The swirl of astrological insights and thought spun by having only just returned from the amazing Norwac conference, mixes with jet lag, hastily scribbled conference notes and things committed to memory as something that must be done upon return from Norwac. Two of those notes come from mental blips received before the conference; adding those with the chin scratching contemplation of conference conversation, it seems it is time to give Eris more due.
Still, I am amazed how many do not include Eris in astrological work given 12 years of awareness of her presence. Some offer excuses similar to what astronomers regurgitate when disputing astrology. It’s too far way. It takes sooooo long to go around the Sun. It’s small right? Well, slightly larger than Pluto and definitely more massive. Soooo...?
So some don’t use her because her mythology is difficult to integrate... as is the mythology of Sedna, and just short of a century ago, as was the mythology of Pluto.
Eris’ top “issue” seemed to be that she despised being snubbed. When snubbed, all bets were off in terms of how she would cast mayhem and direct disruption toward those who chose to exclude her, primarily because she disrupted every event she attended. Sort of a no-gain, Catch-22, vicious circle there.
Eris comes closest to the Sun in Libra, where she places maximum urgency. Libra being social and interactive, charges the importance of being invited, part of “the” inner circle, one of the cool ones, recognized ones etc. It doesn’t even matter if being part of the event or klatch would be of benefit - it’s all about being included. Was it Churchill, W. C. Fields, Groucho, Twain or Socrates or Plato who said (paraphrased) that they would not want to be part of a club that would have them? I think it’s been attributed to all of them, maybe Lincoln, too.
That’s just it as far as Eris is concerned: What is the benefit/detriment gain/loss of being included in anything?
The node of Eris weighs into the zodiac club in Taurus. Money stuff. Resources. Tangibility. Oh, and the social status of such inclusion. There was a great sequence with a character in HBO’s Silicon Valley in their most recent episode detailing this exact point. An extreme capitalist, venture investor and start-up supporter had blown it and dropped out of the three-comma billionaire’s club. He was so distraught that the doors on his expensive car did not move the correct way and that he would be seen as nothing - though worth $900 million plus and driving a Maserati - he resorted to extreme Pluto behavior.
Yep, bottom lined Eris represents non-conscious levels of addiction to status and/or success.
What’s the antidote for Eris? Find you fit. Find places where you organically merge with others, activities that feed your soul and inspire your creativity. Sort your instincts. Anything that does not further your mundane purposes, emotional contentment and soul’s greatest yearning for fulfillment is not worth pursuit. Doesn’t matter if it’s cool, trending or #anything. If it does not fit your nature, ditch it.
Finding your fit is huge. At the recent Cannes Film Festival, Megen Ellison (credits include Zero Dark Thirty, Her, Foxcatcher and American Hustle, who shuns formal interviews and press appearances, during her remarks at the Women in Motion talk, noted that “the film industry has made me feel less alone in the world.” She continued, “art does not belong to the few, but to the many.”
Somehow I believe Eris would be pleased with her.
There is a huge cluster of “boomers” in the world especially feeling the pressures of Eris by virtue of Eris transiting their natal placement of Sedna. Eris asks, “okay, if you’ve done what you should to be a contributing member of society, and to please the norms, parental rules, religious doctrine, etc., and given mastery of that, what do you do with the rest of your life now that sixty is the new thirty and seventy is the new thirty-something?
David Letterman comes to mind. An Aries with Sun and Sedna exact in his birth chart, he quit his TV show with Eris virtually on top of this alignment. Knowing when to step in or out of what circle may prevent dancing around situations that do not serve the soul.
Cool! So Eris is now out there in Aries. Anyone born after 1922 - 1923 has Eris in Aries. Everyone casts nervous glances at each other and those pesky fork in the road decision points, wondering if it’s the right move, a good fit, or purposeful in a soul way. After all, Pluto is still a planet too. And he demands that each act be intentional and in congruence with the baseline philosophy that every day should be lived to the fullest... just in case.
So, what can you do?
Define your economic Goldilocks zone. How much is the right amount of money: not too much, not too little?
How can you apply your creative skill sets to feed your spirit? You know, everyone has “God-granted gifts” that are dang near ingenious. Whether its ice sculpting centaurs for a wedding centerpiece, rewiring a home for LED lighting, chopping veggies to enhance flavor, painting, spinning words in whatever manifestation or what have you, there’s a creative art form to apply.
Applying one’s art to life ensures a good fit. The soul feels comfy in the body. The body feels comfy on the planet and around other people. When comfy, there’s a keen perception of what should be drawn closer and what should be expelled from the personal sphere of influence. Feel it. Find the fit and flourish. Step aside if you must. Step forward if summoned by dharma.
Finally, if feeling behind the life contribution power curve, stop playing with gadgets that scrap away time as if it is a replaceable commodity. Cull your social network time and connections such those that you have fit your life and do not distract or tease you into involvements that do not further your divine plan. Think about what you should do when you feel the urge to tweet #postingwaytoomuchs**t.