In my missive about the ‘New Moon in Leo,’ I spoke about the ‘tenth planet’ 2003 UB313. It is probably larger than Pluto, and at present is twice as far from the Sun. Its orbit is around 560 years, as opposed to Pluto’s 248. At the moment it is at about 21 Aries. We still haven’t heard from the astronomers who decide these things whether the name really will be Xena, even though it’s being widely used. Insofar as that is the name we have, we would regard the planet’s message as being about the feminine warrior image – girl-power! I asked for any thoughts on ‘Xena’ as a possible name, and here are some responses (thank you all for your thoughts):

‘According to the write-up on the back of a book called ‘Shambala The Sacred Truth of The Warrior’ by Chogyam Trungpa, the book offers 'an inspiring vision for our time, based on the figure of the sacred warrior. In ancient times the warrior learned to master the challenges of life both on and off the battlefield. He acquired a sense of personal freedom - not through violence or aggression, but through gentleness, courage and self-knowledge . The Japanese Samurai, the warrior-kings of Tibet, the knights of medieval Europe, and the warriors of the Native American tribes are a few examples of this sacred tradition of wisdom.'

‘Could it be that the discovery of this planet might indicate a shift in awareness for humanity, that war no longer works? that nothing is gained by fighting another to have the life we want, rather we need each one of us to be willing to go on the warrior's journey to find personal fulfilment.’

‘Is there something here about the Rainbow Warrior? Seven colours in the rainbow can refer to the seven major chakras in the body – is this about the determination to develop ourselves as fully functioning human beings?’