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Orcus - Protector of oaths

Astrology

Orcus represents the awareness and awakening to our own life purpose and "soul oath" in the meaning of the promises we make to ourselves. 

These energies also translates into "every day life" - the little moments, when we may "promise" something or make a "deal" with ourselves or others - promises that need to be fulfilled.... 

He represents the own paths, the "own way", the calling we feel within, the gifts we have in order to "liberate" the flow of abundance. Confidence, "heart" and integrity to Self and therefore others, will open the doors for fulfillment.... 

Incarnate and spiritual life are not "separate" - therefore its not one side or the other but a together, a "whole system"...

Nick A. Fiorenza saw also the correlation of Orcus dealing with the "loneliness" resulting out of such a life path that may go against the safety of "mass consciousness".

Orcus belongs to the “Plutonian Bodies” and is in relationship with Neptune as well. There are the themes of greater evolutionary cycles, awareness and consciousness. Orcus is “silent” (more in the subconscious but wants to come to awareness) – Pluto is “loud” in the sense of in conscious awareness. 

 

Mythology:

Orcus was a god of the underworld, punisher of broken oaths in Italic and Roman mythology. As with Hades, the name of the god was also used for the underworld itself. In the later tradition, he was conflated with Dis Pater. Orcus was portrayed in paintings in Etruscan tombs as a hairy, bearded giant. A temple to Orcus may have existed on the Palatine Hill in Rome. It is likely that he was transliterated from the Greek daemon Horkos, the personification of Oaths and a son of Eris. 

From theoi.com: 

Hesiod, Works and Days 218 ff :

"The better path is to go by on the other side towards justice; for Dike (Justice) beats Hybris (Outrage) when she comes at length to the end of the race. But only when he has suffered does the fool learn this. For Horkos (Horcus, Oath) keeps pace with wrong judgements."

Hesiod, Works and Days 804 ff :

"Beware of all the fifth days [of the month]; for they are harsh and angry; it was on the fifth, they say, that the Erinyes (Furies) assisted at the bearing of Horkos (Horcus, Oath), whom Eris (Strife) bore, to be a plague on those who take false oath."

Some Astronomy:

Orcus is a Kuiper belt object with a large moon called Vanth.

It was discovered on February 17, 2004 by Michael Brown of Caltech, Chad Trujillo of the Gemini Observatory and David Rabinowitz of Yale University.

With a diameter of 910 km (570 mi), it is a possible dwarf planet.

Orcus orbits the Sun at a distance of 30.27 AU (4.53 billion km) which takes him 247.29 years (Pluto 248.02 years) and so both are in a 3 to 2 orbital resonance with Neptune (163.72 years).

Orcus is just a little smaller than Pluto. Orcus, Pluto and Neptune form a beautiful orbital pattern.  (Ref. Wikipedia) 

Orcus in Garden of Monsters in Italy by Alessio Domato

Orcus' mouth at the Garden of Monsters near Bomarzo Italy.

Picture by Alessio Domato

Orcus orbital points:

(heliocentric 2023)

Southnode:  3°34' Gemini
Northnode:  3°34' Sagittarius

most South and North

20°34'2" from the ecliptic in square to SN and NN in Virgo and Pisces

Aphelion:    16°14' Leo
Perihelion:  16°14' Aquarius

Discovery chart, "orbital points" and their indications

Orcus was discovered in February 2017 while he was at the star Ukdah of Hydra under the Lion's head on the sidereal Cancer - Leo cusp, which also marks Sedna's longitude of Northnode.
At that time Earth conjoined the star Regulus - the heart of the lion.


These few degrees of longitude under the lion's head talk about being courageous, authentic and daring but most of all, to have the strength and mind to go the own path even it may be a bit "lonely".... 
Sedna gives a "visionary" aspect to this.

The constellation Hydra is a long one, and moves in the direction of the precession, the evolutionary direction with its tail under the Virgin's feet in middle of sidereal Libra and the head in middle of sidereal Cancer. It's almost as the death of something birthed before is "impregnating" Cancer's womb, to be refreshed, reborn and metamorphosed... 



Orcus' orbit and orbital points
orbit and points, dates etc. from my own researches - I needed a lot of coffee, so you can consider to buy me one in order to support my work... 

In 1903 Orcus was at his most northern point of orbit, ca. 20, degrees north of the ecliptic in the constellation Pegasus in early sidereal Pisces.
From there he travelled through the constellation Pegasus, touches Andromeda and then through the little constellation Triangulum (sidereal Aries) to then slide into Perseus (feet) and from there through Taurus into Orion, where he in early sidereal Gemini reaches his southnode in 1952. 
Orcus descended through the southern parts of the Twins into Cancer and Hydra, crosses through Sextans (sidereal Leo) towards the constellation Crater south of the Virgin, where his most southern part of orbit resides (in 2037). 
He's ascending through Crater and Corvus to Hydra again (south of Spica - alpha star of Virgo) and into sidereal Libra and along the Scorpion towards Ophiuchus to then reach his northnode in early sidereal Sagittarius (in 2108). 
His next quarter of orbit brings Orcus through Sagittarius, the northern edge of the constellations Capricorn and Aquarius (the part of sidereal Capricorn) into Equuleus (the Foal) and from there again into Pegasus.


His most southern point/parts of orbit - which I associate being of "intention" or similar to an IC or "southpole" of the axis of rotation (in a spiritual sense) - in the constellation Crater is significant.
Crater - the cup - it's something that can be anywhere between empty and full and needs to be emptied in order to be filled or that which is within to be purified / transformed.  


Yet, it's the "last quarter" (from southnode to most southern) in which we "harvest", conclude and seed anew - at least the "linear" sense. 
The southnode in Orion (early Gemini) is only minutes away from the current perihelion of Saturn, over the "sword or light-torch" holding arm/shoulder. 
This position is also not far from the "Galactic anti-center" and to the other side/hand the current solstice axis (2023) - it's fundamental energy here, building from a blueprint in this sense. 
I am sure, you can see the "correlation" with the cup of Orcus' most southern point.

Orcus' first quarter of "ascending path", brings him through Corvus (the Raven), where we encounter foresight or natural communication, intuition, attention to detail - Orcus will be here in the ca. middle of the 2040's for ca. 11-12 years. Orcus will be just south of Alniyat and Antares of Scorpio from 2094 to 2098. 

Orcus northnode in early Sagittarius is aligned with the opposite points of the southnode - Galactic Center (south of the ecliptic), Saturn's aphelion and the current solstice axis. Here, in best case, we're talking about galactic and universal awareness, unity and oneness rising from within  including visions of a future of "higher realms", the "fullness" of life...

I find it most interesting, that Orcus is travelling through Equuleus on the way to Pegasus, as that foal is by some considered to be of Pegasus' "bloodline".... However, Equuleus gives fresh, light (not heavy) energy, consideration of future generations etc. - it's more a "mind" energy.

Pegasus is also of the mind and body - it's the correlation here, the "high minded" person who also prepares the body alike as the "vessel" of soul - to be aware of the "geometric technology" within us and the flow these create.  Pegasus brings very liberating energies in this sense.
In my opinion, Pegasus is linked to the pituitary syst
em - on all realms. 


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References and credits:

Nick Anthony Fiorenza - lunar planner.com (website no longer available)

Dane Rudhyar - many publications and books.... available through "Rudhyar Archival Project"... by Astrology University..... by Michael Meyer on Khaldea.com

all charts are created using the free software by Astrodienst.com - choose "extended chart selections".... sidereal Zodiac (Galactic Equator Fiorenza)

Ian Ridpath's Star Tales  and constellation-guide.com  

Greek mythology by Theoi.com
                      

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