ASTEROID GODDESS INTEGRATION

Astraea & the Significance of Asteroids in Astrology

In Greek Mythology, Astraea, also known as the Star Goddess or Maiden, was renowned as the virgin god of justice, innocence, purity, and precision. She was beloved by the Greeks and thought to represent the Light in the world during what scholars have referred to as 'The Golden Age'.

The Golden Age (Age of Innocence) was one of the five Ages of Man in the old Greek religion. In mythology, the ages represented the history of human existence and its subsequent deterioration. Astraea came to symbolize humanity's fall and the hope that a new age of innocence would return.

As to her origins, there are differing stories; however, the widest accepted is that she herself is a descendant of the Titans. 

According to Hesiod’s Theogony, her father was the second-generation TITAN, Astraeus, the astrological GOD OF DUSK. Her mother was EOS, the goddess of the dawn.

Astraea is also considered the feminine principle of Hephaistos, the masculine representation of work, order, integration and disintegration.

Astraea in Through the Signs

According to Ovid, Virgo is Astraea's natural home, and both are endowed with the same qualities. Virgo's true origins in Greek mythology reflect Astraea, the goddess of innocence and justice; thus, many believe they are one in the same. To know Astraea is to know Virgo's earthly qualities, and to know Virgo is to know Astraea's heavenly qualities.

Considered an intermediary sign along with Virgo and Scorpio, Libra is a part of a transformative trifecta that brings a person from individualized consciousness (Aries thru Leo) into collective consciousness (Sagittarius thru Pisces).

In Virgo, the individual perfects and integrates oneself so that they may enter into the sign of partnership, Libra, as a whole and complete individual. Here we become aware of the "other" for the first time.

Communication that leads to sustained interaction is the groundwork for the final transmutation in Scorpio, the Alchemist, where the personal "I" dies and totally submerges, interpenetrates, and unifies with the other. The union of "I" into "We" becomes the gateway into the collective awareness symbolized by Sagittarius. 

Powerful shifts are occurring across the planet and individually. This transit prompts us to broaden our horizons through study or become stagnant, entrapped by toxic beliefs. Osho once said that the go exists off friction and feeds off our desire to be something else. This is why the ego exists, for this very lesson.

The ego dies by accepting who we are in the moment and desiring to be nothing else or nowhere else. The reconciliation of what is desired with what currently is creates the balance within us. This balance facilitates the death of the ego because what we've done or achieved no longer matters here in the present.

The power of Astraea in Scorpio is alchemical transformation from within, from me, myself, and I, to we, us, and they, and thus solidifies in Sagittarius. This process began by submerging ourselves into justice, innocence, purity, and awareness in the present moment of life rather than ignoring it for a desire.

Astraea's strong rulership association is with the three transitional signs, Scorpio being the final piece of the trifecta; therefore, they function as the active agents in these signs that facilitate the transformation from individual to collective awareness.

In Sagittarius that awareness becomes straightforward, philosophical, and freedom-loving from constraints, having experienced the alchemical process of transformation in Scorpio. 

Just and scholarly, Astraea in Sagittarius expands our visualization into profound understanding and broadminded optimism that is both philosophical and religious.

In Capricorn, we take all of the above and get down to business by manifesting our goals through dedication, commitment, and hard work. It's imperative that we balance our ambition and hard-wired focus with downtime. This can be communing in nature or enjoying time with close family or friends.

In Aquarius, invention and a focus on justice through humanitarian efforts increase. Here tradition can be broken or enhanced to compensate for personal freedom. 

Commitment to causes that we truly care about, particularly involving injustice, increases and our desire for equality and balance solidifies. We can also expect an increased desire for the pursuit of intellectual pathways that manifest visions for the greater collective.

Astraea's journey through the signs isn't just about our actions but healing. This is accomplished by demonstrating a high standard of morals and ethics in all that we do in Love, relationships, and work. When we act against what we know to be true, we wound ourselves or deepen an existing wound a little bit more.

Advocating for others who are unable to defend themselves will likely be a theme throughout this transit. It may also be a trigger to past injustices that we may have experienced. These are signals of unhealed wounds within us. We can heal them through forgiveness and focusing our support on others less fortunate.

Living and expressing ourselves authentically also serves as a balm to our spirit when we align with our values through integrity. This builds harmonious and accepting relationships.

Remember, Astraea’s journey is not just about external actions; it’s also about internal healing. By nurturing your own sense of balance and wholeness, we can become a beacon of harmony and inspire others to do the same. 

Hekate is a goddess whose origins can be traced back to ancient Greek religion, with possible roots in the Carians of southwest Asia Minor. 

She has also been associated with the Egyptian goddess of fertility and childbirth, Heqet, who, like Hekate, was also associated with Heka, the god of magic and medicine.

She was known as the daughter of Titan Perses and the nymph Asteria and became a powerful figure with dominion over the heavens, earth, and sea.

According to Hesiod, she held sway over many things:

Whom she will she greatly aids and advances: she sits by worshipful kings in judgement, and in the assembly whom she will is distinguished among the people. And when men arm themselves for the battle that destroys men, then the goddess is at hand to give victory and grant glory readily to whom she will. 

Good is she also when men contend at the games, for there too the goddess is with them and profits them: and he who by might and strength gets the victory wins the rich prize easily with joy, and brings glory to his parents. 

And she is good to stand by horsemen, whom she will: and to those whose business is in the grey discomfortable sea, and who pray to Hecate and the loud-crashing Earth-Shaker, easily the glorious goddess gives great catch, and easily she takes it away as soon as seen, if so she will. 

She is good in the byre with Hermes to increase the stock. The droves of kine and wide herds of goats and flocks of fleecy sheep, if she will, she increases from a few or makes many to be less. 

So, then, albeit her mother's only child, she is honored amongst all the deathless gods. And the son of Cronos made her a nurse of the young who after that day saw with their eyes the light of all-seeing Dawn. So from the beginning she is a nurse of the young, and these are her honours.

Hekate is most commonly represented holding torches to illuminate multiple paths, keys to the crossroads, or dogs, symbolizing her role as a protector of the household and a guide through the night. 

More modern depictions show her in a triple form, representing her ability to see in all directions of the crossroads, emphasizing her connection to boundaries and transitions, making her a guardian of thresholds and a mediator between different realms, much like the messenger Hermes. 

In the Homeric Hymn to Demeter (600 BCE), Hekate is referred to as "tender-hearted", an epithet referencing the disappearance of Persephone, as she assisted Demeter with her search for her daughter after her abduction by Hades. 

Hekate became Persephone's companion on her yearly journey to and from the realms of Hades, serving as a psychopomp. Because of this association, Hekate was one of the chief goddesses of the Eleusinian Mysteries, alongside Demeter and Persephone, according to Charles Edwards. 

There was a temple dedicated to her near the main sanctuary at Eleusis, says, Mary Bachvarova, in a May 2010 publication, "Hecate: An Anatolian sun-goddess of the underworld". 

Hekate offers a powerful foundation for integrity built on five core virtues: Justice, Temperance, Courage, Wisdom, and Compassion, what the Greeks called Eudaimonia: A dynamic pathway to an authentic, flourishing life. 

Integrity is the active process of doing the right thing when no one is looking, so to align our inner principles with your outward actions. 

Hekate's most fundamental teaching involves choice and accountability for that choice. 

She illuminates all paths at the crossroads; however, never chooses for us. We are left to contemplate, reflect on every potential outcome before owning our decision.

This is the catalyst for the greatest personal growth. 

This integrity extends outward through Xenia, the ancient and sacred Greek principle of hospitality. Xenia requires us to treats all strangers with inherent respect and generosity. By doing so, we weave our own virtues into the collective. 

She is much like Saturn, the teacher and task master of the zodiac. Nothing is given, especially a purposeful life by Hekate. It's earned through the conscious application of the aforementioned virtues and bearing responsibility for our own choices. 

And so, we face ourselves in the mirror of experience. 

Medea in Mythology

Goddess Medea: The Wise One

Zodiac association: Scorpio and Pluto

According to the Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology (1968), Medea imparts "female wisdom," stemming from the Sanskrit concept or force of "medha." This concept is also shared by other mythological figures like Métis and Medusa. Additionally, it traces back to the Babylonian "Me" or "Mother Wisdom," as well as the Egyptian 'Met' and the Greek "Meter," which also means 'mother”. Her name means “Wise One”.

In Greek Mythology, she is considered to be the source of all healing, and was versed in the use of herbs, magical plants, potions, and the art of transformation. She held the title of Princess of Colchis, was the granddaughter of Helios, the Sun god, and the niece of Circe, the enchantress. 

Many believe that her archetype transcends time and space, offering insights into the transformative power of the Dark Feminine.

According to Lisbeth Cheever-Gessaman, she represents the untamed wildness of the soul, the shadow self that holds the keys to our deepest desires and fears. Through her, we learn to embrace the darkness within us, harnessing its potent energy for personal growth and spiritual evolution.

She was also recognized as the first sorceress to conduct rituals in Thessaly, is a pivotal figure in the region's reputation as 'the land of the witches.' Her legend suggests that she was instrumental in bringing women's herbal knowledge from Asia Minor to Greece.

Vilification

In later myths, Medea is often remembered not for her healing skills but as a vengeful and rejected partner, overwhelmed by jealousy for which she found no cure. During the classical era, playwrights portrayed Medea as being consumed by anger, taking the lives of her own children to retaliate against Jason's betrayal.

Medea serves as a symbol of the profound respect and understanding of healing, herbs, and magic, only to be overlooked and ultimately vilified. The myth contains elements of an ancient tradition. 

The name Jason signifies 'healer,' and his alliance with Medea reflects the traditional methods of healing that existed prior to the rise of empirical medicine and the vilification of magical practices.

As a heroine, she embodies the feminine wisdom that intuitively understands cooperation with nature and its cycles. She has an instinctual knowledge of the precise moments to conduct rituals and ceremonies that summon healing spirits or banish demons.

A prominent Medea in a birth chart signals a call to delve into the age-old feminine practices of herbalism, alchemy, and magical rituals. It speaks to our innate understanding of the body's natural cycles and its requirements for wellness.

This goddess evokes the time-honored tradition of connecting with the plant world, acknowledging the wisdom of nature, and recognizing the potent healing and transformative qualities inherent in the natural realm. 

Instinctively, the witch represents the drive that guides us to the right remedies and potions at the opportune moment and is the inspiration to craft rituals and ceremonies that summon the goddess's energies.