By Mica Meintel-Wade and Erika Bakse
The twelve signs of the zodiac are considered to be some of the oldest star patterns recognized by man. The stories behind their origins can be traced to Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Chinese, and Mesopotamian roots, although the Greek versions are the most commonly known. They had a special significance bestowed upon them because they were “touched by the sun” and it is believed by Astrologists that the position of the constellations and the planets has an affect on your personality and how you handle certain situations.
The twelve signs are Aries (the
ram), Aquarius (the water sign), Taurus (the bull), Virgo (the virgin), Gemini
(the twins), Pisces (the fish), Leo (the lion), Cancer (the crab), Sagittarius
(the archer), Scorpio (the scorpion), Capricorn (half-goat, half-fish), and
Libra (the scales). Each sign has a
certain time of the year in which it “reigns” and whatever sign you were born
under supposedly determines what traits you have. For example: Pisces have
many traits related to them, some of which are romantic, dramatic, and/or
melancholy.
The
Myths:
Aries – The two children of the King of Thebes were mistreated by their step-mother, Ino, so Zeus sent a ram to carry the two off. Helle, one of the two children, fell off near Hellespont, but Phrixus arrived safely and sacrificed the ram to Zeus in thanks, and the fleece turned to gold. This golden fleece was the same that Jason sought later. Characteristics: independence, competitive, dynamic, impulsive, domineering, intolerant, hasty, and arrogant.
Aquarius – The water sign, Aquarius is associated with Zeus pouring life-giving water onto the earth. Characteristics: independence, intellectual, altruistic, progressive, unpredictable, rebellious, impersonal, and eccentric.
Taurus – The shape of this
constellation, as with many of the other signs, dictated the name of Taurus,
the bull. In Greek myth, Zeus often
transformed himself into the shape of a bull and that is what Taurus is recognized
as. Characteristics: patience,
dependability, practical, conservative, stubborn, possessive, greedy, and
materialistic.
Virgo – Virgo is a maiden pictured
holding a spear of wheat, signifying bounty, and she is often recognized as the
earth goddess, Demeter in Greek mythology.
Characteristics: exacting, studious, methodical, humane, critical,
skeptical, picky, and sloppy.
Gemini – Gemini relates the story of Polydueces and Castor, identical twins born to the Queen of Sparta by two different fathers. Castor was born of the king, but Polydeuces is the offspring of Zeus, and thus immortal. In another country, the half-brother of the King of Sparta also had twin boys, but bad blood was between the two cousins when Polydeuces and Castor had children with the women betrothed for their twin cousins. One day, Idas, one of the cousins, killed Castor, and Polydeuces killed Idas’ brother. When Idas was about to take his opportunity to kill Polydeuces as well, Zeus intervened and slew Idas. Polydeuces did not wish to outlive his brother, and refused immortality unless Castor could share it. So Zeus honored his wish and allowed the two to split their time between heaven and earth, and cast their image into the heavens to honor their brotherly love. Characteristics: congeniality, curiosity, expressive, adaptable, restless, scheming, scattered, and talkative.
Pisces – After Zeus waged his war against the Titans, Mother Earth cast a great monster, Typhus, to have her revenge on the gods for destroying her children. To escape, Aphrodite and her son, Eros, turned themselves into fish and connected to each other with a string. Characteristics: compassion, introspective, artistic, dreamy, timid, impractical, escapist, and melancholy.
Leo – Heracles, or Hercules, first
labor was to kill the Nemean lion who came from the moon. Because conventional weapons were useless
against it, Heracles strangled the lion, skinned the impenetrable pelt with the
lion’s own claws and took it for his own.
Zeus then put the lion in the sky to commemorate the labor. Characteristics: optimism, creativity,
generosity, pride, overbearing, cruel, pretentious, and boastful
Cancer – Heracles’ second labor was
to slay the monster Hydra. Hera, who
had a vendetta against Heracles, sent a crab to bite the heel of Heracles while
he fought Hydra, but Heracles crushed it underfoot. This is why Cancer is the hardest to see of the constellations in
the Zodiac. Hydra (not part of the
Zodiac) is right underneath Cancer.
Characteristics: sensitivity, traditional, sympathetic, intuitive,
negative, manipulative, lazy, and selfish.
Sagittarius – Oft believed to be a
centaur, Sagittarius is associated with Crotus, son of Pan, who grew up to be a
hunter who also had an appreciation for the arts as he learned from the
Muses. The Muses begged Zeus to create
a constellation for Crotus.
Characteristics: enthusiasm, generosity, religious, philosophical,
argumentative, blunt, impatient, and pushy.
Scorpio – The scorpion was sent by Gaia to kill Orion after he threatened to kill every animal on earth. Scorpio appears just as Orion disappears. Characteristics: motivation, resourceful, investigative, passionate, vengeful, temperamental, sarcastic, and suspicious.
Capricorn – There are many myths associated
with this sign, one of which being when Pan morphed into a fish to escape
Typhon, but only managed to change his lower-half. Characteristics: responsibility, cautious, scrupulous, serious,
unforgiving, inhibited, cold, and fatalistic.
Libra – Libra was seen as the claws of Scorpio, and it appeared at the time when the days and nights were equal, and so came to signify the Balance of the days. Characteristics: cooperation, diplomacy, persuasive, sociable, indecisive, judgmental, hypocritical, and fickle.
Objective: To explain the origin of each sign of the
Zodiac briefly, as well as what traits and phases each go through, and have the
group come up with horoscopes for each sign.
Assignment: Now that you know what characterizes each
sign and how the planets are currently affecting each, split into eleven groups
(Mica and I will be the twelfth group) and write a short horoscope for the sign
we assign you, then share them with everyone else.
Stewart,
Bruce and The Ross School. “Constellations.” http://www.scivis.com/AC/stor/