Lately, I have been keeping my eyes on Eris, second-largest dwarf planet in the Solar System. Eris was discovered in 2005 and is named after the Greek goddess known for discord and contention. This dense little planet about the size of Pluto takes 550 years to complete an orbit around the Sun and is currently at 24 degrees Aries. It is interesting to note that Eris entered Aries in the 1920s, when our world saw the rise of fascist parties in Europe. If Eris is the mean girl planet, then Pluto is the bad boy planet and they have been slow dancing at an exact square with each other since the end of April 2020.
Ever see the movie, Mean Girls? Some of us did not even have to watch the movie! We lived it in our middle and high school years. Perhaps we found our vulnerable young selves discounted at the hands of kids that did not even know us. Couched beneath their façade of ‘I’m your best ally’, the mean girl is most likely an angry soul who struggles with envy, insecurity, status, and control. She blindsides you. She sets you up for humiliation, struggle, or strife and all the while she would have you believe she is sweet and helpful. Underlying all of it, she is fiercely competitive and will not only win, she is rather sadistic. She delights in creating pain and discord. Yikes, right?
But Eris has some positive sides if we stop to ponder and delve deeply into her competitive spirit. Here are two key points in appreciating the energy of Eris:
1) Competition is not all bad. It helps give us the oomph to be better at what we do, whether it be a painting, a poem, or growing tomatoes. Without competition we might not have the motivation to refine and improve the way we operate and the things we create.
2) In the myth of Eris, she is the epitome of the uninvited. She was deeply bitter because she was excluded from the guest list of a wedding party and her vengeful, wounded nature ended up causing the Trojan War! We all have a bit of Eris in us, some more than others. It is reflected in how we treat (or do not treat) each other with respect and dignity, even in the face of losing. Eris can help us look at what it means to win. Eris helps us ask ourselves if we want to win for the right reasons, or if we want to win just to see the ‘other’ suffer? If we feel left out or wronged, do we lash out and wish ill will to fall upon the other?
So, like Pluto, Eris can be a harsh teacher but there is gold to be gleaned in the grit. The gold lies in recognizing how these energies manifest in our lives. They can be the catalyst to transform old structures, to get back on courses with behaviors that promote cooperation and goodwill. They can point us to areas of growth that bring true peace and unity rather than an ‘us vs. them’ world where no one truly wins. I do not know about you, but I believe healing our divided places is possible. All we need to do is pay attention to the mirror we gaze at each day. It will help us locate where Eris, the uninvited, resides within our hearts. Because she could be invited in. There is enough room for everyone at the party……
Astrological events of note for this month:
July 1: Saturn retrograde enters Capricorn—Here we go again! Saturn will travel retrograde to 25 degrees Capricorn by late September, where it was on February 1. This time it will be within 3 degrees of Pluto, which is also in Capricorn. And there is also the Jupiter/Pluto conjunction, also in Capricorn. I see this as heralding trumpets for USA’s Pluto return in 2022, but that is for a future post…..
July 5: Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Capricorn at 13 degrees–This particular Sun/Moon blend (Capricorn/Cancer) may connect with the energy of family, emotions and emotional vulnerability (Cancer) with the more practical aspects of life, like work and attending to the business side of things. Eclipse energy can be a catalyst for change.
July 12: Mercury stations direct at 5 degrees Cancer.
July 20: New Moon in Cancer—heightens our potential to look within the watery depths of our psyches, to nurture what needs to come to light, to arrive at deeper levels of emotional security through understanding the Self.
July 22: Sun enters Leo
Dianne Bachman, LCSW 