These are two different minor planets with a great deal in common. They both seem to have an influence, although some astrologers tell me they find one is more significant, while other astrologers find the other one more powerful.
CYBELE
Cybele was originally a Phrygian goddess, not Greek. She was goddess of the mysterious in nature, and worshipped as a goddess of the Earth. But there is a strange twist to her origin.Zeus apparently, at one point, fertilized a stone, and a hermaphroditic monster named Agditis resulted. The gods could not let the creature be, so they chose to mutilate it, and the goddess Cybele resulted from the castration. The cult of Cybele included ceremonies where certain priests actually castrated themselves. This cult spread throughout both Greece and Rome. The Greeks, as I mentioned, identified Cybele with Rhea. The Romans called her the Great Mother.
Cybele transits seem to relate very much to whatever house Saturn occupies natally, even if the two bodies are not in aspect.
For example, when Cybele transits varous places in the chart of someone with Saturn in the seventh house, the transits appear to have something to do with relationships, and this is true no matter which house it transits through. On the other hand, if one has natal Saturn in the 2nd house, Cybele's transits all seem to relate to money, values, and possessions. Cybele seems to be an emissary for your personal Saturn.
Natally, many people feel a painful lack where there natal Cybele is located, yet have a blind spot as to how to obtain what they lack.
For example, people with Cybele in the 11th may feel a great deal of pain at not having many friends, realize that they lack the proper social skills needed to cultivate friends, and yet have no idea how to obtain the needed skills.
What sometimes happens, though, is that they reach a point where they cannot stand the lack any longer, and put all their efforts into acquiring that which they need. In doing so, they become quite skilled in this area.
RHEA
In Greek mythos, Chronus (equivalent to the Roman Saturn) was married to Rhea. She gave birth to Demeter, Hades, Hera, Hestia, Poseidon and Zeus. (The Roman equivalents were, respectively, Ceres, Pluto, Juno, Vesta, Neptune and Jupiter.) One by one, Chronus swallowed each baby whole, until finally Rhea tricked him into swallowing a stone instead of Zeus. This caused him a huge stomach ache, and he threw up the five he had swallowed...who were all still alive. So, Rhea was responsible for forcing Chronus to free those things which he had buried deep inside.Rhea appears to have the influence, when transiting, of an interpreter/press agent/salesman for transiting Saturn. It will give you things/ideas/structures from some person or other that you view as Saturn, but in a very un-Saturnian way so that you can more easily accept them. In other words, Rhea packages Saturnian information in an attractive wrapping, convincing you that it is something you can accept, or even more, someting that you want very much. What it brings is definitely Saturnian, yest it brings it in a very unpressured way.
For example, if you are trying to straighten out a student about something, or impart some rules or structure to a child, look for a day when Rhea is transiting in conjunction or harmonious aspect with a planet in that person's chart which relates to the information they need. A Rhea transit may bring you something from an authority or company that you have long been waiting for, or finally bring you a workable product from a company after you have returned a faulty one.
Another side of a Rhea transit is related to the tricking of Chronus to release his swallowed offspring, because it encourages you to bring out and use parts of yourself that you may have repressed while creating an atmosphere where you will receive the proper respect by doing so.
Natally it focuses on an area where you initially have problems, usually due to underdeveloped abilities. There are two common methods of handling this.
One type of person resigns themselves to having problems here, yet with a perverse kind of pride. Often you will find them blaming their parents for it. For example, one with Rhea in the third house might say, "O.K., I'll admit I have a problem communiating, and I wish I didn't, but it's my father's fault, and hey, that's my cross to bear!"
The other type of person hates the problems he has here with a passion, and sets out not only to overcome them but to excel in this area.
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