posted April 05, 2010 12:01 PM
This is an article talks about using orbital symbolism for insights into how objects work in Astrology.
I. INTRODUCTION
Trying to discover the astrological meaning of new planetary objects is not a simple question of playing with a name, beginning with the fact that many of them do not have a name yet Their orbital dynamics, the place they occupy in the structure of the solar system, their physical characteristics, they all establish a framework, a "niche" where they belong, a "gesture", a way of acting. Then the astrologer fills this form with his observations.
The most elemental principle of astrology is the foundation of this approach: "as above, so below", except that the "above" is the abstract, heliocentric perspective, not directly observable. The whole of modern Astrology is based on this abstract and non-observable world of "above", closer to mathematics than to what is physically experienced with the senses.
There is nothing "magical" in this. It is a reason that follows its own logic based on concordances and different from the logic of mechanics and of "cause and effect". This doesn't make it "irrational" in any way. It is just more analogical and metaphorical.
All observations must be interpreted and given a meaning. To do this, the scientist uses paradigms and builds explanations based on premises and certain cultural assumptions about the nature of the object under observation and about the nature of "reality". The astrologer doesn't make anything different. He also follows paradigms. Symbolical association and metaphorical thinking is one of these paradigms, one upon which rests the whole corpus of classical astrology.
When we apply orbital dynamics to the study of centaurs, one thing that becomes clear is that they tend to be very dramatic. They speak stronger and with more poignancy to the imagination than ordinary, almost circular orbits. It is just a question of getting used to their orbital language and gestures, a language that springs from the "orbital paradigm", which we can define as follows: the shape, place, and velocity of an orbit, the "orbital gesture", corresponds to similar gestures --psychologically or in external circumstances-- in the lives of people.
The distance ranges outlined here numerically, describing orbits that intercalate across the regions of the slow-moving planets of the solar system, establish the main framework on which their orbital symbolism is based, defining unambiguously some basic dynamic characteristics. They provide the information necessary to establish the foundation of this symbolism, to which is added information furnished by the orbital periods and mutual recurrences, the angle of crossing, and the orbital inclinations and latitudes.
For example, all centaurs share certain characteristics derived from the orbits that define them as a group. They all can be included in at least 3 basic categories:
1- Their sphere of action. They all work at the level of Saturn through Pluto; therefore their sphere of action is very different from the level at which the regular asteroids of the main belt between Mars and Jupiter work, much faster and closer to Earth. Their slow motion means that their transits can be used to map the great breakthroughs in the life of a person as we are used in the case of the planets from Saturn onwards. They are "visitors" from the trans-Neptunian, Plutonian world, which through them becomes more human, more compassionate, closer to us.
2- Their marginality. They are a clear minority among minor planets, less in number than all the other dynamical asteroid groups, and --because of their large orbital eccentricity-- they are "marginal", i.e., "do not belong" to a specific place but "wander" through the space dominated by the giant planets of the outer solar system, in many cases more or less aggressively crossing their orbits or "invading" their spheres. They are "renegades" that do not belong to an established, institutionalized world, which in turn they "intercept" or "break", carrying a symbolism very similar to that of Cain in the Genesis story.
3- Their instability. The orbits of centaurs, because of the way they intercept the distance range of the giant planets, are subject to very strong gravitational attractions or perturbations that make them unstable and "precarious", with a tendency to become chaotic or unpredictable in a few thousand years only. They are "crude" and "wild", with a tendency to be aggressive, but --unlike Pluto-- their orbits are "sick" and "tremble", destined to be transformed or die as a result of their crossing the paths of the giant planets. They are therefore related to pain and to death, but also to rapture, unconditioning, and freedom.
As a well-established orbit-crossing category, centaurs tend to be dynamically unique, strongly differentiated astronomically from the world of the main-belt asteroids. They separate from the others by breaking the image of "a ring" or "a belt" usually associated with asteroids, to follow their own excentric path. This singularity makes them "special", and experience shows that they are intense and powerful, in concordance with the large sweep of their slow motion and high eccentricity, in a way almost inversely proportional to their small size.
In practical terms, as part of the mathematical-astronomical model, we use celestial mechanics (orbital behavior), as a metaphor that models or "screens" the astrological characteristics of the centaurs, so we concentrate on the orbits, which are perceived as an interplay ("music") making the particular characteristics evident by differentiation or contrast in their movement, like a dance. I like to use the words "orbital gesture", and compare it with the movement of the hands and arms when someone is speaking. It is not conceptual, but similar to listening to music. From the effect the music produces on you, you "know" without knowing what it is. As I imagine this "orbital gesture", a moving, living image appears in my mind which "whispers" to me. Then, it becomes a matter of identifying in the specific event or experience or feeling being charted that same quality that the music or movement or gesture is producing in my imagination.
An example is the image of wings and of light that I often get from Pholus. It comes from its orbital behavior, the way I perceive it, and also from the sound qualities of its name, joined to my subjective perception of some of the people who have it focal. The centaur-myth is not in this picture. It is true that apparently, the "regular" orbits --rounder-- would appear as "mute", but this doesn't happen when seen in comparison, in the interplay. It is a question of images: you can imagine the massive giants being crossed and "ringed" by the smaller and unstable asteroids, and this puts in evidence the characteristics of both. In other words, it is an imaginative language, like that of mythology.
As an illustration, let's consider, imaginatively, the main-belt asteroid named "Nemesis" (#128):
"Nemesis": one utters the word and listens to it... a fast sound; a cycle of nearly 4 years and an orbit or way of moving , of acting, a physical gesture, that is wholly conventional, placid, circumscribed, with no highs or lows. Circumscribed to what? To one aspect of Nemesis, one "face" of the archetype which is necessarily limited by the particular nature of the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
Which face of the archetype? What is the nature of the asteroid belt compared with Uranus and with Pluto? What aspect of the archetype cannot be expressed in the asteroid belt and needs other bodies to do that?
If we listen, for example, to the apocalyptic gesture of an object like TL66, with a period of 800 years (200 times slooooooowwwwwwer), going away from the solar system until it disappears in the remote darkness of the unknown, and coming again centuries later, travelling 7 or 8 times faster than when it is far away, breaking through the orbital realm of Pluto until it "kisses" that of Neptune, like the visitation of a dark giant comet, only to go away again and disappear soon after that, then we say:
"N E E E E E E E M M M M E E E E S S I I I I I S S S S S S S S!"
... and the sound of a cosmic "N" and a cosmic "M" stays sizzling ("S") and resonating ("M"), like the effects of a terrific wind that has just passed.
http://www.expreso.co.cr/centaurs/essays/paradigm.html
Please note that the name of Nessus and some other centaurs were proposed by astronomically oriented astrologers and accepted by astronomers.
for instance:
The third Centaur Nessus provisional symbol for Nessus, invented 1997 by Robert von Heeren
Astrologers´ proposals on the naming of the third centaur were officially accepted
by Robert von Heeren, 5/21/1997
In April 1997 the International Astronomical Union (IAU) accepted a proposal on the naming of a small planet made by astrologers, for the first time in its history. The planet in question is the third centaur "1993 HA2" discovered in April 1993 (click here for the discovery-chart of Nessus). It has now officially been named "Nessus" (latin for greek "Nessos"). The suggestion having been made by Dieter Koch, Zane Stein and myself. The naming was officially announced by global email on the 22nd April 1997, 22h10 UT from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, USA-MA (diagram 1. Nessus is indicatively located exactly at the third cusp in this natal chart). Nessus is now the third named centaur - after the two formerly discovered centaurs Chiron and Pholus. The centaurs are a tiny group of (to date) seven small planets with unusual properties: neither conventional comets, nor typical asteroids. At the same time, they possess qualities prevalent in both. They travel along extremely differentiated and primarily particularly elliptical orbits in the outer solar sytem. Their origin most probably lies in the Kuiper Belt beyond the orbits of Neptune and Pluto. Torn out of the belt by the force of Neptune millions of years ago, they were thereupon catapulted into the inner solar system where they assumed their present orbit in time. They generally touch or cross the orbits of the main planets and thus have long orbital periods of 49 (Chiron) to c. 123 years (Nessus).
The origins and reasons behind the naming suggestion
During our work on the book about Pholus, Dieter Koch and I emailed its (as well as Nessus´) discoverers David L. Rabinowitz and Jim Scotti. Scotti answered our queries concerning the astronomical characteristics of Pholus and other recently discovered minor planets in detail. Scotti mentioned, in one of his emails, that he feared the stock of mythological centaur names may run out, as greater numbers of centaurs yet await discovery. We researched over 84 centaur names (which managed to dissipate these concerns) and mailed these to him on the 31st May 1995. We also mailed the names to the director of the Minor Planet Center (a department of the IAU and global centre for discoveries in astronomy) Dr. Brian D. Marsden, who is also responsible for namings.
In this e-mail we proposed that the name "Nessus" be given to the third centaur "1993 HA2" given that the following reasons seemed to predestine such a naming:
1. The orbit of "1993 HA2" runs extremely elliptically between Saturn and Pluto (diagram 2). It creates a bridge between the two planets. "1993 HA2" guides us from the ordered world of Saturn into plutonic spheres.
2. The mythology of Nessus has strong associations to plutonic themes: Nessos took revenge for the mortal wounding of his heart through Herakles´ poison arrow by causing great pain to overcome the Greek hero, even whilst fighting with death, through a mean trick. Herakles sees that his end is nigh and sacrifices himself at the stake. This finally leads to the cleansing (from earthly madness) and rise to heaven, saving and immortality of the hero!
3. Besides Chiron and Pholus, Nessus is the third and last centaur equipped with a substantial, famous mythology which has been a source of inspiration to artists throughout the ages.
The Reactions
Dr. Marsden thanked us for the list and naming proposal, passing it on to the "Working Group in Planetary System Nomenclature". Jim Scotti also thanked us for the list, but voiced concern over the savage behaviour and violent tendencies of the centaur so prevalent in mythology. We heard nothing from mid- 1995 until the beginning of 1997. It looked as though our proposal would be ignored. Zane Stein, the American Chiron specialist, took the initiative again in Febraury 1997 and sent literature about the mythology of Nessus to Dr. Marsden .The latter responded with a pledge to support the naming of the centaur in April 1997. "1993 HA2" is now officially Nessus.
Astronomers and astrologers have not previously co-operated on the issue of naming planets. Interesting, that it was the "bridge planets", the centaurs, which brought the two disciplines a small but significant step closer to each other. This would not have been possible without the openness and support of Jim Scotti and Dr. Brian Marsden.
The latter replied to my email of thanks, subsequent to the event, explicitly thanking us for our support in the research of centaur names and mythologies. He encouraged us to submit proposals for the four yet unnamed centaurs.
The Reactions
Dr. Marsden thanked us for the list and naming proposal, passing it on to the "Working Group in Planetary System Nomenclature". Jim Scotti also thanked us for the list, but voiced concern over the savage behaviour and violent tendencies of the centaur so prevalent in mythology. We heard nothing from mid- 1995 until the beginning of 1997. It looked as though our proposal would be ignored. Zane Stein, the American Chiron specialist, took the initiative again in Febraury 1997 and sent literature about the mythology of Nessus to Dr. Marsden .The latter responded with a pledge to support the naming of the centaur in April 1997. "1993 HA2" is now officially Nessus.
Astronomers and astrologers have not previously co-operated on the issue of naming planets. Interesting, that it was the "bridge planets", the centaurs, which brought the two disciplines a small but significant step closer to each other. This would not have been possible without the openness and support of Jim Scotti and Dr. Brian Marsden.
The latter replied to my email of thanks, subsequent to the event, explicitly thanking us for our support in the research of centaur names and mythologies. He encouraged us to submit proposals for the four yet unnamed centaurs. http://www.kentauren.info/menu/index.htm?page=/newness.htm
The astronomically oriented astrologers determined its name based on the orbital symbolism of the object.
There is already a bridging between Astrology and Astronomy. The date that Nessus was officially named was April 22, 1997. We can check out the chart to see that small bridge between Astrology and Astronomy.
I really think that it's very important for Astrologers to know Astronomy. Astrology is based on Astronomy. All calculations in Astrology are based on Astronomy. Astrological Aspects are based on Astronomy. Ephemerises are astronomical tables of the movements of heavenly bodies. If it wasn't for Astronomers, Mainstream Western Astrologers wouldn't even be using Uranus,Neptune,Pluto,and Chiron.
Astrologers use ecliptic longitude, but Astronomers locate objects with equatorial longitude (Right Ascension) and equatorial latitude (Declination). That's how separate Astrology and Astronomy are from each other.
When I made a post on Eris, I used orbital symbolism. I didn't go just by the mythology based on the name. I even used events like Pluto and Ceres being equals in Astronomy in regards to Eris can be about equality. I compared that to Proserpina/Persephone who was shared for equal amount of time by Pluto/Hades and Ceres/Demeter. I pointed out that Eris has a Proserpina/Persephone-orbit which Eris' discoverer,Dr. Michael Brown already pointed out: for half of its period, it orbits very close to Pluto. It orbits far away from Pluto in the other half. Zane Stein included Proserpina-Persephone symbolism keywords in his preliminary keywords for Eris. I also pointed out that its perihelion is in Libra, the sign of equality. I talked about its highly eccentric,anomalous orbit,and its high inclination from the ecliptic that it tends to orbit other constellations off the ecliptic i.e. it was discovered in the constellation of Cetus. That meant that Eris is even more of a nonconformist than Uranus.
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Raymond
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posted April 05, 2010 01:44 AM
