Goddess Astrology Interview
This is the transcript of a recent interview I did with Cathy Burroughs of Moses Siregar's Astrology for the Soul.
1) How did you get interested in working with the Asteroid Goddesses and what personal connection do you have with them, Gary? How do they operate in your natal chart?
Well, my interest has grown slowly but persistently. When I look back, it seems so clear that my Dream –where I saw Venus passing in front of the Sun –was speaking directly to the Goddess archetypes. Yet, other than a few key works –like Demetra George’s Asteroid Goddesses –there has been little attention paid in astrology to the sacred feminine. The original Olympians in fact consisted of 6 Gods and 6 Goddesses –but the astrology we have inherited –like our society –is much more skewed to the masculine. I did a research paper on this masculine bias in college and published some of it in an article about Generation X. You can find that article and a video clip about my Dream on my website www.DreamAstrologer.com. Eventually, with the renewed attention given Ceres by the Astronomers –I decided to do some research to see if the idea that Pluto really “aint all that” could have some merit. What I found was that in Myth both Venus and Ceres pre-date Pluto considerably as representatives of the transformational process of Death/Re-birth/Transformation via journey to the Underworld.
2) What is the premise for your recent workshop where you discuss the Asteroid Goddesses as being a source for changing archetypes midstream? Where did you come up with this hypothesis?
Well, the hypothesis is simple really. If there are pre-Plutonian indicators of the transformational process which are much closer to the Sun –then they inherently represent a more personal connection with the process of transformation. Pluto, as a trans-personal planet, represents vast collective processes via his 248 yr cycle. Venus and the Asteroids, as a personal planet and the bridge between the personal and social planets, represent much more personal processes via their 19 month (Venus’ synodic period) and 4-5 yr cycles.
What experiences or examples can you give of this function of the Asteroid Goddesses?
The function of the Asteroid Goddesses can be gleaned from a solid understanding of the basic metaphysics behind astrology. All the basic cycles of astrology consist of the dynamic interplay between lightness and darkness. Each day, month and year we witness this primal cyclical exchange. Across cultures and time the Light force has always represented the yang/masculine function -which is basically associated with ordered/logical/left brain processes. The Dark force has always represented the yin/feminine function –which is basically associated with chaotic/intuitive/right brain processes.
Here again we can clearly see the masculine bias in our society as our schools tend to favor left brain modes of thinking. Yet some scientists and even astrologers, such as Bernadette Brady are showing us that order does indeed arise from systems on the verge of chaos. In any event, the Asteroids –as invisible planets -clearly are representatives of the Dark force or sacred Feminine.
3) What role do the transiting Asteroids play in this?
Clearly, the role of the sacred Feminine is to break down and re-cycle the rigid order of the Masculine. So, in many ways I think the asteroids act much as Sasportas labeled the outers –as Goddesses of Change. The three-fold process of transformation –outlined in the first 10 pages of Demetra’s book –is the basis for my understanding of how this works. Because they dwell between the personal (Sun, Mercury, Venus, Moon, Mars) and social (Jupiter, Saturn) planets, the Asteroids represent a process of transformation between personal and social processes–and, I would argue –between social and personal.
Often, I have seen the transiting Asteroids highlight a possible window of change in an individual’s life –whereby they are able to transform from one Order –or one version of the Masculine Hero –to another. A vivid example of this is Bob Dylan’s motorcycle accident which happened under a transiting Vesta return. He was transitioning from the Warrior Hero –challenging the status quo via “going electric” –to the Martyr Hero –where he did his country album and later incorporated religious themes.
4) How do you recommend people find these themes in their charts?
The method I have found most useful is to put the key pre-natal Eclipse planets on an outer bi-wheel with the nativity –including the Asteroid Goddesses Ceres, Vesta, Pallas and Juno -on the inner wheel. When cast for the birthplace, the Sun, Moon, ASC, MC and ruler(s) of the Eclipse sign are also “dark force” indicators of the sacred feminine -along with the natal Asteroids. Connections from Asteroids and key PNE planets to the rest of the nativity show where we might eventually want or need to break down and re-cycle rigid societal programming in order to claim a more personal and complete sense of our individuality via the intuitive/right brain/feminine functions of the Goddess. This reflects in our lives as the ability to transition between the 4 masculine Heroic archetypes: Warrior, Wanderer, Martyr and Magician –represented by the 4 elements Fire, Air, Water and Earth –respectively.
Venus, Ceres and Pluto in the nativity show how naturally involved the person is with this process of transition/transformation. The process itself –whereby transformation occurs in three steps or stages–is represented by the Asteroid Goddesses Vesta, Pallas, and Juno (this is straight from the first 10 pages of Demetra’s book). Vesta is the first stage where we experience compression and awareness is focused inward like the potential energy in a spring. Pallas represents the creative release of this potential via the repetition of a new order, pattern or story. Juno represents the final stage of transforming our Life by following the synchronistic connection to new players which arise as a result of living a new story.
5) Can you provide some examples in well known charts of how this might work?
I can think of no better example than the life of Bob Dylan. Dylan started out identifying exclusively with the Air/Wanderer Hero archetype as the traveling folk troubadour/protest singer. The Wanderer typically rejects what some would call safety–and flees it –learning instead by autonomy and independence.
But we can see that clearly the process of transformation is integral in his natal chart. Venus is widely conjunct his Sun (and so visually in the Underworld), Ceres is conjunct the
If we then include Dylan’s Asteroid Goddesses and key PNE planets we see that the relative elemental void of Fire (Dylan has only one natal planet in Fire signs) is now highlighted by the PNE Sun, Moon and Asc in Fire signs as well as Vesta, Pallas and Juno. So, clearly the first Archetype Dylan would be drawn to transform himself into is that of the Warrior. Dylan realized that he was being pigeon-holed as a "protest singer." People experience pain or confusion because they are living a dead story. The heavy emotions initially present are symbolic of the compressive focusing energy of Vesta. Dylan instinctively bristled at this and soon re-invented himself with the ground-breaking electric sound of Like a Rolling Stone. When we are able to experience a new archetype/script, there is a creative release (Pallas). Dylan received fierce condemnation and criticism for changing courses, but like a true Warrior he soldiered on. The Warrior fights, slays or conquers and learns through competition. Dylan was learning what it takes to remain competitive in a fickle marketplace. This leads to new connections (Juno) with new characters in a new story! Dyaln formed a new band and toured with them. Eventually all the fighting took its toll however, and Dylan sought solace in spirituality. He became a religious man and took up the path of the Martyr. The Martyr learns through sacrifice and service and Dylan wrote a few albums with strong religious and moralistic themes. Eventually, the myriad experiences of stylistic and genre changes brought Dylan to the path of the Magician. Practicing a sort of Alchemy, the Magician seeks to affirm and incorporate all paths and learns through relationship. Accordingly, much of Dylan’s critical acclaim came later in his career and he has recently become the first rock musician to ever win the Pulitzer Prize.
6) Is there anything else of importance that you'd like to add on this topic?
While it might not be quite as natural for each of us to change paths, with some supportive counseling, I have found that embarking on a new path becomes very enlivening and rewarding for many of my clients. If you think you might be ready to Re-Vision your Future and Trans-Figure your Life Story, I hope you will find someone who has the skills, experience and practical know-how to act as your personal Shaman, Psychopomp or “Soul Guide.” You can also listen in to the Goddess Astrology Podcast for a bi-monthly exploration of the Goddess archetypes at each Lunation. I look forward to exploring the sacred feminine with you!
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