CHARIS
Charis, asteroid 627 (the 627th asteroid to be discovered, on March 4, 1907), is
approximately 36 kilometers in diameter, and has an orbital period of 4.9 years. It was
named after a Greek goddess who was surrounded by delight, graces, and pleasures; the
Charites were the three goddesses of charm and grace—Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and
Thalia. In a natal chart, Charis’ sign and house position indicates where and how one
experiences delight. When afflicted by inharmonious aspects, Charis may show the
opposite of delight or the derivation of pleasure from unhealthy activities.Sources:
Kowal, Charles T. Asteroids: Their Nature and Utilization.Chichester, West Sussex, UK: Ellis
Horwood Limited, 1988.
Room, Adrian. Dictionary of Astronomical Names.London: Routledge, 1988.
Schwartz, Jacob. Asteroid Name Encyclopedia.St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 1995.CHINESEASTROLOGY
The Chinese were one of the few cultures to develop a complex system of astrology
entirely independent of Mesopotamian influences. (Mesopotamian astrology is the
starting point for both Western astrology and Hindu astrology.) In much the same way
that popular astrology in the West is confined to knowledge of the 12 sun signs, most
people’s awareness of Chinese astrology is confined to the 12 animal “year signs.”
Many of the intricacies of the tradition dropped out of currency, even among Chinese
astrologers, after the Golden Age of Chinese Astrology during the Chou and Han
dynasties, but some contemporary astrologers have attempted to resuscitate classical
Chinese astrology.
As might be anticipated, the Chinese system differs significantly from
Mesopotamian-derived systems. In the first place, the Chinese group the stars into
quite different constellations. Second, the Chinese locate heavenly bodies with
respect to the celestial north pole and the celestial equator (called the Red Path by
the Chinese) rather than with respect to the ecliptic (termed the Yellow Path). In
the third place, while Western systems emphasize the placement of the planets along
the ecliptic, the Chinese traditionally give primary importance to the Moon’s place-
ment in the daily lunar mansions (a kind of 28-sign lunar zodiac). Fourth, the Chi-
nese assign meanings to the general appearance of a planet as modified by Earth’s
atmosphere, meaning that, unlike Western astrologers, who examine the stars only
indirectly through tables, traditional Chinese astrologers maintain a continual watch
of the heavens.
Points at which cultural traditions differ between astrological systems have
naturally worked themselves out. For example, the four classical elements of the West-
ern world—earth, air, fire, and water—are comparable to, yet contrast with, the five
elements of East Asian philosophy—earth, fire, water, metal, and wood. The Chinese
associated these five elements with the five visible planets—Saturn (earth), Mars
(fire), Mercury (water), Venus (metal), and Jupiter (wood). The meanings the Chi-
nese assigned to the first three planets are roughly comparable to their meanings inCharis
[144] THEASTROLOGYBOOK