Dec 30. 2018
Ophiuchus
If you were born in the first half of December, or you know someone who was, pay attention! Anyone interested in astrology will find something here too, whatever their birthday. That's especially true if you've ever wondered why the general descriptions of the signs don't always fit.
The mysterious constellation of Ophiuchus
Ophiuchus is a constellation that lies between the constellations of Scorpio and Sagittarius. The Sun actually passes through it from about December 1 to December 18. Sagittarians in particular may object that this period belongs to them, but hopefully a lot will become clearer once we take a closer look at Ophiuchus.
Ancient peoples, including the early Slavs, Hindus and Zoroastrians, already knew that the Sun also passes through this constellation. They believed that during this time people could rely only on themselves, because the gods were said to be deaf to their prayers. The period when the Sun moves through Ophiuchus is said to be a time of hard trials and spiritual rebirth. It connects us with the universe and with other worlds. Ophiuchus turns the energy of the zodiac wheel into something more like a spiral, so instead of walking in a closed circle, we're free to take a new path of growth.
Our planet is subject to a phenomenon called precession, which makes the Earth's axis shift very slowly, and among other things this affects how the astrological signs are determined. Since the ancient Babylonians defined the 12 signs of the zodiac, the sky has changed a little, and the zodiac wheel has shifted slightly as a result. That's why we're often influenced by the sign before our own. We look at these facts in more detail in our overview of the zodiac signs.
Ophiuchus, the thirteenth sign of the zodiac
We can, however, add Ophiuchus to the zodiac ourselves, as long as we're able to describe its character. If we look to mythology, Ophiuchus is most often linked with the Greek healer Asclepius, who could cure every illness and even bring the dead back to life. A snake is said to have helped him find healing herbs. The legend of Asclepius is very similar to the story of Krishna's birth, and other sources connect Ophiuchus with the Egyptian Imhotep.
Like all 12 astrological signs, Ophiuchus (also called Serpentarius) has its own glyph. It looks like the letter U with a wavy line across it, and it's meant to show a man holding a snake in his hands. Seen from Earth, it looks as if Ophiuchus splits the Serpent into two parts, the head and the tail. A symbol showing a snake coiled around a staff is sometimes used as well.
The period when Ophiuchus rules the Sun falls within a six-week cycle in which people with great energetic potential or strong intuition are born. Many of them become psychologists, healers or mystics. Some of them are truly called to do good on our planet, while the rest usually do the exact opposite. There's nothing in between, because Ophiuchians are the embodiment of extremes. Some bring happiness and joy to others (Sathya Sai Baba is often cited), others bring misfortune and gloom (Augusto Pinochet). They're either very strong or extremely weak, and they act either very wisely or completely foolishly.
Not all of them know how to use their gift. They often have to burn everything old behind them so they can rise again like a phoenix from the ashes and become a different person. Their lives are full of unexplainable events they can't avoid. You could say they're hostages of their own fate. They have fairly little influence over what happens in their lives, because so much is decided for them. This isn't a punishment, though, but a chance to learn plenty of new things so they can grow and become better people. They're one of the few signs that truly enjoy life to the fullest, and they love travel and adventure. In dangerous or even life-threatening situations, they're usually the ones who get away without a scratch or survive as if by a miracle. That's because they have the ability to rely entirely on themselves.
Ophiuchians are the people most likely to lead a double life. They may have several families in different cities, or move in many social circles that often have nothing in common with each other.
It's wise not to argue with people born in the first half of December. They're capable of extremely stormy reactions, or even revenge. That's not because they're bad people, but because they find it hard to forgive others for being hostile toward them. They respond to life with either bad or good, never with lukewarm indifference. They have the gift of walking away from something amazing they've created, yet paradoxically they can't let go of things or relationships that stopped working long ago, simply out of habit. That makes it easy for them to become slaves to their habits. Their life is a battlefield, but they're one of the few signs that can live on it quite comfortably. They can't just stand still and rest. If they do, they end up working against themselves. Then comes an inevitable collapse that kicks them into moving forward again.
Every year in the fall, nature dies so that it can be born again. That's Ophiuchus.
When and where can you best see Ophiuchus in the sky?
From the Northern Hemisphere, the constellation of Ophiuchus is best seen in summer. In late July and early August, it sits high in the southern sky at nightfall. In the Southern Hemisphere, the best time to observe it is winter. The brightest star in the constellation is Rasalhague, meaning "head of the serpent charmer," and it's also worth mentioning that the Milky Way runs through the northeastern and southern parts of Ophiuchus.
Should Ophiuchus be part of the zodiac or not?
As is usually the case in situations like this, there are two camps. One side says Ophiuchus isn't a zodiac sign, just a constellation, so it has nothing to do with astrology, either modern or ancient. The other side tries to prove the opposite, arguing that adding the constellation to the astrological wheel and adjusting the dates to match when the Sun really passes through each sign could help astrology restore its reputation.
Natálie Dobrovolná