Eris
Later this week Pluto will square Eris for the third time this year. I’ll get to the specifics of this aspect toward the end of the week as this post is about Eris itself: a dwarf planet that doesn’t get, in my opinion, it’s fair share of attention in the astrology world, and when it does it’s esoteric and random.
I feel like it’s a planet that should be more considered, especially when casting charts about world-wide experiences, especially given what’s been happening across the globe since 2008. But we can just look at this year to see Eris’s impact, and we will when we look at the 2 squares that have already happened this year (January 26 and June 14th – I’ll leave you to recall the importance of these dates) and the upcoming square the end of this week (they’ll square 5 times total before Pluto moves out of Capricorn.)
So Eris. What do you need to know?
Like Pluto, Eris is a dwarf planet, it moves very slowly, taking 599 years to orbit the sun (compared to Pluto’s 248 years) but as astrologers, we believe the effects of Pluto are incredibly impactful, and so we should feel the same of Eris.
Historically, Eris derives its name from Greek Mythology. She is the sister of Mars and well, let’s just say there’s a familial similarity. She delights in war and “the groans of men dying in battle” – it has even been inferred that in times of war she appears, mixing in with the wounded, increasing their pain. Yikes.
Whatever her affect, she brings chaos and pain wherever she goes. That being said, in astrology we believe all things (signs, planets, houses and therefore people as well) have two manifestations: high evolutions expressing the most refined vision of their qualities, and low evolutions expressing the more basic, underdeveloped qualities. The goal of course is to rise into your highest evolution of each placement in your chart, but the shadow side is always there. So for a dark-facing character like Eris, what is her “high evolution?”
[Eris] likes to win, but not as much as she likes to see you lose.”
STEVEN FORREST
Steven Forrest boils it down to “vicious competitiveness…she likes to win, but not as much as she likes to see you lose.” While Pluto may bring transformation through darkness, searching our unconscious for the challenging realities we need to face, but there is always reward of growth on the other side; Pluto is rooting for your development. Eris… not so much. She’s not here to see if you can get better on the other side.
However, the intensity in which she’ll force you to participate will bring out your best. That’s the silver lining; she will drive you to your edge creatively, emotionally, physically, etc. And she will weed out the weak. I’m pretty sure if she had a slogan it would be: “Rise to the occasion or die.”
If [Eris] had a slogan it would be: “Rise to the occasion or die.”
So, with just that little introduction and a glance around the world, can you feel her presence now?
Later this week I’ll talk about Pluto’s placement in Capricorn, Eris’s placement in Aries and the different potentials this upcoming square could manifest.
Consider this
I’ll leave you with this to consider:
Eric is in Aries, the sign of “I AM” – self-oriented, focused on our right to live the way we want to, to create our lives independently and live by our own rules, the first house of the zodiac where spirit first incarnates into being and we become aware and responsible for our own autonomy. In it’s lowest evolution Aries is incredibly selfish, impulsive, reactive and aggressive. In its highest evolution Aries is protective, ambitious, passionate and honest.
Squares infer tension and friction. Friction in astrology means energy… and opportunity.
Capricorn is about structure and organization, the tenth house and our relationship to the structured world we live in, career, social circles, governmental structures and so on. Pluto has been here since 2008 and Pluto’s work in a sign is to bring out the shadow of that sign. We have been seeing the shadow of “BIG” society for some time now. Capricorn in is lowest evolution is judgmental, unforgiving and negative and in its highest evolution is disciplined, responsible, practical and caring.
Squares infer tension, and friction. Friction in astrology means energy…and opportunity.
How do you think these two energies will interact when confronted with each other? This is what I’ll dive into later this week, but I’d love to know your thoughts!
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