Centaurs in astrology
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Centaurs are trans-Saturnian objects that have only been discovered in the last century & are one of the newest additions to modern astrology. Because they are so much farther than the asteroids, they take significantly longer to orbit the Sun. The scientific community regards the centaurs as being categorically 'inferior' to the planets; this is because they:
- Have highly irregular & unstable orbits over time[1]
- Are relatively common, there are more than 50 known to date[2]
- Are all smaller than the four largest asteroids: Ceres (now a dwarf planet), Pallas, Vesta & Hygiea[3]
- While some do appear to have atmospheres, it's usually because they show cometary aspects, such as occasionally forming a tail when they approach the Sun
This might be the whole reason for the category, because mythologically the centaurs were crude, unintelligent & unrefined. In the same respect, most of the astrological community approaches them with less dignity than the celestial bodies now considered planets, in particular the first five planets known to man aside from the Earth, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter & Saturn. However, many astrologers do think the centaurs are of major significance, including the assignment of Chiron as ruler of Virgo, Libra or of Pisces[4]. For some in the astrological community, the fact that the Centaurs take longer to orbit the Sun (and therefore, the zodiac itself) than the traditional planets is irrefutable proof that they are as important as the planets.
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[edit] List of Centaurs
Below is a list of Centaurs & interpretations of their astrological significance.
[edit] Chiron
This was the very first Centaur to be discovered; the next wouldn't be known for thirty years. Chiron was one of the highest of the centaurs. He was more intelligent than most of the others, & also much kinder (he had different biological lineage than the other Centaurs). Whereas most of the other centaurs were savage warriors, Chiron was a teacher & a doctor. He ended up sacrificing his immortality so humanity could have fire & Prometheus could be freed from his eternal punishment of having his liver eating by eagles everyday. It's understandable from this to see how some astrologers would consider it the ruler of Virgo. In a chart Chiron is said to represent where you have much wisdom, experience & a capacity to help others. In transit Chiron gives these things & aids in group & interpersonal associations. This could be because Chiron crosses the orbit of Saturn (experience) & at time resides within the regions of Jupiter (education) & Uranus' (change) orbits.
[edit] Pholus
This was the second Centaur to be found, & because of is discovery the category "Centaur" was created. Pholus was an intelligent Centaur who one day was admiring Chiron's arrows, but accidentally dropped one, cutting his leg and killing himself. It is said that Pholus represents "Small cause, big effect."
[edit] Notes
- ^ "Because the centaurs cross the orbits of the giant planets (Saturn, Uranus & Neptune) and are not protected by orbital resonances, their orbits are unstable within a timescale of 10^6 – 10^7 years." Centaurs
- ^ List of Centaurs & SDOs
- ^ The largest known centaur, 10199 Chariklo is only 225 km, whereas 10 Hygiea is at its shortest 350 km.
- ^ See Chiron on Astrology-Numerology, Chiron transits, for some arguments for the rulership of Chiron to Virgo, Libra or Pisces. For arguments against, see Chiron is a bunch of crap, Astrolog notes Chiron as a ruler of Pisces.
