The Asteroid Report

Chiron and the Asteroids

Astrological Report for Paris Hilton

by Viniita Hutchinson

 

 

 

 

Your Chart Data

      Name:      Paris Hilton
      Date:         Feb 17, 1981
      Time:        08:37:00 PM EST  +05:00
      Place:        New York, NY       
                        074W00'23"  40N42'51"

 

                  Natal Chart for Paris Hilton
                  Placidus House System

                  Sun in Aquarius, at 29° 19', in the fifth house.
                  Moon in Leo, at 18° 47', in the eleventh house.
                  Mercury in Aquarius, at 28° 03', in the fifth house.
                  Venus in Aquarius, at 17° 17', in the fifth house.
                  Mars in Pisces, at 08° 47', in the fifth house.
                  Jupiter in Libra, at 09° 28', in the first house.
                  Saturn in Libra, at 08° 59', in the first house.
                  Uranus in Sagittarius, at 00° 01', in the second house.
                  Neptune in Sagittarius, at 24° 29', in the third house.
                  Pluto in Libra, at 24° 12', in the first house.
                  Midheaven in Cancer, at 07° 31'.
                  Ascendant in Libra, at 06° 29'.
                  Chiron in Taurus, at 13° 46', in the eighth house.
                  Ceres in Cancer, at 13° 54', in the tenth house.
                  Pallas in Taurus, at 03° 09', in the eighth house.
                  Juno in Scorpio, at 07° 42', in the second house.
                  Vesta in Virgo, at 04° 14', in the eleventh house.

 

Text Copyright 1995 Viniita Hutchinson

Program Copyright 1985-2003 Matrix Software, Inc

Astrology is an ancient science and art that has been in use for centuries. The planets are named after the Mediterranean gods of ancient Rome and Greece. This illustrates the awareness possessed by our ancestors of the synchronicity between the activation of life's archetypal energies and the movements of heavenly bodies that seem to measure the timing of these events.

The last few centuries have been an exciting time for astrologers. We have witnessed the discovery of the outer planets and watched them conform to the synchronistic meaning ascribed to them by their names, joining and expanding the pantheon of deities that dance through the horoscopes of people and political events. Astrologers have become comfortable with the extended astrological family that now includes Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, and these have been utilized in western astrology for most of the twentieth century. Since the dust has settled from these cosmic discoveries, astrologers have had some time to study the action of some other newly discovered heavenly bodies - namely Chiron and the asteroids.

The asteroids lie in a belt that orbits between Mars and Jupiter. It is now known that this belt is comprised of thousands of asteroids, but the first four were discovered many years in advance of the rest. These four asteroids were named after four major Olympic goddesses, which happened to redress the gender imbalance among the primarily male planetary deities that populate the horoscope. Thus it was that Ceres, Juno, Vesta, and Pallas Athena came along at the time of the birth of the women's movement in the nineteenth century. Astrologers do work with the myriad of other asteroids as well, but these four, with their associations to four of the most important goddesses, are the "standard" ones in use.

Chiron was discovered in 1977, and was named after the wise Greek centaur who tasted immortality. Chiron lies between Saturn and Uranus and occasionally passes within the orbit of Saturn. At first thought to be a comet or asteroid it is now considered a "planetoid" or small planet-like body.

The astrological portraits of the asteroids and Chiron have emerged through the observations of fascinated astrologers over the last century. This report informs you of their symbolic meaning and gives you insight into how they operate in your own horoscope.

Chiron

The astronomical body, Chiron (once thought to be a comet or asteroid, now considered a "planetoid" or small planet-like body) is named after the ancient Greek, centaur demi-god who was horse from the waist down and human from the waist up. Chiron's orbit, unlike that of the asteroids, lies between Saturn and Uranus, and is irregular in that it occasionally crosses inside the orbit of Saturn. This astronomical characteristic is symbolic of Chiron's reputation for being somewhat of a maverick.

Chiron was no ordinary run-of-the-mill centaur at the mercy of instincts and appetites. He displayed such self-mastery and was so wise and gifted in both the arts of healing and the arts of war and statesmanship, that he found himself mentor to hero's and kings and their sons. His service was of such value that he was granted immortality by the gods. Chance would have it that he was accidentally wounded in the foot by one of his own poisoned arrows, carelessly tossed by one of his fosterlings (Heracles). Since by this time he was immortal, the result of this mishap was that Chiron was condemned by fate to suffer eternally the agonies of a poisoned wound that could not be healed. In order to obtain release from his endless suffering, the wise old centaur decided to relinquish the mantle of immortality that had been bestowed upon him. He gave it, instead, to Prometheus (who needed it to be freed from the punishment he suffered for mocking the gods and stealing their fire). In this way, Chiron embraced death and found release from his suffering.

Astrologically, Chiron's placement in the horoscope indicates one's experience of the wound that does not heal, (or the wound that does not seem to heal, because although an important lesson may be learned through dealing with it, the wound seems to spiral around with another lesson on a deeper level). Chiron represents one's experience of woundedness and the nature of the wound. Second, by coming to terms with suffering through an acceptance of one's mortality, one arrives at a greater state of wholeness or healing. Third, Chiron shows how one comes into one's own as an elder or mentor who can provide healing and guidance to others. Thus Chiron also astrologically indicates the ways and means with which you can guide others, as well as the kind of mentoring and healing you seek for yourself.

Chiron in Taurus

When Chiron is in Taurus, mentoring and the healing process are associated with learning how to care for one's body and one's physical and material needs, and with learning how to live in and care for the physical world. This applies to both the kind of mentoring you seek for yourself, and the kind that you are eventually able to extend to others. You may encounter mentor figures who are earthy types, engaged in such activities as organic gardening and ecological movements. Unhealthy attitudes towards the body or sensuality, or lack of physical nurturing or material security and stability at an early age could lead you to feel wounded or inadequate in these areas of life. Experiences such as the loss of material possessions or physical health can evoke your philosophical side and awaken a true sense of wisdom as you struggle to come to terms with the ongoing suffering and the healing sought.

Chiron in 8th House

Chiron in the eighth house indicates that the wounding/healing experience (as described by Chiron's sign placement) plays itself out through the sphere of life that has to do with intense, transformational experiences and the interaction with the powerful energies of others. Confrontations with death, death/rebirth experiences, sexuality, initiations and rites of passage maybe a source of great wounding for you. The longing to become renewed or transformed through the union with the energies of the "not-self," or others, includes the material resources of others as well, so that the sharing or inheritance of the wealth of others can also be a painful issue for you. It is through dealing with such experiences that you may encounter mentor figures, or perhaps the mentors you encounter are "power brokers" who can teach you how to deal with such things. The use and abuse of power, whether political, financial, physical, sexual, psychological or metaphysical can be a source of deep wounding. Any dysfunctional defense mechanisms you use to deal with the painful issue can cause you further difficulties. Eventually you learn how to integrate and learn from these experiences in such a way that you cyclically reap deeper and deeper healing and wisdom from them.

Moon Square Chiron     Orb: 05°01'

Chiron forms a challenging aspect with the Moon. The Chiron archetype constellates your emotional and instinctive responses (and vice versa) in an adverse manner. You may feel a conflict between your own emotional needs and your activities as a healer/mentor to others. You may have a tendency to end up in situations in which healer, guru, or mentor figures play a role in encouraging you to deny your emotional needs, or take advantage of your emotional neediness, or otherwise leave you feeling emotionally abused. Such scenarios could arise from an early wounding experience having to do with the mother or other anima figure. You may fear that your emotional needs are terrifying and overwhelming forces that could lead you into a bottomless pit of unending grief, fear, or rage, should you permit yourself to feel them. You might flee, in defense, into the role of wise caretaker of others. Until such issues are resolved, chances are that you could be inadvertently encouraging emotional denial in those to whom you act as a mentor or healer. You are being challenged to learn how both the need for healing and wise counsel and the need for emotional comfort can and do co-exist within yourself (and in others). The more you learn to acknowledge both sides of this story, the less conflict you will feel.

Venus Square Chiron     Orb: 03°31'

Chiron forms a challenging aspect with Venus. There's quite a bit of discord between the wounding/healing story and the whole issue of love, pleasure, beauty, and sensual enjoyment. You may feel that there could not possibly be anything healing about the Feminine. Perhaps you believe that suffering is a woman's lot, or the lot of those who dare to relate with women. On the other hand you may pursue pleasure and "the good life" in order to avoid some necessary healing work that is calling to be done and that, if ignored, leaves you in the place of denial and sabotages your opportunities to enjoy those pleasure pursuits. Or perhaps your concern with mentoring and wounding/healing work leaves no room in your life for pleasure and loving relationships. You may have been wounded in your need to feel loved, valued and appreciated, or to be found beautiful - or perhaps you have been made to feel ashamed of your sensuality or your musical or artistic ability. You may have difficulty feeling or believing that you are loved and valued as a result, even when you are, and thus might have difficulty expressing your own love for others. The way out of such dilemmas lies in learning both to embrace and heal one's woundedness and to accept the need for fun, love, and pleasure. This may seem like a stretch at first, but every paradox requires a stretch in order to go from conflict to resolution.

Mars Sextile Chiron     Orb: 04°59'

Chiron forms a harmonious aspect with Mars. The centaur and the warrior pool their resources! The ability to address the wounds to your own self-assertiveness and self-confidence eventually earns you much wisdom in handling the martial energies of yourself and others. You are, as a result, quite able to mentor others and assist them in their own process of healing the inner masculine and the wounds of aggression and the destructive use of forcefulness. You may have a healing influence on others through your fighting spirit, courageous action, or your ability to confront challenges.

Ceres

Ceres is the expression of the Earth Goddess archetype that has been worshipped in many forms by various cultures. This archetype has always been associated with mother earth, harvests, a transformational journey to and from the underworld, rites of passage, and the birth or resurrection of a fertility deity.

The myth of Demeter (da mater or "earth mother") and the sudden abduction of her dearly loved daughter Persephone by the lord of the underworld contains the same universal symbolism as other Earth Goddess myths. These myths may appear, at first, to be early explanations for the changing of the seasons. They are actually wise, rich, symbolic teachings on such profound themes as loss and renewal, death and rebirth, and the endless transformation that constitutes the very laws of creation to which this universe and everything in it adheres.

On a more personal level, the Ceres myth deals with the severance of the bonds of love and/or attachment. When we experience love as we have known it being taken from us, we can feel as if we have been cast into a realm of eternal darkness, never to return to the world of the living again. We may then be unable to let go of the past, reliving it again and again in our minds - protesting and resisting the present, and demanding that it somehow hand over to us the treasure that has been snatched away.

Yet as with Demeter, who chose to forgo her divinity and wander in the world of humans, after which she was reunited annually with her transformed daughter, it is only when we can give up notions of eternal paradise and immortality that we can relinquish old attachments. Only when we have been humbled by and have accepted those mysterious cyclic forces beyond ourselves that we can be restored to a state of plentitude and abundance in the here and now. Then we can truly understand how our cup must be emptied in order to be filled afresh.

Ceres in the birth chart thus describes what one really cares about, and the way one nurtures others (and needs to be nurtured oneself) in a parental kind of way. It also indicates where one may tend to cling, the kind of separations that can be traumatic, and what one may be required to give up (or share with others) in order to grow. It can also indicate the ways in which we seek for something that seems to be missing, something we didn't get enough of, as well as the ways that can help us mourn such a loss. As with Demeter and Persephone, Ceres can also indicate the kind of experience that constitutes a rite of passage - the most profound transformation: the death and rebirth of the self.

Ceres in Cancer

With Ceres in Cancer, you may feel at times like the "Cosmic Mother" - mother to all, rather like the old woman who lived in a shoe. When others are around you, they experience the kind of love they longed for as a child, and they feel renewed and healed by this. You associate nurturance with emotional bonding, caring, empathy, and feeding. Lack of this kind of nurturance at an early age can result in emotional insecurity, dependency, and clingy behavior. This lack could be a source of grief, through which you learn how to provide emotional support for yourself and, thus, for others. Separation from or loss of the home, family security, mother, nurturing parent, or other anima figures could be a source of grief, and could serve as transformative experiences for you, ones that initiate you into the lessons of loss and return, death and rebirth, and simply letting go.

Ceres in 10th House

Ceres in the tenth house indicates that nurturing is so important to you that it needs to be part of your career (whether or not it's part of your job description). This need to care for others may have its roots in some experience (real or perceived) of parental rejection in your own personal life. The integration of parenting with the pursuit of a career can be an issue that, if not resolved, may lead to the sacrifice of one over the other. Unfulfilled desires to be a parent can be consciously channeled into your career, where you can make use of your great natural ability to care for others. You are "a natural" in such careers as social work, day-care, and herbal/nutritional or health care professions. Issues of nurturance and performance/achievement may have become intertwined, and if so, you could find it transforming and healing to disentangle the two.

Mars Trine Ceres     Orb: 05°07'

Ceres forms a harmonious aspect with Mars. Mother/daughter meets the masculine god of war! Your fighting spirit and warrior skills are enhanced by or complimented by your experience of mother-child bonds. You will fight for what you care about, like a parental crusader. You express a defensive attitude towards others who struggle with themes of loss and return, nurturing them by affirming their independence, boosting their sense of self-confidence, and encouraging them to stand on their own two feet. This ability comes from your own courage in dealing with life's inevitable losses.

Jupiter Square Ceres     Orb: 04°26'

Ceres forms a challenging aspect with Jupiter. The urges for expansion and adventure, and the quest for meaning are affected by the Demeter-Persephone myth in such a way that these two aspects of yourself seem to be at odds with each other. Perhaps an interest in ceaseless travel and adventure or in a particular belief system makes the formation of lasting emotional ties impossible - a perceived threat to freedom. Or perhaps an excess of protective nurturance has made you a little fearful of exploring beyond the boundaries of the known because your own exploratory urges were never encouraged. Whatever the reason, the challenge is to learn to see that both the need for nurturing ties and the need for the freedom to explore and to expand your mind can and do co-exist within yourself (and in others). These needs only appear to conflict when we take sides with one against the other (often literally if projected, through denial, out onto others); resolution comes about by finding ways to meet them both. Once this balance has been achieved you are able to nurture others by sharing the meaning and knowledge you have gained, and by encouraging their sense of faith and optimism in life's journey. These nurturing activities might be carried out through teaching, travelling, or cultural exchanges.

Saturn Square Ceres     Orb: 04°55'

Ceres forms a challenging aspect with Saturn. The longing for nurturing bonds encounters the longing for achievement in such a way that these two aspects of yourself seem to be at odds with each other. The need to care for others may conflict with the need to be the breadwinner or pursue a career. There could be a need to achieve in order to gain recognition from parental figures who withheld emotional affection. Or perhaps you feel emotionally threatened by intimate relationships and you respond by severing ties, or avoiding closeness altogether. Such types of conflict may have their roots in your experience (or lack of experience) of the formation and severance of strong emotional ties, especially ties with maternal or disciplining figures. The answer to this conflict lies in learning to see that both the need for nurturing ties and the need for practical achievements can and do co-exist, both within yourself and within those who seem to oppose you (who may carry your unconscious projections of the denied need). Once you can do this, your no-nonsense wisdom in coping with the practical realities of life can be a great source of comfort to others who are struggling with life's losses and difficult rites of passage.

Pallas

As with goddess-myths associated with the other asteroids, the myths that pertain to the warrior goddess Pallas Athena reflect socio-historic upheavals as well as archetypal themes. One of the most interesting aspects of Athena's myth, as it has evolved, is the changing nature of her birth. In her earliest form she was said to have been born of Lake Triton in Libya, home of the legendary amazons. Her worship was brought to the Greek islands much later by the Libyans themselves as they emigrated across the Mediterranean sea. The story of her birth reflected this migration, for she was then said to be born of Metis - a sea goddess. Further evolution of her myth reflects the encounter of the goddess worshipping peoples with the patriarchal people invading Greece from the north: Metis (whose name means Wise Counsel), pregnant with Athena, was devoured by the invaders' god, Zeus, who later gave birth to a fully grown and fully armored Pallas Athena from his head. Later versions of this myth omit altogether any mention of Metis, and depict Athena as having been conceived without a woman's involvement.

Later myth also portrays Athena as bringing about the destruction of both Pallas and Medusa in what appears to be sociological evidence of the attempt to destroy goddess worship. (Pallas, Athena, and Medusa were the three faces of the Libyan version of the triple goddess.) In one of these myths Zeus tricks Athena into killing her Amazonian sister Pallas during a friendly competition. Another myth relates how Athena helped King Perseus to cut off Medusa's head by giving him a mirror to use so he could avoid her deadly gaze. Yet, as much as these myths might have been used as evidence of the wise Athena's denunciation of the Feminine, they also contain symbolism that indicates how Athena preserved the goddess trinity. For, upon the death of Pallas, the grieving Athena placed her sister's name before her own. As for her attitude towards Medusa, she bore Medusa's image upon her breastplate and distributed her blood to healers as a regenerative medicine. The symbolic importance of the mirror in the Perseus-Medusa conflict also hints at Athena's wisdom and gift as a mediator in teaching how to reconcile opposites by seeing in oneself the disowned qualities that are projected onto opponents.

Pallas Athena signifies wisdom and creative problem solving in which a holistic view of conflicting or opposite elements (the Masculine and the Feminine) is required. This sense of fairness is backed up by a willingness to defend or fight for the underdog. Thus Pallas Athena is also associated with fighting for causes. She represents the application of practical skill and creative intelligence in order to best be of service. She was the goddess of war (defense, originally) as well as the goddess of wisdom and culture - patroness of the civilized arts such as pottery, sculpture, weaving, architecture, and animal husbandry. Pallas Athena can also represent the denial of one's own gender in an effort to cope with situations that require the skills of the opposite gender in order to survive, as well as the struggle to rediscover and reconnect with essential qualities of one's own sex. Androgynous conditions and healing through feminine wisdom, energy balancing or conflict resolution are also expressions of the Pallas Athena archetype.

Pallas in Taurus

Pallas Athena in Taurus denotes perceptive insight or intuitional skill when it comes to the world of the senses. You may be possessed of a particularly inventive or subtle use of color, form, sound, taste, and scent - perhaps in decoration, art, music, gardening, or cuisine. Difficulty can arise if these skills are channeled purely into sense-gratification), and it may be important for you to utilize these skills in your career. You might also make use of them in the defense of some group or cause (see Pallas Athena's house position, below). The ability to perceive both the divine beauty and the practical uses of the earth's beneficence can make you quite a champion of land reform, Earth Mother concerns, or ecological causes. Skills in healing or conflict resolution may lie in the ability to affirm the body and its physical needs, or in the talented use of bodywork, native or folk remedies, food combining, traditional lore, and practical wisdom.

Pallas in 8th House

In the eighth house Pallas Athena's refined sense of wisdom as well as her atypical sense of gender roles affect the domain of one's sexuality and power interactions with others. Sexuality may not find outlet in traditional ways and may instead be sublimated into transformational esoteric practices, or into business and financial pursuits (at which you are quite gifted). You may utilize your creative gifts or political/humanitarian conscience in fund-raising pursuits (perhaps working behind the scenes, or secretly) to support causes which may aid victims of power abuse or political oppression. Difficulty can arise if Pallas Athena's energy is expressed as a crusade in which power (whether occult, sexual, or financial) is all that matters.

Sun Sextile Pallas     Orb: 03°50'

The asteroid Pallas Athena (the patron-goddess of wisdom, culture and the arts) forms a harmonious aspect with the Sun (one's sense of identity and essential purpose). Your sense of identity is augmented by your creative intellect and your cultural or socio-political awareness. Creative expression comes easily to you, and you have a knack for finding practical uses for it, sometimes putting them to use in support of socio-cultural activities. You relate harmoniously with both genders and often have creative or wise solutions for conflict resolution. You can draw on an ample supply of courage and wisdom.

Juno

Juno (whose Greek name is Hera) is an ancient Queen of Heaven Goddess dating from that matriarchal period when the sovereign Deity was female and reigned alone, presiding over the mysteries of birth, motherhood, and the various phases of reproduction. Mythology relates how she was seduced by Zeus, married him out of a sense of honor, endured a marriage characterized by power struggles over issues of fidelity and bearing a line of descent, as well as how she went into retreat occasionally in order to renew and center herself. Her myth parallels the history of social upheaval in the lands where she was worshipped. Northern invaders struggled to impose traditions of patrilineal descent and the worship of their chief god, Zeus, upon the indigenous matriarchal cultures of Mycenaean Greece and Crete. Over a period of hundreds of years of cultural conflict, the two divinities were forced to share the altar. Thus, in addition to her authority over matters pertaining to childbirth and motherhood, Juno has come to be associated with issues of socially acknowledged relationship, legal marriage, marital fulfillment through commitment and fidelity, and the struggle for equality within a relationship. She represents, also, the kind of power struggles that involve controlling the partner through control over offspring, or through the withholding of sex or emotional intimacy. Juno can also represent committed relationships entered into out of a sense of duty, guilt, or for social reasons.

Juno represents both the need for relationship and the refusal to accept inequality within the context of a relationship. She represents the struggle to balance the need for intimacy with the opposing need for freedom - needs which both partners have, although one of these needs may be projected onto the partner. She can also represent the need to take marriage as a sacred trust, a way that leads to spiritual fulfillment through the reconciliation of the opposites in a state of union.

On another level, Juno can represent the way in which one feels rendered powerless by conflict in spite of sincere effort and irreproachable conduct on one's own part. The harder one tries, the more inadequate one's efforts seem to be, for there is a tendency to cling to old methods when circumstances have changed and a whole new paradigm is needed before the way clear can be seen. This frustration can sometimes lead to self-depreciation and loss of faith in oneself. Juno thus symbolizes the transition state between old and new ways of being, where the old fails to meet the needs of the times and the new is not yet manifest. She describes the need for a kind of spiritual self-rejuvenation that is needed in order to see oneself through times of utter disintegration into the future that awaits. Juno in the horoscope thus represents the ways in which we need to renew ourselves, and where our ability to adjust to changing circumstances is most tested.

Since marriage proved to be this goddess' testing ground, Juno in the horoscope also indicates the qualities associated with one's marriage partner and the ways in which one handles intimacy/freedom needs as well as the jealousy and insecurity that often accompany this balancing act. Juno's position describes the nature of any control issues, the ways in which such power struggles get enacted, and the type of sacred cows that need to be relinquished so that the path to marital fulfillment can unfold. Juno's placement in your chart can refer not only to your mate (or the way that you perceive your mate), but to the relationship and to your own behavior in a committed relationship as well.

Juno in Scorpio

With Juno in Scorpio, the qualities you seek in a committed relationship are loyalty, passion, intensity, and a powerful connection on the emotional level. You appreciate a partner who is willing to explore intimacy to the depths, psychological as well as sexual. It could be that, in spite of your best efforts, you yourself experience a sense of inadequacy or powerlessness when it comes to such matters, or that your partner is doing all the expressing in this regard (or vice versa). This could be a source of difficulty when it comes to intimate relations. Intimacy/freedom needs, childbearing, fidelity, and power issues need to be handled with psychological sensitivity, otherwise jealousy, manipulation, and sexually controlling behavior can result.

Juno in 2nd House

Juno in the second house indicates that you derive a sense of self-worth through being in a committed relationship. You may associate your mate with financial and material security. Sharing the responsibility for these matters is important in order for your relationship to be healthy. There could be issues around who provides and who is provided for, or perhaps one partner treats the other more like a coveted possession than a simple human being with needs for love and affection. Issues regarding possessions and material resources are likely to be a major focus in your relationship. The qualities described by Juno's sign position (above) indicates the manner in which you can best deal with these issues.

 
Mars Trine Juno     Orb: 01°05'

Juno forms a harmonious aspect with Mars. Your fighting spirit and warrior skills enhance your experience of intimacy in committed relationships. You will defend your partner, and affirm his or her independence and sense of self-confidence. Or perhaps it is your partner who behaves this way towards you. You are attracted to partners who display courage, honesty, and a sense of honor, or who admire your own efforts to be courageous and forthright. An interest in sporting, martial arts, or adventure may provide you and your partner with a comfortable way to share and enrich your relationship.

Vesta

The asteroid Vesta (Latin) is named after the ancient Greek goddess Hestia, first born of the Olympian deities and last released by her father Cronos (father Time), who at one point swallowed all his offspring. Thus she denotes the beginning and the end - alpha and omega - and serves as a reminder of the source from which all things originate and to which all must return. She represents the preservation of sacredness and the state of connection to formless Essence. As such, she is the only Olympic deity not worshipped anthropomorphically; she is symbolized only by the altar and its sacred flame. Thus she also represents any sacred space - be it temple, sweat lodge, or meditation corner - that acts as a container in which we may center ourselves, and feel the presence of Spirit. In ancient times Vesta was worshipped both in the city center as the flaming altar, and in every home as the central hearth whose embers were literally passed on down through the generations from mother to daughter when the daughter married and established her own hearth. In this manner Vesta came to represent the perpetuation of the spark of life, and of civilization and one's ancestral and cultural roots.

In early matriarchal societies, priestesses honoring Hestia maintained a connection to this spiritual essence (represented by a sacred flame that they tended night and day). They offered themselves in sacred sexual union in order to teach the divine aspect of sexuality and the need to remain aware of the sacred while engaged in physical life. The priestesses remained unmarried and committed to none but themselves and their worship. Their sons (conceived anonymously during ceremonial summer solstice rites) served as year-kings when there was no royal heir. These customs were finally abolished when patrilineal traditions were enforced and the priestesses were compelled by the Roman king to serve as keepers of the new (patriarchal) civilization and to observe vows of celibacy. To break these vows entailed a cruel death penalty. In exchange for the relinquishment of their sexuality, matrilineal customs, and true spiritual function, the priestesses (Vestal Virgins) were granted freedom from paternal control.

Vesta's sacred flame represents, in the yogic tradition, the kundalinii force which, when properly awakened and channeled, leads to spiritual development. Thus, astrologically, Vesta has come to represent both spirituality and consecrated (or desecrated) sexuality. This can include a wide range of sexual expressions such as abstinence, renunciation and celibacy, the celebration of spiritually honored sexuality, sexual idealism, and the sacred whore. Astrologically, Vesta stands for that which provides us with inner sustenance; the way in which we are pulled back to our core or inner self; and the struggle between this and the demands of the outer world. Vesta represents the way in which we long to bless others with the fruits of the spiritual resources we have found within ourselves, but it is also the need to retreat and preserve our inner sanctuary against any disrespectful intrusion. Vesta is associated with dedication, focus, and commitment. She represents those things that helps us focus, the way in which we dedicate ourselves with heart and soul, and that for which we are ready (or compelled) to make a sacrifice. The things indicated by Vesta's position in your chart may be things that you feel compelled to give up or sacrifice, often out of a sense of spiritual compulsion. Yet they can also be the very things that evoke your dedication - leading to a sense of deep inner fulfillment when you are willing to make some sacrifices on their behalf. Keep this paradox in mind as you read on, for Vesta can express itself one way or the other - or both!

Vesta in Virgo

Vesta in Virgo indicates that neatness, efficiency, and attention to detail are the things that help you focus and center yourself. You use them to both go inward and get in touch with yourself, and to then move outward and commit your focused energies with dedication, zeal, and even sacrifice (described further by Vesta's house position, below). You may see sex as a sacred duty to your partner and through this come to experience the more profound aspects of sexuality and the perpetuation of life. Or perhaps religious concerns cause you to restrict your sexuality. Service and duty can be sacred to you. It is possible that, through one-pointedness, you focus so much on these pursuits that the means becomes an end in itself and you lose sight of the goal they are meant to serve. If this happens, perfectionist, critical or workaholic tendencies can take over and leave you feeling off-center and out of touch with yourself. Practices like karma yoga (in which work and actions are performed with spiritual mindfulness) can help restore the balance between your dedication to work and your dedication to Spirit.

Vesta in 11th House

Vesta in the eleventh house indicates that sacrificial dedication and intense one-pointedness are invested in group or organizational activities of a humanitarian or fraternal nature. Your sexual drive may be channeled into these avenues as well. Spirituality, celibacy, or spiritual attitudes towards sexuality might play an important role in the way you interact with groups. A sense of unswerving commitment and a willingness to embrace discipline and hardship for the sake of the welfare of the collective, enable you to truly live for your ideals. The sense of sacrifice that you experience regarding these issues could also be expressed through denying yourself these things for the sake of some other goal (which may be spiritual or religious in nature). You might experience difficulty in formulating and clarifying your goals, and thus have to struggle all the more in order to realize them. Careful consideration of these activities or issues will help you understand how to best manage your sense of commitment and remain centered in your self.

Sun Opposite Vesta     Orb: 04°55'

Your Vesta forms a challenging aspect with the Sun. There is a conflict between one's sense of self or identity and "sacred cow" issues involving dedication or intense focus. You may find it difficult to focus or commit yourself to a calling or endeavor that would give meaning to your life direction. There may be a conflict between one's dedication to work and one's need for play, spontaneity, and self-expression; or between work and children. Or perhaps you experience a conflict between sexuality and spirituality, or between sexual needs and commitment. An over-emphasis on what is held to be sacred may lead to dependency on external spiritual authority, and frustration or obstacles in the process of self-individuation. There may be difficulties due to inappropriate sacrifices: the sacrifice of self-hood (giving one's power away) in the name of ego-transcendence may constitute a betrayal of the self on some level. No matter how it seems, "fire-tending" is not incompatible with self-expression and a personal sense of life purpose. The challenge for you is to find ways to meet them both, and to avoid the natural tendency to unconsciously repress or project one of them out onto others.

Mercury Opposite Vesta     Orb: 06°11'

Your Vesta forms a challenging aspect with Mercury. There's conflict between the intellect and sacred fire issues. You might experience educational or learning stresses due to an over-focused or under-focused mind, or due to the inability to dedicate yourself to an educational system that kindles no inspiration. An over-emphasis on the mind and rational thought processes may leave you feeling spiritually or sexually undernourished. You may feel mentally challenged by the spiritual or sexual values of others, or spiritually or sexually constrained by an overly rigid belief system. There may be difficulty in verbally communicating your thoughts about spiritual or sexual matters. The answer lies in trying to find ways to both feed your mind and feed your need to burn with a great passion.

Mars Opposite Vesta     Orb: 04°33'

Your Vesta forms a challenging aspect with Mars. Your fighting spirit and masculine energies are at loggerheads with the whole issue of dedication and self-sacrifice. You may feel, or be made to feel, that it is unmanly for men to express themselves in spiritual or sexually honoring ways. Or perhaps you struggle with a lack of confidence or fear of confrontation when it comes to expressing your spiritual views, your sexuality, or your capacity for dedication to a cherished activity. Sexual or spiritual trauma resulting from patriarchal abuses may require healing in order to move beyond a state of entrenched conflict. Or perhaps spiritual views leave you feeling uncomfortable about your more masculine characteristics, such as willful drive or assertiveness. Impossible as it may seem, there is a place in the world, and in you, for both cherishing sacrifice and healthy masculine assertiveness. The more you can entertain this possibility and give up the tendency to take sides between these two expressions, the more you will experience the resolution and healing of old conflicts of this nature.

Uranus Square Vesta     Orb: 04°14'

Your Vesta forms a challenging aspect with Uranus. The whole idea of dedication and sacrifice clashes with the urge for freedom, experimentation, and change. An overemphasis on the need for constant change and excitement may thwart the urge for dedication and commitment. On the other hand, the capacity for passionate commitment may inhibit your need for freedom and change. Revolutionary ideals and rebellious tendencies may tend toward fanaticism and end up oppressing the need for spiritual or sexual self-empowerment. Abstract idealism may lead to a denigration of the physical world, and a "good-bad" split between the spiritual and the physical-sexual aspects of self. Identification with unconventional sexual mores may create stress or nervous tension. You'll probably need to accept the fact that you have two different needs: your Vesta needs and your need for change and freedom. And although one of these may seem to be a thorn in your side at the moment, the irritation is a signal that's trying to call attention to this one-sided stance you have unconsciously adopted in favor of one need over the other.

This sums up your report for Chiron and the asteroids in your chart. An astrological chart is like a blueprint of the human psyche, with its great and dramatic cast of archetypes. And each human psyche is like a unique, one-of-a-kind carpet woven from many beautiful threads of many different colors. Chiron and the asteroids are five of those threads.

This report has described each of those five threads by house and sign, and has even described what happens when one of those threads is intertwined with other single threads (the other planets). And this does give you some kind of overall picture. But the best way to understand the pattern that all the threads make in their weaving of the whole unique carpet, is to consult an astrologer skilled in chart interpretation. The astrologer can make a big difference in helping you piece together the puzzle of your chart so that, in the end, you can see the beautiful carpet where once, perhaps, all you saw was a tangle of threads. Hopefully, this report will help you to understand some of the magical threads that are woven into your life.