What the Dwarf Planet Haumea May Mean in the Natal Chart

The egg-shaped dwarf planet Haumea — one of many Kuiper Belt objects — got its name from astronomers at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. Haumea (pronounced How-May-Uh) is a Hawaiian mythological figure who is thought to be the original birth mother of chiefs, royal ali'i in Hawaiian society, and Hawaiians themselves. Is there meaning we can glean from this story to uncover the signification of this celestial body despite astrologers having no say in the naming of the object? Possibly. And that's what I hope to explore in this post.

First things first, let's look at the myth of Haumea before we jump into how she may be functioning in charts.

Haumea, believed to be the earthly incarnation of the goddess Papahānaumoku, is the woman who gave birth to the Hawaiian race. In the same way that Eve in Jewish scripture is believed to be the original mother of human beings, Haumea is thought to be the progenitor of Hawaiians. 

From age to age, the goddess Papa appears in human form as Haumea (she is said to have the power to change her appearance and life circumstances) and gives birth to a chief, ruler or royal figure — called ali'i in ‘ōlelo Hawai’i — who will help lead and guide Hawaiian society. 

The myths associated with Haumea include her intervention into mundane life to save Hawaiians from famine, war and other social ills. She does this by giving birth to a person who will rise up to become a savior or leader. In this way, one potential signification of Haumea the dwarf planet could be the birth of political figures and societal leaders.

Take, for instance, the chart of the late Queen Elizabeth II of England. Haumea is conjunct the Descendant angle, which traditionally represents the marital partner.

Her consort, Prince Phillip of Greece and Denmark, was a leader in his own right, serving in the Royal Navy during World War II. He was one of the youngest first lieutenants in the Royal Navy, rising quickly through the ranks. He was even present in Tokyo Bay during the Japanese surrender.

It is clear from this example that Phillip was an instrument for societal good, demonstrating a sense of duty to country and a desire to improve the world in some way by fighting grave evil committed by the Nazis. 

Could this be a potential signification of Haumea: one who rises up from the populace to help improve the lives of many? I think so.

Former Vice President Al Gore, following his razor-thin defeat against then-Gov. George W. Bush, went on to become one of the primary faces of climate crisis activism. His 2006 book "An Inconvenient Truth" was a clarion call about the damage humanity may be causing to the climate. 

In his natal chart, Gore has Haumea closely conjunct Mars in the 1st House. Mars is the quintessential activist. He harnesses passion and obsession to champion causes he believes in, even when it may ruffle a few feathers and garner pushback.

With Haumea conjunct Mars, it's possible that we get someone whose drive and passion is focused on the common good and improving societal situations, like, say, climate change.

Haumea could potentially point to where we act against the societal good, too. I shudder to use this example because of the grave harm that he did to our common humanity, but Hitler of Germany has Haumea conjunct Pluto in Gemini. 

Hilter used his leadership and power (Haumea) and his oratory and persuasive skills (Gemini) to commit the worst atrocities known to man (Pluto). 

The last queen of France before the French Revolution, Marie Antoinette, has Haumea conjunct Venus in Scorpio. She received the brunt of public animosity for the financial decline of France and widespread poverty all while the royal family lived lavishly. This sentiment is memorialized in the legend that, on being told that the people had no bread, she remarked, “Let them eat cake!” 

Whether true or not, the image of her as a callous ruler lives on. How does this relate to the chart placement, though? Venus is in her detriment in Scorpio. In other words, she's functioning at less than her best. Scorpio is seen as a vindictive, manipulative and cold sign. Venus, however, prefers more sanguine territory.

Haumea conjunct Venus here could point to someone whose leadership is less than ideal, perhaps even antithetical to the common good of society.

There's still much more work to be done to determine just how Haumea is functioning in charts. As a native Hawaiian myself, I am absolutely thrilled to have celestial bodies named in our indigenous inoa after our own mythological figures.

(Quick tip if you want to use Haumea or other asteroids: Use only conjunctions. The outer bodies function best when treated like fixed stars.)

Rest assured I will continue to do research to uncover the signification of Haumea, along with other Hawaiian-named bodies like Hi’iaka, Namaka, ʻOumuamua, and Leleākūhonua. My hope is to one day write a book that sheds light on the mythology of these figures and how their associated bodies are working in charts. Until then, I'll continue to write blogs about these bodies here on Malulani Astrology.

If you're interested in exploring what Haumea may mean for you in the context of your birth chart, why not hop over to my Book a Consultation page. I can't wait to help you time your life decisions with the wisdom of astrology.