Ceres and Pluto: Cry of the Goddess

The asteroid Ceres, who represents the nourishing qualities of the Great Mother Goddess, has been moving through the same region of the sky as Pluto, God of the Underworld. Here we see a powerful dance between energies that can sustain life or destroy it. The meeting of Ceres and Pluto in the sign of Capricorn (ruling the Earth’s geological structures as well economic and political structures) has strong correlations with our current environmental crisis. One example of this dynamic can be seen in the astrology of April 20, 2010, the day the Gulf oil spill began. At that time, Ceres and Pluto were in Capricorn (within a one degree orb) and opposed by the Moon in Cancer (vulnerability). We will experience similar energies on October 28, 2010, when Ceres and Pluto meet again in early Capricorn and conjoin the Capricorn North Node, while the Moon in Cancer is opposed them yet again.

A thorough analysis of the astrology for April 20, 2010, involves taking a look at more than the placement of Ceres, Pluto, and the Moon. For example, Chiron (need for healing) had just moved into Pisces (the seas) that same day. However an understanding of the myths related to Ceres and Pluto may provide important keys to understanding what is going on in our relationship with Mother Earth.

The Great Mother Goddess is known by many names in many cultures. Ceres is her Roman name, and she was called Demeter by the Greeks, Isis by the Egyptians, and Inanna by the Sumerians. In each of these cultures, the Great Mother was associated with fertility and the sustenance of life. She is intimately involved with the entire life cycle, from birth, to death, to rebirth. In astrology, the asteroid Ceres is associated with how one is nourished, and how one may be confronted with issues of attachment, loss, death, and renewal.

Pluto is the Roman name for the God of the Underworld, and in mythology, there is a powerful dynamic between Ceres and Pluto. Pluto abducted and raped Ceres’ daughter, Persephone, and forced her to live in the land of the dead. In the depths of Ceres’ grief, she became unable or unwilling to focus her life-giving energies on the Earth, and the crops began to perish. But when Ceres and Persephone were reunited, life on Earth thrived once more. In astrology, Pluto brings us to our inner depths and shows us what parts of ourselves need to die so we can be reborn into a more evolved version of ourselves. Both Pluto and Ceres have powers of regeneration.

We can see these themes reflected in the oil spill, with the devastation (Pluto) of ocean life impacting the entire food chain (Ceres). There was also loss of human lives and the grief of their loved ones. It is time for the death of the corporate greed, oil-dependent economics, and poor governmental oversight (all in Capricorn’s realm) that set the stage for this environmental disaster as well as the broader, global environmental crisis we are facing. With Ceres and Pluto in Capricorn, we can hear the Goddess’ cry of anguish over the rape of the Earth. It is a screaming wake-up call. We are being called to let go of our destructive ways and create new economic and political structures. We are being called to live in harmony with Mother Earth, so that our beautiful blue planet can experience a renewal and provide abundant nourishment for human life for many generations to come.

Sajit Greene, M.A., L.P.C.