Back to Chiron's FriendsMYTHOLOGY
In his "Metamorphoses", Ovid paints a picture of the beauty and tragedy of a Centaurean love story:
"[In the battle of the Kentauroi and Lapithes:] Nor did his beauty ransom [centaur] Cyllarus, fighting that day, if hybrids such as he be granted beauty. His beard was just beginning, a golden beard, and golden tresses fell down on his shoulders reaching to his flanks. High-mettled grace shone in his face; his neck, chest, shoulders, hands and every manly part seemed like a sculptor's much-praised masterpiece. Unblemished too his equine shape, nor less fine than his man's. With horse's head and neck he's make fit mount for Castor, so high stood his chest-muscles, so rideable his back. Jet black he was, the whole of him, save that his tail was white and legs were milk-white too. Many a centauress would be his mate, but one had gained his heart, [she-centaur] Hylonome. In the high woods there was none comelier of all the centaur-girls, and she alone by love and love's sweet words and winning ways held Cyllarus, yes, and the care she took to look her best (so far as that may be with limbs like that). She combed her glossy hair, and twined her curls in turn with rosemary or violets or roses, and sometimes she wore a pure white lily. Twice a day she bathed her face in the clear brook that fell from Pagasae's high forest, twice she plunged her body in its flow, nor would she wear on her left side and shoulder any skin but what became her from best-chosen beasts. Their love was equal; on the hills they roamed together, and together they would go back to their cave; and this time too they went into the Lapithae's palace side by side and side by side were fighting in the fray. A javelin (no knowing from whose hand) came from the left and wounded Cyllarus, landing below the place where the chest joins neck ' slight wound, but when the point was pulled away, cold grew his damaged heart and cold his limbs. Hylonome embraced him as he died, caressed the wound and, putting lips to lips, she tried to stay his spirit as it fled. And when she saw him lifeless, she moaned words that in that uproar failed to reach my ears; and fell upon the spear that pierced her love, and, dying, held her husband in her arms."
So intimately are these two involved, whenever they are mentioned in myths, that perhaps we should always study them together astrologically as well.
ASTRONOMY
Hylonome was discovered on February 27, 1995 at 4 Libra 42. It has an orbit of approximately 126 years, and this orbit is not too eccentric as Centaurs go. At perihelion it almost reaches the orbit of Uranus, while at aphelion it goes just past Neptune's orbit.Cyllarus was discovered on October 12, 1998 at 18 Tau 34. Its orbit, at around 134 years, is a bit more eccentric. It, too, almost reaches the orbit of Uranus at perihelion, but goes out past both Neptune and Pluto at aphelion.
It is not surprising that both bodies were discovered in a Venus-ruled sign, since it is their love for each other which stands out most in their stories.
ASTROLOGY
There are three glyphs currently in circulation for Hylonome:
This glyph was
designed by
Zane B SteinThis is an alternate glyph
From 1931-1983, these two bodies moved in and out of exact opposition 53 times, and were in orb of opposition for a good portion of this interval. So we can study the charts of people born during these intervals to see how these two bodies interact. Here are the degrees of the exact oppositions, and the dates they took place. (Date format: Day/Month/Year):
Hylon Cylla Date 2Ar46 2Li46 22/ 7/1931 4Ar04 4Li04 18/ 5/1932 4Ar24 4Li24 6/8/1932 5Ar36 5Li36 10/5/1933 6Ar02 6Li02 19/ 8/1933 7Ar09 7Li09 2/5/1934 7Ar40 7Li40 30/ 8/1934 8Ar42 8Li42 26/ 4/1935 9Ar17 9Li17 9/9/1935 10Ar16 10Li16 20/ 4/1936 10Ar55 10Li55 17/ 9/1936 11Ar50 11Li50 14/ 4/1937 12Ar34 12Li34 26/ 9/1937 13Ar25 13Li25 9/4/1938 14Ar12 14Li12 5/10/1938 15Ar01 15Li01 5/4/1939 15Ar52 15Li52 14/10/1939 16Ar37 16Li37 30/ 3/1940 17Ar32 17Li32 22/10/1940 18Ar14 18Li14 25/ 3/1941 19Ar13 19Li13 30/10/1941 19Ar52 19Li52 21/ 3/1942 20Ar55 20Li55 8/11/1942 21Ar31 21Li31 16/ 3/1943 22Ar38 22Li38 17/11/1943 23Ar10 23Li10 10/3/1944 24Ar23 24Li23 25/11/1944 24Ar51 24Li51 5/3/1945 26Ar08 26Li08 4/12/1945 26Ar33 26Li33 28/ 2/1946 27Ar56 27Li56 14/12/1946 28Ar16 28Li16 22/ 2/1947 29Ar45 29Li45 26/12/1947 29Ar59 29Li59 14/ 2/1948 6Ca10 6Cp10 8/3/1975 6Ca36 6Cp36 20/ 4/1975 9Ca43 9Cp43 23/ 2/1976 10Ca32 10Cp32 11/5/1976 13Ca27 13Cp27 13/ 2/1977 14Ca35 14Cp35 30/ 5/1977 17Ca20 17Cp20 5/2/1978 18Ca48 18Cp48 16/ 6/1978 21Ca23 21Cp23 29/ 1/1979 23Ca11 23Cp11 4/7/1979 25Ca34 25Cp34 21/ 1/1980 27Ca46 27Cp46 21/ 7/1980 29Ca54 29Cp54 12/1/1981 2Le32 2Aq32 10/8/1981 4Le23 4Aq23 3/1/1982 7Le31 7Aq31 2/9/1982 8Le59 8Aq59 22/12/1982 12Le46 12Aq46 1/10/1983 13Le39 13Aq39 5/12/1983Unfortunately, we do not have current examples of a Hylonome/Cyllarus conjunction. Between 1843 and the present, the two have never been in conjunction, nor in square. But we have a number of dates in the past 200 years when they were in Quincunx, and in trine:
Hylonome quincunx Cyllarus
Hylon Cylla Date 17Ge54 17Cp54 30/ 4/1844 19Ge42 19Cp42 30/ 1/1845 22Ge12 22Cp12 6/ 6/1845 23Ge11 23Cp11 11/ 1/1846 26Ge26 26Cp26 6/ 7/1846 26Ge53 26Cp53 25/12/1846 0Ca42 0Aq42 7/ 8/1847 0Ca48 0Aq48 5/12/1847 5Ca00 5Aq00 20/ 9/1848 4Ca58 4Aq58 31/10/1848 3Cp16 3Le16 9/ 3/1891 3Cp07 3Le07 12/ 5/1891 5Cp44 5Le44 15/ 2/1892 5Cp35 5Le35 9/ 6/1892 8Cp06 8Le06 29/ 1/1893 8Cp02 8Le02 2/ 7/1893 10Cp22 10Le22 15/ 1/1894 10Cp29 10Le29 23/ 7/1894 12Cp33 12Le33 1/ 1/1895 12Cp56 12Le56 14/ 8/1895 14Cp38 14Le38 17/12/1895 15Cp26 15Le26 7/ 9/1896 16Cp35 16Le35 27/11/1896 1Li44 1Ta44 12/6/1995 3Li23 3Ta23 11/8/1995 6Li44 6Ta44 5/6/1996 8Li56 8Ta56 26/ 8/1996 11Li45 11Ta45 3/6/1997 14Li13 14Ta13 7/9/1997 16Li44 16Ta44 5/6/1998 19Li17 19Ta17 15/ 9/1998 21Li39 21Ta39 9/6/1999 24Li10 24Ta10 20/ 9/1999 26Li28 26Ta28 15/ 6/2000 28Li52 28Ta52 22/ 9/2000 1Sc12 1Ge12 23/ 6/2001 3Sc22 3Ge22 23/ 9/2001 5Sc51 5Ge51 5/7/2002 7Sc40 7Ge40 20/ 9/2002 10Sc27 10Ge27 21/ 7/2003 11Sc44 11Ge44 13/ 9/2003Hylonome trine Cyllarus
Hylon Cylla Date 26Ca39 26Pi39 12/ 4/1856 0Le06 0Ar06 16/ 7/1856 0Le48 0Ar48 16/ 3/1857 5Le59 5Ar59 23/ 8/1857 5Le28 5Ar28 25/ 2/1858 11Le25 11Ar25 24/ 9/1858 10Le26 10Ar26 8/ 2/1859 16Le35 16Ar35 24/10/1859 15Le38 15Ar38 22/ 1/1860 14Li18 14Ge18 30/12/1871 13Li28 13Ge28 10/ 3/1872 18Li37 18Ge37 12/12/1872 17Li33 17Ge33 6/ 4/1873 22Li40 22Ge40 28/11/1873 21Li40 21Ge40 1/ 5/1874 26Li29 26Ge29 14/11/1874 25Li51 25Ge51 26/ 5/1875 0Sc02 0Ca02 29/10/1875 0Sc09 0Ca09 24/ 6/1876 3Sc13 3Ca13 7/10/1876We have a lot of studying to do to understand what these bodies mean to us, both individually, and as a pair. Here are a few suggested interepretations of Hylonome:
- Juan Revilla writes: "death song, war song, heroism, sacrifice. eternal youth, longing for Paradise, lost innocence. the sacrificial victim. purity, tragic beauty, redemption. the cry of the poor. political and religious messianism. the virgin and the prostitute. the voice and the cry of animals. the fallen heroes in battle. monuments, memorials"
- Mark Andrew Holmes writes: "an exceptional need for acceptance, a self-opinion of unworthiness, pathos, devotion, the ability to evoke sympathy or empathy, an increase in the emotional gradient of a situation, the perception of attractiveness, misfortune or helplessness, the desire to protect, defend or help others, fastidiousness, naivete, softheartedness, catholic tastes and interests, a bent toward "naturalness" and environmentalism, an interest in fashion and adornment, criticism of others to appear good or strong, ability to help others through self-criticism, self-deprecation, dealing with grief and loss, and feminism in sexual partnership, without rejection or antipathy of males".
And here are a few for Cyllarus:
- Phil Sedgewick writes: "Sense of value, self worth, economic freedom with spiritual emphasis. Positive: Wealthy eccentric, affluent, humanistic, generous, spiritual involved. Negative: Selfish, demanding, greedy. Manipulates with karma or projected spiritual status."
- Mark Andrew Holmes writes: "Cyllarus seems to signify pride in oneself and one's own identity or background, possible racism, ethnocentrism, nativism, parochialism, egotism, or self-importance, ability to meet or assert one's needs, having motive, method and opportunity."
There may be connections with these bodies, and unfortunate deaths happening way too young, as well as perhaps with suicide (especially due to a broken heart). A lot more research is necessary, that's for sure!
On Amable's blog, Transneptunian Astrology, there are some interesting observations about Cyllarus:
Mark Andrew Holmes has some additional insights on Cyllarus markandrewholmes.com/cyllarus.html and Hylonome markandrewholmes.com/hylonome.html
