Greybeard
16-09-2011, 08:32 PM
In this article I will use the word "asteroid" to mean what is, since 2006, more properly called a Small Solar System Body: i.e., a rock floating in space.
The first asteroid discovered was Ceres. It is a Main Asteroid Belt body whose orbit lies between those of Mars and Jupiter. It has a diameter of roughly 950 km and is the only asteroid with a spherical shape. There are between 1 and 2 million Main Asteroid Belt asteroids with a diameter of 1km or more. Ceres is used as an astrological symbol by some astrologers, as are Pallas, Juno and Vesta. I personally use none of the asteroids.
In 1977 Chiron, a Centaur-type asteroid, was discovered. Although Hidalgo was seen in 1920 it was not recognized for what it is, and therefore Chiron is the first of the centaurs "discovered". These bodies have very unstable and short-lived orbits lying between Jupiter and Neptune. Chiron's orbit connects the orbits of Saturn and Uranus because of its highly elliptical form. There are a couple of dozen known centaurs. None are spherical.
The question is, just what sort of solar system body "qualifies" for use as an astrological symbol? Should we include all 2 million asteroids in a horoscope?
As I said, I use no asteroids, period. Astrology works because, in the words of Marc Edmund Jones, it is Naive. That is, its simplicity is what gives it such high sophistication. By reducing the universe to a very small set of symbols comprising a single unified system, astrology has the power to clearly and accurately describe "anything under the sun." When we add complexity to the system, it becomes blurry and unfocused. That is why I don't use the asteroids. "Keep it simple, stupid."
If I chose to use any asteroids, I would limit them to two. Ceres, being the first discovered and the only one of spherical shape. And Chiron, the first of a new class of asteroid that can be seen as a "messenger" body between visible Saturn and invisible Uranus.
Pluto, of course, continues to be a planet in astrology even though the astronomers demoted him to the status of planetoid. The practice of astrology demonstrates the effectiveness of Pluto as an astrological symbol beyond any doubt, and effectiveness is the only valid test. If it quacks like a duck....
As for the imaginary "planets" such as Lilith (the dark moon)...it is so dark it has never been seen and is simply a chimera. Astrology is based entirely on the interpretation of celestial facts into term of human affairs. There is no place for phantasms in astrology.
Abstract (incorporeal) points, such as the Ascendant and Midheaven, are very real and can be both seen and measured. They are vital components of the astrological system. The Moon's Nodal Axis (the North and South Nodes) are of exactly the same nature as the Ascendant and Midheaven, and have been demonstrated to be highly sensitive indicators in astrology.
As an example of this last statement, in the thread "The Solar Return" I use my own chart for 1953. The solar return Ascendant is exactly conjunct the solar return North Node. The Ascendant in astrology is the Point of Beginning for the horoscope. It is axiomatic that the beginning of anything determines its outcome. Ebertin, the respected German astrologer, says that when the Ascendant and North Node are conjunct, it correlates with "estrangements, separations, increasing difficulties with regard to the relationship between people sharing the same residence.” This was the basis for all else that occurred in that year of my life. The family was breaking apart and everything else that happened came out of that. The Ascendant alone, without conjoining the Node, does not carry this significance. This chart, then, is a demonstration of the effectiveness of the Nodes in astrology.
The first asteroid discovered was Ceres. It is a Main Asteroid Belt body whose orbit lies between those of Mars and Jupiter. It has a diameter of roughly 950 km and is the only asteroid with a spherical shape. There are between 1 and 2 million Main Asteroid Belt asteroids with a diameter of 1km or more. Ceres is used as an astrological symbol by some astrologers, as are Pallas, Juno and Vesta. I personally use none of the asteroids.
In 1977 Chiron, a Centaur-type asteroid, was discovered. Although Hidalgo was seen in 1920 it was not recognized for what it is, and therefore Chiron is the first of the centaurs "discovered". These bodies have very unstable and short-lived orbits lying between Jupiter and Neptune. Chiron's orbit connects the orbits of Saturn and Uranus because of its highly elliptical form. There are a couple of dozen known centaurs. None are spherical.
The question is, just what sort of solar system body "qualifies" for use as an astrological symbol? Should we include all 2 million asteroids in a horoscope?
As I said, I use no asteroids, period. Astrology works because, in the words of Marc Edmund Jones, it is Naive. That is, its simplicity is what gives it such high sophistication. By reducing the universe to a very small set of symbols comprising a single unified system, astrology has the power to clearly and accurately describe "anything under the sun." When we add complexity to the system, it becomes blurry and unfocused. That is why I don't use the asteroids. "Keep it simple, stupid."
If I chose to use any asteroids, I would limit them to two. Ceres, being the first discovered and the only one of spherical shape. And Chiron, the first of a new class of asteroid that can be seen as a "messenger" body between visible Saturn and invisible Uranus.
Pluto, of course, continues to be a planet in astrology even though the astronomers demoted him to the status of planetoid. The practice of astrology demonstrates the effectiveness of Pluto as an astrological symbol beyond any doubt, and effectiveness is the only valid test. If it quacks like a duck....
As for the imaginary "planets" such as Lilith (the dark moon)...it is so dark it has never been seen and is simply a chimera. Astrology is based entirely on the interpretation of celestial facts into term of human affairs. There is no place for phantasms in astrology.
Abstract (incorporeal) points, such as the Ascendant and Midheaven, are very real and can be both seen and measured. They are vital components of the astrological system. The Moon's Nodal Axis (the North and South Nodes) are of exactly the same nature as the Ascendant and Midheaven, and have been demonstrated to be highly sensitive indicators in astrology.
As an example of this last statement, in the thread "The Solar Return" I use my own chart for 1953. The solar return Ascendant is exactly conjunct the solar return North Node. The Ascendant in astrology is the Point of Beginning for the horoscope. It is axiomatic that the beginning of anything determines its outcome. Ebertin, the respected German astrologer, says that when the Ascendant and North Node are conjunct, it correlates with "estrangements, separations, increasing difficulties with regard to the relationship between people sharing the same residence.” This was the basis for all else that occurred in that year of my life. The family was breaking apart and everything else that happened came out of that. The Ascendant alone, without conjoining the Node, does not carry this significance. This chart, then, is a demonstration of the effectiveness of the Nodes in astrology.