting something else than what we asked for.

Psyche points to psychological wounds and traumas and talks about the sense of oneself as having a wound that cannot be healed. It can be healed, of course, and Psyche can represent the key to finding how to resolve the negative thought pattern.

Vesta is the brightest of asteroids, and is now in Pisces as well. She is the goddess of the hearth. Vesta represents the core creative and erotic human fire. She is about tending a flame as part of a collective responsibility, and there is something impersonal about Vesta’s energy. She brings in the Piscean themes of sex and service.

Asteroid Orpheus in Pisces is opposing Saturn in Virgo. In mythology Orpheus was a magical musician and poet. His lyre and sweet voice could charm even wild animals and make rocks and trees dance. He was one of the Argonauts, and it was his music which prevented the crew of the ship Argo from being lured to destruction by the Sirens. Orpheus is also said to be the founder of the Orphic religious cult. The Orphic Mysteries were comparable to and linked with the Dionysian Mysteries. Orphics also revered Persephone and Dionysus or Bacchus.

When Orpheus’ wife Eurydice died of a snake bite, Orpheus descended to the underworld. His songs were so beautiful that Hades agreed to allow Eurydice to return to the world with Orpheus. There was one condition: he must not look back on their way back to the surface. Nonetheless Orpheus looked back and lost Eurydice again. In astrology Orpheus is often associated with sorrow, loss and grief, but also with power of music and lyrics. When we allow a change and move into a new phase, we may feel sadness because we know that at the same time we have to leave something behind us. Pisces is the sign of art, music and poetry, and Orpheus in Pisces can simply symbolize an exceptional art experience.

In Aquarius we have another impressive stellium. Chiron, Mercury, Neptune and Venus are in conjunction in vicinity of the North Node. Asteroid Lilith is close to the Node and asteroid Icarus occupies the same degree with Chiron. The Sun, Moon and Uranus are semisextile to the Chiron-Icarus conjunction.

Asteroid Lilith tells about the original woman inside the woman. It is her deeper idea of herself and, in the chart of a man, his deeper idea of what a woman is, and how he relates to her. Lilith can also represent the crisis that “being the real me” brings into the lives of both women and men.

Asteroid Icarus speaks about peak experiences, desire to break free or take a risk. Icarus can point to matters where you possibly want to have a lot of perspective. A broad perspective available is also one of the distinct qualities available in Pisces. In the Greek myth Daedalus and his son Icarus were imprisoned. They were able to escape with wings that Daedalus prepared for them. Daedalus warned Icarus not to fly too high or the Sun would melt the wax he had used on the wings. Icarus forgot the warning, the wax melted, and Icarus fell down into the sea.

Pay attention to the tight Mars-Pluto opposition aligned with the cardinal points, an aspect which adds some more explosive energy to this lunation. The cardinal points are the first degrees of the cardinal signs — hot spots related to the Aries Point. The cardinal points join individuals with the collective. At the Aries Point we are having a strong protective image though, Pallas Athene together with Bienor. Pallas is the archetype of strategy, law, protection and wisdom.

Jupiter-Varuna opposition offers another protective image in the chart. Jupiter, the traditional ruler of Pisces forms a harmonious sextile to the New Moon cluster. Varuna — an energy which is too large to comprehend, but which somehow touches us personally — forms a flowing trine to it. Varuna can be thought as a force that we invoke personally; we can ask for the help of this seemingly invisible energy, and it responds.

By Kirsti Melto and Eric Francis

New Moon in Aquarius — February 7, 2008, 03:44:27 UT

WE ARE in the middle of a transition to a new area of space, time and history. Pluto, the planet of transcendence and evolution, is newly arrived in Capricorn, one of the cardinal signs. Pluto’s movements mark the long eras in astrology, and Pluto will shuttle back into Sagittarius for one more stay midyear, before returning to Capricorn for good in the autumn. Mercury has recently stationed retrograde, and earlier this week, Mars stationed direct in Gemini.

Pluto, for its part, is currently tightly square the Aries Point, the first degree of Aries. Whenever the Aries Point is involved in an astrological setup, the news tends to have a personal feel to it, and events tend to affect a lot of people. For evidence of this, we need look no further than the primary elections in the United States, all of which are coming to a head in the next week or so. The Capricorn connection is that governments, corporations and anything that hangs onto tradition (such as large institutions like the Church of Rome) are subject to profound changes, restructuring and other forms of transformation in the coming years, in an era that has its roots in the current moment.

Highlighting this transition is the Aquarius New Moon of Thursday, Feb. 7, which is a potent annular solar eclipse. Potent means that the eclipse is conjunct many planets. Chiron, Nessus, Mercury retrograde, Neptune and asteroids Lilith, Bacchus and Vesta, have all accumulated in Aquarius and are in direct alignment with this event, which brings in many themes, all of which are bound by the signs Aquarius. Of note, the solar eclipse takes place at the peak of Mercury retrograde, the interior conjunction of the Sun and Mercury which is exactly less than ten hours before the eclipse.

Eclipses occur twice a year, when the Sun is near one of the lunar nodes. They usually come in pairs, solar and lunar. The corresponding lunar eclipse occurs in Virgo on Feb. 20. The current eclipse takes place on the North Node of the Moon, pushing its way into the future. The North Node, like the eclipse itself, is in Aquarius, the sign associated with social patterns and technology. It is interesting that so many of our social patterns are now integrated with the digital world. Many people have many things to say about this. Does digital technology bring us closer together, or does it alienate us? Does it enhance communication, or does it give us the cop-out of the “delete” button and the constantly changing online profile?

Whatever may be the answer to these questions — questions which deserve asking — we need to recognize that we are indeed immersed in the digital world. That the members of our species with the most active minds are integrated with the technosphere, and that this is developing faster than we can currently control. More to the point, the leaders of the world are rapidly amassing technological power, ranging from unprecedented surveillance ability to nanotechnology capable of being injected as serum into our bodies. We are simply NOT seriously considering the effects of these things; we are, for the most part, unknowingly swallowing the red pill and diving straight into the Matrix.

In this discussion of technology, we need to look at two planets distinctly associated with the topic. One is a distant trans-Neptunian named Logos. Another is an asteroid called Atlantis. Logos is situated in Virgo, where it will be for a long time. It is currently square the centaur Cyllarus (“out of nowhere”) and opposite Pallas (politics, strategy). Needless to say, we must be aware of the rising tide of technological strategy of large entities like the government and the corporations it employs.

Then there is Atlantis, which addresses the use and misuse of technology, and the feeling of imminent doom. Atlantis would include distortions of science. Atlantis is in late Libra, about to change signs into Scorpio, where it will make a series of squares to the Aquarius stellium. This will likely call to light certain less savory aspects of our technology situation.

The Canadian professor and media philosopher Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980) explained that any environment tends to be invisible. A media environment is so pervasive that we don’t see it. He devised many methods of sensing and making sense out of our media environment, one of which was a series of four questions that he called the “tetrad.” We can apply them to the digital world, which is a kind of conducting medium for thought, images and ideas:

* What does the medium enhance?
* What does the medium make obsolete?
* What does the medium retrieve that had been obsolesced earlier?
* What does the medium flip into when pushed to extremes?

We could add, what is the mediums effect on our perception of time and our sense of identity? This, we need to ask as the Aquarius eclipse blows through the neighborhood, whisking us into a new phase of history. Aquarius always directs us to ask how we fit into groups that surround us. Are we more or less able to be ourselves? Are we free to think, feel and be? These are the things to ask yourself.

Here are some additional technical notes.

Later in the day of the eclipse, the Moon conjoins Neptune. This specific conjunction is also a kind of eclipse, called an occultation — so we have a double eclipse. The Moon will pass directly over the face of Neptune, rather than slightly above or below. In 2008 there is an occultation of Neptune by the Moon in every month except December — it’s a lot of eclipse energy in Aquarius! And a lot of Neptune.

Chiron and Mercury in the middle of Aquarius are forming a semisquare — a trigger aspect — to the Aries Point and thus raising our awareness of the choices and opportunities.

Bienor, a small Uranus-crosser discovered in 2000 in Chiron’s class is at the Aries Point, and ingresses Aries the day following the eclipse. Its name means “strong one.” It will remain in a square to Pluto for years.

There is not much told about Bienor in mythology. Bienor was one of the Centaurs that attended the Lapith king Pirithous’ wedding. Centaurs and the Lapiths started to fight and many of the Centaurs died in this battle. Ovid describes in Metamorphoses how Pirithous’ friend Theseus leaps upon the back of Bienor, and how Bienor gets killed by Theseus. “…He leaps upon the back of tall Bienor, never trained to carry riders…” There is something unique in his death, because Bienor is the only Centaur who dies in this way, somebody jumping upon the back of a Centaur. Centaurs were wild creatures, and this image painted before our eyes resembles a bit taming of a wild horse — in a way an insulting act, which at the same time represents something positive.

Perhaps the myth points us to look for the meaning of Centaur planet Bienor in connection of events that have been unique and happened for the first time in the history of mankind.

In the chart of the first lunar landing in July 1969, when the lunar module Eagle landed on the Sea of Tranquility, the Moon was in early degrees of Libra with Bienor (opposing the Aries Point), mirroring two things: the strong men who bravely set out for the Moon; and the strong feelings involved in this event, not just in the USA but worldwide. More than 700 million people saw the event on television (a new record at the time), including Buzz Aldrin testing methods for moving around, going back and forth in front of the camera the way a horse gallops. Jupiter and Uranus were in conjunction in Libra, exactly opposite the Aries Point. The experience was not just historical for the mankind, but also highly personal for the men who walked on the Moon. They were personal to us, like members of our families.

The following could be more recent examples of the news now that Bienor has been conjuncting the Aries Point:

In January 2008 solar physicists announced the beginning of a new solar cycle. The Sun’s poles may be crucial to studies of the solar cycle. On Jan. 14, the Ulysses spacecraft was flying over a key region of solar activity, the Sun’s North Pole, something never done before at the onset of a new solar cycle.

Also in January 2008, an image taken by NASA’s Messenger probe revealed something we had never seen before: a first look at the previously unseen side of the planet Mercury after a Jan. 14, 2008 flyby.

Bienor may be associated with the strength of mankind expressed through technology, and when we combine it with the Aries Point, it affects “everyman.” Let’s not only hope and pray, but take concrete action to create technological justice.

By Kirsti Melto and Eric Francis

WE ARE currently in an extended phase of Aries Point events. The first New Moon of the New Year falls at 17+ degrees of Capricorn, in one of the cardinal signs, and qualifies for an Aries Point event. The news is reflecting the astrological Aries Point theme “personal is political”, telling about global events that can have profoundly personal implications and lasting effects through time. Some asteroid positions in the chart are subtly reminding us to be vigilant about what we read and see.

Most of the major planets and also many important minor planets are concentrated in the last four signs of the chart wheel, from Sagittarius to Pisces.

The New Moon sextiles Uranus, asteroid Kassandra in Pisces, and asteroid Hidalgo in Scorpio. Thus the Sun and the Moon are in the midpoint of those planets. A midpoint is the point located halfway between two planets, the point that integrates the energies of the planets in question. Transits to the midpoint can be important.

Asteroid 114 Kassandra is a large and dark main belt asteroid, named after Cassandra, the prophetess in the tales of the Trojan War. Kassandra is the syndrome wherein nobody believes you if you tell the truth but everyone believes you if you make up stories. People often believe stories more than they believe the truth. Kassandra asks you to be cautious about what others say.

Asteroid 944 Hidalgo has the longest orbital period (13.8 years) of any asteroid in the traditional asteroid belt. It is named for the father of the Mexican Revolution, Miguel Hidalgo, and a priest and rebel leader. Hidalgo, one of the most complex asteroids, works on a large scale and has a Sagittarian flavor. Hidalgo is dealing with themes of rebelling against hypocrisy and saying what’s on your mind. Hidalgo speaks to the perplexing hypocrisies presented to us by culture, the ones we have to swallow every day and are often humiliated in doing so. Hidalgo is about our response to absurd social hypocrisies, whether or not we revolt against them, and how we do it.

The New Moon opposes Varuna, a cubewano discovered in 2000 and named after a supreme pre-Vedic deity. He has influence in the levels of seas, streams and rivers, and most meaningfully, the failure to be responsible for our actions. He deals with the punishment of liars and is responsible for punishing those who don’t honor contracts. Varuna is “the great equalizer”, calling us to take both personal and collective responsibility for our world.

The New Moon squares Eris, which just has stationed direct in Aries.

Pluto, the prime mover of human progress, is in the last degree of Sagittarius and Jupiter with its expansive tendencies in early Capricorn are square the Aries Point. Two main belt asteroids, 896 Sphinx and 128 Nemesis are also in the same grouping. Sphinx can represent great mysteries, but also missing information. In mythology Nemesis was the goddess of rightful indignation. She was daughter of Nyx, Queen of Night, as was Eris. Nemesis is said to have directed human affairs in such a way as to maintain equilibrium and she made sure that humans respected the natural laws. The position of the asteroid in the birth chart is said to symbolize our conscience and guide us towards right action. If we don’t pay attention to her, then we have to deal with the consequences.

Retrograding Mars in Cancer opposes the above-mentioned planets square the Aries Point. The Mars-Pluto opposition can be forceful, even fatal, and needs to be handled carefully.

Mercury has entered Aquarius just before the New Moon. Mercury in Aquarius can be objective, sincere and truthful, but also prone to extremism. Mercury semi-squares Uranus and is in septile aspect to Pholus, a Centaur planet discovered in 1992. Pholus has the energy of release; Pholus opens the container and lets something out. These Mercury aspects remind us to be mindful also about our own communication and what we say.

Mercury opposes asteroid Apollo in the first degree of Leo. 1862 Apollo is the namesake of the Apollo asteroids, a group of Earth-crosser asteroids, which can get very close to the Earth. Apollo’s orbital period is 1.8 years, it spins every three hours, and it has a tiny satellite orbiting it closely. In 2007 scientists found out that Apollo gets an extra kick from solar radiation. Its rotation speed steadily increases due to the re-radiation of solar energy from its surface. This affects it as if there were small propulsion engines on Apollo’s surface. The effect is tiny, but the study shows that sunlight can make an asteroid spin so fast it eventually breaks up and splits into a binary all by itself. The results of this study are important for understanding binary asteroids.

In mythology Apollo was a Sun god. He was the god of light and truth, medicine and healing, poetry and music. He was also the god of divination. Apollo was the leader of the nine Muses and he played on a lyre, which Hermes/Mercury had made and given him. The Apollonian and Dionysian is a philosophical and literary concept, a dichotomy or contrast. Apollo represents harmony, order and reason, while Dionysus represents ecstasy and disorder. The Greeks did not consider the qualities that Apollo and Dionysus represented as rivaling, but complementary.

Astrologically asteroid Apollo is a light-bringer in other ways than the Sun, the center of our solar system. It may represent something of the inner quality or talent of seeing the light where others might not see it, in the strangest of places if you look for it right. Martha Lang-Wescott has proposed that it may symbolize provocation and going against the odds. It can be very useful allowing one to tackle situations where the odds of success are small.

Asteroid 3671 Dionysus at 14+ degrees of Taurus is semi-square the Aries Point. There is possibly a small moon orbiting also Dionysus. Peak experiences and pushing things past the limits are astrological attributes of Dionysus, and in spite of the strong Neptunian association it can be rather associated with evolutionary Pluto.

Mercury and Saturn are in mutual reception (Mercury is the ruler of Virgo and Saturn the traditional ruler of Aquarius). When two planets are occupying one another’s signs, the planets in question can, in a way, switch places or roles; thus leaving them bound with a kind of shared role or obligation.

Saturn in Virgo is in exact conjunction with the Centaur planet Okyrhoe, named for the daughter of Chiron and Chariklo. It has shorter orbital period than any other Centaur planet (about 24 years) and thus makes an excellent representative for the “daughter of the centaurs.” Mark Andrew Holmes writes, “A prophet, she was changed into a mare by the gods as punishment for revealing their plans to humankind. Astrologically, 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.”

Saturn, Pholus and Chaos are still forming a precise T-square pattern in the early mutable signs.

Venus in Sagittarius is in the same degree with asteroid Juno, and both are in conjunction with plutino Ixion, discovered in 2001 and having an orbital period of 250 years. Ixion was named for the first murderer recorded in Greek mythology (a former king and friend of Zeus), who unsuccessfully tried to attack Hera/Juno. Ixion speaks to that which we are all capable of and expresses itself more often negatively than not. However, Ixion at its essence is about pure potential and suggests that we all can access the same potential if we want to or need to. Nobody is incapable of anything; but not all potential is expressed. Venus and Juno are squaring Saturn.

The first four asteroids (Ceres, Pallas, Juno and Vesta) are all in the degrees 9-12 of the signs that they are occupying currently and thus aspecting each other, perhaps offering us safe passage through this moment in time.

By Kirsti Melto and Eric Francis

THE NEW MOON at 17+ degrees Sagittarius occurs near the Great Attractor and in exact conjunction with cubewano Quaoar. Also Mercury and plutino Ixion, which are even closer to the Great Attractor, are conjunct the Sun and Moon.

The Great Attractor is a fixed point at 14+ degrees Sagittarius. It is a bit mysterious, a kind of anti-Big Bang, a point pulling everything — including us — toward it, but nobody currently understands entirely what this point is. The Great Attractor has a tendency to make things bigger, to polarize situations and push people one way or the other. It is associated with distinct or even extreme opinions.

The exact conjunction of the Sun and Quaoar happens one and a half hours after the New Moon. Quaoar speaks to the rhythms and choreography into which we were born, as these manifest within the family pattern going back countless generations. It points to how we dance to the music of our own creation mythology more or less unconsciously. Quaoar is named for a Native American creation deity of the Tongva people from what is now Southern California.

Mercury conjuncts Ixion less than four hours after the New Moon. Ixion is named for a mythologized former king, a descendent of the god Ares (sometimes called Mars) and, notably, the first human to commit murder. Would-be rapist of the gods (in particular, Hera, whom he unsuccessfully tried to attack after Jupiter offered to help rehabilitate him from his act of killing another man), he is a squanderer of second chances.

Ixion suggests “what we are all capable of” and points to the common thread among all forms of violence, be they physical or emotional. Ixion is the pattern or psychological construction which says we cannot change our inherent nature no matter what the consequences or punishment. We can perhaps change, but Ixion represents the idea that we cannot. He relates to the collective memory of original sin (murder, not sex) and how this is recalled, perhaps subtly, in any experience of desire, transformation or passion.

Uranus in Pisces is opposing Typhon in Virgo. Typhon is “the first binary Centaur.” In mythology Typhon was the father of hot storm winds. All the aforementioned planets in Sagittarius are in square aspect to both Uranus and Typhon.

In Sagittarius on the Galactic Core are also Jupiter and Pluto close to their exact conjunction, which occurs on Dec. 11. Centaur planet Bienor, “the Strong One,” has squared Pluto on Dec. 8 and then later on the same day stationed direct at 28+ degrees Pisces.

Asteroid Juno in the first degree of Sagittarius squares the lunar nodes.

The Sun and Moon sextile Neptune, Mercury sextiles Chiron, Mars sextiles Saturn, and Neptune sextiles Eris.

1992 QB1, the first planet discovered beyond Pluto, and Eris, the first planet found after Pluto’s discovery in 1930 that has proved to be bigger than Pluto, are in conjunction at 20+ degrees Aries. This is a very rare event because of the length of their orbits.

By Kirsti Melto and Eric Francis

THE NEW MOON is in Scorpio conjunct Juno, the third asteroid ever discovered. With Venus newly arrived in Libra we are swimming in deep waters of relationships, which is another way of saying understanding the way people interact and the agreements they make with one another.

But Juno is more than generically about ‘relationships’; she is about our attitudes toward others, the presumptions we make, the ways we keep score in relationships and the privileges we afford ourselves and others to use jealousy as a way of life. However, in the simplest context, such as in a natal chart, she can stand in for the original concept we were taught about who our partner should be.

The Sun and the Moon are in the dark and potent sign of Scorpio, the astrological sign that is associated with mysteries of life, death, transformation and sexuality. In the Northern Hemisphere, the days are getting shorter and shorter, and the darkness arrives early. At the New Moon the Moon is totally invisible, not reflecting any light from the Sun. At present we are exploring the darkness, facing the unknown, not really able to see what is happening. This can feel very frightening. We have to rely on our instincts and subjective awareness to get through this phase. Astrology teaches us that everything is cyclical and this is just one phase before entering another — there is eternal shift between day and night, light and shadow. Our fear is really fear of change.

The New Moon squares Neptune, which may increase the feeling of not being able to see clearly, or not being able to trust our intuition. On the other hand, Neptune is associated with intuition and imagination, so this may be very helpful and heighten our instincts. The Sun and the Moon form a water trine with Mars in Cancer and Uranus in Pisces, which also may be helpful in allowing our emotions to flow.

The Sun and the Moon are conjunct Juno. The Roman goddess Juno was queen of the gods and the jealous wife of Jupiter. By most accounts we think of Jupiter as unfaithful; we do not normally think of him as alive. If you were the king of the gods, you would probably want to have sex with all the other goddesses and nymphs, wouldn’t you? But it’s interesting that there seems to be no female equivalent, surely not in the form of Jupiter’s wife.

She was a goddess of marriage and she could also throw lightning bolts like Jupiter; she was decidedly less benevolent, at times acting out her petty jealousies or wrath arbitrarily. The Greek goddess Hera, who had approximately the same temperament, was always honored and bowed to, lest she seek jealous revenge.

Juno symbolizes marriage, partnership dynamics, woman’s role as a wife, fidelity and jealousy. She will also reveal shades of commitment, the feelings about commitment, and (in a natal chart) the original pattern we were imprinted with in childhood of what our partner would or should be like. This can change, particularly as we go through relationships. With Juno square Neptune, we may be questioning commitment unconsciously, or confused about its dynamics or meaning. We may in some way be feeling unfree, but experiencing it as chaos or loss of clarity.

Possessiveness and learning how to let go arise as central themes of this lunation. Throwing the lightning bolts may not be the best and the only way to deal with the situations we are facing. Feeling through the confusion would be better advised.

An exact conjunction of two asteroids, Vesta and Lilith in Capricorn is adding its own spice to the mixture. Among other things, these two asteroids are also talking about woman’s role in a relationship and about woman’s deeper idea of herself. Lilith can also represent the crisis that “being the real me” brings into the lives of both women and men, particularly when it happens to women. Women in particular are trained to conceal their real identity as a way of life and of survival, particularly where sexual desire is concerned. For women, the price for admitting to sexual desire is apparently much higher than it is for men. When considering Lilith as the real woman inside the woman, this is an essential dimension to consider.

Vesta adds the theme of sublimating sexual desire — or of using it in service of something outside oneself. She can manifest either as celibacy or as the capacity to bestow sexual favors for the purpose of healing or growth; the choice is up to each of us.

The conjunction of Vesta and Lilith is opposing Mars in Cancer. This is a picture of some interesting confrontations between the part of men that is more feminine, insecure, nurturing or needy; and the part of women that is hot at the core and focused on the intention of being known and available as inherently sexual.

Venus, the ruler of Libra, has just ingressed one of its home signs (Taurus is the other) the day before the New Moon. We want harmony and fair play in our relationships. Venus at 1+ degrees Libra squares Pluto, the ruler of Scorpio. Anything in very early Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn falls under the Aries Point phenomenon — the ‘personal is political’ theme. In spite of the present darkness someone or something is having a vast public impact.

Mercury is now in direct motion but still in Libra, traveling through the last degrees of the sign within a few days, and ingressing into Scorpio on Nov. 11. Sometimes the last degrees of a sign prove difficult or demanding.

The New Moon’s opposition to asteroid Ceres in Taurus is reflecting lunar-like light to our consciousness and ensuring us that our nourishment needs will be met. An opposition is an aspect of awareness and astrologically Ceres has a lot in common with the Moon. In myth Ceres’s daughter Proserpina (Persephone) was abducted into the underworld by Pluto. In her desperation Ceres stopped the growth of fruits and vegetables. Proserpina was freed, but she had to spend a part of each year in the underworld with Pluto; for the other part, she was able to return to living with her mother on Earth. Of course, Proserpina was happy with Pluto down in the underworld; it is we who may grieve her temporary loss.

Taurus is a spring sign and Ceres in Taurus symbolizes the phase when the daughter returns to her mother and nature starts blossoming again. It is a time for sowing seeds for a new cycle, as is any New Moon time. Ceres can represent not only the nurturing we receive, but also how we function as nurturers in our relationships. She reminds us to lend a hand to fellow beings who may need a guide.

The New Moon is opposite not just Ceres but also Sedna. This is repeating the theme that we get our needs met and we are taken care of. When the Inuit goddess Sedna is happy she releases her bounty of the sea.

Sabian Symbol by Marc Edmund Jones for this New Moon degree is: “A woods rich in autumn coloring. This is a symbol of nature’s high ministry of service to every function and purpose of individual living, and of the varying manifestations of a reality supported and brought to its genuine fruitage by the eternal and illimitable resources on every hand. There is here an exaltation of every ideal potentiality, dramatized in the form of inevitable and universal consummations of order and beauty. Life achieves its ultimate promise in a personal excellence, which may be found compounded a thousand-fold. The keyword is fulfillment.”

By Kirsti Melto and Eric Francis

THE NEXT Sun-Moon conjunction or New Moon occurs at 17+ degrees Libra on Oct. 11. The chart is, perhaps, challenging as the Sun, Venus and Mars are in signs where they are said to be in their “fall.” Fall is one of the ancient dignities. Dignities are part of a much more complex system that is all but forgotten now, and greatly misunderstood. It is a system of weighting how strong a planet is in its sign.

There are several kinds of rulership in astrology. The most common one we know about; for example, if you’re a Libra, your planet, Venus, is said to be the ruler of your sign. But if you’re a Pisces, your sign is also associated with Venus because Venus is exalted in Pisces. Exalted is like being a visiting king in a friendly nation; you are treated with dignity. But planets that are in signs opposite to their exaltation are said to be in their fall. When planets are in their exaltation they are usually able to express their nature to the best advantage, and when they are in their fall their influence is said (by the ancient astrologers) to be imprisoned. Using the energy of the sign requires some work.

But here is a theory for you. We have learned a lot about astrology from Chiron, which creates strength from seeming debilities. Chiron is often associated with a struggle that makes a person truly strong; or a debility that creates a superior ability or very focused talent. I have seen this “Chiron effect” work in many circumstances when Chiron is not directly involved; it’s just one way that humans use adversity to adapt and become much stronger.

Libra is about relationships. It is a sign seeking balance and harmony almost at any cost, and typically willing to please others. It has a dislike of confrontation and a strong need for maintaining peace and stability. But it is also motivated by justice and an egalitarian spirit. Venus, the ruler of Libra (and also Taurus), will be in Virgo for the New Moon, and it has just completed a conjunction to Saturn. A limit has been reached, but it may not be recognized. It’s like Venus is in a blind spot, unaware of where she is, and caught up in the details that would be applicable anywhere but are creating a kind of blinder to the challenges of the present.

Mars is exalted in Capricorn. This second planetary association (we all know about Saturn) is what gives Capricorn its power of initiative. Mars in Cancer would rather run than fight. It is a placement for Mars where it has difficulties in expressing anger and being direct, so that directness is going to be helpful if we can summon it without losing our temper. However, the pushy or over-emotional side of Cancer may come out, and that is a tendency to be aware of.

However, this is not a time for keeping the status quo at any cost, because Quaoar, a small world beyond Neptune which is astrologically about family patterns, is tightly conjunct Jupiter at the Great Attractor, which will magnify its effects. We will be able to see and feel the family pattern vividly. Mars in Cancer is a placement which may manifest as fighting against family and tradition, or being able to assert oneself enough to resist those tendencies. We tend to drag around family baggage, but this might be a good time to start a fair conversation and gain some healing on the subject.

The Sun and Moon are sextile Jupiter-Quaoar conjunction. The conjunction of Jupiter and Quaoar (which is pretty rare, happening every 14 years or so) will be exact the day after the New Moon, so it’s a meaningful part of this chart.

Quaoar is a kind of planet called a cubewano (que-bee-wanno). It was discovered in 2002 and named for a Native American creation deity of the Tongva people from what is now southern California. Quaoar speaks to the rhythms and choreography into which we were born, as these manifest within the family pattern going back countless generations. It points to how we dance to the music of our own creation mythology more or less unconsciously. The square from Uranus hints that we are ready for a revolution in this department. The Jupiter-Uranus square, which is the third and last in the series, is exact two days before the New Moon.

The Great Attractor is a bit mysterious, a fixed point at 14+ degrees Sagittarius. It is a kind of anti-Big Bang, a point pulling everything — including us — toward it, but nobody currently understands entirely what this point is. Both Jupiter and the Great Attractor have a tendency to make things bigger. The Great Attractor tends to polarize situations and push people one way or the other; it is associated with distinct or even extreme opinions. Jupiter conjunct this point possibly either magnifies or softens its effect.

The Sun and Moon are opposing a conjunction of 1992 QB1 (289 year orbit) — the first planet discovered beyond Pluto — and Eris (557 year orbit) — the first planet found after Pluto’s discovery in 1930 that has proved to be bigger than Pluto. This is a very rare event because of the length of the orbits. The discovery of 1992 QB1 proved the existence of the Kuiper Belt, which had remained only theoretical until then. 1992 QB1 has not yet been officially named, but Eric has proposed Radharani. 1992 QB1 may have associations with the Phoenix-like process of arising into new incarnations within our current lifetime, which often happens as a result of near-death experiences or with the experience of “ego death.”

Eris, for her part, represents that missing factor in the modern psyche; the sense that we are not quite whole, that our minds are fragmented by the onslaught of history and the pressures of modern consciousness. Indeed, Eris represents what is happening to our minds at the end of the Modern era and the dawn of the Postmodern era, when all the old rules, definitions, models and neat concepts that supposedly bolstered life are essentially lying in fragments.

Radharani in conjunction with Eris would seem to represent a factor that restores our sense of sanity in clearly insane times; that bridges us with the cosmos in a time when we have no tangible model of the cosmos.

The Sun opposes Eris on Oct. 14. In keeping with the theme of Libra, this is about our relationships. The inherent nature of a relationship is that of inviting another into our world. This means relinquishing a certain amount of control and making sure we are open to a measure of change and disruption in our life.

Asteroid Vesta is in conjunction with Pluto on the Galactic Core at 26+ degrees Sagittarius. Radharani can be compared with Vesta, which is about service to a higher power, giving oneself over, and tending the sacred hearth of sexuality and creativity. Vesta is the devotion and space-holding aspect of this energy and Radharani is the cosmic bridge aspect. Vesta is a guardian of the inner and outer space that surrounds the cosmic fire; QB1 is a guardian of the rift between the dimensions, personally bridging the contradictions of space and time with her awareness and opening the way to those who need assistance or who are not fully initiated.

The Sun and Moon are conjunct asteroid Psyche. The exact conjunction of the Sun and Psyche occurred the day before the New Moon. Psyche is the sense of the psychic wound that never heals. Often it is a wound to faith. It is where we think we are permanently damaged. WE ARE NOT! But that is the sense of where and how. Psyche works a lot like Chiron in that because we think we are damaged in some specific way (and often are), we do a lot of healing work and create a sense of power and special strength; the injury becomes its opposite. But there is often some kind of psychological legacy involved, and it can involve — among other things — guilt. So can Vesta, so we may want to focus on a theme of healing guilt at this juncture.

The Sun and Moon are square asteroid Eros at 16+ degrees Capricorn and square cubewano Varuna at 19+ degrees Cancer.

The most recently named trans-Neptunian object Borasisi (1999 RZ253) is conjunct the true node of the Moon at 6+ degrees Pisces. The naming was announced last week. Borasisi is a binary Kuiper belt object discovered in 1999. The binary companion, discovered in 2003, was named at the same time as Pabu. These names come from a fictional creation myth of a fictional religion told by Kurt Vonnegut in his novel Cat’s Cradle.

Borasisi and Pabu are personifications of the Sun and Moon, and quite interestingly this myth describes family patterns:

“… wherein 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. Earth was Pabu’s favorite because it had people on it; and the people looked up at her and loved her and sympathized.”

The echo phase of Venus ends at 2+ degrees Virgo on the same day as the New Moon occurs. Venus is conjunct Saturn. We can say that Venus enters a new territory with healthy grounding.

By Eric Francis and Kirsti Melto

New Moon in Virgo — Sep. 11, 2007, 12:44 UT

THE NEW MOON of September occurs at 18+ degrees Virgo. This is a partial solar eclipse on the South Node of the Moon. The focus is in Virgo at the moment, as earlier this month, on Sept. 2, Saturn entered Virgo for the first time in about 27 years. In addition, the current Venus retrograde began in Virgo, and Venus stations direct in Leo Sept. 8 — just three days shy of the eclipse.

Sue Tompkins says in The Contemporary Astrologer’s Handbook about Moon in Virgo: “Strong on humility and gentleness, above all this is a helpful, kindly Moon and also one packed with common sense.” About the sign of Virgo in general she writes: “Like Gemini, the other Mercury-ruled sign, Virgo wants information but, whereas Gemini is inclusive in orientation in that it gathers all information, Virgo is more exclusive: it only wants information if it is useful. Thus, Virgo has a gift for discrimination and prioritizing. There is a capacity for selection, an ability to sift — criticism and analysis are key Virgo skills.”

Yet with Virgo, we must remember at all times the profoundly self-critical factor that is often paralyzing. Sun or Moon in Virgo can get a lot done as long as it stops thinking and takes some kind of action. With Uranus directly opposite the eclipse, this seems within the realm of possibility, though the result may be a little shocking.

The Sun and the Moon are in conjunction with two small worlds: a trans-Neptunian minor planet called Logos and a main belt asteroid called Atlantis. The Sun is also parallel with Logos, enhancing the power of the conjunction. If two bodies share the same degree of declination, that is, they are at the same distance from the celestial equator (either north or south of the celestial equator), they are said to be parallel. The conjunction of Logos means language, a form of technology. Atlantis represents the use and abuse of technology, and the effects of small things on big systems. Atlantis is a culture that in our mythology fell from grade as a result of the abuse of its technology. Uranus is also about technology, invention and breakthrough.

This eclipse seems to include a commentary on technology and our relationship to it.

Logos, a Cubewano (a type of outer planet beyond Pluto) is a binary Kuiper belt object with an orbital period about 307 years. “A binary planet” is a pair of worlds that are similar in mass and orbit one another. Each orbits the other around a gravitational balance point that is between the two — a location called the center of mass, or the barycenter. The pair may have born like twins, or may be produced by collisions, where a single body is split in two. Binary minor planets are a relatively recent discovery. It is not unusual that TNOs have binary companions, and more are being discovered all the time. Logos was discovered in 1997 and its binary companion Zoe in 2001. The naming of Logos took place in 2006.

In English, the word “logos” is the root of “log” (as in record) and of “logic.” Logic is a special area of philosophy and it has many branches. Logic is the essence of critical thinking, which is not necessarily anything critical in negative sense of the word. Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally. It enables one to analyze, evaluate, and restructure one’s thinking. Fair-minded critical thinking requires intellectual humility, empathy, integrity, courage and other intellectual traits – mostly these are characteristics of Virgo. Critical thinking without these traits may result in clever, but manipulative thought serving unethical purposes.

Psychologist Carl Jung used the term “logos” for the masculine principle of rationality.

Traditionally, logic has been seen as a branch of philosophy. In ancient times the motivation for the study of logic was to learn to distinguish good from bad arguments and to become more effective in argument. In later times formal logic has been studied in the context of mathematics. The development of formal logic and its implementation in computing machinery is the foundation of computer science. Computers can also be used as tools for logicians.

Logic is essential for a scientist. Albert Einstein (theory of relativity) had Logos in the 10th conjunct his Pisces Sun. Charles H. Townes (who developed the the principle of the maser and laser) had Logos in Taurus in the 10th square the Sun. Henri Becquerel (one of the discoverers of radioactivity) had Logos in the 10th in Aquarius conjunct his Moon, Johannes Kepler (creator of the three laws of planetary motion) had Logos in wide conjunction with his Jupiter-Pluto conjunction in Pisces. Thomas Alva Edison’s (developer of the light bulb) Logos was conjunct his Mercury and Sun in Aquarius in the 4th. (The source for the birth data of these scientists is Nick Kollerstrom & Mike O’Neill, Eureka Effect.) In this light I think it is quite safe to assume that one keyword for Logos really is “logic” — and maybe also that because of it Logos probably is quite comfortable in Virgo. But inventions also depend on breakthrough, an energy that is delivered in the current eclipse by the presence of Uranus in Pisces.

Could there possibly be a better chart examples of Logos than the chart of sir Frederic Calland Williams, the developer of the “Manchester Baby” — the world’s first machine that had all the components now classically regarded as characteristic of the basic computer — and the chart of the first computer program? The source for the chart of the first computer program is Nick Kollerstrom, The Metal – Planet Relationship. The “Baby” successfully executed its first program on June 21, 1948.

F. C. Williams later said of the first successful run: “A program was laboriously inserted and the start switch pressed. Immediately the spots on the display tube entered a mad dance. In early trials it was a dance of death leading to no useful result, and what was even worse, without yielding any clue as to what was wrong. But one day it stopped, and there, shining brightly in the expected place, was the expected answer. It was a moment to remember. This was in June 1948, and nothing was ever the same again.”

F. C. Williams was knighted in 1976 for his work as an electrical engineer and electronics innovator.

These both charts are also lunation charts, as the chart of the first computer program is an exact Full Moon chart and Williams’s natal chart is a New Moon chart. There is a Jupiter-Logos opposition in both charts!

Williams’s Sun-Moon conjunction (New Moon) sextiles his Logos and his Uranus squares his natal Logos. His Mercury-Pluto conjunction (and the midpoint of his Mercury and Pluto) is opposite the Galactic Core.

Virgo is rising in the first computer program’s chart. Logos is the most elevated planet of the chart. Logos is conjunct the Sun and Uranus. Mercury is also in wide conjunction with the Sun, Uranus and Logos. Uranus opposes the Galactic Core. Uranus = Sun/Logos. Uranus/Logos midpoint of this chart is at 24 Gemini 20, which is in exact conjunction with Williams’s Mercury at 24 Gemini 41.

Heraclitus (ca. 535 – 475 BCE) established the term “logos” in Western philosophy. His main doctrine was the unity of opposites. He thought that all things are composed of opposites, and because the opposites are at strife with one another, all things are in constant change. The change is governed by logos, a principle of order. He also claimed that everything originates out of the logos. One of his statements is: “Men do not know how that which is drawn in different directions harmonises with itself. The harmonious structure of the world depends upon opposite tension like that of the bow and the lyre.”

Zoe, the binary companion of cubewano Logos (not its moon, but the planet that it orbits with) could represent the Sophia aspect — the wisdom aspect.

“For the Gnostic Christians, the Sophia was a central element in their cosmological understanding of the Universe. A Feminine figure, analogous to the human soul but also simultaneously one of the Feminine aspects of God and the Bride of Christ, she is considered to have fallen from grace in some way, in so doing creating or helping to create the material world. For the Gnostics, the drama of the redemption of the Sophia through Christ or the Logos is the central drama of the universe. The Sophia resides in all of us as the Divine Spark.”