The New Moon in Aquarius is in conjunction with 52872 Okyrhoe, a centaur planet discovered in 1998. It is named after the daughter of Chiron and Chariklo in Greek mythology. The name means “swift running” or “fast flowing”.

Okyrhoe was a nymph and a prophetess, who was changed into a mare by the gods as punishment for revealing their secrets to humankind. Her ability to speak was thus taken.

Perhaps slight resemblance with the myth can be sensed in the current challenging situation of the press in the USA, when Trump’s government tries to silence journalists.

Mercury has just left the shadow phase after its retrogradation. Mercury rules all types of communication and mental activities. In the New Moon chart it is in Capricorn in conjunction with Pluto and 15810 Arawn. 15810 Arawn is a recently named trans-Neptunian object which was discovered in 1994. According to the naming rules of the International Astronomical Union, all plutinos are given mythological names associated with the underworld. The name Arawn comes from the Welsh mythology.

In Welsh mythology, Arawn was the king of the otherworld realm of Annwfn. Arawn and Annwfn appear in the Mabinogion, a collection of 11 medieval Welsh folk tales. Annwfn was like a paradise. It was a world of eternal youth where disease was absent and food was ever-abundant.

Research on the astrological meaning for Arawn has begun. In the meanwhile I can offer two examples of singer-songwriters who heavily draw on the Celtic tradition.

Van Morrison (born August 31, 1945), who even has written a song called “Tir Na Nog”, has his Sun in close conjunction with Arawn. Tir Na Nog is the Otherworld in Irish mythology. It is a heavenly place, just like Annwfn. The Sun represents the main expression of the individual. Astrologer Bernadette Brady has written, that “it reveals the myth or story that the individual follows through life.” The conjunction is an aspect which combines the energies of the two planets in question.

A Canadian musician Loreena McKennitt (born Feb. 17, 1957) performs Celtic music. Her Jupiter is in conjunction with Arawn. Jupiter emphasizes and strengthens everything it touches.

In mythology, both Mercury and Arawn were psychopomps. They were able to travel between the worlds. The psychopomp is a guide who escorts newly deceased souls from Earth to the afterlife. In Jungian psychology, the psychopomp is a mediator between the unconscious and conscious realms. Pay attention to your present dreams, as they may reveal something important to you.

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 28th, 2017 at 4:35 pm and is filed under New Moon. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.