SCIENCE

Discovered on January 1st, 1801, Ceres (a Capricorn) by Giuseppe Piazzi, started out as a planet, actually being classified as a ‘missing planet’ between Mars and Jupiter at the time by many astronomers, but was reclassified as an asteroid with the discovery of more objects within the main asteroid belt. It was the debate surrounding Pluto and the constitution of planets that led to another reclassification of Ceres yet again.  She is the largest object in the main asteroid belt, but the smallest of the newly classified dwarf planets.  Ceres takes four and half years to orbit the Earth, spending roughly four or so months in each sign. Interesting piece of trivia. If one was to seated on Ceres, they would see the inner planets, including Earth, cross the Sun. The next such transit will be Mercury, which will actually happen this year.

MYTHOLOGY

Ceres is the daughter of Saturn and Ops, wife/sister of Jupiter with whom she mothered Proserpina, she was also sister to Juno, Vesta, Neptune and Pluto. She is symbolised as the Goddess of grain, forming a union with Liber and Libera, the other agricultural Gods. With twelve minor Gods governing the prosperity of the lands under her realm, Ceres ensured she ran a tight ship.  She was adopted by the Romans during a time of harsh famine and was worshiped by women, in secret ritual, every month of May.

In mythology, the story of Ceres resembles that of Demeter/Persephone and Hades, except we insert Proserpina and Pluto as the key players. However, Hades is a separate asteroid and in my following of myths, a separate entity to that of Pluto. This I will cover in a later article. Persephone and Hades have their own unique love story that should not be tainted by adopted myth.

However, as we equate Ceres with that of motherly love, we must share the maternal tale of the stolen daughter and the mother’s gut wrenching search and subsequent division of the seasons as was the result of this search.

Whilst Proserpina was out frolicking with the nymphs in the spring sun with the nymphs, picking flowers and flicking her hair about, Pluto rose to the Earth with four black horses and spied the stunning princess, stole her and tucked her away in the Underworld. Ceres was in despair and furious, leaving the heavens in search of her daughter. Roaming the Earth, each step she took turned to a desert and the crops of which she was patron, began to wither and die. Jupiter was concerned, so sent Mercury to the Underworld to strike a deal with Pluto. An agreement was made but Pluto, being the sly dog that he is, insisted that Proserpina partake in a pomegranate before she leave.  This she did and since the seeds of the pomegranate were deemed the food of the dead, she was thus tied to the Underworld for eternity. Ceres, so happy for the return of her daughter, accepted this fate but with condition. The Earth was now divided into seasons, with Autumn/Fall and Winter being the time that her beloved daughter returns to the Underworld.

ASTROLOGY

To locate Ceres in your natal chart, head to astro.com and add her from the additional objects table. As she is a dwarf planet, orbs can be as wide as you normally use, same with the aspects.

Ceres is the true symbolism of the ‘mother’ in the chart. Cancer and the Moon work but that is more a compulsion and instinct, whereas with Ceres it is more about the attitude and approach to motherhood that comes into scope. As Ceres is the symbolism of grain and agriculture, it is about your seeds and how you will tend them after they have been sown.  It relates to the possessiveness of the young, the coping mechanism when they move outside of the maternal sphere and the protective reaction.

With Ceres in harsh aspect, you find a smothering maternal tendency or one that is quite neglectful. In positive aspect, you find a hard working maternal who wishes nothing but prosperity for their young. The possessiveness is still there, as is the protectiveness, but it is tempered and within the realistic expectation that the young will move on and life is to continue as one of productive growth.

Ceres is a key factor to consider when one is determining the maternal and deep concerns involved there and also the subsequent approach to motherhood that results from that.

It should also not be ignored that Ceres is a serious consideration when working with career and finance. Here, it will indicate ambition and staying power, how well and how hard you will work to achieve your goals. Ceres was a boss and team manager, so can indicate aspirations for management, or even success in the home business in your chart. One would expect that a heavy Ceres influence could be found with those who are excellent teachers, or even find solace with working with children (shudder). It would also be interesting to see if Ceres is a strong influence in the chart of grain farmers. I bet it is!

At present, Ceres sits at 12 degrees Sagittarius, forming a trine with Mars retrograde in Leo. Here, we find the maternal or career passion concern returns, be it conflict within the connection, feelings of loss and failure, or past negative behavior patterns returning. It is obviously dependent on your individual situation as many are truly blessed with divine maternal connections when it boils down to mothering. However, all of us will be feeling it regarding passion expression and how we nurture our desires. With the Sagittarius rulership, there is a lesson to be learned or given and it is quite rigid in effect. There is a separation from possessiveness with a firm desire for freedom and individual respect, but in the right climate where there is mutual comfort, this is a sharing, caring and fun lesson to be had. In career passion, the aspirations are higher and you will push hard to move forward, perhaps even adopting the role of ‘teacher’ or ‘mentor’ of your craft.

As of Sunday, my wonderful husband is having the week off work, YAY! But this means that the asteroid articles will come to a stop/start, BOO! Each article takes most of the day and requires a mass of uninterrupted time. You know what Aries is like. Ignores you if you dedicate time to them but poking you with a stick when busy. However, apart from enjoying not being woken by the 5am wake up call and tidying up the surburban jungle, it will be nice to spend some quality time with the Italian as it has been a long time between breaks.

The daily astro will continue along as normal and obviously, if anything earth shattering impacts etc etc, you know what I mean

Other than that, the week after, it shall be full steam ahead with my articles as I have some extra surprises. Celtic and Trojan asteroids, just to name a few.

Carrying on from yesterday’s Apollo (love, lust, sex, jealousy, creativity) and Astraea (justice and righteous indignation) theme, Venus in Aquarius forms a trine with retrograde Saturn in Libra. Here, the potential for a past relationship to reappear is extremely high. Venus is the Goddess of love, and Saturn, the Master of Time is still in the sign of intimate relations. Anything can certainly happen. Make sure you read the asteroid articles if they apply to you and keep those negative shadows in check. If all is sunshine and bliss, you have received an Apollo kiss. Remember, Apollo is a fleeting slice of the success pie and if this was a good past match, gone wrong due to something like timing or what not, justice IS the reunion, right?

For those of us who are skipping on the Apollo/Astraea whirl to some extent, this is a fairly content aspect, hard-working even though there is the lazy desire to kick back and socialise. Like our Apollo/Astraea-dites (word), us normal folk also have the opportunity to reconnect with a blast of the past. Think intimate, think passion, think work, think enemy. Yes, we can’t discuss the 7th House and NOT mention the enemy aspect of it. With Mars also retrograde, there are nemesis types in them there shadows, mark my words. However, as with everything to do with Saturn, if you have been crossing your T’s and dotting your I’s, if anything nasty returns, you have the gumption and positive attitude  to deal with it succinctly and swiftly, without it even ruffling your hair.

On a side note, I received a lovely surprise mention on Julie Demboski’s blog the other day. Make sure you pop over for a look see,  as there is some fab astro going on over there

SCIENCE

Asteroid 1862, Apollo, was the first of the near Earth asteroids to be discovered on April 24th, 1932 (an Aries) by Karl Wilhelm Reinmuth. It then disappeared for a while and was discovered again in 1973.  On November 4th, 2005 (Scorpio) it was discovered that a satellite object was orbiting Apollo and thus we have an asteroid moon.  It is the first object to be identified as crossing the Earth’s orbit and also crosses the orbits of Venus and Mars. Taking just over a year to orbit the Sun, Apollo spends around a month in each sign.

MYTHOLOGY

Apollo is the patron God of music, prophecy, colonization, medicine, archery, poetry, dance, intellectual questioning and is the carer of herds and flocks. Sister of Artemis, the archery huntress, he is the son of Zeus and Leto. Hera, wife of Zeus, was furious on discovering the pregnancy and banished Leto from giving birth anywhere on Earth. Leto fled to the sanctuary of Delos, a place Hera would not consider, and safely gave birth to her twins. It is said that Delos was surrounded by swans, hence why the bird is now sacred to him.  His first accomplishment as a God, was defeating the Python in Delphi that protected the sacred oracle, or ‘Sybil’ that issued the prophecies of the future.  Apollo, like his father, had many affairs and fell in love with many women – the nymphs Daphne and Cyrene, Hecuba the wife of King Priam, Cassandra, the daughter of Hecuba and Priam, and Coronis. Not one to be sexist, also like his father, he fell in love with many males – Hyacinthis, a Spartan prince and Cyparrisus, a descendant of Heracles. Even though Apollo appeared to be more the lover than the fighter, he was ruthless when angered. He was the God who slayed the seven sons of Niobe and had the sartyr. Marsyas flayed alive for challenging him to a music contest.

ASTROLOGY

To locate asteroid 1862 Apollo, head over to astro.com and input the number in the asteroid/hypothetical planet section. Keep your orbs to 1 degree and aspects to conjunctions, squares and oppositions.

In your natal chart, Apollo symbolizes musical or creative talent with an attitude that is fairly, sex and rock’n'roll. There is a natural grace here and elegance, with the desire to broaden one’s horizons. With this energy, you desire to live life, and love, to the fullest. I am not convinced of the homosexual/bisexual predisposition linked here with the crossing of the Venus and Mars orbit and the mentions in the Myth. Studying three homosexual artists revealed zero Apollo connection so scratch that. I would use Apollo as an indication of a complete lack of bias regarding lovers, where connection is made solely on attraction alone. Apollo relationships experience no gender or type preference, so many ‘unusual’ forms of attractions and relations would eventuate from this energy. One would need to be aware with an intense Apollo influence of falling in love with love alone, frequently attracting the type who lack the desire for commitment, or being this sort of individual themselves. It would indicate a predisposition for short time love affairs and a lack of ability to last through intense times when reality does filter through the rush of initial attraction.

There is also jealousy indicated with Apollo. The attitude of not wanting the individual on a permanent basis, but not wanting the individual to be with anyone else. In the story of Coronis, on discovering that she was pregnant to another, Apollo ordered his sister to slay her because he could not bring himself to perform the deed. In your natal chart, you find this unnatural possessiveness and vengeful nature by past lovers. This would be particularly interesting to monitor via transit when past lovers take a ’stalker like approach’ or become particularly negative and possessive after a break up.

In general, this is a peace loving influence, preferring the eternal party and the withdrawal from the competitive world. However, there is a strong ego here and once crossed with criticism, or love is denied when interest has been expressed,  the darker side of revenge and ruthlessness is revealed. Also, aspects to Apollo would indicate a heightened intuitive gift with an ability to be very in tune with predictions of a futuristic nature. You will protect the right to believe in the unseen and are more drawn to the ancient arts of prophecy than many others.

At present, Apollo sits at 23 degrees Leo, opposing Chiron and soon, Neptune. There is heightened creative inspiration here, with many feeling the pressure to take the plunge and embrace their natural talents in a more serious manner. However, the ego is also heightened and criticism will not be taken on board lightly. In regards to the healing aspect with Chiron, it will be easier to accept a relationship on an honesty basis, be it admitting you are midst a casual affair with no long term potential, or moving away from a past love which shared this story. It cannot be ignored that this opposition with Apollo will disclose feelings of jealousy and desires to seek some sort of revenge on those who have failed to return your affections in kind. In fact, on the death of Coronis, it was Chiron himself who was chosen to raise her child. Rather than seek and destroy the love that has hurt you, nurture the lesson that was gained from the connection by embracing the positives and accepting the separation for what it is.

Alternatively, if there are no present love affairs to push on from, connecting with a past creative aspiration can open new doors. With the addition of Neptune, present romances and creative goals can become foggy and it is easy to believe that a fleeting attraction or ambition is much more than what it realistically has to offer. Keep this in mind and be honest about your expectations if new lovers or opportunities arise. If you can accept the surface potential for what it is, you are in for a mind blowing ride of lust and fleeting success.  Those who are presently connected, can find the increasing desire to stray quite intense. Make life in general more fun here and where possible, ignite the spark within, rather than seek an external heat source. However, where all passion is lost, this is just the energy you need to find more scintillating pastures.

SCIENCE

Asteroid 5, Astraea, is a main belt asteroid (the belt between Mars and Jupiter) – discovered on December 8th, 1845 (a Sagittarius) by Karl Ludwig Henke, the same astronomer who discovered Hebe. Overall, there is nothing spectacular or remarkable about Astraea but her discovery whilst Henke was seeking out Vesta, was the beginning to the end of many theories in the astronomy world. She was to open the door to the grand reveal of thousands of asteroids and the demotion of the other ‘Goddess Asteroids’ which were considered planets at the time. Astraea takes just over four years to orbit the earth, spending roughly four months in each sign.

MYTHOLOGY

In Greek myth, Astraea is the virgin Goddess of Justice and Righteous Indignation, who mingled amongst men in the Golden Age, a time of fairness, prosperity and no wars. Once this Golden generation passed, the one that followed was led by greed, and individuals ceased to pay heed to the duty of justice and fairness. Still, she walked amongst man, imploring them to be kinder to one another, continue the old ways, but to no avail. It is stated that she fled the earth to the heavens during the harsh lawlessness of the Bronze Age, as she could not stand the injustice and cruelty, choosing to reside in the heavens as the constellation of Virgo. Here, she refuses to show her face in the prayers of man kind but will send Hermes, the messenger, with word regarding legal matters and the choices in the path to righteousness.

ASTROLOGY

How Virgo is this myth! I was just considering how powerful this influence is with the Virgo who has a strong Sagittarius influence in their charts. They are extremely opinionated with their judgments on fairness and it is near impossible in changing their opinion. They’re fun and funny but WOW!

To locate asteroid 5, Astraea, head over to astro.com, extended chart selection and input the number, if it is not already one of the listed options. Keep your orbs tight and your aspects major.

In your chart, Astraea symbolizes your feelings regarding the world at large and the injustices that lie there in. You find that you struggle to watch the news, abhorred by the violent truth that is humanity. You have the desire for peace and tranquility, repulsed by anything that moves outside of your pictured oasis. Here, you are judgmental, opinionated and prepared to turn your back on individuals or situations that move outside of your desired realm. You prefer the untouched, the dream scape and distance yourself from all, building a bubble of protection in preference to wading through the difficulties of opening yourself to an alternative experience. Where there are tight aspects with Jupiter or Sagittarius, here is a very rigid and judgmental approach. Tight aspects with Neptune or Pisces find an increase in escapism and a desire to remain distant from the harsher elements of living. One would look for substance abuse here, most definitely, with such a strong desire to rise above what is deemed the gutter.

Within mystic circles, Astraea relates to the Justice card in tarot, an energy that is given when decisions are to be made or information is coming forth about intense matters, generally involving legal concerns. This is a positive energy that generally brings closure, one way or another, to a stressful circumstance. However, there is also the disposition to be blinded about certain facts, to remain too firmly within one’s own mind set and the encouragement to open up, let alternative opinion and more information in.

At present, Astraea sits at 23 degrees Aquarius, conjunct Chiron and soon, Neptune. Decisions, opinions and messages regarding some long term ‘healing’ situation are in the wind. You are judgmental regarding what is important to you and desire to withdraw from what is not. This is fabulous for legal issues, as an ending is close, also, for those in heavy emotional entanglements. Where there has been confusion, there IS clarity and the drive to wind things up and tie up the loose ends. However, when Neptune joins the mix, it is easy to be deluded by an abundance of righteousness and lose the essential elements of the theme. Be wary of over indulgence and spending too much time navel gazing. Work with the details and when ‘imagine what if’ rears it’s confusing head, allow the moment to dream but be cautious about taking action on your thoughts. Watch Mercury and his transit connections over the next week or so, and follow the messages offered with the mind set of solution seeking, not adding more emotional dramatics.

This was always going to have its tragedies. Major businesses left and right are collapsing before our eyes. Then there is the horrendous tragedy that is the Haiti earthquake which was also eclipse, moon wobble, galactic centre related.

Just a recap of some of the major news items relating to this aspect.

Haiti

Google and China – this one has only just begun

Japan Airlines goes bust

New York Times to charge online – action after much talk with all of the papers now. This will change online content in ‘major’ ways in the long term.

Identity theft is on the rise – do as much as you can electronically with statements and the like, plus lock up those mail boxes!

Credit card skimming is also on the rise – don’t let them take your card from your sight BUT if they are stealing the actual machine, which was recently reported, no idea how you prevent that. Watch your bank transactions daily!

I have been reading that there ‘could’ be a possible trade war between the US and China. China has stopped lending, the Bank of America just reported a loss for the final quarter, so time shall tell and things will heat up mid year, Uranus joins the fray.

I am in just one part of the world. If you have anything interesting to add to this list, please let me know I won’t make a new post with new items as they happen, simply update this one. We all know how ‘media fed’ the world can be and I love to hear other people’s pespectives!

The Aries Moon is always a ’sparky’ ride, igniting passions in all realms. Forming a square with Pluto in Capricorn, work and finances can be a source of annoyance. Challenge yourself to be pro-active and not reactive. Think control of self over dominating the external situation. Be the better person simply because you know you are, without a flimsy point to prove. Once that aspect eases, there is another square hit with Mercury, where instinct is confusing and others demands tiring. Space is needed here, another aspect where it is best to walk away from snap reactions and gather your thoughts. What is said or done in the heat of the moment here, has little depths, which ultimately means that no progress is made anyway. Take your time, follow the process and avoid the flash points when they arrive. Be like me and feed the creative monster ALL day, then collapse after productive bliss! Deal?

SCIENCE

Asteroid 1866 Sisyphus, is the largest of the Apollo asteroids, which are near Earth objects, crossing the same orbital path as the Earth.  However, this asteroid is also classified as a ‘grazer’, as its orbit also crosses the path of Mars. Sisyphus was discovered on December 5th, 1972 (a Sagittarius) by astronomer Paul Wild and takes just over two and half years to orbit the Sun, spending roughly two or so months in each sign.

MYTHOLOGY

Sisyphus was the founder and first King of Corinth who promoted navigation and commerce. But he was a power hungry and deceitful individual, taking great pleasure in slaying the traveling guests in his land. In his reign, he was a fearful leader, who thought nothing of wooing his niece and taking over his brother’s throne. It was when he revealed the secrets of one of Zeus’s affairs, that the Gods took it upon themselves to bring Sisyphus to order. For daring to compare his abilities to that of the Gods and betraying their confidences, Zeus ordered Thanatos, Death himself, to chain Sisyphus in Tartarus, a place lower than hell. Ever the deceitful craftsman, Sisyphus persuaded Thanatos to show him the workings of the chains and in a twist of fate, then secured Thanatos within his intended punishment. This caused an absolute uproar and all mortal death ceased until Ares returned to Tartarus, freed Death himself, then attached Sisyphus to the chains as was justly ordered. After his death and as everlasting punishment for considering himself equal to the Gods, Sisyphus was to push a huge boulder up a hill, only to have it return to the bottom for him to push to the top again. His eternal fate is to experience gut wrenching frustration over and over again.

ASTROLOGY

To locate Sisyphus in your natal chart, head over to this page on astro.com, go down to the bottom where it states:- additional asteroids or hypothetical planets and input the number 1866. Keep your aspects tight and major – square, conjunction, opposition and within a 1 degree orb.

In your natal chart, Sisyphus indicates where you can be quite ruthless and conniving in achieving your aims. It tells of where you will not shy away from twisting the truth to suit yourself and where you can be outwardly aggressive in getting what you want. Here, you will care little about who you step over, or even destroy, perhaps even gain selfish pleasure from causing others to lose in the game of life. Alternatively, in opposition to one of the planets or luminaries, you can find yourself as prey for this type of individual.

In the realm of trust, Sisyphus can indicate an area in your chart where you are prone to exposing the ‘gossip’, or, are the target of this behavior by others. In transit, you would look towards this asteroid at times when trusted others take it upon themselves to expose your deeper secrets.

Ultimately however, you look towards Sisyphus in your chart as an area where you continually push a desire up an insurmountable hill. This could be an attachment to a relationship that is going nowhere, or a career option that fails to connect with your true talents. Either way, it is a source of personal frustration as you attack the situation with a vengeance, achieve, then watch your efforts dissolve once you reach the top and feel the pressure to start all over again.

At present, Sisyphus sits at 24 degrees Pisces and is conjunct Uranus. Here, you have a radical impulse to change direction but a feeling that whichever path you aim for sits at the bottom of an insurmountable mountain. You can find that you are more egotistically driven, or find someone close to you becomes this way. There can be ruthless individuals in your surrounds, a sudden change in your intimate climate. Secrets can be exposed here from surprising sources, which pull apart everything you have worked hard to achieve. You also find some sort of karmic twist, where you are called into question for a past deed which could have a negative outcome attached to it.

As the Moon moves through the last of Aquarius, she forms a conjunction with Uranus, ensuring the lay out of the day is light, airy and full of inspiration. Nothing about Uranus enjoys being boxed in and life takes a frustrating twist when forced to be around boring people, or boring tasks. It is best to use these monthly conjunctions as a ‘go with the flow’ sort of a day, appease the universal rebel, lest he cause havoc where you need it the least.

Once that conjunction separates, a sextile forms between the Sun and the Moon, enabling you to reach out and communicate with clarity and a firm sense of purpose. This is further enhanced with the lunar sextile to Venus and deepened when the Moon enters Aries. Communications and situations have the potential to become volatile and with that monthly Saturn opposition also happening, it can take time to get through to the true cause of any dramatics. Fine influences for getting the job done and socializing with an upbeat crowd, but tense if entangled in less pleasing circumstances.

SCIENCE

Asteroid 407, Arachne, is a main belt asteroid located within the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Taking just over four years to orbit the Sun, Arachne moves through each sign every four months or so. Being a C-type asteroid, the carbonaceous compound of the object, assure a very dark asteroid, that can only be seen by telescope. Arachne was discovered on October 13th, 1895 (a Libra) by Max Wolf.

MYTHOLOGY

In the ancient Roman world, Arachne was a talented weaving artist, who had amazing skills and ego to match. Minerva, (the Greek equivalent of Pallas Athena),  the patron of the weaving arts, was annoyed with Arachne for refusing to acknowledge that she received much of her talents from the Goddess herself. Disguised as an old woman, Minerva warned Arachne that she should respect the Gods, to which Arachne tilted her head back and laughed, scoffing at the concept. She then went on to tell the disguised old busy body that there should be a contest, a true decider of who was the most talented weavess of them all. The crinkled old woman, flapped her cape a few times and morphed into the Goddess Minerva. The crowd gasped and the spinning contest began. Minerva chose a war theme, of her victory over Poseidon, whereas the cheeky Arachne chose to depict a theme of the Gods and Goddesses rampant and lax, sexual natures. Furious, not only at the chosen subject matter but at the pure beauty and perfection that was Arachne’s work, Minerva lost the plot. In a flurry of temper, Minerva destroyed the loom and struck Arachne on the head, slashing at her in a jealousy fueled frenzy. Beseeching of Arachne to bow before the Goddess, she refused and opted to hang herself, rather than do the bidding of one she held in such low esteem. Eventually, Minerva took pity on the dangling form of Arachne and loosened the rope, where she thus morphed into a spider and the myth lives on to this day.

ASTROLOGY

To locate Arachne, asteroid 407, head to this page on astro.com and scroll down the bottom until you see the input spot. Keep your orbs within 1 degree and your aspects major – conjunction, square, opposition.

Here, there is natural talent, talent so great that it draws attention and ultimately, jealousy from others. When this jealousy connects with someone in power, there is the tussle between defending the talent, and respecting the subservience of position. Ultimately, there is a choice to be made – to yield, or to remain firm, even if the defiance ultimately ends the progressive path of exploring the talent.

In most mystical practices, the spider or arachne, represents the webs we weave. It is the deeper psyche and the intricate nature of intuition. Here, you can see where Arachne’s refusal to perhaps even heed her inner instinct for basic survival, not only were her talents thwarted but so was her life. To receive the message of the spider is to be encouraged to look deeper into the psyche, find the hidden elements or the missing key before acting out an intention.

In your chart, Arachne symbolises a great creative or intuitive gift and where you will face negative kickback from this talent. It also indicates an area where others will act superior in talent and knowledge to you, causing rebellion and confrontation. Ultimately, it will be dependent on your individual situation and other relevent aspects as to whether you will be defiant, or subservient. But regardless, the end outcome possibility is one of crucial choice. One can decipher that with a strong natal Arachne, it is best to temper the ego and allow the talent to speak for itself, rather than approach it with a boasting manner.

In transit, it would also be wise to consider the placements of Pallas, asteroid 2, Minerva, asteroid 93 and even Athene, asteroid 881, in the natal chart – to see how they interplay. These asteroids would indicate the superior presence and obvious ‘enemy’ towards the natal Arachne.

At present, asteroid Arachne sits conjunct with Chiron in Aquarius, soon to be joined by Neptune, then Venus. All of this creative love juice will inspire but also entice the ego to believing that there can be more talent than there actually is. The downswing of Aquarian influences is the in built desire to rely on the ego to fill in any voids of exact knowledge and prowess.  However, where the natural gift does nothing but shine, you will find that there is some dark negative lingering in the background, be it an individual or circumstance. Something that will appear to shadow your moment in the star spotlight. Asteroid Minerva is also conjunct Eris in Aries causing agitation with authority figures – asteroid Athene is at 19 degrees Libra – and asteroid Pallas sits at 13 degrees Scorpio.