This is the third of a series of textbooks on the astrology of the new dwarf planets, based on the research at the Dwarf Planet University. Probably the most valuable section is the house interpretations, looking at how Ixion manifests in our daily lives with example case studies. There is also a workbook to locate and on-board this new energy in your chart. And a section introducing each of the dwarf planets to put Ixion in context.

Many astrologers believe that new planets are discovered when we are ready to incorporate the new consciousness represented by that planet into our existing consciousness. We've noticed this with the discovery of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto over the last two hundred years, and now with the discovery of ten more planets we're entering a period of rapid consciousness development.

When our consciousness is focussed on the inner planets, everything that is important is our feelings, our ideas and values, our agency and the luck and material rewards that these bring us. "You can't take it with you, right?" And at this level we tend not to be conscious of the action of the outer planets in our lives.

The inner planets represent aspects of personality, while the outer planets represent aspects of consciousness. As each new outer planet is discovered, it represents a new aspect of consciousness that is becoming available to us. The discovery of Uranus brought us intuitive consciousness, the discovery of Neptune, spiritual consciousness, and the discovery of Pluto, psychological consciousness.

So, the discovery of Ixion represents a new aspect of consciousness that we can now uncover in ourselves. Put simply, Ixion is our new seeker consciousness, giving us an independent streak and enabling us to be authentic and to follow our bliss. In bravely being ourselves we may tread on some toes and to maintain our independence we need to practice asking for forgiveness afterwards rather than permission before. As we develop spiritually, Ixion encourages us to be a unique expression of ourselves, while being sensitive to both the spoken and the unspoken agreements in our relationships, so we know how far we can go.

And because these outer planets talk of consciousness, how they manifest in our lives depends on our current level of consciousness. Most people on the planet experience the outer planets as unconscious influences, where these esoteric new energies are only perceived when, like Pluto, they barge into our lives in a confrontational way, because we haven't been sensitive and adaptable in the lead up.

As we develop spiritually, however, and consciously on-board these new energies into our lives, they become like guides into new territory, offering us special skills or challenges, depending on the aspects in our chart. At this level, rather than unconscious influences, the outer planets become like a new super-consciousness.