New Moon in Cancer – July 5, 2024, 22:57 UT
The New Moon in Cancer occurs in the same degree with centaur Bienor. Asteroid Ceres in Capricorn is exactly opposite the Sun and the Moon.
Of the named centaur planets, Bienor is the third largest after Chiron and Chariklo. Its diameter is approximately 200 kilometers. Bienor orbits between Saturn and Uranus, grazing the orbit of Uranus. The orbital period is around 67 years, longer than that of Chiron or Chariklo. Bienor will reach perihelion in January 2028.
Bienor was discovered in August 2000. Bienor seems to have a highly elongated body. Chiron and Chariklo possess rings, and it is hypothesized that Bienor has either a ring or a satellite (or both), or it may be a binary system.
The name Bienor means “strong one”. In Greek mythology Bienor is one of the centaurs who fought against the Lapiths at the wedding of king Pirithous. Not much is said about individual centaurs in mythology, but the manner of their death, among other things, can be used to outline the astrological meaning of the centaur planets. The death of a centaur is metaphorical and symbolizes transformation and healing. Most of the centaurs were killed by arrows or spears, but Bienor’s death was different. The hero Theseus jumped on his back, which was “never trained to carry riders”, smashed his face and pounded his temples. Perhaps this brutal depiction offers clues.
Among the people who have a prominent Bienor are the first President of the United States, George Washington (the Sun conjunct Bienor in Pisces), President Barack Obama (the Sun conjunct Bienor at the descendant in Leo), the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy (the Sun-Venus conjunction in Aquarius sextile Bienor in Sagittarius), the late Prime Minister of Sweden, Olof Palme (the Sun and Mercury conjunct Bienor in Aquarius), the artist and singer Yoko Ono (the Sun conjunct Bienor in Aquarius), and the English singer-songwriter PJ Harvey (the triple conjunction of the Sun, Jupiter and Bienor in Libra).
PJ Harvey has revealed in interviews, that her goal is not to repeat, but challenge herself and to do things that are new and frightening.
The new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, took office on this New Moon day. The Labour Party won Britain’s general election, and the victory ended 14 years of Conservative government. The Brits wanted change, and Prime Minister Starmer has promised a national renewal.
So far astronomers have only a limited understanding of the physical properties of Bienor. They have gathered data for instance through the technique of stellar occultations. Further data collection is necessary for them to fully understand the body. This is also true in astrology; Astrologers should put Bienor in the charts and further study this notable centaur to understand it better.