Ceres（谷神星）

Ceres: The Great Mother

Associated Rulerships: Cancer, Taurus-Scorpio polarity, Virgo

Polarities: Compassion/Anger

The Roman goddess Ceres was originally known to the ancient Greeks as Demeter (da mater, meaning earth mother). She was worshipped as the all nourishing mother, crowned with a wreath composed of ears of corn and wheat, holding grain or poppies in one hand, and a lighted torch in the other.

Pluto coveted fair Persephone, Ceres daughter, ravished her and carried her off into the underworld. Ceres held back the fruit of the earth until the people asked Zeus to intervene, but she would not relent until her daughter was returned. A compromise was reached, where Persephone goes into the underground through part of the year, and during that time, the earth is barren (Winter).

Ceres transits are timings for pregnancy and childbirth, as well as difficulties in conception, the birth process, and nursing. She symbolizes the need to care for and nurture others. She describes the quality of the mothering experience we received as a child and express as a parent. Isolation and depression are two common Ceres ailments when this asteroid is poorly aspected. When the mother-love is experienced as conditional, a child will respond by living up to expectations, or failing to do so. (Why bother?)

Because Ceres governs feeding, she rules the entire range of food complexes. Conflict aspects to Ceres can signify a person who is unwilling or unable to nurture others. In turn, emotional support is often denied.

Ceres prominent people need to transform their attachments to the people they love. They may experience lifelong lessons concerning the sharing of children, when aspected to Pluto. Ceres rules strikes and other expressions of refusal to work. Stressful aspects may indicate difficulties holding down a job, problems with self-esteem, lack of productivity. They may be involved with the food industry, or with animal care.

Ceres in the signs describes 12 styles of nurturing. In the houses, Ceres shows where we most readily experience the need to give and receive nurturing. Ceres in the fire signs gives encouragement and praise. In Earth signs, it is stabilizing and structuring, in air, it assists in relating and communicating, in Water, it lends empathy and understanding.

Ceres in Aries people identify nurturance with autonomy and independence. Imbalance can occur when the child feels dominated by the nurturer or pushed towards autonomy before s/he is ready.

Ceres in Taurus individuals receive nurturance through physical substance, a sense of stability and being held. Imbalance occurs when a person overidentifies with substance.

Ceres in Gemini receives nurturance through being educated, talked to and listened to. Imbalance occurs when feelings of mental inadequacy lead to manipulation or learning difficulties.

Ceres in Cancer receives nurturance through bonding with the mother, feeling loved, and being fed. If a child is deprived or smothered, neediness or dependency can occur.

Ceres in Leo identifies nurturance with self expression.

Ceres in Virgo identifies nurturance with perfection or service. Criticism is the danger here, leading to excessive perfectionism.

Ceres in Libra identifies nurturing with cooperation, with justice. A person can become unbalanced when one is so other directed that s/he places a need for acceptance above self-determination. On the other hand, depending on house placement, Ceres can indicate a profound need for Justice, and an inate understanding of law. (Brandi Jasmine, 12th House)

Ceres in Scorpio identifies nurturance with intense and deep emotional bonding. They can be jealous, vengeful and envious when imbalanced.

Ceres in Sagittarius identify nurturance with the freedom to explore and expand their horizons. Self-acceptance may be totally based on the ability to find a purpose in life.

Ceres in Capricorn identifies nurturance with achievement.

Ceres in Aquarius identify nurturing with individuality, self-determination and a recognition of the rights of others. Self-Acceptance may be gained through following a unique path (DB Ceres Aquarius, 5th)

Ceres in Pisces identify nurturing with compassion, feeling connected to and unified with a reality beyond herself.

Ceres - Sun

The nurturing principle combines with identity and purpose. One's identity and self image will center around being a parent or nurturer. Work with the dying. Stressful aspects point to conflicts between being one's self and taking care of others.

Ceres - Moon

The nurturing principle combines with emotional responsiveness. A deep longing to be needed by others, and to exchange emotional energy with them. There may be conflict between meeting one's personal needs, and those of the family. Separation anxieties, fears of rejection and isolation.

Ceres - Mercury

The nurturing principle combines with mental expression. People who associate being loved with being understood. Stressed, difficulties in being understood.

Ceres - Venus

The nurturing principle combines with the feminine principle of love and sexuality. May link the feeling of being attractive to subconscious feelings of self-worth. Stressful aspects point to conflict between personal needs for intimacy and the needs of the family. These people may feel undesirable and unattractive. May also point to food complexes, with Moon.

Ceres - Mars

The nurturing principle combines with the masculine principle of action and assertion. Linking the ability to act and to be effective in the outer world to self-worth. Needs for independence may be thwarted when Saturn or Pluto are also involved. Harsh discipline as a child, and/or may be that way as a parent.

Ceres - Jupiter

The nurturing principle combines with the expansive urge. A social vision and exploratory urge, the desire to nurture generously, through education, travel, religion. Smothering can be a danger.

Ceres - Saturn

The nurturing principle combines with the urge to create form and structure. A solid and realistic foundation for nurturing activities, traditional family values. Stressed, one's parents may have held back love and validation, or have been absent.

Ceres - Uranus

The nurturing principle combines with individuality and intuition. This combination has the potential to universalize the nurturing impulse into humanitarian activities. Human rights advocate. Stressed, unreliable and erratic nurturing which can lead to difficulty forming emotional bonds.

Ceres - Neptune

The nurturing principle combines with the transcendent urge. A sensitizing of the nurturing impulse to create a depth of compassion and empathy for all beings. There may be unrealistic perceptions of loved ones, feelings of deception. Playing the victim, drugs, alcohol and withdrawal are dangers here.

Ceres - Pluto

The nurturing principle combines with the transformation urge. A theme of loss and return. An ability to share ones physical/creative offspring. Emotional crises brought about through loss or separation of loved ones.

Ceres - Juno

The nurturing principle combines with relationship needs. The partner or children may become the primary recipient of unconditional love and nurturance. Stressed, there may be disagreements with one's mate over childrearing.

Ceres - Vesta

The nurturing principle combines with the dedicating and focusing urges. An intense devotion to family, to experience nurturance through work, vision quest, or spiritual practice. Stressed, an alienation from the parenting role, sterility, barreness.

Ceres - Pallas

The nurturing principle combines with the mental-creative urge, the potential to bring powerful creative urges into play. A high regard for education. Stressed, an over-identification with the father, rejection of the mother.

[Additional notes from other Mythological sources]

According to Barbara Walker, Ceres is another form of Juno, as Queen of Heaven and thus may have an association with the Roman legal system. She was called "Ceres, the Lawgiver" in the age of "mother-right". My intuitive feeling for Ceres is that Juno may cover food and nurturance more than Ceres, who I relate to the Justice card in the Tarot, empathically, especially in the case of Ceres in Libra, as in my own chart.