Asteroids,
Centaurs and Other Extra-Planetary Bodies
We have mapped out the
functioning of the human
psyche as symbolized by the astrological planets and major
points. This leaves
an explanation to be given for
the astrological symbolism of asteroids, centaurs and other
extra-planetary
bodies. These
bodies have been
increasingly used by modern astrologers, largely to supplement
and provide
additional texture (or predictive power) for the horoscope
beyond that provided
by the traditional planets.
I will theorize that these
non-planetary bodies do
not symbolize major functions or components of the human psyche. Rather, I theorize
that they, instead, are symbols
for psychological archetypes.
The idea of an archetype
goes back at least as far
as Plato. An
archetype is, essentially,
a model or prototype. In
the Platonic
sense, an archetype can be described as a Universal Idea, the
essence of a
thing of which the particular occurrences of the thing at the
material level
(or at the level of the personal mind) is an expression. The archetype exists,
as it were, in
Universal Mind, and is imprinted on the soul before the soul
enters the
body. Thus, the
soul is able to know the
particulars that are manifested in the material world through
their archetype
residing in Universal Mind that has been imprinted on the soul
(or which now
resides in the personal mind).
Carl Jung refined or
recast the Platonic concept of
the archetype as a psychological phenomenon.
In Jung’s conception, the archetype was something that
existed in the
Collective Unconscious, the shared subconscious Mind that forms
a common base
of mental “experience” for all of humanity.
Jungian archetypes represent a collective prototype of
what I would
describe as an abstracted personage representing a psychological
force. While Jung
identified only a few primal
archetypes—the animus and anima, the self, the shadow, the
persona, the wise
old man, the mother, the maiden and the child—other archetypes
can be
conceived.
Jung stated that it is
incorrect to identify an
archetype only with a mythic figure. He
pointed out that a mythic figure is only a specification of the
archetype—a
manifestation of the general prototype in a more particular
form. However, we
can see that, even though particularized
into an image with specific and distinct characteristics, the
mythic figure carries
the psychic content of the archetype.
Thus, the common archetype is expressed in different
forms in different
cultures but they all share a common Idea.
If we examine ancient
mythologies, we can see that
the gods and goddesses populating those mythologies are engaged
in various
exploits, contests, rivalries and collaborations. A series of stories
play out in the
mythological panoply. We can conceive of these stories as
representing the
contention of different psychological forces for dominance
within the
psyche. By
extension, we can posit that
within the human psyche there are contained a number of
psychological forces
that are personified and symbolized by their archetypes. In any one human
psyche, not all of these
forces will be active and some will dominate in particular
individuals while
others may be recessive.
We can distinguish between
psychological function
and psychological forces. To
do this, we
will conceive of the psyche itself as a Platonic archetype or
Idea of the
Psyche. This
Universal Psyche is the
model for the individual psyche and contains all of the
components of the
psyche—as discussed previously and symbolized by the
astrological planets (and
points). As
archetype, however, these
components are latent or potential. They
are only actualized when they are manifested in an individual
human
psyche. This
relationship is analogous
to the personal mind being an accretion of Universal Mind.
While the psychological
functions make up the
psyche, the psychological forces inhabit the human
psyche. They are
denizens rather than components of
the psyche. Within
the individual
psyche, these forces are activated and they engage in a form of
play, which we
may call syndromes (defined not pejoratively but simply as a
characteristic
pattern of psychological thought or emotion) or mind games. These forces, at a
collective or universal
level, are symbolized or represented as archetypes.
I propose, then, that
asteroids, centaurs and other
extra-planetary bodies symbolize archetypes or psychological
forces. They are
akin to personages endowed with
certain characteristics and symbolically representing those
characteristics. I
believe that one commonality between these
bodies and the planetary bodies, astrologically, is the
variation in the
intensity with which they may be felt or experienced. We know that a
person’s receptivity to a
planetary “influence” may be affected by the planet’s placement,
aspects,
transits, progressions, etc.
We also
have theorized that there is a wide range of receptivity to the
energies of the
outer planets and that many people barely feel their effect or
do so only in
the form of seemingly unexplainable (to them) traumatic
occurrences.
I would expect that the
range of sensitivity to the
asteroids, etc. would be even more pronounced than for the outer
planets. This is
because the planets symbolize
functions of the psyche which we all share and that, for the
most part, are essential
to functioning on this plane of existence.
The asteroids, etc., I believe represent forces and
qualities that are
more specific to the individual.
While
it could be said that they are all latent in our consciousness,
they are not
all active in our consciousness.
An extreme example will
illustrate this. Everyone
has the asteroid Oppenheimer
somewhere in their chart. However,
it is
only those individuals that would have some connection to the
qualities
associated with Oppenheimer that can be said to be sensitive to
this
placement. Perhaps
the person is a
nuclear physicist, or lives in Los Alamos, or has some
connection to the atomic
bomb. And, for
those persons, we might
not be surprised if there is a planetary aspect with the
asteroid Oppenheimer. But,
definitely, most people will not be
sensitive to the asteroid Oppenheimer in their chart.
So, too, with the more
common or better known
asteroids, etc. Not
everyone embodies
the feminine warrior/wisdom qualities of Pallas Athena but those
with Athena
prominent in their chart at least are likely to have the dharma
of getting in
touch with that energy. I
do not intend
to delineate the qualities symbolized by all of the major
asteroids, centaurs,
etc. I only say
that they symbolize
forces within the psyche that may be asking to be recognized and
actualized
within the persona or even more deeply within the psyche itself. Especially the better
known bodies may be
said to symbolize forces that are universal to the extent that
they are common
to humanity across cultures and easily recognized. However, as I contend
above, they are not
universal in the sense that they must be actualized in every
individual. Some
are called to do so and many are
not.
Of course, those who
champion particular gods or
goddesses and the forces they symbolize may think otherwise,
seeing the
necessity for all of humanity to actualize those forces and
qualities in order
to become completely whole.
I would
answer, however, that, if this were the case, it would be the
case for all of
the non-planetary bodies (at least the major ones) and that
since certain
forces and qualities are bound to be in conflict, this would be
problematic. That
is not to say that in
a state of complete and total Wholeness one would not actualize
all of those
non-planetary bodies, for in that state the Self is One and
everything is
actualized all at the same time.
Nevertheless, I do not see that trying to actualize the
potential
symbolized by each non-planetary body is the way to get there.
The centaur Chiron may be
somewhat of an exception
to the above generalizations, though I do not believe it is a
complete
exception. While
there is still some
difference in opinion within the astrological community
regarding the meaning
of this Centaur body, the consensus has been to derive Chiron’s
meaning from
the mythology connected with its namesake.
Thus, Chiron is often referred to as the “wounded healer”
and its
astrological significance determined to be that it identifies a
place of deep
wounding in an individual.
The traumatic
nature of this wounding often prompts the individual to seek
healing, a healing
which—consistent with the Chiron myth—can never fully be
achieved. The focus
on healing and the experiences
connected with self-healing that Chiron brings to the individual
can then
transmute into a desire or capacity to heal others.
While the quality of a
“healer” associated with
Chiron is certainly not universal (we may expect to find the
marks of a
“healer” in those in whose charts Chiron is prominent), one
could contend that
everyone has some place of deep wounding, which is represented
by Chiron. This may
be the case, since life on the
Earth-plane affords many opportunities to experience a deep
psychic wounding,
if not in this life then in past lives (with the wounding so
deep and traumatic
that it echoes forth into the present life).
However, it may also be
observed that large numbers
of ordinary people exhibit no trace of a psychic wounding as
they go about
their lives. This
observation may be
countered with the adage that we never know what pain someone is
experiencing
underneath the surface and, certainly, there are a fair share of
individuals
who seem to be “happy” on the surface but who are inwardly
tormented. To what
extent the activation of Chiron in a
person’s chart coincides with their facing their pain or getting
in touch with
their wounding or engaging in a healing process from their
wounding I think
remains to be determined. I
would not be
surprised to find a great many people oblivious to its “effect.”
To recap, I see the
asteroids symbolizing cosmic
actors, or archetypes, residing within the human psyche. While the major
recognized asteroids—Ceres,
Chiron, Hygiea, Juno, Pallas Athena and Vesta—undoubtedly
symbolize relatively
strong forces or qualities within the psyche, numerous others
can also raise
their presence. I
see these archetypes
as psychic “personages” that are playing out a cosmic drama
within the human
psyche and which are vying for attention within each individual. I believe that the
extent to which they are
recognized and take up an important role within the psyche and
the personality
to a large extent is a reflection of their astrological
positioning. They
certainly add “flavor” to the horoscope
and should not be ignored.
In my
opinion, however, they are not essential to the psyche in the
same way that the
functions symbolized by the astrological planets are essential. They are colorful
actors on a stage that is
set by the planets.
by Gargatholil
All
content (c) Gargatholil