As Astronomia Sees Centaurs

Centaurs tend to approach the Sun vertically, like comets. And they come from afar. They belong to our Solar System but come from the opposite direction of the Sun like fragments that have never been integrated and therefore are very unstable.  In 2020 there were 24 named Centaurs and many more unnamed.  Their high inclinations may indicate different source regions. 

This first comet/asteroid had been photographed but unrecognized for more than 100 years. Rotation (asteroids) and tails (thought to only belong to comets at that time) were supposed to be mutually exclusive characteristics. Astronomers may still debate the seeming contradiction.

The traditional teaching in astrology is that when a new planetary body is discovered, its archetype then becomes available to everyone in the world. 

In 1977 Chiron was the first Centaur to be discovered. 

This planetoid, some 120-150 km in diameter (less than 100 miles), rotates around the Sun in a 49-51 year orbit which crosses the orbits of both Saturn and Uranus.  Chiron was last closest to the Sun at 14 Libra during Feb. 1996. It was in 1 Aries in Jan. 2020. Chiron reaches its farthest from the Sun in May 2021 at 11:55 Aries.

In ancient Greek mythology Chiron, half man and half horse, was also the only Centaur who was one of the gods, an immortal. Chiron's orbit, bridging Saturn (the known) and Uranus (the unseen transpersonal), suggests Chiron as a bridge between the material and spiritual worlds.   

Chiron seems essential in deepening our understanding of solar consciousness. In order to choose to live life to the fullest, we have to face that part in us that would rather seek death.

Most of the Centaur information comes from https://astrology.richardbrown.com/NewPlanets/centaur.shtml viewed Oct, 2020 

Pholus is an asteroid that is part  of the centaur group.  It was discovered on 9 January 1992,

Pholus is of a similar size as Chiron and has a similar elliptical orbit (although Chiron was 50 years compared to Pholus' 92 years).  By the end of the decade more than 16 Centaur bodies had been discovered. The outer extremes of Pholus' path cross the orbits of both Saturn and Neptune. Just as Chiron is considered an astrological key to Saturn and Uranus, so Pholus is a key to Neptune.

The story of Pholus is the story of self-sacrifice for a greater good.

In astrology Pholus is the symbol of turning points (of no return) – the catalyst – and of shooting your own foot… Pholus is there when a bottle is uncorked. It is in 2 Capricorn in Jan 2020.

Asbolus (asteroid 8405) was discovered on April 5, 1995. Asbolus does not exactly link the orbits of Neptune and Jupiter, but it is close. Asbolus does cut through the orbits of Uranus and Saturn—all of which provide insight into the nature of Asbolus. Asbolus takes 76 years to orbit the 360 degrees of the birth chart and its discovery degree is 9 Libra and is at 20 Gemini in Jan.2020.

Asbolus was known as a great seer and counsellor. Astrologically, Asbolus is noted as indicating persons able to tap into the zeitgeist, or “spirit of the times”. Those who have their finger on the pulse of events and trends are able to anticipate the future. Studying intuition and psychic development feed the protocol of Asbolus.

In April 1993  Nessus, the third Centaur planetoid discovered. At its perihelion (11.9 AU), it moves much closer to the Sun than Uranus (19.2 AU) but not as close as Saturn (9.6 AU), while at its aphelion (37.4 AU), it moves out well beyond the orbit of Neptune.  Its orbit is 122 years. It was at 9 Pisces in Jan 2020.

It is more typical of the Centaurs and was best known for lying and betrayal. Nessus is connected with abuse, sadism, narcissism. Nessus is in everyone's natal chart but it is more relevant when it is in conjunction with the Sun, the Ascendant or the Descendant. If it is aspecting Mars or Pluto, it can be experienced as a sexually abusive person.