Ariadne & Dionysus in Astrology
Ariadne (43) was discovered at the Radcliffe Observatory in Oxford (UK) by N. R. Pogson on the 15th of April, 1857. Dionysus (3671) was discovered much later on the 27th of May, 1984, by Carolyn and Gene Shoemaker at the Palomar Observatory in San Diego County (USA). Both have an orbital period of slightly over 3 years, with Ariadne taking three days longer to complete the cycle. Conjunctions between the two are erratic, and without having an astronomer to hand, I’m going to pass on listing each of them for the last 200 years because, quite frankly, I’ve just lost six hours and still can’t see a pattern to help narrow down the timeframes. Before abandoning that particular ship, I did notice the following conjunctions: 21st April 1902 at 14° Cancer, 8th July 1905 at 28° Cancer, 24th June 1984 at 25° Leo, 26th July 1997 at 3° Virgo, and June 23rd 2085 at 0° Leo. Other years where I saw they’d be conjunct but didn’t pull the charts were; 1906, 1908, 1909, and 1912. Despite looking three times at dates between 1997 and 2020, I couldn’t see any other conjunctions. If you want to look for yourself, you can use this ephemeris here. Dionysus is stupidly erratic at times and can go through five signs in the space of ten days and spend months in one sign. I did message Tracy at Serennu to check this wasn’t a glitch - and it’s not. For those unfamiliar with the latter, it’s worth becoming a member if you are interested in asteroids because it has an easy look-up function for 1000 asteroids in the natal chart and a few other tools which save much brain effort. Unfortunately, there’s no easy way to search for conjunctions between Ariadne and Dionysus, and you do need to trawl the charts side by side at the ephemeris I’ve linked.
The Story
Ariadne was a Cretan princess. Her parents were King Minos and Pasiphae of Crete. As punishment for an earlier misdeed, the Athenians sent seven boys and seven girls to Crete every seven years as a sacrifice to the Minotaur, who was held prisoner in the labyrinth. Theseus was a young hero who volunteered to swap places with one of the boys with the view of persuading the Minotaur to stop the slaughter. On his arrival, Ariadne fell in love with him, and he persuaded her to help him defeat the Minotaur. He promised her that he would take her with him back to Athens if he survived. Ariadne gave him a sword as protection against the Minotaur and a ball of thread which enabled him to find his way out of the Labyrinth. After killing the Minotaur, Theseus and Ariadne escaped alongside the others sent as a sacrifice. They stopped at the island of Naxos on the way back in search of water and fell asleep on the beach. Versions differ slightly as to why Theseus left her sleeping. In some versions, it is said the goddess Athena woke him and instructed him to leave Ariadne on the island because it belonged to Dionysus. When Ariadne wakes, she is distraught when she realises she’s been abandoned by Theseus. Dionysus is then said to have fallen in love with her when he saw her weeping. The consistent parts of the story are Ariadne being abandoned unknowingly and Dionysus falling in love with her. By all accounts, Ariadne was happy to reciprocate.
Essentials
Dionysus was the Greek god of wine, grape harvest, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and fertility. He was known to be twice-born — Dionysus was the son of Zeus and a mortal woman named Semele. Semele came from an interesting lineage because her mother was the immortal goddess Harmonia. Semele was already pregnant when Zeus’ wife Hera discovered his infidelity. Hera managed to trick Semele into demanding Zeus reveal himself in his true form, knowing Semele would die if he did because she was mortal. Zeus tried to protest but couldn’t go back on his word, and Semele perished on the spot. Zeus took the unborn child from her body and sewed him into his thigh until it was time for him to be born. As Dionysus grew older, he learned to cultivate grapes and is said to be the first person to turn them into wine. He was the only Olympian God to have a mortal mother, and as such, this made him a bit of an outsider. Historically, there are accounts of him being a foreigner, and he certainly wandered Earth extensively before retiring to Mount Olympus. He was fond of driving people quite mad if they denied him his divinity or opposed him in any way. Women were more likely to become his devotees than men, which I find a little surprising considering his connection to drunkenness and orgies. Ariadne and Dionysus had many children, the most significant being Oenopion - the personification of wine.
Concerns
Before I go any further, I want to mention that I’ve seen others who use Dionysus and Bacchus (2063) interchangeably. For the record, all interpretations here are aimed solely at Dionysus. I haven’t looked too much at Bacchus in charts. It’s worth noting that Alex Miller points out that Bacchus “is void of the ritualistic, creative or sacred elements of his Greek counterpart Dionysos, and remains brutish in nature.” This really needs to be borne in mind if you’re using the asteroids to delineate aspects in synastry because it could mean a completely different relationship dynamic. The same goes for the natal chart - having one or the other in a tight orb with a personal planet or angle could give a similar vibe, but Dionysus may be more likely to produce better results regarding character development. Or maybe it’s more refined in some way. The similarities between Dionysus and Bacchus may end with both having a penchant for getting pissed and unbridled sexual expression. Having looked at the origins of the myth of Bacchus, I can see that it’s worthy of its own post and most definitely outside the scope of this introductory effort for Ariadne and Dionysus.
In the Natal Chart
Dionysus
A prominent Dionysus could dictate an aspect of the character that is prone to playing rescuer - male or female. He is also clearly in tune with the transformative ability of intoxication and the capacity to use it as an escape from everyday life. There could be an affinity with tarot or other methods of divination and possibly the ability to heal others or inspire healing in others. “Dionysus is the productive, overflowing and intoxicating power of nature, which carries man away from his usual quiet and sober mode of living.[. . .] As the god of wine, he is also both an inspired and an inspiring god, that is, a god who has the power of revealing the future to man by oracles.[. . .] prophetic power is always combined with the healing art [. . .] at his oracle of Amphicleia, in Phocis, he cured diseases by revealing the remedies to the sufferers in their dreams.” Theoi.com (2020). Mark Andrew Holmes gives drunkenness and intoxication, which can also include addiction. In cases where addiction is present, aspects to the main planets should be considered when finding more productive outlets for the energy. Support from women may be easily found, or there could be more popularity with women than men. A Dionysus-type may incline others to connect with nature or encourage religious devotion. There could be a theme of living a life where desire is indulged and celebrated. Dionysus was driven mad by Hera, but he was also capable of driving insanity in others when his divinity was rejected. If Dionysus is strong in your chart and you find yourself in a bad place mentally, it may be worth exploring if you feel enough dedication and passion towards the stuff and/or people you’re pursuing.
Ariadne
Ariadne, in close aspect to the planets or angles, could indicate leanings and natural ability towards logic. She was incredibly smart in helping Theseus to escape; this asteroid could indicate someone gifted in the art of problem-solving or good at helping others out of complex situations. The ball of thread she gave him suggests being able to give something practical by way of advice or tools that enable a person to succeed in escaping a dangerous situation. Mark Andrew Holmes has Ariadne as being linked to themes of abandonment, betrayal, and consolation, and I can certainly agree with all of those. I think she also represents reciprocity — she helped Theseus in exchange for escape from Crete. The stories all say she had fallen in love with him, but she also asked him to take him with her if she helped him. This wasn’t a kind of self-sacrifice nor a typically blind display of unrequited love. Ariadne is no martyr despite being used by those around her. She was made immortal after her death on the insistence of Dionysus - Ariadne in the chart may give clues as to what we’re likely to be remembered for beyond death. Ariadne's name probably means ‘most holy, or chaste’, which could suggest a point in the chart one is more inclined to be as ‘pure’ as possible. Ariadne betrayed her father and her country for the one she loved, and Ariadne-types may be so inclined to show the same level of loyalty to their partner but may not get their loyalty returned. Disappointment in love is a distinct possibility, but so is achieving a lasting union after experiencing disappointment. The sword she gave to Theseus is symbolic of her ability to help others either cut through something or maybe provide clarity of thought in the form of new ideas.
In Synastry
I would usually be looking for a conjunction between Ariadne and Dionysus. I’ve paid little attention to oppositions, squares or trines but they can be delineated in the usual way. The story of Dionysus and Ariadne is really telling us that there is a sacred marriage between logic and wild abandon. They’re archetypal opposites. Ariadne represents logic and intelligence whereas Dionysus is the archetypal piss-head. In synastry, it may be that each person embodies their respective archetype. Still, it doesn’t guarantee the relationship will either manifest or last if it manages to get off the ground in the first place. It suggests that there is a balance between the two of you — one may offer healing and a release from old grief, and the other will help with focus and a stronger sense of direction. There could be an underlying message that too much intellect without experiencing bouts of mental abandon can lead to isolation and a sense of loss. It’s an ideal partnership, but the form the partnership takes depends on the nature of the relationship.
In Transit
Symbols that may suggest Ariadne and Dionysus could be active: For Ariadne — Maze, labyrinth, Minotaur, bull, string or thread, the serpent, and the Corona Borealis. The last relationship may have left the person in grief because of abandonment or loss.
For Dionysus — Wine, excessive alcohol consumption, over-emphasis on sex, grapevine, masks, ivy (his crown was made of ivy), goat(Zeus turned him into a goat to protect him from Hera), bull, panther/leopard, pine-cone (he had a pine-cone-tipped staff) and a drinking cup.
When Dionysus makes a transit to natal Ariadne, the person may feel stronger and more resilient than usual. Creativity may be high, or there could be a need for a drink or three. Symbolically, it suggests a time of healing. If Ariadne is making a transit to natal Dionysus, it could indicate a period of seeing beauty in vulnerability. With either transit, it could indicate meeting someone prepared to put as much into the relationship as you are. As with all asteroid stuff, you’re most likely to be affected by a transit or synastry if the asteroid is strong in your natal chart. Planetary transits to either (if they’re strong in the natal) could trigger the themes already mentioned. If you’re in a situationship with someone you have the conjunction with - I’d be looking for transits from the big players to the conjunction to see if it gets activated or not. Like I said, there’s no guarantees anything will happen - but you should at least get clarity about the nature of the exchange between the two of you.
Sources:
Alex Asteroid Astrology - Bacchus
