New Planetary Bodies, Millennium Planets and other Power Points in Space

Dwarf Planets | Scattered Disk Objects | Other Power Points

Centaurs

CHIRON
Chiron was discovered in 1977, the first planetary body known to bridge the orbits of Saturn and Uranus. Because of its strange mixed astronomical characteristics and eccentric elliptical orbit, it was named after a centaur, the Greek mythological creatures half human half horse. Chiron is still not clearly classified but known as an asteroid-comet.

Chiron's symbol is a key and its influence is to unlock buried secrets of past woundings to our psyches. Chiron provides a bridge between the personal and social, transpersonal and cosmic, showing us where healing and integration is needed in all these dimensions. Known as the Wounded Healer Chiron brings pain, trauma and suffering from the past to the surface of our awareness so that we can truly let go, forgive, heal and become whole.

Chiron's healing is shamanic in essence as it involves travel to underworld dimensions of consciousness, to meet, brave and understand the 'demons' that live there. Accepting, embracing and releasing these underworld beings relieves their controlling fear and suffering influence on our lives.

Chiron's orbit around the Sun takes 50 years to complete, so we experience a Chiron Return at the same time as we reach a half century in age. This gives us an intense opportunity for healing and renewal as we head into the waning phases of our lives.

PHOLUS
In 1992 a second planetary body was discovered orbiting out from Saturn, its orbit crossing those of Uranus and Neptune and reaching out to Pluto. It was given the name Pholus and the class of centaurs was born. Pholus has an orbital period of 92 years. This centaur's catalytic nature has to do with instant transformation, small causes having big unexpected effects. A focused concentration of energy or a situation may have been brewing and developing for sometime, perhaps over generations, until suddenly there is a kind of pressure release which triggers surprising rapid change. Pholus can provide crucial opportunities to transform beliefs and patterns of behaviour that have been passed down from our ancestors, typically three generations back. Healing addiction, transcending limiting boundaries and shifting to more enlightened levels of awareness may be set in motion by chance encounters or seemingly insignificant acts of idle curiosity.

NESSUS
In 1993 a third 'centaur' was discovered and named Nessus. Its orbital period is 122.5 years and reaches out to beyond Pluto. This centaur deals with the healing of deeply rooted karma and intergenerational wounding associated with the abuse of power. Nessus themes are largely concerned with sexual abuse, including rape, betrayal, love and sexual entrapment, dominance and toxic patterns of relating. This centaur's energy can be seen as describing the patriarchal distorted corruption of Venus and Eros archetypes, who personify the natural erotic energy of love and attraction. Healing this corruption and creating a new paradigm of beliefs to embrace our sexuality and all our relationships is crucial to moving out of the suffering of patriarchal times. Nessus exposes and initiates healing on all the different levels of abuse in society. Individually we are 'doing Nessus' when we choose to stop a cycle of suffering and abuse in our own lives.

CHARIKLO
In 1997 Chariklo, an even larger minor planet which may even be classified as a dwarf, was discovered orbiting between Saturn and Uranus. In June 2013 astronomers observing Chariklo making a stellar occultation, announced the discovery of two rings circling this icy orb. Chariklo is the first minor planet known to have rings. Just by viewing the above data one would think that from an astrological point of view Chariklo would be seen to be highly significant. The planet is the only 'centaur' with a female name and so far she has been largely ignored by the astrological community. Chariklo's orbit around the Sun takes 62 years, making another interesting Return to our natal charts in later years.

Mythologically Chariklo is not a centaur but a sea nymph or mermaid. Married to Chiron, she had several children, including a daughter Melanippe (black mare) or Eulippee (good mare). Chariklo was a close companion friend of the goddess Pallas Athene who is also skilled in the arts of healing. One day Chariklo joins Pallas Athene where she is bathing in a lake. As the goddess emerges naked from the water she is seen by a young man Teiresias (possibly the son of Chariklo) who is out hunting with his dogs. Athene is enraged at the invasion of her privacy and blinds Teirasias. Chariklo, full of compassion, begs Athene to have mercy on the young man as his viewing of the goddess was completely unintentional. Athene listens but is unable to undo Teirasias' blindness. In compensation she bestows on him the gift of prophecy and the ability to hear and understand the birds. Chariklo is also closely associated with the goddess Vesta, performing healing and sacred sexual rituals in the matriarchal temples.

It can be seen that Chariklo's uniquely compassionate and female style of healing is what is so needed in our world today. She personifies the qualities of open-minded tolerance, understanding of others and their intentions, forgiveness, compassion, ritual and sexual healing. There is an extraordinary clear quality about Chariklo, very pure, down to earth and essential, positively Virgoan. She is intuitively insightful, seeing into the true nature of things and the consequences of actions in the present (allowing prophecy). Clear boundary setting is also one of her crucial healing attributes.