Image by Dorothe from Pixabay

I once had a teacher whose favorite phrase was, “nothing is written in stone.” Bearing that in mind, let’s digress from the realm of Western astrological concepts and consider the Actual or Real Solar Zodiac. Those of you who are familiar with astrological readings know that most Western astrologers use the Tropical Zodiac. Practitioners of Vedic astrology, which is also popular in the West, use the Sidereal Zodiac. Both of these Zodiacs contain twelve signs. The Actual or Real Solar Zodiac contains thirteen signs due to the addition of Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer.

Ophiuchus is a real constellation that lies between the constellation of Scorpio, the Scorpion, and Sagittarius, the Archer. It is an Ancient Greek constellation that can be historically dated back to the time of Claudius Ptolemy, the Father of Astrology (c 130-170 AD). The Sun enters the sign of Ophiuchus every year between November 30th and December 17th. This should ruffle the mane of one or two Sagittarians out there who were born during this time span! From our geocentric viewpoint here on Earth, not only the Sun but the Moon and the planets can be seen against the background stars of Ophiuchus. According to astronomical statistics, the planets Mercury and Venus can be seen in Ophiuchus every year. The planetoid Chiron which has found its way into the planetary intelligentsia was visible in Ophiuchus until 2001. The planet Pluto was also observed in this sign until the end of 2003.

The myth surrounding Ophiuchus is most interesting.  The name

sounds a bit grim but the story of Ophiuchus is actually a tale of healing. In Greek mythology, there is no healer by this name but there is a very well known healer by the name of Asclepius. Ophiuchus and Asclepius are one and the same. Ancient stellar artistry depicts Ophiuchus as a man with large serpents entwined around his body, shoulders, and arms. From these renderings, the symbol for the medical profession, the caduceus or staff of serpents was born.

The tale of Ophiuchus portrays the story of a great healer.  He was the son of a mortal woman Coronis and the Greek god Apollo. Coronis, made pregnant by Apollo sought the love of a mortal man named Ischy. This was too much for Apollo and in a jealous rage he told his sister Artemis, the goddess, of the infidelity. Artemis slew Coronis by unleashing a quiver of arrows at her. The god Hermes stepped in and cut the unborn child from his mother’s womb thus saving him. Ophiuchus was given into the care of the kindly centaur Chiron, the Father of Healing Arts, who taught amazing medical and healing skills to his young ward. So great was his healing power, that as an adult, Ophiuchus often incurred the wrath of the gods who constantly complained to Zeus about his interference with earthly affairs.

One of the better known stories of Ophiuchus’ healing skills concerns the tale of Orion and Scorpio. Orion was known as a great hunter with tremendous prowess. The problem was that Orion’s ego was as large as his skill and his constant bragging was swiftly becoming a thorn in the sides of the gods. One day, Orion overstepped his bounds and threatened to hunt down and kill all the animals on Earth. To teach him a lesson, the gods of Olympus, in collaboration with Gaia, the Earth Goddess, sent the scorpion Scorpio to sting Orion on the heel. The plan was that the mighty Orion, so caught up in his boasting, would never notice such a tiny yet deadly creature. The plan succeeded and the great Orion fell. As he lay dying, Ophiuchus found him and healed him with a drink of divine elixir. Alas, the scorpion was ground to dust under the sandaled foot of Ophiuchus.

Eventually, Ophiuchus also overstepped his bounds when he interfered with Hades, Ruler of the Underworld. Hades complained to Zeus that Ophiuchus was bringing the dead back to life thus disturbing the natural order of life and causing chaos in his realm of the dead. Zeus knew that Ophiuchus was a good man with a pure heart but he could not allow any man to have the knowledge of immortality. No human was going to be allowed to put the gods out of business! Zeus complied with Hades’ request by striking Ophiuchus down with a thunderbolt. Out of respect for his skill, Zeus placed Ophiuchus in the sky as a heavenly constellation so that he would be remembered.

A person can qualify as an Ophiuchian if Fixed Star Ras Alhague which sits in the head of Ophiuchus appears in the natal chart. The influence of Ophiuchus is derived from the Greek meaning serpent handler. This all 

this star suggests one who is drawn to healing professions or one who simply has a natural gift for healing. High ideals are also designated by this star so service to mankind including politics is included under its influence. Helena Blavatsky, the 19th century Russian spiritualist and co-founder of the Theosophical Society, had this star connected to her Mercury. She is renowned for her spiritual writings. John Lennon had this star prominently connected to Venus in his chart and he is known for trying to heal the world through song. The client files of Star Logic Astrodynamics shows many holistic practitioners and counselors with this star “in house.”

Some interesting world events occurred when the Sun entered the sign of Ophiuchus. On December 1, 1917, Boy’s Town, an institution providing guidance and education for homeless boys was founded. This seems rather apropos since Ophiuchus, according to legend, was a homeless boy given guidance and education by Chiron. On December 3, 1967, in Cape Town, South Africa, Dr. Christiaan Barnard (a Scorpio surgeon) performed the first human heart transplant surgery. The first Nobel Prizes for physics, chemistry, physiology, medicine, literature, and peace were awarded on December 10, 1901. Research also revealed that the great English poet John Milton was not only born under the sign of Ophiuchus on December 9, 1608 but also had Fixed Star Ras Al Hague conjunct his natal Sun amplifying the power of the sign. His prose was dedicated to the defense of civil and religious liberty and his masterpiece, Paradise Lost, is considered one of the greatest poems in world literature.