The vivification of Winter
Today, February 8, 2022, Ceres will go into Gemini Using Jones’s keywords that would mean that the (Ceres) economy goes into the house of regeneration (ninth house — Jones believed in reincarnation so the idea of death is out) in the sign of vivification (Gemini), or the quality of being spirited, alive and vigorous. On the most literal level, we can see that Ceres is countering Punxsutawney Phil saying that there will be an Early Spring. Well, while I love Winter, this one has been bust – at least snow-wise: only one small snowstorm. Instead, we have had weeks of subzero temperatures and days of ice storms. All that ice makes the place shimmer and the trees look like long pendants hanging from the sky, while all that cold has kept us in a Winter Wonderland while ice skaters and anglers dot the lakes — they’ve been frozen since Christmas .
Still, with cold, damp, muddy Spring marching our way, perhaps Ceres is hinting at that we should get cracking and put in those seeds in now ? And order those chicks for the Spring ahead?
Ceres Mythologically
Back to Ceres. Ceres’s glyph is a Question Mark, and named for the Roman goddess (the Greek counterpart was Demeter) who pined for losing her daughter, Prosperina (Greek counterpart was Persephone) to Pluto, god of the Underworld (Greek counterpart was Hades). You find her in the upper right-hand portion of the chart next to the North Node. The other strange glyph on the chart is Black Moon Lilith in the ninth house of understanding.
Marc Jones said Ceres was “economy” or the idea of being frugal and wise with one’s resources. Martha Lang-Westcott differs and claims it is about the need for nurturing. In our chart, the two astrologers’ meanings collapse and the differences fall aside.
Martin Goldsmith says the symbol for the first degree of Gemini is “At an opening, an artist stands in front of a self-portrait and explains what he was aiming for, while audience members talk excitedly amongst themselves.” He suggests this symbol means ushering people into a new way of seeing things that have exciting implications. Looking at our cartoon, I certainly hope Ms. Whoopi gets the Ceres vivification.
The chart type is a bundle, counting from Mars to the Moon– all in Earth Signs — with Ceres at 0 Gemini busting out of the tight formation of Winter and making a break for Spring. Thor’s Hammer bears out the idea that Ceres is a harbinger of Spring out, suggesting something hidden is occurring and can be found in the chart twice: once from the Moon (Taurus) to Mars (Aries) to the Ascendant (Libra).
The chart, though, has lots of aspect patterns: a cradle and a grand trine, and a stellium besides that which I already noted. So it’s something to watch in the next two weeks — who is right? Ceres or Phil? Either way, it’s better than the Olympics.