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The Four Major Asteroids In Astrology
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Ceres, Vesta, Juno and Pallas
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| | We astrologers all know the story of Cronos (Saturn), how he swallowed his offspring to prevent the prophesy that one of his children would overthrow him. Of his six children he actually only swollowed five. Zeus (Jupiter) was the lucky one to be concealed from Cronos. His mother Rhea tricked Cronos into swallowing a rock instead.
Zeus freed his siblings and led them in a revolt overthrowing their father. We also all know what became of Zeus (Jupiter), Poseidon (Neptune) and Hades (Pluto). However there were three more siblings, their sisters Demeter (Ceres), Hera (Juno), and Hestia (Vesta) who, until recently, were pretty much ignored astrologically. As society became more and more male dominated the importance of goddesses became lesser and lesser. As a result western astrology has been very lacking in the feminine. The only two bodies seen as female are Moon and Venus, all the rest in traditional astrology are male deities. I choose to include the four major asteroids in my horoscopes to replace the missing female element.
Most of what I know about the four major asteroids I have learned directly from my teacher, Roseann Cane who was a student of Eleanor Bach. Eleanor was a pioneer in the use of the four major asteroids in astrology. Demetra George, who also studied under Eleanor Bach, went on to write the book "Asteroid Goddesses" and I strongly recommend reading it for a better understanding of these bodies. Even if you choose not to use asteroids in your work, the book is still a good read.
The difference between the major asteroids and the minor asteroids is that the major ones Ceres, Pallas, Juno and Vesta have been studied in-depth. The meanings of these four are pretty much as detailed as what we know of the planets. |
| Ceres and Vesta have a strong connection with Virgo and I always look to these two bodies to give me more information on the house with Virgo on the cusp.
Ceres - the Mother
We see themes of both Ceres and her daughter, Persephone, reflected in this asteroid. Ceres exists in modern folklore as "Mother Earth", she governs solid foods which the earth provides such as vegetables, fruit and especially grains as well as nutrition and cooking. Someone with Ceres in the 10th house could be a chef , farmer or nutritionist. Ceres in the 6th house in hard aspect with Neptune can show someone with food allergies.
The house in your chart which contains Ceres shows the area of life that you nurture or feel nurtured by or if Ceres is harshly aspected perhaps you crave nurturing in this area instead. Is Ceres in your 9th house? Then it's your philosophies that nurture you. Is Ceres in your fourth? Then you need your privacy. Ceres can tell us what kind of foods the individual likes (along with the 6th house) Ceres in Aries tends to like spicy foods, Ceres in Pisces will probably love sea food. I have Ceres in Taurus in a stellium which includes Venus and I love sweets, especially chocolates.
Positive attributes of Ceres:
Hard Work
Mothering particularly of older children (mothering babies and young children belongs to Moon)
Nurturing
Foster parenting
Food, nutrition, cooking
Farming/gardening
Negative attributes of Ceres:
Grieving Mother D or grief
Abduction / kidnapping especially when in hard aspect with Pluto
Strikes, refusal to work
Child custody issues.
Eating disorders
Vesta - the Sister
Vesta was the goddess for whom the Vestal Virgins served. The Vestals kept the sacred flame going. They were very well respected. People would bring their valuables to the Vestils for safe keeping. In ancient Rome they were chaste virgins in the sense that we think of virgins today. However in ancient Greece the women who served Hestia were very different. In ancient Greece a virgin was a woman who was not the property of a man. This was rather rare because a woman belonged to a man either as his daughter or as his wife. This gives much more insight into the sign Virgo. The women who served Hestia were not chaste at all. They were virgins in the sense that they had their independence. In fact they were divine prostitutes for whom sex was a used as sacred ritual.
If you have Vesta rising you would appear conservative. If you have Saturn squaring Vesta you may be rather insecure. Vesta natally in your 8th house implies that there will be an inheritance for you.
Positive attributes of Vesta:
Organization
Perfecting
Breaking things down into component parts
Metabolism
Catabolism
Rules the Upper Intestine
One's sister
Locks and keys
Investments
Security
Securities
Insurance
Inheritance
To be vested (as in one's job)
Family/Home
Hearth/fire place
Focus
Ritual
Virginity/purity
Chastity or sexuality as a sacred union
Monks, Nuns, cloistered people
Devotion
Negative attributes of Vesta:
Insecurity
Family difficulties
Problems with ones home
Lack of focus
Promiscuous sex
Digestive disorders
Segregation
Secret societies such as the Mafia, Nazis, Al Qaeda
Juno and Pallas have a stong connection with Libra and I look to these bodies for information on the house or houses with Libra on the cusp.
Juno - the Wife
Juno was the sister and wife of Jupiter. She was very beautiful. The beginning of their marriage was blissful but over time the Marriage of Jupiter and Juno became stormy and full of conflict and Jupiter treated her quite brutally. She was unhappy with her husbands constant philandering and tended to take her anger out on the women he pursued.
Positive attributes of Juno:
One's wife
Marriage/Weddings
Fashion / Make-up
Refined beauty
Atmosophere/the weather
Fairness
Women's issues (good and bad)
Rules female genetalia
Rules flowers
Negative attributes of Juno:
Spousal Abuse
Vunerability & Powerlessness
Issues of women's rights
Unfairness
Rage
Pallas - the Daughter
Pallas or Pallas Athena is better known to us as simply Athena. She was the daughter who sprang from Zeus' head after he swallowed her mother while pregnant with her. The fact that she came from his head shows that she is cerebral and connected with thought, logic and intelligence. A person with Mercury conjunct Pallas is likely to be rather intelligent. Pallas was the weaver and represents whole pattern perception, she governs thinking, linking and piecing together. For this same
reason she is associated with cities. She governs strategic planning and where Mars is a soldier, Pallas is a commanding officer. She belongs to realm of ideas, hence her connection with Libra, an air sign. In the trial of Orestes it was she who cast the deciding vote which demonstrates her affinity with justice.
Positive attributes of Pallas
One's daughter / DaddyÍs little girl
Patron of the arts
Rules the Immune System
Strategy
Whole pattern perception
Intelligence / Intuition
Justice
Wisdom
Rules Horses
Defense
I believe she governs the kidneys
Negative attributes of Pallas:
Conflicts
Legal battles
Injustice
Weakened immune system
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© 2002 Stacy Davidoff
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