12 Principle Constellations

Aries

- is also known as the Ram and it is the first sign of the zodiac. Aries achieved this prominent place in
the zodiac by virtue of ancient astronomers observing that its placement in the heavens was where
the sun’s path crossed the equator. Of course, this is no longer the case as Pisces has stolen the
Ram’s thunder in recent centuries thanks to the wobbling of the earth of its axis.

Aquarius

- is the eleventh of the twelve constellations of the zodiac. Ancient races of across the globe
associated the Water Bearer constellation with water. The Babylonians actually referred to the area in
the sea dominated by Aquarius as the Sea, and if you have occasion to notice ancient Egyptian
hieroglyphs you will see that the sign for water is the same as the symbol for the constellation
Aquarius.

Capricornus

- is a constellation that is situated just slightly below the celestial equator yet can be seen on some
evenings in the north during the fall. Although usually symbolized by a goat, for the ancients
Capricornus was actually a sea goat. Capricornus was one of many areas of the sky that landed in the
huge area reserved for Aquarius and as such, the ancients populated with an abundance of sea
creatures; hence Capricornus became the sea goat.

Cancer

- is the overlooked constellation of the zodiac. It is a rather innocuous collection of stars and probably
achieved its status because of its association with Hercules. A crab was unleashed by Hera to bite the
foot of Hercules, but Hercules killed the crab by stepping on it. The result was Hera’s decision to
award that dead crab immortality by placing it into the heavens forever.

Gemini
 - is notable for two bright stars, Castor and Pollux. According to the mythology of the Romans, Castor
and Pollux were the sons of Leda the Swan. They were twins born from the same egg and symbolize
brotherly love while also representing the opposing ideas of war and peace. The brightness of these
two stars made Gemini a favorite constellation of Roman sailors.

Leo

- is actually one of the few constellations in the sky in which you can actually make out exactly what
the heck those ancient astronomers were thinking. A triangle of stars form the tail of the lion, while a
crooked shape of stars forms the head and mane. The brightest star in Leo is Regulus and may have
received this name because when the sun entered the constellation of Leo there was a regular
flooding of the Nile.

Libra

- is like Cancer, not a particularly spectacular constellation. It is located in the southern hemisphere
and appears to trace back to the Roman era. Before it became a famous constellation in its own
right, Libra joined with Scorpius to create a double constellation. That double constellation became
known as the Scorpion with Claws.

Pisces

- is the final constellation in the zodiac. According to ancient mythologies in both Greece and Rome,
the two fish that make up Pisces are supposed to symbolize Venus and Cupid diving into the
Euphrates to escape the ferocious demon-monster Typhon. They were saved by becoming part of
the constellation.

Scorpius

- is the constellation that became known as Scorpio in the astrological zodiac. Scorpius is one of the
most spectacular of all the constellations in the sky since it contains a fair number of brilliant stars
and nebulae. The mythology of Scorpius revolves around a scorpion killed by Orion. You may be
remember that Orion is also a constellation but did you know that the reason it is on the other side
of the sky from Scorpius is because of this conflict?

Sagittarius

- is an enormous constellation situated between Scorpius and Capricornus. It contains some of the
most inspiring star clouds within the entire Milky Way galaxy because it is our view of the center of
the galaxy. The constellation is known as the Archer and has been represented both with a human
archer and a centaur archer, although the mythology supports the idea of the centaur.

Taurus

- is the bull and possesses the single most defining characteristic of any of the constellations. The
sharp V-shape formed by a star cluster known as the Hyades makes up the horns of the bull. In
addition, Taurus is thought to be one of the oldest-observed of all the constellations as far as being
plucked from the sky by ancient astronomers.

Virgo

- represents the Virgin and as such may well be the most symbolically important of all the
constellations. Many civilizations looked toward Virgo as a constellation to symbolize the maternal
goddess. Virgo is the mother of Krishna in India and the mother of Ishtar in Babylonia.