Why Pallas Athene is the Astrologer's Asteroid

Pallas Athene from the Temple of Aphaia c.500 BC

One of the readers of this blog recently pointed out that pattern-recognition was a key component of astrology – and my tiny astrologer's mind went click and then clickety click click. I got excited.

Because there is an asteroid associated with pattern-recognition, so theoretically astrologers should have this asteroid somehow emphasised in the natal chart – and there should be a recognisable pattern.

Pallas Athene is a lump of rock that whizzes through space between Jupiter and Mars. A lot of other lumps   of rock whizz in that particular part of the solar system, but she is one of the big ones. Along with her sisters – Ceres, Vesta and Juno – she was discovered and named in the 19th century, but largely ignored by astrologers until quite recently.

In previous posts, I've shown how Vesta is associated with chefs and Juno with marriage (click the names to read the articles), so let's see if Pallas really is the goddess of pattern. 


If she is, then astrologers, should have her well-aspected and prominent in the chart. I'm looking for really close aspects – between one and three degrees – and I'm looking especially for contacts with the Sun or Moon (essentially character), Uranus and Aquarius (astrology) and Saturn (systems of thought).

So I picked a random selection of astrologers whose birthdata is readily available on the internet. I chose some dead ones (because they can't complain) and some live ones (because they can).

Well, I laughed out loud when I pulled up the first chart: Charles Carter (1887-1968), the head of the British astrological association for many years and author of some really useful books, an old favorite of mine. Pallas conjunct Sun in Aquarius (orb 2°). Ooo don't you just love astrology.

Master of midpoints Reinhold Ebertin: Pallas conjunct Sun in Aquarius. 

Alan Leo (1860-1917)

How about the "Father of Modern Astrology" Alan Leo? Pallas in the 9th (wisdom, systems of knowledge) trine Saturn on the Ascendant (orb 2°).

The doyenne of contemporary astrology, Liz Greene: Pallas conjunct Moon in the 1st trine Mercury in the 9th (publishing and knowledge).

The romantic populariser, Linda Goodman: Pallas conjunct Venus in the 9th (orb °).

Zany and brainy, Rick Levine: Pallas conjunct Uranus in the 1st (orb 1°). And his pal Jeff Jawer has Pallas at the top of his chart in the 10th house of career opposite Saturn and exactly quincunx Uranus.


The queen of horary, Ivy Goldstein-Jacobson: Pallas conjunct North Node and Jupiter in the 10th opposite Uranus.

Deaconess of dissemination, Donna Cunningham: Pallas in Aquarius (again) trine Mercury in Gemini (orb 3°).

I extracted all the chart information from Astrodatabank, the wonderful resource founded by Lois Rodden – Pallas rising in Aquarius (orb 3°).

Case rested.