Constellations, Oh My!

Most people, when they think of constellations, think of big dipper and little dipper. They may even think of the horoscope, the zodiac constellations. However, there are so many more than just that, everything from the bird of paradise Apus to a chisel called Caelum.

My sign, for example, has a mythical background related to a pair of twins called Castor and Pollux (Sarah’s sign as well, we’re both Geminis).

Who are Castor and Pollux you might ask? Well…

They are from Greek mythology. Twin brothers with the same mother but different fathers – yes that is actually possible! Biologically and medically a mother can indeed have twins that have two different fathers naturally! They are also referred to as the Dioscuris twins and sometimes referred to as the Polydeuces (moon).

Leda was their mother, while Castor’s father was the King of Sparta, Tyndareus. Pollux, well he’s a demigod by one account, fathered by Zeus himself. They also had a pair of twin sisters Helen and Clytemnestra. There is debate on the mortality, immortality, and birth of the twins (both sets), it’s said that they were born from an egg as Zeus did present to Leda as a swan however most of the debate is about which brother was immortal or whether either of them were at all.

Each of the 88 constellations has it’s own historical background and/or link and meanings. Most of which seem to come from our Greek friends, some just represent an animal or tool, some like mine and Sarah’s, have a dual set of meanings (zodiac and Greek mythos, how fitting for the twin sign to have dual meaning).

The chart below is from Sleepopolis by Logan Block and gives a nice little rundown of the 88 constellations if you are interested in finding out more about our galaxy and stars. The link to Logan’s content is below the chart for more interesting tidbits.


By Sleepopolis.com[/vc_wp_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Recent Posts

All

Mead Recipes

A Collection of Mead Recipes for you to make your own mead at home! Home Brew Academy One Gallon Mead...

Read More

Rites of Passage

Title: Viking Age Rites of Passage and Ritual Practices Introduction: The Viking Age, spanning from the late 8th to the...

Read More