There’s a newly named Kuiper Belt kid in town: Mors-Somnus. Implied by the hyphen, this is a binary minor solar system body in which the components appear to be close to equal. Mors-Somnus is the second such named Kuiper binary, joining Sila-Nunam. The orbital period of Mors-Somnus is 9.28 hours.
Discovered October 14, 2007, with Kuiper Belt pioneer Chad Trujillo a discovery copartner, the naming of this object restores the traditional trend of classical mythic names, according to the Roman. Both objects are children of Nox, goddess of the night. Mors personifies death; Somnus personifies sleep. The body is “in resonance with Neptune,” which means for every three Neptunian revolutions around the Sun, Mors-Somnus completes two revolutionary periods. As a result, the assignment of underworld names is consistent with previous astronomical rules that objects in orbits similar to Pluto shall bear underwordly names.
Mors-Somnus, known as minor solar system body 341520 (originally 2007TY430) orbits the Sun every 248.63 years.
Another commonality with previously named Kuiper Belt Objects also appears. The object’s north node and perihelion match up by sign with Eris, however, they are reversed. The perihelion of Mors-Somnus measures to be 12 Taurus 28 and the node 16 Libra 44, both heliocentric positions. Eris’ node is in Taurus, perihelion in Libra. Subsequently, the objects mirror each others priorities: social standing, relationship attitudes, monetary concerns, value and values, material assets, internal personal attributes, acquisitions, and the importance or social pressures perceived regarding of all of the above. Keywords will be developed over the next weeks and will be posted on my website and promulgated in a future Sky Scraping.
From the mythological point of view, the amalgamation of the namesake implications, an attribute of Mors-Somnus is rest. It can be “rest in peace” (sleep plus death), sleeping like the dead, waking the dead, looking to be dead while sleeping or the comment made at a wake that the deceased appears to be resting/sleeping.
In the past years, various celebrities and bloggers have gone on quite a bit about how a person functions like the walking dead should they fail to enjoy sufficient and restful sleep. Sure, makes sense. What to do for those who do not enjoy proper levels of sleep for their bodies, their metabolisms, their souls? Does this suggest a new consciousness in sleep therapy? Those who sit up all night may pray so. Will the pharmaceutical market suddenly flood with new sleep aids? That would seem very likely. Will they be effective? Those suffering can pray to the Neptunian resonance of Mors-Somnus for REM sleep levels and adequate dreams no matter how relief is sought.
Also petition-worthy of the Neptunian resonance would be the soul’s need for life-giving, creativity stirring dreams. As stated (rough paraphrase here) in the box office sensation, Flashdance, decades ago, if you lose the dream, you die. The soul craves the invigoration of holding and pursuing dreams - dreams that liberate the spirit from uninspired life such that effort and aspiration free the spirit from the perceived dilemma of trudging through life, lugging about a reluctant body.
Perhaps it is time to dare to dream. Honor Mors-Somnus and awaken the soul from lethargic sleepiness and apathy. Feel, perceive and invoke dreams.
Today, Mors-Somnus tracks 7 Taurus 57, heading to a retrograde station as the solstice season ends. Still, Mors-Somnus is on track... on track to reach perihelion in the next few years. Let us assume that viable, healthy developments in sleep therapy drift about in the ethers, soon to offer relief. Let us assume that Mors-Somnus will inspire all to reach further and faster (perihelion is the fastest movement and greatest intensity of any point in orbit) toward previously undeclared objectives... the kind that one intends to surmount, no matter what, valuing today with every day is precious mentality.
Should anyone have transits from Mors-Somnus to planets, particularly personal planets, through whatever aspect, put yourself on enhanced alert. A new underworld-based Kuiper Belt Object has surfaced, and is here to offer relief. For those not perceiving transits from Mors-Somnus, its influence (likely her influence) is in the ethers, widely circulating at night. Petition for insights, dreams or even insomnia-based thoughts to offer upliftment and hope as the body approaches perihelion.
More soon!