Astrology isn’t an exact science, but it is definitely fun to learn about. You may not believe in the Zodiac but everyone checks their horoscope every once in a while. Astrology can be traced back to Mesopotamian civilizations almost 10,000 years ago. Additionally, ancient China, Egypt, and Babylon also had their own forms of astrology. It is believed that all of these came together in Greece around 350 B.C. under the rule of Alexander the Great. As a result, all western zodiac signs have Greek myths associated with them. Keep reading to find out what ancient Greek figure your sign is associated with!
ARIES
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Aries was not recognized as a constellation until just a few hundred years ago. Aries is associated with the golden fleece from Greek mythology. According to the myth, King Asthmas’s wife mistreated her two step children, Phrixus and Helle, so Hermes, son of Zeus and god of shepherds, sent the children a ram with golden fleece. Phrixus and Helle rode the ram into the air across the sea, but Helle fell into the ocean between Europe and Asia. After Phrixus landed safely, he sacrificed the lamb to Zeus and gave its fleece to the King. Zeus, however, wanted the fleece recovered and sent his son, Jason, to retrieve it. He eventually got the fleece back and to honor the ram, he placed the fleece among the stars.
TAURUS
Taurus is associated with Zeus, god of the sky, as he takes the form of a bull to abduct Europa, a legendary Phoenician princess. In the myth, Zeus had taken the shape of a white bull to blend in with the bulls that Europa’s father took care of. One day while she was picking flowers, Europa noticed the bull and went to stroke its back. Zeus took this opportunity to reveal his true identity and kidnap her. He took her back to his home and made her the Queen of Crete. Zeus recreated the white bull in the stars as a gift to Europa.
GEMINI
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In Greek mythology, Gemini is often associated with Castor and Pollux, twin half brothers and famous adventurers. They were both born to Leda, their mother, but had different fathers. Castor was the son of Tynadreus, King of Sparta, making him mortal while Pollux was the son of Zeus, making him a demigod, a mortal with godlike abilities. They were both excellent fighters who earned a part on Jason’s ship. Unfortunately, they both died young in battle.
CANCER
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Although Cancer is not associated with any particular Greek figure, there is a mythological explanation as to why the constellation ended up in the sky. Hera had sent Karkinos, a multi-headed beast to distract Hercules during a battle. Hercules, being stronger than the beast, kicked it with such a force that Karkinos landed amongst the stars and stayed there.
LEO
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Leo was one of the first recognized constellations, as there is evidence that even the Mesopotamians had a similar constellation. The myth associated with Lea is of Heracles and the Nemean Lion. The lion had been terrorizing the village of Nemea and Heracles was sent to defeat it before it wiped out the entire Nemean countryside. He tried to fight the lion with weapons, first with arrows and then with his sword, but soon realized that the lion’s hide was impenetrable. He decided to kill it using brute force. He choked the lion using only his hands and then used the lion claws to rip its skin open. Later, Heracles used the lion’s skin as a cloak and is seen wearing it in almost all depictions of him.
VIRGO
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Greeks and Romans both associated Virgo with Demeter-Ceres, the goddess of wheat. She is depicted as an angel with wings. She supposedly lived on earth during the Golden Age of mankind; she never witnessed work, sorrow, or war.
LIBRA
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Libra is associated with the widely known Greek myth of Persephone and Hades. One day, while visiting the land of the living, Hades noticed Persephone, daughter of Zeus and goddess of harvest. He immediately fell in love and abducted her. She was unable to continue her role as the goddess of harvest while in the underworld with Hades so they came to a compromise. Each year she spent six months in the upperworld, during spring and summer, and six months in the underworld with Hades, during winter and fall. The stars of Libra represent Hades’s golden chariot the night he saw Persephone for the first time.
SCORPIO
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Almost all Greek myths related to Scorpio are about Orion. Orion was an average mortal who claimed to be so good at hunting that he bragged to Artemis that he could kill every animal on earth. Although Artemis was the goddess of hunting, she provided protection to all animals. To get rid of him, Artemis sent a scorpion to fight against him. Orion ultimately lost but the fight was apparently so entertaining that Zeus put the scorpion and, per Artemis’s request, Orion in the night sky to commemorate it.
SAGITTARIUS
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The Archer, the Sagittarius constellation, is associated with Chiron, one of the most heroic Greek figures. Chiron was a centaur, half horse and half human. Centaurs had a reputation of being dumb and violent, but Chiron was famous for being the kindest and gentlest centaur. He was known for his wisdom, caring nature and ability to teach. He served as a teacher to many famous Greek heroes such as Achilles and Jason.
CAPRICORN
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Although the physical description of Capricorn is a sea-goat, it is associated with Pan, a Greek demigod with the upper half of a man and lower half of a goat. He was the son of Hermes and a forest nymph. According to the myth, when he was born, he was so ugly that his mother shrieked and tried to get rid of him. Heres, on the other hand, was quite fond of his child and took him to Olympus to live with the other gods and goddesses. Eventually, Pan became the god of shepherds.
AQUARIUS
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Aquarius is based on the legend of Ganymede, the strikingly handsome son of the King of Troy. One day, while he was working with his father’s animals, Zeus flew by and was enamored by his looks. Zeus flew to the mountain in the form of a bird and took Ganymede to live with the gods and goddesses in the heavens. Since then, he has been the cupbearer to the gods.
PISCES
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According to one Greek myth, Aphrodite and her son, Eros, transform into koi fish to escape Typhon, the father of all monsters. Because of this, Pisces is often associated with fish. Another popular myth is that an egg fell into the Euphrates river and was rolled to the shore by fish. After landing on shore, doves sat on it until Aphrodite emerged from the egg. To thank the fish for saving her, Aphrodite put a fish in the night sky, the Pisces constellation.
Zodiacs are fun to learn about and although almost everyone is interested in their horoscope, not a lot of people know the origins of the zodiac signs and their connection to Greek mythology.