Alice A. Bailey Esoteric Astrology

Aries is undoubtedly one of the most famous constellations of the zodiac, despite the fact that there are no stars brighter than the second magnitude in its composition. The constellation Aries consists mainly of faint stars, but if nothing interferes with its observation, everyone can safely see at least 50 stars in its composition, even with the naked eye. The main stars of this constellation are Hamal, Sheratan and Mezarthim, which in astronomy are called stars of the second, third and fourth magnitudes.

How to find this constellation in the sky? "Territorially" it is located between the constellations of Taurus and Pisces. It is even easier to get your bearings if you lower your gaze on the star chart a little south of the constellation Triangulum.

However, it is not so easy for uninitiated people to recognize this constellation, because Aries does not represent any special geometric figure. The three main stars Hamal, Sheratan and Mezarthim simply form an arc, and the rest of the weak stars are scattered so randomly that one can only envy the imagination of the ancient Greeks, who saw in such a chaotic scattering the image of a mythical ram, and in an arc of three main stars - its long horns with curls. This is exactly what the image of the constellation was on the old maps of the starry sky.

When can we see the constellation? With the arrival comes the best time to observe it in the southern part of the horizon. You can see it without any problems anywhere in Russia, especially on long November nights. As for the location of the Sun in this constellation, it is generally accepted that at present the Sun in Aries is in the period from April 19 to May 13.

The main characters of the constellation

The constellation Aries occupies an area of ​​441.1 square degrees of the starry sky under it. Only three of them deserve special attention. Let's go through them in order, starting with the brightest - the star Hamal.

Hamal

Hamal, which in Arabic means "sheep's head" or "grown up lamb." Its apparent magnitude is 2.00m and belongs to the spectral class K2 III. Even Ptolemy noted that this star is not included in the drawing of the constellation, however, he also gave the following comment: "A star above the head." That is why in the figure of the constellation it is placed “on the face” or “above the head” of Aries.

Sheratan

The next brightest star in the constellation is Sheratan. It is called the beta of Aries, it is also its second or northern horn. Sheratan can be translated from Arabic as "two marks" or "two signs". Beta Aries is classified as a spectral type A5V, meaning it is a main sequence star. Sheratan is also a binary star, hence it has a gravitational companion. The rotation period of the latter is 107 days, and the mass estimate suggests that it belongs to a slightly different spectral class - G. The apparent magnitude of Sheratan is within 2.64m.

Mezarthim

The third brightest star in the constellation under consideration is traditionally called Mezarthim, which is also the gamma of Aries. Mezarthim is interesting in that it was perhaps the first star, the duality of which was discovered with the help of a telescope back in 1664. This circumstance was established by Robert Hooke. Speaking of its apparent magnitude, scientists call the value 3.88m. The spectral type of this triple star, 204 light years away from Earth, is B9 V.

It is curious: at the beginning of our era, the location of the signs of the Zodiac in the sky coincided with similar zodiac constellations. Then the vernal equinox was located in this constellation. From the position of astronomy, this is the place where the equator crosses the ecliptic. For a simple layman, this means that when the Sun hits this point, the duration of daylight is equal to the duration of night. However, today the vernal equinox is no longer in Aries - over the past 2000 years, it has migrated to neighboring Pisces. However, the sign of the constellation (kind of horns) has since been preserved to designate both the constellation and the equinox point.

Precession

Today there was a shift of absolutely all characteristic points. So, the point of the autumn equinox is now located in the constellation Virgo, the point of the winter solstice lives in Sagittarius, and the summer solstice - in Taurus. Why did such a change take place? The reason for it was the precession of the earth's axis - a phenomenon discovered by Hipparchus of Rhodes in the second century BC. This phenomenon is a shift in the direction of the earth's axis under the influence of lunar gravity. It occurs towards the annual movement of our hottest star and is about 50 arc minutes per year, due to which the vernal equinox each year comes a little earlier than the previous one.

constellation history

Drawing by Jan Hevelius from his atlas of constellations

Speaking about the history of the constellation, one cannot fail to mention the notorious Golden Fleece. Even the Sumerian tribes called Aries "the constellation of the ram", the same golden-fleece that saved the mythological Frix and Galla from their stepmother Ino. On this ram, the brother and sister traveled to Colchis by air, but the sister, frightened of heights, fell and drowned in the strait. Frix managed to get to his destination, then he made a sacrifice of rams, and presented his fleece to Zeus. Another version says that the constellation is named after Aries, who showed the way to the god Bacchus wandering in the desert. Then he not only placed the ram in the sky, but placed it where the passage of the Sun causes the flowering of all nature.

List of constellations in the winter sky

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The constellation Aries is one of the oldest in the sky. In European culture, he was first called Aries by the ancient Greek astronomer Cleostratus of Tenedos (VI century BC). In the II century. n. e. Claudius Ptolemy included Aries in the 48 constellations he described. In the East, it was well known to the ancient Sumerian and Arab astrologers. They gave the names to its brightest stars. The constellation Aries occupies its highest position in the sky at midnight in early November. Its brightest star is Gamal (translated from Arabic as "grown up lamb"). On the star charts, she is depicted as being on the forehead of a ram. The constellation is located next to Perseus. To the northwest, the stars of Aries lie almost on the same line, forming an obtuse triangle. At midnight in early November, he occupies the highest position in the sky. A good reference point for finding Aries in the sky is the bright star Capella located in the northeast. The constellation Aries is clearly visible throughout Russia. The stars included in it are dim, it is better to observe them away from the lights of big cities.

Aries is the most famous and oldest of the zodiac constellations. The first mention of it was still among the ancient Arabs, who gave names to its stars. The sun in its annual movement across the sky passes this constellation from March 21 to April 20. The main and most conspicuous stars are Gamal (alpha Aries, "ram's head", variable) and Sheratan (beta Aries, "trace" or "sign"). Another star that makes up the constellation's characteristic pattern is the fourth-magnitude physical double star Mezarthim (gamma Aries). It became one of the first stars whose duality was discovered in 1664 by the English scientist Robert Hooke using a telescope. About two thousand years ago, the location of the signs of the zodiac in the sky coincided with the zodiac constellations of the same name, and the vernal equinox was in the constellation Aries and was indicated by the sign of this constellation.

Due to the precession discovered in the 2nd century BC by Hipparchus of Rhodes, all points have shifted: the spring equinox in the constellation Pisces, the autumn equinox in the constellation Libra, the winter solstice point in the constellation Capricorn and the summer solstice point in the constellation Cancer. The displacement occurs towards the annual motion of the Sun by about 50 arc minutes per year.

In ancient Greece, the king of the Minai tribe Athamas ruled. He was the lover of the goddess of wind and clouds - the beautiful Nephele. From their marriage with the goddess, they had two children: the son Frike and the daughter Gella. Subsequently, Athamas married Ino, the daughter of the Phoenician king Cadmus. The stepmother took a dislike to the children of the king and decided to destroy them. Ino went to the Orcmen and persuaded them to dry the seeds prepared for sowing. When the farmers sowed the fields with these seeds, nothing came up in their always fertile fields. Boeotia faced the threat of famine.

King Athamas sent envoys to sacred Delphi to ask the oracle of Apollo about the cause of the crop failure. The insidious Ino bribed the ambassadors, and they brought a false oracle answer, which said that the king's children must be sacrificed to the gods of fertility, Then there will be a rich harvest. To save the children, the goddess Nephele sent Aries to bring Phrixus and Helle home by air. On the way, Gella broke loose and fell into the sea, while her brother escaped. A ram was sacrificed to Zeus. The Golden Fleece was hung in a sacred grove guarded by a dragon. Many years later, the Argonauts, led by Jason, went after him on the Argo ship.

Looking for a constellation in the sky

The constellation is visible at latitudes from -60° to +90°. The best conditions for observations are in late summer, autumn and winter. Aries is clearly visible throughout Russia. Neighboring constellations: Perseus, Triangle, Pisces, Whale, Taurus.

In November, Aries, starting the annual cycle of "journey" through the sky, is located high above the horizon near the point South of the horizon. To the left of Aries and a little higher, the bright star Capella (alpha Aurigae) is noticeable, and to the left and lower - Aldebaran (alpha Taurus).

In mid-February, Aries moves to the western side of the sky. At this time, the constellation is not high above the horizon. The Bright Chapel is now located above him, Aldebaran is to the left and a little higher.

From the end of spring to the middle of summer, Aries is not visible, because the Sun passes through the constellation at this time. A new period of visibility begins in mid-August. Aries begins to appear in the east. The chapel is now moving behind Aries, Pegasus is to the right, and Perseus and Cassiopeia are above.

> Aries

Learn the first order of the zodiac constellation Aries northern hemisphere: description with photo, diagram and map of the starry sky, myth and legend, bright stars and Hamal.

Aries - constellation which is located in the northern hemisphere. The name is translated from Latin as "ram". The symbol displays horns. Refers to the zodiac constellations (Aries begins the 12 signs of the zodiac).

Most often associated with the myth of the Golden Fleece. Like the rest of the zodiac constellations, it was included in the catalog in the 2nd century thanks to Ptolemy. It contains several interesting celestial objects, including the unbarred spiral galaxy NGC 772 and the dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 1156.

Facts, position and map of the constellation Aries

With an area of ​​441 square degrees, the constellation Aries occupies the 39th position in size among the celestial constellations. Located in the first quadrant of the northern hemisphere (NQ1). Can be viewed at latitudes between +90° and -60°. It is adjacent to , and .

Aries
Lat. title	Aries
Reduction	Ari
Symbol	Ram
right ascension	from 1 h 40 m to 3 h 22 m
declination	from +9° 55’ to +30° 40’
Square	441 sq. degrees (39th place)
brightest stars (value< 3 m )	Hamal (α Ari) - 2,00m Sheratan (β Ari) - 2,64m
meteor showers	May Arietids Epsilon Arietids Arietids
neighboring constellations	Perseus Triangle Taurus
The constellation is visible at latitudes from +90° to -59°. The best time for observation is November.

Holds 5 stars with planets and no Messier objects. The brightest star is Hamal (Alpha Aries). There are also meteor showers: May Arietids, Autumn Arietids, Delta Arietids, Epsilon Arietids, Diurnal Arietids and Triangular Arietids. Consider the diagram of the constellation Aries on the map of the starry sky.

Belongs to the group of zodiac constellations along with,, and.

The myth of the constellation Aries

The inhabitants of Babylon perceived Aries as an agricultural worker, the last stop of the ecliptic. The name was later changed to Ram (ram), but why they did it remains a mystery. In the 7th century BC. the neo-Babylonians revised their views of the zodiac, which placed the very bright star Hamal, which stood very close to the vernal equinox. Thanks to this, in astrology, Aries began to stand out among all the signs of the zodiac.

The fact is that at that time it fell on the equinox. This is the point at which the Sun crosses the celestial equatorial line from north to south. But due to the wobble of the earth's axis, this point is now in Pisces. However, in 130 BC. she was in the south of Gamma Aries, so the constellation became the starting point in the zodiac.

In ancient Greece, Aries was represented by the myth of the golden ram that saved Frix and carried him to Colchis, where he sacrificed the ram to the gods. He left the skin in the temple, where it became the Golden Fleece and the origin of the story of the Argonauts.

Phrixus was the child of the King of Boeotia. He lived with his twin sister Gella and the evil stepmother Ying. She came up with a cunning plan: she bribed the oracle, who told the king that if he did not sacrifice his children to the gods, then the wheat would not grow this year and all the inhabitants would die of starvation.

The children were already on the verge of death, but then a winged ram with golden wool arrived, sent by their blood mother, the nymph Nephele. Hella fell from a ram in flight and drowned in the Dardanelles. Later, the strait was renamed the Hellespont (sea of ​​light).

Phrixus presented the golden fleece to the king of Colchis, and he gave him his daughter Halkiope as his wife.

The main stars of the constellation Aries

Explore the bright stars of the constellation Aries of the northern hemisphere with a detailed description and characteristics.

Hamal(Alpha Aries) - the brightest in the constellation and the 48th brightest in the sky. It is an orange K-type giant, twice the size of the Sun. Apparent visual magnitude: 1.98-2.04.

Located 66 light years away. In 2000-100 BC. Hamal was at the vernal equinox (indicates the beginning of spring). Its name is translated as "lamb", and takes its roots from the Arabic "rasa al-hamal" - "ram's head".

Beta Aries- a white star of the main sequence and a spectroscopic binary system with a distance of 59.6 light years. The visual magnitude is 2.64. The name is derived from the Arabic phrase aš-šarāţān, "two signs", and refers to the vernal equinox, which the star celebrated with Gamma Aries several thousand years ago. Its companion is a class G star.

Gamma Aries is a triple star system. It hosts a binary star system consisting of two white A-type main sequence stars with apparent magnitudes of 4.75 and 4.83 and a distance of 7.7 arcseconds. The third is a K-type star, magnitude 9.6, located at a distance of 221 arc seconds. The brightest component is the Alpha-2 variable star of the Beta Canis hound type. It is a main sequence star with strong magnetic fields and clear spectral lines of strontium, chromium or silicon. The brightness changes by 0.04 magnitudes with a period of 2.61 days.

Nothing is known about the origin of the name. Sometimes referred to as the First Star in Aries because it was once the closest visible star to the vernal equinox.

Delta Aries(Botein) is an orange K-type giant 168 light years away. The apparent magnitude is 4.35, and the diameter is 13 times larger than the Sun. The name came from the Arabic "butain" - "belly".

41 Aries- belongs to the spectral class B8Vn and is removed by 160 light years. The apparent magnitude is 3.61. Traditionally named Bharani after the second lunar palace (the division of the sky) in Hindu astrology.

Epsilon Aries is a binary star 293 light years away. Represented by two A-type main sequence white dwarfs separated by 1.5 arcseconds. Apparent magnitudes: 5.2 and 5.5. The total magnitude of the double star is 4.63.

Celestial objects of the constellation Aries

NGC 772(Arp 78) is an unbarred spiral galaxy 130 light years away. The apparent magnitude is 11.3. Located southeast of Beta Aries. Two supernovae were found within it: SN 2003 hl and SN 2993 iq. Also hosts the satellite galaxy NGC 770 (elliptical with an apparent magnitude of 14.2).

is a dwarf irregular galaxy with an apparent magnitude of 12.3. It is an irregular Magellanic-type galaxy. Located northwest of the Aries Delta.

The core is larger than average, and regions of gas are seen in it, rotating in the opposite direction to the general direction. This could be evidence of an interaction with another galaxy.

Learning to find the constellations of the Triangle, Aries and Pisces

Prepared by O. Malakhov

So, in the previous task, we were looking for the constellations of Pegasus, Capricorn and Aquarius. In the new (ninth) task, as planned, we will tell you how to find the constellations Pisces, Triangle and Aries in the sky. Let's start with the easiest, i.e. from the constellation Triangulum, from the name of which it follows that we need to find only three stars. To begin with, let's find the constellation Andromeda (see task three), which will become our starting point for searching not only the constellation of the Triangle, but also Aries.

Click on the image to enlarge it

Around 8 pm on these October days, go outside and look east, where to the right and below Cassiopeia and to the right of Perseus stretches a chain of fairly bright stars (similar in brightness to the stars of the Ursa Major bucket) of the constellation Andromeda. Look closely to the right of the star b Perseus, where under the stars g and b Andromeda you will find three stars forming an almost isosceles triangle. The brightest star in this constellation is by no means a, but b, which is closer to g Andromeda and b Perseus. I am sure that there will be no problems with the search for this constellation, although in a big city it can “sink” in the bright illumination of the atmosphere.

While searching for the constellation Triangulum, you probably noticed two rather bright stars located almost parallel to the horizon a little below the constellation Triangulum. This is the brightest part of the constellation Aries. To be sure, when identifying these stars of Aries, use our map and make sure that the star a Aries (the brightest) together with the stars g and b Andromeda form an almost right triangle. The second brightest star near a Aries is b Aries. The remaining much less bright stars of Aries are located in the area of ​​​​the sky located below the mentioned stars, to the right of the stars of Perseus, above and slightly to the right of the Pleiades.

Now let's move on to Pisces. In the last task, we were looking for the constellations Pegasus and Aquarius. When searching for the constellations of Pisces, knowledge of these constellations will come in handy. So, again we find the constellation Pegasus in the sky, in particular the stars g and a of this constellation. The most remarkable, though composed of faint stars, part of the constellation Pisces forms an almost equilateral triangle with these stars. Plot it around the aforementioned stars of Pegasus as shown on the map and you will find several faint stars forming a circle-like figure. This is the western part of the constellation Pisces. Then drawing a mental line through the stars a Trianguli and b Aries as shown on the map, we will find a slightly brighter star. This is a Pisces. Now follow the chain of faint stars from a Pisces to the stars of the western part of this extended constellation, and then trace another chain of the constellation Pisces, passing from a Pisces, but already to the star a Andromeda. All these stars form a constellation of Pisces, poor in bright stars, but an extended constellation of Pisces, which, as it were, “encircles” the constellation Pegasus from the south and east.

Good luck observing!

Compatibility horoscope: the constellation of the zodiac sign Pisces is the most complete description, only proven theories based on astrological observations of several millennia.

Bright stars in the sky form characteristic figures. Such clusters are called constellations. People always look at the stars for a long time, trying to unravel the mystery of their cosmic origin. They want to find among the constellations those that they once read or heard about. Twelve of the heavenly figures are the constellations of the signs of the zodiac. Legends are associated with each of them, telling about its discovery and explaining its name. What are these zodiac signs?

The zodiac is a certain belt of the sky, along which some planets, the Moon and the Sun move, passing 12 constellations on their way. Since they are located in the zodiacal field, they got their name - the constellations of the zodiac. Each of them in ancient astrology was designated or accompanied by a certain symbol, which is called the sign of the zodiac. Here is such a simple story of how the constellations of the zodiac signs appeared.

How many of them are

The sun goes around a large circle of the celestial sphere in a year. This circle (called the zodiac, only 360 degrees) is divided into 12 sectors of 30 degrees each, which got their name from the constellations that the Sun passes on its way.

Each month corresponds to the sign of the zodiac in which the Sun makes its movement in this month. Once upon a time, the constellations of the zodiac signs served as a calendar for people, since the Sun traveled in each of them for about a month. But since the point of the vernal equinox is constantly moving (in 70 years by 1 °), the Sun today moves not in one, but in two adjacent constellations for one month, but the designations that existed earlier for months have been preserved. In the constellation of Virgo, the Sun moves for the longest time - 44 days, and the constellation of Scorpio, the Sun passes in 6 days. In fairness, it should be noted that the Sun between November 30 and December 18 passes another cluster of stars - Ophiuchus, but it so happened historically that he did not get a month, and he was not included in the constellations of the zodiac signs.

Origin of names

Each constellation of the signs of the zodiac people have come up with their own name. According to one version, the origin of the names of the signs of the zodiac correspond to the exploits of Hercules. Other versions are based on ancient Greek myths about the gods of Olympus. Each name and sign has its own legend. It is interesting that, despite the ancient Greek origin, all the names of the signs of the zodiac have been written in Latin since ancient times.

To date, astrologers call 12 signs of the zodiac, united by 4 elements:

• earth - Capricorn, Taurus, Virgo;
• water - Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces;
• fire - Aries, Leo, Sagittarius;
• air - Libra, Aquarius, Gemini.

According to mystical teaching, the signs of the zodiac - constellations in the sky - endow people born under them (that is, in a month when the Sun passes a certain constellation) with certain character traits.

Aries constellation

The first spring months - March and April (21.03 - 20.04) - correspond to the zodiac sign Aries. The constellation Aries consists of 20 stars. Mezartim, Sharatan, Gamal are the three brightest stars of Aries. About 2000 years ago, the place of the vernal equinox was in Aries. According to astronomers, she will not return here soon, but after a long 24,000 years.

One of the myths tells how Aries saves Frix with Gella, two children who, at the behest of the evil stepmother Ino, must be sacrificed. The fate of the children was different, but the memory of the golden-fleeced lamb was forever preserved by the starry firmament.

Constellation Taurus

Taurus (April 21 - May 21) is a very noticeable constellation, an attentive observer will see up to 130 of its stars, 14 of them can be seen especially clearly. The brightest are Aldebaran, Nat and the star of Alcyone and Zeta Taurus. This constellation is the point of the summer solstice.

According to one of the legends, Taurus is identified with Zeus. He adopted this image in order to kidnap Europa, the daughter of the Phoenician king.

In the constellation of Gemini, you can see about 70 stars, two of which - Castor and Pollux - are the brightest. The immeasurable brotherly love of Castor and Pollux, which ancient Greek myths tell about, prompted people to find two shining heavenly stars and call them Gemini. The sign corresponds to May and June (22.05 - 21.06).

Constellation Cancer

The summer months - June and July (22.06 - 23.07) - correspond to the zodiac sign Cancer. The constellation Cancer is very large and at the same time the weakest, it is lost against the background of its bright neighbors-brothers Leo and Gemini. In good weather, about 60 stars of the constellation can be seen at night without telescopic instruments. The brightest is Altarf or Beta Cancer.

The legend connects the appearance of this constellation in the sky with the name of Hercules' implacable rival Hera, it was she who brought the sea monster there, which bit Hercules during the battle with the Hydra. Although according to legend it was not a cancer, but a crab, astronomers liked the first name more.

Constellation Leo

According to the constellation Leo (July, August), another zodiac sign is named. The constellation Leo is the brightest in the zodiac family. Its largest star is called Regulus, which means king. The constellation is also interesting because in November, once every 33 years, you can see star showers of a meteor shower in it.

The mythological Nemean lion (with which the appearance of the constellation is associated), born of a half-woman half-snake Echidna, was able to defeat the illegitimate son of Zeus Hercules. And the great thunderer immortalized the victory of his son, raising the defeated monster to heaven.

Constellation Virgo

Virgo is a large cluster of stars in the zodiac, 164 of its stars are visible without a telescope and spyglass. The brightest is Spica. In our era, the point of the autumn equinox is located in the constellation Virgo. The zodiac sign corresponds to August and September.

Numerous legends connect the Virgin either with Rhea, the mother of Zeus, or with Themis, or Gaia, mother earth.

Constellation Libra

Libra - the months of September and October. Once its constituent stars were part of the constellation Scorpio, but, moving away, subsequently formed a new constellation. The origin of the constellation is associated with the daughter of Zeus Astrea, who, without getting tired, walked the earth, evaluating the unfair and just deeds of people with the help of scales.

Consists of 83 stars, the brightest of which are Zuben el Shemali and Zuben el Genubi.

Among the signs of the zodiac, Scorpio has found its place. This southern zodiac constellation is one of the brightest in the sky, it has 17 stars, the brightest of which is Antares.

As the myths tell, Scorpio, who mortally stung the young hunter Orion, settled forever next to him in heaven. This zodiac sign corresponds to October and November.

Sagittarius (November and December) is the brightest cluster of stars. 115 stars of the constellation will appear before the attentive gaze of the observer, of which 14 stars are very bright, Alnazl, Albaldakh, Kaus Borealis, Kaus Meridianalis, Askella, Nunki and Kaus Australis hold the championship.

This is a very interesting part of the sky. There are three nebulae, the center of the galaxy and a supermassive black hole. The constellation Sagittarius is the point of the winter solstice.

Sagittarius is the image of a mighty mythological centaur, forever rushing across the sky.

The Capricorn zodiac sign corresponds to December and January. Without telescopic equipment, 86 stars in this cluster can be seen. Beta Capricorn is the brightest of all.

There are many legends about this constellation. In ancient Greek mythology, it is said that Capricorn was the son of Hermes. He, frightened by the hundred-headed Titan, rushed into the sea. After that, his appearance changed greatly, he turned into a goat with a fish tail. The gods were amazed at the sight of the monster and took him to heaven.

Aquarius (months of January and February) is another large cluster of stars on the solar path, seven stars in it are the brightest. Aquarius is clearly visible at night from August to October. Closer to the second half of summer, active meteor showers can be observed in the constellation. Aquarius is also famous for the fact that it contains a huge and closest to the Earth nebula Snail. The name of the constellation, according to ancient legends, means "master of the waters."

The constellation of the zodiac sign Pisces corresponds to February and March. The largest star in the constellation is Alrisha. There are 75 visible stars in the cluster. This is the vernal equinox.

According to mythological legends, fish are Akida and Galatea in love. Pursued by the Cyclops Polyphemus, who was in love with Galatea, they, in order not to be separated, rushed into the depths of the sea and were swallowed up by it. The gods took the lovers to heaven and gave them eternal life in the constellation Pisces.

Pisces zodiac sign

The Sun and Moon are in the sign of Pisces. Sign history, description, characteristics

Pisces is generally cold and windy; however, the leading part is moderate, the middle part is humid, and the last part is hot. The northern parts are windy, the southern parts are wet.

Claudius Ptolemy - On the weather - "A mathematical treatise in four parts"

Pisces zodiac sign ♓ - denotes the twelfth 30-degree segment of the zodiac belt, when counted from the vernal equinox (Fig. 2 and 3), with ecliptic coordinates 330°, ±5°19′; 360°, ±5°19'.

In 2017 the Sun is in the sign of Pisces. 18 February 2017 14:31 on March 20, 2017 13:28 MSK (Moscow time). The average dates when the Sun is usually in this zodiac sector: February 20 - March 20.

This sign got its name from the constellation Pisces (Fig. 4), located at the beginning of our era completely in this segment.

In our time, due to precession * - a cyclic change in the direction of the earth's axis relative to the stars, the Sun is simultaneously in the constellation of Pisces and in the sign of Pisces for 8 days: from March 12 to March 20 (Fig. 2):

Rice. 2 The sign of the zodiac Pisces, the constellation Pisces and their relative position in a spherical projection (in the ancient view, the heavens consisted of several nested spheres surrounding the Earth).

The section of the sky corresponding to the zodiac sign Pisces in our astronomical era, by the way, just the era of Pisces, looks like this:

Rice. 3. The zodiac sign Pisces is the area of ​​the starry sky corresponding to the sign Pisces. The "water" part of the stars of the constellation Aquarius, and the southwestern edge of the constellation Pisces fall into the area of ​​the Pisces sign. The thin red line in the figure is the line of the celestial equator, as you can see it intersects with the ecliptic in the constellation Pisces. When the Sun reaches this point, the Spring Equinox occurs.

Philosophers of antiquity endowed the sign of Pisces with the following properties:

- The zodiac sign Pisces, (lat. Pisces), which got its name from the constellation Pisces, is a female sign (according to the rules of alternation), and Pisces is also the second, "water", abode of Jupiter.

– The sign of Pisces represents autumn, the fading of the element (element) Water and gravitates towards the entities that make up Water – cold and humidity. The embodiment of the properties of these primary elements in a person born under this sign is a hidden, rarely manifested melancholic type of temperament (but it dominates among other components).

- In ancient times, Pisces was also distinguished by such characteristics and properties: on the basis of the location of the constellation Pisces relative to the plane of the celestial equator - northern; seasonally - winter-spring; harmonize with the sign of Pisces: metal - tin (from Jupiter); precious metals - silver and white gold; precious stones - aquamarine, amethyst, other transparent and white stones with a blue and turquoise tint are also suitable.

And at the sign Fishes, according to the philosophers of antiquity, there is one important feature - in this sign The fateful influence of the Sun on earthly processes, although it is already becoming significant, but by no means always can play a decisive role in shaping the temperament of people born during the stay of the daylight in this sign, much depends on the "combination games" of other planets.

Pisces sign, sun and planets

The Sun, Moon and other planets, according to the ideas of ancient philosophers in the zodiac sector of Pisces, acquired approximately the following possibilities of influencing earthly processes:

☉ The sun. Pisces is a winter-spring sign and the power of the Sun's influence on the course of earthly life in this sign is not yet great, but it grows from 2/3 to 1 conditional point (for 1 point, the force of influence on earthly processes at the time of exaltation or fall is taken);

☽ moon. In the sign of Pisces, the influence of the Moon on earthly processes begins to grow (its conditional "strength" is about 1/3 point);

♀ Venus. The sign of Pisces is the sign of exaltation of Venus, when entering this sign, its influence becomes greater than one (from 1 to 1 1/3 points);

♃ Jupiter- In Pisces, Jupiter is again at home, although its "influence" is less than in Sagittarius (maximum 1 2/3 points);

☿ Mercury. The sign of Pisces is a sign of the fall of the forces of Mercury, the conditional strength of its influence on earthly processes becomes less than one (strength from 1 to 2/3 points);

♂ Mars. In Pisces, Mars is the most powerful planet, even "stronger" than Jupiter despite being at home (from 1 2/3 to 2 points);

♄ Saturn in the sign of Pisces is no longer as influential as in the previous ones (from 1 1/3 to 1 point).

The most influential planet in the winter of 2016-2017, Saturn, will be in the sign of Sagittarius until January 2018, thereby creating the prerequisites (according to Ptolemy) for the winters to be cold, and the “winter children” (children born in winter) for the most part were "Archers".

Pisces sign, nature, weather and plants

The Sumerians, who lived in Mesopotamia and created a system of signs of the zodiac for calculating time, dedicated the eleventh zodiac sector, the sign of “heavenly water”, to the deity of the water elements Enki, and the next sign also belonged to him, because after the rainy period there came a period of rising water in the Tigris and Euphrates and the upper reaches rivers rushed to spawn fish. From the Sumerians, this system passed into ancient Babylon.

The ancient Greeks, who inherited the zodiac system of Babylon, replenished the properties of the signs of the zodiac, based on their perception of the world, but retained the name and ancient history of both the sign and the constellation corresponding to it. Already in the Late Antique era, Ptolemy ascribes weather properties to the sign of Pisces. typical for late February - early March in ancient Alexandria (page caption).

The timing of plant sowing is directly related to the annual movement of the Sun, but the zodiacal movement of the sun is too long periods of time, and the timing of sowing is literally often determined by days, and here the Moon comes to the rescue. The moon moves through the signs of the zodiac at least twelve times faster than the sun. According to the position of the Moon, its phases and the "interaction" of the Moon with the signs of the zodiac, favorable terms for working with crops were determined. How to determine these dates, the ancient Greeks already knew quite a lot - observations had accumulated thousands of years before them, and a separate article will be devoted to this topic: Moon in Pisces - Zodiac sign Pisces, the Moon and plants. For those who at the moment do not have the desire to delve into agricultural issues related to this sign, I will tell you the main thing: Fish in terms of crop prospects is a fertile sign (fifth in terms of fertility).

Pisces sign and people

"Pisces are characterized by increased sensitivity to the perception of the world, which sometimes leads to the fact that even a minor reason can cause resentment."

In our time, a person born under the Sun in the sign of Pisces is endowed with the character traits traditionally attributed to this sign. But in fact, in 40% of cases, everything can be wrong. The ancient Greeks believed that the Sun was "not yet strong" in this sign, and other planets could point to the patron sign of the newborn.

Ancient philosophers did not particularly rely on the signs of the zodiac in terms of predicting fate and for the most part believed that the character and fate of a person is formed mainly under the influence of his life experience, and the zodiac sign determines, for those born under it, only the dominant temperament and fortitude (according to Ptolemy: "resistance to fate"):

The dominant type of temperament born under the sign of Pisces is melancholy **, fortitude is average, but the dictates of the mind usually prevail over emotions, as a result of which most of them succeed in many achievements in life, especially in the field of art. Successful "Pisces" are most often writers, artists, actors and musicians.

According to the ideas of ancient medicine, people under the sign of Pisces should be especially attentive to the health of the legs and liver with a gallbladder.

Zodiac sign Pisces and Russia

Significant events that unfolded in the history of Russia when the Sun was under the sign of Pisces

March 3, 1613 of the year- The Zemsky Sobor elected 16-year-old Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov to reign;

February 27, 1617- the Russo-Swedish War of 1614 was completed, the Peace of Stolbov was signed, Novgorod was returned to Russia;

February 21, 1709- Russian troops defeat the Swedes in the battle of Red Kut, Charles XII miraculously escapes capture;

February 21, 1784- the decree of Catherine II to arrange a fortress on the shore of the Big Bay in the Crimea and call it Sevastopol;

March 18, 1861- Alexander II solemnly announced the abolition of serfdom in Russia;

March 12, 1863- Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky, scientist, founder of biogeochemistry, radiogeology, creator of the theory of the biosphere and its evolution, was born;

February 23, 1879- Kazimir Malevich, an outstanding Russian and Soviet avant-garde artist, was born;

March 8, 1908- a rally "For the Equality of Women" was held in New York, two years later the Congress of the II International (Copenhagen) proclaimed March 8 as International Women's Day;

March 12, 1918- Moscow became the capital of Soviet Russia, the Bolshevik government moved from St. Petersburg to Moscow;

February 23, 1918- publication of the decree of the Council of People's Commissars "The Socialist Fatherland in Danger", the beginning of the mass entry of volunteers into the ranks of the Red Army;

March 2, 1969- there was an incident on Damansky Island, an armed conflict between the USSR and China;

In the sign of Pisces, the current zodiac cycle ends and a new one begins, the Sun moves into the first zodiac sector, which is called Aries zodiac sign.

Work on the article "Pisces Zodiac Sign" will be continued.

Abstracts: Zodiac sign Pisces and people. Pisces zodiac sign, temperament - About compatibility.

* Constellation Pisces

“As for Pisces, the stars in the region of the head of the southern fish have the influence of Mercury and, to some extent, Saturn; the stars on the body, the influence of Jupiter and Mercury; the stars on the tail and the southern part of the bundle, the influence of Saturn and, to some extent, Mercury As for the northern fish, the stars on its body and spine act like Jupiter and, to some extent, Venus, the stars in the northern part of the bunch like Saturn and Jupiter, and the bright star at the conjunction like Mars and, in part, Mercury."(fig.7)

Claudius Ptolemy - On the Influence of the Stars - "A Mathematical Treatise in Four Parts"

The Sun currently passes through the constellation Pisces for 37 days: from March 12 to April 18. Due to the precession of the earth's axis *** the constellations shift with time relative to the vernal equinox and the apparent movement of the Sun through them occurs with increasing delay. The constellations, gradually shifting counterclockwise, bypassing the entire zodiac circle, return to their original places after 25,776 years.

Rice. 4 Constellation Pisces ( ♓ Pisces - lat.), The brightest stars are signed.

Probably one of the most ancient variants of the outline drawing of Pisces.

The Pisces constellation is most convenient to observe from the end of August until the beginning of February. Pisces culminates at midnight during October. Despite the fact that Pisces is the third largest constellation in terms of area, they do not have bright stars. Drawing Pisces is as difficult to see as real fish in river water. The brightest star η Psc, Alfarg, its apparent brightness corresponds to only the fourth magnitude (3.62). Despite the inconspicuousness of the stars of the constellation, everyone is looking forward to when the Sun enters the constellation of Pisces, because it contains vernal equinox(point of intersection of the ecliptic and the celestial equator). After all, after the Sun passes the vernal equinox, astronomical spring!

The stars whose names are shown in the figure are arranged in a row in decreasing brightness (increasing apparent magnitude) as follows: Alpharg (η Psc, 3.62); Symmachus (γ Psc, 3.70); Alrisha (α Psc, 3.82); Samaka (β Psc, 4.48); Anunitum (τ Psc, 4.51).

When a constellation contains a large number of stars that are close in brightness, then, as a rule, it is possible to create many options for visualization schemes. (You can practice finding these options for the constellation Pisces by hovering over Figure 4, or on an even larger picture by clicking on the picture.).

In the northernmost part of the constellation, a group of five relatively bright stars form a contour resembling a small but tailed fish - this is the asterism **** "northern Pisces", and in the southwestern part a group of 6 stars forms the "southern Pisces" (Fig. 5).

Probably, many have already paid attention to the fact that the brightest star of the constellation in our figure has two names Alfarg and Kullat Nunu. Kullat Nunu- this is one of the most ancient names of stars that have reliably come down to us, as the Sumerians called this star more than four thousand years ago. Literally translated, it means "rope for fish", that is, kukan. This suggests that the Sumerians 4000 years ago perceived the constellation Pisces the same as we do now. According to their beliefs, Pisces is an attribute of the ancient god Enki. (see Aquarius). In the literal sense, these are the Fish of Enki swimming on the kukan, and in a symbolic sense, this is the fish wealth of the Tigris and Euphrates.

Before the ancient Greeks, the Pisces constellation came through Babylon in finished form (Fig. 5), but the Sumerian legend did not fit into the Greek epic in any way. But as they say, “if there was something to drink, but there would be a reason,” so the Greeks found several myths for the constellation. True, most of them are somewhat tautological - in all the gods turn into fish and there is no mention of the thread connecting the fish. I present here, only one myth, in my opinion the most interesting:

Aphrodite with her son Eros (Venus and Cupid in the Roman version) walking along the bank of a large river (perhaps it was the Euphrates, or maybe the Nile). Aphrodite admired the flowers, Eros practiced archery. And they were secretly watched by the immortal, but aging demigod Titon, in love with Aphrodite. Eros accidentally hit the hiding old man with an arrow. From this, he burned with such love that he chased after Aphrodite with his son. They ran along the river bank, crying for help. And, oh Miracle, two huge fish sailed and transported Aphrodite and Eros to the other side of the river. In gratitude, Aphrodite gave Pisces her belt. Zeus, who learned this story, immortalized responsive fish in heaven (Fig. 5 and 7):

Rice. 5 Another way to visualize the constellation Pisces

At the latitude of Babylon, Athens, and even more so Alexandria, the zodiac constellations pass near the zenith, and the ecliptic line is almost perpendicular to the horizon and the stars are so bright that it seems you can reach them with your hand. And on warm southern nights, looking at the constellations, the ancient thinkers could give freedom to their imagination, but the most interesting thing is that if you give the children a starry picture of the constellation and say that these are two fish, then they will definitely find these fish:

Constellation Pisces. Outline drawing "Rybiny" - scheme. Chart author Sergey Ov

Rice. 6 Constellation Pisces. Contour drawing of exotic marine fish, including the brightest stars of the constellation.

Ptolemy's epigraph to the section on the constellation is well illustrated by a collage created on the basis of a picture from the atlas of Jan Hevelius, probably, ancient and medieval astronomers could literally perceive the starry sky as a living panorama of legends:

Rice. 7 The constellation Pisces is a collage based on a drawing in the atlas of Jan Hevelius (only those stars that were listed by Hevelius himself in the atlas are highlighted.

** Currently, there are several similar definitions of the melancholic type of temperament, and the behavioral characteristics of its owner:

"Melancholic (Greek melas (melanos) - black, chole - bile) - one of the four types of temperament; a person whose behavior is characterized by a low level of mental activity, slow reactions to existing stimuli, restraint of motor skills and speech, and rapid fatigue."

Glossary of psychological terms. Under. ed. N. Gubina.

"A melancholic is a subject who has one of the four main types of temperament (in the classification of Hippocrates). A person of melancholic temperament can be described as easily vulnerable, inclined to deeply experience even minor failures, but outwardly sluggishly reacts to the environment. It is characterized by a low level of mental activity, slowness of movements, restraint of motor skills and speech, fatigue. Melancholic people are distinguished by high emotional sensitivity, depth and stability of emotions with weak external expression, and negative emotions predominate. Under adverse conditions, they may develop increased emotional vulnerability, isolation, alienation. "

S.Yu. Golovin. Dictionary of practical psychologist.

Somewhat "revitalizing" and generalizing these definitions, in accordance with our topic, we obtain:

The melancholic is outwardly inhibited and passive. The owners of this temperament are very well developed observation and intuition. They are characterized by an increased sensitivity to the perception of the world, which sometimes leads to the fact that even a minor reason can cause resentment, and for female representatives, tears.

Melancholic people are highly impressionable and unstable mental organization and often experience anxiety, a sense of danger, anxiety for completely insignificant reasons. They are characterized by passivity - both internal and external. A person with a melancholy temperament is often unsure of himself, he is not persistent, he quickly gets tired, the slightest difficulty makes him give up. He is frightened by the new environment, strangers, he is easily lost and embarrassed. In a critical situation - closes in itself.

But on the other hand, these people pay a lot of attention to their inner world. The life of the soul, their inner world is much more important for them than external events and people around them.