Ceres is an asteroid that was discovered in 1801. It is also classified as a dwarf or minor planet. Ceres is the largest of the asteroids in the belt of planetary bodies located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
With regard to discovery of new planetary bodies, astrologers have noted that the timing of those discoveries often coincides with the expression and integration of that particular archetype in the collective human psyche (Bloch & George, p. 2). Thus, many of the asteroids, including Ceres, which were named after female goddesses, represent the emerging expression of certain female roles and archetypes other than that of the mother (represented by the Moon) and wife (represented by Venus).
Ceres was named after the Roman goddess Ceres, also known as the Greek goddess Demeter. The glyph for Ceres represents the sickle, a tool used in agriculture. In Greek mythology, Demeter was the goddess of agriculture and the harvest. Demeter is a mother figure, and symbolizes the cultivated, fertile soil that feeds humanity (Bloch & George, p. 47). The myth of Demeter and her daughter Persephone, who was kidnapped by Hades and trapped in the underworld, is significant, and can play out in those with prominent Ceres placements.
Ceres in the horoscope and by transit can relate to themes of motherhood and procreation, parental relationships and caring for children, agriculture, growing cycles, and nurturing animals, as well as labor and productivity (Bloch & George, p. 62-63).
Further Listening & Bibliography:
The Astrology Podcast, Episode 242, The Asteroids in Astrology, with Demetra George, Chris Brennan & Demetra George, February 6, 2020.
Bloch, Douglas & George, Demetra, Asteroid Goddesses: The Mythology, Psychology, and Astrology of the Re-emerging Feminine, Ibis Press, Lake Worth, FL, 2003.
Article Information
- Author(s): Claire Rootjes
- Editing or additional contributions: Chris Brennan
- Originally published: November 10, 2020
- Last updated: November 10, 2020
- Cite this article: Claire Rootjes, “Ceres,” The Astrology Dictionary, November 10, 2020, http://theastrologydictionary.com/c/ceres/
