Earth

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Astronomy

The Earth is the closest planet to the Sun after Mercury and Venus. Its diameter at the equator is 12'756 kilometres, and the average distance to the Sun is 149,6 million kilometres. It has an orbital period of 365 days, 5 hours and 49 minutes, and requires 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds for one axial rotation.

Mythology

The Earth is seen as embodying Gaia, the Greek earth goddess who was first to emerge out of the primordial chaos. She brought forth Uranus, the starry sky, the Sea and the mountains. She united with Uranus and bore, among others, the Titans, Cyclopes, three hundred- armed giants and finally Kronos (Latin: Saturn) and Rhea. Because Uranus rejected most of his children and feared that they would overthrow him, he kept them imprisoned in the depths of the Earth. This deeply hurt Gaia who gave Kronos a sickle with which to castrate Uranus and free herself.

Gaia was wont to take sides when the gods disputed amongst themselves and often took up an opposing position to Zeus who was the highest of the patriarchal gods. She is considered by many to be the deity behind the oracle at Delphi.

Interpretation

The Earth has very little astrological significance. It is basically seen as the position of the observer (Geocentric World-view). The idea of the German astrologer Ursula Fassbinder to include the Earth in the horoscope has met with little resonance in the wider astrological community. According to this theory, the Earth is situated in 180 degree opposition to the Sun. It is thought to embody the archetype of the Great Mother and therefore the archetypal feminine. To a certain extent the Earth would then embody some of the principles generally attributed to the Moon. In practical terms, it is seen as being connected to ecological themes, and its position in the natal chart shows where an individual has a particular responsibility and talent to preserve the natural environment, where the humans and nature can be reconciled with each other. The basis for these ideas is a spiritual and ecologically orientated feminism which shares some ideas with esoteric astrology. Ursula Fassbinder describes it as "intuitive astrology".