Pallas, also referred to as Pallas Athena or Pallas Athene, is an asteroid that was discovered in 1802. It is the third largest asteroid in our solar system, and is part of 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 Pallas, 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).
Pallas was named after the Greek goddess Athena, the virgin goddess of wisdom. The glyph for Pallas represents Athena’s spear. In Greek mythology, Athena was the daughter of Zeus, who sprang forth fully formed from her father’s head. Athena is also a warrior figure, honored for her masculine traits, such as leading armies and protecting heroes (Bloch & George, p. 82-83). Her surname, Pallas, derives from a myth where she accidentally killed her foster sister Pallas while sparring, and adopted the name as her own. She was also the patron of the arts, healing, and politics.
Pallas in the horoscope and by transit can relate to themes of creative intelligence and style of perception, healing and the arts, political activism, father-daughter issues, and sexual imbalances and androgyny (Bloch & George, p. 92-93, 100).
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, “Pallas,” The Astrology Dictionary, November 10, 2020, http://theastrologydictionary.com/p/pallas/
