Past Articles

AR 72 Mars, God of War or Brave Hero of the Sky

AR 71 Lilith; Goddess, Demon or Earth's Dark Moon

AR 70 Sign Language, Exploring the Enduring Archetypes of the Zodiac

AR 69 Venus The Mysterious Magic of the Morning Star

AR 68 Astrology and the Fixed Stars

AR 67 Jupiter in Capricorn

AR 66 Lord of the Rings Enters the Realm of the Celestial Virgin

AR 65 The Asteroids

AR 64 Chiron, Wise Centaur or Rogue Comet?

AR 63 Astrology and the Hero's Journey

AR 62 Aquarius Ascending

AR 61 Dwarfing Pluto

AR 60 Jupiter in Sagittarius

AR 59 Neptune in Aquarius

AR 58 Mercury, Messenger of the Gods

AR 57 Moon Signs

AR 56 Chinese Astrology

AR 55 Circular Logic

AR 54 Jupiter in Scorpio

AR 53 The Lion in Winter

AR 52 As Above, So Below

AR 51 The Ancient Quest

AR 50 Astrology and Alchemy

AR 49 Star of Wonder

AR 48 Jupiter in Libra

AR 47 Once in a Blue Moon

AR 46 Sedna Enters the Arena

AR 45 Royal Stars of Persia

AR 44 Ancient Formulas for Immortality

AR 43 Twelve Gates of Heaven

AR 42 Jupiter in Virgo

AR 41 Geometry of the Spheres

AR 40 Saturn in Cancer, June, 2003 to July, 2005

AR 39 The Poles of the Zodiac

AR 38
Uranus In
Pisces
2003-2011

AR 37
Twelfth Planet, Plutinos or
Planet X

AR 36
Eclipses – Promise or Peril?

AR35
Solar Fire

AR34
The Lunar Mansions of Vedic Astrology

AR 33
Children of the Gods

AR 32
Wheels Within Wheels

AR 31
Horoscopes of Destiny

AR 30
Zodicac of Dendera

AR 29
A Star Is Born

AR 28
Age of Aquarius

AR 27
Persia's Royal Stars of Ancients

AR 23
The Lore of a Shaman

The name of Eris was so appropriate, it’s enough to make me almost start believing in astrology.”
          Mike Brown, Caltech Astronomy Team Leader

Planet to Plutoid: Pluto’s Identity Crisis
What can plutoids tell us about humanity’s expanding consciousness?

Technology is dramatically expanding our solar system as the light-gathering capacity of telescopes increases the number of objects we see in the sky to billions. The IAU, the International Astronomical Organization, brings together nearly ten thousand distinguished astronomers from all nations. In August of 2006, the IAU downgraded Pluto from a planet to a dwarf planet. According to new rules, which define a planet for the first time, a planet must meet three criteria: it must orbit the Sun, it must be big enough for gravity to make it round, and it must have cleared other objects from its orbital neighborhood.

The third measure knocked out Pluto, which orbits among the icy wrecks of the Kuiper Belt, along with Ceres, which is in the asteroid belt. It was the 2003 discovery of Eris -- a body bigger and farther from the Sun than Pluto -- that led to Pluto's demotion in a contentious international meeting.

In June of 2008 the IAU voted to establish a new class of substellar objects called plutoids. Pluto regains some of his diminished status by becoming the prototype of a new category of Trans-Neptunian Objects, TNOs, and he now sets the standard by which all similar bodies will be measured. Astronomers expect more plutoids to be named in the future, but as of this writing there are officially four: Pluto, Eris, Haumea, and Make-make. Pluto is also a plutino--the unofficial, but nearly universally accepted, name for objects in a 2:3 orbital resonance with Neptune. For every two orbits that a plutino makes, Neptune orbits three times.

By definition plutoids are “bright celestial bodies which orbit the Sun beyond Neptune and have sufficient mass for self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so they assume a near-spherical shape, but they have not cleared the vicinity around their orbit.” What is fascinating is that the defining criterion is one of brightness and not of size, as size is difficult to determine for such distant objects. For the present, plutoids are distinguished by the brightness of their reflected light, suggesting symbolically that they can illuminate our consciousness in a new way.

The term plutoid joins a list of other odd appellations -- plutinos, centaurs, cubewanos and SDOs -- that astronomers have created in recent years to define objects in the outer solar system. This part of our Sun’s domain grows more complex every year.

Beyond Neptune

Between Jupiter and Neptune, minor planets which act like both asteroids and comets, are called Centaurs, after the mythical Greek creatures with dual natures. Chiron is the most famous. Trojans are asteroids that don't reside in the Main Asteroid Belt, but travel in lockstep with Jupiter, orbiting the Sun either ahead of or behind the gas giant.

Beyond Neptune astronomers now divide space in the extended solar system into three sections, which extend in “bands,” billions of miles into space: the Kuiper Belt, Scattered Disk, and Oort Cloud. A Trans-Neptunian Object, or TNO, is any object in the solar system that orbits the Sun at a greater distance, on average, than Neptune within this broad expanse. TNOs are grouped according to their orbital characteristics and distance from Neptune. Since 1992 more than a thousand TNOs have been identified and numbered, and the list keeps growing.

The Kuiper Belt is a disk-shaped ring of debris, similar to the Main Asteroid Belt, but largely unexplored, which contains short-period comets, asteroids and tens of thousands of other objects, including Pluto. Many of the largest Kuiper Belt Objects could soon be reclassified as dwarf planets. Many objects found in the Kuiper Belt orbit the Sun in a 2:3 ratio to Neptune, like Pluto; meaning it takes one and one-half times longer to circle the Sun. The Kuiper Belt itself can be roughly divided into two regions: the "resonant" belt, consisting of objects whose orbits are linked to Neptune, generally called plutinos. The "classical" belt is a relatively thin region of space that corresponds to the same plane in which most of the planets orbit and consists of objects that don't have any resonance with Neptune.

Overlapping the Kuiper Belt, but extending much further outwards, is the Scattered Disk. Scattered Disk Objects, or SDOs, form their own ring of rocky, icy objects. These objects may still be influenced by Neptune’s gravity, but their orbits are eccentric and inclined. An SDO's distance to the Sun varies enormously and can reach billions of kilometers.

The third division is the Oort Cloud, named for astronomer Jan Oort, who theorized its existence to explain the mysterious origin of long-period comets. The Oort Cloud is a thousand times farther from the Sun than the Kuiper Belt. The Oort Cloud is a hypothetical spherical cloud of rocky and icy debris, leftover material from the formation of the solar system, which suggests that the aura of our star is colossal. Scientists estimate that the distance to the Oort Cloud is one light year, a quarter of the way to the nearest star. Although located ten times closer than expected, astronomers believe dwarf planet Sedna is confirmation of the existence of the Oort cloud, revealing that this giant cloud extends much farther into the solar system than previously believed.

Plutinos

A plutino is a Trans-Neptunian Object in 2:3 mean motion resonance with Neptune, like Pluto. Plutinos are the largest class of the resonant TNOs. The name refers only to orbital resonance and does not imply common physical characteristics. Plutinos form the inner part of the Kuiper Belt, closest to Neptune, and represent about a quarter of the known Kuiper Belt Objects. The largest plutinos include Pluto, Orcus, Ixion and several others with numbers but no names as yet.

Cubewanos

1992 QB1 was the first Kuiper Belt Object discovered sixty years after Charon, Pluto’s Moon. During the intervening time our awareness of the solar system was strangely static. QB1-0 was in the classical Kuiper Belt and not a plutino. As it happened the science fiction name of cubewano, phonetically based on the letters and numbers, stuck. Objects with similar characteristics are now collectively called cubewanos. Make-Make, Haumea, Varuna and Quaoar are cubewanos.

Scattered Disk Objects

SDOs are believed to have been ejected from the Kuiper Belt by the gravitational influence of the giant planets and thrown into erratic orbits in the outer fringes. Their orbits are highly inclined to the ecliptic plane, and are often almost perpendicular. SDOs are unlike plutinos which are locked into orbital resonance with Neptune. Eris, a new plutoid, is twice as large as Pluto and the largest Scattered Disk Object so far.

Plutoids

To date, Pluto, Eris, Make-make and Haumea are the Trans-Neptunian Objects which have official Plutoid status. Plutoids are identified by their brightness and could appear in any part of the extended range beyond Neptune. Among those already named who are likely to join the group are Sedna, Quaoar, Varuna and Orcus. As many as seventy may already have the required characteristics. Plutoids must be farther from the Sun than Neptune, so Ceres is a dwarf planet, but not a plutoid, as it is located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Pluto and 8 Dwarves

The IAU has established guidelines for naming celestial objects under the auspices of the Committee on Small Body Nomenclature. Essentially, dwarf planets beyond Neptune are categorized by their orbital characteristics. Plutinos, objects with a similar size and orbit to that of Pluto, are named after underworld deities. Classical KBOs, those not in resonance with Neptune’s orbit, are given names of mythical beings of creation. Mythically, we might say this addresses heaven and hell.

Dwarf planets can be used in astrology in a similar way as the so-called Fixed Stars. If a planet resides at a certain degree of Celestial Longitude, and a star or dwarf planet is at the same degree, then a deeper meaning can be explored in the horoscope. How might the myths of these dwarf planets blend with the energy of a traditional planet, adding a more subtle meaning? I’ve chosen the four official plutoids, and four who are likely to receive this status soon, to briefly examine mythically and astrologically. (Note: the degrees of the Tropical Zodiac, converted from Celestial Longitude, were taken from Philip Sedgwick’s site www.philipsedgwick.com, and I rounded the degrees).

Pluto’s Rape of Persephone

Pluto - 29 Sagittarius - Transformation

Pluto himself has been transformed and is the first plutoid and a plutino. In myth he is lord of the underworld where he rules over the souls of the dead. Pluto is all about the Shadow, the part of us that is unseen and unacknowledged. What lies buried in the depths of the underworld can be gifts, curses, wounds or legacies. We have to mine for precious gems and minerals. As Pluto moves into Capricorn in January 2009 many structures will be annihilated, transformed and reformed.

Eris - 21 Aries - Discord

Eris is the largest plutoid and a Scattered Disk Object. She was named after the Greek goddess of discord who myth says triggered the Trojan War. Eris is currently the largest known TNO. True to her nature, her discovery caused the demotion of Pluto. She asks where things need to be overturned and reexamined, questioning the status quo.

Haumea - 15 Libra - Renewal

Haumea is a plutoid and a cubewano. She is a great Hawaiian mother-creator goddess who is embodied in the Makalei tree of Hawaii. She is the mother of many children, each of whom emerge from a different part of her body. Her nature is ever-renewing. Haumea is a nourishing source of life and teaches faith in the continual cycles of rebirth.

Ixion - 13 Sagittarius - Transgression

Ixion is a plutino. In myth he was a mortal king but a descendant of the god Ares. Ixion is said to be the first human to shed kin’s blood. He paid for this, but then offended Zeus by raping Nephele, a creature made of clouds, and thereby giving birth to the centaurs. As punishment, Ixion is eternally chained to a wheel of fire in the underworld. His lesson is the inevitability of paying for our sins.

Make-make - 25 Virgo - Fertility

Make-make is the third largest plutoid and a cubewano. Make-make is the creator god of the bird cult of Rapa Nui island, better known as Easter Island. He created humanity and is revered as a bird with a human head, and seen in sea birds of the area. He reminds us of our connection to nature and the sea, and the inherent wisdom of instinct.

Orcus - 1 Virgo - Retribution

Orcus is a large plutino, and appears physically to be a “twin” of Pluto. Orcus is an Etruscan god, precursors of the Romans, from the area now called Tuscany. He was portrayed in tomb paintings as a bearded and hairy giant. He is a lord of the underworld whose specialty is punishing broken oaths. His lesson is the importance of honoring our vows.

Quaoar - 17 Sagittarius - Generation

Quaoar is a large cubewano. He is the personified force of creation of the Tongva Indians of California near Los Angeles, also known as the Gabrielenos. Quaoar sings the Song of Creation and dances the world into existence out of primeval chaos. Quaoar shows us the power of joy in bringing forth new life.

Sedna- 21 Taurus - Reclamation

Sedna is called an E-SDO, an Extended Scattered Disk Object, as she lives in the frigid outer reaches of the Kuiper Belt, perhaps on the fringes of the Oort Cloud. She is goddess of the Arctic deep of the Inuit people who were once called Eskimos. Her story is one of betrayal, sacrifice and redemption. The Inuit beseech her permission to hunt the creatures of the sea on which their lives depend. Sedna teaches us to never take Nature for granted.

Varuna - 21 Cancer - Judgment

Varuna is a large cubewano. In ancient myth he was a celestial Hindu god, a universal monarch, judge and guardian of cosmic law. Varuna created the three worlds of heaven, earth and the space between. His name means “coverer” as in the starry canopy. Varuna reminds us that we cannot violate cosmic law without consequences.

For sixty years our solar system has been a fairly static reality and now change is happening so fast it’s difficult to keep pace. We live in a universe of mega proportions that changes even as we observe it and makes mystics of the most rational among us. Rather than losing Pluto, I believe astrologers have gained a growing number of enriching, new archetypal and mythical influences to consider, albeit “dwarves.” As more deities from world mythologies step out of the darkness and reveal themselves to us we can learn more about ourselves and widen our consciousness horizons. We are invited to enhance the faculty of intuition, opening to the wisdom of a much grander vista of existence.

Julie Loar
Queen of Cups, LLC
PO Box 1679 Pagosa Springs, CO 81147
Ancient Wisdom for the Modern World
http://www.queenofcups.com
970-264-7474