Asteroid Pallas was the second of the asteroids discovered, coming after asteroid Ceres the mother. Pallas is an epithet of the Greek goddess Athena. In some versions of the myth, Athena killed Pallas, daughter of Triton, then adopted her friend’s name out of mourning.
Athena was the goddess of wisdom, courage, just warfare, strategy and skill. Modern astrologers have linked asteroid Pallas to these things but also creative intelligence, political nous, pattern recognition and the relationship between father and daughter. Like her modern day manifestation Wonder Woman her father was Zeus. She is “a feminine character with all the strength of Superman plus all the allure of a good and beautiful woman. She is as “beautiful as Aphrodite, wise as Athena, stronger than Hercules, and swifter than Hermes.” [1]
Asteroid Pallas Warrior Queen
Pallas Athena was the goddess of courage and just warfare, and we see this in the discovery chart with Jupiter conjunct Saturn opposite Mars. Here is the balance she is trying to find. Deliberating to find the truth before passing judgement and taking action. She is defensive by nature and will use her creative and strategic intelligence to avoid violence, but when all else fails she will take action, as Medusa knows only too well. The courage is not only shown by Mars, but also Jupiter (from her father) because Jupiter in the Heart of the Lion, on the royal and brave star Regulus. With Jupiter in particular it gives success, fame and honor, “especially of a military nature”.
Asteroid Pallas and Creative Intelligence
In the chart shown below, asteroid Pallas is in a stellium with Uranus, Ceres and the South Node, all aligned with fixed stars in the constellation Crater. The Cup gives intelligence and eminence, a gift, something precious carried by an individual to pass down the generations of the family. So here we get the main theme of Pallas Athena first described by Demetra George, “she represents the principle of creative intelligence”. [2] Asteroid Pallas in the constellation of intellect, made creative and intuitive by Uranus, and passed down through the genes (South Node) of the mother. Demetra also links asteroid Pallas with the Midheaven as she “symbolizes one’s ambitions and ones visible, socially useful accomplishments.” So the eminence from constellation Crater fits very well.
Asteroid Pallas Astrology Chart
Asteroid Pallas was discovered by Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers on the night of March 28, 1802. I could not find an exact time for the discovery and have set the chart for 11 pm, so will not pay attention to the Ascendant of Midheaven.
Asteroid Pallas Astrology Chart
Strategic Thinking
While the stellium with the asteroid in her discovery chart shows intuitive, creative, feminine intelligence, we have to look elsewhere for the theme of strategic intelligence which other astrologers have found. This is more logical, left side of the brain, masculine intelligence. Eric Francis puts it really well saying that Pallas Athena “represents political and negotiating skills, having been transformed into a kind of modern lawyer-like warrior”. [3] Pallas Athena is a warrior but shows diplomacy and tact, more defensive by nature but will go in for the kill if that is required. We find this in the discovery chart with Mercury which does rule the rational intellect. Mercury conjunct Pluto delves very deeply to uncover the truth. A profound thinker and powerful communicator, and with Pluto we also get the political theme.
The constellation Pegasus also plays an important role in this strategic ability. The Sun, Mercury, Pluto and North Node are all on stars in the Winged Horse. The Sun is on the star Algenib, which according to Elsbeth Ebertin gives a “Penetrating mind and a strong will, as well as determination. An impressive way of speaking and a gift for oratory. In conjunction with the Sun, it will make for a fighting spirit and a love of learning.” The North Node is on the star Markab which Ebertin says influences the “spiritual and mental nature, to give a good head for figures, intellectual alertness, mental powers in general and last but not least, the ability to further propaganda activity”.
Michael O’Reilly has done some excellent research on the role of Pallas Athena in political astrology, “A prominently placed Pallas can make one exceptionally skilled as a political strategist”. [4] He goes on to investigate the charts of Henry Kissinger and Caroline Kennedy and mentions a link to tactical vision and pattern recognition.
Pattern Recognition
Michael is not the only astrologer to show that asteroid Pallas is associated with pattern recognition. Christina the Oxford Astrologer [5] rightly notes that pattern recognition is a key component of astrology, so she went through some charts of astrologers and concluded that asteroid Pallas really is the goddess of pattern. A little further investigation makes this case absolutely rested. Asteroid Pallas conjunctions under two degrees orb:
Stephen Arroyo (MC), Nick Campion (Mars and POF), Nicholas Culpeper (DC), Roy C. Firebrace (Mercury), Axel Harvey (AC), Jeffrey Kishner (Moon), Alan Leo (POF), Rick Levine (Uranus), George Llewellyn (IC), Susan Miller (MC), Jamie Partridge (Mercury), John Partridge (Saturn), Lucy Pond (Moon), Sepharial (Venus), Robert Schmidt (Sun), Noel Tyl (North Node), Joanne Wickenburg (Sun, Venus and Saturn).
Father Daughter Relationships
It has been said that Pallas Athena had no mother because she was born from the head of her father Zeus (Jupiter). In fact she does a mother, Metis, goddess of crafty thought and wisdom. Zeus made Metis his first wife, but he feared the prophecy that her first child, the bright-eyed maiden Athena would be “equal to her father in strength and in wise understanding”. [6] So Zeus swallowed Metis after she had conceived, but he got such a great headache that one of his friends had to chop him in the head with an axe. From the wound jumped Pallas Athena, fully grown and armed to the teeth, screaming her battle cries.
So Pallas is daddy’s little girl, and signifies a close bond between father and daughter. Demetra George bases this on Pallas being the maiden, representing the “second developmental stage in people’s lives, when they look to their fathers to provide them with the firmness and independence to leave the home and go forth into the world”. [2]
In the Asteroid Pallas astrology chart we see the girl (Venus) with the father (Sun). A beautiful and loving personality but Sun opposite Uranus makes her strongly independent which gets in the way of her desire for harmony and stability. The Sun and Venus are both on stars in the constellation Cepheus, the King which confirms the royal lineage. Venus is in fact on the brightest star in Cepheus, Alderamin, “It gives authority and a sober mind, sometimes making its natives judges or arbitrators, but exposes to cruel and severe trials.”
I talked earlier about the South Node in the stellium with asteroid Pallas, all in constellation Crater, and how that gave a link to genetics in the female line. As an example of this, plus the father daughter relationship theme, I will use my story. I have asteroid Pallas conjunct Mercury, as does my mom. Mercury ruling children means we both have some shared issue regarding father daughter relationships. Mum never had girls but wanted them, she was close to her father but tragically lost him just after I was born. I have three kids now, and being a single parent I rely on mom and she is passionate about being there for them.
All my kids have conjunctions to Pallas, even the boy with Jupiter. My youngest girl has Pallas conjunct North Node, and my eldest girl has Pallas with Moon and Uranus. Moon Uranus has meant some distance from her mother, so asteroid Pallas in there is so descriptive of this girls life. We obviously have a close relationship and she has to look for me not only for the firmness and independence that Demeter talked about, but also for the maternal nurturing of the Moon, as I have to play the mother role, to some extent anyway. This is where Nan comes in, sharing this role as we both have Mercury conjunct asteroid Pallas.
Find Asteroid Pallas in Your Chart
- Create your chart HERE.
- Choose “Extended Chart Selection”.
- Select Pallas in the “Additional objects” box.
References
- Wonder Woman and Philosophy: The Amazonian Mystique, Jacob M. Held, 2017.
- Asteroid Goddesses, Demetra George, Douglas Bloch, Patricia White, p.4.
- Goddesses of Astrology, Eric Francis.
- Pallas, the Goddess of Creative Intelligence, Michael O’Reilly.
- Why Pallas Athene is the Astrologer’s Asteroid, The Oxford Astrologer.
- The Theogony of Hesiod, @700 BC, translated by Hugh G. Evelyn-White (1914), ll. 886-900.
Amazingly accurate in my case. So cool, Ceres in the Pallas chart is six minutes from cj my Virgo Sun 12th, (Asc Virgo), and I have Mercury cj Pallas 25 minutes in Libra 1st (middle decan) in the bends. There’s the father/daughter thing plus Dad is a Libra. Got Gemini on the MC too, cj Vesta. Aced the civil service exam as an uneducated infant – comparing data and scrying patterns in literally everything since birth it seems. Speaking of ‘Data’, I’d sure put good use to an android like him! Thanks for this – loads of fun!
I have it on my 12th house, trining my Saturn and South Node on the 8th.
I think I might have been an astrologer in a past life, lol.
I’ve always been curious about Pallas.
I’ve been looking forward to you writing about Pallas. Pallas-Venus-Sun are in a stellium for me within two degrees so I’ve been very interested in her.
Excellent post!
I have Pallas Athene conjunct my Aries Sun by an orb of 5 minutes. My mother loves to tell me how when I was born the doctor said to her, “It’s a girl, and the poor thing looks just like her father.” How is that for over-identification with one’s father? 😉
I inherited my mother’s hair, but my body frame, identical health issues, and my temperament are all from my father. (Dad is a Leo with a trine to Mars in Aries–he can be quite the powderkeg of anger–which shows in my chart as my Aries Sun square to Mars. I have worked hard to control that Mars temperament and I am MUCH better than the loose canon I was as a teen.)
The two other places I see Pallas Athene show up in my life is my love of math equations and number puzzles, and being drawn to fictional heros that resemble Wonder Woman (who doesn’t love an Amazon Queen? ;).
My childhood best friend is five days younger than me so we have very similar planet placements, but she has an Aries ascendant and it is conjunct Pallas Athene by less than a one degree orb and conjunct her Aries Sun by a four degree orb.
She is afflicted with obsessive compulsive disorder, needing everything to be “just so” in her surroundings ESPECIALLY with patterns and/or numbers. She had to switch from counting calories (for weight loss) to using the Weight Watchers point system because she needs to hit her target number EXACTLY to feel calm and content. She would make herself crazy trying to hit the exact number of calories to the digit (i.e., if it was 1800 calories, she wanted to eat 1800 calories, not 1799 and not 1801!).
I may have Pallas Athene tightly fused to my identity, but she has it worse with having to see the world through a pattern recognition lens that can make her crazy.
~ Jax
So wonderful! I’ve Pallas at 0o Aquarius in 10th, 2o from my Capricorn MC.
I blame my migraine problems on Pallas screaming to get out of my head. 🙂
In my chart, Pallas is in my Scorpio 2nd House(14 Deg 14 Min) and trines my Mercury in Pisces(15 Deg 02 Min Pisces) within a 1 degree orb.
That could explain why when things get really bad or intense, somehow I find a way out of it.
My natal Mars conjunct Jupiter in Aquarius both sextiling my Sun and Venus in Aries probably have something to do with it too.
My Pallas resides on the star Alnitak in Orion’s belt and sextiles my midheaven (parental axis) in Leo by just 6′. Reading about Alnitak, the themes are somewhat similar to that of Pallas (militant, emotional but in control, strategist) and actually very much fit with some things that I am starting to deal with in my life (Stemming I’m sure from how my father treated my mother as a child. Pallas is in my 8th house as well, psychology) @.@ So perhaps it’s not just father daughter relationships in general but has to do with how the father affects a child’s environment from a young age. After all, because of Zeus’ actions, Pallas didn’t have a mother there for her and thus grew up, in her case, VERY quickly. Or, perhaps I just ramble about nothing. 🙂
You make a good point. Growing up too quickly just means there is a still a little child trapped inside.
Very informative article. I have Pallas at the IC making a Yod with Pluto/Lilith in the 9th, Sun/Moon in the 11th. It explains where I get my ‘ideas out of nowhere (Lilith).’
Brilliant timing! I was doing a chart for a new little girl yesterday born 18th August and wanted to know more about Pallas – she has Pallas conj Uranus in the 7th in a tight T square with Venus and Pluto. The empty arm of this cross points to Algorab. Lordy! I’ll just stick to the warrior queen and intelligence aspects for now!
My own Pallas is conj Antares in my Sag 4th house. I love a crusade form the comfort of my own home! I’ve had to play the warrior queen in a few property fights – witht e Scorpinic nature of Antares I’ve been able to pull out lesser known property laws and fight with clever words and unbreakable armour! Victory was mine in every case!
So I have sun cj pallas cj mercury(4 aquarius) in a grand trine with uranus(9 gemini) and neptune (12 libra). HS math teacher and astrologer with a good ability to look and see how the patterns play out in a chart. In grad school, when faced with a difficult analysis proof, i often would fall asleep and wake up in middle of night having dreamed (neptune, 12) the conclusion to my proof. Also, with moon (8 taurus) opposed chiron (1) t-square pallus (4 aquarius), I was adopted at age 7,leaving my birth father and becoming exceptionally close to my adopted father who died (8) when I was 10. Took many years for the healing (chiron 1) to take place….I was wounded and my adpopted mother was left to pick up and move on to protect me (another story, another time). Never really understood pallus and have enjoyed this carefully constructed lesson. Thank you so much.
I have Pallas on the 10th house, conj. Juno which is on the 9th house. It conjs MH. It trines my moon (5th house sagg.). It also trines uranus (I read that this the placement Einstein had to do the pattern of the avant-garde physics). It quinc. my Pluto and has other sesquiquadrates and so with NN (5th, scorp) and PF (8th. aquar).
Vertical wise, it also conj. Eris and quadrates Varuna and Galac. Ctr.
I´m sure the daughter of my father… though I often think that I should learn to be more the daughter of my mother. Though, my moon opp. Jup. and quadrates mars (inflation and agression), it otherwise trines uranus, sextiles asc. and trines MH.
Having Saturn opp. direct to my Sun now, and having the thread of returning to the project paying (instead of being contracted and well planted of earth), I should “play” the moon deep and leave father´s great regency in a prudent distance.
Thankyou so much, Jamie for helping us understand ourselves uch more!
Oh! Pallas transit conj. Natal Pallas, right now!
Amazing stuff with Pallas. Always felt connected with her. My father passed away when I was four and I found it very hard as a child growing up without him and I still get teary now as an adult. I was a daddys girl. Just checked out my and my dads astro synastry and my Pallas is exactly conjunct his Sun!!!! Amazing…Thanks
I’m really glad you brought up this Goddess up for discussion. I used to use Pallas Athena in readings before I discovered Eris, but when people request it I will look at her. This post has made me want to put her back in though.
This one is close to my heart. In over identifying with her father, Pallas represses the feminine and all the good things that go with it. (Empathy, receptivity, intuition..?). When a woman denies her internal mother she is cutting herself off from her sex. It is interesting Pallas’s relationship with Medusa, since her lanced off head was used on Pallas’s shield. An extreme case of denial of the female body and it’s sexuality in favour of male logic.. Ok she is a fantastic strategist. But at what cost?
I have an interest in Pallas because as a teenage girl I identified strongly with my father as my mother to me was a hormonal wailing Medusa banshee (She has Mars on Algol) and in my view drove men away (Dad had affairs). So in order to avoid that I decided to make myself as unlike her as possible. I was very punky, the goth clothes an armour.
Pallas turned beautiful Medusa into a gorgon because Neptune raped her in his temple. She sided with the men against a defenceless female. This is what disturbs me about her. Why did she do that? Is she afraid of her sexuality, her femaleness? Where does this come from? Her father?
I found Pallas to be strong in women who think that in order to succeed in a Mans world you just have to be one. They have come to this conclusion because their primary female role model is so weak that they fear they will become their worst nightmare. Their mother. They do everything possible to avoid this. The problem is they they then have very strong feelings and jealousy against very overtly feminine women, especially seductive sexual ones. This can make one even quite frigid for a while and in the worst cases a female misogynist. But in doing this one is only hating oneself.
It is vital for those with Pallas strong in their charts to make the peace with their own mothers, so they are at peace with themselves. I have just spent 10 days with my own mum in Spain. I have carried a lot of anger around all my life that she set such a poor role model for me. But that’s all gone now. For the first time in years we actually got on really well and ended up wanting to stay longer. My mother has aways been into psychics, astrologers and Tarot which my teenage logical brain was very skeptical about. Now I embrace my inner Medusa and the Alkes that has been handed down to me.
Back to the chart Jamie. Interestingly, like Pallas, you have totally denied the mother ;)! No mention of the Moon here. It’s trine Uranus and conjunct Eris. Moon trine Uranus fantastic inventiveness, a visionary and an eccentric. Unusual mothering of course. Venus the other female planet obviously with Dad the Sun. Interestingly if this was the time Pallas was discovered I couldn’t ignore Algol (Medusa) close to the IC.
Below. What was scaring me? The monkeys or the big Medusa hair…
“Pallas represses the feminine and all the good things that go with it. (Empathy, receptivity, intuition..?). When a woman denies her internal mother she is cutting herself off from her sex.”
The main theme which all astrologers have found with Pallas is creative intelligence, which is shown in the discovery chart by Pallas with Uranus, Ceres (mother) and South Node. So she is very intuitive and gets this from her mother who was the goddess of crafty thought and wisdom.
I don’t think your relationships with your mother has anything to do with this asteroid, it’s not aspected in your chart, and was not doing anything in transit to your chart last week. This is all your Moon, MC conjunction which got a sextile from the last lunar eclipse.
Just because I don’t have Pallas highlighted doesn’t mean don’t know the Pallas archetype when I see one!:
My grandmother never knew her mother as she died in childbirth. Nan was brought up by her very strict cold father who was a barrister (Zeus). Her Pallas was conjunct her MC. Her daughter, (my Medusa mother), grew up with zero affection because Nan didn’t know how to be a mother. Mum has Pallas conjunct the MC also and trine AC. Of course my Pallas is conjunct my daughters Moon/Uranus/Mars…….. and so it goes on…
I think I qualify 😉 I have also used Pallas in readings with clients, so I do have empirical evidence to back up my claims. There is the myth and then there is how she works in practice. Uranus is not all about the myth is it?
Pallas has a negative/ low vibration, just as Medusa has a positive and high vibration manifestation. Pallas uses her intuition as female cunning, it gives her the edge in battle. Because it’s a cold blooded, strategic, planned attack not a knee jerk, male marsy retaliation. With Pallas, logic is still at the forefront. There is a difference. I didn’t mean to say Pallas lacked intuition or the other female qualities, rather that they don’t come naturally to her. She has to be taught them because she didn’t grow up with a caring, empathic mother around her 24/7 in those formative years when you just need a warm soft booby and a cuddle when you are upset. You learn by example.
My Pallas btw. Widely conjunct Mars/Lilith (4 degs) trine Part Of Fortune (16′)
WoW That is industrial hair! I love it!
In the 70’s it went even bigger. Farah Fawcett. As for the 80s…..Farah Fawcett back combed! Those flicks could take out an eye. Medusa!!
Marina, this really resonates for me- you may remember Pallas is part of my Uranus trine Sun/Venus, and Pallas is in the 6th with Sun and Venus. I definitely have at times in my life over-identified with my father and denied my mother. My role as a mother now is crucial to my happiness and I adored my own mother, but she had her demons and there were issues in my growing up with her that made me worry about becoming like her. I ended up working in a male-dominated field where so-called male traits are glorified (being “objective” as opposed to “intuitive”). thanks again to Jamie for this article!
“Pallas turned beautiful Medusa into a gorgon because Neptune raped her in his temple. She sided with the men against a defenceless female. This is what disturbs me about her. Why did she do that? Is she afraid of her sexuality, her femaleness? Where does this come from? Her father?”
Thank you for reminding me one of the reasons I have difficulty connecting with this Athena energy, despite living in the city that was named after her (come to think of it, maybe that’s precisely one of the reasons I don’t like her very much).
You see, this is a pattern that consistently annoys me about ancient greek gods. They just go ahead and create a mess whenever they feel like it…and out of each mess, the only one who gets punishment is the mortal involved! So, you have immortal, all powerful, supposedly godly beings mistreating powerless mortals AND THEN making them suffer for it!
The only rationale that occurs to me is that myth is actually pointing to a very common feature of reality, where the weakest bear the consequences, simply because they happen to be in a weaker position, and the stronger somehow survives and merrily go about their business. Quite a bit depressing really!
That said, I went to see where this energy is placed in my chart…and there she is, conjunct saturn, square uranus and trine sun. No further details needed for me: yes, there is a father issue, and no, it is not pleasant…
On the other hand, I do have Lilith conjunct Algol, for which I am beginning to be more and more grateful!
Aaaah! You are from the Medusa camp then. Group hug with our weird hair 😉
I think Pallas and Medusa are like cat and dog. You are either a cat person or a dog person. I have Medusa square Sun and my daughter is Lilith on Algol. We are the munsters, we are the munsters….!
Group hug, yes, I do think I’m in the medusa camp! Definitely not sweet when I’m having a bad hair day! hehe 😛 🙂
I have Medusa sextile my AC 46′, Pallas Sextile MC 6′, with true Lilith on capulus. What the hell am I? Lol
You are one! See my latest comment after Jamie’s. 😉
My Dad’s Pallas was opposite my moon and on the reaction point of a yod in my chart. He had a brilliant mind, but was inclined to obsessive compulsion with order and pattern. Towards the end of his life I think I picked up on and understood this more instinctively than the rest of the family.
My own Pallas is on Sirius in the 4th. No one messes with my house and lives, and, on reflection, I have battled to save houses and parts of houses, like windows and doors. In fact, thinking out loud here, I wonder whether Pallas has a bit of an Asperger’s flavour, because ever since I was a child I have found alterations to houses very difficult to bear, making me anxious and angry.
Marina!
How nice that you went on vacation with your mother! To Spain! (for me, it is beautiful).
I feel that I can now become, rescue and enrich myself with my mother knowledge. I feel deeply glad that I made such a loving relation with my mother (does not mean that I have ended my inner processes with her… does this kind of work finds an end?)and now I feel soooo very and deeply thankful that I felt that deep and happy love last time I saw her!
I missed you!
Nice to be missed Rocio :). My mother actually lives in Spain, she sometimes visits the Uk. But not often.
Where in Spain, Marina!? What a Country, really!
I don’t usually resort to using cards but I have a pack from Doreen Virtue (who I consider to be very syrupy… however,..) which are uncannily useful! They are the ascended master cards and I use them when I want to know what quality I can employ to help my day’s work. I only draw one card then keep it on my computer screen. Today it is Pallas Athena!
BTW – Doreen has the meaning as “detach from drama” – “you have been drawn into the world of human egos by focusing on a drama” … and “let go of attempts to make everyone happy, allow others to make their own choices, don’t delay your life’s purposes by focusing on other people’s issues. She’s about wisdom rather than weapons.
Well said and I love the synchro!
The original story of Medusa as told by Hesiod in Theogony around 700 BC mentions nothing of Pallas Athena punishing Medusa, only that
“Ceto bare to Phoreys…the Gorgons who dwell beyond glorious Ocean in the frontier land towards Night where are the clear- voiced Hesperides, Sthenno, and Euryale, and Medusa who suffered a woeful fate: she was mortal, but the two were undying and grew not old. With her lay the Dark-haired One (Poseidon) in a soft meadow amid spring flowers. And when Perseus cut off her head, there sprang forth great Chrysaor and the horse Pegasus.”
It is not until the 1st century AD that the Roman Ovid in Metamorphoses embellishes the story. Originally Medusa was the dreadful creature as shown in the ancient Greek vase below. It is not until the Roman corruption of the story that she starts out beautiful an then is punished by Pallas Athena.
Interestingly in the discovery chart for asteroid Medusa, she sits directly opposite the mother Ceres. Sad Pallas and Juno sit on Zosma just a few degrees from Ceres. Pluto is on Algol. Perhaps a more accurate interpretation for Medusa is on of being the outsider, different as she was the only mortal one of the three girls. Sibling rivalry and this was also suggested by Maya del Mar:
“Medusa is one of three sisters. Two are immortal. Medusa is not. Talk about your Cinderella syndrome—to say nothing of feeling picked on! Or was she? Maybe Medusa felt special and unique? Whatever else this says, it plainly puts Medusa on a tighter rein, requiring that she be more careful. More responsible. More aware. Her sisters could survive things which Medusa would surely die of. At the very least, it likely that this difference created a little tension. Some sibling rivalries.” http://www.daykeeperjournal.com/2009/11/asteroid-medusa/
I would also think that given the opposition from Ceres to Medusa in the discovery chart that there is a mother daughter rivalry.
Interesting about the three sisters. And also about the fact Medusa was the only mortal one because I find stuff to back this up from Demetria George. Pg 84 Asteroid Goddesses
But lets go back even earlier then 700BC.
” The Separation of Pallas Athena from her Matriarchal heritage ~ Pallas, Athene and Medusa as maiden, mother and crone were the triple Moon emanations of the Libyan snake goddess Neigh. Originally, Athena was one and the same with Pallas and Medusa. However by the time she entered Greek Culture, she had become a symbol of the new patriarchal order and is hence portrayed as assisting in the destruction of her matriarchal antecedents.”
The three sisters?… Then she says
“The slaying of Medusa ~ From a historical perspective the classical myth of Perseus’ triumph over Medusa, with the aid of Athena, represents actual events during the reign of historical King Perseus (Circa 1290 BC). During this period the early Moon goddess power were usurped by patriarchally dominated invaders of mainland Greece. The hellenes (Neptune) overran the goddess’s chief shrines, stripped her priestesses of their gorgon masks (Medusa) and took possession of the sacred horse.”
Now do we see where Neptune’s raping of Medusa in Pallas’s temple comes into it? To quote you from my Algol post:
“Medusa was innocent and naive. Her fate was to suffer at the hands of the Gods. Poseidon raped her, then Athena mutated her into an ugly monster. Perseus slew the monster, transforming Medusa, liberating her through another mutation into Pegasus and Chrysaor. The fixed star Algol, as Medusa, represents evolution through a series of mutations. This evolution of Medusa is reflected in humanity. We were innocent and naive, then…..” You give examples of some mundane events, Eugenics, research into DNA, genome project etc then.“It started out innocent and beautiful. The Gods mutated it into something ghastly. It has evolved into something powerful and beautiful which puts our destiny in our own hands” http://darkstarastrology.com/algol-medusas-head/
Lovely words Jamie 🙂
Pallas, Athena and Medusa were one! What patriarchy has done is divide and conquer. You mention “Rivalry” a lot. Like a lot of ancient triple goddesses, these sisters were split up and the crone element was demonised. We have come full circle, the modern myths are more accepting of the witch.
I’m sorry if I was a bit harsh on Pallas, and by extension your post. It’s just the Medusa in me gets rather riled at the arrogance of the gods sometimes!
After reading all these over and over again, I felt Marina and Jamie is my sister and bro.
Also, Julian Assanage 😮
Lilith and Pallas explain a lot to me in the mix of 29′ planets. Hwv, I stil think the mother-children’s live or die bickering thing is more on chiron-moon hard aspect, esp., so when the hard aspect relates to any having independent disposition.
In my chart, Juno in the mix with the experimenting Aquarian planets, I am more like a baby monk who bends the spoon as in the Metrix.
Father and daughter connection made me to think alot. My Pallas in Gemini at the very top dabs with Saturn. I was the apple of my father’s eye, any father who could be defined as ‘nickpicky’ or ‘stern’. My Juno was on my biological father’s Sun-exact. . His meanness was like Karl Lagerfeld. Who likes him? He liked me. He always whipped at me but I was the only one who froze him.
With the help of BML- I adore, I’m no longer under his power but, natal chart’s. Those kind of Father authority always works in a same way…
what about your Diana??
is Pallas Minerva and also Athene??
Pallas is Pallas Athene, which is also an asteroid, and also the Roman equivalent, Minerva, which too is an asteroid. Minerva does tend to lean more towards the creative and intellectual aspect of the mythological possibility, rather than the warrior possibility, especially in the education, lingual and literary sense.
kind:), one eyebrow
pallas vs sedna in view of father -daughter
how come the opposite story so relevant to me at the same time?
I hope a late comment is ok. I have Pallas 2 minutes away from my sun in sidereal Aquarius in the 9th and I am female.
I have a much different view of Medusa and the type of feminine energy she represents. What was she doing in Athena’s temple in the first place? If Athena is just and tactful and only goes for the kill when necessary, then what did Medusa do to cause her to act this way? I do not think that she was raped in Athena’s temple. Perhaps she betrayed Athena in some way? Had sex with another god in Athena’s temple without thinking how disrespectful that was? Then ran around crying “rape” when she was found out?
Medusa could represent the type of woman who feels victimised and yet clueless to the part her own actions play in the enfolding drama. She may have once been innocent and wronged but as portrayed by her hideous countenance, she has allowed her sense of injusticed to turn her into a nasty, bitter old woman who has now become the threat. We all know malevolent women like that who stop you stone cold with their joy sucking being and their malicious lies. When these women are spotted, they play victim and appeal to your pity in order to immobilise your defences. Strategist Athena has armed you with a mirror, so you look at the actions, not the person and are not distracted by pity plays.
Athena should be applauded for the courage shown in cutting out this cancer before it spreads, knowing full well that she would be accused of being a traitor to her sex by some. Just like some feministas accused the late Margaret Thatcher of not being female. I don’t know what Pallas aspects Thatcher had and regardless of whether you agreed or disagreed with her, she showed great leadership by doing what needed to be done at the time, even though it made her unpopular.
OMG thank you for that pithy, meaty, veracious story version of medusa and pallas athena!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are right ON, gf. Wow. Spot on. Beautiful. Perfect. Love it. I concur. All the rest. Well said. Bully. And, thank you! Wow. :))
Especially the pity factor of medusa, and her lack of innocence, as well as pallas’s reasons for attach. It all mirrors PERFECTLY my on situation with these energies in such a perfect technicolor way, it’s amazingly parallel a story as I live (I being pallas and dealing with this exact version of medusa). it’s simply uncanny. Thought I should share that here considering. thanks again
Nice feedback Pink and Ruby. I copped a bit of flack when I first posted this because of giving Medusa a bad write up. There really is hostility between Athena and Medusa, you can still see this play out in the archetypes, in relationships.
You didn’t always give Medusa a bad write up. Your words from http://darkstarastrology.com/algol-medusas-head/
“Medusa was innocent and naive. Her fate was to suffer at the hands of the Gods. Poseidon raped her, then Athena mutated her into an ugly monster. Perseus slew the monster, transforming Medusa, liberating her through another mutation into Pegasus and Chrysaor. The fixed star Algol, as Medusa, represents evolution through a series of mutations. This evolution of Medusa is reflected in humanity. We were innocent and naive, then…..”
You give examples of some mundane events, Eugenics, research into DNA, genome project etc then…
“It started out innocent and beautiful. The Gods mutated it into something ghastly. It has evolved into something powerful and beautiful which puts our destiny in our own hands”
Your last sentence could be talking about Persephone. We all go through a ghastly phase (The Underworld) after being wronged, it’s HUMAN. But we forgive and evolve, not all Medusa’s stay monsters as your rightly point out..
I am planning to add more to this post at some stage, with reference to the Warrior Queen Boudica. Her world turned to crap once her dad had died. She also lost the guidance of the father archetype when the Romans slaughtered the druids on Anglesey. She went on the rampage immediately after that extermination in 61 AD, or even perhaps in a last ditch effort to draw the legion away from the druids.
I really do like this post and look forward to the Warrior Queen Boudica update when you have time, Jamie. My mother’s birth time is not known to me, but our charts correspond to what you have explained. My mother idolized her father, who was an alcoholic and unexpectedly died when she was sixteen, just a few years after her mother had died. Mom had a stellium of Chiron, Neptune and Pallas square Saturn. I have guessed the birth time based on comments from her sister which may or may not be right of course, and with the birth time she proposed for Mom, the Moon is conjunct the Chiron/Neptune/Pallas stellium. Then as for me, I work with my father, who has been a guide and a support to me for my own success. I have a Pallas stellium with Sun and Venus in the sixth house. His Pallas is in my 8th house, and the work that has bound us together relates to toxins in the environment.
Thanks for this Jamie, I have Pallas conjunct Juno in 5th, thus no support in fact both my parents were brilliant role models, of what not to be and do lol! Grateful anyway 🙂 I do however currently have transit Pallas conjunct my nth Node, so this helped me to understand it a little, excellent as always!
Wondering if you might be able to interpret a Pallas Yod? Pallas Athene at 9 degrees in Aquarius in 2nd house is the apex. The legs of the yod are Moon in 9th house Virgo, and Mars is 7th house Cancer. My vertex is the activation point in 8th house Leo (Opposite Pallas). All aspects are at less than a 1 degree orb. My Pallas also forms a Grand Trine with Jupiter and Part of Fortune. I haven’t been able to find much information on Pallas involved in yods, let alone very much information on yods.
12/11/2015-No coo net new moon conjunct Pluto & Pallas Athenaeum?
Thanks, have updated the post and chart for the new moon.
what does pallas conjunct north node show
You are striving to achieve the best qualities of Pallas, or that you already do. You might have significant karmic relationship with Pallas-like people.
WhAt would 24 degrees Virgo 4t Ouse PaIIAs conunt Psyce mean? It is aIso my Neptune Venus midpoint… I am a performing artist.
I wonder what does it mean to have Pallas in 12th house? 12th house is not known for patterns right?
Oh, I also have a wide Pallas NN conjunction and an exact trine to Jupiter. I like the description of courage and creativity. 🙂
I am a big fan of your work! I have Pallas in the 10th House conjunct my Sun, Uranus, Mercury and Ceres all in Scorpio. I am a daddy’s girl and our relationship is very much like Zeus and Athena’s, but I am a very strong and independent and powerful woman. I am a Scorpio but Libra dominant as well which means highly diplomatic and I like to avoid conflict. I will utilize my creative intelligence to avoid conflict but if need be, I will annihilate whatever obstacle is in front of me. My Regulus is at 29 deg Leo, within .01 of my 29 deg Leo Saturn.
What does having a 29 degree Pallas in Aries mean? (In the third House)
I loved this article. I noticed this coming year Solar Return Pluto falls on my Pallas in the 5th, now I am positive it talks about creativity and birthing new projects (which my head is bursting with right now) rather than a love affair (I am escaping one and don’t mean to get entangled in another nowhere in my near future). In fact I see this Pallas also as the warrior in me rising to get out of an oppressive relationship, even if I have a small child.
I have my mercury Conjunct Pallas as well as sun oppodite Uranus. I was close to my dad but lost him last year to heart related issues. He was only 66😭. But my sun is overall well aspected 💖So having this aspect confirms the relationship between he and I?
I have pallas conjunct lilith at 19 Pisces in the 4th house?
June 23, the day after exactness,
Pallas 26Cap27r, Mars 26Pis53.
The sextile…. from Rubyslipper
“Motivations that are based in spirituality, creativity, healing or intuition will be defined by this review, and you may find it easier to make the solution happen this time around. Efforts should flow easily once you take the first step”
Problem, reaction, solution… Hegel’s Dialectic
I have Pallas sextile my north node. How would this be different than the conjunction? Thank you.