Ceres

We have yet to discover the real role of Ceres in our natal chart, being one of the dwarf planets circling the Sun, just like Pluto. While there have been suggestions to make it a modern ruler of Virgo, its feminine impact hasn’t been determined just yet and it still needs extensive and detailed astrological research so we can point out its role with clarity. Being the smallest of all dwarf planets, it hasn’t been observed in Astrology as much as one would presume, and it still has a long way to go until we truly get in touch with meanings its position in the natal chart speaks of. To begin with, we should consider it a motherly, earthly figure, a female entity that gives products of our hard work and makes us work even harder in modesty, so we can feed hungry mouths of those around us.

Mythology and the Rule of Virgo

In mythology, Ceres was the Roman goddess of agriculture, grain crops, fertility and motherly relationships. The main festival for Ceres was held in April, and was called Cerealia, reminding us of our daily routine governed by the sign of Virgo in a seemingly insignificant wordplay that points to its possible rule.

Laws of Ceres determined the course of lawful, civilized life, and crimes against fields and harvest were considered crimes against the people. If we attempt to find one more connection with the sign of Virgo, we will see that it is one of the rare human righteous and intelligent signs. It is often linked to Astraea, the goddess of innocence and purity that gave up on humans when they became “broken” and “tainted”, leaving the earthly world to measure Souls in the afterworld (symbolically speaking of the transition of Virgo to the sign of Libra). It is no wonder that Virgo constantly seeks purity, cleanliness, and celibacy, always turning to the human, intelligent feminine role we carry within. Opposing the magic of Pisces, Ceres can be considered one of the symbolic rulers of Virgo once again, if we consider the fact that ancient laws of Ceres forbade the magical charming of field crops and invoked the death penalty for the illicit removal of field boundaries.

The most interesting fact though, hides in the symbolism of its counterpart in Greek mythology – Demeter. Demeter was the mother of Persephone, a lost daughter that links to the role of Venus. Strangely, the fall of Venus in the sign of Virgo hasn’t made a connection of this sign to Ceres, although it is pretty obvious that it coincides with the basic archetype of the dwarf planet, or at least its counterpart in Greek mythology.

Ceres in Astrology

If we observe the position of Ceres in our chart, we will find it standing for the point of fertility and ways to provide for our physical existence. If a personal planet or our Ascendant gets in close touch with it, it will show a strong feminine role important in our lives, as a practical nature that helps us put food on the table. With enough width and when Ceres is set in the signs of Jupiter’s rule or in touch with Jupiter itself, we will see it guide the way towards humanitarian work, fulfilling physical needs of those less fortunate, showing a tendency to save children, lives of those who have lost everything, and our entire humankind out of convictions that go beyond the individual.

Ceres is the ultimate sacrifice, carrying the energy of all sacrifices ever made in the name of harvest, and as you can imagine – this is a large number of lives. When the second house cusp, its ruler, Venus, or the Moon is in touch with Ceres, vegetarianism is a good choice in order to circle the energy of lives taken once. The sensitivity of a person in such cases often transcends the need for meat intake, and although these individuals might not feel the compassion towards animals being killed because of overly rationalizing their roles, their entire emotional body will vibrate with more clarity once they cleanse and set free from the energy of the kill.

The most unfortunate role of Ceres in our chart manifests through a loss of a daughter or a younger sister to the “Underworld”, to a “bad man” (just as Persephone fell in love with the devil himself), spending a lifetime in search for the beauty it represented. The hidden nature of Venus and its fall will be hard to grasp, and satisfaction will be hard to reach in this lifetime, as a carrot we chase every day, only to find it in the darkest underworld and everything we ever feared. This symbolism speaks of Ceres’ “maleficent” need to face us with our shadows and our deepest fears, the loss of love and beauty in our lives, only so we can blossom and set ourselves free, embracing all taboos and dark sides to our personality.