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Vesta
photo credit: NASA-JPL, March 2011
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Since everything which exists is energy, it's all contiguous. For this very reason, astrology needs to be all-inclusive. After all, if anything means anything, everything means something. Metaphysics can’t be limited to just studying seven planets.
Or wait…isn’t that ten planets?
Oops - we demoted Pluto!…nine planets: seven planets, one star and one Earth satellite. Oh yes, and bunch of stars which are hundreds of light years away.
Really?
No, not really!Truth cannot be cherry picked.
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No, not really!Truth cannot be cherry picked.
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A cherry tree in Yachounomori Garden, Japan
(photo credit: Tanaka Juuyoh, April 2009)
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What am I going on about? The latest news about Vesta, that's what. Have you heard? Here’s a NASA link…
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When I read that story, it got me to thinking...(yes, I know, it's an occupational hazard with me)...Sun, Mercury, Venus, Moon (standing in for Earth), Mars….this is the inner solar system, a region astrology calls ‘the personal planets.’
Metaphysically they describe US.Not what we build in this world or during our life…no, that’s Jupiter and Saturn (the generational planets). Personal planets are very US. They symbolize how we think (Mercury), what we give of ourselves (Venus), our consciousness (Sun), and what we're motivated to do (Mars).
Metaphysically they describe US.Not what we build in this world or during our life…no, that’s Jupiter and Saturn (the generational planets). Personal planets are very US. They symbolize how we think (Mercury), what we give of ourselves (Venus), our consciousness (Sun), and what we're motivated to do (Mars).
Those transpersonal planets you may have heard of? Uranus and Neptune, they're things we experience in our personal lives, yes. But we don't control such things. (And more's the pity, right?)
For you who like Pluto as a planet, sure – we’ll thrown it in on the transpersonal list. After all, back when Pluto was ‘demoted’ to dwarf planet, astrologers were asked if a re-labeling by scientists changed the astrological Pluto.
The answer was no. Make that NO. In fact, the best comment I heard on Pluto being demoted came from the astrologer who said ‘Who’s going to tell Pluto?’
The point is, relabeling something doesn't change what it IS.
However...it was this Plutonic fluffle which got yours truly to thinking. (Yes, yes...I know - I think too much!) Not to leave a sensibly settled thing settled, Yours Truly came up with the corollary to the Pluto thing.
(I always come up with corollaries. It's part of my charm...)
(I always come up with corollaries. It's part of my charm...)
So here's my logic: if Pluto had been ‘technically demoted’ from planet to dwarf planet without its astrological/metaphysical meaning being changed, doesn't that mean the rest of the dwarf planets are as important as Pluto?
Trust me, astrologers didn’t all cheer my latest notion. But born to be curious (it goes with the thinking thing) I went about my bee’s wax (read: business) setting up giant Excel table to study orbits, orbital periods and astrophysical/astronomical whatnot. All in the cause of using science to delineate astrology, of course.
(Yeah, right...)
(Yeah, right...)
It's because of that curiosity that I got into writing articles, blogs and whatever else about objects like Eris, Sedna, Deucalion, Huya and - ah yes, the object I shudder so deliciously at - Ixion.
Yes...Ixion is my astrological version of that movie you love getting scared out of your wits by.
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Back when I was about ten I saw 'The Werewolf of
London' for the first time. Not only did I almost break
my stepmother's hand (yes, I was that scared) but
I didn't sleep for a week.
It didn't stop me from watching horror films.
Silhouette photo by Cornava (March 2007) - recolorized
So what’s this got to do with Vesta?
I shall explain, impatient friends...NASA's space probe Dawn has been out there probing the asteroid belt. (Yes, that sounds anal, but we’ll just go with it.) And according to data received by NASA, Vesta should probably be classified as a ‘proto-planet.’
And when I heard that...that's what got me to considering the inner planets being personal, Saturn and Jupiter being generational, Uranus and Neptune being transpersonal planets, and all the hoo-ha which orbits beyond Neptune being things stand for forces which evoke and provoke our inner nature.
(Interesting how the objects farthest away in our solar system seem to be all about provocation of our inner being, but that's a different blog...)
And when I heard that...that's what got me to considering the inner planets being personal, Saturn and Jupiter being generational, Uranus and Neptune being transpersonal planets, and all the hoo-ha which orbits beyond Neptune being things stand for forces which evoke and provoke our inner nature.
(Interesting how the objects farthest away in our solar system seem to be all about provocation of our inner being, but that's a different blog...)
My point is this: there's a big ol' gap which lies between the inner/personal planets and those two giant generational planets (Saturn and Jupiter). And what lies in that gap between Mars, our metaphysical inciter, motivator, activator and derring-doer...and Jupiter, symbol of mastering your understanding of the task or idea?
What separates Mars from Jupiter?
Answer: the asteroid belt. And that's where Vesta orbits - in the asteroid belt. It’s not the largest asteroid out there – there’s Ceres (which NASA likens to being about the size of Texas), Psyche and a few others of notable size and mass.
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The Asteroid Belt
(diagram courtesy of NASA)
And there are those who already call Ceres a dwarf planet. That seemed to become a groundswell back in 2006. (Nominating dwarf planets was popular that year!) But even now, if you look at such respectable sources as JPL’s Small Body Database, you’ll find Ceres is still listed as an asteroid.
Space probe Dawn hasn’t reached Ceres yet. That's on the slate for 2015. But right here, right in this moment as a solar eclipse at 0 Gemini marks shifts in thinking and perspective on life…this is the moment in which NASA is announcing that Vesta has a core, mantle and shell.
It's sort of an Earth which never achieved full fruition.
And yet...there is that old metaphysical saying: unbeknownst to us, the universe is unfolding as it should.
Space probe Dawn hasn’t reached Ceres yet. That's on the slate for 2015. But right here, right in this moment as a solar eclipse at 0 Gemini marks shifts in thinking and perspective on life…this is the moment in which NASA is announcing that Vesta has a core, mantle and shell.
It's sort of an Earth which never achieved full fruition.
And yet...there is that old metaphysical saying: unbeknownst to us, the universe is unfolding as it should.
So Vesta is what Vesta is supposed to be - an 'almost formed world.'
And what does astrology hold Vesta to be? Sometimes known as ‘sacred service,’ Vesta seems to be less about ritual and more about everything we hold as important - and whether we will actually hold them as important. Vesta isn't 'spiritualism' - that's something 'beyond the tangible realm' and Vesta is well within our metaphysical grasp. It's right there between Mars and Jupiter.
No, Neptune is spiritualism. So what's Vesta?
Vesta - often known as 'sacred service' is our promise. We make that promise to ourselves as much as anyone else. For many of us, it's that promise or vow which keeps us on track to our goal.
And interestingly, a promise is exactly what NASA is saying Vesta is...it's that thing not quite formed. It's promised.
And what does astrology hold Vesta to be? Sometimes known as ‘sacred service,’ Vesta seems to be less about ritual and more about everything we hold as important - and whether we will actually hold them as important. Vesta isn't 'spiritualism' - that's something 'beyond the tangible realm' and Vesta is well within our metaphysical grasp. It's right there between Mars and Jupiter.
No, Neptune is spiritualism. So what's Vesta?
Vesta - often known as 'sacred service' is our promise. We make that promise to ourselves as much as anyone else. For many of us, it's that promise or vow which keeps us on track to our goal.
And interestingly, a promise is exactly what NASA is saying Vesta is...it's that thing not quite formed. It's promised.
A promise is a promise, we say. Promises aren't rules imposed upon us or things we're told we must do or sign onto. Promises are things we commit to within our Self. They're part of what gets us to our goal.
We learn things when we are supposed to know them. Unbeknownst to us, the universe is unfolding as it should.
We learn things when we are supposed to know them. Unbeknownst to us, the universe is unfolding as it should.
Vesta has just been validated. Or elevated - however you want to refer to it. And that tells us something about the times we're in. Since Eris' discovery in 2003, levels of discord has risen on every since. When Neptune was discovered back in 1846, that was an opening of a period of time filled with Neptunian things - hypnotherapy became a craze, medicine developed anesthetics.
We learn things when we are supposed to know them.
When I saw this notice from NASA, I realized that the months ahead...probably the years ahead are going highlight promises - our ability to make them and our ability to keep them. On a personal level, it's probably a time when we should know what we are promising when we promise it, why we're promising it - and that we can keep any promise that we make.
That's part of being honest with our Self. Part of the metaphysical journey between Mars and Jupiter has to do with learning how things work and who we are. But another way to see this journey is as one of maturation. The inner planets are in some ways the child, the innocent us which is always there to learn more, try hard and be loved and loving.
Against that, Jupiter and Saturn are wonderful images of adulthood: wisdom and responsibility, generosity of regard and structurally sound.
In learning about ourselves, Vesta is the vow we make to ourselves to keep our promises. But in being a child versus adult, Vesta is a maturation point where we come into a 'whole new, and as yet not fully formed world' of being a true adult.
Here's to your getting along with your Vesta. Me, I'm going to go watch a scary movie then look up where Ixion is at the moment.
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That's part of being honest with our Self. Part of the metaphysical journey between Mars and Jupiter has to do with learning how things work and who we are. But another way to see this journey is as one of maturation. The inner planets are in some ways the child, the innocent us which is always there to learn more, try hard and be loved and loving.
Against that, Jupiter and Saturn are wonderful images of adulthood: wisdom and responsibility, generosity of regard and structurally sound.
In learning about ourselves, Vesta is the vow we make to ourselves to keep our promises. But in being a child versus adult, Vesta is a maturation point where we come into a 'whole new, and as yet not fully formed world' of being a true adult.
Here's to your getting along with your Vesta. Me, I'm going to go watch a scary movie then look up where Ixion is at the moment.
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"We learn things when we are supposed to know them."
ReplyDeleteHhhmmmmmm.
Vesta is exactly conjunct my NN at 2 degrees Gemini (near my progressed MC I was told)..
Promises. Hhhmmmmmm.
I find your insight on this blog keen and intelligent. I am very grateful for your sharing what you know and continue to learn about our Sky Teachers.
I have some years (66) to ponder concerning my "promises." And the piper is calling. I think my promises to myself are the key Promises I will use as guides for my consideration and adjustments.
Thank you.
My gratitude to you as well for your willingness to share your thoughts. Part of Vesta is not just the promise itself, but what it has cost - or will cost - to keep that promise, be it one to yourself, to others or to whatever you believe in. The process is not finite...but then, neither are we.
DeleteNamaste....inlakech....be blessed.
Boots