Asteroids are small celestial bodies orbiting the Sun, mostly lying between Mars and Jupiter, (The "Asteroid Belt") the four largest are Ceres, Vesta, Pallas, and Juno.

The "asteroid Belt" defines an orbit, approximately midway between those of Mars and Jupiter, and is occupied by a large number of planetoids or minor planets: variously explained as fragments of a major planet broken up in some prehistoric catastrophe; or particles drawn out of the Sun which failed to coalesce into a single planet.

A point of note in particular:-
Chiron is now officially astronomically classified as a comet. This is so even though Chiron appears "more settled" in his current orbit. A "tail" had been observed on occasion over the years of observation since Chiron's discovery, and it appears that this is now confirmed.

In all there are estimated to be some 50,000 of these Asteroids, within our solar system of which 1380 had been identified in 1937, and some 3,000 of them have had their orbital elements measured by the year 1997. Today, astrologers have available to them computer software with the capacity to track the placements of over five thousand asteroids. The first asteroid ephemeris was made available to astrologers in 1973 by Eleanor Bach, and this covered only Ceres, Pallas, Vesta and Juno.

As many as 5000 asteroids are estimated to have been seen, and again "lost". Many of them are more readily visible than Pluto, and may have some astrological significance not as yet observed and identified, yet the synchronicities of the names of asteroids and their placements at the time of particular events can be a simultaneously astounding and amusing study.

Except for the four main asteroids, and the illuminating work of Demetra George, Zipporah Dobyns, Jacob Schwartz and others, which has given astrology so much relevant correlative data and viewpoints, further research and work with these bodies is required. The average diameter of an asteroid is less than 100 miles.

The Astronomischer Rechen-Institut at Dahlem, near Berlin, was world headquarters for Asteroid research, and up to World War II published a yearly ephemeris of the larger Asteroids for the periods when they are best observed.

Statistics of the five principal Asteroids are as follows:

The next five, in the order of their discovery, are Hebe (1847), Iris (1847), Flora (1847), Metis (1848), Hygeia (1849).

The orbit of 944 Hidalgo has an eccentricity of 0.65 -- more elongated than some comets.
At its aphelion distance (9.6 units) it extends into Saturn's orbit.

That of 1177 Gounessia, has an eccentricity of 0.006399, more circular than that of Venus, the most circular among the major planets.

That of 846 Lipperta, is almost parallel with that of the Earth, with an inclination of 0º.244 -- more nearly parallel than that of Uranus 0º.77.

That of 2 Pallas has an inclination of 34º.726 -- double that of Pluto's 17º.1.

Three Asteroids come closer to the Earth than do any of the major planets.

These are Amor, Apollo, and Adonis. 1936 CA or Adonis was discovered in 1936 by Delporte in Belgium. Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.78, an inclination to the Ecliptic of 1º.48, and a major axis of 1.969 units. On February 7, 1936, it approached to within 1,200,000 miles of the Earth, in the sign Leo. It had reached perihelion in December 1935, at a point slightly outside Mercury's orbit, at a distance of less than half an astrom. unit. Its diameter is less than ½ mile. At aphelion it will go almost to the Jupiter orbit. Its period is about 2 years.

Another asteroid was discovered in 1940 that had approached to within 110,000 miles beyond the Moon's orbit. v. Hermes.

Some archetypal figures, astrological key words and general meanings for the four major asteroids are:-

Ceres - The largest and first discovered asteroid, by G. Piazzi on January 1, 1801
Daughter of Ops and Saturn; a Roman goddess of growing vegetation, particularly corn. The archetypal Mother and the Goddess of Agriculture, gives birth to the world of physical form, bearing children and providing food for their survival. As the Mother archetype, she stands for the principle of unconditional love and nurturing support.
Her day of celebration occurred on April 19th.

Ceres represents nurturing, expanding upon the Moon's symbolism in the chart. Therefore it can reveal information about the "mother-child" relationship and also to women and other figures perceived to be nurturing in adult life. The position of Ceres in the chart can show how we nurture others and how we in turn need to be nurtured and the ways in which this part our nature can find expression. Ceres can also tell of our capacity to love ourselves and others unconditionally.
Some manifestations of Ceres energies in life are through such things as teaching and mentoring, pediatrics and pedagogy, farming and gardening, cooking and nutrition, medicine and therapy, ecology and environmental protection, and, of course, our part in helping and nurturing our own children thrive and grow.

Other things Ceres can indicate chart potentials of, and is associated with are:- loss and return, grief, nourishing love, adoption, concern about children, motherhood, famine, agriculture, grain, bakeries, the food industry.

Vesta - The 3rd largest asteroid, Vesta appears to have a basaltic crust overlying an olivine mantle, indicating differentiation has occurred. Imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1995
Vesta, or Hestia, was Zeus's elder sister who never married. In mythology Vesta became the protectress of the hearth and the sacred altar flame. The archetypal Temple Priestess, she is a virgin in the original sense of being whole and complete in oneself.

Vesta when looked at from the viewpoint of the archetypal imagery or the story associated with the Myth, can signify our relationship to ourselves as a complete being, quite apart from relationships with others. Her placement can indicate how we can best become still, look within, and tend to our inner self, and our urge to conserve and preserve the home, the state, the culture and its institutions. Vesta therefore, represents the issue of commitment, including commitment to work and to relationships, and where we focus our energies.

Things associated with Vesta are:- Devotion, dedication to duty, renunciation, preservation of the sacred, the center, wholeness, centeredness, inner fire and spirit, hearth and home.

Pallas - The 2nd largest asteroid and second asteroid discovered, by H. Olbers in 1802
Pallas Athene is the daughter of Zeus in the Greek Pantheon, the Goddess of Wisdom who generates mental and artistic creations from her mind. Sprung from the head of her father, she represents the principle of creative intelligence.

Pallas then, tells us of how we perceive things, and can indicate our creative intelligence on a more mental than emotional level. She can reveal our capacity for original thought and artistic ability, as well as the avenues we may express our mental creativity.

Placement of Pallas can symbolize our capacity for strategy, the quest for clarity and truth, our sense of justice, the acquisition of skill and ingenuity in useful arts, as well as the ability to channel life energy for healing. Pallas can indicate either rejection of the feminine within, or the drive to integrate the opposite sexual polarity into our psyche. The placement of Pallas can also suggest how we perceive the strong, independent partners in our life, reflecting (or projecting) our sense of our own competence.

Pallas is associated with politics and government, strategies to win approval, fight for causes, justice, defending the underdog, career orientation, efficiency, assertion, creative intellect, struggle to balance masculine and feminine issues.

Juno then, is the asteroid of right relations within marriage. It tells of issues of fairness and unfairness within the marriage partnership. It also reveals the capacity for committed relationships.

Juno's placement can indicate our particular way of dealing with marriage and other forms of partnership, including business partnerships. It tells of the partnership in terms of balance and fidelity and what is important to us in these areas. Juno may also show the sort of partner a person is likely to pick.

Legal partnership, power balance in relationships, the need for intimacy, commitment, loyalty, jealously, and fidelity.

Chiron is an 'asteroid' (some would say 'planetoid') whose orbit lies between Saturn and Uranus.

It was recently discovered (1977), and is a bit of an enigma - both astronomically and astrologically. Because of the eccentricity of Chiron's orbit, astronomers think that he may only be a 'visitor' to our solar system and could be 'thrown' out of the system at any time, "sling-shotting" on his celestial journey. (Due to the centrifugal forces exerted upon it through the eccentric orbit).

So far, Chiron seems to have settled into his orbit, and for however long he remains, continues to intrigue astrologers, who have now come to include him in the astrological scheme. Astrologically Chiron is the archetype of the teacher and healer.

Chiron, the Wounded Healer, represents our emotional and physical wounds. It reveals a part of us that is hurt, small and vulnerable. We are encouraged to heal our wounds, and then look beyond personal realms, to witness the suffering of others, and in developing compassion, become teachers and healers in our turn.

Bibliography:

Demetra George: Asteroid Goddesses

Larousse Encyclopedia of Astrology and Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology - English translations - 1980 currently out of print.

[Source of astronomical Facts and figures - Nicholas Devore's Encyclopedia of Astrology and NASA asteroids site]

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