Alex's Asteroid Astrology

Eris is the goddess of strife and discord. Her most famous tale involves the beginning of the Trojan War. This is based in Eris being excluded from the marriage of Peleus and Thetis (later the parents of Achilles), where she was left off the guest list due to her disagreeable inclinations. Slighted and hurt, Eris created dissension by rolling a golden apple of the Hesperides into the wedding banquet hall, inscribed “to the fairest.” Naturally, an argument arose among the attending goddesses as to who should claim it.

Hera, Athena and Aphrodite all clamored for the honor, but Zeus was reluctant to make this decision, so Paris of Troy was chosen to adjudicate between them. Each goddess offered inducements – Hera promised to make Paris king of Europe and Asia, Athena proffered wisdom and skill in war, while Aphrodite’s bribe was the most beautiful woman in the world as his wife.   Paris chose Aphrodite, but unfortunately the world’s most beautiful woman was Helen, already the wife of Menelaus of Sparta. Aphrodite caused Helen to be smitten with Paris, the couple eloped, and this insult to the Greeks precipitated the Trojan War. Eris is the name given to a TNO (Trans-Neptunian Object) from the Kuiper Belt region of the solar system, near Pluto.

Astrologically, Eris represents strife, discord, discontent, fractiousness, quarreling, squabbling, and divisiveness. She stands for populations which consider themselves disrespected, slighted, marginalized, affronted, forgotten or injured.