Hebe Goes Retrograde

Hebe

by Francisco Javier Ramos y Albertos (1784)

About a week or so ago I got an email from someone who reads this blog. She wrote to ask me about an asteroid named Hebe, wondering what it meant specifically with regards to Hebe in Virgo. Here is part of what I wrote back:

Hebe would have entered Virgo (this time around) back around October 19, 2011.

The general idea of Hebe in Virgo would be two-fold. The first (and more obvious) form of Hebe in Virgo would be how doing service (or holding one's self to standards) in this world does more than help others - it helps us. The second would be about how the investing in doing the job well increases the benefits ultimately reached. 

Because she had offered the lovely and poetic idea of Hebe in Virgo as a 'perfect offering,' I added this:

I hesitate to use the word 'perfect' with Virgo as that would seem to encourage Virgoan over-focus.

The mythic Hebe is the servant to the gods of Olympus. It is Hebe who brings cups of ambrosia, that (apparently delicious) and highly regarded immortal draught which when consumed, endowed one with immortality and which apparently was brought to the gods whenever they wanted a bit of eternal drink.

Hebe is also regarded as an embodiment of youth, and as one of the attendants to Aphrodite (Venus) is part of the mythic Greek nexus about beauty.

Her mother is Hera (known to the Romans as Juno) which, seeing as both Hera and Juno are asteroids on their own has given us to understand that there are (at least) two different sides to the ‘mothering influence’ from which Hebe comes. Hera is the keeper of the hearth and more of the nurturing side of this duo where Juno is the organizer, the self-modulating and self-disciplining concept which keeps us on track. (Or doesn’t, depending!)

Interestingly, Hebe is the female version of Ganymede, an asteroid astrologer Alex Miller thinks of as being associated with male sexuality, and often male homosexuality. I can’t say I’ve seen a corresponding bent with regards to Hebe and lesbianism, but I have seen Hebe in various configurations which speak to how people of either gender deal with submissiveness as part of their sexual natures, or as a component of their ‘doing service’ (or just plain having to do what needs doing) in daily life.

As asteroids go, Hebe is quite a notable one. It’s the 5th brightest of all the asteroids in the main asteroid belt which falls in that big gap between the personal planets (in order: Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth/Moon, Mars) and the generational or social/societal planets (Jupiter and Saturn). Hebe is also quite large – it’s mass is estimated to be one-half of one percent of the total asteroid mass which is out there.

(I know…when we talk about asteroids you hear me say such things fairly often. How can everything be that big? Well, what that’s really saying is how small a whole lot of those asteroids out there really are – and not just when compared to planets, but in comparison to each other!)

Hebe’s position in the asteroid belt tends to be ‘a bit on the inside.’ The belt being composed of a space which starts at 1.665 astronomical units from the Sun (Mars’ farthest distance from the Sun) and 4.95 astronomical units (Jupiter’s nearest approach to the Sun)…in all of this Hebe orbits our Sun at a distance which is at it’s nearest, 1.937 astronomical units and at it’s farthest, only 2.914 astronomical units.

Hebe's orbit

(diagram generated using JPL's Small Body Database 

So Hebe never goes more than half way out through that big giant ‘slot’ between the personal planets and the generational pair, a space we think of astrologically as containing all the things (asteroids) we have to deal with, learn about or learn to utilize while on the way to achieving our worldly and social/societal (Jupiter/Saturn) goals.

Thus in the personal sense, Hebe has to do with service to ourselves and the service that we do. And for that, evidently we nourish ourselves, our lives or our souls, however you want to phrase it.

And that fits, seeing as the mythical Hebe furnishes eternal nourishment …ambrosia, which we probably think of as ‘the fruits of our labor’ in the greater and lesser senses.

This becomes additionally interesting when we think of Hebe as one of Venus’ attendants. Yes, we could think of what we do as being all about what we get out of it…which would be the more baseline Venus concept. But Venus being really about the hinge which turns cause (what we put into something or how we present ourselves or what we do) into effect (our rewards of whatever kind)…that means that Hebe, as some form of ‘doing service’ is that part of the ‘personal aim’ which helps us reach our (Jupiter/Saturn) goals.

Who knew, right?

With an orbital period of 3.78 years, Hebe averages about three to four months in any given sign. And at the moment, it’s in Sagittarius, sign of learning, of law, of things and ideas which are foreign to each one of us, of education and of religion.

(A fine time to get a new Pope, right?)

Hebe entered Sagittarius on January 31st, 2013 – right around the time that Jupiter went retrograde and so much trouble was going on in our world. We weren’t thinking of others, we (as human beings) obviously haven’t learned to live with each other…or even ourselves!…and we seem to think everybody exists to serve our needs.

And that may be the Hebe point. Hebe will be in Sagittarius until November 17, 2013. And during that time, not only are people likely to be more demanding than usual (wanting others to serve their needs) but every sort of thing ‘put out there’ is going to be tested to see if it serves some purpose. And for the remaining months of Jupiter in Gemini, where we are perhaps going over the line or pushing too hard or saying too much (or not the right thing), where we may be speaking before we think and discovering what our limits are (and therefore what we need to learn in order to move ahead) as much through what doesn't work as what does...

That may be the Hebe point. Hebe in Sagittarius will be about what we can do which works for others and for us...and what may work only for one side and not the other.

To be frank here, my astrologer's guess is that we’re likely to see and learn a lot about human flaws and bad behavior of these next few months.

But let’s not get all gloomy here…once Hebe goes retrograde (at 10 Sagittarius) it will back up all the way to 24 Scorpio, and that’s an interesting span. First of all it suggests that between April 2nd (the date Hebe goes retrograde) and July 16th (when Hebe goes direct) this is a great time for trying things out and all sorts of research and ‘test models’ which will help us sort out what works from what doesn’t work – and why.

If you need some sort of personal ‘prep time’ for something yet to come, April through mid-July looks like a goodie. Why? Because Hebe in retrograde is all about helping ourselves. Or even helping ourselves help ourselves. So this may be a time when you do something about you…or when you get help in something you need to do about some situation in your life.

A bronze of Hebe by Robert Thomas in Birmingham, England

(photo credit: Elliott Brown, August 2009)

It’s all good. So long as you approach the subject with a reasonable amount of humility and an awareness that the real goal is the accomplishment to be reached down there a bit further along the road, a lot can get done.

10 Sagittarius is a degree which seems to confuse ability with genius, ‘ability’ being used here as the idea of the action verb which gets something done and genius being the internal vision or inspiration which gets the idea and sees how things could work (or how they might work) IF they were put into action.

The positive here lies in listening and absorbing what isn’t yet at the level where it serves your purposes or will carry you on to your goal (or goals, whatever they may be). Though you see the gap or the lack, to know that you are able to change things and able to make improvements – that’s your spark of genius, whether you recognize it or not. Sagittarius is a fire sign, so there’s lots of ‘envisioning’ which happens through whatever object passes through this sign. So now we’re seeing how we could make things better for others and how that could move us closer to our goals…maybe in terms of who we are as a human being, or maybe in terms of some worldly aim.

Whichever – both work. And they may work even better in your soul as a course of action to follow going forward if I tell you that the other end of this retrograde run (24 Scorpio) is a degree all about building our personal world and an internal ‘knowing’ how to deal with others so as to gain their support.

One more interesting item to note here: come the end of May there will be a second ‘eclipse season’ Lunar Eclipse. It will be positioned at 4 Sagittarius and happen on May 25th, exactly one month after the April 25 Lunar Eclipse at 5 Scorpio.

When that eclipse happens, Hebe will be at 2 Sagittarius, a sign that how we do things is of that moment and (particularly for anyone whose chart has a planet, node or axis point at 2-6 of any sign) germane to what happens then.

By and large, Lunar Eclipses are very emotional moments. Some people (those not very good with their feelings) will tend to create situations where someone else has to ‘own’ their emotions. But that’s not good for either one of you…and at this particular point in time (May 25th, I mean) you may actually come to understand why foisting your feelings off on others doesn’t work.

We’ll talk more about that then, of course. But for now, Hebe is about to go retrograde. Since it’s going retrograde on April 2nd, it’s ‘station window’ begins on March 31st and ends April 4th: any and all issues which happen during this time which bring to light the idea or issues of ‘service’ and what it means to serve others or feel good because you’ve helped someone – or even what ‘serves your purpose’ are worth paying attention to.

All this said because someone sent me an email.

Obviously yes, I respond. But that’s part of my Hebe thing: I believe in being of service in this world. It works for me.

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The Libra New Moon: Life Revealing

 Hebe by Carolus-Duran (19th century)

With Libra being the precept of connecting with others in order to see what they think of us, our situations or what we’re doing with our life, the New Moon which will take place on Monday, October 15th, 2012 at 12:04 in the afternoon UT/+0 time is of interest to us in part because it occurs at 22 Libra.

 The New Moon of October 15, 2012 at 22 Libra

occurs at 12:04 p.m., UT/+0 time

(Aries Wheel - Location Not Specific)

Twenty-two Libra is a degree which asks us to focus on how much we’re trying to do…and where that’s too much, to pare back (carefully) so that we have the mental space in order to do what we do well and to good effect.

That doing this isn’t going to be so easy is well portrayed in this chart by Hebe, Rhadamanthus, and Medea all being clustered at 21 Libra.

Hebe is the servant of Olympus who brings the sacred nectar of life (ambrosia) to the gods. This is a reference to whatever it is you need to survive…and whatever it is you think you need to survive. And yes, they can be two very, very different things!

More on that in a bit.

Rhadamanthus is a judge. A very fair judge. He’s impartial and totally unmoved by pleas or excuses. If you’re looking for a Greek version of the ‘just the facts!’ concept, Rhadamanthus is your man – and symbol.

Okay...so as son of Zeus/Jupiter and Europa, Rhadamanthus was only half-human.

In this painting of Europa by Willy Bosschem (painted in 1994) the quintessential image of Europa getting  'carried away' by Zeus (Jupiter) seems very much in keeping with much else about the current New Moon-lunation. With Rhadamanthus as 'what comes' of this union of Europa and Zeus there's an implied understanding that we can get carried away and that what comes of that can be very good. But is it always? Or maybe more importantly - is 'what has come from' some sort of 'getting carried away' for good or ill good or bad and have you faced the consequences? Especially with a solar eclipse looming, that would seem to be the question!

But he was considered so fair in life that when he died he was then made an ‘eternal judge of consequence.’

More to our point, with Rhadamanthus in this mix, we know what really counts here is what has been already done.

Haumea is a Hawaiian goddess, a shape-shifter whose neediness or greediness (depending on how you interpret it) caused her to keep changing ‘who she was’ (which to us in Libra would be our expressed position on things, our partners, our attempts at building a reputation, our prioritized efforts) in an attempt to feel like she was important.

With Haumea we get a note about ‘stooping to the unimaginable’ too, as in stories about her she goes so far as to shape-shift into a younger form so as to marry her own children.

Plainly with Haumea there are some boundary issues. There’s a note of neediness. And even a few comments about our willingness to acknowledge the passage of time.

Ahead of this 22 Libra New Moon sit fixed stars Arcturus and Spica, the unity of which asks us how brilliant we are, can be or have been.

So maybe it’s for us to ask ourselves. How brilliant have we been of late?

Oh yes…and with Arcturus and Spica is a little ol’ asteroid named Medea, she of famously obsessive character and willingness to use her own powers ostensibly to love someone…but in reality only so that she could get something from them.

Oh yes – and while Medea is at it, she kills her her own children. (Talk about bad judgment…!)

 A poster for the play 'Medea' starring Sarah Bernhardt

(artist, Alfons Mucha - 1898)

As an asteroid, Medea is pretty large (136 km). And though that’s not to be compared with any planet, have you noticed how often we’ve found Medea mixed up in astrological images of late?

That’s an indication that there are obsessions at play. The ‘Medea vibe’ is functional in each of our lives and it’s likely that we’re ‘killing something we love dearly’ because we’re choosing to do something which should just be lower down in our priority list than we’re making it.

Personally, I’m willing to raise my hand on this one. I’ve done it, I’ve recognized what I did, I’m sorry I did it and I’m doubling around to fix the harm I’ve done myself.
And since I don’t have children (never have had children, alas!) the message here is that none of this has to be literal.

With 22 Libra being a 3rd decanate degree (meaning it’s in the last third of the given sign) the ball isn’t in our court. Everything 3rd decanate, in whatever sign is about how others react to us, how others respond to us, what others have to say about the situation we’re in, whether they’re willing/able to support us or whether they even agree with our primal premise.

So…how brilliant have we been of late? That does seem to be the question!

Then again, part of this is all about who you ask, who’s doling out the reactions and by inference, who you’ve been keeping company with.

That’s very Libra too. But more than that, there’s another whole subject to be considered here, namely the fact that the South Node – that thing we all like to do which is so native to us, requiring little-to-no effort or thought – is conjunct Algol at 26 Taurus.

Also at 26 Taurus at the moment: Phaethon, the signature of being too headstrong for your own good.

And right nearby sits our (ouch!) good buddy and maturity-checker supreme, dwarf planet Sedna.

In lore terms, Algol is a tricky star. Often referred to as ‘the power of the feminine,’ the term ‘feminine’ here means ‘receive/respond, ‘ not gender. Algol is thus all about how we tend to receive what happens (or what we are given) and how we tend to respond to that – which pretty obviously refers to our emotional makeup.

Interestingly, as far aback as ancient Egypt there was an understanding that as a star, Algol is ‘variable’ – which is probably a clue as to its metaphysical presence as a ‘fluctuating’ emotional quotient. Today we know that the variance in Algol’s light (an indication of the energy which streams towards Earth over lo, many millions of miles) fluctuates because Algol is not just one star, but three, all circling each other.

In Greek and Medieval astrology, Algol is known as the ‘Gorgon’s head’ and when critically associated with a planet or axis was considered to be a sign that death by decapitation was possible.

Today? With decapitation (thankfully!) not being as frequent an event, having Algol prominently placed in your chart can still mean you tend to ‘lose your head’ emotionally…or that when a situation emblematic of that which Algol is connected to, you stop thinking logically and get overtaken by whatever emotionalism is indicated.

Get the connection?

As part of the constellation Perseus, Algol is generally designated to be the hero’s right foot, important in metaphysical theory because the right side of the body (like the right side of the horoscope) is considered to be about things which have already happened. So they can be a past which haunts us, they can be experience and what we’ve learned along our way through life. Right side images can represent our support system…or all we’ve built.

 Perseus rescuing Andromeda by Paul Veronese (1576-1578)

The right side of the horoscope wheel (and thus the right side of the body, including the foot) are also about where we ‘invest’ ourselves in situations, relationships, agreements and such. This, in air sign Libra points mostly to agreements, things said, promises made, alliances and sources of support…whatever form that support may take.

Considering that Sedna represents tests of emotional maturation which ask us to let go of the old and fend for ourselves, when combined with Algol and the ‘I want to do this the easy way’ South Node you can pretty much see the problem.

Oh yes – and don’t forget Phaethon. Phaethon is a headstrong teen who takes something Apollo (truth in enlightenment) has said and twists it to give himself an advantage which ends up killing him.

Gosh, let’s do the (uh…) head count here: Medea ends up dead, Sedna finds her strength only after getting drowned in a storm, Phaethon dies when he falls from Apollo’s chariot as it gets too close to the Sun and Phaethon gets charred, Algol is about the ‘gorgon’s head’ (the gorgon in question being Medusa – another indication that Algol is about falling prey to our own emotional drives and betrayals of standards, vows, promises, commitments and other responsibilities.

Add in Rhadamanthus and we have a distinct quality of ‘consequences.’ So either you’re about to do something which has ‘deadly consequences’ (again, don’t take that literally), or you’re now dealing with the fact that you have done something which has had deadly consequences.

One more item to discuss here, namely Libra’s rulership by Venus.

Venus, as you recall, is currently in Virgo, a sign about reality. Right away this is another hint that we’re hitting bedrock on something at some level.

 A photograph of Venus over the Pacific. When looking at the night sky,

Venus is always brighter than any star

And remember – to a greater or lesser extent, this is happening in everyone’s life.

At this moment in time, Venus is at 14 Virgo, a degree which says that through communications (i.e., Mercury factors) things get connected. That may mean what you’ve done prior to now connects to now, that may mean that people you have connected to now become connected to each other or to something/someone else you hadn’t thought of/about…in general, this is a ‘how small is my world’ sort of nuance which teaches us that no matter how well we think we ‘compartmentalize’ things (our thoughts, our activities, whatever else) we are not in charge of life and life has more quirks and byways than we’ll imagine in a million-zillion years.

So…considering where you are now and what all is on your table, what are you going to do? How are you going to proceed? What gets priority in your life?
This is where we touch back to Hebe and that ‘cup of ambrosia’ idea. What we want may not be what we really need.

It’s to think about. And because this lunation (lunar cycle) ends at the November (Scorpio) Solar Eclipse, whether we need to face ourselves in the physical, mental, moral, emotional, financial, relationship - whatever mirror you care to name, this would seem to be the moment to do that and get on to doing whatever is possible to do in global terms.

As with all other transiting events, if you stop and think about it (okay, so maybe you don't have to think hard...) you'll know what this New Moon pertains to in your own life. But it's also happening in everybody else's - so how do you think they're going to react to it?

For some people, the answer will be 'with regret.' For others, plainly the answer is that they'll react not all that well. Maybe not at all well!

There are always some who refuse to take responsibility, period. There are also those who refuse to think of others. And some who can't be bothered to deal with the idea that different lives have different parameters and different goals.

Probably most difficult of all...and therefore those who are likely to run into the biggest difficulties (or disappointments) are those who refuse to understand that their life needs to work in tandem with others. We do not exist alone in the universe. Life does not end at our skin, nor at our front door, nor at the boundaries of our kith and kin, our nation - even our species.

The great Einstein equation E=mc2 says we are all connected. Life would be better if we lived like that was a general fact, not just a scientific one.     

In metaphysical terms, probably the thing to do now is to think in 'Rhadamanthus terms.' Dispassionate judgment is a universal function now. In the first couple of days after this New Moon you’re likely to realize – by whatever mans – that life is not poetry.

But it does speak the language of poetic justice. 
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April 2012: Mars direct / Pluto retrograde

Mars has been sitting around for a couple of months, but no more!

(Carl VanVechten sitting in front of the figure of Mars god of War)

Here’s the simple form of the thing: Pluto is going retrograde on April 10th (at 10:12am UT/+0) and Mars is going direct on April 14th at 3:54 am (UT/+0).

Pluto will do it’s turnabout at 9 Capricorn and Mars will take its station at 3 Virgo.

This becomes more important as we consider that these two planets (or planet-and-dwarf-planet, if you want to be picky about it)…together, these are the modern co-rulers of Scorpio.

AND….Scorpio would be the sign that sits mid-point to this week’s double-station event.

There are as many ways for this to manifest in lives as (yes, I’m going to say it) there are stars in the sky. But some things are constant here – which is why this blog seems well worth posting.

Known for its attention to detail (speaking of picky…) Virgo is really about the refining of the process. Being the second of the zodiac’s three earth signs, there’s a Virgo quality which is implicitly about ‘getting it done’ and how we get it done.

Lore on the degree Mars will station in (3 Virgo) speaks to the difficulties we encounter and persevering despite all. There’s a strength indicated by this degree which may suggest taking on tasks (or ideas or methodologies) which you have long resisted or not wanted to tackle the implementation of. Mars certainly is a pro-active symbol, so don’t be surprised if this week finds you gearing up for something. Or maybe you’ll find the way to get something done.

Those who resist doing anything (especially in areas where Virgo’s association with ‘quality’ is hindered) may well find that situations prompt (force?) them to look at things in a new, different and perhaps more critical light.

 A medieval imaging of Virgo, which says not a lot

about the Virgoan quality of being able to provide

or leave us destitute for not having done 'the 

required work.'

Meanwhile, we also have Pluto going retrograde. That it’s doing so at 9 Capricorn and conjunct Facies brings home the question of how wise we are and have been in our choices, with Facies adding a highly ‘provocational’ touch. What this amounts to is the need to do things wisely…lest you get called on your lack of native wisdom.

And if you do get called on having been clueless (purposefully or innately), your first instinct is likely to be to get all hurt.

This gets us back to the Mars/Pluto combination as the co-rulers of Scorpio. Yes, Scorpio is known as the sign of sex and inheritances, taxes, power, investments (of time, money, emotions…etc.) and so on. But the crux of Scorpio is really our pitting ourselves against our Self. Mars here indicates the proactive choice we’ve made to do something or not do something, and Pluto refers to how we feel about how things work out.

Because Scorpio is by nature an interactive sign, we generally tend to love ‘them’ or blame ‘them’ depending on how things have worked out. But they didn’t do OUR choosing – we did. And that’s the eternal Scorpio point. Scorpio is the polarity sign to Taurus and Taurus is all about self worth and our abilities – or ‘ability to be who we are’ (or are capable of being). In Scorpio, Taurus’ native attributes are tested.

As Mars goes direct (after several very long months of our feeling rather like life has us on some very bizarre treadmill), Mars stands conjunct Regulus, Hebe, Orcus, Arachne, Psyche, Polyhymnia, Thuban and Medea.

Got that?

Of course not! Who would, right? Fine...let’s go through it a little more slowly.

REGULUS: Regulus is one of the Royal Stars of Persia. All of the Royal Stars promise success IF we avoid a particular human no-no, which in this case is the temptation to wreak vengeance. So it’s okay to state your case this week, but the idea of declaring all-out war will probably not bring you any victories.

(Note to the wise here: Pluto’s instruction kit comes with a notice which says ‘when using your Pluto, state your case once – clearly – then HUSH UP’)

This is a good thing to remember when you’re in any sort of power struggle. Debating should be a college sport, not a way of life. (Unless you’re a trial lawyer or something like that, of course!)

 Hebe - by Francisco Javier Ramos y Albertos (1784)

HEBE: This asks us what we can do (Virgo) to make things better. Technically, Hebe is the cup bearer to the gods of Olympus, and in that cup is the drink of immortality, ambrosia. So Hebe is not just about serving the drink, but about providing that which preserves, protects and – considering Hebe is in Virgo - makes things healthier, more effective, more efficient and maybe above all, moral in the sense that whatever we do can ‘pass muster’ and stand the test of time and criticism.

ORCUS: TNO Orcus is – in a word – a symbol of ‘consequences.’ Whenever we see Orcus in an astrological figure, we know we are talking about something which cannot be ‘undone.’ You may have “done it” or it may simply have happened – or someone else may have done something or made some decision. The Orcus touch here conjunct Mars going direct suggests needing to ‘respond’ to something.

ARACHNEArachne is the symbolic idea of something you are entangled in. But as always, such symbols go both ways – so this may pertain to something (or someone!) you’re trying to ‘tie up in knots’ or render helpless.

Considering that Arachne is pictured here in Virgo, the stakes are realistic: this is something ‘real’ going on (or at stake). And with Arachne positioned between Orcus and Psyche (the mind) it’s very likely that its something very real, the thought of which (or the thought of trying to deal with) is tying up your mind.

And let’s remember…asteroid PSYCHE is very large asteroid.  Estimated to be 200km across and of sufficient mass to comprise 1% of the entire asteroid belt, Psyche’s presence in this kind of lineup is the signal that whatever is in the works requires your attention. We have to ‘put our mind to’ whatever this ‘entangling’ (Arachne) situation is.

POLYHYMNIA: One of the fabled Greek Muses, Polyhymnia speaks to the longing for beauty and the requirement that we reflect on things to get the most out of our life.

And you thought you didn’t have to think about things now? Apparently ‘thinking’ (and reflecting) on who we are (Psyche), what we do (Mars) and how well we do it (Virgo) is absolutely ‘of the moment.’

THUBAN: Thuban is a fixed star which refers to something we treasure – or which is worth treasuring. This ‘thing’ can be material…or spiritual, depending. 

Once out of retrograde, Mars won’t cross Thuban’s position until May 10th, though the emphasis on ‘what’s valuable to me’ may well arise at Mars’ April 14th station.

Of course…speaking of stations, let’s also remember that all planetary stations get a two-day before, two-day after ‘station window.’ So Pluto is ‘on station’ from April 8 through 12 (going retrograde on the 10th) and Mars is on station from April 12th through 16 (going direct on the 14th).

Yes, there’s an overlap. April 12th is likely to be an interesting day in many a life. Whether it’s good or bad depends on how well things have been working (or you have been working) coming into this time.

Medea by Henri Klagmann

 

The last symbol in this lineup is MEDEA, an asteroid which summons up the famous story about loving something and being so focused on your own investment in that ‘thing’ you so treasure or long for that you end up undermining yourself. Or, in Virgo, what you need to do – your responsibilities, perhaps? Maybe even your health? (We’ll hope not!) Or your moral or positive standing on some subject or in some field of effort?

Seeing that Mars makes its turn to direct in opposition to Neptune, Bali and Fomalhaut, it’s to be expected that those who have been kidding themselves (Neptune) and dancing with dreams which are in reality immoral at any level…they’re about to hit an iceberg with the name ‘Titanic’ etched on the side.

As I write (a bit belatedly) on Monday the 9th (as Pluto is about to go direct, I’ve just heard of a fourth legal action among people that I know. All of those legal actions have to do with standing up and saying ‘now wait a minute…’ to people who have tried to slide by or fluff off responsibility for doing things correctly. Effectively. In an ethical and above-board, crossing-the-‘t’ manner.

The legal system per se is not at stake here. What’s being discussed (or contested) is the use of power on someone’s part. That’s Scorpio. Scorpio energies work well ONLY when everyone is equally satisfied. When that doesn’t happen, especially when one person has pleased themselves at someone else’s expense, Scorpio stops being the high flying eagle and zooms right past gray lizard stage, becoming the sting of the scorpion.

All of this is to say this week is likely to be more than feisty, more than interesting and more than thought-provoking. Those who need to stand up for their rights should do so, but are advised to do it CALMLY. No flame-throwing, no dropping houses on anyone (even if it is tornado season in the U.S.!). If you must state your case, do it Plutonically: know your facts, state you position with clarity, then hush up! Let the froth fly. Let others do their thing.

Just wait for the answer.

That’s the point here. Situations which have arisen are not about ‘them’ – they’re about us. The ‘winning’ or ‘losing’ here isn’t about gain or loss, it’s about learning who we are…and maybe who we aren’t. Those we are most polarized by now are provoking our reactions and pushing our buttons, yes. But let’s remember…those are OUR buttons and reactions and people being as human as they are, we attract such folks to us just so that we can learn more about ourselves.

Annoying? Maybe.

Useful? Ultimately.

Could it be easier? Evidently not.

Have a good week then…and remember to look in the mirror now and again. It really isn't about 'them.' Everything which is happening is happening to us for a reason: so we can grow.

Child, Charybdis, Arachne and Polyhymnia on station: Moments of Thinking

 

With the Lunar Nodes just having shifted into a Sagittarian/Gemini axis of need to make our choice and follow it through (regardless of bumps along the way), Polyhymnia goes on station.

To be exact here, Polyhymnia will go direct on March 6 at 9:42am (UT/+0). And given the two days before/two days after station affect ‘window,’ that means the question of reflecting on what’s happened before making a choice or choosing to move ahead starts on the morning of March 4th and ends on the morning of March 8th.

As a muse, Polyhymnia doesn’t quite fit the normal concept we have of Muses as glorious figures which inspire us so that off we go, la-dee-dah’ing merrily off along the garden path, singing as we cavort.

Nice try, but apparently not all muses dance to that particular tune. The very name Poly-hymnia gives us the clue: ‘poly’ meaning ‘many’ and ‘hymnia’ meaning either the song or the ode or the thought being expressed in the song or ode…this is an interesting celestial commentary all by itself and doubly interesting seeing that Polyhymnia is going direct pretty much right after the Nodes shift into a sign polarity where it’s easy to talk and talk but do nothing…and just as easy to insist you know what’s right without fixing or improving anything – never mind taking a substantial step forward.

One of the many main belt asteroids, the astronomical Polyhymnia cycles from a ‘far point’ (aphelion) from the Sun where it keeps relative company with servants to/of divine will and necessity which include the dutiful servant Echo (who failed to recognize who was boss), fateful Klotho (who sometimes can’t see what she’s doing), sacred server Hebe and Charybdis, the daughter so loyal to dad Poseidon (aka Neptune) that she didn’t heed the instructions of Uncle Zeus, aka King of Olympus and as we know him astrologically - Jupiter (knowledge/knowingness).

And what did Zeus/Jupiter do? For Charybdis continuing to just go along and go along and go along every time Neptune wanted to swamp this seaside town and overwhelm that ship, Jupiter transformed Charybdis into a monster which creates whirlpools in order to swallow ships (and humans) whole.

So at one end of Polyhymnia’s cycle, the question is will you serve, serve well – and as you serve, what priorities function as your safeguards? And at the other, Polyhymnia asks us to reflect on a couple of our our strongest human instincts…one being to ‘leap before you look’ (Icarus) and the other being all about following our passions (Eros).

This would seem to be all about a question of proportion, priority and retaining a sense of self, lest we take a fatal (Icarus) fall or otherwise be transformed into something we never intended to become (Echo and Charybdis).

So there’s the backdrop against which we start into this station period with asteroid Child entering Capricorn at 11:04 am (UT/+0) on March 4th. This could be our efforts to ‘grow ourselves in the world’ or it could be the desire to create something new or grow ‘something’ in a worldly setting.

Whatever Child is in your life, as it makes this Capricorn ingress in advance of Polyhymnia’s turn to direct motion implies there are ‘reflections’ yet to come. And considering this is Capricorn we are talking about Child entering into, pragmatism and realism like as not does apply…which seems apt, considering Polyhymnia’s “boundaries.” It may even be that there will not be a ‘turn of events’ in the fuller sense until Saturn (ruler of Capricorn) goes direct in mid-June – this probably going double (or particularly) for those who are working on something which had an ‘inward’ (development-redevelopment-structural) turn when Saturn went retrograde late this past January.

A day passes. Then on March 5th at 1:27pm (UT/+0) Charybdis enters Pisces. Shades of Polyhymnia!

In charts, Charybdis seems to underscore the need to keep at it, yes. Wherever we see Charybdis, we can’t just sit back – when we do, those (or that) which would “bite us” takes over. But we can’t just do what we do ‘on faith’ – that would be following the Poseidon/Neptune route, and the lesson here is to follow with what we know. And with knowledge.

Which may imply the need to keep learning, yes – especially since Child’s contribution to the totality of this overall picture implies there may be some measure of ‘direct childishness’ (immaturity) in the mix which needs a little information or learning more about, even learning better. Ultimately, that Jupiter  rules not just Sagittarius and as foundational ruler of Pisces suggests knowing is a gateway to a process. Through applied experiences (Sagittarius), real world reflection and restructuring (Capricorn) and seeing what really does and doesn’t work in ‘big world’ terms (Aquarius)…thus is the idea, the ‘knowing how’ or what can be done arrives at the Piscean wisdom as to whether it should be done. 

Charybdis entering Pisces tells us that some things will come back to haunt us now, and going forward until May 23rd when Charybdis enters Aries.

Actually, they’ll still haunt us then, it’s just then they’ll haunt us in ‘I should/shouldn’t do this (action oriented) terms’ where right now the should’s and shouldn’t’s are emotional. You know...is it (or) was it wise of me to do that? 

Come March 6th, Polyhymnia actually goes direct, and barely will it have done so but Arachne entering Gemini at 8:05pm (UT/+0) suggests things will get more complicated. Arachne, classically is an entanglement, though it can be just being ‘caught up’ (as in a moment or something you’re doing)...to better or worse effect!

Another aspect of Arachne is patient – spiders are one of the most patient hunters around. They are also willing to build and build again. In Gemini, this may call for revisions of thoughts, ideas or plans – and of course this whole ‘revising’ vibe does go with the overarching Polyhymnia theme during these days!

The last ‘commentary’ on this Polyhymnia list concerns Sappho, which come March 7th will also move into Pisces at 5:59am (UT/+0).

Sappho also has several sides. Some astrologers see the poetic side of Sappho. Some associate Sappho with ‘universal thinking’ or the need to be gracious and poetic. Still others associate Sappho with female homosexuality – which with Sappho moving into Pisces certainly might be seen more ‘universally’ as the woman’s movement, rights for women, equality between women and for women…all such.

That at the core of this entire conversation we have Polyhymnia going direct at 10 Cancer tells us the matters being dealt with feel basic and test our personal orientation to our own ‘world.’ Some of us will think of this in terms of what the world has been, and what it’s “turning into” (Polyhymnia going direct implies externalization). Some of us will look at life and see what we want to turn our world into.

There is no right or wrong here, only realization. If things happen now which prompt you to realize, then one thing to think about is why you have perhaps been reticent. What are your priorities? They may be what you like, but do they serve you, your life, and those you need to respond to well?

So much to think about before we can strike any chord and go dancing away.

At least we should think…and maybe that’s the point?

Asteroid Factors: Enter the Yang

In the next four days...

....six different asteroids will change signs and in doing so, change spatial (and space) relationships in our lives and with regards to our lives.

What exactly does this mean?

There are a couple of things to understand before we really get to the nitty-gritty of sorting that out. The first is how small asteroids really are. Thanks to media, science and science fiction, we often think of them as 'menaces from outer space.' Or just space gravel!

Truth is, most asteroids are neither menaces, nor gravel. What they are, and where most of them are - that's what I'm getting at here. So let's start with size.

Thanks to the ever-helpful folks at NASA-JPL, it's easy enough to get a pretty good feeling for how large the planets are against the image of the Sun, as we see here...

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Planets by size – NASA/JPL

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And before we go any father, just to make sure you know which of the planets is home sweet home planet Earth, I direct you to the two larger planets in the middle of the above lineup. Those are Jupiter (left) and Saturn (right) - all the planets here being in order of orbit as you move away from the Sun.

So you have the 'biggies': Jupiter and Saturn in the middle of the line. To the left of Jupiter is Mars. And just to the left of Mars is a little blue planet which – (yes…!) – is Earth.

It’s a really BIG cosmos and Earth is actually a really small planet. Kind of sobering, isn’t it?

Anyway…on to illustration #2 - a picture of the main asteroid belt's top ten largest asteroids, pictured against the size of our dear, sweet planet Earth.

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The ten largest main belt asteroids as pictured against

the Earth, using Earth used for size comparison

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Yes, asteroids are small. Even planets – when compared to the Sun - aren’t all that big. And our Sun (if you really want to get into it) is a pretty medium sized star.

Makes you think, doesn' it?

But meanwhile...back to asteroids? Asteroids are - most of them - pretty darn small, at least in the greater scope of Things Celestial.

This is why when we talk astrological metaphysics, planets refer to major human attributes – the dynamics which shape our lives. Asteroids? They’re aspects trait facets. Or personality factors we meet up with along the way.

What does 'along the way' actually mean? Well, that refers to the fact that most asteroids orbit peacefully in a mass of cosmic rubble between Mars and Jupiter. That's the 'main asteroid belt' mentioned above. 

And the fact that this belt is between Mars and Jupiter is pretty much why metaphysical though about asteroids is what it is. Astrologically, they seem to be all about the ‘facts we face along the way’ through life.

Which makes sense when you think about it. Mars symbolizes the ‘proactive’ dynamic: the urge to do, that sort of determination which gets us to get up and go.

Against this (or maybe apart from this), Jupiter is knowledge. Jupiter is understanding what things mean, knowing not just how to do any given thing, but the fact that we know we can do it!

So the space (literal and metaphorical) between Jupiter and Mars …that section of space so dappled with thousands of asteroids…that asteroid belt and those individual asteroids represent all the things we meet up with along the way between the initiating point (Mars) and the understanding (Jupiter) – whether that’s a thought process or the real-deal doing of things.

Which may give us yet another metaphorical reason why Jupiter is SUCH a big planet. It’s a big deal to know you can do something. Jupiter rules knowledge and belief (as ruler of Pisces).

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Jupiter, as seen by Voyager

photo credit: NASA/JPL

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Together, these are the empowering factors which allow us to try…and in doing so move past Jupiter to Saturn, the symbol of achievement through effort. Then of course, we take our comprehension and burn our way through the rest of the work to the achievement of our aim, goal or task – the Saturn of it all.

OKAY! So now we know why it might matter that all these asteroids are changing signs. It’s a signal that the quality of what we are going to meet up with – in the world and in our own minds – is changing.

Collectively, here’s the list of shifts taking place: Eos is moving into Aries (December 8), Echo is entering Sagittarius (December 9), Hebe and Dionysus are entering Aries (December 10) and come December 11th, Kalypso will enter Scorpio and Nemesis will enter Libra.

For those of you who know astrology, this may ring a yin/yang bell.

Remember yin and yang? Often thought of as ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ (and thus easily mistaken as ‘male’ and ‘female’) what yin and yang  really represents is the difference between ‘pro-active’ and ‘receptive-reactive’ modes of being. That people have come to call them masculine and feminine (and thus think in terms of male and female)…that’s just modern culture’s habit of abbreviating everything.

The truth is we all embody both sides of this natural duality. We are all in some moments pro-active and in others, receptive or reactive. And where the asteroids tend to be…that tends to tell us a general mode of attitude. Yes, it is somewhat modified by whether these objects are in yin or yang signs of your personal natal chart. Yet in spite of that, the overall effect still stands.

So here’s the zodiac (shown as a ‘natural’ wheel with Aries on the 1st house rotating counter-clockwise around to Pisces on the 12th)…here’s the zodiac with the signs labeled as yin and yang.

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Now…if you look back at that list, you’ll get my point: of the six asteroids changing signs just in the next few days, five are moving into proactive (yang) signs.

That tends to say that in the next few days we will feel like we need to get ‘into action'. Or that life will be ‘requiring’ that we ‘do’ something. Or we may hear frustration and/or activity levels rising around us – locally, personally, nationally or internationally.

Some of this is just Eos instinct. We talked about Eos just recently, so you may want to go back and read that blog if you missed it. But suffice it to say, Eos is our instinct to stay ahead of things so as to learn better or to not get ‘burned’...and the general/overall awareness of all our instincts, good and bad, valid and invalid.

LINK to article on Eos.

Echo is entering Sagittarius, the Jupiterian land of knowing how, knowing that you know how and understanding the meaning and consequences of things. Echo seems pretty obvious as a symbol: monkey see, monkey do, no? But it isn’t quite that simple. The real story of Echo is about a servant in the house of honcho Olympian Zeus (aka Jupiter) and his strong-minded wife, Hera.

Very much like his Jupiter-in-Sagittarius namesake, Zeus is always out seeing what (and who) he can stir up a little…fertility with. Zeus/Jupiter is always into pushing his limits.

Hera? Not so much. Hera is the protector of house, home, family and ‘the rules’ and she’s not subtle about insisting that things be done the right way (which is to say, the way SHE wants them done).

So Echo is servant to both Hera and Jupiter. And Jupiter gives Echo an order: ‘just tell the wife such-and-such…’ when she asks where he is and Zeus is out philandering.

Echo does as ordered. And when Hera finds out what Jupiter is really up to, she not only has a word (or three) with Zeus, she punishes Echo big time.

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Echo by Alexander Cabanel (1887)

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The moral of this story is about knowing the difference between truth and lack of same. It’s about personal integrity versus cooperation. And with Echo moving into Sagittarius, this may signal a lot of lying going on…or a lot of finding out being found out, complete with retribution. Probably both.

Bottom line, this is a signal of stress and strain and a tendency to accuse others not of not understanding and ‘feeling for you’ (which would have typified recent times) but actual living up to our word and such.

Staying with this House of Olympian service theme, we next come to Hebe. Known for bringing cups of immortal ambrosia to the great and mighty of Olympus (evidently being a Greek god is thirsty work) she was also known for drawing baths and for embodying the premise of youth – hence the ‘draught of eternal vigor’ (ambrosia) being hers to pour for others.

That eventually Hebe decides to marry Heracles (Hercules) and get out of the ambrosia serving biz (leaving that to Ganymede) tells us that we are in service for a time in order to learn what service is – but then we move on to other things. So while youth (and the innocence or naiveté which goes with youth) may be eternal, it is not eternally ours.

Dionysus being about ‘sacred celebrations,’ the combination here – both moving into the ‘I Am’ (or who am I?) sign of Aries is a whole ‘grounding’ mechanism. What is the reality of our life?

That this particular shift happens as Mercury goes into three weeks of retrograde tells us that we are in for a little (3 week) think/reconsidering period about who we are and what we really want to do – or need to do in, and with our lives. We obviously have responsibilities to others. But what do we have to give if we don’t know who we are? Or if we haven’t lived up to our personal need to be the person we want or need to be?

It’s sort of an odd restatement of Echo: who are we? Are we made to simply take instructions or do we need to be someone reflective of the person we are inside?

Expect to hear and feel a lot of these questions floating around.

The last pairing is Kalypso and Nemesis…which is cause for a little pause. Why? Because Kalypso is the premise which teaches that loving someone is about them. If we love thinking its about what we get from them that isn’t about them, that’s about us!

And sometimes that means we have to let go. Or turn away. Or simply walk away. Loving someone else does not imply we have to simply serve their needs (Hebe) in any way which will do harm to us or our (Echo) integrity. And this we know – at least at an (Eos) instinctive level.

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Nemesis by Alfred Rethel (1837)

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Of the six symbols changing signs in these next few days, Kalypso is the only one which is moving into a ‘yin’ receptive/reactive sign. That sign is Scorpio, the sign Venus’ recent retrograde worked over so thoroughly and stickily. Hopefully we all learned something more about the Scorpio premise during that time – that no matter what we want, when we choose either (only) my way or (only) your way or what I think you should do (or want or need)…things don’t work. Like it or not (which for most of us is ‘not’!) the only Scorpio answers which really work are when EVERYBODY gets at least some part of what they need. Not want, need.

Yes, yes…Scorpio’s water sign element is all about the feeling. But given that it’s an interactive (3rd quadrant) sign which is followed by Sagittarius – a sign all about functionality – the want has to work in the larger venue. So when we want something which is only about our ‘want’ we’re still in a lurch.

Scorpio is thus all about everybody getting what they need to move forward to that goal that they desire. 

Got it?

Okay…so with Kalypso here, we can all expect a little bit of the ‘bleeding heart’ syndrome and a lot of push-pull about what need-versus-want really is.

Against this we have Nemesis, a curiously misunderstood symbol. People seem to think Nemesis is the ‘bad guy’ who rises up before us to foil our fun and frolic.

Uh, no. Nemesis is that notice (whether from a person or rule or that wee small voice in your own head) which warns you about the possible consequences of running afoul of the rules. Or morality. Or your budget.

Or…or…or….

In entering Libra, Nemesis is going to surface as warnings to us about what we’re doing. Or how we’re acting. Or who it is we’re dealing with. Or what we really need to do in order to get the reaction we’re hoping to get. That’s the ‘I-to-thou’ side of Libra.

Of course, there is that other side of Libra: who we are to others. In every Libra situation there is the tendency to project. Or to not own our own issues and thus (yes) attract that person apparently intent on raining on our parade with dire warnings.

How to know what’s true?

Well, that would seem to be the cumulative question of this moment and as we move into these next few weeks of Mercury retrograde and a Lunar Eclipse, all of which leads us into the January 2011 Solar Eclipse.

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A partial lunar eclipse

photo credit: NASA/JPL (2000)

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What we want life to be and what life really is…that would seem to be the question. What we want to do and what’s easy to do versus what we need to do in order to be the person and have the life we really want to have…that’s another question.

Those who make the effort and ‘use’ the energy productively – theoretically that prevents more of it coming back to haunt you.

And that’s where how human we really are shows up, yes. How we deal with so much of ourselves really on the line with ourselves…that’s the question of the moment.