I have a major feature in the new edition of The Mountain Astrologer. This is the October/November issue, though it’s available to digital subscribers to the magazine now. This is the first comprehensive article introducing the minor planets to be published in a mainstream astrological publication. It’s about 8,000 words long — a full treatment of the subject. In the article, I cover the history of the minor planets starting in 1801, and carry the story through 1992 QB1, Chiron, Pholus, Nessus, Hylonome, Borasisi, Eris and others. Here is a short quote from the article:
“One difference between the traditional and the modern planets is that you can see the traditional planets with the naked eye. I asked Rob Hand about this recently, and he said that the zodiac and the traditional planets “deal with normal consciousness. An invisible planet requires the expansion of consciousness in order to be seen. They cannot be seen by the normal senses, and that is very important.” As we discover and delineate these bodies, imagine that we are gradually expanding our awareness into the invisible, non-normal realms.
“In a sense, we are going beyond the veil of the senses and the usual shape of consciousness. This lack of tangibility may, at least partly, account for why the minor planets tend to be so controversial. And given how many minor planets there are, we are getting the hint that there is a lot going on beyond the veil — a very busy universe beyond the limits of the normal senses.”
To read more, subscribe to The Mountain Astrologer, which will get you access to the digital edition.
Eric,
Just a little thank you for this article which I read during the Dem convention last night. . between speeches. What a great reference tool you have provided for astrology students (and seasoned astrologers) who have shied away from jumping into the study of the minor planets. I remember thinking I could never learn all those names (let alone pronounce them) and what they meant. It turned out to be the most exciting adventure possible and unleashed my imagination in the process. Now that there is one place to look for so much preliminary info, that adventure will be much less daunting for the newbies.
I hope you will resurrect some of your early work on Chiron (maybe after Zane Stein’s series) and the goddess asteroids (that caused me to fall in love with mythology) for the Mt. Astrologer to publish. I think there is a thirst (or hunger?) for those stories coming on strong these days. Would also love to see some articles on newer minor planets that have not been studied much if at all. . . even if it is only to tell their myth and look at their discovery chart and speculate about what they will come to signify in astrology charts. I will write to TMA and ask for that!
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