Gemini New Moon 2024: Minor Planet Report

Basic details and main features

Gemini New Moon (Moon conjunct Sun), 6th June 2024 at 12:37:31 UTC, 16+ Gemini
Venus is conjunct the New Moon at 16+ Gemini
New Moon is sesquiquadrate Pluto at 1+ Aquarius

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Some minor planets involved

Conjunct Moon and Sun

• (29) Amphitrite – Large, stony asteroid named for the Greek sea goddess and wife of Poseidon; when she at first refused his advances he sent the dolphin god Delphin as his messenger, who persuaded her to agree to the marriage. Waves/being washed away^[1], "tides of fate and fortune"^[2] or "the evaluation phase of a relationship"^[3] – in addition, the discovery degree Sabian draws attention to the life-giving property of water, possibly both to quench thirst and as the necessary ingredient for most living things to survive and procreate.
• (227) Philosophia – Named for the subject of study. May relate simply to philosophy itself, or (broadly) spiritual practices^[4]; the Sabian and other associations imply the act of cognitive exploration as a form of preparatory skill or foresight, as well as the importance of joy to our existence.
• (413) Edburga – Exact name origin is unknown, but there were a number of Saxon women by this name alive between the 7th and 10th centuries, some of whom became saints^[5]. Two themes stand out from the correspondences: the Sabian speaks of the will and its role in shaping character; the closest resonance match is with (14) Irene, one of the Horai, goddess of peace and the season of spring, who is also connected to abundance. Potentially the reconciliation of these lies in making the best of what one is given.
• (639) Latona – Roman name for Leto, the mother of Artemis and Apollo; member of the Eos family of asteroids in the outer main belt. Associations are indicative of the aura of nobility, blessedness and dignity characteristic of Leto in myth. The discovery Sabian likewise speaks of beatitude. Her very nature seems to command respect and reverence.

Sagittarius Full Moon 2024: Minor Planet Report

Basic details and main features

Sagittarius Full Moon (Moon opposite Sun), 23rd May 2024 at 13:53 UTC, 2+ Sagittarius-2+ Gemini
Moon is sextile Pluto at 2+ Aquarius
Venus-Jupiter conjunction at 29+ Taurus sextile Neptune at 29+ Pisces

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Some minor planets involved

Conjunct Sun

• (28) Bellona – Roman war goddess, said to be sister or wife of Mars, whose temple was the official decision-making centre in regards to war. Fight or flight/instinctive reaction and also safe practices^[1].
• (81) Terpsichore – Greek muse of dance. Body image; exercise; dance; agility^[2]; body movement as communication^[3].
• (204) Kallisto – Greek nymph, follower of Artemis beguiled by Zeus, to whom she bore her son Arcas. After her pregnancy was discovered, Hera transformed her into a bear. She was eventually set among the stars as Ursa Major. Through Arcas, she was the mother of the Arcadians. Sabian of discovery degree 2+ Taurus refers to fecundity and is shared with, among others, Siwa (fertility goddess) and Petunia (named for a genus of flower).
• (420) Bertholda – named for a historical Duke of Carinthia, Berthold II (c. 1000-6 November 1078). Considered a foreign ruler, he was never really accepted by his nobles and faced continual battles for his throne. Sabian of discovery degree refers to intelligence as a protection against "storms and trials".

Push When the Moment Comes

Hello! I'm back following a brief hiatus, though I've been busy behind the scenes making some art and figuring out schedules, with the intention of providing a more regular service. I dislike making promises, so I'll just say that I have things a little better organised now, and this will hopefully lead to fewer and shorter silences.

I've been gazing for quite some time on the chart for the Sun ingressing (i.e. moving into) the sign of Gemini this year, which happens on Sunday 21st May at 07:09 UT. It's one of those charts that contains a barrage of information, from which it isn't always easy to identify or extract the most salient points. However, there is one configuration that jumps immediately to the attention.

Leap of Faith

We live in precarious times. The Doomsday Clock has just been moved on again, and now stands at 90 seconds to midnight, the closest it has ever been since its creation. The inertia of the powerful in the face of global warming and a struggle for democracy is deeply troubling. We stand on the brink of changes we cannot control, and we have no idea whether we shall eventually fly or fall.

Amid this crisis come two major planetary shifts in 2023. The first is Pluto's initial foray into Aquarius from Capricorn, taking place near the Aries equinox on 23rd March. Pluto spends a few months here before retrograding back into Capricorn on 11th June; then, a few days later as the Northern solstice approaches, an object named Sedna enters Gemini.

You might or might not have heard of Sedna, named after an Inuit water goddess and discovered in 2003. It has an orbital period of approximately 11,400 years, and is currently very near perihelion - as close as it gets to the Sun - meaning that from our perspective it's travelling relatively fast. In any case, it leaves Taurus (where it first arrived in 1966) and enters Gemini on 15th June. After a brief trip back, it'll finally settle in Gemini next year, and stay there for the next four decades, according to current calculations.