Goddess Ceres in Astrology – A Personal Exploration

Originally known as the Goddess of Agriculture; thus the wheat in her arms and the harvesting sickle astrological symbol

Both men and women have a fathering function symbolized by Saturn.  The Moon symbolizes the maternal function, as well as Ceres.  The asteroid centers in my psyche are perhaps newly energized or activated in that I’ve been thinking (and writing) about the goddesses Juno, Pallas and Vesta.  Today, I am turning toward Ceres so see what I can learn about this energy as it applies to my life and to incorporate some knowledge.  That, then, is the point or focus of this post today.  Ceres.

Here’s one archetype of Ceres (AKA Demetris drawn from the mythology of Persephone, her missing daughter take by Pluto). Parent-child complexes are associated with Ceres.  C.G. Jung wrote, “Every mother contains her daughter in herself and every daughter her mother; every woman extends backward into her mother and forward into her daughter.”  On a practical level, in a horoscope, the location of Ceres points to information about the mothering function especially with regard to issues of attachment and freedom.

According to mythology, Ceres was unwilling to allow Persephone to have freedom of choice and it is said that Persephone was overly attached to her mother.  Therefore, natural as well as un-natural nurturing are archetypes of Ceres.  The House and Sign of Ceres in a natal chart can indicate how we feel about nurturing and maybe even how we nurture ourselves.

As with all planets in a chart, aspects to those points modify them a great deal; therefore in a chart, one must look to the connections Ceres is making to other parts of the psyche.

I’m going to look at my own Ceres in my birth chart now to see what I can determine in my effort to expand this center in my consciousness.  My Ceres is in my 9^th house, in Taurus, retrograde squaring Mars and Pluto and opposing Venus and Mercury.  That’s a mouthful.

Ceres-Pluto aspects relate to the comings and goings and sharing of children.  That makes sense in correlation to mythology since Pluto abducted Cere’s daughter Persephone.  My life has included a divorce and the sharing of our three daughters—I can see how that particular aspect would fit me personally.

Ceres, in my natal chart, (9^th house/Taurus) carries the signature of nurturing through the Earth (nature) and the physical body (in my case, exercise).  Taurus is a sign that relates to (Taurus rules 2^nd house) of self-worth and self-reliance; therefore, when I provide materially and physically for myself, a high degree of self-acceptance is my reward. As a side piece to this, Aries is on the cusp of my 9^th house and Ceres squares it’s ruler Mars which adds that physical exercise piece – the more aggressive the exercise, the more I like it.  These are qualities (via aspects, house, and sign) that modify the meaning of my natal Ceres.  Much more could be said but that’s what jumps out at this moment.

The Mar/Aries piece of it relates to feeling free and independent feeds my psyche in a positive way and Ceres is expressing that in my chart.

Ceres, Asteroid in space – As above, so below

The 9^th house, where my natal Ceres is located, relates not only to freedom but the pursuit of knowledge and truth.  The deep feeling of accuracy there is also expansive—it is so very true that study of philosophy and spiritual truths are like a divine mother nurturing me!

Now my intention is to address the oppositions to Ceres from Venus and Mercury in my natal chart.  These are oppositional, of course naturally are located in my 3^rd house of communication.  (For new astrologers, we come to this as 3 opposes 9 in the house system).

Mercury rules the 3^rd house and is therefore strong here.  (Mercury is in Scorpio and Venus is at 29° Libra).  Just a bottom line interpretation here includes this: the nurturing of others through communication that is harmonious while also ‘soul-deep’.  This is my work, my profession as a psychic.  And it is how (I hope) that I nurture others and when being paid for my services expands the possibility of being able to be self-reliant via being nurtured in return).

Just as a final note about the opposition aspect energy:   I see the opposition aspect as energy that merges with one another rather than pulling apart or opposing in a negative way.  That’s how I’d like to see the energy that is an opposition aspect in a chart and often attend to the more positive slant on life in other ways, too, when possible.

Just a mini-vent here.  In astrology  (and what gives it a label of inaccuracy at times) is when one attempts to single out one planet in one sign in one house and make a single determination of meaning.  One must take in the entire chart as a whole into consideration,  otherwise, it can be so very misleading and confusing. –End Vent

This is much more than was intended to write on Ceres today. I have a client in a few moments and must end this now.

I hope if you have an interest in the Goddess Ceres, that this post was in some way helpful to you.

Here’s a link to another of my blog posts about PALLAS, JUNO, and VESTA that was posted on another site if you are interested in reading about those asteroids too.

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Guilt, Withdrawal, The Hermit, The Leopard and the 12th House with Moon and Pluto

Its probably a good day to stay home and write.  The Moon is transiting my 12th house and sitting atop of my natal Pluto with Mars nearby.  Could get intense in the outer world today–best to keep that intensity within the 4-walls here.  Or so says the intuition.  The 12th house is about seclusion and withdrawal — or at least that’s one of the archetypes.  Or that’s one astrologically accepted classic model of the House 12 pattern anyway–withdrawal.

I think that its good for the soul:  withdrawal, going within, terminating connections with the outer world.

Sometimes we withdraw from life or from certain situations for self-protection but what do we really want to protect ourselves from?  The same thing that motivates all of us–we either seek pleasure or avoid pain.

Let’s face it. We don’t have to be martyrs in life.  I don’t think it’s wrong to disengage from persons, places or things that are unpleasant if we have a choice.  Sometimes we don’t but with the blessing of the universe, sometimes we do.  Why not exercise the choice and not feel guilty about it?

That’s how my 12th house Moon conjunct Pluto feels about it today.  I think that choice is a gift, why not use it and do so so without guilt?

I don’t know about you but sometimes my feelings of guilt, when present, seem to come from worries about what other people will think about me–people that I care about or who are important to me.  Sometimes we see ourselves through other people’s eyes and that triggers those old patterns of guilt that we’ve probably carried over a number of lifetimes.

Guilt serves no purpose and is un-necessary self-criticism.  Its like allowing those voices of the old Catholic nuns or critical parents or other authority figures to take over our psyche.

It serves one thing that is purposeful however; it let’s us know that we are still working on resolving something within our own relationship to our self.    We always think these things are about us versus them.  We think it’s about our connection to the ‘other person’ or ‘the job’, etc.  When really its about our own relationship to our own self.

In other words, in my own case, honoring my own tendencies and feelings without concern of being misunderstood or judged as being uncaring or cruel.  So in that way we can see that the concern really is self-judgment.

Give self permission to embrace one’s own natural tendencies which are there for a reason and there as much for other people’s benefit as well as our own.  And honor that.

One thing we learn when we withdraw is how to experience our feelings fully and to release them in full too because we are giving ourselves the space by withdrawing in order to do so.

To carry guilt is to sabotage ourselves.  Withdrawal gives us the space to know ourselves, and to understand our feelings and to release them.

One way to resolve any guilt is to rebuild faith in one’s self and withdrawal creates the space for faith and self-trust to become strengthened.

I always relate the TAROT card of THE HERMIT to 12th house withdrawal energy.  I think of an “old soul” (if you will) and someone more comfortable alone than with others and not because of a lack of social skills or anything of the sort.  Just someone who values alone time higher than surface or shallow time with others.

The Hermit card relates to the 12th house in another way –or so I think.  I liken this energy to someone who has created their own religion or their own rules to live by following the inner guidance or personal conscience.  Here is someone with personal dogma and may be seen as eccentric because this is quite different than the consensus rules of society and is seeking spiritual happiness in ways that the consensus cannot understand or does not follow.

Sometimes I feel a lot like THE HERMIT and its animal counterpart THE LEOPARD. Today that feels more intense than usual — it’s one of those times.

But then again, the Moon is setting off my 12th house now highly activating Pluto so I accept that as normal for today.  Once a month my inner Hermit and Leopard get kicked up to higher levels as the Moon passes through this area of my psyche.

Thus, I stay home and even write about it!  😉 wink!

Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Libra with players Pluto, Uranus and Jupiter – How it plays out

Full Moon Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon) – April 4, 2015

Today – It’s a super charged Full Moon (April 4, 2015) in Libra!  What can this mean? Here’s my version…

But is it only today that we may feel (Moon/emotion) the effects?  No; it’s more or less a theme that’s been occurring at least since the last eclipse (Solar a few weeks ago, March 20).

Something shifted around that time, perhaps ended—a change; a new way of BE-ing may have occurred for you.

And now, that’s associated with a new beginning.

Don’t’ get hung up on the exact dates; instead just think about something that may have occurred in the life 2 or 3 weeks ago (or even  a month or so ago) that set you up for the new phase that this eclipse is heralding—new beginning; new way of seeing things; new way of being in the world; new chapter in the life.  (We can experience the effects of an eclipse months before and months after–or so they say and so I’ve personally observed.)  But what are the key factors we can realize now?

Relationship is the key word with this energy and if you’re like me—happy to be in relationship with Self with a capital S (Higher Self) and with Divine Being you may, like me, be seeing life in a whole new light.  That should be a capital L really in the word Life—meaning All That Is and of course all that isn’t and the space in between.

Of course, we’d also have to mention personal one-on-one relationships with family, friends, life partners too which may be taking on a whole new meaning right about now and over the next few months.

This is no ordinary placement.  The Sun is conjunct Uranus and T-squaring Pluto.  What a mixture!   Moon, Uranus in Aries, the Libra Sun and tossed into that we also have the Capricorn Pluto – better not reference tossing Pluto, Lord of the Underworld, anywhere– it’s he who does the tossing.  LOL

Sun in Aries wants freedom and the ability to do it’s own thing regarding its purpose in life and the planet Uranus is empowering that Sun to go for it! As I see it, the planets and luminaries are setting up that theme when the Sun/Uranus opposes Moon and squares Pluto.

To me that configuration indicates  finding freedom in our life in a new way–one which challenges our feelings of security or actually enhances those feelings to create transformational (Pluto, the transformer) attitudes or views regarding how we relate to others and/or to Life Itself.  Pluto is quite psychological and so we could sense here a new psychology in your life–perhaps a highly personal one that creates a new beginning.

Can you see or feel how this can be playing out in your life now?  And how it has been occurring for some time now?

Jupiter plays a part in this attitudinal, emotional energy merger and change of view too. Jupiter, the great benefic, is highly focused via it’s retrograde motion.  It’s moving through Leo now.   And now its making an aspect to the other players, bringing with it a sense of playfulness and joy and mostly FUN.   That’s the energy that influences and balances this new attitude and way of be-ing that is taking shape and changing our lives right now.

May the blessings of Jupiter be yours and may you find the freedom and harmony in your life that brings the new freedom/ liberation of contented happiness with the influence of this eclipse both now and over the next 6 months!