The answer to all the media hype about this "new" zodiac sign
I think (auh-fucus) could be the correct pronunciation. Let's just call it "O" geesh!!!
Sources: Jennifer Kiza Jordan/Hattiesburg New Age Examiner, gettyimages.com, Licia Avelar, Megan Friedman, AstrologyZone.com, CNN.com
Astronomically, our sky literally "changed" in 2009. The Ophiuchus constellation was always there, but it just wasn't part of the sun and moon's orbit around the earth. As far as one's own astrological sign, this would only affect those who have been born after November of 2009. I'm sort've glad that I'm not going to lose my "Moonchild" status of the Cancer sign. You have both a sun sign, and also a "moon sign" which you may want to look up if you aren't aware of what it is. Some of the new Zodiac dates from different sources have been off by a day, so don't totally fix in on the dates listed in Part 2. Since there's a Zodiac of both Western Astrology and Astronomy, I'm not certain if this means that there's not going to be an "Age of Aquarius" after all?
Ophiuchus is patterned after the ancient Sumerian god Enki "the serpent holder." Apparently, Enki (also known as "the healer") is also the inspiration for what is used today as the symbol of the medical industry, known as the "medical staff." The astrological origin of Ophiuchus can be found in Babylonian/Sumerian, Hellenistic/Greek, Islamic, Western Hindu, and Chinese mythology. The astronomical origin is much more widespread. For example, Roman or Gaulish.
In mythology, Ophiucus is identified with the healer Asclepius, the son of Apollo, who was able to bring the dead back to life. Realizing his power, Hades convinced Zeus to kill Asclepius with a lightning bolt, and he was placed into the stars as a constellation after his death.
The constellation, Ophiuchus, has been known since ancient times, and is better known as Serpentarius, the Serpent Holder. It is included in the list of 48 constellations described by Ptolemy. Ophiuchus is depicted as a man handling a serpent; his body dividing the large snake into two parts, giving way to the symbol used today as an Asclepius – the medical staff. Astrologers have not included Ophiuchus in the wheel of Astrological signs because the Sun spends only about nineteen days in this 13th sign of the Mazzaroth. Not that there wasn’t a 13th sign in the Heavens, but as far as Astrologers were concerned, the Sun traveled from the constellation ‘Scorpius’ and then proceeded directly into the sign of Sagittarius. In reality, this was not the case. The Sun, for 19 days of the year, travels through the star constellation ‘Ophiuchus’ before entering Sagittarius from Scorpius – see chart below. thus The sign of Ophiuchus is patterned after the original ‘Serpent Holder’, Enki, a Sumerian god.
The signs of the Zodiac are for the most part, the highway, or path on which the Sun takes it’s yearly journey across the heavens – as it would appear to Earthlings. These signs are actually star constellations occupying space in which the Sun appears to travels in an earth year. The original twelve signs/constellations: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces are quite familiar to everyone, however, the thirteenth sign and constellation, [Ophiuchus], is in fact, not well known. To acknowledge a 13th sign now would seem awkward for astrologers, who like the tidiness of 12 signs that rule over the 12 houses of the Zodiac. The heavens are alive and they do change after a few thousand years and the astrologer who wants to maintain accuracy must change along with the signs in the heavens.
Ophiuchus 13th sign zodiac The constellation of Ophiuchus is the only sign of the Zodiac which is linked to a real man. This man lived in ancient Egypt around the 27th century BCE, and his name was Imhotep [again patterned after Enki]. Many of the same attributes of Imhotep can also be found in the Biblical Hebrew man Joseph, son of Jacob – [see comparison chart for these two men in separate article]. Imhotep is credited with many accomplishments including the knowledge and use of medicine. It is said of Imhotep that he brought the art of healing to mankind. The symbol of a serpent [or snake], which is still widely used today to represent the medical profession, was used to represent Imhotep. Imhotep was also known as ‘Aesclepius’ to the ancient Greeks, but by any name the attributes are still all the same. The attributes listed below describe the Serpent Holder, Imhotep, i.e. the Hebrew Joseph, and Aesclepius. The keyword descriptions seen below, originated with Betty Rhodes, and are the attributes for the 13th sign of the Zodiac – Ophiuchus:
- interpreter of dreams, vivid premonitions,
- attracts good luck and fruitful blessings,
- serpent holder, lofty ideals, – a seeker of peace and harmony,
- doctor of medicine or science, natural-pathic, – adds, increases, joins, or gathers together – poetical, inventive nature, expanding qualities,
- seeks higher education and wisdom, – overseer, supervisor of work, – fame – either grand, or completely misunderstood, – longevity, aspirations of healing the ills of man,
- architect, builder, reaches for the stars, figuratively and literally,
- tax assessor, or levys taxes,
- astrological talents, intuitive,
- large family indicated, but apt to be separated from them when young,
- the number twelve holds great significance,
- foresight and good fortune to benefit from hard times,
- has secret enemies in family or close associations,
- many jealous of this subject,
- notable father, apple of father’s eye when young,
- high position in life expected [depending on aspects] highest fame and legend comes after death
- feelings of granular, wise, genius mentality,
- likes to wear clothing of vibrant colors, and plaids in particular, – receives the favor of those in authority.
Ophiuchus /ɒfiˈjuːkəs/ is a large constellation located around the celestial equator. Its name is from the Greek Ὀφιοῦχος "serpent-bearer", and it is commonly represented as a man grasping the snake that is represented by the constellation Serpens. Ophiuchus was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations. It was formerly referred to as Serpentarius and Anguitenens. Ophiuchus has been covered here before. There was a strong ancient tie-in between Gaulish-Cernic culture and this constellation. High in the mountains of the Val Camonica near Cevo, there was found an ancient stone observatory seemingly dedicated to Ophiuchus. Many people today consider the constellation to be the 13th sign of the Zodiac (November 30 to December 17). Just a side note: In April 2007, astronomers announced that the Swedish-built Odin satellite had made the first detection of clouds of molecular oxygen in space, following observations in the constellation Ophiuchus.
History and mythology
There is no evidence of the constellation preceding the classical era, and in Babylonian astronomy, a "Sitting Gods" constellation seems to have been located in the general area of Ophiuchus. However, Gavin White proposes that Ophiuchus may in fact be remotely descended from this Babylonian constellation, representing Nirah, a serpent-god who was sometimes depicted with his upper half human but with serpents for legs.
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The earliest mention of the constellation is in Aratus, informed by the lost catalogue of Eudoxus of Cnidus (4th century BC):
To the Phantom's back the Crown is near, but by his head mark near at hand the head of Ophiuchus, and then from it you can trace the starlit Ophiuchus himself: so brightly set beneath his head appear his gleaming shoulders. They would be clear to mark even at the midmonth moon, but his hands are not at all so bright; for faint runs the gleam of stars along on this side and on that. Yet they too can be seen, for they are not feeble. Both firmly clutch the Serpent, which encircles the waist of Ophiuchus, but he, steadfast with both his feet well set, tramples a huge monster, even the Scorpion, standing upright on his eye and breast. Now the Serpent is wreathed about his two hands – a little above his right hand, but in many folds high above his left.
To the ancient Greeks, the constellation represented the god Apollo struggling with a huge snake that guarded the Oracle of Delphi. Later myths identified Ophiuchus with Laocoön, the Trojan priest of Poseidon, who warned his fellow Trojans about the Trojan Horse and was later slain by a pair of sea serpents sent by the gods to punish him.
According to Roman era mythography, the figure represents the healer Asclepius, who learned the secrets of keeping death at bay after observing one serpent bringing another healing herbs. To prevent the entire human race from becoming immortal under Asclepius' care, Jupiter killed him with a bolt of lightning, but later placed his image in the heavens to honor his good works.
In medieval Islamic astronomy (Azophi's Uranometry, 10th century), the constellation was known as Al-Ḥawwaʾ "the snake-charmer".
Aratus describes Ophiuchus as trampling on Scorpius with his feet. This is depicted in Renaissance to Early Modern star charts, beginning with Albrecht Dürer in 1515; in some depictions (such as that of Johannes Kepler, 1604), Scorpius also seems to threaten to sting Serpentarius in the foot. This is consistent with Azophi, who already included ψ Oph and ω Oph as the snake-charmer's "left foot", and θ Oph and ο Oph as his "right foot", making Ophiuchus a zodiacal constellation at least as regards his feet. This arrangement has been taken as symbolic in later literature, and placed in relation to the words spoken by God to the serpent in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15).
