Jan Rae, The visitation. 2001 private collection

by Kim Falconer

This way, my love, this way, come here and haste to rest the whole night in my arms. I worship your lovely curly hair; I am consumed with ardent desire. Oh! Eros, in thy mercy, compel him to my bed.-Aristophanes

Eros enters the sign of TAURUS on May 13, 2006 and travels there until June 21, 2006. This period sees the square of asteroid 433 Eros to Saturn on May 21 at 6 degrees of Taurus-Leo, the square to Chiron at 9 Taurus-Aquarius on the 25th of May, the opposition of Jupiter at 11 Taurus-Scorpio on May 28th, the square to Neptune & conjunct Sedna on the 7th and 8th of June at 19 Taurus-Aquarius, and the conjunction with asteroid 22 Kalliope and her Moon, Linus on June 10 at 21 Taurus. Finally, Eros will make a square aspect to Juno on the 16th of June at 26 Taurus-Aquarius. Check where these transits fall in your natal chart by house!

Taurus is the symbol of sensuality, values and possessions. It's the money sign, the sex sign, the often gentle, peaceful, enduring sign of the earth! It can also rage with a passionate force unrivaled!

But, what is it about Taurus and possessions?

The possibility to own what one needs in order to further actualize oneself is symbolized by Taurus…ownership gives stability and substance to the Aries drive for action.-Dane Rudhyar

Taurus represents the principal of EARTH—grounded, stable and tenacious. It is not a fast conductor of energy yet it is capable of solid grounding and tangible results. The natural seat of this sign is the SECOND HOUSE, ruling possessions, values, talents and resources. Like the symbol of THE BULL, Taurus can be placid, sensual, methodical and productive; Taurus can also be enraged, charging blind if provoked to an extreme.

Taurus is ruled by VENUS, the planet of sensuality, attraction and beauty, and like this deity, the Bull is oriented towards pleasure, and lots of it. Where we find this sign in the horoscope is where we need to discover our true values and tangible resources in life. We need to gather through attraction, not force, things that hold gratification and fulfillment. Taurus says. "I have", and it is up to us to fill in the blanks: I have what? Taurus is concerned with what it takes to feel good and what it takes to survive, preferably in comfort.

The FIXED nature of this sign implies a physical tenacity that can sustain energy through to the successful completion of a project. Taurus too is a sign that can revive flagging plans and redeem lost causes. Conversely, Taurus can have difficulty letting go of anything valued: possessions, people or ideas. There is a rapacity to this sign, that when mixed with jealousy, can be overwhelming. Part of what we need to accomplish though Taurus is the discernment of our own values and the development of our own resources. It is also an area of life where we need to let go of what is no longer authentic.

Blushing with light, thy votary shroud
And on those wings that sparkling dance
Waft, oh waft me hence away!
Love, my soul is full of thee
Alive to all thy sumptuousness. --Sappho

As Eros passes through this sign, passions may deepen, taking solid form where once they were only fantasy. The desire nature supercedes all logic and it often manifests physically, in the BODY! We move to create the intimacy and self-expression we want to have. Artistic ideas may manifest in tangible ways, where the paint hits the canvas, the script is written and the gig is booked. Sensuality and a being with the beloved becomes of great importance.

Taurus (via Mae West) says, “If a little’s good, a lot’s better!” (ie. too much of a good thing can be wonderful!) Eros through Taurus is going to bring some real live connections down to earth!

My friend Mystic Medusa and I where chatting recently and she tuned immediately into the physicality of Eros in Taurus: "Maybe this is a GOOD time for people to get bodywork for helping deal with ye olde sexual probs or romantic issues? Like rather than obsessing in mental realms, being physical about it? Or else, have a fling with the gardener!"

Al la Lady Chatterly's Lover? Yes! She's right. If we can't get earthy and into the body now, especially with the Sun transiting here for another 9 day, when can we?

Richard Idemon said, “the sign a planet is in represents the archetypal principle through which it is going to present itself.” What principle will that be for Eros as this asteroid travels through Taurus? Will values suddenly change? Incomes alter? Resources flow? Romance flourish? Will the body awaken?

Remember, Eros in Taurus is at his most sensual. See where this transit falls in natal, progressed and composite horoscopes, watching transits over critical degrees (9 and 21 of the fixed signs), then close your eyes, take a deep breath and evoke this god!

CRITICAL DEGREES

Those with natal, progressed or Draconic planets at CRITICAL degrees of the the Fixed—9 &21—may notice the transit of Eros over theses points particularly as matters come to a head. (Comments and experiences on critical degrees welcome on the forum!)

Decanates

It may be mentioned that these influences (decanates) are real and actual in their natures, quite as much so as those of the signs.

--Alan Leo

The elements of the signs are divided into decans, or divisions of 10 degrees. There are several traditional ways to assign the decanates--the following being my favorite.

Here each sign is divided into three lots of 10 degrees, the first taking on the nature of the sign itself. The second decan takes on qualities of the next sign in its element and the third taking on the subsequent sign of its element. The sub-rulers, and their aspects to other planets and the original sign ruler, are always important to consider.

0 to 9 59Taurus:The first decan of Taurus is powered by pure Venus energy--creative, sensual, obliging and tenacious. Once decided, there is no turning back! This combination can take "stubborn" to new levels—it can also do the same with sensuality and see a project through to completion.

10 to 19 59’Taurus: This decan combines Mercury's power of discrimination and flexibility to the stick-to-it nature of the Bull. Sensuality is still strong, yet now it needs a more social, flirty and intellectual expression. The affinity for change and flexibility augments. Less likely to lounge around 'chewing things over' and more likely to take action.

20 to 29 59' Taurus: The Saturn decan of Taurus increases the need to express healthy ambition by setting and reaching goals. Here is a potent worker! This is a less indulgent position, given to more serious contemplations. Here the Bull is more thrifty than the other two, full of enterprising and resourceful qualities, yet very strong in the body--very earthy, very sensual when aroused.

To the Top

Kalliope, Linus & Eros Enter Kalliope, the muse with the beautiful voice! Be sure and pronounce her like ‘kaleidoscope’ because the Greek root words are the same—‘Kalos’ which means beautiful. As an asteroid, 22 Kalliope is one of the few known to have a (recently discovered) moon. Scientists are claiming she is no longer single! Taking 4.96 years to orbit the sun, Kalliope resides between Mars and Jupiter, in the main asteroid belt. Her moon was named ‘Linus’ in honor of the famous Greek musician, Linos who is said in some versions of myth to be Kalliope’s son with Apollon. When Kalliope’s older son, Orpheus—the man who could impel trees and rocks to dance to his sweet and magical tunes-- was dismembered, she grieved bitterly. Then Linus was born, and her heart was refreshed. "Straightway, while yet a new-born babe he [the poet] drawled and with earliest accents sweetly whimpered, Calliope took him to her loving bosom. Then first did she lay aside her grief and cease her long lament for Orpheus, and said: ‘O boy, consecrate to poesy, soon destined to outmatch the bards of old, thou shalt move no rivers or wild herds of Thracian ash-trees with thy music, but with eloquent son shalt draw after thee the seven hills of Martian Tiber [Rome]." - Statius, Silvae 2.7.36   Kalliope was revered for her poetry, her musicianship and above all, for her voice. Here in the Sign of Taurus with the god of Love, she can put a spell on whomever she chooses. "Come Moisa, Kalliope, daughter of Zeus, begin the lovely verses; set desire on the song and make the choral dance graceful." - Greek Lyric II Alcman, Frag   "Thou, Calliope, queen of the groves of song, uplift thy lyre and begin the tale." - Statius, Thebaid 4.32 Her transit with Eros lasts a while(see ephemeris) and those with personal planets, angles, midpoints or progressions between 18-25 Taurus may feel a certain awakening. If love has been locked away, ignored or held back, all may flow out into a whirling pool of sensual expression, poetic, musical, passionate. If you work in the creative arts, this could be a particularly productive time, certainly one for 'being noticed'. "The nine Maidens (Puellae), each allotted her own realm, busy their tender hands on their separate gifts ... Then from their number one of the goddesses laid her hand on me (by her looks I think it was Calliope). She said: ‘You will always be happy to ride on snow-white swans; no galloping hooves of the war-horse will call you to arms. Be it no concern of yours to sound the martial summons on the blaring trumpet or stain with bloody warfare the groves of Helicon … For you will sing of garlanded lovers at another’s threshold and the tipsy tokens of midnight vigil, so that he who would artfully outwit stern husbands may learns from you how to charm forth a locked-up woman.’ Thus Calliope (spoke), and taking water from the spring she moistened my lips with draughts [from the spring of Hippokrene on Mt Helikon] that once Philitas drank." - Propertius, Elegies 3.3 Note! This conjunction is on the critical degree--21 Fixed. What has been brewing on the back burner may come to a critical point! Those interested in exploring this further, please visit the forum! To the Top Jupiter and Eros Even though Jupiter was the king of the gods and master of swing, there were two deities over which he had no influence. One was Fate as, like all the gods and mortals, he was subject to ‘Necessity’.  The other was Eros.  It is not clear how many of Zeus’s affairs were at the instigation of Eros’s darts.  Zeus probably needed little encouragement, and in fact he was constantly goaded by the restrictions and admonishments of his wife Hera/Juno.  The significant point is, even the king of Mt. Olympus could not prevail over a dart from Love.  Hundreds of offspring resulted from the lustful wanderings of Zeus, symbolizing the creative outcome of the liaisons.  He had several marriages as well. Many of Zeus’s offspring where powerful and creative deities suggesting the potent creative force of Zeus when it is anchored in the womb of reality. When Eros is in aspect to Jupiter by transit, an added fire, enthusiasm and spirit of adventure may color the desire for erotic love and creative expression. Think 'urgent' and 'grandioso'! If a little is intriguing, more would be enthralling.  The drive towards the erotic could be obsessive, expansive and HUGE! Over indulgence is always a risk, even with the opposition, though for some who 'hold back' this can be an important shift!. If this Eros opposite Jupiter touches off a natal or progressed point, you're going to be wanting something ‘larger than life’. There also is a rather flighty and fickle side to Jupiter that can make the deeper disposition of Eros look like a gapping black maw ready to devour all freedom and space. Fears of losing  freedom, or the reality of becoming bored or worse, claustrophobic, could keep an Eros/Jupiter aspect skimming across the surface of intimacy, avoiding the deeper nooks and crannies.  However, if the myths hold true, Zeus himself is not immune to Eros.  Eros in aspect to Jupiter may intend to keep things breezy, yet at this opposition, Jupiter will succumb.  Like Zeus’s offspring, the outcome of erotic intimacy is likely to be highly creative and powerful. Look to see where 11 degrees of Taurus-Scorpio resides in your natal chart to get a feel for what is being activated! Those interested in exploring this further, please visit the forum! To the Top Sedna & Eros On the 7th and 8th of June, Eros will conjunct Sedna, one of our furthest bodies in the solar system. For more information on Sedna and her mythology and discovery, go to my Sedna Page. Because Sedna can spend hundreds of years in a sign (she has been around 19 Taurus for years now) her effects are pervasive, not acute. If Eros acts as a trigger though, we may see 'Sedna' activities at this time. Watch the news for storms, cyclones, earth quakes and volcanic activities, especially those originating under the sea. Look also for indications of global weather trends (global warming) and their effects on nature, particularly the arctic and antarctic regions. What can we do about this? In our own charts, look to where we are not honoring this life/death goddess. Disruptions could be warnings to realign ourselves with this deity.Like the shamans, we may need to journey down to the icy depths and find out what sacred ritual has be violated, and what we can do to make amends. Those interested in exploring this further, please visit the forum! Neptune & Eros Neptune had a desire for woman on par with his brother Zeus. Women, Nymphs, goddesses, harpies, feminine rivers and stream all held a great fascination for the “Shaker of the Earth” and the list of his mistresses and offspring attest to his appetite for union.  He laid with over 110 females, from Demeter who tried to flee him in the form of a horse, (wrong choice for a horse master), to Medusa, who suffered violently forever after. (She was punished for her beauty and allure by being turned into a gorgon by Athena). Neptune had close to two hundred offspring ranging from the winged Pegasus by Medusa to the twin children of Demeter, Arion, a magnificent steed and Desponia the fair mistress whose real name can not be divulged to the non-indoctrinated               When Eros transits Neptune by square, erotic love and transformation can mingle with the everlasting search for the divine.  In the grasp of a romantic love spell, we see not a human counterpart but a glorious god or goddess and all may be sacrificed on the altar of their immortal souls.  It becomes very unsatisfactory, however, when the gig is up and we find so much was given to someone mortal after all, no more and no less.  Idealization and disappointment/ resentment run hand in hand with this Eros/Neptune scenario.  It is also true that Neptune had, beneath the seas, a palace of gold. Its beauty was unmatched in all the world.  Sometimes a link between Eros and Neptune can take us down into the glorious depths of that mystical kingdom and bring back some of its magic into the daily life.  A transit between Eros and Neptune activating the natal chart can also suggest the traversing of boundaries that only these deities can arrange.  A strong link can bring an erotic union that not only transforms the soul but the spirit as well. The main thing Neptune in aspect to Eros requires is a sacrifice in exchange for the boundless vista of the divine. (This is so reminisce of the lyrics, "Everybody wants to go to heaven; nobody wants to die..." Was that Loretta Lynn?) Sometimes the required atonement, like what was asked of Medusa, can seem too high a price to pay.  Other times, it may be worth its weight in Neptunian treasures. Those interested in exploring this further, please visit the forum! To the Top Chiron & Eros There seems no surviving account of encounters between Chiron and Eros.  Certainly, their roles and attitudes in myth were quite divergent having contrasting interests and associations.  It is clear, however that Chiron did experience love and union with Chariclo, who bore him three daughters, Endeis, Melanippe and Ocyrrohe.   One of these holy daughters is a prophetess whom he loved very dearly. When she is transformed unwillingly into a mare, Chiron beseeches the aid of Apollo to help her.  His prayers, however, are in vain as Hera deals out punishment to Ocyroe for prophesizing.  Again Chiron is seen to suffer. When Eros is found in square aspect to Chiron, an element of heart-ache can arise. It is possible that the fires of Eros may burn deeper so that a transformation may be assured.   It may also indicate a need to evoke a greater level of compassion in relationships, even in the face of pain, rejection or betrayal. This can be a time of isolation or separation.  There can be, self-imposed or otherwise, a sense of disunion that limits or proscribes the kind of intimacy longed for by Eros.  That Chiron himself wed Chariclo offers encouragement. Even in the face of challenges, the outcast found love, union and creativity. He also managed to prepare many heroes for ‘impossible’ adventures, instilling in them the audacity to attempt.  When Eros is in aspect to Chiron by transit, the awakenings of erotic love can coincide with the awakenings of ‘the wound’.  This exposure can lead to the healing and release of pain, or it can lead to a deeper wound within.  Possibly, it will do some of both.  The levels of compassion and wisdom that can be gained are in proportion to our willingness to experience both the erotic and the wound, seemingly with as much courage and spunk as Chiron did. Look to see where 9 degrees of Taurus-Aquarius fall in your natal chart! (It's a critical degree!) Comments and insights welcome on the forum.          To the Top Juno & Eros Juno differs from the other asteroid goddesses in her unwavering desire for marriage: Ceres prefers the company of the earth, her daughter and the occasional lover. A staunch virgin, Pallas Athena seeks the company of men as comrades in arms. Although offered the hand of marriage by Poseidon and Apollo, Vesta prefers to stay sequestered in her temple, content with managing the sacred flame of renewal. She welcomes men only as a consecrated act of divine sexual union. Yet Juno/Hera wanted Jupiter/Zeus, king of the pantheon of Mt. Olympus, to be her lawfully wedded husband. This is not the realm of Eros! Originally a virgin sky deity in her own right, Hera’s marriage to Zeus is thought to represents a merging of two cults that were once dissimilar. How ever it came about, the marriage of Zeus and Hera was a rocky one. As he did most women, Zeus made various attempts to seduce Hera early on, but she would not submit to him unless he promised to marry her. His desire must have been great, because he agreed and they were married on Mt. Olympus with all the gods and goddesses in attendance. Although Hera was faithful to her marriage vows, the mighty Zeus certainly was not. The more furious, vengeful, and jealous Hera became, the more he sought the extramarital company of other goddesses, mortals and youths. Their relationship seems volatile and laced with domestic violence, threats and deception. Hera also persecuted the illegitimate offspring of Zeus’ escapades with relentless cruelty. In spite of this, Zeus continued his myriad affairs yet still longed for his wife. They had at least three children together. Primarily the goddess of marriage and maternity, Hera/Juno rules over all aspects of the feminine. She is the image of the archetypal matriarch and while long-term committed relationship is her realm, she did have dealings with Eros. Aristophanes tells us that golden winged Eros drove Hera’s chariot and then presided over her wedding to Zeus. Although the domains of wedlock and erotic love are not the same, there is a sense of acknowledgement and support from Eros to Hera. This is not reciprocated by Hera when it comes to illicit love. When Eros and Juno meet by transit, the qualities of risk, passion, intimacy and transformation may merge with those of a committed relationship and the desire for ongoing union with a partner. This isn’t easy to mix. Eros wants erotic excitement, change and growth; Juno wants stability, commitment and ongoing relationship. The two are basically antithetical. Sometimes the qualities of the two asteroids can create an urge to animate the erotic in all personal one-to-one relationships. Yet when the energies of these planets can not find harmony, they may work out like the relationship between Hera and Zeus—he forever seeking to fulfill his desires far a field and she forever trying to drag him back to the family home. The individual receiving this transit needs to find ways to integrate the divergent drives of Juno and Eros, combining transformational intensity with sustained commitment. Those interested in exploring this further, please visit the forum!

       Date     |    Eros     |  Kalliope              

12 May 2006  | 29 ar 39    |  9 ta 14   

13 May 2006  |  0 ta 23    |  9 ta 41   

14 May 2006  |  1 ta  7    | 10 ta  7   

15 May 2006  |  1 ta 51    | 10 ta 33   

16 May 2006  |  2 ta 35    | 10 ta 59   

17 May 2006  |  3 ta 19    | 11 ta 25   

18 May 2006  |  4 ta  3    | 11 ta 52   

19 May 2006  |  4 ta 47    | 12 ta 18   

20 May 2006  |  5 ta 32    | 12 ta 44   

21 May 2006  |  6 ta 16    | 13 ta 10   

22 May 2006  |  7 ta  1    | 13 ta 36   

23 May 2006  |  7 ta 46    | 14 ta  2   

24 May 2006  |  8 ta 30    | 14 ta 28   

25 May 2006  |  9 ta 15    | 14 ta 54   

26 May 2006  | 10 ta  1    | 15 ta 21   

27 May 2006  | 10 ta 46    | 15 ta 47   

28 May 2006  | 11 ta 31    | 16 ta 12   

29 May 2006  | 12 ta 17    | 16 ta 38   

30 May 2006  | 13 ta  2    | 17 ta  4   

31 May 2006  | 13 ta 48    | 17 ta 30   

01 Jun 2006  | 14 ta 34    | 17 ta 56   

02 Jun 2006  | 15 ta 19    | 18 ta 22   

03 Jun 2006  | 16 ta  5    | 18 ta 48   

04 Jun 2006  | 16 ta 52    | 19 ta 14   

05 Jun 2006  | 17 ta 38    | 19 ta 39   

06 Jun 2006  | 18 ta 24    | 20 ta  5   

07 Jun 2006  | 19 ta 11    | 20 ta 31   

08 Jun 2006  | 19 ta 57    | 20 ta 56   

09 Jun 2006  | 20 ta 44    | 21 ta 22   

10 Jun 2006  | 21 ta 31    | 21 ta 47   

11 Jun 2006  | 22 ta 18    | 22 ta 13   

12 Jun 2006  | 23 ta  5    | 22 ta 38   

13 Jun 2006  | 23 ta 52    | 23 ta  4   

14 Jun 2006  | 24 ta 39    | 23 ta 29   

15 Jun 2006  | 25 ta 27    | 23 ta 55   

16 Jun 2006  | 26 ta 14    | 24 ta 20   

17 Jun 2006  | 27 ta  2    | 24 ta 45   

18 Jun 2006  | 27 ta 50    | 25 ta 11   

19 Jun 2006  | 28 ta 38    | 25 ta 36   

20 Jun 2006  | 29 ta 26    | 26 ta  1   

21 Jun 2006  |  0 ge 14    | 26 ta 26