What’s she up to now?

Cancer 2017

Since 2006, when Ceres was given her rightful status next to Pluto, I have been keeping an eye on her so I can learn how this planetoid works in practice. Clues to her nature are given by the wonderful myth we have about her and her daughter as well as by what she does astronomically. However I always like to see what she does in the real world, in the charts of people, companies and countries, and also in world events.

What is she doing?
So I have to wonder what she is up to at the moment. Maybe after being ignored as a planet between 1850 and 2006, (she was a planet originally at her discovery in 1801, then an asteroid and now a dwarf-planet), she has some catching up to do to make her point!  Her discovery date is interesting for another reason, particularly at the moment, as it is the same day that many astrologers use for the chart of the United Kingdom – 1st January 1801. So perhaps Ceres is going through a similar process to the turbulent times being experienced in Britain. Whatever the situation, she seems to be putting her oar into many events in the UK.

Heart-breaking
In a very short space of time, the UK has experienced several heart-breaking and/or shocking events. The first in this series was on May 22nd when the Manchester bombing occurred. Then on June 3rd, the London Bridge attack happened, when a van was driven into the crowd, killing and wounding many. I covered these two in my last post, when I looked at Mars. Since then, general elections have been held on June 8th with shock results, the terrible fire at Grenfell Tower took the lives of many people, and the latest was the attack at Finsbury Mosque, which left one man dead and several wounded.

What draws these events together for me, is that the Sun, in Gemini, has passed Ceres in the sky. It seems as if she wanted to be in the spotlight as soon as the Sun entered the sign she was in. And so she was! At the Manchester attack, the Sun was in the first degrees of Gemini. A couple of days after the Finsbury attack the Sun left Gemini and entered Cancer, our sign of the month. So maybe her work has been done –  for now anyway – as the Sun has moved on, while Ceres stayed in Gemini for a while, the sign of messages. As I write, she too has now moved into our sign of the month –  Cancer, which is, among other things, the sign of families.

Does Ceres have a point?
It is well known that the myth of Ceres relates to mothers and daughters, and to protection. The Manchester bombing highlighted the fact that many mothers tried to protect their daughters, before and after this horrifying attack. They went to the concert together with their daughters or were waiting to pick them up. One woman was killed protecting her niece when she acted as a human shield.

The London Bridge attack again highlighted the fact that protection of the populace is not always possible. Ceres is associated with grain and food, so it was interesting that these attacks took place near a food market and lots of restaurants. However, of more importance is that fact that these brutal attackers may represent Ceres’ meeting with the god of the underworld, Pluto. He rules death and destruction as well as transformation, and indeed Ceres in the sky was in a close aspect with him that day. As in the myth, he ‘abducted her child to the underworld’. Symbolically, through these powerful attackers, many, like Ceres, were left bereft at the loss and ‘rape’ of life.

Ceres gets angry
Finally, in the myth, after losing her daughter, being overridden by Jupiter and Pluto, getting raped by Neptune, in some versions of the myth, and feeling powerless, she steps into her own power and gets angry. So is this what is happening now? What is less acknowledged about Ceres in astrological circles, is that Ceres is associated not only with rites of passage, but also with the plebeian class. Yes, the plebs. Most of us! And we are angry.

In Rome, Ceres was involved in what Barbette Spaeth, an academic expert in Roman mythology, describes as the development of plebeian class consciousness, through opposition to the patrician (ruling) cults of, among others, Jupiter (politicians). Spaeth even hints that the Temple of Ceres was not only responsible for care of grain supply, but also for public buildings and the streets of Rome!

In these attacks in the ‘streets of major cities’, it has been the ‘plebs’ who have come to the aid of victims. The police too of course, but the public have been, and still are, very involved. And notably, London Bridge was also the scene of an earlier attack in March – an attack aimed directly at Westminster (the Patricians). Ceres was in a very prominent position when 999 was dialled that day – right at the top of the horoscope for this moment. A powerful place. She definitely wanted to be noticed.

The UK election
And so to the heart of it. At the close of voting, the exit polls were showing a shock result, which turned out to be true. A hung parliament! Theresa May, the Prime Minister, had called a snap election to increase her majority. Instead, she lost that majority and is going ahead with a minority government, under much protest from all sides. On election day Ceres was very close to the Sun. But she had moved on from being in the clinch with Pluto. Instead the Sun (those in power), had Pluto to deal with and he took no prisoners! A major reckoning for the Tories.

Campaigning had been temporarily halted by the two attacks prior to voting. Understandably, how to deal with terrorism had become a major theme. But democracy was not to be stopped, which I think is another of Ceres’ remits. The tide had been turning for Theresa May, but the final blow for her was probably caused by the fatal fire at Grenfell Tower, six days after the elections. Since then things have been a lot tougher for her, especially since Brexit negotiations have started.

Grenfell Tower

Mars was in Cancer at the start of this devastating fire that spread so quickly, due to the cladding, that many people had no chance to get out. Mars is a fire planet, he ignites – and in Cancer  it was an exploding fridge in a kitchen that led to the total destruction of homes (also Cancer’s theme). This event has initiated immense anger, which will hopefully lead to major changes. But what about Ceres?

 

She was right at the base of the chart, next to the Sun, when services were called to the scene on that fateful night. This placement draws attention to fundamental issues in society, in particular, the need for basic food and shelter to take the limelight. Saturn, representing authority figures, is opposing Ceres and the Sun – the plebs. We are supposed to look at what the authorities are doing. Saturn demands responsibility. The Sun is helping the plebs (represented by Ceres) demand that local government takes responsibility for the basic needs of this community.

And many heads have rolled already. It has not only been a tragic event, it is also clear now that it is nothing short of what has been described as corporate manslaughter. Unfortunately, appalling management of social housing is often only brought to justice when this type of event occurs. Britain apparently needed a huge wake-up call for residents’ complaints to be taken seriously. This tragedy could have been avoided if cost-cutting and basic demands by residents had not been ignored. And if laws had been enacted following recommendations given after a similar event involving this cladding.

Ceres – the negotiator
The Patricians have had their way for too long and austerity measures, brought in by the Tory government, have exacerbated the differences between the ruling classes and the plebs. The balance is now totally out of whack. Ceres is pro-democracy and for standing up for the underdog. Her remit is grain (making sure citizens can be fed) and public buildings. I think she has made her point. So democracy has spoken at the elections, and the balance of power in the House of Commons is actually more even. In the myth, Ceres acts when she is finally angry enough to take her power and she refuses to allow food to grow. The result of this is that Jupiter and Pluto (those in government and with power) are forced to take her seriously and they HAVE TO negotiate. Ceres’ actions force the two sides to work together. She doesn’t get her daughter back, but the compromise is that she is reunited with Persephone for part of the year. Compromise – the order of the day for all of us.

The main players
I find it amazing that all the main players in the coming battles in the UK have Ceres highlighted in their own horoscopes. Jeremy Corbyn is certainly on the side of the Plebs. He is using Ceres to good effect! The ‘right man in the right place’ has Ceres picking up Mars and possibly the Moon (we don’t have a good birth time) – he is fighting (Mars) for decent conditions (Ceres) for the people (Moon). With Ceres in Leo he is a negotiator who demands attention.

Theresa May is having to learn the lesson of negotiation, also with Arlene Foster, the head of the DUP, a Northern Irish party who are backing her minority government. May has the Sun opposing Ceres in Aries, which may mean she could be a naive and somewhat hasty player in these negotiations. But she can no longer rule. Nicola Surgeon has had to give up her dream of independence, and will have to work more with other parties as she has lost some of her majority.  She has Ceres in Taurus also picking up her Sun, a stubborn negotiator! Arlene Foster has Ceres picking up many planets. I think she has a strong innate ability to fight for what she wants with Ceres in Aries, picking up her Sun in a ‘talent’ aspect. These are all Ceres women. In all three of them this archetype forms part of their calling. They are all charged with dealing with Ceres’ issues: democracy, protection, negotiation and sticking up for the underdog. And this includes all aspects of women’s rights, as well as caring for animals and the environment. But can they do it in a positive way?

And so to Brexit…
Yes you guessed it. Both David Davis, Britain’s main negotiator, and Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, have Ceres picking up the Sun. Ceres is part of their calling too. Barnier has her next to the Sun in Capricorn, I wouldn’t want to be negotiating with him on rules! Davis is also a Capricorn but has Ceres in Leo, so, like Corbyn, he will demand attention for his negotiating skills.

Ceres’ wish

Ceres had to learn the hard way that she couldn’t get everything she wanted and became a skilled negotiator by withdrawing food. What would be the ‘food’ for the ruling classes that the plebs could withdraw in any negotiations? This might be the answer to achieving settlements. Ceres will fight for food and shelter for all creatures. She wants communities to have peace, because otherwise people can’t stay in one place long enough to grow crops. With the number of displaced people in the world at the moment this is a major issue. A lack of food also leads to unrest, so this is a vicious circle. Her remit is also global warming. Already crops are being affected due to weather conditions. It seems Ceres needs to go to great lengths to get us to see what harm we are causing. She also wants the earth and natural environments to be honoured. We have to now question whether high-rise living, with little contact with the earth, is wise. Ceres wants to see green, healthy nature. And she also wants her ‘public’ to have good housing and enough money to eat well. I think she is not about to stop highlighting these needs, although her current tantrum might be over for a while.

Faye Blake-Cossar

Interesting websites of the Month

A powerful post from a fellow astrologer on the Grenfell Tower fire.

And on a more frivolous note – I couldn’t resist… especially the reference to Ceres’ field of wheat!

Quote of the Month

“Our houses are such unwieldy property that we are often imprisoned rather than housed in them.” Henry David Thoreau, Walden

“Come in,” she said, “I’ll give you shelter from the storm.” Bob Dylan

For Astrologers

London Bridge Attack: June 3, 2017, 22:08 BST, London, UK.
UK Elections: June 8, 2017, Westminster, UK – some astrologers use poll opening time and some the close. Throughout the day Ceres and the Sun were together.
Grenfell Tower Fire: June 14, 2017, 00:54 BST, London, UK.
Finsbury Mosque attack: June 19, 2017, 00:20 BST, London, UK.
United Kingdom: January 1, 1801, 0:00, Westminster, UK.

Jeremy Corbyn: May 26, 1949, Chippenham, UK, time unknown.
Theresa May: October 1, 1956, Eastbourne, UK, time unknown.
Arlene Foster: July 3, 1970, Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, time unknown.
Nicola Surgeon: July 19, 1970, 15:16 MET, Irvine, Scotland. AA rating.

David Davis: December 23, 1948, York, UK, time unknown.
Michel Barnier: January 9, 1951, 16:40 MET, La Tronche, France. AA rating.