If you’ve ever done any genealogical research you know how important that information is, especially a few centuries ago when there was a rather short list of popular names.  Some of my progenitors founded Guilford, Connecticut and I can’t begin to tell you how many were named John Hall or James Davis, which was even more obvious back when people seldom left their birthplace, sometimes resulting in three generations with the same name to say nothing of various cousins, all named after their paternal grandfather.  But if you had the date of birth you at least had some grasp on the person as an individual, name notwithstanding.

Of course if you’re into astrology a person’s date of birth provides even more useful information because then you know his or her Sun sign.  But even that is only the tip of the iceberg.  The “Big Three,” i.e. Sun sign, Moon sign and Ascendant provide more of a 3D view because now you have some insight into their emotional nature and face they show the world in addition to the fundamentals represented by the Sun sign.  Yet this is still only scratching the surface.  Add the planets, their sign and house placement with their aspects to one another and you really start getting somewhere.  But even then there are subtle quirks that make a person unique that can be buried in the multi-dimensional world of archetypes.

Then there’s the world of Fixed Stars.  This influence is powerful because they are just that, “fixed,” meaning that their influence on a person’s natal chart is always there.  They don’t transit a chart like the planets but are always in the same location, imparting their energy into that particular sector of a person’s life.  Study them and you learn even more.

So clearly those who think they know a person from their Sun sign alone really don’t know squat.  Seriously.  And so many of those who don’t believe astrology works are those that have no understanding of its complexity.  Sure, they may have known an Aries once who was the most patient person in the world and defied his or her Sun sign’s image of someone who is impulsive or has a temper.  Of course as an astrologer if you try to explain that you’ll get one of those looks we’ve all seen at one time or another that’s essentially saying, “Excuses, excuses, excuses.”  And as I always say with regard to dealing with skeptics, never try to teach a pig to sing; it frustrates you and annoys the pig.

The more you study astrology the more you discover the many layers present in a horoscope.  It reminds me of having your eyes checked by an optometrist where they put that huge contraption in front of your face and start adding lenses.  At first everything is a blur, then step by step it eventually clears up so you can read the bottom line of the eye chart across the room.  Every astrological iteration reveals a little more, whether it’s about yourself or someone else.  Just when you think there couldn’t possibly be anything else hiding in that natal chart something else pops out. 

For me one of those “Aha!” moments came when I realized that the asteroid, Kalliope, muse of writing, was parked on my ascendant.  And I mean parked: my Ascendant is 4:18 Virgo while Kalliope is 4:39 for a big difference of 21 minutes of arc.  Whoa!!  Does that explain why I’ve been writing stories since I was old enough to hold a pencil or what?

Asteroids are entirely amazing.  The fact there are thousands of them boggles any astrologer’s mind.  How an asteroid, often no more than a chunk of rock orbiting between Mars and Jupiter, assumes the astrological influence of its namesake is best left to metaphysicians and philosophers.  (See my blog "What's in a Name?" for some random thoughts on that subject.) The main point is that they work and often far exceed the realm of likely probability.  For example, what are the odds that the asteroid named Marathon would be on the Midheaven of the chart for the Boston marathon bombing? (See my blog on that event here.)  Or Sedna, Inuit goddess of the sea, would be prominent in the charts of oil spill disasters? (See blog on BP spill here.) These supposedly minor entities are powerful and deserve our attention. Another one in my chart that blew me away was an asteroid named Gary (2:15 Aquarius) conjunct my natal Venus (01:37 Aquarius) and yes, it’s in my 5^th house.  I was married to a man named Gary for 37 years.  Again, what are the odds?  (BTW, I’m currently looking for George who’s hanging out at 02:22 Aquarius.)

Which brings me to one of the most important parts of life, i.e. relationships, particularly romantic ones.  What can asteroids tell us about that?  Typically for synastry the Sun, Moon and Venus, and perhaps the classic asteroids of Juno, Vesta, Ceres and Pallas Athene, are thrown in as well.  But they don’t tell the entire story.  Vesta may relate to dedication and in some ways, sex; Ceres to separation and Persephone’s sojourn in the Underworld; Juno to marriage; and Pallas Athene to equality, but what about the romantic side?  How can we discover what a person’s expectations might be, probably the key to success in most cases? 

Four asteroids that have drawn my attention in this regard are the ones I call the “Love Asteroids.”  These include Cupido, Amor, Sappho and Eros.  Cupido, the little cherub with the troublesome bow and arrow, describes who you are attracted to.  Amor is more about brotherly love, affection and truly caring about another.  Sappho represents raw, physical sex, and Eros is, as you would expect, relates to what turns you on, i.e. what you find erotic. 

Like everything else in life (as well as astrology, which represents it so well) nothing is simple.  While you may be attracted to someone initially, unless those other factors line up properly it’s going to fizzle out or perhaps go out with a whimper or even a bang.  I have had clients who had relationships where the other person completely adored them but they were turned off sexually by their advances, even though logically they could see the individual was otherwise perfect as a significant other.  But since when does logic apply to relationships?  Or as Tina Turner so apply put it, “What’s Love Got to Do with It?” (Ha, I think I just found a better name for my lecture!) Why do some demand romantic ambiance as a prelude to sex while others head for the copy room for a nooner?  Why do marriage partners so often complain about their mate’s bedroom performance?

In my experience these four asteroids have an important bearing on the nuts and bolts of romantic relationships.  Even if they don’t line up properly, sometimes understanding what’s going on can help provide some ideas for mediation if both parties are committed to making the relationship “work.” 

My BDTB3 lecture, “Avoiding Relationship Pitfalls: Love Asteroids in Synastry,” will discuss this quartet in detail as well as take a look at the charts of some well-known couples to uncover any relationship dynamics hidden from the public eye.  Join me at 7:00 pm EST on Sunday 16 November 2014 and we’ll see what develops.  You can register here.  These online lectures do fill up so be sure to get onboard early, perhaps even early enough to get a discount.  Meanwhile you can entertain yourself by reading my section on asteroids elsewhere on my website at http://www.valkyrieastrology.com/Makeover/asteroids/asteroidlinks.html.