A Myth for each Zodiac Sign - Part I (Aries - Virgo)

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Greek mythology is full of origin myths of stars and constellations, and the zodiac constellations are no exception. These are taken from the De Astronomia, a text by Hyginus written in the 1st century. Find out what story is behind each sign ✦

♈︎ Aries: Phrixus and Helle

Phrixus and Helle were hated by their stepmother, Ino. She hatched a plot to get rid of the twins, roasting all of Boeotia's crop seeds so they would not grow. The local farmers, frightened of famine, asked a nearby oracle for assistance. Ino bribed the men sent to the oracle to lie and tell the others that the oracle required the sacrifice of Phrixus and Helle. Before they were killed, though, Phrixus and Helle were rescued by a flying, or swimming, ram with golden wool sent by Nephele, their natural mother. During their flight Helle swooned, fell off the ram and drowned in the strait between Europe and Asia, which was named after her the Hellespont, meaning the sea of Helle. The aries then got rid of his golden wool and he gifted Phrixus with it, right before moving in the sky becoming a constellation. The fact that he transformed into a constelation without his golden wool is the reason behind the fact that this constelation doesn't shine so much.

♉︎ Taurus: Europa

Zeus fell in love with her, observing her on a beach together with some maids, with whom she collected flowers. In order to have her, he ordered Hermes to guide the oxen of Europa's father towards that beach. Then he assumed the form of a white bull and approached her to stretch out at her feet. Europa climbed on the back of the bull, impressed by its meekness, and he kidnapped her and carried her across the sea to the island of Crete. Zeus then transferred the taurus in the sky for it to be remembered forever, as a reward for having safely brought Europa to Crete.

♊︎ Gemini: Castor and Pollux

According to many astronomers, the myth behind this constellation is the one of Castor and Pollux. Among all the brothers they are considered the most affectionate, to the point that they never did anything without first consulting with each other. For these merits it is thought that Zeus placed them in the foreground among the constellations. Homer narrates that Pollux gave his brother half of his life, so they shine in the sky one day each.

♋︎ Cancer: Hercules and the Lernaen Hydra

It is said that he was transferred to the sky by the grace of Juno, because during the fight of Hercules with the Learnen Hydra he came out of the pond and attacked his foot, biting him. So Hercules, angry, killed him. Juno transferred him to the sky among the signs most touched by the Sun.

♌︎ Leo: The king of the animals

He was transferred to heaven by Zeus for his fame of being the king of animals. Some add that the fight against the lion was the first labour of Hercules, who killed him with his bare hands. Above his image in the sky there are seven stars, arranged in the shape of a triangle near the tail of the Leo. Some mathematicians say it is the Coma Berenices. Ptolemy had married his sister Berenice, a few days later he left for war, and Berenice vowed to cut off his hair if Ptolemy returned victorious. Forced by the vow, she put her cut hair in the temple of Venus Zephyrii, but the day after the hair was gone. The king was displeased, so the mathematician Conon, eager to ingratiate himself, said that the crown had been transferred to heaven and showed him the seven stars.

♍︎ Virgo: The golden age of humanity

She lived and reigned in the golden age of mankind. For her zeal and fairness she was called Justice. At that time men did not make war on foreign nations, they did not use ships, but they got used to live off agriculture. However, the men who were born after their disappearance began to be less laborious and more miserly, and so Justice sojourned less among humanity. In the end the situation deteriorated to such an extent that Justice could no longer dwell on Earth and flew among the stars. 

I will write a post about the myths behind the other zodiac signs soon, don't miss it! :)

Follow me on Instagram for some astrology pills @ebla.astrlogy :)




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