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| Pallas Athene from the Temple of Aphaia c.500 BC |
Because there is an asteroid associated with pattern-recognition, so theoretically astrologers should have this asteroid somehow emphasised in the natal chart – and there should be a recognisable pattern.
In previous posts, I've shown how Vesta is associated with chefs and Juno with marriage (click the names to read the articles), so let's see if Pallas really is the goddess of pattern.
If she is, then astrologers, should have her well-aspected and prominent in the chart. I'm looking for really close aspects – between one and three degrees – and I'm looking especially for contacts with the Sun or Moon (essentially character), Uranus and Aquarius (astrology) and Saturn (systems of thought).
So I picked a random selection of astrologers whose birthdata is readily available on the internet. I chose some dead ones (because they can't complain) and some live ones (because they can).
Well, I laughed out loud when I pulled up the first chart: Charles Carter (1887-1968), the head of the British astrological association for many years and author of some really useful books, an old favorite of mine. Pallas conjunct Sun in Aquarius (orb 2°). Ooo don't you just love astrology.
Master of midpoints Reinhold Ebertin: Pallas conjunct Sun in Aquarius.
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| Alan Leo (1860-1917) |
The doyenne of contemporary astrology, Liz Greene: Pallas conjunct Moon in the 1st trine Mercury in the 9th (publishing and knowledge).
The romantic populariser, Linda Goodman: Pallas conjunct Venus in the 9th (orb °).
Zany and brainy, Rick Levine: Pallas conjunct Uranus in the 1st (orb 1°). And his pal Jeff Jawer has Pallas at the top of his chart in the 10th house of career opposite Saturn and exactly quincunx Uranus.The queen of horary, Ivy Goldstein-Jacobson: Pallas conjunct North Node and Jupiter in the 10th opposite Uranus.
Deaconess of dissemination, Donna Cunningham: Pallas in Aquarius (again) trine Mercury in Gemini (orb 3°).
I extracted all the chart information from Astrodatabank, the wonderful resource founded by Lois Rodden – Pallas rising in Aquarius (orb 3°).
Case rested.
That's so interesting. I'm not an astrologer (just a longtime student), but I have Pallas sandwiched between my Mercury at 0 Virgo and Venus/Pluto at 2 Virgo in my 1st house. And if the Virgo gets too "trees" rather than "forest," that stellium is sextiled by Jupiter and Neptune at 0 and 2 Scorpio. I guess I use Pallas mostly for my own self understanding given it's in my 1st house. But I've never really understood what Pallas was all about or how it functioned for me. I like this pattern-recognition idea!
ReplyDeleteEven without the Pallas, that's a very cool combination of planets. You must write. Are you taking big systems of knowledge and making them accessible or beautiful for ordinary people?
ReplyDeleteAlso in the first house, other people must see you, in some way, as Pallas (as well as Venus and Pluto, of course.) Lois Rodden and Liz Greene both have first house Pallas, too.
I do write for a living, alas taking systems of medical knowledge and making them accessible to pharmaceutical reps! (Venus/Pluto likes to make a decent living.)
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure how much of the stellium with Pallas is seen as I have Leo Moon/Ascendant (18/17 Leo) conjunct Uranus (14 Leo), which tends to steal the limelight from Virgo. But cool that Rodden and Greene have first house Pallas - that is fine company.
"Are you taking big systems of knowledge and making them accessible or beautiful for ordinary people?"
ReplyDeleteThat is nicely put. I really must keep that in mind as I continue to mull over future directions. Thanks, Christina.
@ Christina - don't you love it when your brain does that :) - when it goes clickity click? Merc trine Saturn - I love it when that happens
ReplyDelete@ Leslee - I'd say Chris makes the knowledge Accessible AND Beautiful
Sometimes the old brain just goes clankety cronk so clickety click is good.
ReplyDeleteThat is so brilliant and clever and COOOOOOL I'm bouncing in my seat :)
ReplyDeleteIntrigued, I slid over to astro.com and tried to find where Pallas Athene shows up in my chart. Have yet to succeed; the new wiki format confuses me terribly.
ReplyDelete"Are you taking big systems of knowledge and making them accessible or beautiful for ordinary people?" -- that's exactly what I'm doing, so I'm particularly curious about this placement in my chart. I aim for accessible AND beautiful, but there's probably a certain amount of funding involved before I get there.
Hi Christina,
ReplyDeleteI'm an Italian astrologer and I've Pallas exactly on the Descendant, quintile my Saturn in the 9th house and my Uranus in the 5th house and opposite Venus on the AS. It's interesting what you say because I live in Italy and I've been doing research on aspect-pattern astrology and planetary cycles for the last 5 years, presenting my research in conferences not only for astrologers but open to the general public in order to give a more serious image of astrology, trying to make it understandable to everyone.
Alessandra
Well, Piper, it was you who put me on to this with your comment on a previous post.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to find your Pallas on astro.com, go to extended chart selection and on the bottom left you will find a list of asteroids and other points including Pallas.
enjoy
I received a very sweet email today from Rick Levine, who points out that his Pallas is actually CONJUNCT Uranus, 1d24m orb. And it’s QUINTILE Venus 10m orb.
ReplyDeleteOoops. I'm afraid I typed in trine and didn't recheck it! Still that makes him even more madly pallatial than previously suspected.
Alessandra, your Pallas certainly fits.
Well I see myself as a long time student, as Leslee said. But wanted to check, I have Pallas in Cap at the 5th H cusp, square Uranus in 2nd and quincunx Saturn in 10th. Trine my Asc, all within 2 deg orb...I'm scratching my head here!
ReplyDeleteOK. So. I have Pallas in First House, all alone there, and in Aquarius. It does square my Mercury/Uranus in Scorpio, but trines my Moon in Gemini and Pluto in Libra, and sextiles Neptune in Sagittarius. I have yet to really research the asteroids, so thank you for posting this. And yes, I am a big fan of astrology and I am not officially studying it (and tarot, and yoga.... :)
ReplyDelete@Sabrina - Pallas in the 5th is interesting. I've noticed that 5th house types are often inventive, especially when it comes to making up games. I live with a couple of them. I would think that with that combination you must have a gift for strategy.
ReplyDelete@Monica - Aquarian Pallas slots you right in with at least a handful of astrologers - and so does the first house.
The Deaconess of Dissemination? I love it! I've been called many things, by both fans and detractors, most aptly Our Lady of Pluto. But the DOD title makes my Gemini stellium sit up anmd wag its tail.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea where my Pallas was--I never did unpack my asteroids after last summer's move. Donna Cunningham
@Donna - Deaconess of Dissemination - you have single-handedly created a wave of astro-ideas that ripples around the world.
ReplyDeleteI am an Australian Astrologer 65 years young Female, have been into Astrology since I was 14, am Passionate...about Astrology. I have Pallas in conjunction to my Moon exact in the third house in Capricorn, Can relate to your comments completely. Many thanks
ReplyDeleteIm so glad I found this information over the internet. I started studing astrology to understand MYSELF, couldnt understand why I invested so much time and money studyng stuff that i eventually came to despise [im a lawyer who doesnt practice, bc i hate it, and gives me panick attacks with waves of anger, quite a cocktail]. So, while looking for information in my chart, in the 1st house, the house of personality, there's pallas conjuct my NN in pisces, thats it, nothing else there. That triseptiles Uranus in Libra, and both biseptile a Moon/Sappho conjunction in Gemini in the 4th house whick i think FINALLY explains my fascination since i was a liitle girl with a discipline i couldnt actually learn bc my family is very catholic. [BTW, sappho extreme fear is dead on, cant remeber where i read it since i jump around from site to site, suffered from panick attacks since i was a little girl, quite a problem if you're a lawyer :s] So, for obvious reasons, i had a LOT of doubts concerning really compromising to the study of astrology, since i hade that love affair with the law too until i actually got into it, and now im stuck with student loans for a proffession i seriously dont profess at all. But this makes me hope. And if you find my way of writing odd, english isnt my first language, so there're sure some mistakes here and there for which i apologize in advance. Thank you so much for posting this information. VERY enlightnening.
ReplyDeleteWow. This is very interesting info. I am not an astrologer. I am a mere astrology enthusiast who has started delving deeper into astrology in the past couple of years in order to further self-understanding. I just checked my Pallas and it is in Scorpio in the 4th and it sextiles both my Virgo Sun-Mercury conjunction.
ReplyDeleteI'm just catching up with this discussion. I checked and I have Pallas at 25'Gemini32' in the 11th house, in opposition to SaturnRx at 24'Sag15'. That looks like a pretty tight orb.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure what to make of that opposition.
@ebony Your pallas combo sounds like you must have a pretty forensic approach to astrology.
ReplyDelete@anon Don't you think that's a real seeker's combo. Both those signs are about knowledge. I bet you're the sort of person who does not just swallow what it "says in the book" but likes some proof too.
Ha.. Christina, you hit the nail on the head (my saturn/Pallas opposition). My first tarot teacher told me I had great mystical powers, but the only problem is, I don't believe in mystical powers. Ha. So I call myself "the skeptic mystic." I also have Mercury midheaven in Taurus (I'm a Taurus sun/moon) so yeah, I have to see concrete proof of ideas, even better if I make something real out of intangible ideas.
ReplyDeleteThis article excited me as well. Pallas Athene is in the 10th house of my natal chart, opposite Pluto in Virgo 4th, trine Mars, Mercury, Neptune stellium in Scorpio 6th. I have been interested in astrology since I was a little girl. I practice in the Philippines, mainly as a horoscope writer for women's publications.
ReplyDeleteI have Pallas Athene and Eros in the 10th house with both asteroids in the sign of Aquarius. Can anyone tell me what this means? I'm an aspiring singer/actress with a great interest in the arts and philanthropy. This also stems from my Moon in Pisces.
ReplyDeleteI'd have to look at your whole chart to give you a true response to that question Blissss.
ReplyDeleteIt's the synthesis of all the parts that tells the story.
One tip if you are reading your own chart which is always good to keep in mind is the "rule of three". That is spot a pattern three times and you can be sure it's strong in the character.
Pallas in Aquarius does occur frequently in the charts of astrologers, however. Moon in Pisces is always very sensitive but the rest of the chart will tell how.
Pallas 0° Gemini (11th) conjunct my Taurus Moon (2½° orb), exactly sextile my Asc, (one minute orb) minute, and exact semi-sextile Venus (one minute orb). No aspect to Uranus, but I have Mercury/Sun 11th closely trine Uranus/Pluto 3rd.
ReplyDeleteI'll watch the 4 asteroids more closely in future, I think! Thanks!
@Louise - The exact aspects you have are very telling. Pallas is linked right in to your very soul there with the conjunction to the Moon. It speaks of instinctive smarts.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend with this aspect and I notice that she takes her own cleverness rather for granted, without realising quite how unusual her brain is. Among her many abilities is direction finding - in a small way and also tracking satellites. I wonder if that is Pallasy too.
I find Pallas fascinating - I have it in Cancer in a Grand Trine with Moon Neptune in Scorpio and Jupiter Chiron in Pisces. It's also quincunx Saturn in Aquarius. I use astrology as a tool to understand the psychological patterns of my attitudes and behaviours and the repeating cycles of events in my life.
ReplyDeleteI see patterns everywhere, quite naturally, and have often been accused of reading too much into things - but the patterns are there nonetheless! When I studied art, my tutor pointed out one day (when I was failing miserably to draw a landscape) that I don't see shapes, I see patterns and to work with it. My older sister was once told the same thing and she has Mercury conj Pallas. Be interesting to see where it is in the charts of artists and designers - I know Klimt had it opposite Mars and Neptune.
@Opal - oo, you've opened up a new avenue of investigation. I am very taken with the idea that some people see patterns rather than shapes.
ReplyDeleteCertain artists veer much more to graphic design - Matisse is a great example, Paul Klee. I'm going to go and look up their Pallas placements.
You could also make the same argument about music.
Ooh! Great post!
ReplyDeleteI have Pallas conj Moon in the eleventh, sextile Mercury in the 9th and Mars in the 12th.
Very interesting that though I practiced astrology for years things didn't start to heat up in this career until I took on social media.
How about that!
That'd be the 11th I guess
ReplyDeleteHi Christina,
ReplyDeleteMy Pallas is in the 9th house (Sagittarius), trine Moon (Aries) trine Sun (Leo) and my Ascendant is Aquarius:-))) I started learning astrology this year:-))
Interesting. I have not familiarized myself with asteroids, but this one could certainly explain my astrological inclination—among other things!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a fascinating concept. I haven't looked at my asteroids in years. I am embarrassed to say that I never took them very seriously. Clearly, I must have a rethink. Perfect for the new moon.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Pisces, I've had a look and my Pallas and it is at 22 Pisces in the 9th house trining my Uranus in Cancer in the 12th (8 degrees from my ASC). Also trining my 27 degree Scorpio Moon in the 5th while making a very tight inconjunct to my Pluto in the 2nd and my Neptune in Libra in the 4th (both at 23 degrees) and finally squaring my Sun at 23 Sag.
I have a lot to think about. Quite a number of those aspects are 5 degrees apart which makes me wonder about allowable orbs for the asteroids??
Thank you so much for this, dear Oxford Astrologer.
Robin Dalton
@star_dreamr
Thanks for looking into this pattern! I've long suspected that asteroids are more important than we're "traditionally" taught. After completing our asteroid synastry for my mentor and I, he said he didn't pay much attention to asteroids. Cue my hasty exit. I have Pallas in Pisces in the 3rd opposing North Node and Saturn in Virgo in the 9th. When you wrote "systems", my mind said "yesss!" I have little patience/regard for people who can't recognize patterns that seem self-evident to me, especialleying they need an authority figure to co-sign the idea before accepting it. He remarked that I must've "played dumb" about how little I knew about astrology because I picked it up very quickly. I think I just remembered what I'd already learned/knew in a past life (Pallas conjunction South Node in Pisces with Aquarius in the 3rd). ;-)
ReplyDeleteFittingly, my sites emphasize "random" thought. ;-)
Jara - you have set me thinking. I wonder if Pallas is also about independent thought. Also you truly have the Pallas astrologer's signature, n'est ce pas...
DeleteThank you so much for this article! I have been a "student" of astrology since my early teens, but did not know about the asteroids until the past few years. Needless to say, once I found Pallas Athena, I believe I found my muse. She is at 29 Taurus conjunct my 0 Gemini Saturn, 8 degrees before my ASC. I look for patterns in everything - nature, other people's behavior, and in mine as well. Finding four leaf clovers are my forte and I have hundreds of them from the decades of collecting them. The patterns of the astrological chart and their mathematical beauty captivate me daily in my studies. She is trine my Pluto, but square my Sun, which would explain how I keep most of my discoveries to myself, not wanting people to think I am "wacko". With my man, his Venus/ Pallas conjunction is almost exactly trine my Saturn/ Pallas conjunction and also conjunct my Pluto. Talk about intense!
ReplyDeleteI am a professional astrologer :Pallas conj Uranus in 8.
ReplyDeleteI am a medical astrologer and have researched deaths as well, or deaths aspect patterns.
Interesting for me is Uranus is on the last degree of Virgo and Pallas on the first of Libra... Relationship astrology is another one of three specialties.
I always wanted to do films about patterns, now I know why... Pallas!
Also sextile Venus and Midheaven and trine my Aquarius rising. Cool that you clicked- I didn't.
Yep, Honolulu astrologer: Grand trine Sun, Uranus, Pallas in Air, 26 libra Sun/26 Gemini Uranus/28 Aquarius Pallas..Love the distinctive flavor of your work, Christina, esp the artist's self portraits, splendid!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this excellent post. I'm trying to understand Pallas Athene - only recently discovered it when I read a post about the Galactic Centre and found my Pallas there. She's just under my DC, conjunct Mars and Jupiter, trine Uranus, sextile the MC so I assume she's important in my chart and trying to work it all out... Which is all apropos of nothing, just wanted to say thank you for the post. :)
ReplyDeleteBusby Berkeley has an unaspected Pallas @ 7 Cap. (Don't know his birth time though.)
ReplyDeleteI have Pallas exactly conjunct my Uranus in Virgo in the 11th...(and conjunct within 5 degrees of Pluto in virgo in the 10th).
ReplyDeleteI have Pallas in Aries, & the 5th house, but all aspects are afflicted (except moon). I'm not sure if that's a bad thing, or an good thing. ;) would this make someone overly hyper?
ReplyDeleteGreat Post!
Nailah D
as i was flitting about getting my shiz together after lunar follies of 28 nov (great catalylst - my whole life will change!), i found this. ooohhh i like it. makes sense: i have pallas conjunct mercury / venus in aquarius sextile mc. and what what! i have been an astrologer for 15 years. i feel whimsical! great call....l&l to all
ReplyDeleteInteresting stuff, thank you. I've been studying astrology for a year or so now, mainly for self-understanding, and my Pallas is in early Taurus, in 1st house, sextile ASC (Pisces), opposite Mercury (Scorp) and very tightly Quincunx Saturn (Libra).
ReplyDeletePallas is the only thing in my otherwise empty and massive (in Placidus or Koch) 1st house.
I can certainly relate to the pattern recognition feeling easy, it seems simple and nothing much until you see other people struggling and not "spotting" something right away (whatever it is), and you getting impatient :) (Mars exactly conjunct Uranus). Also, the thing about not going along with traditional gender roles/expectations has always been a bit of a thing of mine since early teens.
My Pallas is retrograde, though, and I was wondering how you would see that manifesting itself..? PiscesCancerGemini above mentioned an interesting thing about keeping her discoveries to herself, so as not to be seen as a "wacko". I seem to have a very similar hang-up about astrology. I want to learn and investigate so much more and am very curious and into patterns in charts etc., but am having trouble discussing it with people at all (except bf), or at least without downplaying how much I believe in it, so as not to be seen as a "silly, boring girly girl yammering on about horoscopes in women's magazines". :)
Can anyone relate to that?
Welcome to the world of an astrologer Liinu!
DeleteI am also not an astrologer, just an enthusiast. My Pallas has always intrigued me and I am still trying to figure out its meaning. It is unaspected in virgo which is intercepted in my 7th house(placidus). It conjuncts my sun/moon midpoint (0 deg.)and squares my MC (4 deg.) though. The interesting thing is that I also don't have any placements in earth signs, so I guess my practical manifestation of Pallas is still undiscovered :) I also read somewhere that a prominent Pallas can be found in charts of great political analysts. Can also be good to look into.
ReplyDeletePallas conjuncts (-2 deg.) my North node, in Libra,6 house.As Aries (17) Sun Taurus (21, 49, 11) I am very interested in social patterns and astrology.
ReplyDelete