Equinoxes and solstices begin the seasons. The word equinox means equal night. On the two days of the equinoxes each year, the lengths of night and day are equal everywhere on Earth. The vernal equinox marks the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, the equinox occurs at the same time, but signifies the beginning of autumn.

At the vernal equinox the Sun enters Aries. It crosses one of the Cardinal Points, which are the first degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. They are very sensitive points in the chart, and the Aries Point particularly tends to connect us to big events of the world.

The story of the abduction of Proserpina illustrates the creation of the seasons. Proserpina was the daughter of Ceres, the goddess of the Earth, of growing plants and of motherly love. Ceres is the Earth Mother.

Ceres and her daughter were inseparable. Then Pluto abducted Proserpina in order to marry her and make her the Queen of the Underworld. In her grief and anger, Ceres stopped the growth of fruits and vegetables, and nothing could be harvested. People were starving.

Jupiter sent Mercury to order Pluto to free Proserpina. She was freed, but during her captivity she had eaten pomegranate seeds, the food of the Underworld, and was therefore forced to spend a part of each year in the Underworld with her husband. For the other part, she is able to return to live with her mother on Earth. When Ceres receives her daughter back, nature starts blossoming again; it’s the springtime.

The chart aspects are reflecting the story. Pluto in early Capricorn is in a dynamic square to the Sun at the Aries Point, the point of spring. Mars, the ruler of Aries, is opposing Ceres and calling for cooperation. Mars is also in conjunction with asteroid 1108 Demeter, named after the Greek counterpart of Roman Ceres, and emphasizing the moment for reunion of the mother and the daughter.

Asteroid 26 Proserpina in Sagittarius is forming tense aspects both to Ceres and Pluto, as if she was not quite sure at the moment with whom she should go; the time for blossoming flowers is not yet quite at hand. Proserpina is square to Ceres and in semi-sextile to Pluto.

Asteroid 399 Persephone, named after the Greek equivalent of Roman Proserpina, is in the mid-degrees of Aquarius in conjunction with Jupiter and asteroid 69230 Hermes. Maybe the daughter is negotiating with them for her release.

***

Recently I read an article divulging a theory that life on Earth could have originated on the asteroid Ceres. Astronomical studies suggest that Ceres could contain a lot of fresh water. It still could have a water ocean where life could have originated early in the history of our solar system.

It’s been proposed that life on Earth might have originated at hydrothermal vents, which lie at the bottom of oceans and spew hot chemicals. Many icy bodies in the solar system have rocky cores, so they may have had or still have hydrothermal vents.

Early in the history of the solar system was a period known as Late Heavy Bombardment, a turbulent time when radical asteroid impacts were very common. If there was life on Earth before that era, it most likely perished then and had to begin again after the circumstances here had became more favorable. The evidence points to Ceres having remained relatively unscathed during the Late Heavy Bombardment. If it had been bombarded, it would have completely lost its water mantle, as its gravitational force is too weak to recapture it.

Is it possible that rock fragments have chipped out off Ceres and then crashed into Earth, reseeding our planet with life? Are we humans descendants of Ceres, too?

The orbital paths of different solar system bodies which either had or currently have oceans were calculated, to see which were in the best positions to have pieces successfully reach the Earth. Ceres showed potential in these calculations.

The thoughts introduced in the article are more science fiction than science until evidence can be provided. The theory certainly gives a new perspective for calling Ceres the Earth Mother.

References:

Wikipedia

Eric Francis, The Personal is Political – ASR article

Lee Pullen, Could Life on Earth Have Come From Ceres? – Astrobiology Magazine article

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