
Ceres Aspects to the Sun


Nurturing will tend to be part of your character. With the harmonious aspects (conjunction, sextile and trine) the effects are smooth and easy. You probably had a nurturing father, and the nurturing you received was compatible with who you are (the Sun). The stressful aspects (square and opposition) show problems. The opposition could mean that you tend to nurture others, but not yourself. Conversely, it might be an indicator of someone who always expects others to nurture them. The square means that the early nurturing you received (especially from the father) was not compatible with the type of person you are, or that you tend to be suspicious, or even reject the nurturing that you really need. For example, suppose the Sun is in Aries and Ceres is in Cancer. This person needs lots of soft, emotional nurturing, but that is not in accord with the self-sufficient image that Aries has of itself, so the needed nurturing is rejected.
Ceres Aspects to the Moon


The harmonious aspects (conjunction, sextile, and trine) are really easy to deal with here. One’s emotional needs and nurturing requirements are compatible and work well together. The nurturing received from the mother tended to be favourable. There will probably be an instinctive need (the Moon) to nurture others. The stressful aspects (square and opposition) are indicators that the early nurturing from the mother was not compatible with your emotional needs. With the opposition, there is usually some issue with “others” over nurturing. Perhaps someone with the Moon opposite Ceres will concentrate on nurturing others in order to avoid their own emotional needs. It could work in the other direction as well, with the person always searching for (even demanding) constant nurturing from someone else, demands that can never be satisfied by any amount of nurturing because there is an emotional void that never seems to be filled. The square means that the nurturing the mother gave was not right for your emotional needs. For instance, if the Moon is in Leo and Ceres is in Taurus, you would tend to have an emotional need for attention and respect while all you got was lots of food and clothing.
Ceres Aspects to Mercury


This is a nice aspect for a therapist to have because you can nurture others with your words. It is also good for a salesperson or someone who writes advertising copy for the same reason. The stressful aspects indicate that the words you heard as a child were not very nurturing. Be careful that you don’t do the same to your own children.
Ceres Aspects to Venus


Oh for a lover with the harmonious aspects (conjunction, sextile, or trine) between Venus and Ceres! The ability to express love and affection and the nurturing nature are in harmony. They can love you and feed you at the same time. These people will tend to be nurtured by beauty and beautiful things, as well as by pleasant social gatherings. The stressful aspects (square and opposition) indicate that what you need to feel happy and your nurturing needs are out of alignment. Perhaps the clothes you were given as a child made you feel ugly. There will tend to be nurturing issues with partners and lovers. With the stressful aspects, you could constantly attract partners and lovers who always seem to require nurturing from you. Conversely, the nurturing you get from them never seems to be right. As always with the stressful aspects, do not look upon this as some terrible fate, but rather as a problem that needs to be solved or as an obstacle that needs to be overcome.
Ceres Aspects to Mars


Energy, action, and nurturing combined. This person feels nurtured through physical action, adventure, and even combat. When it comes to nurturing others, they can dive right in and nurture you whether you want them to or not. The stressful aspects (square, opposition, and, here, the conjunction as well) are an indicator that the early nurturing tended to be in conflict with the need for assertion. The parents could have withheld nurturing when the child was in an angry mood, causing the anger to be repressed. Conversely, at least one parent could have expressed anger at the child’s nurturing needs, affecting the child’s sense of self-worth. Adults with the stressful Mars/Ceres aspects may get angry when asked to nurture others. They may even get angry when they have to nurture themselves!
Ceres Aspects to Jupiter


Jupiter expands whatever it touches. At least there will tend to be plenty of early nurturing, whether the kid wanted it or not. Even in a poor family, where there is little to go around, this will be the child that gets more of the goodies. The nurturing given will also tend to be excessive. The stressful aspects (square and opposition) could be an indicator of much too much early nurturing, and generally not the kind the child wants or needs (especially with the square). For instance, if Ceres is in Libra (feeling nurtured by beauty) and Jupiter is making a square from Capricorn, the child could feel suffocated by getting excessive nurturing of the “practical” kind (ugly, but practical clothing for example). As an adult, they could nurture others in the same excessive, uncaring way and never be aware of what they are doing. Jupiter under stress aspects shows where we never listen because we think that (in that area) we “understand” everything already. If the rest of the chart agrees, Ceres/Jupiter aspects could be an indicator of someone who joins (or starts) organizations to fight for the rights of the underdog to be nurtured. If the aspect is a stressful one, they will nurture those poor underdogs whether they want it or not.
Ceres Aspects to Saturn


Saturn organizes and restricts. With the harmonious aspects (sextile and trine) between Ceres and Saturn, the early nurturing received will be adequate, efficient, and well organized. As an adult, this person will tend to nurture in the same way. The stressful aspects (square, opposition, and, here, the conjunction) tend to diminish the early nurturing. Many with this combination will say, “What early nurturing?” Even in a wealthy family where there was plenty of everything, those with this combination usually get the short end of the stick. As adults, they could also withhold nurturing from others, regarding it as too “sentimental” or “impractical.” If you come across anyone like this, tell them that it is really impractical to be miserable.
Ceres Aspects to Uranus


Stressful aspects between Ceres and Uranus indicate that the early nurturing was erratic. Like stressful aspects between the Moon and Uranus, this could cause contact difficulties as an adult. When these people feel a need for nurturing, they could simply run. What is happening is that, as an infant, the unstable nurturing caused panic (if I don’t get nurtured, I’ll die). The panic is frequently dealt with by denial (I don’t need them). Sure, the child survives, but when they grow up and start dating, they eventually meet someone that they start feeling close to. At that point, up comes the emotion-laden thought, “If they find out I need them, they’re going to leave me and I’ll die!” Solution: leave first. Except Uranus doesn’t just leave. It ejects. People with stressful Ceres/Uranus aspects are more likely to get romantically involved with unstable types who are incapable of providing nurturing. Then they go to an astrologer and complain that they can never find a good person, and when are they ever going to meet their soul mate. At that point, the best thing to do is tell them that if they were to meet a soul mate, they would probably mess that relationship up too. The instability is a diversion. Their real goal is to avoid and ignore their own nurturing needs and the childhood panic they felt by not having those needs met. Once this is recognized, steps can be taken to break this self-destructive pattern.
Ceres Aspects to Neptune


If you have this combination, you can feel nurtured by your imagination. When it comes to nurturing others, you will tend to add a note of fantasy. Parents with this one can play imaginary games with their children. Watch out for the stressful aspects (conjunction, square, and opposition). Neptune is the planet of sympathy, and, when Ceres is in stressful aspect, it could indicate a tendency to try to “nurture” people who are constantly draining you, like the alcoholic who is always falling off the wagon and needs you to pick them up “just one more time.” It could easily work out the other way as well. The person with Ceres in stress aspect with Neptune could be the one who is “needy” and constantly drains everyone around them, until those people get fed up and leave. Then, they search for another sympathetic soul to con into providing “nurturing” and the cycle repeats. The irony is that no amount of nurturing will ever feel satisfactory because the Ceres/Neptune stress aspect means that, deep down inside, there is a feeling that the nurturing is undeserved. Neptune is also the planet of escape. The stressful aspects could also indicate a tendency to feel nurtured (or avoid the pain of not feeling nurtured) through alcohol or drug abuse. Needless to say, in cases like these, therapy is a necessity. The positive side of Ceres/Neptune can be very loving and giving. There is real feeling behind the nurturing, and people will notice it. A good outlet would be doing volunteer charity work with a Ceres quality, such as working to collect food or clothing for the poor and needy.
Ceres Aspects to Pluto


The stressful aspects (conjunction, square, and opposition) can indicate what I call negotiation nurturing. It goes something like this. “You want some nurturing? OK, first you have to do this for me. You want some more nurturing? Then you will have to do that for me.” In other words, the nurturing is not given freely. There is frequently a power struggle. A negative Ceres/Neptune (see above) will drain or be drained. A negative Ceres/Pluto, by contrast, will coerce or be coerced. On the positive side, a Ceres/Pluto person can nurture others back to health even if (especially if!) they are at death’s door. They can transform others through nurturing. On the negative side, they may never want to let go (remember the myth of Persephone).
Ceres Aspects to Ascendant


If Ceres makes any aspect to your Ascendant, people will come to you for “nurturing” whether you want them to or not. This is especially true of the conjunction. The harmonious aspects (sextile and trine) generally do not cause problems here. Neither do the conjunction and opposition, for that matter. Nurturing can be both given and taken smoothly. The square aspect is the real problem. There will tend to be battles with partners over who is giving and who is getting more nurturing. Remember that an opposition to the Ascendant is a conjunction to the Descendant. Someone with that aspect could make nurturing the centrepiece of their partnerships. On the positive side, that means they just like to nurture partners. On the negative side, it could indicate that are neglecting nurturing themselves, or that they attract partners who drain them.
Ceres Aspects to Midheaven


This could indicate a career that is ruled by Ceres: professional chef or other jobs connected with food, work in the clothing industry, or any sort of activity where nurturing is done. The only aspect that may be a problem here is the square, which could indicate that the parents disagreed over the best way to nurture you.