The Additional Tables

The additional tables provide a summary of planetary and asteroid positions, houses, aspects, elements and qualities you can use to assess points of key significance in your chart. The following are adapted from my own chart.

Table of Planetary and Asteroid Aspects, Showing Kite Formation
These tables provide a great deal of information. If none of these data make sense to you, the following introductory articles may prove helpful: Astrodienst A Brief Introduction to Astrology The Planets Other Celestial Bodies The Four Elements and the Signs The Signs The House System The Houses Aspects Jan Spiller Astrology 101 An Introduction to Astrology The PLANETS: the different URGES within us The SIGNS: the STYLE of Expression The HOUSES: the ARENA that activates our urges The ASPECTS: the energetic RELATIONSHIP between the planetary urges And much more... Assessing the placement of planets and asteroids in the Houses is a good place to begin.
	The natal distribution of planets, asteroids, the Ascendant (Rising Sign), Midheaven (MC), Part of Fortune and Vertex in the elements of Fire, Air, Earth and Water are shown at left, as are their states or qualities — Cardinal, Fixed, Mutable.
We divide the twelve signs into four elements: fire, earth, air, and water. The elements are principles of action in the world. The psychologist Carl Jung related then to the four psychological functions: Fire is intuition, earth is sensation, air is thinking, and water is feeling. They correspond to Plato's four bodies, where fire is the spiritual body, earth is the physical body, air is the mental body, and water is the emotional body. They correlate with the modern view of the world as seen by physicists, in which fire is energy, earth is the particle nature of matter, water is the wave nature of matter, and air is the complimentarity between particle and wave... A New Vision of Astrology, A.T. Mann; NY: Pocket Books, 2002:6 A preponderance of planets, asteroids and positions, in one or more elements, is considered self-descriptive; the same applies to the states or qualities. The above tabulation does not include Arabian Parts and other principals which might better complete the picture, but it does suggest limited or highly qualified emphasis of the sanguine element, Air. The states or qualities are essentially balanced.

In The Circuitry of the Self: Astrology and the Developmental Model, Bruce Scofield presents a table which organizes the similar systems of Galen, Aristotle and Jung (2001:48 fol.):

Deeper analysis of the chart requires assessment and interpretive synthesis of planetary aspects, referring to recognized geometric relationships which are thought to describe or characterize the blending of planetary principles in personality. In some cases, groups of aspects are combined in a dynamic that is given greater weight than would be accorded the individual aspects alone. For example, three (or more) planets may be in trine with each other, such that each is approximately 120º (±10º) from the others. This results in a dynamic called the Grand Trine, and it effectively magnifies the combined energies of all three points. A Kite Formation adds a fourth point to the Grand Trine; this fourth point, which may include one or more planets or astrological variables, is 60º from two points in the Grand Trine, and 180º from the third. A Kite Formation is illustrated below.

Kite Formation (Koch House System)

Taken in isolation, this dynamic involves ten principals that comprise a circuit or matrix with four integrated themes, identified by (i) Vesta, Venus, North Mode and Midheaven in 10th-House Aries [base of the kite]; (ii) Chiron Retrograde, Ceres and Vertex in 5th-House Sagittarius; (iii) Neptune Retrograde and South Node in 4th-House Libra [apex of the kite]; and (iv) Pluto in 1st-House Leo. The House positions help identify the nature of the circuit, and the apical 4th House, dealing with psychological foundations, reveals the orientation of the matrix, focused by its base and the Vesta archetype.

VESTA AND CENTEREDNESS The Greeks portrayed Vesta as the omphalos, navel, or center of the world. As the hearth fire at the center of the home, Vesta provided a gathering place for the family. Likewise, Vesta functions as the center of the psyche, coordinating various facets of the personality. Astrologically, Vesta symbolizes individuals who are "centered" in their own identity and thus self-determined in their activities. Stressful aspects to the planets may portray a person who is off-center, off-base, or not yet able to find a place. Asteroid Goddesses, Demetra George & Douglas Bloch, Berwick ME: Ibis (2003:129) See also: Barbara Kirksey, Hestia: A background of psychological focusing., in Facing the Gods, ed. James Hillman, Texas: Spring Publications (1980:105) Evaluation of the entire chart is required, however, if we want to appreciate the nature of one's "calling". While a kite formation such as this is a powerful dynamic, its characteristics (advantages and disadvantages) must be weighed in terms of the complete horoscope with respect to other aspects that bear upon awareness and performance. Not pictured above, for instance, is a Taurus stellium (Moon, Mercury Retrograde, Sun) which squares Pluto, the impact of which involves a constant breakdown and buildup of identity constructs, driving the study of psychological processes.

Evaluating the Chart for Vocation

There are several key factors to consider when evaluating a natal chart with respect to vocation. In How to Find your Vocation in the Horoscope, Beatrix Braukmüller reviews seven steps:

NOTE: The following is an extract, slightly shortened and adapted, from Berufsanalyse mit dem Horoskop: Vom richtigen Beruf zur wahren Berufung [Occupation analysis with the Horoscope: From the right occupation to the true vocation], Chiron Verlag: Tübingen, 2000. Emphasis added.

	Step 1: The Hemispheres Emphasis on the eastern (left) hemisphere: everything that concerns the "me" or "I" aspects of life Emphasis on the western (right) hemisphere: everything that concerns the "you" aspects of life Emphasis on the (top) day hemisphere: "what comes to the light" Emphasis on the (bottom) night hemisphere: "what lies in the dark" Step 2: Distribution of planets in the elements (triplicities) The elements tell us something about the temperament of the horoscope person. Emphasis on fire signs: corresponds to C.G. Jung's Intuitive Type - active, impulsive, enthusiastic, interested the meaning of things. Emphasis on earth signs: corresponds to the Jungian Sensation Type - practical, interested in realising things, perceives with the senses. Emphasis on air signs: corresponds to the Thinking Type - intellectual, communicative, needs and provides mental stimulation. Emphasis on water signs: corresponds to the Feeling Type - sensitive, empathic, sympathetic, profound, main motivation are emotions. The polarities: Is there an emphasis on opposing elements? In what ways could they conflict, in what ways are they complementary? Step 3: Distribution of planets in the qualities or modes (quadruplicities) Cardinal: great activity and enthusiasm; danger of going over the top. Tendency toward leading positions and active professions. Fixed: Stamina and stability; the horoscope person may lean towards a certain indolence. Tendency towards approved, routine professions. Mutable: great flexibility and adaptability; difficulty in taking decisions. Tendency towards intellectual professions with a lot of variety. Step 4: Planets in and rulers of the "professional" houses 2-6-10 2nd House: material security 6th House: work and health 10th House (MC): profession / vocation, position and reputation in society Step 5: The Ascendant (AC), ruler of the AC and its aspects Public appearance. How does the person present himself/herself to others? Which role does the person play? How does he/she react to his/her environment? The ruler of the ascendant shows the way and the areas in which the person wants to present himself/herself. Step 6: The planets - their meanings in signs and houses, and their aspects Sun: What is the central theme in life? Moon: What does the person need to feel fulfilled and content? Mercury: What is his/her mental attitude? Venus: What are his/her artistic and social qualities? Mars: In what areas does he/she use his/her energies? Where does he/she become active? Jupiter: In which areas can the person expand and develop himself/herself? Saturn: Where does he/she carry responsibilities and fulfils his/her duties? Where does he/she meet obstacles? What are his/her fears? Uranus: Where does he/she show a need for variety and change? Where does he/she express his/her intuition, originality, sudden insights and impatience: Where does he/she show a need for variety and change? Where does he/she express his/her intuition, originality, sudden insights and impatience? Neptune: In which areas does he/she use inspiration, instinct, sensitivity and imagination? Pluto: Where does he/she express or feel control, power and powerlessness? Step 7: The Nodal Axis / Moon's Nodes The Moon's Nodes can add to the knowledge about a person's development. This axis is related to the relationship between personal social developments. Therefore, aspects to the nodal axis can give interesting insights on this issue. Especially important are planets conjuncting the North or South Node. Source: http://www.astro.com/astrology/in_vocation2_e.htm

Vocation As A Way of Life — More than Just A Job

While some equate the terms vocation and occupation or career, we consider vocation in the context of a "calling" — defined as an unconsciously mediated experience which presents as a compelling sense of personal and collective "being" in light of an ultimate or transcendent reality. The experience of vocation is best described as an experience of one's way or path in life. It may be consciously expressed as a set of beliefs and behaviors that reflects this deep-seated inner orientation, but, at outset, one may simply feel impelled to act, with little conscious ramification of ideation in support of that activity.

Occupation and career involve a degree of social approbation, since you are being recompensed for the work that you perform. Vocation may manifest as a cardinal theme inherent in one's experience, yet for which one is not directly acknowledged or paid, as in the case of the bus-driving "buddha", in contact with whom, as he ferries you uptown, you feel inexplicably at peace.

We may use astrology to elucidate potential areas of work in which a person might be interested, but the identification of calling is not so formulaic. Indeed, one's appreciation of vocation has much more to do with the experience of ideational and emotional resonance. In this light, the study of archetypes in the natus can be particularly useful.

Assessing the Midheaven

In this exercise, we will explore the significance of five primary asteroid goddesses in relation to what is termed the Midheaven:

Also known as Medium Coeli, "Middle of the Heavens", abbreviated in charts as M.C. One of the four angles in a horoscope. It marks the cusp of the tenth house and is directly opposite the Nadir. The midheaven represents ambition, ideals, and public image. Planets at or near the Midheaven tend to indicate that the person is likely to make a mark on the outside world.
http://www.eluminay.com/astrology.html
For additional explanation, with diagrams, see Astronomical Foundations of the Astrological Houses, by Christopher A. Weidner.

In its broadest sense, the Midheaven (MC) is associated with one's profession, as is the entire 10th House. Planets or asteroids in aspect to the MC are thought to have key bearing on matters of career, public standing, and the ability to contribute to society. But the MC is also thought to describe your vocation, or calling, implying a deep-seated goal or conviction which informs the work that you do.

Archetypal influences are often evident, in this case, and astrological interpretations can prove much more resonant when these are elucidated. For example, in their classic text entitled Asteroid Goddesses: The Mythology, Psychology, and Astrology of the Re-emerging Feminine, authors Demetra George and Douglas Bloch present Ephemerides of 16 Asteroids 1930-2050, with insightful descriptions of aspects between four primary goddess archetypes and planets in the natal chart; they also describe the influence of each archetype in the Houses. A 9th-, 10th-, or 11th-House locus (depending on the House System you used to erect you chart) is especially significant for Ceres, Pallas Athene, Vesta, or Juno [we would add Lilith and possibly Pholus to this list], particularly if any of these is conjunct (± 10º of) the MC. Aspects from these asteroids to the MC (e.g. by square, quintile, trine, opposition, etc.) are equally instructive, as are placements of the asteroids in the 2nd House (personal resources) or the 6th House (jobs, personal service).

NOTE: If you want to use an online tool to calculate positions for a lengthy list of asteroids, in both table and chart form, see the Centaur, TNO, Asteroid Ephemeris for Astrology (1500 - 2099), by Tracy Delaney. You'll need to enter your birth time as Universal Time (GMT) — e.g. an Ottawa ON CA birth (Eastern Standard) time of 13:00h is -05:00 [i.e. 5 hours behind Greenwich, England, which] = 18:00h. Here's an example of the full chart.

As we have seen in Braukmüller's work above, there are many factors which must be considered in evaluating occupation and one's true vocation. George and Bloch do not present descriptions of asteroid connections with the MC, Ascendant (Asc), or the Nodes of the Moon. With respect to one's vocation or calling, it is helpful to create a list of asteroids in aspect to all three, particularly the MC. Then, if you have not done so already, review the mythoi of the gods and goddesses so identified. If a specific mythos strikes a chord in your heart - if the story of that particular god or goddess is strongly reminiscent of your own - you've potentially identified an ordinating archetype in your own personality.

If your chart does not present asteroid aspects to the MC, Asc or Nodes, remember that aspects represent only one strategy you might use to identify vocation. Other principals (e.g. Sun, Moon, Mercury, Saturn, etc.) may be in aspect with these archetypes, and they can prove equally instructive in assessing vocation. In the content below, we explore five of the asteroid archetypes. There are, of course, many more.

Asteroid Goddesses :: Archetypes

Models, table and descriptors presented in this section are culled from various books and selected websites, with source(s) cited in each case. Collected references are provided at the bottom of the section.

Source: ASTEROID GODDESSES: Chloe Armand, Demetra George and Douglas Bloch, with Patricia White; Programming by Rique Pottenger (16 January 2001:pp3-5). NOTE: This is an excert from a sample chart provided by Astrocom.com; other such samples are available online, and each includes the following content — see, e.g. Asteroid Goddesses in the natal chart of Marilyn Monroe, prepared by Astrolabe. The Mandala of the Asteroid Goddesses Ceres, Pallas, Juno and Vesta represent four very basic feminine archetypes which amplify and particularize the more general energies of the Moon and Venus. Their relation to the regular planets and to each other becomes clear in a mandala. The large circle in the mandala represents the Moon, the fundamental feminine principle that contains all the potential expressions of the feminine nature. Behind the Moon resides the Sun, the embodiment of the fundamental masculine principle. The union of the masculine and feminine, of the Sun God and Moon Goddess, gives rise to what mystics have described as Oneness. In the center of the mandala is Venus. As the essence of the feminine nature in her activated form, Venus embodies the feminine creative, magnetic, sexual, reproductive, vital life force. Venus is surrounded by Ceres, Pallas, Juno and Vesta. Each of the four in its unique way uses the creative sexual energy of Venus to express the various functions and activities of the feminine principle as it operates in both women and men. Image Credit: Demetra George and Douglas Bloch. Note that these asteroids are placed at the four cardinal directions of the mandala. These correspond to the four "angles" of the astrological chart: the Ascendant and Descendant to the left and right along the horizon, and the MC (Medium Coeli or Midheaven) and IC (Imum Coeli or Lowest Heaven), at the top and bottom of the vertical meridian line. The basic symbolism of these four great goddesses is as follows: Ceres, the archetypal Mother and the Goddess of Agriculture, gives birth to the world of physical form, bearing children and providing food for their survival. As the Mother archetype, she stands for the principle of unconditional love and nurturing support in both women and men. In the above mandala she is placed at the IC, the very bottom of the horoscope wheel, which in astrology is related to the foundation, the roots, and the family. Pallas Athene, the daughter of Zeus, is the Goddess of Wisdom who generates mental and artistic creations from her mind. Sprung from the head of her father, she represents the principle of creative intelligence. Her place in the mandala is at the MC, the "head" of the chart, the uppermost point, which symbolizes one’s ambitions and one’s visible, socially useful accomplishments. Juno, or Hera, was the wife of Zeus. As such, she is the Goddess of Marriage who fosters and sustains union with a partner. More generally, she symbolizes the principle of relatedness and commitment to another over time. In the mandala, she is placed at the Descendant, which in the horoscope wheel is the point that signifies reaching out from the Self to another in order to complete oneself in a one-to-one relationship. Vesta, or Hestia, was Zeus’s elder sister who never married. In mythology she became the protectress of the hearth and the sacred altar flame. The archetypal Temple Priestess, she is a virgin in the original sense of being whole and complete in oneself. In the system of goddess symbols, she represents the principle of spiritual focus and of devotion to following one’s calling. Placed in the mandala at the Ascendant, Vesta corresponds to the Self. These asteroids represent the primary relationships of a woman’s life: that of mother, daughter, wife and sister. The fertile sexual energy of Venus is used by Ceres to birth children of the body, by Pallas to birth children of the mind, by Juno to build relationships with others, and by Vesta to deepen a relationship with the Self or with the Divine. [...] [Read More]
CERES See: CERES [Roman], < cf. DEMETER [Greek]. Mother Old Italic goddess of agriculture, in religious observance closely connected with the earth goddess: Tellus... [C]auses living things to emerge from her bosom, into which they are gathered again after death. Like ... Demeter ... also a goddess of fertility and of marriage... Source: Dictionary of Gods and Goddesses, Devils and Demons Lurker M. (1994:77) ... principle of unconditional love, sustaining and nourishing newly created life forms. Ceres also contains the secret of the great mystery of birth, death and renewal, which speaks to the feeding and nourishment of the soul and spirit... Source: Asteroids in Astrology: Mandala of the asteroid goddesses. Ceres' secret teaching is that death is the gateway to rebirth. Loss is necessary in order that something new may emerge ... the hope of renewal, regeneration, and the promise of eternal return. Source: Asteroid Goddesses: The mythology, psychology, and astrology of the re-emerging feminine. George D., Bloch D. Berwick ME: Ibis Press (2003:56) Like a feminine Pluto, Ceres represents a mother-love that embraces death and grieving. It also seems to govern the kind of rite-of-passage into adulthood that is taught through an encounter with the Dark, the extreme example of which is rape. Whether the violation is literal or psychic, its teaching is that even the most terrible traumas may be precursors to a state of sovereignty, as was the case with the young victim who ended up Queen of the Underworld [Kore > Persephone]. Source: Hidden Faces of the Asteroid Goddesses Murray J. (1998) PALLAS See: PALLAS ATHENA, GODDESS OF WISDOM. Daughter or Genius ...Pallas Athene symbolizes the principle of creative intelligence ... one's capacity for realization and accomplishment ... how we face the issues of learning, creativity, the arts, politics, healing, alienation from relationships, competition, and the fears of success. Source: Asteroid Goddesses: The mythology, psychology, and astrology of the re-emerging feminine. George D., Bloch D. Berwick ME: Ibis Press (2003:99) ... signifies wisdom and creative problem solving in which a holistic view of conflicting or opposite elements (the Masculine and the Feminine) is required ... willingness to defend or fight for the underdog ... associated with fighting for causes. She represents the application of practical skill and creative intelligence in order to best be of service ... goddess of war (defense, originally) as well as the goddess of wisdom and culture... Source: The Asteroids JUNO See: JUNO [Roman], < cf. HERA [Greek]. Wife or Partner Juno, goddess of marriage and guardian of childbirth, represents all aspects of partnership, particularly as spouse, and has a distinctly Scorpionic overtone, due to her tendency towards jealousy and possessiveness... Source: The Asteroid Goddess Gospel: Illuminating the feminine principle in the chart. Burroughs C.H. [~] Hera ... symbolizes the principle of relatedness ... our capacity for meaningful relationship ... the ways in which we face issues of compatibility, receptivity to others, mutual sharing, trust, jealousy, possessiveness, and power struggles... Source: Asteroid Goddesses: The mythology, psychology, and astrology of the re-emerging feminine. George D., Bloch D. Berwick ME: Ibis Press (2003:169) ...committed partnership ... Infidelity and the anger it inspires, jealousy and possessiveness and sexual rivalry all are potentials of dark Juno. Where there is the kind of dependency in a relationship such as the traditional wife has upon her husband, or where one partner keeps a vow of monogamy that the other does not keep, the pathology of Juno may rear its head... Source: Hidden Faces of the Asteroid Goddesses Murray J. (1998) VESTA See: VESTA [Roman], < cf. HESTIA [Greek]. Devoted Sister Old Italic goddess of the domestic hearth and its fire ... related to the Greek: Hestia. Source: Dictionary of Gods and Goddesses, Devils and Demons Lurker M. (1994:370) Vesta represents the principle of focus and commitment. She functions as an autonomous being to transform sexual energies and bring about personal integration... dedication and aspiration toward a path or goal — sacrifice that are made to attain that goal... Source: Asteroid Goddesses: The mythology, psychology, and astrology of the re-emerging feminine. George D., Bloch D. Berwick ME: Ibis Press (2003:169) The inner archaic face of Vesta is that of a spirituality that sees sex as a means to channel the power of the Divine Feminine: a sexuality that is not used to get a mate, nor to get children, nor to achieve personal pleasure - but to practice a religious devotion. Vesta functions as the ability to center the self, to focus (the Latin word for hearth is focus), and to pull in the consciousness away from outside distractions into a state of undivided attention... Source: Hidden Faces of the Asteroid Goddesses Murray J. (1998) LILITH See: LILITH [Akkadian, Hebrew]; The Dark Goddess Lilith. Lilith is not the dark half of the (masculine) self but an aspect of the Great Goddess worshipped in antiquity under many names... Source: Constructing Femininity — the Lilith Case von Stuckrad K. In my reading of the legends about Lilith, she represents female beauty, sexual pride and freedom, independence, free thought, mobility of body, mind and spirit, the freedom to dream. The fact that she was also often written about as a 'wind-storm' is a positive for me, not a negative. Wind indicates movement, and might have simply represented her as a force to be reckoned with; today, it might symbolize someone who is 'a mover and a shaker'. In fact, 'Ruach', the Hebrew word for 'wind' also means spirit, which could mean the breath of life itself. Clearly the difference in our perception of Lilith and of ourselves as women is shaped by textual analysis and interpretation. It is easy to see how differently we might view women if women had been regarded for millennia as the very breath of life rather than as the instigators of sin, or as 'filth and sediment' as the medieval Kabbalists taught... Source: Understanding Lilith Grenn-Scott, Deborah, The Lilith Institute Lilith ... represents the principle of integration. It rules all kinds of things people don't want anything to do with but which are part of the world nevertheless, and that which forces them to deal with this reality ... Lilith impels toward learning to cope constructively with the non-rational, victimization, difficult decisions and persons and things ... learning to handle occultism in its various forms, repression and complication, marginalization, the release of suppressed anger and other negative psychological energies ... the destruction of beliefs based on rationalizations and prejudices ... may be an indicator of racism, sexism, homophobia and other forms of bigotry... Source: Harbingers Of The Modern World An astrological treatise on the asteroids 944 Hidalgo, 55 Pandora, and 1181 Lilith. Holmes M.A. (1999)

REFERENCES

1. Asteroid Goddesses: The mythology, psychology, and astrology of the re-emerging feminine.
   George D., Bloch D.
   Berwick ME: Ibis Press (2003)
   
2. ASTEROID GODDESSES: Chloe Armand, Demetra George and Douglas Bloch, with Patricia White; Programming by Rique Pottenger (16 January 2001:pp3-5).
   
3. Asteroids
   Astrology3D (2000)
   
4. ASTEROIDS, CERES, PALLAS, JUNO, VESTA, CHIRON
   Burk K. (19.11.99)
   
5. Asteroids in Astrology: Mandala of the asteroid goddesses.
   
6. Constructing Femininity — the Lilith Case
   von Stuckrad K.
   
7. Dictionary of Gods and Goddesses, Devils and Demons
   Lurker M. (1994)
   
8. Goddess Myth Projects
   Nichols K.L.
   
9. Goddesses of Astrology
   Francis E.
   
10. Harbingers Of The Modern World
    An astrological treatise on the asteroids 944 Hidalgo, 55 Pandora, and 1181 Lilith.
    Holmes M.A. (1999)
    
11. Hidden Faces of the Asteroid Goddesses
    Murray J. (1998)
    
12. Lilith: Destroyer, mother, goddess.
    Concoff L. (March 2001)
    
13. Lilith - Wikipedia
    
14. Moon's Nodes, Chiron and Asteroids
    Burroughs C.H.
    
15. The Asteroids
    
16. The Asteroid Goddess Gospel: Illuminating the feminine principle in the chart.
    Burroughs C.H.
    
17. The Lilith Gallery
    
18. The Mythological Archetypes of the Zodiac Cycle
    Vetash S., Vetash V.
    
19. The Return of Lilith: Reintegration, the dark feminine, and sufi islam.
    
20. WHAT'S IN A NAME? Deconstructing the roots of astrological meaning.
    Hillenbrand C., FAA Journal 31:3 (September 2001)