The Iris Asteroids Report
Rainbow Messenger of the Gods and Goddesses
by Roderick Kidston

for

CRISSY LEONE
July 23, 1984
8:37 AM
Stuart, Florida


JOY'S ASTRO
www.joysastro.com
E-mail: Info@joysastro.com
The Iris Asteroids Report
Rainbow Messenger of the Gods and Goddesses
Report and Text Copyright 2007 Roderick Kidston
The contents of this report are protected by copyright law.
By purchasing this report you agree to comply with this copyright.

 

INTRODUCTION

Ever since the beginning of the 19th Century, astronomers have been aware of the existence of asteroids, but astrologers have only been using them as part of the horoscope since 1973. And even so, only a small number of astrologers actually use the asteroids when reading charts for people. This is in large part because the asteroids (or dwarf planets, as some are recently re-defined astronomically) are not well understood, except for the first four to be discovered: Ceres, Pallas, Juno and Vesta. But now, the Iris Report aims to change all that! Here you will find interpretations for twelve major dwarf planets and asteroids, and their impact in the natal chart. They add balance, detail and depth of meaning to astrological interpretation.

Most of the dwarf planets and asteroids found in the Iris Report are named for classical goddesses rather than gods, and this is partly in order to balance the excess of masculine energy that a purely planetary astrology reveals. Most of you will know that the ten 'planetary' factors used in standard astrological interpretation are the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Many astrologers also include the planetoid Chiron to this list of ten, making eleven. But if the Sun and Moon are considered primal masculine and feminine energies respectively, then out of the remaining nine god symbols listed, there is only one goddess, Venus. This hardly represents the yin-yang balance of either physical Nature or what is taught about the spiritual realms.

(The issue of the 'demotion' of Pluto to dwarf planet status does not have any real impact on the philosophical issues being discussed here, or the current 'promotion' of Ceres from asteroid to dwarf planet status, and the possible elevations of Pallas, Vesta and Hygiea. The power of the divine archetypes standing behind astrological symbols is more significant than what is or is not defined astronomically as a planet, dwarf planet or asteroid.)

The other reason for choosing certain asteroids or dwarf planets over others is that several of the early heavenly bodies discovered show a resonance with the way that the culture was evolving at the time, which in turn reflects the ongoing evolution of consciousness in the material realm of the Earth. The dwarf planet and asteroids Ceres, Pallas, Juno, Vesta, Astraea, Iris and Hygiea are all especially relevant in this regard.

The other asteroids selected for the Iris report are Diana and Apollo (additional lunar and solar symbols that show the primal life energies working in a larger social context); Proserpina; and symbols of the two great gods not represented by planets in the solar system: Bacchus and Hephaistos. These all together complete a kind of balanced listing of archetypal energies which astrologers can use to make sense of a horoscope.

One of the ways of deciding which asteroids are useful is found by considering the concept of the energy dyad. The Sun-Moon dyad of archetypal masculine and feminine energy is very well known to astrologers, as is the desire and love dyad symbolized by Venus and Mars. But other possibilities are proposed in the table below:

Yang Symbol ------------------	Yin Symbol ----------------
SUN: archetypal masculine/yang life energy, spirit	MOON: archetypal feminine/yin life energy, soul
MERCURY: masculine/yang intelligence, "left brain", data collecting, and analytical mind	IRIS: feminine/yin intelligence, "right brain", intuitive, and synthesizing mind
MARS: masculine desire, dynamic activity, outward acting pleasure	VENUS: feminine desire, receptive activity, inward drawn pleasure
JUPITER: Sky Father, male protector and nurturer, promoter of ethics/abundance	CERES: Earth Mother, female nurturer and protector,promoter of ethics/abundance
SATURN: masculine energy of tradition, structure, and material good order	VESTA: feminine energy of tradition, structure, and material good order
CHIRON: masculine energy of healing- transformation and purification	HYGIEA: feminine energy of healing- transformation and purification
URANUS: masculine change agent and consciousness raiser	PALLAS: feminine change agent and consciousness raiser
NEPTUNE: masculine passivity and sublime/altered states	PROSERPINA: feminine passivity and sublime/altered states
PLUTO: masculine energy of primal power and transformation	JUNO: feminine energy of primal power and transformation
HEPHAISTOS: masculine principle of work, order, integration and disintegration	ASTRAEA: feminine principle of work, order, integration and disintegration
APOLLO: additional solar symbol, creative maturity	DIANA: additional lunar symbol, emotional maturity
BACCHUS: masculine symbol of dark primal passions, escapism and individualism, and inspirational power	BLACK MOON LILITH: feminine symbol of dark primal passions, escapism and individualism, and inspirational power

With this table you find a balanced grouping of archetypal divine energies which have significant astrological influence. The Iris Report gives you the opportunity, for the first time, to add twelve asteroids to the major factors usually considered in the chart - the Sun and Moon, the planets, Chiron and Lilith - and thereby get a much more complete picture of how the astral energies were constellated at the time of birth for the chart you are reading, whether it is your own or someone else's.

Of course, the balance suggested by these dyads, or pairings, does not mean that the yin and yang symbols are identical - Venus and Mars are hardly the same, after all! But there is a sense in which the two planets or asteroids involved represent divine archetypes whose energies complement each other, and work something like the positive and negative charges of an electrical current. One end of the archetypal 'pole' is outgoing and active, or 'masculine'. The other end of the archetypal pole is incoming and receptive, or 'feminine'.

In each of the twelve mini-chapters that follow, a particular asteroid (or dwarf planet, depending on the new astronomical definitions!) is given the focus of attention and related to all the other major elements of the horoscope, including those two important angles the Ascendant and Midheaven, and also the Nodes of the Moon. They are listed not in any order of importance, but according to the order in which they were discovered, from Ceres first to Hephaistos last.

So - let Iris, the rainbow messenger of the goddesses, add her many colors to your chart and complete the work of Mercury, the messenger of the gods.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

For the benefit of astrologers and students of astrology, information used
to produce this report is given below:

Tropical Koch Daylight Savings Time observed
GMT: 12:37:00 Time Zone: 5 hours West
Lat. and Long. of birth: 27 N 11 50   80 W 15 11

Aspects interpreted:

Conjunction:	5 Deg 00 Min	Sextile :	3 Deg 00 Min
Opposition :	5 Deg 00 Min	SemiSquare :	2 Deg 00 Min
Square :	4 Deg 00 Min	Sesequiquadrate:	2 Deg 00 Min
Trine :	4 Deg 00

Chapter 1: Ceres

Ceres, lady of loving-kindness

Ceres symbolizes the fertility and abundance of the corn goddess, an aspect of the great Earth Mother. Ceres was the Roman deity; Demeter the earlier Greek goddess of grain and fertility in the classical tradition. With the new astronomical definitions of the various bodies in the solar system, Ceres the former asteroid is now considered to be a 'dwarf planet'. In astrology, the divine archetype Ceres bestows the blessing of loving-kindness. She distils her energy gently in the horoscope, and does not make a fuss.

Ceres helps you to see the world through kindly eyes, and to enjoy what is natural and simple and good. With her help, you grow in compassion for others, and gain in empathic understanding. She promotes generosity of spirit, and helps you to help other living beings: people, animals, and the natural world. Her position shows something about how you find ways to look after other people, and seek to bring out the best in them. Ceres nurtures and educates, in the best sense of those words. And on a larger worldly scale, she promotes the good of ordinary people, helps humankind to build democracy, and fosters respect and care for the environment as a whole. Her darker side tends to smother love and games involving manipulation or rejection. However, her more noble urge prompts everyone towards leading a good life, which facilitates the correction or elimination of such unattractive qualities.

Ceres in Taurus:

There is something of the 'good mother' in you, regardless of gender or parental status. You radiate a dependable and protective quality, something solid and stable, that less assured people are going to depend on just as much as you let them! You may get leant on more than is good for you at times, and so encounter lessons in boundary setting. The natural world is a tonic for you. Essentially you are peaceable, but can be aroused to strong anger if you see the weak being hurt in some way. You have a drive for material security, especially if you are providing for children, because you want the best for them even more than you do for yourself. Beware of over-identifying with possessions: it is your integrity and inner strength that sustain you, not attachments to things.

Ceres in 9th house:

Love and freedom go together in your life philosophy, both for yourself and for the world in general. You don't quite get the possessiveness thing, unless there are major contradictory factors at work, and tend to regard life as a huge adventure in which vast opportunities should be open to all. You love to roam, either literally or metaphorically, and can find value and learning experiences in virtually anything you encounter. Some sort of hero quest is a major motivator, and your learning curve can become so high that you reach the point where it is time to teach others how to dare, too. Just watch out you don't spread yourself too thin, or waste time in pastures that aren't so green after all.

Ceres Opposition Mars,  Orb: 2 deg. 17 min.

Conflicts can emerge between your zeal for action and sense of what is right, and the drives and beliefs of others. Pause before you act, and consider differing points of view. You need to learn the difference between courage and foolhardiness, and to moderate intense responses so you support worthy causes instead of catching the first wave.

Ceres Square Hygiea,  Orb: 3 deg. 56 min.

You have an idealistic approach to many areas of life, particularly where health and physical well-being are concerned. But conflicts can arise if you push an agenda too hard, or fail to get the evidence you need to back your position. Some may dismiss you as a health nut, but the last laugh will be on them. Just hasten slowly and with due care.

Ceres Sesquiquadrate Neptune, Orb: 1 deg. 59 min.

Your gentle idealism can present you with many challenges, as the everyday world is not always understanding of truly sensitive souls. Apart from having to toughen up, you also sometimes need to wise up. Your judgment is not always sure, as you easily project better motives onto people or situations than they possess. Stay grounded while you dream.

Chapter 2: Pallas

Pallas, lady of consciousness-raising

Pallas was a title of the great Greek goddess Athena, warrior, strategist and wisdom seeker. Her Roman counterpart was Minerva. The asteroid (perhaps eventually to be classified as dwarf planet) Pallas brings gifts of understanding, insight and skillfulness, and helps you to take things to a higher level than you might have thought possible. The energies of Pallas often seem to appear suddenly in the horoscope, and she can present in a surprising, even shocking, way. These upheavals are necessary sometimes in order to shake you out of your complacency and get you moving.

Pallas helps you to see much more clearly, and although this can involve pain, it is for the best in the long run. Illusions are stripped away and you comprehend at a deep level the lessons brought by this asteroid. You grow in intellectual dexterity and sometimes manual dexterity as well, and learn how to approach issues more strategically. Just as Pallas improves the linkages in your brain, so she also helps you to create better linkages in the world at large. Pallas can prompt you to respond very coldly, too, so you need to be careful of her chilly intellectualism and its snare of retreat into airy, abstract absolutes. But Pallas also promotes equality and cooperation, and helps you to help others in clear-sighted and astute ways. She assists you to act more fairly towards people, and to fight for fairness in turn. Pallas is a true raiser of the level of consciousness, and ultimately she helps you to think and act in much better, more skilful ways than you might ever have imagined possible.

Pallas in Pisces:

Pallas can get a bit discombobulated when she is trying to steer a clear mindful direction on the changeful seas of Pisces. Which is in control of the ship, the head or the heart? You need to have a good heart-brain connection going here, or find yourself way off course. At your best you have a psychic sensitivity to help you navigate, but you can get very muddled if you believe your intuitive abilities are greater than they actually are. However, when you combine the clarity of Pallas with the receptivity and universality of Pisces, you can achieve remarkable successes, especially in any ventures that require creativity and innovation. This can also empower a swift spiritual path, and enable you to work as a subtle change agent in the world around you.

Pallas in 7th house:

Sometimes you just don't get the whole relationships thing. It's fine if you hook up with hip and happening people who are on your mental wavelength, but either boring or weird or conflict-laden if you find people who are too different. Before wallowing in self pity, do ask if you might be the slightly odd one out. You do take a certain pride in your individuality now, don't you? Live and let live, and accept that your own uniqueness means you draw other unique folk into your life willy-nilly, and some won't be ideal. It's the idealism that empowers you to find the best in yourself and others, but it defeats you if you refuse to compromise at all. Try taking it easy, and all will go well.

Pallas Conjunct True Lilith,  Orb: 0 deg. 21 min.

Pallas and Lilith both want independence, but one approaches this with a cool head and the other with a wounded heart. You have your work cut out dealing with the paradoxes here, but life has a way of wringing from you the skill to do so. A good start would be to honor the dark whilst bringing in the light. And cultivate patience and understanding!

Pallas Sextile MC,  Orb: 0 deg. 15 min.

You convey a sense of enthusiasm for new ideas and change which can be highly infectious, and open the resistant hearts and minds of other less adventurous people. This means you are a very effective agent of change and have the potential to lead. Your clarity of thought and ability to communicate also help you to professional success.

Pallas Sextile Iris,  Orb: 0 deg. 54 min.

Linkages of Pallas and Iris bestow strong intellectual abilities which you can harness easily, to the extent you are fired up by the desire to learn and understand. The main danger here is resting on your laurels and expecting luck to be ever present. The more you put in the more you get out. But your instincts are good and help you forward.

Pallas Sesquiquadrate Juno, Orb: 0 deg. 17 min.

Although you are in many ways an astute and visionary operator, and have strong leadership potential, you also have an unfortunate knack of getting caught up in differences of opinion and power plays. Your way is not always best: listen fairly and dispassionately to others and make informed choices, not knee-jerk reactions.

Chapter 3: Juno

Juno, lady of personal power

Juno symbolizes the primal power of the original Great Mother Goddess, whom the Greeks called Hera. The goddess Hera's supreme position was lost when the sky and warrior gods of patriarchal tribes supplanted the deities of the old agricultural proto-civilization. Hera became the wife of Zeus and patroness of marriage, a much narrower remit of power. Her Roman counterpart was Juno, wife of Jupiter. Although most astrologers read the asteroid Juno primarily as a symbol of relationships and the passions and power struggles entangled in them, there is a much deeper significance to this asteroid in your chart.

Juno is above all about personal power, where you find it, and how you use or misuse it, or fail to use it at all. People often struggle to express their Juno energy, perhaps because the world still struggles collectively with what feminine energy really means. It is not simply about sugar and spice and all things nice. Juno is often not very 'nice' at all, and challenges you to wake up to what you want and find a skilful way of shaping your life path. Juno shines a light on inequalities and demands fairness, or - if she feels thwarted - retreats into angry sulking and defeat. Her most blunted and distorted energies manifest as arrogance and self-entitlement, or in envy and spite; but at her best she bestows a kind of truly royal authority, grounded in maturity and deep understanding.

Juno demands you take responsibility, first of all for yourself. She also teaches you lessons about your values and helps you to transform anything primitive, selfish or self-defeating into a mature and empowering way of being in the world. Juno's great gift is precisely this: empowerment. As a corollary, she can help you make money or gain material successes along the way. And she can give you great style and a powerful presence, too!

Juno in Leo:

There is often a majestic quality to Juno energy, and this is never more obvious than when she is clothed in the gold of Leo, the most royal of signs. You can convey an air of effortless authority, or splendor, or drama or pizzazz, depending on what image you want - and image matters to you! Anyone silly enough to 'diss' you will be sorry, but treat you with ordinary courtesy and you are nice as pie. You know instinctively that nothing succeeds like success, and therefore will be expert in the art of faking it till you make it. One way or another you are likely to make it, somewhere, in terms that matter to you. Empowerment comes from full expression of your creativity, whether in your work or hobbies or ability to look after relationships. You're a natural, kid, so 'break a leg'!

Juno in 12th house:

You possess a deep wellspring of inner power, but in the earlier stages of your life you may not really be awake to what your potential is. Indeed, you could indulge in a good deal of self-defeating behavior and become your own worst enemy until you learn how to 'wise up' and listen to the voice within. Your intuition is strong and will serve you well, as long as you leave your ego at the door. Unless Juno is close to your Ascendant you may do better working behind the scenes than up front, but you have the capacity to lead once you figure out how to direct your energies wisely, into a worthy outlet. You have a good instinct for people and their motives, and this also helps you find your way.

Juno Conjunct Venus,  Orb: 3 deg. 19 min.

You can attain a sense of empowerment through your ability to promote harmony and draw out the beautiful, but this can also lapse into self-indulgence, especially where money and luxury are concerned. Cultivate the higher rather than the lower nature. This will bring you the best results, both spiritually and materially. Way to go!

Juno Conjunct Vesta,  Orb: 1 deg. 43 min.

In some way you are attuned to the deep transformative energies that affect the culture at large, and can be sensitive to power shifts that are bigger than anything in an individual life. The best approach is not to fret, but get on with the work in front of you and do the best you can. Little steps can take you far over time. Patience is a worthy virtue.

Juno Trine Uranus,  Orb: 1 deg. 56 min.

You easily hook in to whatever is hip and happening, unless there are very contradictory factors overwhelming your chart. You get a real buzz from being ahead of the trends and could be good with new technology and toys. The hi-tech and the cutting edge turn you on, and your ability to work with the new is a potential passport to worldly success.

Juno Sextile Chiron,  Orb: 0 deg. 46 min.

There is an idealistic, visionary quality to you and you can gain great empowerment and enjoyment from your ability to anticipate future trends and possibilities. Your daring and chutzpah can set an exciting example for others, but watch out for believing too much in your own press and pushing your barrow too hard - a little modesty goes a long way!

Juno Sextile True Node,  Orb: 2 deg. 46 min.

All relationships are enriched, even ennobled, by your ability to honor your own sources of personal power whilst recognizing and honoring the rights and capacities of other people. You can forge strong alliances in the pursuit of worldly aims, and will likely do best when you are able to link with others on a basis of equality and sharing.

Juno Square Saturn,  Orb: 1 deg. 55 min.

A certain austerity of purpose in your makeup facilitates worldly achievement but makes you a little intimidating to some people. Learn to relax and don't come on too strong with the dogma. 'Rules is rules', but they are also made to be broken, and you of all people, with your practical savvy and strong work ethic, know where to cut loose and do well.

Juno Opposition Hygiea,  Orb: 4 deg. 25 min.

The blazing intensity within you is a source of purifying energy and power, but it can be too much at times, and end up seething unconsciously or get suppressed. Yet there is a healing power here which you can channel into your work, and call on to become the best you can be, contributing somehow to greater wholeness for you and your environment.

Juno Sesquiquadrate True Lilith, Orb: 0 deg. 38 min.

This energy combination can become a real emotional pretzel-twisting power trip if you refuse to learn how to stand back and look dispassionately at your passions. Respect yourself and your boundaries so you can respect others in turn. Don't play reindeer games. Forgiveness sets everyone free, starting first and foremost with you!

Chapter 4: Vesta

Vesta, lady of focused service.

The asteroid Vesta constellates a very pure energy of dedication to a higher purpose. In worldly terms this often steps down to more ordinary, everyday realities: the willingness to work hard, the willingness to put personal preferences aside to deal with issues at hand or to assist others in need, and above all the ability to focus intently on something in order to get it done.

It is worth remembering that the Roman goddess Vesta was lady of the hearth, and the Latin word for hearth is 'focus'. Where you put your focus you are, in some sense, kindling a fire in a hearth and tending it, just like the Vestal Virgins looked after the sacred hearth whose fire symbolized the life of the whole collective. Vesta helps you to maintain your focus for as long as it takes to fulfill your obligations or to get the work done. With her help, you become less egoistic and more willing to put others ahead of yourself. But she also teaches you how to do this appropriately - turning into a doormat is hardly going to work well in the long run, either. You can become rather obsessed, too, where Vesta goes, and become righteous about issues with a moral dimension. You need to go a bit easily and honor difference whilst maintaining your own standards. Leading by example is better than grandstanding, and Vesta teaches you to work away quietly, without fuss, and achieve the sense of deep satisfaction that comes from recognizing and doing the right thing. You don't have to advertise this - virtue is its own reward!

Vesta in Leo:

Dedication to a creative vision is one of the strong motivators in your life. You have a deep desire to do something that matters: it's not enough to appear in some way special (important as that is for Leo!) but also it needs to be useful and somehow serve a bigger purpose. If you contract into shallow egoism, you might simply turn yourself into your special project, but sooner or later that won't be enough, and you'll look for more to do. And that's when you'll really be able to show the world what you've got. Obviously any of the usual 'creative' fields are worthy of your energies: any of the arty careers; work involving caring for others, especially children; and anything technical/scientific that allows you scope to express a vision. Be generous, not narrow, and you'll prosper well.

Vesta in 12th house:

The ideal of service is a powerful concept in your inner life, and underlies much of the way you go out into the world and interact with it. There is a real risk of overdoing the service thing, however, and you mustn't confuse being helpful with being a doormat, or with pushing your nose in for that matter. If you feel very hurt or vulnerable, you may refuse to be helpful at all, and withdraw inside yourself, trying to serve only your own needs. That won't work in the long run either. Your ability to keep going long after others have given up is a great gift. Use it wisely. Find the right people (ones who appreciate you!) to help out, surrender petty fears and self-defeating behaviors, and fly high!

Vesta Conjunct Venus,  Orb: 1 deg. 35 min.

There is an austerity to your aesthetic responses that could be described as minimalist, Zen, or by the Japanese word 'shibui'. You tend to like things just so. You also take the love game pretty seriously, and don't like manipulation or hysterics. Drama will turn you off; but genuine feelings, honor and commitment turn you on, and keep the flame alive.

Vesta Trine Uranus,  Orb: 0 deg. 13 min.

You have a knack for going with the flow and managing the wacky up'n'down quality of life. Inherently flexible, you can find freedom in structure and discipline, or put safe boundaries on chaos. Working with new technologies or at the cutting edge can be a good move, or becoming some kind of freelancer. You must do your own thing!

Vesta Sextile Chiron,  Orb: 2 deg. 29 min.

Your ideal work is somehow geared to the future and to maximizing personal potential and development. You refuse to get stuck in a rut and will summon up the energy to work through any blockage that stands in your way. Working in unusual, innovative or spiritual ways will yield the best results. You could be a gifted teacher of practical life skills.

Vesta Square Saturn,  Orb: 0 deg. 12 min.

At your best, you can attain some kind of mastery, of yourself or a craft or study, or all these. But the tensions in this link could influence you to hide behind a defensive hardness that others find off-putting or intimidating. Others do not have your strength and focus, so make allowances for difference. Beware of excessive conservatism, too.

Vesta Opposition Hygiea,  Orb: 2 deg. 42 min.

This energy links you to things much bigger than yourself, and gives you a drive to make a strong contribution to the greater good. But the dynamism of the link can make you feel overloaded or unsure of your direction. Your commitment to a holistic approach needs to be grounded in the practical, without becoming too austere for others to share.

Chapter 5: Astraea

Astraea, lady of right judgment and integration

Astraea was a classical goddess of justice, whose symbol was the balanced scales. She presided over the moral sense of rightness and good order, and the poetic tradition relates that she was the last of the divinities to leave the world at the end of the Golden Age. Astraea was then translated into the heavens as the constellation Virgo. These elements of myth give you clues to the meaning of the asteroid Astraea in the horoscope. She is concerned with the integration and organization of things, bringing sometimes disparate elements together and finding the common links that join them up in the web of life. She helps you to focus on detail and understand the meaning of the fine print. She helps you to work both hard and well, and helps you to become more ordered and tidy in at least some aspects of your life.

Astraea can also help you to become quite high minded, whilst integrating into this spacious vision an ability to zero in and see all the small things that go together to make up the greater whole. She can stir up a compulsive quality, too, and stimulate an obsessive streak. This can cause a kind of splitting, which is another aspect of Astraea energy: the goddess who brings things together can also tear them apart. She does all this, ultimately, in the service of wholeness, and reveals those things it is time to clean up and get rid of, so that everything else can evolve into a more perfect form. Wherever Astraea goes, you are urged to get organized and get your act together - and become the best you can be!

Astraea in Capricorn:

You find it easy to concentrate your mind on the world's social and organizational hierarchies and structures, and this helps you get ahead in material ways. Actually, you find it easy to concentrate, full stop. You are fascinated by how things work, on many levels, and take a keen interest in how life is lived in the world of form. Sometimes this is simply because you are so ambitious and you want a piece of the pie, but you can also be a very practical kind of idealist and even challenge the established order if you think it needs an overhaul. You're very good at finding where the cracks are and filling them, and bringing things together to create the new improved model. Just watch out that you don't become too serious or dogmatic. Remember to cut loose and play occasionally!

Astraea in 5th house:

For all that Astraea tends to wear an unassuming demeanor, there's a little exhibitionist streak inside you, or at least, a small voice crying out for an audience: you need to be seen and heard and understood. Sometimes you just want a platform so you can strut your stuff, but you'll do best when you have something creative to offer, and then you can really have an impact. Even when you're operating quietly, there's something about you people tend to notice, sooner or later. You can have that most intangible of qualities, presence. But you can take your time getting to the stage of showing this. Perfectionism is your biggest pitfall, and can stifle self-expression. Go a bit easy on yourself!

Astraea Conjunct Jupiter,  Orb: 4 deg. 26 min.

Blending Astraea and Jupiter combines the small with the large, the little details with the big picture: quite a combo. As long as you avoid any slide towards grandiosity or the hypercritical, you can move mountains and achieve to a high degree. You have a flair for bringing things together and promoting wholeness on many levels.

Astraea Sextile Saturn,  Orb: 0 deg. 08 min.

You draw strength and comfort from your capacity for hard work and focused action, and ability to keep things real. There can be something almost heroic about your organizing ability or your way of powering through a mountain of work, but you are also able to make allowances for less efficient or resilient folk, and even help them carry their load.

Astraea Opposition Apollo,  Orb: 2 deg. 09 min.

You have a strong dynamic for creative work that is both practical and pleasing, but your equally strong perfectionist streak can get in the way, big time. Don't waste your talents by giving in to fear, generated by an inner critic carping away. Believe in yourself and work patiently. You don't need magic or outside aid, just focused effort and brio.

Astraea Opposition Hephaistos,  Orb: 0 deg. 10 min.

Astraea and Hephaistos are both workers, and when they connect dynamically, there is a driven quality to all you do. Your powers of concentration are phenomenal, but you can get over anxious about what others think of your efforts. Just get on with it quietly and remember the journey matters more than the destination. Good work is its own reward.

Astraea Sesquiquadrate Mercury, Orb: 1 deg. 54 min.

Mental concentration is as easy for you as 'A,B,C', but you can be so intense about your thoughts that you start spinning round in circles or dig yourself into a hole. Or you let the inner critic run away with the show instead of providing a reasonable guiding hand. Slow down, relax, and breathe. Let it flow. Then everyone will see how bright you are!

Astraea Sesquiquadrate Asc., Orb: 0 deg. 24 min.

Many Virgo qualities can appear in your personal style, usually the virtues, but also the vices too if you aren't well centered. By all means be sensible, organized, disciplined, efficient and focused on the well-being of others. Just watch out for a tendency to flip into less skilful behaviors: worrying, uptightness, and an overly critical attitude!

Astraea Sesquiquadrate MC, Orb: 1 deg. 49 min.

You want to achieve integration and wholeness in your life, especially on your career path. Service with a capital 'S' is the name of the game: but it must not be servility, or manipulation. Honor yourself and your gifts, so others honor you in turn. Don't allow shyness to hold you back: be realistic, and that may mean taking pride in your skills!

Chapter 6: Iris

Iris, lady of the intuitive mind and illumination

In Greek myth, there were two divine messengers: Hermes (equivalent to the Roman god Mercury), and Iris. Some traditions suggest that Iris was the messenger of the goddess Hera (whose Roman equivalent was Juno), whilst Mercury served Jupiter. However you play with the myths, there was a feminine energy associated with communication as well as a masculine one. And modern neuroscience tells us there are masculine and feminine aspects to the brain, too.

Few astrologers have learned yet how to honor the great goddess whose archetype stands behind the 'feminine' brain and style of communication. That is why this asteroid report is named in honor of Iris! The symbol of Iris was the rainbow, and the Iris energies of the horoscope seem to encompass all the colors of the spectrum, all kinds of light: ultimately, the light of pure consciousness.

Mercury shows how you think and communicate in a more systems oriented, data gathering and sorting way. His energy is yang and outward directed. Iris, however, has yin energy and is receptive. She shows how you receive ideas, how you listen, how you intuit and empathize, and how you deal holistically with all the information thrown at you by living in the world.

Iris helps you to understand things at a deep level, and to grow in wisdom. She adds color and depth to the Mercury energies of the chart, and shows another avenue of expression. She helps you to meditate. At her very best, Iris helps you to find true illumination. There is a vastness and sublime beauty to Iris energy. Wherever she sits in your horoscope can be magical, as she helps your consciousness to expand and evolve.

Iris in Taurus:

No matter how many other speedy or feisty factors are at work in your chart, with Iris in Taurus you have an inner poise and stillness that quietly watches and absorbs pretty much everything. How much you share of this is another matter: you're good at keeping quiet. There is a calmness to your communication style which can be very soothing to people, and you're probably an effective listener with something of the good mother about you, regardless of gender or age. You have an attunement to the rhythms of the natural world which can seem uncanny at times, and a strong sensory awareness which usually includes a deep aesthetic sense as well. Beauty moves you, and you also need a measure of peace to function best. But woe betide those who rouse the docile bull to anger!

Iris in 9th house:

Iris has a lovely time in the house of the 'higher mind', since the expansion and illumination of consciousness are perhaps her greatest gift. You have the capacity to embrace and comprehend anything and everything, and not just mental constructions, either. Of course you can get a bit lost with all this, go dancing off into dead ends and even get carried away with fantasies about how you want things to be, instead of realizing how they are. But truth will out, sooner or later, and you have the grace to recognize when you've been wrong and do something about it if necessary. You are an idealist and a traveler, and can help to fire others with the quest to explore and know in turn.

Iris Conjunct MC,  Orb: 1 deg. 09 min.

When you're on top form, your communication skills are fantastic, and a source of great potential for worldly success. You have a particular gift for listening and being present, and taking in everything around you. This enables you to tune your responses to situations with particular skill and sensitivity, winning approval and opening doors.

Iris Sextile True Lilith,  Orb: 0 deg. 33 min.

You have a kind of sixth sense around the emotional currents that are circulating, both your own and those of others. Mostly you handle the mix of dynamics well, but your drive for independence generally keeps you aloof from messy entanglements, and some people may accuse you of opting out. Let them be. Deal with your own stuff instead!

Iris Opposition Mars,  Orb: 3 deg. 12 min.

Your energetic approach to life is often inspiring, but can daunt people with lower power in their batteries! A willingness to engage with ideas and debate issues is all well and good, and can take you far professionally, but you can stir up conflict without quite meaning to, and then need to sort out the mess. Think a moment before you speak!

Iris Square Asc.,  Orb: 3 deg. 22 min.

You have a strong drive to project the Iris qualities of receptivity and awareness into your personal style, but sometimes this can be too full-on for full effectiveness. Use your ability to detach and watch to make careful assessments before you leap in. With a little tact and planning you can make fantastic connections, and contribute socially.

Iris Sesquiquadrate Jupiter, Orb: 1 deg. 28 min.

You think big, which is fantastic when your thoughts are well directed. But if you get carried away or become a little too grand for your own good, you can hit speed bumps that slow your wheels abruptly. Use your spaciousness of mind for good, and step back awhile to ponder alternatives - because you aren't always right, are you?!

Iris SemiSquare Apollo, Orb: 0 deg. 48 min.

You have talent to burn, but probably have trouble (at least in youth, which you may over prolong) figuring out where to put it all. You don't like to be second in anything but somewhere along the line you need to assess priorities and focus. Once you get real, and decide to put out both the smarts and the charm, you can go anywhere and do anything.

Chapter 7: Hygiea

Hygiea, lady of purification and healing

Hygiea is named for the classical goddess of health and well-being, whose name also yields the English word hygiene. This brings a sense of cleansing and purification to the symbolism for the asteroid Hygiea, as well as meanings associated with health issues, sickness, cure, and the moral and physical wholeness that are implicit in ideas of good health or good order. Wherever Hygiea goes in the horoscope, she has a way of cleaning up things, bringing them into a very pure, even ideal, state of being.

Hygiea intensifies any other planetary energy with which she links, and assists it to express in a cleaner, stronger, truer form. Sometimes this poses real challenges and problems, making circumstances appear worse before they get better. Then Hygiea seems to act like the force behind a fever, which can rise to dangerous heights before it breaks, and the healing occurs. It's all about getting the poison out first, so that wholeness can be restored, or aided to form. The poison is more often metaphorical than literal, of course. Hygiea always helps you to scrub up, or purge. She's a catalyst for action as well as a force for intensifying and purifying other energies. However testing a time you have whilst she's busy, you're always left in much better shape when she has finished with you!

Hygiea in Aquarius:

You want to have as big an impact on your social milieu as your talents and imagination and opportunities allow. You're able to make your own luck if you must, but serendipity has a way of finding you if your heart and mind are in the right place. A gift for creating and managing change can take you far, and although you usually follow a progressive agenda, it will be your definition of what constitutes progress, and if other people don't like it, too bad. It's quite possible you'll present as a conservative if you think progress is served by maintaining - or more likely, retrieving - the past. You can be very keen on things that are so very old, they're all brand new again. Keep your circulation in good shape, both in terms of your physical body, and in the sense of getting out and about.

Hygiea in 6th house:

The urge to be useful is strong in you, which seldom makes you servile but may make you feel a little superior at times. Sure, you can be the healer's healer and the worker's worker, but you don't want to overdo the helpfulness thing to the point where your pride in achievement founders on the rocks of exhaustion. This can all too easily tip you into illness of some kind. Be gentle with yourself, and temper your pride in your practical capacity with a little humility in recognizing where, when and how to draw the line. You can't be all things to all people or you'll learn the bitter lesson of pleasing nobody if you try to please everybody. Please yourself first! Work on your own integration!

Hygiea Sextile Uranus,  Orb: 2 deg. 29 min.

You love the whole business of 'being an individual', and put quite a lot of effort into cultivating your own uniqueness, at least sporadically. Your energies can fluctuate, but when working at full power you have a steady kind of zaniness born from being acutely aware of what's happening around you, and a willingness to take on - everything!

Hygiea Sextile Diana,  Orb: 2 deg. 43 min.

It is very easy for you to go your own way and let the devil take whoever may be hanging about. You like traveling solo, and doing your own thing; it just feels right, and brings out your best. But you do need to make allowances for the needs and wishes of others, at least occasionally. This teaches you a deeper emotional maturity, and kindness.

Hygiea Opposition Venus,  Orb: 1 deg. 06 min.

Your intense drive to enjoy life to the full can make for some very good times, but if you get carried away with only having fun and getting the best of everything, you risk living wastefully. One way or another you learn that money doesn't buy happiness. You need the pleasure of inner peace instead. Cultivate good taste and the art of choosing well.

Hygiea Square Saturn,  Orb: 2 deg. 30 min.

There's a reserved streak in your nature; you're good at conserving energy and measuring it out in a sensible way. But this can also distort into some kind of stinginess or turn you into an anxious control freak or workaholic, or just a wet blanket. Make time for fun as well as duty. And watch out for health issues with your back, or bones, joints, and skin.

Hygiea SemiSquare Neptune, Orb: 1 deg. 57 min.

Your sensitivity is acute, and at your best you understand anything and anyone; but at your worst, you wallow in confusion and fantasy. You need to cultivate the power discernment so you can reach the heavenly heights instead of sinking into the depths. Avoid illicit substances; you can become addicted more easily than many other folk.

Hygiea SemiSquare Bacchus, Orb: 0 deg. 46 min.

There is a strong tendency for you to run to extremes, driven by an intense yearning for peak experiences. You'd rather die than be bored, but a little simplicity might be just the tonic you need. Burn-out is a real risk if you don't ever put the breaks on! Attune to inspiration by all means, but don't go down the primrose path to nowhere - or ruin!

Chapter 8: Proserpina

Proserpina, lady of transitions, other-worldly realms, and sacrifice

The asteroid Proserpina is named in honor of the goddess of the dead, consort of Pluto, she who was known as Persephone to the Greeks. As a goddess archetype, Proserpina constellates an energy that is often hard to fathom at first, because in the poetic myths Proserpina/Persephone seems to have little personality of her own. As the innocent maiden, abducted by Pluto/Hades into the underworld, she was scarcely distinguishable from her fertility goddess mother Ceres/Demeter. As Pluto's wife and queen of the underworld, though, she receives the souls of the dead and as such, is also a guide to other realms and levels of being, and the deepest places of the psyche. The asteroid Proserpina seems to manifest as an energy of innocence and ignorance that learns a very great deal by (often hard) experience. She shows where you tend to take the line of least resistance, to be passive or helpless, and teaches you the consequences of such unaware or unassertive responses. She points to what you learn through the various transitions of life, which may or may not be painful, but which always entail a letting go of what has ceased to be viable, and carry therefore some sense of sacrifice. She shows you altered states of being, can help you to open up to all the stimuli of life, assists you to adapt and change in response to your environment, and even helps you to cultivate psychic perception.

Proserpina is a tricky energy to deal with, though, because she is so hard to know in essence. You need to be still, and quietly open, to access Proserpina and work with her successfully. Ignore her altogether and you may find yourself plunging into situations you never expected or wanted; honor her and she will help you to find a way through the dark, a guide for your soul who aids your inner journey and ultimately, as a result, your path to individuation in the outer world.

Proserpina in Aries:

Deep spiritual longings fire your way of being in the world, but early in life you may not quite know what these yearnings are, or what to do with them even if you can name them. So you may come across as a bit lost at first, but with a certain zest and courage that keep you from harm - people sense you aren't really someone to mess with, no matter how gentle or obliging you seem. To protect your soft places, of course, you might over-compensate and come across as feistier than you are (or genuinely feel). There is a bit of the actor in you, and you can play a part if it serves your purposes. You just have to be clear what your purposes are - and if you don't know, sooner or later some sort of identity crisis will force you to wise up and define your direction. Then you're away!

Proserpina in 8th house:

For you, Proserpina's symbolic journey to hell and back takes place in the transformative space in the horoscope where everything is shared, especially in close relationships. This does not mean you are doomed! Indeed, you have the potential to rise from this purified and glorified like the phoenix, but such splendid new wings are not won easily. By facing your own demons without flinching, you learn to see the demons in others as the bogus phantoms they really are. Then, pfft! - they're gone. You do have to learn some discernment in picking partners, though, and may have to be careful whom you trust. But you could be a natural therapist, and help other people with their transformations, too.

Proserpina Trine Sun,  Orb: 2 deg. 57 min.

You find it easy to play many parts in the tragic-comedy of life, and could try on several roles before you find the right fit. You'll find a certain strength in being so adaptable, but must watch out for tendencies to drifting or complacency. Your predilection for the good life can power up achievement, but also make you want whatever is easy.

Proserpina Sextile True Node,  Orb: 1 deg. 20 min.

You want to taste life to the full but could have some difficulty sorting out what kinds of experiences are worth having and what you should avoid. Neither be too ready to accept anything that comes your way, nor recoil in fear if something looks too risky. Learn how to take calculated risks, and maintain some practicality even while you chase dreams.

Proserpina Square Jupiter,  Orb: 1 deg. 26 min.

Oh yes, you think and dream big. Especially dream big. But you mustn't leave it all to luck or 'the universe', because drifting will only cause you to miss opportunities and squander the good that does come along. Get real about the effort required to put your great plans into action, and you can go a seriously long way. Don't dream it - do it!

Proserpina Square Apollo,  Orb: 3 deg. 43 min.

Your creative energy has an interesting attunement to the subtler realms, but you may seem a little too crazy to more ordinary folk as you go about your business. Try playing the 'normal' card once in a while for success. Clever you may be, but don't get too smug about being somehow special: this could sabotage your capacity to realize your dreams.

Proserpina Sesquiquadrate Mars, Orb: 0 deg. 17 min.

Your energy levels can go up and down, and see you oscillate between intense interest and sublime indifference. Cultivating balance is a good start if you want to succeed in the world (and you do!), and don't kid yourself that it will all be easy. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Get organized and don't allow impulse to side track your journey.

Chapter 9: Diana

Diana, lady of emotional maturity

Diana was the classical goddess associated with the moon, a virginal hunter who was expert with the bow and arrow. She preferred to keep aloof from the company of most of the other gods and goddesses, living in wild mountain fastnesses with her retinue of maidens.

Diana took an interest in the affairs of ordinary mortals primarily when women were giving birth, and she cared for the young of all creatures. But she could be fierce, even lethal, if her rights were impinged upon, or if she were slighted. Her arrows never missed their target.

The asteroid Diana has not been used a lot by astrologers, which is a pity as she seems to show a different quality of emotional response from that traditionally associated with the Moon. Where Diana goes in your chart you are not inclined to the sort of overt, even child-like sensitivity and vulnerability that the Moon tends to indicate, but to a more restrained, independent and even sometimes avoidant response to the stimuli of life. Diana energy is more austere, but she does not show a lack of sensitivity as such. Indeed, she can be almost hypersensitive in her way, which is to acknowledge feelings and immediately put boundaries in place to contain and protect them, so that Diana can sometimes seem cold or hard where in fact she is simply looking after herself. Of course, she can help you to be tough if circumstances demand it! She can also point to intense fear responses, which in turn stimulate the 'fight or flight' reflex, which in turn makes you either combative or prone to head for the hills. Ultimately the position of Diana in your chart tells you a lot about how you develop emotional maturity, although she can also say something about the distortions and setbacks of this process, too. She shows where you are able to rely on yourself rather than depending on others, and also points to ways in which you will help other people - as long as it suits you!

Diana is not needy, except for space and for the opportunity, quietly, to nurture the inner needs of the soul. She helps you to figure out what you want, but without all the emotional baggage associated with Lunar attachment. Detached, disinterested and dispassionate, Diana energy helps you to engage with life on your own terms, as a fully fledged adult. With Diana, you put away childish things and come into a richer fullness of being.

Diana in Aries:

There is something very swift about the way you process your emotional responses. Even if your Moon is in a gentle sign, you have a tough streak that enables you to cut a path through the world on your own terms, and you can be a cool negotiator either in a crisis, or when looking after Number One. Though you can be quick to anger, you as quickly move on; but heaven help those who have aroused your ire. They could be wondering what happened long after you've darted off, chasing another goal (or quarry). There is something of the hunter in you, but you can lose interest in your pursuits more rapidly than always serves your good. Apply some discipline and consistency instead, and you can do great things. Your goals matter more than perhaps you let on. Stay focused!

Diana in 8th house:

The whole interpersonal sphere is a playground for learning, and although it is a truism to say that relationships are our greatest teachers, this old saw is especially true of you. It's the business of sharing that can get tricky, and issues around vulnerability, or even a kind of dark charisma that can turn relationships into something quite odd and obsessive. You learn sooner or later the consequences of poor choices, which may mean you'll prefer to fly solo. But there is actually a potential for you to do it all better in a pair (or in a group, as the case may be), but this is likely to work out best when you're older and wiser. You need to deal effectively with power, a skill which comes with age and experience.

Diana Trine Venus,  Orb: 3 deg. 49 min.

You have high aesthetic and moral standards which allow you to navigate life with an admirable (sometimes even daunting) air of authority and calm. You like the best and tend to find ways of getting it. Anything shoddy (including people!) leaves you cold. You are happiest when expressing your refined capacity for living harmoniously.

Chapter 10: Apollo

Apollo, lord of creative maturity

In classical mythology, Apollo was the god of the sun, whose patronage extended over harmony, the arts and healing. He was not the literal, physical sun, however, and the asteroid named in honor of this god has a slightly different quality from the Sun energy with which traditional astrology is familiar - just as the energy of Diana is rather markedly different from that of the Moon.

Although work is still in progress on understanding the influence of Apollo - as with all the asteroids! - he seems to take the creative, personality-making energy traditionally associated with the Sun and then place and develop it in a wider social context. If the Sun is about 'Me' and my life force in pure potential, then Apollo shows 'Me' how to become more fully and completely and socially myself - or rather yourself, as the case may be, since this report is about you, the reader! For this reason Apollo is described here as the lord of creative maturity. He has a sway over the process of full individuation that allows your innate gifts to shine their light into the world. Apollo shows another aspect of your talents and potentials, but he also shows possible areas of downfall, if more primitive egoistic urges get in the way of the maturation process.

It is all too easy to become proud wherever Apollo goes in the chart, and to become excessively perfectionist and demanding. But all these distortions are unfortunate ways of misusing his wonderful capacities for creation. At his best, Apollo gives clear sightedness, and this includes clarity of insight into who you really are and what you are best able to do in order to make the best of yourself in the world at large. Don't allow vanity or lazy self-entitlement to trip you up. Be honest about where you are and what you want, and do the best you can to be the best you can. That's what Apollo's drive for (true) excellence is all about!

The asteroid Apollo also has a rather strange orbit and appears to spend much longer in some signs of the zodiac than others. Appropriately enough, he is much more often and longest in Leo, the traditional sign of the Sun. If you have Apollo in the signs from Sagittarius through to Taurus, this is a relatively more rare placement.

Apollo in Cancer:

Sorry if it punctures your ego, but there are lots of Apollo in Cancer people running around in the world. You're a varied lot, but what you tend to have in common is some fundamental regard for 'family'. Your own definition of family could be quite broad, not necessarily just the nuclear grouping, and indeed you could have a very strong regard for the connectedness of the whole human family, or of all living things. You tend to be quite receptive (though other factors could mask or limit this predisposition) and there is often a yin or 'feminine' quality to how you present and relate to people. Emotions can get the better of you, but you're pretty good at putting up the necessary barriers to hide or protect your soft center. This makes you formidable when you want to go and get something!

Apollo in 11th house:

When idealistic Apollo is resident in the House of Ideals (hopes, wishes, good fortune, friends) he seems to incline you less to worldly wants, and rather more to creating a rich inner life. If it's not a path with heart, you probably aren't interested. But if you do take the right road, it can lead you to a place of considerable success and comfort, anyway. All the while, you dream great dreams, which can become even greater if you share them with like-minded souls. If or when you do engage with a group (of any size) you can have quite an impact on it, and indeed have the capacity to be a leader in your field. You'll probably be known for something a bit different from the 'white bread' norm, too.

Apollo Conjunct Hephaistos,  Orb: 1 deg. 59 min.

There is a remarkable capacity available to you to harness your creativity in very practical ways. Your passions are intense, which may trouble you, as a part of your being doesn't quite approve of intensity and brooding. For you, the only way to deal with the dark energies of the soul is to find a constructive, acceptable outlet for them.

Apollo Trine Saturn,  Orb: 2 deg. 18 min.

You are motivated by a rather austere, almost mathematical aesthetic, and tend to look for harmony in structure and discipline. Though disorder or laziness or wildness are not to your taste, you can be quite tactfully firm in setting things to rights instead of wading in and playing the heavy. Your practical focus helps to bring other people to consensus.

Apollo Opposition Jupiter,  Orb: 2 deg. 17 min.

That old saw about pride coming before a fall is one you would do well to heed, as you can get a tad tempted to over-estimate both yourself, and the worth of your particular ideas and beliefs. Dogmatism only breeds conflict. Open up, focus your fundamental generosity of spirit on being ethical, helpful, and tolerant, and you'll do very well

Apollo SemiSquare MC, Orb: 0 deg. 20 min.

You certainly have a drive to make it in the world, but conflict between your own ambitions or family duties or partnership issues can get in the way. So can unresolved ego issues, which may bedevil other conflicts, too. Do some self analysis and be willing to put in the hard yards to achieve something. Heaven helps those who do the work!

Chapter 11: Bacchus

Bacchus, lord of altered states and divine inspiration

In Roman mythology, Bacchus was the god of the vine and wine, equivalent to the Greek Dionysos. The cult of Dionysos was ancient and mysterious. He was a strange and subtle god, other-worldly, now kind, now cruel, connected with altered states (including those induced by drugs, from alcohol to hallucinogens), the deity presiding over peak experiences from ecstasy to agony. He was close to nature, wild and free, and his worship had many anarchic as well as transcendental elements. Eventually his archetype and worship became so important to the Greek collective psyche that he was elevated to the Council of Twelve, the great gods and goddesses who presided over the government of Mount Olympus. Unlike other (male) gods, Dionysos was surrounded by women, and mortal women were his most significant votaries. There is an inter-sex, almost androgynous or transgender quality to this divine archetype.

The asteroid Bacchus constellates all these contradictions and mysteries in the horoscope. A good deal of the Bacchus/Dionysos archetype is also apparent in the planet Neptune, and where this asteroid differs and adds value to the chart is in the way it focuses the area of life where you are most open to inspiration and where you are most eager for pleasure and escape from the everyday. Neptune has a collective energy, but Bacchus is more directly personal. Bacchus tells you a lot about where and how you play, what excites you and inspires you to do better, to go further, and to push things not only to the limit but even past it. The consequences, if any, you will deal with later, if you must. Where Bacchus goes you have a little taste of freedom, a little glimpse of heaven or - if you play foolishly or choose badly - you get a harrowing vision of hell. You need to be careful with Bacchus energy. When he is good he is very, very good; and when he is bad he is horrid. Or to quote another old proverb: 'Take what you want, the Good Lord says - and pay for it.'

The asteroid Bacchus has an eccentric orbit and spends more time in some signs of the zodiac than others. His longest sojourn is in Sagittarius; if you have Bacchus in the signs from Pisces through Aries to Virgo, this is a less common placement.

Bacchus in Pisces:

When they were making the extra-large imagination size, they put a couple of extra extras on yours. Your capacity to perceive and conceive is immense, sometimes almost too big for comfort, because your imaginings can morph into dark fantasies or bizarre phantoms that leave you scared or confused. A little reality check now and then is a good idea! Your ability to understand and empathize, to participate in life, can take you from the sublime to the ridiculous, the gutter to the holy temple, and everywhere in between. You can be a refined visionary, an artist, an expert, a lunatic or a criminal, and that's just in one night out on the town. You are inspired by all the rich variety and splendor and horror of Life, and can probably learn how to spin gold from straw if you really try!

Bacchus in 8th house:

So, you're looking for happiness via sex and money? Oh boy, have you put in a tall order or what? If you want to have fun with this stuff, you have to get very serious first. Forget about faking, for starters; keep fantasy in its proper place; and remember that complete sharing, whether financial or sexual, is a profoundly transformative experience and you'd better get your partner(s) right. Otherwise the changes you experience could be highly unpleasant. Ultimately this is about transformation, quite possibly transforming those fantasies incapable of satisfaction into mere fleeting daydreams. You have a lot to learn about desire, a difficult process, but it can yield great rewards when you do the work.

Bacchus Trine Sun,  Orb: 2 deg. 46 min.

A rather wild imagination fuels an approach to life that is free, flexible, playful and entirely your own. You just want to have fun, whatever that means and wherever it takes you. But you don't come across as crazy so much as inspired, because you know how to ground your visions in the everyday, and are willing to work to achieve your dreams.

Bacchus Sextile Moon,  Orb: 0 deg. 27 min.

A ready responsiveness to emotional stimuli can be troublesome, but you tend to know how to get the measure right. You might be a sensitive plant, but you aren't a sponge or doormat, and know how to keep excess in check. By working with your capacity for bliss you can cut a spiritual path that allows for openness whilst keeping you safe.

Bacchus Square Neptune,  Orb: 1 deg. 11 min.

Bacchus and Neptune both constellate ecstatic, other-worldly energies, and when they go wrong in combination you could become so hypersensitive and escapist that your only way to manage reality is to avoid it, perhaps taking refuge in unhealthy substances. That would be a dreadful waste. Find a sensibly flexible focus and outlet for your dreams.

Bacchus Sesquiquadrate Venus, Orb: 1 deg. 52 min.

Glittering clouds of romance are all very well, lots of fun for a while. But you need to get a little bit real about your relationships, or your tendency to fall in love with love could land you not on cloud nine but on cold hard ground. You are also much moved by beauty, which again is fine as long as you are not misled by appearances. What's within?

Chapter 12: Hephaistos

Hephaistos, lord of inner fire, talent, craft and work

The asteroid Hephaistos is named in honor of the ancient god of fire and the forge, the master craftsman and divine blacksmith. In the proto-civilizations of the early Bronze Age, those who worked with the wonders of fire and metal seemed to be magicians, and were thought to possess special powers. But the god Hephaistos had a sad, strange story. He stands for aspects of the masculine that are not only amongst the most worthy (he is a hard worker and consummate artisan) but also the most unfortunate, because Hephaistos was crippled and ugly, so the other gods and goddesses wanted little to do with him. But they could not ignore him, because he was too clever and too skilful, and he was one of the great gods who sat on the Council of Twelve governors. As we know in human life, too, those who are truly gifted always find a way to the top, and this is something the asteroid Hephaistos can point to in your horoscope. He also shows where you may feel very unworthy and self-doubting, and so make an extra effort. He reveals many of your deepest passions and dearest desires, but also shows some of your greatest sufferings, because other people do not necessarily understand you or want your company or input. He shows where and how you work, where and how you are perhaps most skilful. But above all, the divine blacksmith hammers your soul on his forge in order to make you better than you are already. This process of soul making, of what used to be called 'character building', can be hard and painful, but it is very necessary.

Hephaistos knocks you into shape. Once you understand what he is doing, it can actually be fun to cooperate, and turn the work into a game. Mary Poppins, arguably the first super-nanny, knew a thing or two about the secret purposes of the Hephaistos archetype. With his help, you can take the base metal of your nature and transform it into gold, or at least move from childhood to adulthood.

The asteroid Hephaistos also has an even more eccentric orbit than Apollo, and spends very little time in some signs of the zodiac. He is most often in Taurus, and the nearby signs of Aries, Gemini and Cancer. If your Hephaistos is in the signs from Leo to Pisces, this is a much rarer placement.

Hephaistos in Cancer:

For you, soul making is a very sensitive process, as you learn profound lessons relating to fundamental emotional drives. Family and tribal awareness is strong in you, and even if home isn't (or wasn't) always where the heart is (or was), you still place a high value on it. Security means a lot to you, and you can become very assertive, even aggressive, if you feel in any way threatened. Or you could be defensive for other reasons, or willing to go out and fight for some right cause that reflects deeply held values. Your instincts are strong, and you tend to read people and situations well, if with a weather eye to self interest. Those who want something from you will do better to appeal to your feelings than to your intellect or abstract principles. You are best reached through the heart.

Hephaistos in 11th house:

The soul making process indicated by the sign your Hephaistos occupies is channeled into the area of life that connects you up with groups and links you to friends. It is also one of the testing grounds for ideas, especially those with an idealistic cast and the potential to have a social impact. You have a strong and spacious mind, a clear orientation towards the future, and can be very ardent about social change. Those who are able to share your vision will admire and assist you, but others may be less friendly. It will all flow better if you can link your own soul urges to the movements of the 'anima mundi', the soul of the world. Then you will go with the tide, instead of against it.

Hephaistos Trine Saturn,  Orb: 0 deg. 19 min.

It is very easy for you to work away at a steady pace, with a sense of calm dedication and a focus on the technical requirements necessary to do everything well. You find pleasure in material accomplishment, and a sense of validation. Given the likely quality of your best efforts, you should readily gain recognition and respect for your skills and efforts.

Hephaistos Opposition Jupiter,  Orb: 4 deg. 16 min.

Big dreams build in your rich inner life, but you may find challenges in translating them into practical works. Your gung-ho, think-big approach to everything can get just a tad too full-on, creating skepticism in others about your sincerity and/or capacity. Scale back and roll up your sleeves, do the work and show them! Living well is the best revenge.

Hephaistos SemiSquare Asc., Orb: 0 deg. 35 min.

Self criticism can be helpful if it checks a runaway ego, but it's a burden if you give way too much to lack of self esteem and self denigration. You may need to get a little less hard on yourself. Look for practical works to do so you can present a capable image, and stop fretting about superficialities. Your skills are worthy of real self confidence.

Hephaistos SemiSquare MC, Orb: 1 deg. 39 min.

You've a strong drive to achieve, not so much from vanity as from fear, as you worry about whether or not you are worthy of respect, even of affection. It would help your progress to work on your self esteem so you believe more simply in the power that derives from the integrity of your skills. A little practical effort, and you're a winner.