By Melinda Hasting
The rarely discussed asteroid (114) Kassandra takes a square from the Sun on Wednesday. Discovered July 23, 1871 by C.H.F. Peters, she’s named after the prophetess Cassandra of Greek mythology. “Kassandra” means “she who entangles men.” So of course, she had red hair.
Because she was exceedingly beautiful, Apollo conferred the gift of prophecy upon her. She received the gift, yet declined to be Apollo’s consort. Infuriated because he couldn’t rescind the gift, he cursed Cassandra with powerlessness—he called her crazy. No one would believe any of her predictions, including the downfall of Troy and of the Trojan Horse.
A victim of violent rape, Cassandra was eventually murdered.
The Cassandra myth, a deeply complex tragedy on the misapplication of gender power, has unfortunately remained in its suppressed format: its modern application is The Cassandra Syndrome, a psychological disorder often coined for powerless, intuitive women who place themselves in physical and emotional danger by failing to articulate their needs.
But the ramifications of scorn warrant more attention as Kassandra is squared by the Sun (Apollo) this week. Could she air her needs with a little more force and finally be heard? Or will Apollo just call her nuts and pretend she’s not even there?
By one analysis, you might say a kind of ideal one, the masculine force awakens each day searching for the freedom to conquer and create. The feminine force awakens each day searching for love, understanding and the strength to preserve. There are other ways to look at it, though this is one perspective.
When the two scorn each other, entire generations can be affected by the misunderstanding. Consider the generalized fable of the modern American Divorced Family — Daddy the Womanizer and Mommy that Crazy Bitch — and its devastating implications to the children who hear it each night before bedtime.
Most of us can identify full circle with romantic rejection. We’ve rejected another person, sometimes for good reason and (let’s be honest) sometimes for the hell of it because we were confused. Or something. You feel like a piece of shit when you’re doing it, and yet you can’t not do it because romantic love has a lot of basis in intuition, which often trumps reason and even other people’s feelings.
But then there’s the other side of it, the being rejected side. This is the Moon side of it, the slow-mo, painful, cry-into-the-pillow side. It’s where we get to re-examine our motives and worthiness. Therein, we either let the Circle of Misunderstanding come to its full revolution (revelation) or we create a spiral of resentment for future go-rounds (usually with new people).
This new great awakening we’re experiencing has the upside of allowing us to reconsider the ways we’ve interpreted our mythology to suit a world driven by consumerism, duality and painful relationships. We do have the ability to reasonably consider that both Apollo and Cassandra are ready to heal up and acknowledge that rejection hurts and that there are loving ways to take space in relationship to others.
We no longer need to call another crazy to diminish their value; we can merely acknowledge we don’t always understand them. Moreover, we’ve reached a point in our collective maturity where it’s important to clearly state our boundaries before jumping into commitments we’re not able to keep.
Cassandra forebodes. She tells of impending danger in the hopes of averting tragedy. Let’s listen.
Cassandra has been my pen name for some time. I have red hair (by design, not by birth) because it matches my personality.
My astrology teacher told me that my very existence is an affront to some people because I show them the truth that they don’t want to see or believe. Like Kassandra, I give knowledge but too often it is not believed or even heard at all. I have been shunned and ostracized for that sharing too. She said I don’t have many real friends; she was correct.
She also told me that I am here to teach others by example and words. This is not a position I want and I have avoided it in many ways. That’s because being a teacher presupposes a level of authority that I do not feel I have or deserve. I am not above anyone or more knowledgable than anyone. It is an uncomfortable thing she told me that I have been ignoring my whole life.
Talk about power issues!
I have tabled the link to the article on my blog :
http://lunesoleil23.wordpress.com/2012/07/25/kassandra-lasteroide-114-et-le-don-de-prophetie-faut-il-croire-ou-ne-pas-croire/
When the article is not the last published to just do one pasted the link and copied to the translator had top right, thank you 🙂
I had seen him without the “Kassandra” in conjunction with my natal Moon (gift of prophecy?) in parallel the moon rose on Neptune… a program. It will return Kassandra on my Moon in November 2012 and January 2013 following its retro phase Wow, you imagine that I can ignore this update. I had spotted him on Serennu.com, this asteroid not me was not familiar and as there written Melinda, is an ignored asteroid? I thought and I went on my favourite blog Anna Lorrai who wrote an article on the subject on 18 August 2011 (the only article in French on Kassandra),
http://cosmicgravel.blogspot.fr/2011/08/kassandra-114.html
soon there a second I made you promise, Kassandra in conjunction to the same degree as the position of my Venus natal, I e could not miss the. Would be the sign of this particular gift that I release in my articles on astrology?
This article on Kassandra to create enthusiasm in me without knowing that this asteroid was spent on my Moon in early July and will be there in my solar revolution 2012 (and more I have red hair is too funny you don’t believe this asteroid rendezvous…)
ES – what can convey a collective sharing when it comes the meaning on individual giving meeting
I’m going write MB article before it is too hot, thanks again for the choice of this article Eric and @ soon for a new adventure with Kassandra. Already yesterday I had thought to send this article to my Facebook group, I déposerais the link in the next upcoming
I noticed on Google there is very little illustration on Kassandra which is identical with article on the gravel cosmic blog which I communicated the link 🙂
“…we’ve reached a point in our collective maturity where it’s important to clearly state our boundaries before jumping into commitments we’re not able to keep.
Cassandra forebodes. She tells of impending danger in the hopes of averting tragedy. Let’s listen.”
I just heard from Cassandra not two hours ago. Boundaries stated very clearly, if suddenly and unexpectedly. Tragedy averted 😉
As a tarot reader, I have strongly identified with Cassandra at various points in my professional life — not to mention my personal one, but that’s another story. For me, it is about learning to trust that the invisible world is not a fictitious construct, nor does it need tangible proof for it to be there. What I’ve learned, and continue to learn, is that no-one can give me the faith and certainty that I lack when dealing with intangibles. It is my own faith, and my own certainty, that become my firm foundations. I’m still building them.
Thank you for a thought- and feeling-provoking article.
@awordedgewise: Ah- Hades and Persephone’s story is a good one to consider. Some of the same themes as Cassandra/Apollo. I love that Persephone’s mother, Demeter, never gave up and when the two were finally reunited, vegetation on the earth flourished.
Thank you, Melinda. Thanks for the post, e.
Kassandra has just crossed my midheaven and is touching natal Hades (and Pallas) as she squares the Sun (and Merc as he Rx) on my natal Uranus on the AC.
Since natal Uranus is opposite natal Pholus, I get a dandy T to contemplate – and a fixed cross if I add my Scorpio stellium into the mix.
Good work to be done with this story. Thank you.
Wow- what beautiful, insightful feedback. @Gwind- yes! “May this knowledge be tinder to lead us into an age where we find the courage to know our core, speak up, and then be met with a softness to be heard.” Thanks for this prayer for the day. : )
Hey gwind,
I too found this article to be quite powerful, but how could it be anything else what with the Sun God Apollo and Kassandra with her red hair, as red is a color of power, but also of grounding and maintaining balance. I loved how you expressed the process keeping or at least maintaining your own power from a sense of powerlessness.
Me, well I had to sit with this for a while and kind of work through the energy of projection, giving and receiving and the expectations behind all of that. Also about how we carry our own baggage placed upon us from our environment as well as certain things that we come into this life with and hopefully heal. When and if the zipper breaks it’s a good idea to have a good repair shop in your address book. 🙂
The one thing, though, that I thought about Kassandra, or at least her projection for me was how too much power can ultimately do more harm. Though, in this article, she is expressed as a victim for not living up to another’s expectation. Still, I wonder if she could have given a little bit, what that would have looked like. Just a thought.
And today, a Kentucky girl aged 17, avoided going to jail for revealing the names of those who raped her. Why was it ok for Yahoo and others to name her by name?
Diane Feinstein says today that the national security leaks originated in the White House, likely from staff. Eric Holder is investigating.
Women are giving voice, and it appears that people are paying heed.
Ms. Hasting:
Thank you for this insightful and lucid piece. It is a timely and appropriate examination of an aspect that many would overlook. Very much appreciated.
Thanks Eric, for this beautiful article on the asteroid Cassandra, I also have red hair, will require that I re-surfaced my henna
Good day to all 🙂 🙂
Dear Ms Hasting,
Truly have I enjoyed your article. Both my father and my mother were victims of this ancestral baggage and in many ways carried it unwillingly to me. I have taken on a somewhat protective attitude toward my mothers and sisters because of my velenoso father, but find his lingering in my overcompensation to be healthy male. It is not my baggage. My mother is a rock of undying determination of womanhood.
Thanks to you.
Melinda, an extraordinary piece! Amazingly insightful. Thank you.
What if Cassandra was not a “victim” in violent rape, leading eventually to being murdered? What if in a Christlike opportunity of Oneness, she lived and died knowingly trying to show us an ultimate truth:
You can rape and kill me, but I am bigger than this body. I am bigger than your harm to me. I can see. I know my intuition. I cannot be known to you until you are ready to see and hear. I did not leave you, for I am ever-present; yet I cannot be owned by anyone. My words may fall on deaf ears, my body may be used to teach of rage, lust, and betrayal, yet eventually forgiveness will come. I will return as often as needed until we all heal.
“The Cassandra Syndrome, a psychological disorder often coined for powerless, intuitive women who place themselves in physical and emotional danger by failing to articulate their needs.” So well spoken! May this knowledge be tinder to lead us into an age where we find the courage to know our core, speak up, and then be met with a softness to be heard.
Oh, she cried in joy! Be it true! Be it true, this moment, now!