J is for Juno

Hello and welcome to my "J" post, where I introduce the goddess Juno! 

Juno was an incredibly important goddess for in the Roman pantheon. The wife of all-powerful Jupiter, she demanded to be treated as an equal; as such, she is known as the "Queen of the Universe". 

The month "June" is named for her, and she is the goddess of marriage and childbirth. Since ancient times, June was always thought of as the best month to get hitched because of Juno's influence, around the time of the "honeyed moon", and even today June is a huge month for matrimony. 

Roman women used to celebrate Matronalia on March 1 to honor Juno and ask for protection for their families and their husbands. Juno is a fiercely independent mother goddess who will readily come to the defense of those in need, especially women, children, and families.

An asteroid discovered in 1804 by German astronomer Karl Harding was named for Juno, which you may know. But what you may not be aware of is Juno's astrological influence.   The astrological symbol for Juno is above, to the left of the statue.

Many of you may be thinking "Wait...what? Asteroids can have an astrological influence?" The answer is a resounding YES. Five asteroids are often used by astrologers, especially in birth charts, to illuminate activity within the different houses: Ceres, Pallas Athene, Vesta, Chiron, and Juno.

According to the Complete Idiot's Guide Astrology Dictionary--which, in my humble opinion, should be on every astrologer's bookshelf!--Juno relates to not only marriage and childbirth, but partnerships as a whole. As such she resonates with two astrological signs--Libra (marriage and partnerships) and Scorpio (sex for procreation and joint endeavors). Juno's sign and house in your chart will help you understand where you're likely to find someone "with whom you may have a long-term, committed relationship." She also can give you hints on how to make happier relationships.

The Dictionary gives a fantastic explanation of the difference between Venus, who you normally think of with partnerships, and Juno, that I'll include here: "She [Juno] is similar to Venus in effect, except that Venus rules who excites and attracts you about your partner, and Juno is about getting along on a day-to-day basis." So while Venus will show you who turns you on, Juno will help you find and retain a partner over the long haul.

Thanks for tuning in! Come back tomorrow for my "K" post.