TNO Watch- Orpheus

A boy and his guitar by Michael Taggart

You know, we have been way too stuck in the underworld lately. Im not a fan. I think its about time to bust out of this cage, dont you? Luckily I know just the man for the job...

The Astronomy: 3361 Orpheus is an Apollo asteroid that was discovered on April 24, 1982 by Carlos Torres at Cerro El Roble Astronomical Station. Its eccentric orbit crosses that of Mars and Earth, and approaches Venus as well. From 1900 to 2100 it passes closer than 30 Gm to Venus 11, Earth 33, and Mars 14 times. It passed by Earth at a distance of about 40 lunar distances on December 7, 2013. 3361 Orpheus is a potentially hazardous asteroid (PHA) because its minimum orbit intersection distance (MOID) is less than 0.05 AU and its diameter is greater than 150 meters. The Earth-MOID is 0.0139 AU (2,080,000 km; 1,290,000 mi). Its orbit is well-determined for the next several hundred years.The orbital solution includes non-gravitational forces.

The Myth: Orpheus  was a legendary musician, poet, and prophet in ancient Greek religion and myth. The major stories about him are centered on his ability to charm all living things and even stones with his music, his attempt to retrieve his wife, Eurydike, from the underworld, and his death at the hands of those who could not hear his divine music. As an archetype of the inspired singer, Orpheus is one of the most significant figures in the reception of classical mythology in Western culture, portrayed or alluded to in countless forms of art and popular culture including poetry, film, opera, music, and painting. For the Greeks, Orpheus was a founder and prophet of the so-called "Orphic" mysteries. He was credited with the composition of the Orphic Hymns, a collection of which only two have survived. The most famous story in which Orpheus figures is that of his wife Eurydice (sometimes referred to as Euridice and also known as Argiope). While walking among her people, the Cicones, in tall grass at her wedding, Eurydice was set upon by a satyr. In her efforts to escape the satyr, Eurydice fell into a nest of vipers and suffered a fatal bite on her heel. Her body was discovered by Orpheus who, overcome with grief, played such sad and mournful songs that all the nymphs and gods wept. On their advice, Orpheus traveled to the underworld. By his music he softened the hearts of Hades and Persephone (he was the only person ever to do so), who agreed to allow Eurydice to return with him to earth on one condition: he should walk in front of her and not look back until they both had reached the upper world. He set off with Eurydice following, and, in his anxiety, as soon as he reached the upper world, he turned to look at her, forgetting that both needed to be in the upper world, and she vanished for the second time, but now forever. Other ancient writers, however, speak of Orpheus' visit to the underworld in a more negative light; according to Phaedrus the infernal gods only "presented an apparition" of Eurydice to him. Ovid says that Eurydice's death was not caused by fleeing from Aristaeus but by dancing with naiads on her wedding day. In fact, Plato's representation of Orpheus is that of a coward, as instead of choosing to die in order to be with the one he loved, he instead mocked the gods by trying to go to Hades to bring her back alive. Since his love was not "true"—he did not want to die for love—he was actually punished by the gods, first by giving him only the apparition of his former wife in the underworld, and then by being killed by women. After returning from the underworld, Orpheus never took another wife, instead only taking the company of young boys from that point on. The women of the area, feeling spurned, went into a Dionystic frenzy and ripped him limb from limb- Even as Orpheus tried to calm them with his music, they could not hear it. And so he died.

The Astrology: Okay, so- it doesn't take an astrologer to see just how absolutely contrived this story is. Seriously, i've seen comics with less convoluted plots (actually that's a lie- Ive never actually picked up a comic in my life). Orpheus was history's first rockstar. Unfortunately for him (and his adoring fans) he had some... different tastes than the culture of the time was used to. The Eurydike story was made up as a cover for this fact. Now in terms of the astrology itself, some astrologers link this asteroid as the long sought-after indicator of homosexuality (possibly sharing this with Ganymed), but I would go straight for the kill and call it more likely to be an indicator of pedophilliac tendencies, at its most extreme. Obviously more study would need to be done, but that would be my take on it. However, drawing solely from its myth (regardless of how contrived it is) Orpheus should indicate musical talent, a love of being in the spotlight, tragedy in relationships, going to the ends of the earth for the ones they love, drama, and a direct link from the world of the gods to the world of man.The greatest message that Orpheus tell us however, is that if you nuture your gifts, and use the skills that you are given, you can move even the will of heaven and hell.

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 3361, for Orpheus. Once you have it entered, generate the chart! Where does Orpheus affect your life? Let us know in the comments below!

TNO Watch- Typhon

fire snake by mammalfingers, CCL

Oh man, I have been WAITING to do this one! I love all the TNO's and most of the asteroids/minor planets (meh on the Centaurs, Artemis loves those guys), but Typhon fascinates me to no end.

The Astronomy: 42355 Typhon is a scattered disc object that was discovered on February 5, 2002, by the NEAT program. It measures 162±7 km in diameter, and is named after Typhon, a monster in Greek mythology. A large moon was identified in 2006. It is named Echidna—formal designation (42355) Typhon I Echidna, after Echidna, the monstrous mate of Typhon. It orbits Typhon at ~1300 km, completing one orbit in about 11 days. Its diameter is estimated to be 89±6 km. Typhon is the first known binary centaur, using an extended definition of a centaur as an object on a non-resonant (unstable) orbit with the perihelion inside the orbit of Neptune.

The Myth: Typhon, also Typhoeus, Typhaon or Typhos, was a monstrous giant and the most deadly being of Greek mythology. Typhon and his mate Echidna were the progenitors of many famous monsters. According to Hesiod's Theogony, Typhon was the son of Gaia and Tartarus: "when Zeus had driven the Titans from heaven, huge Earth bore her youngest child Typhoeus of the love of Tartarus, by the aid of golden Aphrodite (H: Reminding y’all ONCE AGAIN that Aphrodite is NOT a goddess, she is her own primal force that doesn’t give two shits about the Olympians, Titans, or whomever)". The mythographer Apollodorus adds that Gaia bore Typhon in anger at the gods for their destruction of her offspring the Giants (H: ...It was her anger at the destruction of the Titans which led to her creation of the Gigantes, and before that it was the imprisonment of the Hekatonkheires which inspired the betrayal and castration of Uranus. Gaea, you're kind of predictable). Numerous other sources mention Typhon as being the offspring of Gaia, or simply "earth-born", with no mention of Tartarus. However, according to the Homeric Hymn to Apollo, Typhon was the child of Hera alone. Hera, angry at Zeus for having given birth to Athena by himself, prayed to Gaia to give her a son as strong as Zeus, then slapped the ground and became pregnant (H: The mental image of this story alone makes it my personal favorite, as it is just SO Hera). Hera gave the infant Typhon to the serpent Python to raise, and Typhon grew up to become a great bane to mortals. The b scholia to Iliad 2.783, preserving a possible Orphic tradition, has Typhon born in Cilicia, as the offspring of Cronus. Gaia, angry at the destruction of the Giants, slanders Zeus to Hera. So Hera goes to Zeus' father Cronus (whom Zeus had overthrown) and Cronus gives Hera two eggs smeared with his own semen, telling her to bury them, and that from them would be born one who would overthrow Zeus. Hera, angry at Zeus, buries the eggs in Cilicia "under Arimon", but when Typhon is born, Hera, now reconciled with Zeus, informs him. According to Hesiod, Typhon was "terrible, outrageous and lawless", and on his shoulders were one hundred snake heads, that emitted fire and every kind of noise: "Strength was with his hands in all that he did and the feet of the strong god were untiring. From his shoulders grew a hundred heads of a  snake, a fearful dragon, with dark, flickering tongues, and from under the brows of his eyes in his marvellous heads flashed fire, and fire burned from his heads as he glared. And there were voices in all his dreadful heads which uttered every kind of sound unspeakable; for at one time they made sounds such that the gods understood, but at another, the noise of a bull bellowing aloud in proud ungovernable fury; and at another, the sound of a lion, relentless of heart; and at another, sounds like whelps, wonderful to hear; and again, at another, he would hiss, so that the high mountains re-echoed." The Homeric Hymn to Apollo describes Typhon as "fell" and "cruel", and neither like gods nor men. Three of Pindar's poems have Typhon as hundred-headed (as in Hesiod), while apparently a fourth gives him only fifty heads, but a hundred heads for Typhon became standard. A Chalcidian hydria, depicts Typhon as a winged humanoid from the waist up, with two snake tails below. Aeschylus calls Typhon "fire-breathing". For Nicander, Typhon was a monster of enormous strength, and strange appearance, with many heads, hands, and wings, and with huge snake coils coming from his thighs. Apollodorus describes Typhon as a huge winged monster, whose head "brushed the stars", human in form above the waist, with snake coils below, and fire flashing from his eyes: "In size and strength he surpassed all the offspring of Earth. As far as the thighs he was of human shape and of such prodigious bulk that he out-topped all the mountains, and his head often brushed the stars. One of his hands reached out to the west and the other to the east, and from them projected a hundred dragons' heads. From the thighs downward he had huge coils of vipers, which when drawn out, reached to his very head and emitted a loud hissing. His body was all winged: unkempt hair streamed on the wind from his head and cheeks; and fire flashed from his eyes." The most elaborate description of Typhon is found in Nonnus's Dionysiaca. Nonnus makes numerous references to Typhon's sepentine nature, giving him a "tangled army of snakes", snaky feet, and hair. According to Nonnus, Typhon was a "poison-spitting viper", whose "every hair belched viper-poison", and Typhon "spat out showers of poison from his throat; the mountain torrents were swollen, as the monster showered fountains from the viperish bristles of his high head", and "the water-snakes of the monster's viperish feet crawl into the caverns underground, spitting poison!". Following Hesiod and others, Nonnus gives Typhon many heads (though untotaled), but in addition to snake heads, Nonnus also gives Typhon many other animal heads, including leopards, lions, bulls, boars, bears, cattle, wolves, and dogs, which combine to make 'the cries of all wild beasts together', and a "babel of screaming sounds". Nonnus also gives Typhon "legions of arms innumerable", and where Nicander had only said that Typhon had "many" hands, and Ovid had given Typhon a hundred hands, Nonnus gives Typhon two hundred. Typhon challenged Zeus for rule of the cosmos. The earliest mention of Typhon, and his only occurrence in Homer, is a passing reference in the Iliad to Zeus striking the ground around where Typhon lies defeated. Hesiod's Theogony gives us the first account of their battle. According to Hesiod, without the quick action of Zeus, Typhon would have "come to reign over mortals and immortals". In the Theogony Zeus and Typhon meet in cataclysmic conflict: "[Zeus] thundered hard and mightily: and the earth around resounded terribly and the wide heaven above, and the sea and Ocean's streams and the nether parts of the earth. Great Olympus reeled beneath the divine feet of the king as he arose and earth groaned thereat. And through the two of them heat took hold on the dark-blue sea, through the thunder and lightning, and through the fire from the monster, and the scorching winds and blazing thunderbolt. The whole earth seethed, and sky and sea: and the long waves raged along the beaches round and about at the rush of the deathless gods: and there arose an endless shaking. Hades trembled where he rules over the dead below, and the Titans under Tartarus who live with Cronos, because of the unending clamor and the fearful strife." Zeus with his thunderbolt easily overcomes Typhon, who is thrown down to earth in a fiery crash: "So when Zeus had raised up his might and seized his arms, thunder and lightning and lurid thunderbolt, he leaped from Olympus and struck him, and burned all the marvellous heads of the monster about him. But when Zeus had conquered him and lashed him with strokes, Typhoeus was hurled down, a maimed wreck, so that the huge earth groaned. And flame shot forth from the thunderstricken lord in the dim rugged glens of the mount, when he was smitten. A great part of huge earth was scorched by the terrible vapor and melted as tin melts when heated by men's art in channelled crucibles; or as iron, which is hardest of all things, is shortened by glowing fire in mountain glens and melts in the divine earth through the strength of Hephaestus. Even so, then, the earth melted in the glow of the blazing fire." Defeated, Typhon is cast into Tartarus by an angry Zeus. Epimenides seemingly knew a different version of the story, in which Typhon enters Zeus' palace while Zeus is asleep, but Zeus awakes and kills Typhon with a thunderbolt. Pindar calls Typhon the "enemy of the gods", apparently knew of a tradition which had the gods transform into animals and flee to Egypt, says that Typhon was defeated by Zeus' thunderbolt, has Typhon being held prisoner by Zeus under Etna, and in Tartarus stretched out under ground between Mount Etna and Cumae. Like Pindar, Nicander has all the gods but Zeus and Athena, transform into animal forms and flee to Egypt: Apollo became a hawk (Horus), Hermes an ibis (Thoth), Ares a fish (Se..Set?) ,Artemis a cat (Bastet?) , Dionysus a goat(...), Heracles a fawn (Nope), Hephaestus an ox (Done), and Leto a mouse (WHY WAS LETO EVEN THERE). No early source gives any reason for the conflict, but Apollodorus' account seemingly implies that Typhon had been produced by Gaia to avenge the destruction, by Zeus and the other gods, of the Giants, a previous generation of offspring of Gaia. According to Apollodorus "Zeus pelted Typhon at a distance with thunderbolts, and at close quarters struck him down with an adamantine sickle (Cronus' weapon)" Wounded, Typhon fled to the Syrian Mount Kasios, where Zeus "grappled" with him. But Typhon, twining his snaky coils around Zeus, was able to wrest away the sickle and cut the sinews from Zeus' hands and feet. Typhon carried the disabled Zeus across the sea to the Corycian cave in Cilicia where he set the she-serpent Delphyne to guard over Zeus and his severed sinews, which Typhon had hidden in a bear skin. But Hermes and Aegipan (possibly another name for Pan) stole the sinews and gave them back to Zeus. His strength restored, Zeus chased Typhon to mount Nysa, where the Moirai tricked Typhon into eating "ephemeral fruits" which weakened him. Typhon then fled to Thrace, where he threw mountains at Zeus, which were turned back on him by Zeus' thunderbolts, and the mountain where Typhon stood, being drenched with Typhon's blood, became known as Mount Haemus (Bloody Mountain). Typhon then fled to Sicily, where Zeus threw Mount Etna on top of Typhon burying him, and so finally defeated him. Oppian says that Pan helped Zeus in the battle by tricking Typhon to come out from his lair, and into the open, by the "promise of a banquet of fish", thus enabling Zeus to defeat Typhon with his thunderbolts.

The Astrology: Where do we even begin with this one? He is a monster, plain and simple, conjured up to destroy us for the mistakes we have made. Where have we heard that one before, hmmm? Every day we see this in our own minds, especially lately. So we find that he works in a lot of the same ways that Ceto does, but Typhon doesn’t hide- He doesn’t need to. He is overt, he wants his presence to be known. Fear is his weapon. Many astrologers also equate Typhon to natural (or man-made) disasters, where damage is caused to the earth itself. Gaea’s last child is out of even her control. Typhon tends to show up strongly around the time that empires crumble. However it is never all bad news- Even amidst the destruction people will come together to rebuild and ensure the survival- Look at post 9/11 (pre-iraq war II), the Fukushima disaster, Gulf Oil Spill,  the various Tsunamis and hurricanes that have plagued us as our climate changes . People come together after disaster. Sure, some will capitalize on the opportunity but when faced with catastrophe, we try to rebuild. Typhon also has strong connections to renewable energy, and the oil crisis. Typhon is definitely a TNO for the modern age, and will only grow in importance.

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 42355, for Typhon. Once you have it entered, generate the chart! Where does Typhon affect your life? Let us know in the comments below!

TNO Watch- Arachne

Girl on Web by Toni, CCL

I wasn't going to do one of these this week, but I have been sitting on this one for a while and she was screaming at me to use her- and I never keep a woman waiting! Not this one at least...

The Astronomy- 407 Arachne is a large Main belt asteroid. It is classified as a C-type asteroid and is probably composed of carbonaceous material. It was discovered by Max Wolf on October 13, 1895 in Heidelberg.

The Myth- In Greco-Roman mythology, Arachne  is a talented mortal weaver who challenged (or was challenged by) Athena, goddess of wisdom and crafts, into a weaving contest; this hubris resulted in her being transformed into a spider. There are many versions of the story's weaving contest, with each saying that one or the other won. One version appears in the Metamorphoses of the Roman poet Ovid: In this version, Arachne was a shepherd's daughter who began weaving at an early age. She became a great weaver, boasted that her skill was greater than that of Athena, and refused to acknowledge that her skill came, in part at least, from the goddess. Athena took offense and set up a contest between them. Presenting herself as an old lady, she approached the boasting girl and warned: "You can never compare to any of the gods. Plead for forgiveness and Athena might spare your soul."
"Ha! I only speak the truth and if Athena thinks otherwise then let her come down and challenge me herself," Arachne replied. Athena removed her disguise and appeared in shimmering glory, clad in a sparkling white chiton. The two began weaving straight away. Athena's weaving represented four separate contests between mortals and the gods in which the gods punished mortals for setting themselves as equals of the gods. Arachne's weaving depicted ways that the gods had misled and abused mortals, particularly Zeus, tricking and seducing many women. When Athena saw that Arachne had not only insulted the gods, but done so with a work far more beautiful than Athena's own, she was enraged. She ripped Arachne's work into shreds, and sprinkled her with Hecate's potion, turning her into a spider and cursing her and her descendants to weave for all time. This showed how goddesses punished those who were mortal.

The Astrology- In the chart, Arachne represents a point of great talent, something that is completely YOURS. This is something that you view as integral to your identity, and is wrapped up tightly with your ego. This talent is part of you. It can cause you great distress when it is challenged, whether by merit, or in competition. With that, it is easy to see how the Arachne story plays out- if the talent is nurtured, the ego is nurtured as well, and the superstar complex starts taking over. The other main thing with this one is the lesson that you will attract haters when you start working her, and using your talent. Sure, you will have fans and admirers too, but they never clamor as loudly or sting as badly as the haters; They will hurt more. You will need to develop a thick skin for that, if you want to progress with your talent- I imagine there were quite a few people who talked behind Arachne's back, saying that she thought she was too good for a shepherd's life, or that she was wasting her time weaving, and those comments will get to you. The trouble is that only serves to further isolate you, leaving you with just your talent and your ego, becoming a feedback loop. While these dangers are real, the real gem in this story is that if you nurture your talent, you can overcome heaven itself, and any pinche god who tries to stand in your way- And that is worth any amount of haters!
To find out where she 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 407, for Arachne.  Once you have it entered, generate the chart!  Where does Arachne affect your life? Let us know in the comments below!

TNO Watch- Cruithne

05-24-04 2 (31) by David Clow

Allright, to start off with, I absolutely love this asteroid. She's nuts, in the best kind of way. And I can't think of a better guide for us right now.

The Astronomy- 3753 Cruithne is a Q-type, Aten asteroid in orbit around the Sun in 1:1 orbital resonance with Earth, making it a co-orbital object. It is an asteroid that, relative to Earth, orbits in a bean-shaped orbit that ultimately effectively describes a horseshoe, and that can transition into a quasi-satellite orbit. It has been incorrectly called "Earth's second moon". Cruithne does not orbit Earth and at times it is on the other side of the Sun^. Its orbit takes it inside the orbit of Mercury and outside the orbit of Mars. Cruithne orbits the Sun in about 1 year but it takes 770 years for the series to complete a horseshoe-shaped movement around the Earth.

The Myth(?)- The Cruthin were a people of early Ireland, who occupied parts of the present day Counties of Antrim, Laois, Galway, Londonderry and Down in the early medieval period.
The Cruthin comprised a number of túatha, including the Dál nAraidi in southern Antrim and the Uí Echach Cobo in western Down. Early sources preserve a distinction between the Cruthin and the Ulaid, who gave their name to the province of Ulster, although the Dál nAraide claimed in their genealogies to be na fir Ulaid, "the true Ulaid". The Loígis, who gave their name to County Laois in Leinster, and the Sogain of Connacht are also claimed as Cruthin in early Irish genealogies.
By the late 8th century, the Dál nAraidi had secured their over-kingship of the Cruthin and their name replaced that of the Cruthin. Early Irish writers used the name Cruthin to refer to both the north-eastern Irish group and to the Picts of Scotland. Likewise, the Scottish Gaelic word for a Pict is Cruithen or Cruithneach, and for Pictland is Cruithentúath. It has thus been suggested that the Cruthin and Picts were the same people or were in some way linked. Professor T. F. O'Rahilly proposed that the Qritani/Pritani were the first Celts to inhabit Great Britain and Ireland and describes them as "the earliest inhabitants of these islands to whom a name can be assigned". It has also been suggested that Cruthin was a name used to refer to all the Britons who were not conquered by the Romans – those who lived outside Roman Britain, north of Hadrian's Wall. Other scholars disagree, pointing out that although Cruthin was used to translate Picti into Irish, Picti was never used to translate Cruthin into Latin. Professor Dáibhí Ó Cróinín believes that the "notion that the Cruthin were 'Irish Picts' and were closely connected with the Picts of Scotland is quite mistaken" while Professor Kenneth H. Jackson has said that the Cruthin "were not Picts, had no connection with the Picts, linguistic or otherwise, and are never called Picti by Irish writers". The Cruthin cannot be distinguished from their neighbors by archaeology. The records show that the Cruthin bore Irish names, spoke Irish and followed the Irish derbfine system of inheritance rather than the matrilineal system sometimes attributed to the Picts. It is suggested that Cruthin was not what the people called themselves, but was what their neighbors called them.

Why She Matters- Okay, so... Even though the grand high source of wisdom that is Wikipedia seems to shatter the connection to the Picts and the matriarchal influence, almost all sources on the astrology of this really fascinating asteroid seem to work on that assumption. Yes, I know this opens up the door to the criticisms (sometimes extremely valid) of the field as a whole, but one of the great secrets of Astrology (and Religion. Oh, Quantum Physics too. Well, at least our understanding of them) is that the more you believe something, and the more you expect it to be or act a certain way, the more it does; right up until the moment it doesn't. Belief is power. And that is an interesting point to make on this particular one, as from a heliocentric perspective, it has a very boring orbit, with medium eccentricity, but when veiwed from our perspective on Earth, the picture changes significantly, becoming a crazy, potato-shaped orbit, and coming close enough to be considered a "second moon". So I would posit that this one deals with perception and perspective, specifically the view from the outside, not particularly one that is from the self. I have also found that this asteroid has quite a lot to do with matters of where one feels truly at home, somewhere where one can find a community that understands the native. Mark Andrew Holmes expounds, saying that Cruithne indicates sense of connectedness to ethnic, regional or racial roots or to the land or earth; ethnic or racial pride; environmentalism; clinging to core identity; stigma.. Australian astrologer Heather Cameron links it to putting effort into being alluring; acting too good for someone. Others link it to brands, tattoos or piercing. There may also be something to do with a connection to Druidry, natural energies and mysticism of that type.

To find out where she 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 3753, for Cruithne.  Once you have it entered, generate the chart!  Where does Cruithne affect your life? Post it below in the comments!

TNO Watch: Heracles

Helios: You guys, lets not beat around the bush- Shit is TOUGH right now. Our challenges loom large on the horizon, threatening to swallow us whole. I wont lie to you- it IS more than we can do alone. We need help to overcome these obstacles.

Ladies and gentlemen, we need a hero.

The Astronomy: 5143 Heracles is an Apollo asteroid, Mercury grazer, Mars crosser and near-Earth object discovered on November 7, 1991 by Shoemaker, C. S. at Palomar Observatory. It was discovered to be a binary asteroid by Arecibo Observatory in December 2011. Heracles has an insanely erratic orbit (Not as bad as Damocles) of 2 years and 175 days, but can go from 3.24 AU to 0.41 AU! It spends the majority of its 2.48 year orbit in the signs Aquarius, Pisces, Aries and Taurus, and then goes through the remaining eight signs in less than a year. Sometimes it retrogrades back through as many as four signs before it turns direct. But, amazingly, not once in these 200 years is it retrograde in the signs Cancer through Sagittarius! In other words, in its present orbit, it never goes retrograde throughout one-half of the zodiac. (wikipedia and Zane Stein)

The Mythology: Come on, this isn't exactly one of my obscure ones, we're all at least vaguely familiar with Heracles, right? Heracles was named for the Greek god of strength, a son of Zeus and Alkmene, a mortal princess of Thebes who is better known as Hercules. Persecuted by Hera throughout his life for being Zeus' illegitimate offspring and endangered at times by his arrogance and ungovernable passions, Hercules performed numerous astonishing feats of physical strength, like his epic Twelve Labors, which he did to expiate the murder of his wife Megara and his children in a fit of madness brought on by Hera. He shot the centaur Nessus for molesting his second wife Deianira and Nessus, as he lay dying, told Deianira that a shirt dipped in his blood would restore Hercules' faithfulness should he ever stray from his vows. When he did, Deianira sent him the shirt, which stuck to his flesh and caused him to immolate himself on a pyre to escape his agony, after which he ascended to Olympus and was made a god.
The Astrology: Heracles in mythology is a gigantic figure- his myths abound! So lets break it down- Obviously there is his strength and courage, not to mention his sexual appetites, matched only by his father! But what else is there? Digging deeper, we see abandonment, having to succeed on one's own. Wild passions that are both a cause of strength and a source of self-undoing, if improperly channeled. Achieving greatly, but only after enduring more hardship than is reasonable. A grand quest to prove to one's own self that you are worthy. A life in service to others, never allowed to truly break free and find happiness for yourself. Not being in control of one's own destiny. To me, Heracles is a decidedly tragic figure, which is fitting regarding his connection to the Centaurs. I really like Mark Andrew Holmes' take, giving the keywords of contending or struggling with something, damaged or destroyed by one's own strength, passion barely in or out of control, prodigious feats, exaltation after death. Clearly he is a greatly flawed figure, but only by facing his flaws, and not running from the challenges that he was set. I can think of no greater role model and source of strength for us right now than the great Heracles!
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 5143, for Heracles. Once you have it entered, generate the chart! Where does Heracles affect your life?

TNO Watch: Pandora

Pandora by Miriam Capone, CCL

Ah, I do love the New Year! My favorite time of year! Well, Solar New Year that is- Gregorian is lame, who wants to celebrate in January? Dull, grey and cold- No thanks! Chinese is all right though- Now that's a party! But for me, I will always wait to really celebrate til late March- And the best part of any New Year is all the possibilities that the next 365(ish) days have to offer! Which leads me to our TNO...

The Astronomy: 55 Pandora is a fairly large and very bright asteroid in the asteroid belt. Pandora was discovered by American astronomer and catholic priest George Mary Searle on September 10, 1858 from the Dudley Observatory near Albany, NY. It was his first and only asteroid discovery. It is named after Pandora, the first woman in Greek mythology, who unwisely opened a box that released evil into the world. The name was apparently chosen by Blandina Dudley, widow of the founder of the Dudley Observatory, who had been involved in an acrimonious dispute with astronomer B. A. Gould. Gould felt that the name had an "apt significance". [Shaaaaaaaaaaade] The asteroid shares its name with Pandora, a moon of Saturn. Photometric observations of this asteroid at the Rozhen Observatory in Bulgaria during 2010 gave a light curve with a period of 4.7992 hours and a brightness variation of Δm=0.22 mag. This is consistent with a period of 4.804 hours and an amplitude of 0.24 obtained during a 1977 study.

The Mythology: Okay, settle in because this one is a doozy and incredibly convoluted. Sure, we all know her box (giggity), is a trope that's been done to death. The story goes like this: Prometheus creates (or discovers) the race of Man, only men- no women. He runs out of all the good stuff that he and his brother Epimethus used on creating other stuff like snakes and the platypus, so he steals fire from Olympos and Zeus. This was the final straw in Zeus and Prometheus' epic rivalry/prank war, and it earns the Titan a lovely rock to get chained to, allowing better access for the eagle to peck out his liver every day. He got off easy- His brother, Epimethus, got the far more devastating and creative punishment: A woman. See, up until this point, humanity was comprised only of men- Deathless, hardworking, and obedient to the gods. Zeus decided that the price for fire (advancement) was death and a loss of paradise. He called the gods together and had Hephaestus make a woman (which, if he could do, brings into question the whole Aphrodite story arc of his, but hey), and all the gods gave her gifts to help make her a more appealing prize: Aphrodite gave her beauty unparalleled, Athene gave her useful skills, and Hermes gave her a brilliant mind, cunning, boldness, a deceitful nature, and got to name her: "All-endowed", while the other female gods (including The Fates!) dressed her up and gave her sparkly things to wear. At this point a theme should be emerging for you. She was sent off to her new husband with a big ol' jar (not actually a box. I want to stress that) with all of life's ills inside and a note not to ever open it. Epimethus was warned by his brother never to accept any gifts from the colossal bag of dicks that was Zeus, but as Epimethus wasn't exactly the brightest bulb in the old Titan hierarchy (his name meant Afterthought, for chrissakes...) he gladly accepted the wonderfully packaged doom that was hand-delivered to him. Temptation to open the jar is abated for a while, but soon one of their curiosities gets the better of them and they open it, unleashing all the worst things humanity has ever dealt with, but they manage to shut it with one thing left inside: Hope. Which is the insanely interesting part- Why would hope, one of the most valued human traits, be at the bottom of a jar containing nothing but the worst things imaginable? Why would Zeus, trying to punish us, give us hope? Did he feel bad unleashing the rest of it on us, and wanted to leave us something to get us through our now-miserable lives? Or is it possible that hope is its own form of torment, and owning to its placement in the jar, truly the most painful and insidious? Anyway she goes on to live a crappy life, despised by everyone, and then has a daughter (further hurting her cause) who ends up saving humanity after Zeus gets pissy at us again. 
Why She Matters: God, I love her. She's amazing. She is a slightly lighter version of Eris or Lilith, but she is still absolutely hell on high heels. She is the living embodiment of the idea that "Bitches get shit done". Every single person who has been shut out of the patriarchal white straight boys club has a hero in Pandora. She was given gifts, and they were promptly ignored by everyone, most of all her creators, just because she was a woman! Astrologically, she refuses to take it. Wherever she shows up in your chart is where you refuse to allow it to happen, whether to you or anyone else. You stand up and be counted. Pandora takes no shit, that's for sure. She's no good little housewife who stays quiet with a martini glass waiting for husband to come home from work, she is every bit his better! More often than not that is the case in real life as well. Pandora impels you to do for yourself and help those who are marginalized make their voices heard. Its also a point where you will find the world reject you, and you will have an uphill battle to get the recognition you want and deserve. But you probably already knew this.
To locate asteroid 55 Pandora in your natal chart, head over to astro.com and input the number 55 in the ‘additional objects’ section. Keep your aspects major – conjunction, square, opposition and your orbs within 1 degree. Where does Pandora show up in your life?

TNO Watch- The Fates

"I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act." -Bhudda

Well y'all are in for a treat today! We're going to go over not one, not two, but THREE minor planets today! Aren't you excited?

You better be because today we're tackling the biggest players there are: The Fates

The Astronomy: 97 Klotho is a fairly large main-belt asteroid. While it is an M-type, its radar albedo is too low to allow a nickel-iron composition. Klotho is similar to 21 Lutetia and 22 Kalliope in that all three are M-types of unknown composition. 13-cm radar observations of this asteroid from the Arecibo Observatory between 1980 and 1985 were used to produce a diameter estimate of 108 km. 120 Lachesis is a large main-belt asteroid. It was discovered by French astronomer Alphonse Borrelly on April 10, 1872, and independently by German-American astronomer Christian Heinrich Friedrich Peters on April 11, 1872. Photometric observations of this asteroid were made in early 2009 at the Organ Mesa Observatory in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The resulting light curve shows a synodic rotation period of 46.551 ± 0.002 hours with a brightness variation of 0.14 ± 0.02 in magnitude. It has the longest rotation period of an asteroid more than 150 km in diameter. As a primitive C-type asteroid it is probably composed of carbonaceous material. 273 Atropos is a typical Main belt asteroid that was discovered by Austrian astronomer Johann Palisa on March 8, 1888 in Vienna. Photometric observations of this asteroid at the Palmer Divide Observatory in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 2007 gave a light curve with a period of 23.852 ± 0.003 hours and a brightness variation of 0.60 ± 0.03 in magnitude. (ripped from wikipedia)

The Mythology: Okay, so these ladies (like most of my favorite bodies to work with) are primordial, and their stories a matter of great debate. Some trace them back to the time of the Titans, some say that they were children of Zeus and Themis and at their fathers command, others say they pretty much just have always been there and Zeus is just as subject to their power as anyone else. No one really agrees on any of it. What they do agree on is their functions; Klotho is the spinner, making the thread and associated with beginnings, Lachesis is the one who measures the thread, determining how much is needed, associated with the present or the middle of the story, and Atropos is the cutter of the cord, the ending. And they would like me to impress upon you all that they are not haggard old women who only have one eye and one tooth between them. That is hurtful slander and they will not stand for it anymore!

The Astrology: Obviously these lovely ladies have similar themes astrologically as well as mythologically. The trouble with them is that it is insanely hard to see them in action, but astoundingly easy in hindsight. Of course, this lends to far more meaning in transit than in the natal chart. The pattern can only be seen when its complete, with perspective. In the chart, you must use all three of them together to see what the hell is going on- Sure, you can focus on one but it wont tell you the full story on its own. In addition to that, Martha Lang-Wescott identifies Klotho as having to do with "conditions (fate and expectations) at the beginning; initial understanding, what is apparent at the start, origins/beginnings in general." I would add to that what one is "made of," having (or not having) "the right stuff," possibly even textiles; Lachesis as signifying "intervention, assessment midway into a sequence, what 'interrupts' an evolving sequence from going as one would have expected (from the way it began or is underway)". Marianne Alexander adds what happens when something is allowed to continue without intervention; or something that occurs by default. One may also say Lachesis indicates deciding the length or duration of something, putting a stop to something (or trying to); and Martha Lang-Wescott has linked Atropos to endings, completion, conditions at the finish, what is needed to conclude. Marianne Alexander has linked Atropos to repetitive action, such as oil drilling. Atropos, I believe, can also signify cutting off, termination, pounding, percussion, "beating one's head against the wall" or "keeping on plugging away" at something.

To find out where they show 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 97,120 and 273, for Klotho, Lachesis and Atropos respecitvely. Once you have those entered, generate the chart! Where do the fates affect your life?

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?

TNO Watch: Orcus

“Death must be so beautiful. To lie in the soft brown earth, with the grasses waving above one’s head, and listen to silence. To have no yesterday, and no to-morrow. To forget time, to forget life, to be at peace.”
—Oscar Wilde

Allow me to announce the triumphant return of the TNO Watch!

For those who aren't aware, we have far more than just the main 8 planets in our solar system: There are actually hundreds of thousands of bodies that we know of, and more are being discovered daily. Some of the most interesting ones are minor planets out past Neptune, given the designation Trans-Neptunian Objects, or TNOs.

And boy, do I have a good one to talk about today...

The Astronomy: Orcus is in the Kuiper belt, and has a large moon- Vanth. He is a plutino, locked in a 2:3 resonance with Neptune, extremely similar to Pluto's orbit,except that it is constrained to always be in the opposite phase of its orbit from Pluto: Orcus is at aphelion when Pluto is at perihelion and vice versa. Moreover, the aphelion of Orcus's orbit points in nearly the opposite direction from Pluto's, although the eccentricities and inclinations are similar. Because of these similarities and contrasts, along with its large moon Vanth that recalls Pluto's large moon Charon, Orcus has been regarded as the anti-Pluto. This was a major consideration in selecting its name, as the deity Orcus was the Etruscan equivalent of the Roman Pluto, and later became an alternate name for Pluto.

The Mythology: Orcus was a god of the underworld, the punisher of broken oaths in Italic and Roman mythology. As with Hades, the name of the god was also used for the underworld itself. Orcus was portrayed in paintings in Etruscan tombs as a hairy, bearded giant.  Orcus was chiefly worshiped in rural areas; he had no official cult in the cities. This remoteness allowed for him to survive in the countryside long after the more prevalent gods had ceased to be worshiped. He survived as a folk figure into the Middle Ages, and aspects of his worship were transmuted into the wild man festivals held in rural parts of Europe through modern times.

The Astrology: Since Orcus was only recently discovered, his astrological impact is still being studied by those of us who get off on this sort of thing. Still, from what we know we can glean a few things about how he works. He is a facet of the Underworld, much like Pluto; but unlike our favorite emo planet, Orcus is concerned more with the life-death-rebirth cycle than outright power and death. Orcus is the decomposition of living matter to become fertilizer or compost, enriching the soil so that it may bear fruit again next year. Orcus is fecundity, the knowledge that nothing ever truly dies, he is the law of conservation of matter.

Also interesting is his moon, Vanth, who I think has just as much import as the big guy does. Vanth is concerned with the passage of souls from the world of the living to the world of the dead: She is a psychopomp, being able to get in and out of hell as she chooses. Therefore, Orcus can be seen in that light as well, helping transition to the next stages in our life, helping us grow. Orcus is also the God of Oaths, so we find a connection to Pluto- Oaths can be seen as a pledge, or commitment of power, and Orcus has power over these, enforcing fairness and coming down HARD on those who cheat others, because in his eyes, they are cheating him!


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 with Orcus' name there. Once you see it, click it and generate the chart! Where does Orcus affect your life?

TNO Watch- Persephone

 

Hellraisers, consider this the Prolouge to my Venus in Scorpio post that is forthcoming. 

The Science: Well for some reason I can find almost nothing about the Orbit and Compostion of this asteroid, so im mostly skipping it. She is a Main belt asteroid that comes to perihelion in mid-Gemini and was discovered in 1895.


The Myth: One day, Persephone (The Goddess of Springtime and the daughter of Demeter, Olympian Earth-Mother Goddess) was frolicking in a field, picking flowers with some nymphs (and in the company of Artemis, Aphrodite and Athene) on a beautiful day as she was wont to do, being a young goddess of Springtime (which apparently was everyday back then). Sounds like a lovely time, right? Well, if you said "Oh yes it does, but its a greek story so something particularly nasty is about to happen" you would be correct, and thus earn a gold star for the day.

As it happens, Persephone had someone watching her while she was doing all that frolicking. When she stooped down to pick a particularly nice flower that had caught her eye, the earth itself opened up and Hades (Pluto) dragged her down to the Underworld to be his bride. It gets lonely in Hell, you understand. Whats a god to do?

So when Demeter comes by to pick up her daughter after a long day of arduous flower-picking, she finds out that Persephone is missing from Artemis, Aphrodite and Athene and straight-up loses her shit. She immediately goes up to Zeus on Olympos and demands he find her daughter. He tells her that he doesn't know, she gets fed up and starts off to go find Persephone herself- By walking the length and breadth of the earth. In the meantime, she refuses to let the crops grow and plunges the world into a permanent state of winter (a bit of a shock to those who were used to permanent springtime) and also has lots of adventures.

After about a year (or nine days, depending on which version you're reading) of this, The Goddess meets Hecate, who tells her that she hears Persephone crying in the Underworld, but She could not see her. So they go to the absolutely fantastic Titan of the Sun, Helios (to steal a line from Starzina, "not that [AstroGeek's Skywatch] would ever show any bias [to any god in particular], mind you" but if we ever [hypothetically] did, He would be the one that we would show it to.) who happened to see everything. Why they didnt do this in the first place is beyond me. Anyway, Helios saw it AND knew why it had happened- While Demeter wasnt looking, her daughter had grown up into a woman, and Demeter was trying to keep her as a girl. Zeus allowed and sanctioned Hades to "abduct" her daughter and make her his queen. He also may or may not have suggested that it was a good match, earning him a backhand from the Earth Goddess.

She was morose for a while after that, and when Tantalus made an offering to the gods of a stew made from his son, Pelops, she accidentally ate the poor kids shoulder (dont worry, he got put back together and he got a shiny new shoulder made from Ivory). After that, she was raped by her brother Poseidon while they were both in horse-shape (isnt Greek Mythology fun, kids?) and leaves Olympos for good.

She wanders again, and does more noteworthy things, including helping to raise two boys named Demophon and Triptolemus. She was a nursemaid to them, and attempted to make Demophon immortal by annointing him with ambrosia, that magical food of the gods, and holding him in a fire every night. It almost worked, but Demophon's mother walked in on them before she was done, and he died (maybe. There are so many stories, its hard to keep them all straight)- but Demeter was able to teach his brother, Triptolemus, the secrets of agriculture, bringing humanity to a new understanding of nature. Or so the story goes.

About this time, Zeus decides to do something to make his sister happy again. So he goes to Hades to see how everything is going and see what could be done about the situation.  Hades refuses to give Persephone back, but Zeus keeps on trying to wear him down. Now at this point the story gets a little murky; Well, not what happens, that is set in stone. The issue is the motivation.

What happens is this: Zeus storms off back to Olympos and Hermes comes back in his stead. One thing leads to another, and Hades agrees to let Persephone go back Topworld. Before he does though, he prepares a going away banquet for his wife. Persephone eats nothing, because she knows that if she does, she will be trapped there forever. She does sneak a pomegranate to take it with her, however. On her way out of the underworld, by herself, she eats six pomegranate seeds. 

On Olympos, Persephone and Demeter are reuinted, and the joy is palpable. Its party mode all the way! At least until Hades comes to crash the party. You see, if you, while living, eat in the underworld, you're stuck there for good. But Hades had already agreed to let Persephone go back, and Zeus couldnt renege. Demeter wouldnt allow it anyway. So after what im sure involved much fighting and things being thrown, an agreement was reached. 2/3 of the year, Persephone would be with Demeter. The last 1/3 of the year she would be with Hades. In exchange, Demeter would only allow crop growth during the months when Persephone was Topworld, meaning more souls for Hades.

Why She Matters: So what does this mean for us here? Well for starters, she (the asteroid Persephone) is on her way into Scorpio, so we can take that to mean shes about to go back home to her husband. But to figure her out we need to take a closer look.

So the question is this- Why did Persephone do it? Did she forget the rule? Was she actually in love with Hades? Did she enjoy the power that comes with being the Queen of the Underworld? Or was she just tired of everyone making decisions for her, and wanted to get out? All we can do is guess, im afraid (although my money would be on the latter).

Oh wait, we do have one clue- Persephone was not this Goddess' original name; That has been lost to time, although there are some who call her Kore (useless to us, it just means maiden), but only before she went to the underworld. It is only after she returns that she is called Persephone, a name that struck such great fear into the hearts of the ancient greeks that they refused to speak it. You see, the name Persephone is a title- It means "She who swallows the darkness" or "lightens" instead of swallows depending on your translator, but I prefer the first one.

For a interpretation, look at her as a part where you feel powerless, where you dont have control over what is happening to you. But the thing is you do have power- it may not be choices you like, or that are particularly appealing, but thats life. Also, it may have ties to the "Bad boy" attraction (or playing out that character for us men). Of course, the actual rape element is too prevalent to ignore, and there may be a connection to this in charts of sex abusers and the like.

Working with her? You need to claim your power and make your voice heard. Do whatever it takes to protect your right to choose your own course in life. She will help you, but you need to do it yourself.

TNO Watch: Damocles

Alright guys, this is one of my favorite Asteroids. Its seriously weird, and makes less sense than Sedna (the gold standard for nonsense in Astronomy [yes, you read that right]).

The Astronomy: 5335 Damocles is the namesake of the Damocloid group, a collection of long term comets belonging to the Halley group. At its closest approach to the Sun, it comes in just at the aphelion of Mars, and its outer edge crosses out beyond the orbit of Uranus. It is speculated that over time, its orbit will take it into Earth's orbit. It's orbit is highly eccentric.

The Myth: Damocles' myth is actually the story of a real (as in, we can verify his existence) figure from history, who lived around the 4th century BC. He was a staple in the court of Dionysus I, and was a rampant flatterer. Eventually Dionysus got tired of this, so he decided to teach Damocles a lesson. At a banquet in honor of the king, Damocles was invited, and started up with his usual flattery and how wonderful it must be to be king, etc. Dionysus directed his attention up to the ceiling, where there was a peculiar party favor- above his head, there hung a sword, suspended by a single hair; to demonstrate how tenuous his position was, and the constant danger that came with being King.

Really sets the mood, amiright?


The Astrology: Ok so this guy is seriously cool. It has a cycle of about 41 years, and for about 32 of those years, it spends its time in Aquarius. The further breakdown goes like this: Capricorn- 2 years, Pisces-4 years, Aries through Sagittarius-2/12 years.

A major part of Damocles' influence is thought to be on politics, and tends to also bleed into the political changes that take place, especially on a global scale.

So, there is a serious Aquarian vibe here. Taking that, and the flanking signs' influence as well, we start to see a clearer picture.

Here's the thing about Damocles- He represents a clear and present danger, hanging right over our heads, and asks us: "Well, what are you going to DO about it?" Are you going to get off the throne and let someone else sit there, making the hard choices and risking their own neck, as it were? Or are you brave enough (or foolhardy enough) to risk it all for the chance to make a difference? Or maybe you're an insane Scorpio/Uranian type that just loves the rush of adrenaline you get when you're in danger.

Damocles, forces you to take the leap beyond what you know and what you think you know, and asks you these hard questions. It brings you face to face with what you think you want, the ideal of it, and shows you the true reality; the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Personally, I have Damocles in Gemini, conjunct my Sun. It reminds me to watch what I say, and helps me to keep my ego in check (well, sometimes anyway)

TNO Watch- Chaos

So... I hear we're getting Visitors from Mercury, eh? You know, this is the type of thing you would think the God of communication would give us a heads up on, but hey, its the Retrograde- I get it; you're a very busy god. You also have rubbish timing Merc, going on holiday now of all times.

Nevertheless, life goes on, and while my minions prepare my underground luxury disaster bunker, I find myself talking about TNOs. Interesting times, no?

The Science: 19521 Chaos is a Cubewano that is not locked into an orbital resonance with any other planet. Its speculated to be about 460 km in diameter. And... yeah thats about all we know about it at the moment.

The Myth: Back to the Greeks for this one: For them, Chaos was the formless void that all life sprang from. Notably, in the Orphic tradition, the first intelligence from Chaos was Eros, shining and powerful. In this myth, Eros infuses passion into all of creation, starting with Uranus and Gaia. And we all know where that brought us, now don't we?

The Astro: Chaos can be interpreted as a smoldering, electrically charged point of infinite potential. Wherever you have Chaos in your chart, absolutely anything can happen. When Chaos get activated by transit, things may seem rather insane, but its actually an opportunity to create something brand new for yourself; You are only limited by your imagination and your passion.

Currently, Chaos is sitting at 14 Gemini, right around where the Lunar Eclipse is happening on the same day that Uranus goes direct, and where Venus bounces back and forth for about 4 months right before Jupiter enters the sign. Surely its all a coincidence though, and its way too small and far away to matter. Surely!

Well, you keep telling yourself that, ill be here in my bunker waiting for the Doctor to show up, sipping mojitos.

Oh, and don't call me Shirley
-The AstroGeek

TNO Watch- Salacia

Well well well, look who has some free time and a whole troupe of TNOs left to talk about (Jeez, they never end, do they? I still have hundreds left, thank the gods they're not named for that they're not named yet).

Jumping right into it, lets talk about one that not many astrologers seem to even be aware of (which is relative, considering that im talking about fringe Astro here) let alone know what she represents- Salacia.

The Astronomy- Salacia is a Cubewano that orbits at a slightly farther distance than Pluto, and has one satellite, named Actaea. Salacia has a very eccentric elliptical orbit, at 0.1097. She has an orbital inclination of 24 degrees.

The Myth- For this one, we turn to Rome. Neptune was courting Salacia, who was quite impressed by her suitor, but for varying reasons rejected his advances. Playing hard-to-get, she ran (read: swam) to the bottom of the Atlantic to avoid him. So the completely-not-crazy god of the Sea sent out some dolphins, and had the dolphin persuade Salacia to marry him. Salacia agreed (some say at the point of a trident) to marry Neptune, and the Sea god was so happy, he placed the dolphin in the heavens as the constellation Delphinus. And they lived happily ever after...kind of

The Astrology- Ok, what do we have to work with here? Well, for starters we have someone who is being chased by something she wants no part of, something way bigger than her, and she runs as far away as she can to avoid it (The Ocean was not part of Neptune's domain traditionally, he was the god of the SEA. The Ocean belonged to the Titan Okeanos. Therefore, he had no power to compel Salacia while she was there). Then a third party (at the behest of the pursuer) intercedes and helps her see reason, and she relents. The problem here is, Astrologically, Neptune rules deceit, illusion, and trickery so this is not exactly a good thing. Finally, after she is married, we find Neptune in his most terrible role: Imprisonment. Salacia is a prisoner to Neptune, always at his side and barely granted any power.

So thats the bad. Originally, Salacia followed her gut, and ran the hell away from the Sea god, to a place he couldnt touch her. She's very smart, and should have stayed there. The thing is, she was a prisoner from the outside influence of Neptune while in Okeanos' realm, trapping her there. The second she had left, she would have been snatched up by him. So she would have been a prisoner either way. She made her choice and chose the lesser of two evils. Better the devil you know, right? She knows her fate, and has a choice, but it is a catch-22 either way. 

Look to these factors when interpreting Salacia's position. Go to astro.com, plug in your birth details and throw caution to the wind by plugging in 120347 Salacia. Currently she is at 26 Pisces.

TNO Watch- Altjira

Ahhh, Altjira. This is one of my favorite TNO's.

The Astronomy- Altjira is a binary Cubewano (no name for the partner as of yet). Other than that we really dont know a whole heck of a lot about him.

The Myth- Altjira was a god of the Australian aborigine people, the central god who created the earth and Dream-Time. He created everything humans might need (and a whole lot that we didn't) and then retired to the heavens to leave us to our own devices. Oh and for some reason he had the feet of an emu, not sure what that's about.

The Astrology- The consensus with this one is that Altjira seems to represent a blind spot in the chart, something missing or glossed over. Most astrologers seem to regard this as a point of indifference or ennui, but im not too sure that's the case. I have him conjunct my Moon/Mercury combo, and I have a hard time detaching myself from global issuses and problems.

He is described as otiose, meaning impotent or powerless, which doesn't sit well with me either. Again, remember he did create the world, so he is very powerful, and i assume cares deeply about what happens here.

I have also come across a lot of material linking Altjira to the hermetic idea of "As Above, So Below"; or the idea of the global balance, a natural order to life.