ERIS in ASTROLOGY F a C E T S a N D F R a G M E N T S O F S E L F by Eric Francis

2 0 0 7 A L M A N A C ERIS INFACE TASTROLOGYS AND FRAGMENTS OF SELF by Eric Francis It's the combination of narcissism and nihilism that really defines postmodernism. —AL GORE These fragments I have shored against my ruins. —T.S. ELIOT,THE WASTE LAND To the Fairest. —ERIS M O C . K S U D N IS RARE E that a newly discovered astrological signs Pluto and Chiron were V A R planet is delineated by the sign it's discovered in? Pluto's discovery degree is . W W transiting, or was discovered in. in Cancer. Chiron's discovery degree, per- W : haps more widely known, is in Taurus. N Because sign placement is transient, it's O T I T usually seen as playing a background role Any thoughts as to how that influences A R T S in conceiving of a new planet's archetype, our perception of these planets, or how U L L but no more. Can anyone even name what it's influenced popular interpretations? I 4 W W W . P L A N E T W A V E S . N E T 2 0 0 7 A L M A N A C ERIS IN ASTROLOGY F A C E T S A N D F R A G M E N T S O F S E L F by Eric Francis taking things excruciatingly slowly with longer history of use by astrologers, thus new discoveries. Pluto, though discovered more experience and a longer history of in 1930, was not put on the main longi- discussion than stuff discovered last tude tables of Raphael’s Ephemeris until the week, though this is not necessary to mid-1970s; for many years it was included understand the past. The passage of his- in a little table giving the positions once tory itself can be tracked with any planet THE RECOGNITION OF ERIS AND THE REORGANIZATION OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM NOW CONFRONT MAINSTREAM ASTROLOGY WITH THE PRE- N A I R A J VIOUSLY ESOTERIC ISSUE OF HOW ASTROLOGERS FIGURE OUT WHAT A N L E C X E A NEW DISCOVERY IS ABOUT, AND HOW TO WORK WITH IT. R D : O T O H P t is also unusual to use a planet’s Eris, along with older discoveries Pluto per month, stuck in at the back of the whose orbit is known, since all you need nickname to gain an understanding and Ceres, was designated a dwarf planet annual edition. to do is calculate an ephemeris and look at of its expression, but then, I can in the summer of 2006. The recognition Though they don’t usually realize it, the cycle going back as far as you want, Ionly name one planet that’s had a cul- of Eris and the reorganization of the astrologers have been engaged in a delin- and study the results, though it can be sur- turally accepted moniker, one that got solar system now confront mainstream eation process with Uranus, Neptune and prisingly challenging. into The New York Times: Eris, which astrology with the previously esoteric Pluto for a long time. What are often In terms of bodies that have been con- was originally widely known as Xena, issue of how astrologers figure out what a called the “modern planets” are not sciously delineated recently after their dis- named for the Warrior Princess of tele- new discovery is about, and how to work described in the ancient astrological texts, covery, the most openly conducted quest vision fame as a temporary measure with it. But the topic has been surprising- and thus fall outside the Doctrine of has involved Chiron, discovered in 1977 until its astronomical status could be ly quiet, perhaps because many Signatures that was so essential to the and originally met with great excitement sorted out.1 Eris was discovered in 2005 astrologers are at a loss for where to begin medieval understanding of astrology.We by astrologers, an unprecedented phe- and takes about 557 years to go around the discussion. This is surprising; one have, in truth, had to deduce their mean- nomenon that has not persisted, and has the Sun once. It’s currently about 10 bil- would imagine that naming the equivalent ing, which is the essence of a modern not been seen since. In part this is because lion miles from the Sun, a good bit fur- of the 10th planet for the goddess who planet. Their presence in modern astrolo- the discovery was announced as that of a ther than Pluto, which by contrast takes started the Trojan Wars would get some gy books gives a false idea that they are planet (though it was later re-classified to 248 years to orbit the Sun and is consid- attention. perfectly understood, and always were. Centaur planet). But in the late 70s, that erably closer. But there is a precedent for astrology One thing they have going for them is a sense of discovery, quest and exploration, 7 W W W . P L A N E T W A V E S . N E T 2 0 0 7 A L M A N A C ERIS IN ASTROLOGY F A C E T S A N D F R A G M E N T S O F S E L F by Eric Francis and the desire for tangible self-knowl- the media. Because the Eris controversy recognized as a planet, even partly; none experience, along with copious writing in edge, were all very much in the sprit of resulted in the supposed demotion of so much as started a good debate, much ancient texts. The process is not only con- the times, so it was natural for astrologers Pluto (originally deemed a planet) from less was responsible for settling one, scious, it is contemporaneous. It happens to respond assertively. “full planetary status,” it made newspa- though this may be a temporary settle- as we do it. The discussion of any new Though there have been thousands of pers worldwide. This came with the “pro- ment as the issue will be reviewed in three planet will be a metalog: the subject will discoveries of small planets orbiting our motion” of Ceres (discovered in 1801 and years. Because Varuna and company were arise as the discussion progresses. all smaller than Pluto, the entire world of There are basically two ways for newly minor planets, trans-Neptunians, Kuiper discovered planets to have their meaning objects, asteroids and Centaurs (such as emerge as an intentional act. They differ, IT’S ONLY BECAUSE LAST SUMMER’S CATEGORIZATION OF ERIS Chiron and Pholus) seemed doomed to but there are some overlapping methods. obscurity, discussion lists or private astrol- One is observation over long periods of DISRUPTED THE ESTABLISHED ORDER OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM THAT ogy seminars in London. time, studying the cycles of history and Yet it is the theme of Eris, not its size, the lives of cultural figures and astrology THIS DISCOVERY IS GETTING ANY RESPECT FROM ASTROLOGERS that will guide its fate as an astrological clients until the archetype reveals itself. factor, mark a moment of passage or An example of this approach is offered transition, and perhaps help tell the story by Richard Tarnas in his long essay of our time in history, and we who are liv- Prometheus the Awakener.3 In this mono- Sun in recent years, and several prominent called a planet at the time, but soon after, ing it. graph, he examines the expression of ones the past few years, most have been reclassified as an asteroid). It is surprising Uranus, discovered in 1781, the first plan- diligently ignored by mainstream astrolo- that Ceres, though it comprises a third of How a Planet Gets its Meaning et discovered by science. In this remark- gy, with only a few astrologers being the mass of the inner asteroid belt and is A planet possesses what we think of as able book, Tarnas looks closely at the involved in deciphering their themes, named for a goddess one of whose meaning in a cultural sense, and in an cycles of history, as well as in the charts of mostly on email lists. Only one main- themes, food, is so central to human sur- archetypal one. The two are related, but people for whom Uranus plays promi- stream horoscope writer that I know of vival, has long been treated as if it’s of lit- you can think of archetypal meaning as nently, explaining that it bears a mis- has regularly informed his readers of tle consequence to astrology, except by a standing somewhat apart from human nomer: it accurately matches the arche- some of these discoveries, and has occa- few people who consider themselves intention, or perhaps as arising from it on type of Prometheus (a rebel and creation sionally made an effort to delineate them, asteroid specialists. Ceres also covers the a deep level. But an archetype belongs to deity) and bears only incidental resem- Jonathan Cainer of the Daily Mail. plight of mothers, an odd archetype to nature more than it belongs specifically to blance to Uranus (a sky god who was It’s only because last summer’s catego- ignore, given that we all came from one. humanity. An archetype has a life of its overthrown). rization of Eris disrupted the established Yet is Eris any more important astro- own, and that entity has a relationship Another method, more frequently order of the solar system that the exis- logically than the smaller objects Varuna, with individuals, with society, and with the applied to what are called minor planets tence of Xena/Eris was even noticed by Ixion, Chaos, Quaoar, Sedna or Orcus, or patterns of history.

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