posted April 12, 2006 11:05 PM         

In astronomy, the Sun actually passes through 13 constellations in the sky. The table below lists the actual dates that the Sun is within these constellations in the early 21st century, beginning with Spring in the Northern Hemisphere. All seasonal notes are for the Northern Hemisphere. The dates will change by one day every 70 years.

Incidentally, the word zodiac means circle of animals in Greek.

Constellation Common Name Start
Date End
Date Notes
1.Pisces The Fishes 12 Mar 18 Apr The Spring Equinox occurs when the Sun is in this constellation (20 to 22 March). Originally Babylonian. Very faint stars.
2.Aries The Ram 18 Apr 14 May Originally Greek (the ram with the golden fleece). Features a line of three stars. 2000 years ago, the Spring Equinox occured when the Sun was in this constellation. It was a prince to the Assyrians. It became a ram after the animal begun to be sacrificed at this time of year.
3.Taurus The Bull 14 May 21 Jun Greek or Minoan. The god, Zeus, in bull form to abduct a Phoenician princess. Very prominant constellation with two bright star clusters: The Pleiades (or Seven Sisters) and The Hyades. Its brightest star is Aldebaran ("eye of the bull" in Arabic).
4.Gemini The Twins 21 Jun 20 Jul The Twins, Castor and Pollux. They were sons of Zeus: one was immortal and the other wasn't. The Summer Solstice occurs when the Sun is in Gemini (21 to 22 June). The Northern tropic should now really be called, The Tropic of Gemini. A prominant constellation above Orion.
5.Cancer The Crab 20 Jul 10 Aug A small dim constellation with a pretty star cluster, Praesepe (The Beehive). It occurs in the story of the Greek hero, Hercules.
6.Leo The Lion 10 Aug 16 Sept A large distinctive constellation. It also occurs in the story of Hercules. Its brightest star is Regulus (Latin for "ruler").
7.Virgo The Virgin 16 Sept 31 Oct The largest constellation of the zodiac. It is Demeter, the Greek corn goddess. Its brightest star is Spica (Latin for "ear of corn"). The Autumnal Equinox occurs when the Sun is in Virgo (22 to 23 September).
8.Libra The Scales 31 Oct 23 Nov A small, faint constellation. Originally it was the claws of the scorpion but the Romans changed it to a balance or scales because the Autumn Equinox (when the days and nights are equal in length) occured with the Sun in this part of the sky 2000 years ago. It is the only non-living zodiac constellation.
9.Scorpius The Scorpion 23 Nov 29 Nov This is the scorpion that killed Orion, the Hunter. In the sky, Scorpius rises as Orion sets so the two are never visible together. It is a spectacular constellation, especially from the tropics or the southern hemisphere. Its brightest star is Antares, Greek for "rival of Mars" because of its prominant red colour. The name, Scorpio, is only used by astrolgers.
10.Ophiuchus The Serpent Bearer 29 Nov 18 Dec This is the Greek god of medicin, Asclepius, who is depicted holding a serpent, a traditional symbol for healing. This region of the sky contains many star clusters and the Milky Way.
11.Sagittarius The Archer 18 Dec 19 Jan This is Crosus, son of the Greek god, Pan, and the inventor of archery. This part of the sky contains the brightest portion of the Milky Way as it looks towards the centre of our Galaxy. It is not well seen from the northern hemisphere. The Winter Solstice occurs with the Sun in this constellation (20 to 22 December). The Southern tropic should now be called the Tropic of Sagittarius.
12.Capricornus The Sea Goat 19 Jan 16 Feb A small dim constellation. It originated in Babylonia.
13.Aquarius The Water Bearer 16 Feb 11 Mar Another dim constellation originating in Babylonia. At that time it was the rainy season when the Sun passed through this part of the sky. The constellation was previously a goose and a peacock. http://www.krysstal.com/zodiac.html http://www.geocities.com/astrologyconstellations/ophiuchus.htm

Sylverstone:
Fayte, awesome information, does it have a relation to the below?
INTRODUCTION

VIRGO: THE DIVINE ANDROGYNE

THE BLACK VIRGIN

ANTICHRIST IN VIRGO

THE GREAT CHYREN

LIBRA: EQUALITY & FRATERNITY

SCORPIO: THE SERPENT HOLDER

SAGITTARIUS: GATE OF THE GODS

CAPRICORN: THE SEA BEAST

AQUARIUS: THE UNHOLY SPIRIT

PISCES: THE FISHES

ARIES: THE RAM

TAURUS: ORION, THE STARGATE

GEMINI: THE DIVINE TWINS

CANCER: HEAVEN'S GATE

ANTICHRIST IN CANCER

THE THREE BEARS

FALSE PROPHET IN CANCER

THE MICHAEL IN CANCER

LEO: THE LION KING http://watch.pair.com/virgo.html

Ok--- correct my below if they are wrong

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Leo 1- Ruled by the Sun
Cancer 2- Ruled by the Moon
Sagittarius 3- Ruled by Jupiter
Aquarius 4- Ruled by Uranus
Gemini 5- Ruled by Mercury
Libra 6- Ruled by Venus
Pisces 7- Ruled by Neptune
Capricorn 8- Ruled by Saturn
Aries 9- Ruled by Mars
Scorpio 0- Ruled by Pluto
Taurus 11- Ruled by Pan-Horus
Virgo 12- Ruled by Vulcan
Earth 13 (second sun)- Ruled by Apollo

15 as Magic Number and 13 as the Plaides? ( I am trying to understand and make a connection) and Greek Mythology is a great help, right? Everyone feel free to give feedback...

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Love and light,

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Silverstone