Scylla & Charybdis - Asteroid Astrology
Odysseus & Scylla - Pink Parasol
I’ve been on a bit of a jaunt with tentacle-bearing monsters of late and figured I’d continue the theme here after being reminded of a particular pair of asteroids. These two don’t need to be looked at as a pair, although the midpoint between the two could be symbolic; I dunno. We’ll see. Scylla and Charybdis were a pair of sea-dwelling monsters who lived on either side of the strait of Messina in Ancient Greek mythology. Sailors passing through the strait who tried to avoid Scylla would risk the ship being lost in the whirlpool of Charybdis — those who tried to avoid the whirlpool and sailed too close to Scylla would lose six men to her monstrous heads. “Scylla and Charybdis, the names of two rocks between Italy and Sicily, [. . .] In the midst of the one of these rocks which was nearest to Italy, there dwelt, according to Homer, [. . .] a fearful monster, barking like a dog, with twelve feet, six long necks and mouths, each of which contained three rows of sharp teeth. The opposite rock, which was much lower, contained an immense fig-tree, under which there dwelt Charybdis, who thrice every day swallowed down the waters of the sea, and thrice threw them up again” (Theoi).
Scylla (155) the asteroid, was discovered on the 8th November 1875 at the Austrian Naval Observatory by Johann Palisa. Interestingly, only two weeks after its discovery, it was lost for ninety-five years and rediscovered by Paul Berne, a Swiss Astronomer. Depictions of Scylla appeared in ancient Greek art as early as 450 B.C. Homer’s Odyssey is considered to be the earliest source and is commonly believed to date from the late 8th to early 7th century B.C. Homer assigned Crataeis (Ceto) as Scylla’s mother but gave no mention to a father. Her name translates to mean to tear or to rend. Homer describes her as a six-headed, twelve-legged creature with a voice likened to the barking of puppies who lives in a cave to one side of the Strait. In the Odyssey, on his journey back from Circe’s island Aeaea, Odysseus and his crew are distracted by Charybdis and sail too close to Scylla. She strikes the ship quickly and takes six men to their deaths.
Charybdis (388), the asteroid, was discovered on 7 March 1894 in the Nice Observatory by Auguste Charlois. Charybdis possibly translates to swallow and belch and probably refers to the tides going in and out. Ancient scholars gave different interpretations of Homer’s Odyssey for the origins of Charybdis, but Gaia was most likely her mother, with either Poseidon or Pontos as her father. Gaia was also Ceto’s mother, so there is a familial link between Scylla and Charybdis. Symbolically, it points to matriarchal lines rather than paternal ones. Less attention is paid to Charybdis' physical form, and it’s difficult to locate a description of her. The emphasis is always on her uncontrollable thirst for the sea.
In a birth chart
Between Scylla and Charybdis has evolved to become an idiom that is similar in meaning to between a rock and a hard place. Symbolically, it could describe a channel in the chart where dilemmas are especially problematic. There is the suggestion Scylla could be symbolic of a lesser of two evils. In the Odyssey, Circe says to Odysseus “No, keep closer to Skylla's cliff, and row past that as quickly as may be; far better to lose six men and keep your ship than to lose your men one and all.” (Theoi) If both are activated by transits, it may indicate a need to make seemingly impossible decisions while also staying as close to the middle of the road as possible when doing so. Having either conjunct something substantial in the birth chart may highlight an area of life where the native is sensitive and liable to be easily provoked.
The presence of a fig tree is likely significant. The Fig is the tree that helped Buddha find enlightenment. It has strong connections to abundance and tells us to use our past success as a base for our future endeavours. It can also signify that you’re about to let go of some of the shit from your life when used in prediction. “You will see the other cliff [opposite Skylla] lies lower, no more than an arrow's flight away. On this there grows a great leafy fig-tree; under it, awesome Kharybdis” (Theoi)
Scylla — In Homer’s Odyssey, another pertinent line ascribed to the voice of Circe says “A strong man's arrow shot from a ship below would not reach the recesses of that cave.”(Theoi), and this could represent an emotion that is buried particularly deep or further out of reach than is usual. The part of the story where Scylla is said to come out of the cave sounds very much like a situation when we’re unexpectedly provoked by someone touching a nerve or getting too close, and we react out of all proportion because something gets triggered. With this in mind, Scylla could also represent a very specific boundary of a particularly deep aspect of self. Any conjunctions of personal points or planets could indicate a potential for nasty confrontation fuelled by unconscious impulses. A well-developed individual may be able to channel the energy to protect others. There is the potential to develop a greater understanding of situations and dynamics that arise that are connected to the sign/planets/angles involved. There is little doubt Scylla is fearful “Skylla is not of mortal kind; she is a deathless monster, grim and baleful, savage, not to be wrestled with. Against her there is no defence, and the best path is the path of flight.” (Theoi) Symbolically, this suggests there is little to be done to defeat Scylla, and it’s one of those parts of the self that is best avoided. I don’t personally ascribe to the mindset that everything in a psyche can be completely healed, so I’m comfortable enough to accept this as a possibility. Events occurring during a transit to Scylla could be especially revealing. On the positive side, Scylla’s many heads could indicate fearlessness when taking on multiple opponents or the ability to attack someone from different angles all at once.
Key symbols: Deep coastal caves. Dogs in the water. The words ‘sea dogs’.
Charybdis — I want to mention yet another line from the Odyssey, “when she sucked the sea-water in, one might look right down through the swirling eddy while the rock roared hideously around her and the sea-floor came to view, dark and sandy.” (Theoi) This could correlate to having a regular opportunity (thrice-daily swallowing of water) to look at what is normally hidden from view (sea-floor). It may imply a person with Charybdis conjunct a planet or angle is more inclined to want to know what is going on under the surface, or they could be more curious about emotions in general. Like Scylla, a specific area is highlighted here, and chart placement is important when delineating. The connection to the fig tree is important as the tree is in the same location as Charybdis and points others to her location. Symbolically translated, we could have underneath the wisdom being expressed is an insatiable desire to take in more knowledge and awareness. The fact she spits out the water again could be interpreted in several ways: Does it indicate a person likely to chew up and spit out others? Or could it be someone who spews emotion regularly? There are likely other ways to view Charybdis in the chart, including the ability to take on the emotions of others without holding onto them.
Considering the above, Charybdis could be a good indicator for therapists and healers and any other professionals who are skilled in a niche area that involves stripping something back and looking closely at what is at its base. I don’t want to be too specific here because it may apply just as strongly to someone who dredges canals for a living as it does to someone who strips back a personality to find the inner daimons.
Key symbols: Fig tree. Whirlpool. An interest in the psyche but possibly a very specific area. Water spouts. Whales. The tides.
