TNO Watch: Eros

“Is this guy Love or Death?" Jason growled. "Ask your friends", Cupid said. "Frank, Hazel, and Percy met my counterpart, Thanatos. We are not so different. Except Death is sometimes kinder.” -Rick Riordan

Bear with me guys. Writing this was hell. This one... Whatever my personal issues with this minor planet, I have to get him right. Which is more than I can say he's done for me.

“Poor Nico di Angelo." [Cupid's] voice was tinged with disappointment. "Do you know what you want, much less what I want? My beloved Psyche risked everything in the name of Love. It was the only way for her to atone for her lack of faith. And you- what have you risked in my name?"
"I've been to Tartarus and back," Nico snarled. "You don't scare me."
"I scare you very, very much. Face me. Be honest.” -Rick Riordan

The Astronomy: 433 Eros is an S-type near-Earth asteroid approximately 34.4×11.2×11.2 kilometres (21.4×7.0×7.0 mi) in size, the second-largest near-Earth asteroid after 1036 Ganymed. It was discovered in 1898 and was the first near-Earth asteroid discovered. It was the first asteroid orbited by an Earth probe (in 2000). It belongs to the Amor group. Eros is a Mars-crosser asteroid, the first known to come within the orbit of Mars. Objects in such an orbit can remain there for only a few hundred million years before the orbit is perturbed by gravitational interactions. Dynamical integrations suggest that Eros may evolve into an Earth-crosser within as short an interval as two million years, and has a roughly 50% chance of doing so over a time scale of 10⁸–10⁹ years. It is a potential Earth impactor, comparable in size to the impactor that created Chicxulub crater and led to the extinction of the dinosaurs. (shamelessly ripped from Wikipedia)

“The story of Psyche finally made sense to him- why a mortal girl would be so afraid. Why would she risk breaking the rules to look the god of love in the face, because she feared he might be a monster. Psyche had been right. Cupid was a monster. Love was the most savage monster of all.” -Rick Riordan

The Astrology: In the chart, Eros represents passion. This can take various forms, of course (usually expressed through house placement), but he has an undeniable effect as to who and what you are attracted to, though it is Psyche who determines actual partner selection. Unless overridden by aspect, he operates independently of Venus, and can often overrule HER in practice- Anyone who has cheated on their partner can verify that Passion can absolutely trump Love. This point is extremely sensitive, it can be seen in a Chirotic light, but (arguably) less debilitating. It's an area where you have no control, and when aspected or transited, you have two options- Surrender or Fight. The problem with this point is that when he is activated... its nearly impossible to resist him; The euphoria, the rush, the swell of hope, the sexual energy... Who can say they have never given in?

“Still hiding", Cupid said, smashing another skeleton to pieces. "You do not have the strength." "Nico," Jason managed to say, "it's okay. I get it." Nico glanced over, pain and misery washing across his face. "No you don't," he said. "There's no way you can understand." "And so you run away again," Cupid chided. "From your friends, from yourself.”' -Rick Riordan

Why He Matters: Passion, Love, Hope, Sex- These are some of the most powerful parts of being human, and a life without them is not one I want to live, nor am I capable of doing so. Anyone who knows me knows that I will surrender to Eros at the slightest provocation. He also terrifies the ever-loving FUCK out of me. He is savage, he is terrible, and he is COLD- He is primal, he is out for blood, and nothing can stop him. Even the Lord of the Underworld was struck by his arrow. He is a completely alien force, and he is treated far too well in all his depictions. I would face down entire armies, naked and unarmed, before I would ever willingly face Eros. The emotions and passions inside me I keep chained up and locked away, lest they ever escape and rip me apart, right before they destroy everything I love in my life. Passion is terror. In the Orphic texts (which I have on good authority are far more accurate than the mainstream versions) Eros is one of the very first entities to emerge from the Chaotic void. His power outclasses almost everything in the ancient Greek world- Who can stand against their own passion? Fighting an enemy within you, and already knows your every move; a nebulous force that can never be punched, scratched, or wounded... The bit from the astronomy above, saying how it is very likely that Eros could cause an extinction-level event, that is Eros. He destroys, he destroys everything.

'[Nico] glared at Cupid "Happy now?" For the first time, Cupids gaze seemed sympathetic. "Oh I wouldn't say Love always makes you happy" His voice sounded smaller, much more human. "Sometimes it makes you incredibly sad. But at least you've faced it now. That's the only way to conquer me."' -Rick Riordan
 To find out where he shows up in your chart, go to astro.com, put in your birth details and in the extended options, all the way at the bottom there will be a menu of additional objects. Under that is a blank space where you can enter the number 433, for Eros. Once you have it entered, generate the chart! Where does Eros affect your life?