NCGR: Boston Chapter -- Article

The asteroid Vesta remains on center stage during August and September, and though it s not shining as brightly as it did in May and June, it is now drawing near the planet Jupiter and will be conjunct that planet at 10 degrees of Sagittarius the night of August 29. Though now at a magnitude of only 7.2, it is still visible to the naked eye and especially through binoculars at the time of the lunar eclipse on August 28. Look for it as it brushes past Jupiter. NASA has sent up a space ship to orbit Vesta and should reach it in late October of 2011. It is expected that Vesta will be named a minor (dwarf) planet within the next two years.

Tied with Pallas as the second largest asteroid after Ceres, it entered the sign Sagittarius in February 10, stationed on April 19 at 15 degrees of that sign, opposed the Sun on May 30 when it was at its brightest, and remained retrograde until July 10 when it stationed again at 2 degrees of Sagittarius. Following its conjunction with Jupiter at the end of August it remains direct until October 19 when it finally enters the sign Capricorn. Vesta has a 29 year cycle similar to that of Saturn, and a repeating cycle of 11-18-11-18 years within that 29 years. It has been notable how many persons with Vesta prominent in their charts have been in the news this year.

In Roman mythology Vesta was the Goddess of the hearth, similar to the Greek Goddess Hestia whose job it was to keep the sacred fire burning in home and temple. In astrological charts Vesta honors inner space and the inner life. These natives need solitude and quiet. Plato once stated that when the Gods war with each other, only Hestia does not take part. When in aspect to Mars,Uranus or Pluto, the individual may show extreme intensity and even obsessiveness. An example of Uranus on the ascendant is Albert Einstein who had Vesta at 9 degrees Cancer rising and out of bounds in declination at 26 degrees north, contraparallel the Moon at 14 degrees Sagittarius which was not only out of bounds but conjunct the nodal axis of Uranus.

The late astrologer Zip Dobyns declared that Vesta is the natural ruler of the sign Virgo and she was born with Vesta rising on her ascendant in Taurus with a stellium in Virgo which included not only her Sun but also Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn and Ceres. Vesta does seem to have much in common with the sign Virgo, including the need for meaningful work, and a love of order, detail and perfection. Vesta natives preserve a part of themselves as untouched and private. An example is the psychologist and astrologer Richard Tarnas, author of "Cosmos and Psyche,"and also "The Passion of the Western Mind" who was the keynote speaker at the NCGR Conference in Baltimore in March of 2007 who has been praised by the academic world as the best writer on the history of western thought. He is the founding director of the Philosophy, Cosmology and Consciusness program at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. Tarnas was born March 21, 1950 at 12:30 p.m. in Geneva, Switzerland and has Sun conjunct Vesta in Pisces in the 10th house. His Sun is contraparallel his Moon. Another example of a strong Vesta native is Michael Moore, born with Vesta in Taurus conjunct the Sun just past the midheaven. His Vesta at 3 degrees Taurus is exactly trine Moon and Mars at 3 degrees of Capricorn and both Moon and Mars are out of bounds in declination. His recent movie "Sicko" has created a storm because it condemns medical care in the United States and is well documented to the distress of the F.D.A.

Vladimir Putin is another example of Vesta in the political world. He was born with Vesta at 4 degrees Scorpio on the ascendant parallel his Mercury in Libra just above the ascendant. Putin has Moon at 2 degrees Gemini in the 8th house, quincunx his Vesta and out of bounds, and his Mars at 26 degrees Sagittarius is also out of bounds and contraparallel his Moon. Putin has Pluto in Leo on his midheaven on his lunar south node and sextile his Mercury and parallel his Uranus in Cancer in the 9th house. His Sun, Saturn, Neptune and Mercury are all in Libra in the 12th house.

Another example of Vesta in politics is Richard Cheney who has Vesta just above the ascendant in Leo opposite his Mercury in Aquarius and square Uranus in Taurus just past the midheaven. Vesta is also parallel Cheney's midheaven in Taurus. He has declared himself separate from the executive branch of the government even though he was twice elected vice president with George Bush. A strong Vesta does not mean a person is traditional and conservative, but he is intensely invested in his own belief system. Angela Davis was born with Vesta stationary, conjunct Uranus and Mars the day after a total eclipse of the Sun opposite Pluto. Her commitment was to the radical lifestyle. And Betty Friedan, born with Vesta conjunct Uranus, founded the N.O.W. and wrote the Feminine Mystique

Rose Kennedy, matriarch of the Kennedy family was born with Vesta conjunct Venus and Saturn in Virgo and she encouraged her children to read and discuss current events at the dinner table. It was she who impressed on her children the idea that "to whom much I given, much is expected in return." Her sons all have credited her for their strong commitment to public service.

George Washington was born with Vesta in Aquarius in the 10th house parallel his Mercury also in that sign and Vesta was also parallel his Mars in Scorpio on his descendant. Though Washington left his beloved Mt Vernon to lead his nation through the long war with Great Britain, he did not wish to be a king or even a president. His personality did not show many of the traits of his Sun in Pisces but rather those his Vesta in the 10th parallel his Mars and descendant in Scorpio, and also his Capricorn Moon in the 9th.

Marie Curie is another example of a Vesta native, born with Vesta conjunct Uranus setting on the western horizon. Born Nov 7, 1867 at 12 noon in Warsaw, Poland according to her baptismal certificate, she helped to send her sister to study at the Sorbonne and joined her there in 1891 to study math, physics and chemistry. A brilliant student, she graduated in two years with the highest marks in her class. In 1895 she married a fellow scientist Pierre Curie and they were drawn together by their mutual interest in magnetism. In 1898 they discovered radium and uranium. Pierre was killed in 1906 when he was run over in the street by a dray. Marie had an affair with fellow physicist Paul Langevin who had gained fame for his work with magnetic materials and he had also been a close friend of both Curies. Their affair resulted in a scandal when Langevin's estranged wife had their love letters published and Marie was viewed as a foreigner and a libertine. The scandal ended their relationship. In 1911 Marie received a second Nobel Prize for chemistry, the first for physics she had shared with Pierre in 1903. She was the first person to be awarded the prize twice. She died in 1934 of radiation poisoning.

Albert Einstein was born with Vesta rising at 9 degrees of Cancer, out of bounds in north declination at 25 degrees 57'. His Moon was at 14 degrees of Sagittarius on the Uranus south node, also out of bounds at 26 degrees 22' south declination. His Mercury in Aries was conjunct Saturn in the tenth house quincunx his Uranus in Virgo retrograde in the third house.

With Vesta spending so many months in Sagittarius in 2007 and its visibility being stronger than in many years, it is noticeable that Vesta is important in the charts of so many persons now in the news.