CONJECTURE PART DEUX"The stuff of legends are made of Mythical Proportions.” “A Herculean task.”
When researching the zodiac calendar for The 13th Sign, Greek and Roman myths abound, surrounding the constellations.
We forget they are stories. The way folks speak of Hercules, they forget that they are tales. We talk of his labors as if they really happened, like casting a lion into the skies!
That is why they call it a myth. Myths are so ingrained, they feel like facts. The power of story is its ability to teach and to endure.
Historians believe the modern 12-sign zodiac calendar is interwoven with the myths of the Twelve Labors of Hercules and some of the connections are a stretch but there is significant evidence that both share a huge mythological and symbiotic bond.
Legend records that Hercules angered King Eurystheus and was ordered to perform ten challenges, or labours as atonement. Hercules was a sneak and cheated on two of the labours and the King ordered two more challenges bringing the total to twelve.
Hera, the goddess, wanted Hercules to fail and tossed obstacles in his way but Hercules triumphed.
The order of his labours vary from source to source as do the horoscope signs associated with each labour. The stories of what happened during the labors also varry but it is a myth, after all. Stories change over two thousand years or so but if wee look at the Twelve Labours through the lens of the astrological constellations interesting insights take shape.
Aries
Aries is traditionally the first sign of the zodiac. Many align this sign with Stealing the Mares of Diomedes. But isn’t Aries the ram? Yes, we will get to that.
The ponies Hercules was tasked to catch were man-eating mares. Hercules sought the aid of his best bud Abderis, who was killed when Hercules declared an early victory. Hercules regrouped and tamed the horses. This labour is associated with Aries the Ram because Hercules was stubborn, bold, and naïve in thinking he had won when he had lost that led to the demise of a dear friend. Hercules is the ram.
Taurus
Hercules was then sent to Capture the Cretan Bull or Taurus the Bull… next!
Gemini
Hercules had to Steal the Golden Apples of Hesperides but was unable to get by the horrible hundred-headed dragon guarding the apple tree but knew he knew Atlas could. Hercules made a deal with Atlas by offering to hold up the heavens if Atlas would get the apples.
Those who study the stars refer to the twins in Gemini as Castor and Pollux but they have also been referred to as Hercules and Apollo—man and god.
Cancer
This sign is traditionally associated with Slaying the Nine-Headed Lernaean Hydra. Hercules battled the beast and was winning when he realized that the goddess Hera had ushered in a large crab to distract Hercules. He crushed it and slayed the hydra. Hera immortalized both in the skies as the symbol of Cancer, the crab.
Leo
The Slaying of the Nemean Lion is traditionally considered the first of the labours and is closely associated with the constellation Leo the lion. This is important. Astrologers believe Leo is the pretender leader of the zodiac. The fact that the first labour is tied to Leo is a thumbed at Aries.
Virgo
Virgo is associated with Obtaining the Girdle of Hippolyta. Virgo’s symbol is the virgin.
Libra
Libra or the scales is linked to the Capture of the Erymanthian Boar. Prior to capturing beast, Hercules paused for a nip of wine with his old friend the centaur Pholus. They had more than a nip and Pholus was killed when he stepped on one of Hercules’ poison arrows. The scales of Libra refers to the balance needed in life to avoid tragedy and achieve success.
Scorpio
Hercules was assigned to Capture the Golden Hind of Artemis, a deer so fast it outran arrows. When the sun is in the house of Scorpio, the constellation Stag, often called Hercules rises. The scorpion that comprises Scorpio and the Stag/Hercules are near to the constellation of Ophiuchus, sometimes called the missing 13th sign of the zodiac.
Sagittarius
The Stymphalian birds were fierce man-eating birds of beaks of bronze and sharp metallic feathers that launched knife-like missiles with highly toxic dung. When Hercules was sent to kill them, he was smart enough to do so from a distance and slayed them with his bow and arrows that linked this labour to Sagittarius the Archer.
Capricorn
Capricorn is The Capture of Cerberus, the three-headed hound and guardian of the gates of Hades. Cerberus had a mane of snakes and a serpent's tail. Capricorn’s symbol is a goat, which has been likened to this journey because goats are stubborn and must overcome rocky terrain to reach great heights.
Aquarius
Hercules had to Clean the Augean Stables in a single day, this labor was intended to humiliate him. All the other labors had glorified him except for this assignment to muck the stalls of the divine beasts. The stables had been ignored for 30 years and over 1,000 head of cattle lived there. Hercules re-routed the rivers Alpheus and Pineios to clean the filth. Aquarius is the water-bearer!
Pisces
Pisces is associated with the Capture of the Cattle of Geryon, a beast of a man with three heads and six hands and feet! A giant! Geryon owned red cattle and Hercules was assigned to capture them, which he did but Hera, the goddess tried to stop the capture by sending a gadfly to bite the cattle causing a year-long delay. She flooded the river so that Hercules and the cattle could not cross. Hercules stacked stones and led the cattle across. The two fish of Pisces who swim in opposite directions represent Hercules and Hera.
A murky-at-best relationship between the zodiac and the Twelve Labors has been around for a while. Scholars believe the myth of the Twelve Labors was developed to teach about the path that the sun, often thought of as Hercules as well, takes through the celestial sphere. It was a mnemonic device to learn about the heavens.
A myth.
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