The ‘”13th Sign of the Zodiac”

Oh no! The ‘old news’ about the zodiac being ‘all wrong’ and that there are ‘really’ 13 signs of the Zodiac was recently recycled, yet again! This periodically happens, each time raising alarm and consternation in the media. Click here for an article purporting to ‘set things straight’. Can you spot the mistakes?!

There are two candidates for being the “13th sign” …

Arachne (25°23′ Taurus – 23°05′ Gemini) approx May 15th – June 14th
Ophiucus (29° Scorpio – 24° Sagittarius) approx November 21st – December 16th

Click here for a wonderful article by astrologer Kim Farnell, on the intriguing history of Arachne.

Ophiucus is very topical, however, associated both plagues and also the healing thereof. Reckoning in this information, Nostradamus, the famous plague doctor and astrologer to the Medici court during the Renaissance, had Pluto in the ‘Sign of Ophiucus’, at 3°37′ Sagittarius. So perhaps we can consider this constellation as holding a metalogue of ‘our times’.

Let’s take closer look …

The green diagonal line represents the ecliptic, the path of the Sun. We can see Ophiucus, top left, standing on the ecliptic with his left foot, while his right foot tip-toes through it! Below him, there are several constellations of interest ….

Ophiucus is a large constellation which has an interesting history, standing as it does on Scorpius, whose claws eventually became the constellation of Libra. Additionally, the snake which was originally depicted winding around the central figure was divided into two separate constellations ‘Serpens Caput’ and ‘Serpens Cauda’. Plus the last visible supernova (1604), now called  “Kepler’s Star” appeared in Ophiucus. And the star Alpha Ophiucus is the 2nd closest to us on Earth (Alpha Centaurus being the closest!! Love it!!)

See the two Centaurs, Sagittarius (with ‘CORONA’, the crown, between his front legs), and Centaurus, spearing Lupus, the wolf. Both these constellations are associated with Chiron immortalized, and the trajectory of their weapons meets in the body of the Scorpion. Which in turn is level with the current position of the Galactic Centre, located in the Milky Way, shown above in colour, under the right foot of Ophiucus! So this area of the sky reveals an intimate connection with identifying and healing poisons. And alignment to higher forces, as the Galactic Centre is the ‘higher Centre’ around which our entire Solar System slowly revolves. Click here for my article on the Galactic Centre.

Its older name of ‘Serpentarius’ refers to Asklepius, who was fostered and mentored by Chiron and whose insignia was his staff, wound around by snakes, the prototype of the Caduceus or healing wand, also associated with Hermes. Recall that Asklepius was rescued from the womb of his mother CORONIS, as she lay dying (of the plague). Apollo, in a fit of jealous rage, had set his sister Artemis upon Coronis when she betrayed him with another man. Artemis, however, seems to have gone into ‘over-kill’ …

Artemis fired off thousands of her ‘plague arrows’, resulting in mass deaths. Coronis was the mother of Asklepius. It was a crow who had brought the bad news to Apollo that he had been betrayed. The crow, once white in colour, was turned black by Apollo after having delivered this bad news. Its species name is ‘Corvid’. WOT? I have often heard radio announcers say ‘CORVID’ instead of COVID’ when referring to ‘you-know-what’.

Note also that her plant namesake Artemesia Annua is currently being researched as a possible preventive remedy, or even a curative for Covid-19. It has previously been widely used in Africa and Asia as a folk medicine against malaria. Read more here. 

Want to study more with Melanie? Check out her webinars with Astrology University.