FIDES
Fides, asteroid 37 (the 37th asteroid to be discovered, on October 5, 1855), is approxi-
mately 94 kilometers in diameter and has an orbital period of 4.3 years. It was named
after the Roman goddess of faith, honesty, and oath. Like its mythological namesake,
the asteroid confers faithfulness and honesty to natives in whose chart it is prominent
(e.g., conjunct the Sun or the ascendant). Fides relates particularly to overt displays of
honesty and to the outward performance of duty. Negatively, it may manifest itself as
blind faith, as the tendency to use honesty as an excuse for expressing unkind remarks,
or as the trait of emphasizing the duties others have toward oneself as a way of manip-
ulating their behavior.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.FIDUCIA
Fiducia, asteroid 380 (the 380th asteroid to be discovered, on January 8, 1894), is
approximately 78 kilometers in diameter and has an orbital period of 4.4 years. Its
name is a personified form of the Latin word for confidence or trust. In a natal chart,
its location by sign and house position indicates where and in what manner one is
most likely to be trustworthy, as well as where one experiences trust issues. When
afflicted by inharmonious aspects, Fiducia can show untrustworthiness or a tendency
to misplace trust. If prominent in a chart (e.g., conjunct the Sun or the ascendant), it
may show an exceptionally trustworthy person or someone for whom trust is a domi-
nant life theme.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.FIGURE
Figure is an older term for an astrological chart.FIRESIGNS
The 12 signs of the zodiac are subdivided according to the four classical elements—
earth, air, fire, and water. The three fire signs (the fire triplicity or fire trigon) are
Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. Astrologically, fire refers to activity. Fire-sign activity can
manifest as inspiration and leadership. For people with a predominance of this ele-
ment, action is the most important aspect of life.Fides
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