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The Warnings of a Dwarf
Makemake and the Gulf Oil Spill

 Makemake is a relatively newly discovered dwarf planet orbiting beyond Pluto with a 309 year cycle. Along with sisters Haumea and Sedna, this dwarf planet was named after a Pacific island deity Makemake, an Easter Island god, or using the indigenous island name, Rapa Nui. Given that Makemake has so recently emerged into our consciousness, its themes and influence are still abstract and require further research; however, I’m personally moved and fascinated by what is already coming to light; Makemake seems to play a pivotal role in the turn of current events, particularly in regard to ecological issues and in the longer run, the management and survival of life on earth.

Planets and celestial bodies are usually discovered at times when the themes they represent gain prominence. With Makemake, this could not be more obvious.

EASTER ISLAND MYTHOLOGY

 Easter Island is the most isolated piece of land on earth, and consequently its habitants had to learn lessons of self-sufficiency and self-preservation; when resources are not readily interchangeable, and in this case scarce, there is little room for error. As it is with island life, birds and fish play a fundamentally important role, not only as a source of food, but also as connecting entities with other distant locations. It is therefore not surprising that fowl and fish are celebrated with elaborate rituals that depict their important role in the local mythology.

In the Rapa Nui legend, Makemake is the creator of humanity, the god of fertility, and the chief god of the Tangata Manu or Bird Man cult. The Tangata Manu competition was a ritual, performed yearly, whereby carefully selected contestants had to compete to fetch the first Sooty Tern egg of the season from the islet of Motu Nui. This was quite a rite of passage as contestants had to go down steep slopes, swim shark infested waters, and climb rugged cliffs to get the egg and bring it back through these wild terrains unbroken. The first one to perform the task successfully would have the privilege of having his head shaved and living for a whole year in isolation (fun!)! His clan would also be granted first access to eggs and other crucial resources. This ritual emphasizes very important themes—Makemake, creator of humanity, symbolizes the heroic prowess required to protect the extreme fragility of the egg. The warrior must have courage to risk his life, enough intelligence to develop a strategy, and strength to conquer natural obstacles so that life, embodied in an easily breakable egg, is protected and brought to its destination safely.

MAKEMAKE AND CHINA

 It is interesting to note that while the dwarf planet was discovered in 2005, it was only named in July 2008—a month prior to the August 8, 2008 Chinese Olympic Games where the newly built egg-shaped National Center for Performing Arts was exposed to the world. The symbolism was there in China, of all places, where fertility issues are matters of state. China’s natal Makemake is at 22? Cancer, opposing natal Jupiter at 22? Capricorn (Oct 1, 1949, 3:10pm Beijing). During the Olympic Games, transiting Makemake was at 23? Virgo, exactly conjunct transiting Mars and connecting with natal the Makemake/Jupiter opposition at 22? Cancer/Capricorn.



EXTINCTION

 The Rapa Nui myth does not end with the Bird Man cult competition—it has a very obscure twist. The Rapa Nui people failed in their survival effort and brought their existence on the island to complete extinction. Aggressive deforestation, overpopulation, clan wars, and religious fanaticism spun out of control and fractured the fragile balance, inducing their demise. The final blow seems to have been the range of new diseases imported by conquistadors—in a nutshell, the egg broke, and with it, the promise of a new dawn.

As Makemake reemerges into our consciousness the symbolisms is palpable: the microcosm of the Rapa Nui tragedy reflects the macrocosm of our entire existence on the planet. The original story is one without a happy ending, no savior arrived in time to kill the villains, protect the innocence, and restore order. In our current reality, we too are threatened by a point of no return and the consequences of severe resource mismanagement and power struggles.

On a personal level, Makemake’s chart position represents resources or a way of life of elemental value and extreme fragility that requires tremendous effort, wisdom, and vigilance to be protected and sustained; this is where our breakable egg, the seed of life, exists in our personal reality. Today Makemake is around 25 degrees of Virgo—the sign that represents the cautious use of resources and the effort of proper maintenance to guarantee health and productivity.

DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL DISASTER

 On April 20, 2010, as the Deepwater Horizon well exploded in the Gulf of Mexico—with Saturn at 29? Virgo conjunct Makemake and Jupiter with Uranus opposing (their midpoint exactly at 25? Pisces, opposing Makemake to the degree)—the results are plain to see: a massive ecological disaster mainly caused by negligence that primarily affects birds, nesting areas, and marine life—the whole Makemake combo.



While this disaster has strongly raised public awareness in favor of ecological protection, it is another step down the ladder as we dig our own grave. The human population has such a powerful impact on the management of life on earth—but the scale of disasters caused by the push of the wrong button are equal to the scale of creativity and positivism within reach.

Interestingly, actor turned activist Kevin Costner (Jan 18, 1955 @ 9:40pm, Lynnwood, CA), who gained BP’s credibility by suggesting the use of an oil cleaning device, has himself a 25 degrees Virgo rising chart, currently flanked by transiting Makemake—pain and healing go hand in hand.

THE BAOBAB SEED

 Another one of the healing manifestations of Makemake themes occurred during my last trip to South Africa, last April 2010. I organized a journey to the White Lion Heartland in the Timbavati region along with local host Linda Tucker who has dedicated her life to the reintroductions of the White Lions to their sacred ancestral territory. The Timbavati area lies on the 31? East Meridian, which is recognized by local indigenous traditions, and particularly Sangoma Credo Mutwa, as the Meridian of First Time—or in other words, where life first emerged on the planet. Linda had mentioned that a prominent tree on the reserve was dying and signaling her that it needed a successor—this tree was located exactly on the First Time Meridian of 31? East. She was inspired to plant the seed of a Baobab tree on this sacred spot—a tree of strong shamanic significance that mostly grows in the southern hemisphere. Our whole group participated in the ceremony and passed this ostrich-egg sized seed among ourselves, blessing it with all that is dear to each of us—this was without a doubt a powerful moment. Upon marking the actual moment the seed was planted, I later erected a chart for the event (see chart 2 below) only to discover that the rising degree of the planting was 28? Virgo, tightly conjunct Makemake at 25? Virgo! (The transiting Ascendant passes a degree approximately every 3 minutes—so the whole ritual occurred with this conjunction). The symbolism of creation captured in this event and location seems to indicate that the seeding gesture had a meaningful impact on the sustenance of energetic balance for the area, and perhaps beyond.



MORE TO COME?

 Jupiter and Uranus will both retrograde to oppose Makemake again from October 2010 to January 2011. More immediately, Mars trotting through Virgo is about to conjunct Makemake (July 21) and then Saturn…do we need more extreme wake-up calls? Time will tell. What we can retain from Makemake is that power and strength are good thing, yet they need to be used the right way—beautifully depicted by the Rapa Nui warrior facing extreme adversity to bring the fragile egg unbroken.

Contact Philip Sedgwick for Makemake and other Dwarf Planet Ephemeris:
http://www.philipsedgwick.com/

 Copyrights 2010-Maurice Fernandez