2012 and the Zodiac
What is the Zodiac?
If you could observe the motion of the Sun against the stars for an entire year, it would appear to trace out a large circle in the sky that we call the "ecliptic". This circle also happens to be the plane of the Earth's orbit around the Sun. The zodiac is a thin band of the sky on either side of the ecliptic. The word "zodiac" literally means "circle of life", since most of the zodiac signs are animals or people.
Planetary Rulers of the Signs
Each sign is associated with a planet that is called the "ruler" of that sign. Usually, there is some similarity in meaning or energy between the sign and its ruler. A planet is supposed to express its energy in the most natural, straight-forward fashion through the sign it rules.
Some signs (Scorpio, Aquarius, Pisces) have two rulers, an old, traditional ruler and a modern one. Since the discovery of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto the last few centuries, these planets have replaced the traditional rulers. And with the introduction of Chiron and the major asteroids into astrology, yet-another-round of arguments about rulers is breaking out. Perhaps the entire notion of "ruler ship" should be taken with a grain of salt.
How does this relate with December 21 2012?
With the Zodiacs, position is everything. Speaking primarily about the alignment of the stars in relation to what position the Earth is at. This is the main "tracker" for ancient civilization, that were able to see the cycles of Earth. This is why the different Zodiacs or Age of, have a meaning. An astrological age is a time period in astrology which is believed by some to parallel major changes in the Earth. There are twelve astrological ages corresponding to the twelve zodiacal signs in astrology. At the completion of one cycle of twelve astrological ages, the cycle repeats itself. Astrological ages occur because of a phenomenon known as the precession of the equinoxes. One complete period of this precession is called a Great Year or Platonic Year of about 25,920 years. There are two broad approaches about the effects upon the world due to the astrological ages. Some astrologers believe the changes upon Earth are caused and marked by the influences of the given astrological sign, associated with the Age, while other astrologers do not follow the causative model and believe it is a matter of synchronicity.
So what are Zodiac Signs (Age of)?
The zodiac is divided into 12 signs, each 30 degrees long. The cycle of zodiac signs starts with Aries, which begins at the spot on the ecliptic where the Sun is on the first day of spring. These 30 degree sections of the sky are actually blocks of space, not time.
Zodiac signs are often confused in the popular mind with "sun signs". When a person says, "I'm an Aries!", what they're really saying is they were born at a time of the year when the Sun is in the zodiac sign of Aries. Because our calendar is designed to mimic the motions of the Sun around the zodiac, the Sun is in Aries at nearly the same time period each year (roughly March 20th or 21st to April 19th or 20th). Hence the 12 sun signs are like months of a calendar based on the zodiac. They represent time, not space.
The motions of the other planets through the zodiac signs can be quite irregular, compared to the Sun's motion. On average, they range from the fast moving Moon (which spends about 2-1/2 days in each sign) to the slow poke Pluto (roughly 12 to 24 years in each sign).
Each astrological age is approximately 2,160 years each on average, but there are various methods that can make ages much longer and shorter depending upon the technique used. Unlike sun-sign astrology where the first sign is Aries, followed by Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces whereupon following Pisces the cycle returns back to Aries and through the zodiacal signs again, the astrological ages proceed in the opposite direction or order. Therefore the age before the Age of Aquarius is the Age of Pisces. Following the Age of Aquarius will be the Age of Capricorn, then the Age of Sagittarius and so on.
Aries
The Ram
The ancients needed a marker of some sort to indicate
the beginning of spring. The only stars occupying that particular place on the
Zodiac at that time were those dim ones we now recognize as Aries. Around 1800
B.C. the position occupied by Aries on the Zodiac band was an important one, and
will be again in the distant future. It marked the beginning of spring and was
known as the First Point of Aries.
The brightest star in Aries is Hamal, from the Arabic Al Ras al Hamal, meaning
"the Head of the Sheep." The ancient Greeks from about 1580 B.C. to 360 B.C.
oriented the construction of many of their sacred temples in relationship to
Hamal.
In May of A.D. 1012, a nova reportedly was seen in Aries.
Athamas, King of Orchomenus, has taken a new wife, Ino.
Ino was a jealous woman and was extremely envious of Phrixus and his sister
Helle, Athamas' two children by his first wife. After much persuasion by Ino,
Athamas agreed to sacrifice his son, Phrixus, who would have inherited his
father's kingdom. Now the god Hermes was aware of the death plot against the boy
and at the last minute sent down form heaven a beautiful and powerful ram with
golden fleece.
Phrixus and Helle both climbed onto the ram's back and were carried off through
the air. Poor Helle was unable to hang on and fell to her death over the strait
named after her, the Hellespont, which links the Aegean Sea with the Sea of
Marmara in what is now Turkey. Phrixus managed to hang on and was carried by
Aries to a land near the Black Sea called Colchis, the capital of which was Aea.
Now that the golden ram's work was done, the ram commanded Phrixus to sacrifice
him to the gods and remove his golden fleece. Phrixus did and presented the
golden fleece to King Aeetes, who was delighted with the gift. The King hung the
fleece in the sacred Grove of Ares, where there lived a dragon who never slept
and guarded the golden fleece. We are told that so brilliantly did the golden
fleece shine that by night it bathed the surrounding countryside in a warm
golden light. The brave and generous ram was given an eternal place in the sky
as the constellation Aries. It is said that this constellation is a dim one
because at the time the ram was immortalized it no longer had its brightly
shining fleece. The Chinese knew Aries as a dog, Kiang Leu. Later they knew it
as Pih Yang, or "the White Sheep."
Taurus
The Bull
The ancient Babylonians and Sumerians also recorded the
constellation Taurus in the night sky.
The Arabs called Taurus Al Thaur, Il Toro by the Italians, Le Taureau by the
French, Taura by the Persians, and Shor by the Jews, all meaning the Bull.
Taurus also contains the Crab Nebula. The Crab Nebula is about 5,000 light years
away from Earth. It is the remnant of a supernova that occurred in A.D. 1054.
The supernova was so bright that it was visible during the day time. The name of
the nebula comes from its supposed resemblance to a crab. It is one of the most
studied objects in the sky. In 1968 a pulsar was identified near the center of
the Crab Nebula. It emits pulses of radio energy with an extremely high degree
of regularity. The period is about 33 milliseconds, so short and so regular that
it must be due to the rotation of a very dense neutron star.
Years ago in Memphis, Egypt, archaeologists unearthed
the ancient tomb of the Apis-bulls and could hardly believe what they found.
Leading to the tomb itself was a broad paved avenue lined by lions carved out of
stone. To enter the tomb, one walked through a long and high arched corridor cut
into solid rock. It extended for 2,000 feet and was 20 feet wide and 20 feet
tall. Many recesses along each side of the corridor had been carved into the
rock and each held the ornately entombed remains of Apis-bulls as each one died.
Spring was the time when festivals honoring the Apis-bulls were held. It was
also a time when the River Nile gently overflowed its banks and brought
life-giving water to the land, a time for planting to begin. At this time in
history, roughly around 4000 B.C., the Sun's position along the Zodiac on the
first day of spring, or Vernal Equinox, was in that constellation we now
recognize as Taurus, the Bull. So for many centuries Taurus was to be the first
and most important constellation of the Zodiac. Some have suggested that Taurus
may have been the first Zodiac constellation invented. In early Greek mythology,
Zeus falls in love with Europa, the daughter of the King of Tyre. But Europa was
constantly guarded by her father's servants. One day Zeus changed himself into a
beautiful white bull with golden horns. He then mixed with the royal herds that
were grazing in a large field by the sea. Europa, who had been walking along the
beach, noticed this beautiful animal and could not resist going up to it and
feeding it. So friendly and gentle was this splendid bull that she climbed onto
its back and grasped its golden horns.
Gemini
The Twins
The twins were raised by the centaur Chiron (now the constellation Sagittarius)
and later joined Jason and the Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece.
In Greek mythology, Castor & Pollux were twin heroes. The two were born from an
egg laid by Leda after she was seduced by Zeus in the disguise of a swan. Yet it
was said that Pollux was the son of Zeus, and Castor was the son of Tyndareus.
The two brothers were good companions and became gods, patrons of athletes and
protectors of sailors at sea. Castor & Pollux had power over the winds and
waves. Castor became famous as a rider of horses while his brother Pollux became
equally skilled at boxing and fighting battles
Cancer
The name comes from the Latin "cancer," means crab. Scholars believe that astrologers later added the crab to the myth in order to have the Twelve Labors of Hercules reflect the Twelve Signs of the Zodiac. While it is difficult to associate all of Hercules' labors with the zodiac, it is true that the crab figured in Hercules' Second Labor, and is in fact the Second Sign of the Zodiac. In any case, apparently for following its masters command and sacrificing its life, the crab was awarded with a heavenly home. But, because Cancer failed to defeat Hercules, the gods did not give Cancer bright stars to mark the constellation.
Leo
The Lion
Around 240 B.C., Leo was robbed of his splendid
tail. The astronomer-priest under Ptolemy III chopped of the tail of Leo when
they invented the new constellation Coma Berenices (Berenice's Hair).
The Egyptians worshipped lion-gods which is evidence of the importance this
beast held in Egyptian life. The Egyptians believed that the world was created
at a time when the Sun rose in Leo near the star Denebola.
The Sumerians also saw this group of stars as a lion. The form of the Lion was
probably passed along to the Babylonians, Greeks, Roman and others.
Hercules' first labor was to kill the Nemean lion, a fierce beast who descended to Earth from the Moon in the form of a meteor and ravaged the countryside of Corinth. The lion had hide so tough that neither spear nor arrow nor any other weapon could pierce it. So well known was the beast that Hercules had no trouble finding its lair, a cave with two entrances. As Hercules approached, the lion showed itself and Hercules sped an arrow toward its heart. The arrow merely bounced off and fell to the ground. Hercules now knew that arrows or spears were useless against the beast. He then sealed off one of the entrances to the cave and pursued the lion inside through the other entrance. So great was his strength that Hercules seized the lion and strangled it to death by ramming his fist down its throat. He then flung it over his shoulder and returned to show King Eurystheus that he had fulfilled his first labor. The cowardly king was terrified at the sight of the beast and fled. Hercules then skinned the lion and used its tough hide as a protective shield.
Virgo
The Maiden
Known as Ishtar by the Babylonians. And also was known
to the Sumerians.
The Egyptians knew Virgo as Isis, the Goddess of Fertility.
The Hindus looked at Virgo as Kauni, or "the Maiden."
The Persians called her Khosha, or "the Ear of Wheat."
The Hebrews called her Bethulah, meaning "Abundance in Harvest."
Named for the Greek goddess Demeter, the Earth-goddess, and is associated with the arrival of spring and bringer of the growing season. Hades, the God of the Underground, fell in love with Demeter's daughter, Persephone. He promised himself that he would marry Persephone, making her his queen. Demeter would not stand for this. One day Hades, in a black chariot drawn by four great black horses in golden harness and reins, rode up to Persephone and carried the girl off with him back to the Underworld. Demeter became worried when her daughter did not return home. She sent out to search for her daughter. Demeter searched with out food or sleep. When Zeus pleaded with her to return to Olympus and accept Persephone's marriage to Hades, she refused and continued her search. People everywhere were starving and could not understand how their Earth-goddess could be so cruel. Zeus sent Hermes, Messenger of the gods, to visit Hades and tell him that Persephone must return with him. Hades, knowing that the gods of heaven were stronger than he, agreed to let Persephone go. There was a happy reunion, but Persephone told her mother that she loved her husband Hades. Zeus solved the problem by saying that Persephone would spend half of her time in the Underworld with Hades and the other half on Olympus with her mother. In this way, winter comes when Persephone goes down to the Underworld to be with Hades. When Persephone returns to Olympus, the winter cloak of death melts and there is a rebirth of life over the land and the crops begin to grow. Virgo usually is shown carrying two sheaves of wheat, one of which is marked by the bright star Spica, whose name comes form the Latin and means ear of wheat, or corn.
Libra
The Romans invented Libra and gave it importance as a
constellation of the Zodiac. Libra was "the Scales of Justice" held by Julius
Caesar. Later the scales became associated with Virgo, the Goddess of Justice.
The Romans choose a scale because when the zodiac was still in its infancy, some
four thousand years ago, the sun passed through this constellation at the
autumnal equinox (September 21). That is, day and night were of equal length,
and the day would begin to lengthen from that day on.
The ancient Greeks did not recognize Libra. Instead they saw it as part of
Scorpius. Libra made up the two claws of the scorpion.
As a symbol for equality, the constellation came to represent Justice in several
middle Eastern cultures.
The Egyptians also saw Libra as a set of scales, one in
which the human heart was to be weighted after death, "the Scales of Justice."
The ancient Chinese called the constellation Show Sing, "the Star of Longevity,"
but later generation changed the name to Tien Ching, meaning "the Celestial
Balance."
In India, the constellation was called Tula, meaning "a balance," showed a man
bent on one knee, holding the scales.
The story of Pluto's abduction of Persephone is a widely known Greek myth, perhaps because it has such a strong astronomical association. Hades was a brother of Zeus and of Poseidon; he was usually ignorant of the happenings of the Upperworld, only emerging rarely from his dark kingdom. It was considered imprudent and dangerous to mention the names of certain gods and goddesses. Thus the Furies, or Cronies, were called Eumenides (Kindly Ones), and Hades was called Pluto (Rich One). His golden chariot was pulled by four jet-black horses. While he used the chariot to periodically visit the Upperworld, in order to seduce a beautiful nymph, he rarely wished the relationship to last. Until he saw Persephone, the daughter of Demeter and Zeus. When he took Persephone back to Tartarus, the deepest part of Hades, the Upperworld would change forever. Deep beneath the Earth, he owned all its mineral riches, but his favorite possession was a gift from the Cyclopes: a helmet that rendered him invisible. Demeter was the sister of Zeus and Hades, and one of the most important of goddesses as she was responsible for Agriculture, and all growing things. Hades is so enamoured by the beauty of Persephone, he wants her for his own, so takes her by force down to his kingdom, where she becomes the Queen of the Underworld. Demeter mourns for her lost daughter and begs the other gods for help. So Theseus and Peiritheus descend into Hades in search of Persephone, but are unsuccessful. In fact, they are held captive by Hades, and Heracles is sent to rescue them. He can only manage to bring back Theseus; Peiritheus is condemned to remain forever in Hades.
Demeter is so distraught about the loss of her daughter she neglected her godly duties and no seeds sprouted. A vast drought spreads throughout the Upperworld. Zeus becomes vexed, for he is owed a certain tribute, and if the drought continues his tribute will not be forthcoming. Some accounts give Zeus a more noble reason for acting on his sister's behalf: that he empathizes with Demeter and wishes to rectify her loss. In any event, he convinces his brother Hades to give up Persephone, so that the Upperworld can again become green and lush. Zeus rules that she must forever divide her time between the Upperworld and the Underworld; four months out of the year she must stay with her husband, while the rest of the year she may visit her mother, in the Upperworld. Thus every year the world retreats briefly into a cold and forbidding place, until the 21st of March, when Persephone is allowed to emerge from the Underworld, bringing Spring with her
Scorpius
The Scorpion
In New Zealand, the constellation is not seen as a
scorpion, but as a heavenly fish hook.
The Mayans of Central America named Scorpius "the Sign of the Death-god."
The Romans at one time called Scorpius "the Lurking One."
The ancient people of Asia called the evil Antares "the Grave Digger of
Caravans."
The Chinese looked on Antares as a star to be worshipped as a safeguard against
fire. They named the star Huo Shing, meaning "the Fire Star."
Orion Boasted that so great was his might and skill as
a hunter that he could kill all the animals on the face of the Earth. Gaea,
Goddess of Earth, was alarmed at such a boastful and inappropriate statement.
Gaea decided that Orion must be killed just in case he might one day decide to
carry out his boast. So Gaea sent a giant scorpion to Orion and ordered the
beast to sting Orion. As mighty as Orion was, after only a brief battle, the
scorpion managed to deliver the hunter a deadly sting. Scorpius stung Orion on
the heel (at the star Rigel). Orion and the scorpion were given honored places
in the sky, but they were placed at opposite ends of the great sky dome so that
they would never engage in battle again. Although there are other storied about
how Orion met his death, this one is the most common.
Sagittarius
The Archer (half-man and half-horse)
It was the Romans who named the constellation Sagittarius ("sagitta" is Latin
for "arrow"), although several stars carry Arabic names which identify just
which portion of the constellation they represent. This creature was a famed
centaur in Greek mythology. They were rude, untrustworthy, cheating, violent,
deceptive and they drank too much. But one centaur named Chiron was different.
Chiron was educated by the Sun-god Apollo and Diana, Goddess of the Moon and
Wild Animals. Chiron was as kind, gentle, and wise as the other centaurs were
mean, fierce, and unthinking. Chiron's many skills and wisdom became so widely
known that children of many a famous king were sent to him to be taught all
manner of skills. Among his pupils were the mighty Hercules and Aesculapius, who
became so skilled at medicine.
Capricornus
The "Sea-Goat"
Zeus reappeared in his own form and prepared to do battle with Typhon, Zeus was defeated. Typhon cut out the tendons of Zeus' hands and feet. This made him helpless to move. He then hid the tendons in a cave in the land of Cilicia. To guard the tendons, Typhon selected the dragon-woman Delphyne, half-serpent and half-woman. Now Delphyne wasn't a very good guard and permitted the tendons to be stolen by the gods Hermes and Aegipan. Aegipan, like the other gods, had transformed himself into an animal to escape detection by Typhon. He had jumped into the river when Typhon approached. But he was already halfway submerged before he thought of what form of animal he would wear. He decided to be a goat. So a goat he became, but only from the waist up. From the waist down he took the form of a fish. Aegipan and Hermes managed to steal the tendons of Zeus and return them, making Zeus once again as fit as ever. His strength regained, Zeus unleashed all his fury and killed the monster Typhon by hurling thunderbolts at him. For Aegipan's role in this battle against the Titans, Zeus gave him an honored place in the sky as the constellation Capricornus.
Capricornus' history can also be traced to Babylonian
times. And his appearance then was as it is now, half-fish and half-goat.
The Arabs, Persians, Turks, and Syrians all knew Capricornus as the Goat.
In certain parts of the Orient, the constellation was known as the Southern Gate
of the Sun, indicating that it is in this constellation that the Sun reaches its
lowest point on the ecliptic and thereafter begins to appear higher and higher
each day.
Aquarius
The "Water-Bearer"
In ancient Greece, Aquarius is identified with a man and his wife known as Deucalion and Pyrrha. According to the myth, in 1500 B.C., Aquarius caused a great flood to wash over Earth. Deucalion's father advised his son and wife to build a great boat and stock it with provisions (the Bible depicts this as Noah's flood, many other cultures follow this story line). They did and the two floated in the world-sea for nine days and nine nights. Eventually the ran aground on Mount Parnassus. The two survivors of Earth walked about as the waters became lower and exposed more and more land. Aquarius became known as the taker of life and the giver of life. This myth of a world flood and then a rebirth of life on Earth is a common one and can by found in many myths. In Egyptian mythology, he pours water into the Nile River at the season when the Nile normally overflows its banks, this brings the much needed water to the farmlands bordering that great river. The Arabs, dependent on the water of the rainy season, saw Aquarius as a bucket because their religion forbids them from showing pictures of any living form.
Pisces
The Fishes
Pisces contains that point in the sky occupied by the Sun during Vernal Equinox, the day on which the hours of daylight and night are equal, which falls about March 21. So Pisces claims the number one position of importance among the twelve constellations of the Zodiac. According to Greek myth, there was a monstrous god named Typhon, who was determined to overthrow Zeus and his entire group of gods. So terrifying and powerful was the evil god that he caused the immortal followers of Zeus to flee into Egypt in exile. Zeus alone remained behind to do battle and eventually conquer Typhon. We are told that one day Aphrodite and her son Eros were walking along a riverbank when they sensed the presence of the monstrous god Typhon. Quickly they plunged into the river where they took the form of fishes and escaped. To this day we see them as the Northern Fish and the Western Fish of Pisces.
Pisces was known by the Babylonians as Nunu, by
the Persians as Mahik, and the Turks as Balik, all meaning "Fish."
The Arabs also knew Pisces as Al Samakatain, or "the Two Fishes."
The Syrians regarded fish as holy animals and so refused to eat them.
The Chinese called Pisces at various times the Dark Warrior, the Northern
Emperor, and the Pig. But after missionaries were established in that country
the constellation became known popularly as the Two Fishes.
And one more
Ophiuchus
The Sun also passes through this constellation.
