Agamemnon, Eros, Damocles: What Insistence Brings

 Chryses visits Agamemnon to Ransom his daughter Chryseis (4th century)

photo credit: Habib M'henni (Oct 2010)

As asteroid Agamemnon crosses the line into Cancer at 35 minutes past midnight on May 16th, several things take hold…in our world, and as affects our outlook.

For one, this is Agamemnon moving into the sign of what will be July’s solar eclipse. We saw this trend begin back in April…first with Medea entering Cancer on April 23rd then with Psyche entering Cancer on April 25th (LINK to 4/25 Blog Post). Given that solar eclipses tend to give us a 6-8 week period prior to occurrence when issues concerning that sign get challenged, become challenging or seem to shift entirely, April would seem a little early when you’re talking about a solar eclipse which will happen July 1st.

But considering that Psyche represents our mind and the innate awareness of self?

LINK to Full Article on EROS and PSYCHE

And considering not just that Medea is the sort of fixation which can cause us to do totally irrational things but actually undermine our cause – and that Medea’s entrance into Cancer occurred at a moment when Mercury was not just on station going direct, but doing so in opposition to Saturn…?

LINK to Blog post of April 23rd

If life was a story plot we’d call this a ‘foreshadowing device,’ as this time was surely an echo of things to come. For you, the ‘echo’ may be emotional. For some it might have been situational. And for many, this entire April through July period is going to be one giant headache.

As we came into May, Medusa (fear of knowing) entered Cancer. And now here comes Agamemnon. So now we have Psyche (awareness of our mind) plus Medea (loving to distraction/destruction), Medusa (fear of knowing/fearful knowledge) and Agamemnon (stubborn insistence) all in Cancer. That sounds a lot like mental digging-in activity, particularly when we consider that in moving into Cancer, Agamemnon (and all the rest of the points mentioned in this regard) have moved from the ‘personally pro-active’ side of the zodiac into the ‘responsive-receptive’ hemisphere zone.

So adding all those things together, we are either aware of things which make us stubbornly self-limiting (even destructive) or we are becoming aware that there are things which we’ve been clinging to stubbornly which in the end are (or have become) limiting or undermining of our actual aims.

Such matters and realizations may be person. They could be global or societal. Or they could be a grandly dislikeable combination of both.

Also to remember here is that this is so not just about you! Cancer is the first of the water signs. As such, it got a whole ‘instinctive’ quality to it which feels very ‘me-ish.’ But when we’re talking mundane (global) astro-doings, it pays to remember that everyone is going through a version of this. It isn’t just you!

In fact, that others are going through all this stuff? That may be contributing to your questions, challenges and general sluggishness in achieving productive aims.

A lot of things say much is about to change however. The first would be that this moment – the ‘today’ of it all (May 16, 2011) is one day shy of a Full Moon. So while things are cranking up to ‘full,’ there’s this screwing down into ‘personal’ mode… which may or may not be productive. Considering how the May’s Full Moon will be (as it always is) in Scorpio, the real question is not what you want (even if you’d like that to be the question!) …the real question is how your positions work for everyone else, near and far.

Just to make this a little more exciting, asteroid Eros is also crossing into Aries today. Given that it’s doing so at 2:43 in the afternoon (UT/+0), that means it’s at a full-press maximally evocative 29 degrees of Pisces when Agamemnon hits Cancer.

That tell us that the first part of the day is distinctly emotional and centered-on-self quality. Whether or not it’s actually self-centered…? That depends on you (and where 29 Pisces, Eros and/or Agamemnon are in your natal chart). But rather universally, this would be a moment when emotions are getting provoked or evoked. It isn’t likely to be a cool-as-a-cucumber moment.

But let’s also remember – these are not planets, these are asteroids we are talking about. And considering that asteroids such as Eros and Agamemnon reside in the asteroid belt which orbits between Mars and Jupiter, what this all represents is a learning about self and life. Where planets are modes and ‘personal realities,’ asteroids represent all those things we meet up with on a periodic basis in various forms as part of our daily, normal life.

It’s just when we see them in clumps – and there are great clumps of asteroids – that does tend to emphasize a greater ‘learning curve theme’ that everybody is going through. At the moment there is a huge grouping of asteroids in Taurus, Gemini and Cancer, with less populated clusters strewn through Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius and Capricorn…

….which pretty distinctly pictures two sides of the picture, the problem, the coin, the issue, the debate – and all the other merry forms such pro/con, you/me, us/them, private/public (etc.) things can take.

And let’s not forget – TNO Orcus just went direct in Virgo. That ‘TNO’ designation telling us that Orcus – unlike Agamemnon, Psyche, Medusa, Medea, Eros and countless others…Orcus is not merely a TNO, Orcus is a Dwarf Planet. So as an astrological descriptor, it “outranks” an asteroid. Thus our experience of Orcus effects represent our meeting up with asteroid effects – not the other way around.

TNO's (standing for Trans Neptunian Objects) are things beyond our ‘knowing’ …except when they happen, that is. Japan’s catastrophic experience of  a Godzilla earthquake meeting up with a Mothra tsunami causing the mother of all nuclear plant malfunctions is something of this ilk. Those events – signaled by Neptune and Uranus both being at 29 degrees of respective signs for but a couple of days (during which the earthquake and tsunami happened) is causal. That’s a planetary signal.

But the consequences which must be dealt with down the line? That would be Orcus – and that Orcus is a TNO says such consequences are unbidden and unexpected: they just happen.

In a sense yes, we are all of this Planet Earth and therefore what happens in Japan and affects the ocean there (which is connected to all the rest of the oceans)…that’s global. The consciousness is global. But Orcus is a Dwarf Planet (smaller scale shift of dynamic) which in turning direct in Virgo yesterday puts us on notice that things will happen (direct motion: things happen, we react to or interface with them)….and that they are consequences or consequential. 

Into all this comes Damocles the swaggering courtier. Damocles had no idea why his king was always so worried. From where he stood (i.e., on the sidelines) the king’s job looked simple.

But jobs which entail a great deal of responsibility (especially where others are concerned) and which have serious potential to create lasting ‘ripple effects’ (i.e., consequences)…they just aren’t so simple. And that’s the point of the Damocles story. His king gets sufficiently irritated with his scoffing courtier to offer Damocles the job of king-for-a-day… and it’s only when Damocles sits down in the throne that he notices a sword poised – point down – directly over his head, representing all the possibilities of dangers which come with the job of king.

 The Sword of Damocles by Wenceslas Hollar (1607-1677)

As Damocles goes retrograde today at 4:40pm (UT+0) at 22 Aquarius, we are all reminded that some things aren’t as simple as they look. Damocles is a comet, too – not a planet, dwarf planet or asteroid. Comets have long been thought of as messengers which ‘bring news from afar’ – and that’s certainly one way to look at them. Another way is to think in terms of what their orbits really are.

In the case of Damocles, the other orbital point is at 22.1au – just beyond ‘breakthrough’ planet Uranus. It’s inner orbital point (the perihelion point) is at 1.58au…which places it in a region to do a do-si-do with Mars, given that Mars aphelion it at 1.6658au and its perihelion is at 1.381au.

Mars symbolizing the ‘initiator’ of action and activity in life, this seems rather apt – the whole Damocles story is about learning whether we should or shouldn’t do something (that kingly job). And learning what it takes to make such decisions – how doing the right thing (as opposed to the convenient thing) is not snap and strut and simple yes/no, black/white, good/bad.

When any type of object goes retrograde, the concept is that we reflect on its message. And just in case you’re not the type who’s reflective by nature, not to worry…life will come along and deliver the kind of moment which will get you reflecting if you need to.

All this just prior to a Full Moon in Scorpio? Yes, it's one of those sure fire tests as to whether our values and self worth are intact and aimed in the right direction.

It's an interesting moment, to be sure!

Medusa's Entrance into Cancer: A Meteoric Collective Consciousness

The Death of Medusa by Edward Burne Jones (1888-1892)

When I say ‘Medusa,’ most everybody thinks of the Perseus Problem: how to cut the head off a gorgon if looking at said gorgon (with it’s hairy head of snakes)will turn you into stone?

Ultimately the answer to that question is you reflect on where to strike…Perseus does the needed deed of killing Medusa by looking at a reflection of that which is so deadly scary and using his INTELLECTUAL power to interpret that reflection and thus deduce where the problem (Medusa) stands…a process which then allows him to take aim at the problem and ‘kill it.’

Personally, I happen to think the Medusa myth is one of the most interesting in all mythology – which would be why I’ve written a full length article about it (LINK) and why I refer to Medusa so often.

In short however (should you not be into reading a whole other mythic saga at the moment…), Medusa got into trouble by being a.) simply mortal, b.) somewhat vain and c.) irresponsible. The technicals on this are that she was had sworn to serve in the temple (the wholly holy space) of Pallas Athena, goddess of dispassionate wisdom. 

That means there’s a big sign on the temple door: taking your shoes off is optional – leaving your emotionalism outside is required. 

Pallas Athena is just not an emotional entity. She’s all logic and deduction and cooler-than-the-cucumber intellectualism.

This matter of ‘taking an oath to serve’ is, as you might realize by yesterday’s blog on Kallisto, also a  Greek myth theme. In short, if you make the promise, the promise must be kept. There are various forms of this tale throughout Greek mythology, too. Some mortals – such as Kallisto – stick to their vows and go through all sorts of grief because they do that but in the end are recognized and honored for their loyalty. Sure, it’s not always perfect, but Greek immortals, unlike modern conceptions of immortality, are not so all-danged perfect.

And who’s got this right or wrong here…? That’s pretty much up for discussion. If you think the universe should be perfect (implying it isn’t already) that’s a point of view. It just isn’t the Greek one.

Anyway…so there’s the Kallisto version of the vow (you stick to it, no matter what), there are a couple of examples where the folks resign from temple duty so they can go off and have their earthly, earthy life (which sometimes is fine, sometimes not so fine) and then there’s Medusa’s choice, which is to not only not resign from her sacred vows before violating them, but to violate them right in front of Athena’s altar.

Obviously Athena was not so jazzed by this choice, which is how the hair went all snake-hissy (which made Medusa the first person to have a ‘hissy fit,’ perhaps?) and all Medusa’s goodness turned to grief.

However! In the end, Medusa’s head (once cut off, that is) gets installed on the front of Athena’s shield. And thus we are told that sometimes just facing the truth is scary. Or – given the whole ‘reflection’ inference – that in facing the achieving of real wisdom (getting beyond Athena’s shield to the reality and into the wisdom of Athena’s guidance, presence and protection)…that we have to reflect on what makes us so scared.

Wisdom itself isn’t scary, remember? We left our emotions at the door, so it can’t be scary…’scary’ is a feeling thing. So to come into the presence of wisdom we have to first deal and set aside whatever our fears are.

And why is this all so important on May 6, 2011? Because, oh grasshopper, this is the day when the Sun stands at 15 Taurus. In other words, this is the very day at which we move across what is known as the ‘cross-quarter’ point bisecting the zodiac’s first quadrant.

As we move across this mark, we are confronted with and asked to cope with the idea of how our choices and actions, our natural self assertion and justified interest in our own life…how all that affect will affects others.

This is a concept about beginning to lay groundwork for choice – for choosing everything from what to say or not say to choosing what we want to do with our life and lifetime…which is really what the second part of the first quarter (Taurus, part two plus Gemini) synthesis is about. What will get us where we want to go? What will earn the responses and opportunities we want, and by doing so, allow us to feel better rewarded, more satisfied and happier with our life?

That is the question poised by 15 Taurus. And as someone who has a friend whose Sun sits at 15 Taurus, that’s realistically what this degree is all about. Lore talks about 15 Taurus as a degree where people come to be ‘considered’ wise (in terms of whatever planet is positioned there) because they listen, learn from and respond others in their environs. My friend is a 15 Taurus Sun who very much likes to learn from compatriots and people encountered through daily life and work – definitely with one eye on the native ‘early-degree Taurus’ desires for security and ‘belonging.’

Whatever sign we belong to in terms of any planet, however far along the sign that planet is placed, we can always deduce that this is as much of that sign as the person has learned. For the Sun to be at 15 Taurus now as Medusa enters Cancer therefore brings the steady effort of Taurus’ first ten degrees and half of Taurus’ emotional quotient brought to the matter of home, hearth, homeland, and family.

For some, this will produce a sort of whirling dervish day: life (the Sun) ‘balanced’ at the emotional Taurean mid-point is a real ‘am I doing the right thing?’ moment. In transit, Medusa has the effect of getting us to at least stop and consider.

And for some, avoid.

Considering how Kallisto and Edisona both just moved into Gemini…(those would be the past two blogs)…a lot of people will suddenly have a case of Gulping Reconsideration. You know…the ‘what have I gotten myself into?’ or ‘why did I do that when I could have done this and it wall would have been so much better?

There’s definitely a lot of tall thinking going on now - and that may well be added to by the fact that today - May 6th, is the annual height of the yearly Eta Aquarids meteor shower.

The shower itself emanates from Aquarius - specifically near the star Eta Aquarids for which this shower is named.

Aquarius - as shown above, has its own cross-quarter point. These cross-quarter points are always sensitive times when the Sun (or any other object) pushes past them which is why people who are born around (or at) the time of year when the Sun is positioned at any cross-quarter point tend to be a little bit hesitant. The 'call' is to 'move ahead'...but there is a natural human instinct to also stay with that which you already know.

As time and planets prove however, we don't get to linger. Time marches on...our only choice is to keep up or fall behind, whether in the general sense or in the march of our own life's progression.

But wait - there's more! (Yes, I have watched too many commercials...how'd you know?)...In passing Taurus' cross quarter point, we are currently not just getting the cross-quarter effect. No sirree! With fixed star Menkar currently positioned at 15 Taurus we are also presented with our own fears or concerns centering on our ability to be an individual...against wanting to be accepted by those around us and in our world. 

 Constellations Taurus (top) and Cetus (bottom). Shown both in part,

it's enough to see how fixed star Menkar lies along a longitude which

would be (currently) sitting astride Taurus' midpoint at 15 Taurus.

Remember: the zodiac is a 'circle' drawn through the heavens "level"

with Earth's orbit around the Sun...a path known astronomically (and

astrologically) as the 'ecliptic.' Only constellations which lie on or across

this line are included as zodiac signs - which is why when, a couple of months

ago the old 'rumor' about Ophiuchus arose (again!) all the astrologers

chorused 'NO!' in 12 part harmony.

One other note here...off to the left you may see Bellatrix, a trying point in

Gemini, above which is the end of the name "Betelgeuse" which, also

in Gemini was simply cropped off as I took this screen shot of

Taurus and Cetus. Since we've talked so often about Bellatrix and

Betelgeuse, I thought you might like to see approximately where they

are in this discussion, so as time goes on you can become more and more

familiar with what's 'up there' when you go outside into the starry, starry night!

So to have this happening as Medusa moves into Cancer, a sign which (among other things) summons up everything from our childhood issues to our most childish instincts?

You could see why this would be a bit of a splutterful moment, right?

And when we double back to the idea that Kallisto in Gemini tend to give us twinges of 20/20 hindsight...and that Edisona in Gemini is a time when we are searching for ideas or being given to know how well we’re doing in our own mind (or not) this could be a trying, testing moment.

It actually could be testy too...but that's most likely where you (or someone else) hasn't deal with their own fear of knowing. You know, their own Medusa?

Yet…this is certainly not all bad news. No - not at all! One of the things to remember about Medusa is that she realized there was a cost for her transgressions. She broke her vows by having immortal relations with Neptune in Athena’s temple and for that was punished. But once she realized what she had become she didn’t go around taking her own grief out on others. And that’s where Medusa’s story parts with that of Godzilla munching Tokyo and other such tales. The person who says ‘they done me wrong and I’m going to take it out on everybody else!’ is not Medusa.

Medusa has a conscience. She moves far, far away so that her terribleness will not be inflicted on others. She doesn’t even fight much when Perseus turns up.

Medusa is not vengeful. As frightening as Medusa becomes, she is also merciful.

And that suggests that the passage of Medusa through Cancer will bring us all to recognize some of the scary things in and about life – and do what needs doing to deal with them. Maybe even while making sure others don’t know what we’re up to.

About the time July’s solar eclipse (in Cancer) rolls around, Medusa will be conjunct Mercury in the last couple of degrees of Cancer. Considering Mercury in Cancer is always emotional thinking and speech and how the end of any sign is how we react to life and events, this cold be a pretty emotional time. We may all be tempted to just tuck in and ‘not look.’

But remember…that’s not the plus of Medusa. That’s not what we’re supposed to learn. When Medusa dies, her children (with Neptune) spring forth to play their part in our world. One is Chrysaor – a savage guardian, initially of sheep (i.e., those among us who will not think for ourselves). The other is Pegasus, the winged horse which in symbolizing our flights of (thoughtful) fancy is destined to give good service to a mere mortal.

The Birth of Pegasus and Chrysaor

by Edward Burne Jones (1876-1885)

The mythical Pegasus, though every bit as beautiful as we like to think is not innately ‘thoughtful’ in himself. Captured by Bellerophon (grandson of grand sinner Sisyphus), Pegasus aids Bellerophon in killing the Chimera…which happens to be the offspring of Chrysaor.

Then again, from this line also come the centaurs – a whole race of beings whose challenge was to unify their great animalistic strength with human(e) intelligence and not simply to use their smarts to get what they wanted on an animalistic level.

These ideas are important because they help us understand the legacy of Medusa – and why she is just not a girl with truly scaly hair in search of a good conditioner. Medusa is more about the human condition in the sense that we each embody it. Do we work towards only our own pleasure – or for the good of all, from which comes our acceptance and ultimate security?