The constellations that we use in modern Western astrology come from ancient Greece. They believed that the stars were hung in the sky by the gods, and some of the different constellations had specific mythologies. This is what the ancient Greeks thought were the origins of the 12 signs of the zodiac.
Aries, also known as Chrysomallus, was a fabulous flying ram with a golden fleece, a gift from Hermes. His mother was Theophane, a beautiful maiden and daughter of Poseidon. When she was staying on the island of Crumissa, to avoid suitors, Poseidon changed her into a beautiful ewe, all the inhabitants of the island cattle, and himself into a ram. When the suitors arrived, they began to slaughter the cattle for food, so Poseidon changed them into wolves to kill the suitors. Meanwhile, in ram form, he lay with his daughter, who later gave birth to Aries.
Aries, March 21-April 19
The cloud-nymph Nephele sent him to rescue his children Phrixos and Helle when they were about to be sacrificed to the gods by his stepmother, Ino. The ram flew the pair to Colchis at the far end of the Black Sea. One version of the story suggests that Dionysus sent the siblings mad, causing Helle to fall into the sea, giving the sea its name Hellespont, when they were traveling to Colchis.
At Colchis, the ram instructed him to sacrifice him to Zeus Physius or Laphystius in place of his sacrifice. He was placed among the stars as a constellation. His shining fleece was given to King Aeetes, who hung it in a grove of Ares, and it became the goal of the quest of Jason and the Argonauts.
Taurus, April 20-May 20
Taurus was named for the Cretan Bull, a handsome bull sent forth from Poseidon. It was the bull who carried Europa across the sea. The king of Minos was meant to sacrifice the full to the gods, but he was so charmed by the beauty of the animals that he kept it and sacrificed a different bull.
In vengeance, Aphrodite made Minos’ wife, Queen Pasiphae of Crete, lustful after the animals. She convinced the inventor Daedalus to create a wooden bull for her to hide inside to mate with the bull. She later gave birth to the Minotaur, a man with the head of a bull.
The bull continued to run amok in Minos’ territory. Heracles was commanded to fetch the Cretan Bull as one of his 12 Labors. Upon his completion of the task, he set it free. It found its way to the Athenian town of Marathon, where it laid waste to the countryside. It was killed by the hero Theseus, and the gods placed the bull among the stars as Taurus. The Hydra and Nemean Lion were also creatures linked with Heracles’ labors that became constellations.
Gemini, May 21-June 20
Gemini is named for the twins known as the Dioscuri. They were the sons of the mortal princess Leda, who became pregnant at the same time with a son of Zeus and a son of her mortal husband, Tyndareus. This resulted in an immortal son, Pollux, and a mortal son, Castor.
The brothers were inseparable and engaged in many adventures together, including being among the Argonauts and joining the Caledonian Boar Hunt. They laid siege to Athens once when Theseus kidnapped their sister Helen.
They got into a fight with another pair of twins called Idas and Lynceus when they were stealing their cattle. Castor was killed by the Idas, and then Pollux killed them both. Pollux was offered immortality, but he would not go without his brother. Zeus allowed them to share Pollux’s immortality, splitting their time between the heavens and the underworld.
Cancer, June 21-July 22
Carcinus was a giant crab that came to the aid of the Hydra during its battle with Heracles as part of the hero’s 12 labors. The Hydra was a serpentine lake monster that lived at Lerna, which was near the entrance to the underworld. It was reportedly the child of the monsters Typhon and Echidna and had poisonous breath and blood so virulent that even its scent was deadly. Its heads may also have regenerated when chopped off.
The crab tried to help the Hydra by biting Heracles on the foot, but Heracles killed it by trampling it under his foot. The crab was put among the stars by Hera, who was responsible for Heracles’ labors.
Leo, July 23-August 22
The Nemean Lion was a large lion whose hide was impervious to weapons that plagued the district of Nemea in the Argolis. It may have been another offspring of Typhon and Echidna. King Eurystheus commanded Heracles to destroy it as the first of his 12 labors. While he was traveling to meet the lion, Heracles met a man called Molorchus who was preparing to make a sacrifice to Zeus Soter. Heracles suggested that he wait 30 days and they make the sacrifice together on his return. If he did not return, Molorchus was to sacrifice to Heracles as a hero. Hercules returned just in time for the joint sacrifice.
The hero cornered the lion in its cave and had to wrestle it with his bare hands due to its impervious skin. He later skinned the lion with its own tooth to make his famous lion-skinned cape. Again, Hera, who orchestrated the labors of Hercules due to her hatred of her husband’s illegitimate son, placed the lion among the stars.
Virgo, August 23-September 22
The Greeks associated Virgo with the goddess Demeter, a goddess of fertility, the seasons, and the harvest, and also the transition to the underworld. It may have represented the goddess at the moment of her reunification with her daughter Persephone after she was kidnapped and taken to the underworld.
Another Greek myth from later times associated the constellation with Erigone, the daughter of Icarius of Athens, a favorite of Dionysus. When he was killed by his shepherds while they were intoxicated, Erigone hanged herself in grief. Dionysus then placed both father and daughter among the stars.
Libra, September 23-October 22
Astraia was the virgin goddess of justice and the daughter of Zeus and Themis. She dwelt on earth during the golden age (fifth age) of men, when Hercules and Achilles walked the earth. She was driven away by the chaos of the next inferior age of men, and Zeus placed her among the stars.
Scorpio, October 23-November 21
Scorpius was a giant scorpion sent by Gaia, the goddess of the earth, to slay the giant Orion when he threatened to slay all the beasts in the world. They were then both placed among the stars. The two are never seen in the sky at the same time, for as one constellation rises, the other sets.
Sagittarius, November 22-December 21
Chiron was the eldest and wisest of the centaurs, a Thessalian tribe of half-horse men. He was an immortal son of the Titan Cronus when the Titan was in a tryst with the nymph Philyra and turned himself into a horse to avoid getting caught by his wife Rhea. The rest of the centaurs were spawned by the cloud nymph Nephele.
Chiron was a teacher and mentor for some of the greatest heroes in Greek mythology, including Jason, Peleus, the physician Asclepius, and demigods Aristaios and Achilles. He himself was instructed by Apollo and Artemis and was renowned for his skill in hunting, medicine, music, gymnastics, and the art of prophecy.
Chiron was accidentally wounded by Heracles when he was battling other members of the tribe. The arrow he used had Hydra venom, making the wound incurable. Rather than suffer the pain of the wound, Chiron voluntarily relinquished his immortality. Zeus then placed him among the stars.
Capricorn, December 22-January 19
Aigipan was the goat-legged Panes, probably the son of Zeus and a goat. When the gods fled from the monster Typhon and hid themselves in Egypt in animal form, Aigipan assumed the form of a fish-tailed goat. He later aided Zeus when he faced the monster, stealing back the god’s severed sinews when Typhon removed them and hid them in the skin of a bear. As a reward, he was placed among the stars.
Aquarius, January 20-February 18
Ganymede was a handsome Trojan prince who was carried off to heaven by Zeus in the shape of an eagle to be his cupbearer. Zeus compensated his father for the loss with two divine horses. He was placed among the stars with his mixing cup for ambrosia, the nectar of the gods. He was also granted eternal youth and was the lover of Zeus.
Pisces, February 19-March 20
The Ichthyes were two large Syrian river fish who rescued Aphrodite and Eros when they were fleeing Typhon, helping them disguise themselves as fish and flee. They are also sometimes credited with assisting in the birth of Aphrodite from the sea foam. For their service to the gods, they were placed among the stars.
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