Our ancestors noticed, thousands of years ago, the way the Sun passes different star constellations in each season. This path is called the Path of the Sun or the Ecliptic. The path, which is completed over the year, has been divided into 12 equal parts of 30 degrees each. There lies the origin of the first celestial system of coordinates, which comes from Babylonian astrology. Recognizing the shapes of adjacent stars and brighter shapes aided navigation considerably and so the sky could be used as a map. 

The scientists of antiquity and the Middle Ages were not able to draw the exact lines but with the appearance of telescopes many planetary objects invisible to the naked eye have been discovered. Based on the coordinates from the 1930s, even the positions of the smallest stars are known.

The division of the 88 constellations according to their position in the sky:

• northern (26 constellations)
• equatorial (17 constellations)
• southern (45 constellations)

The constellations of the Ecliptic are ruled by planets. The zodiacal cycle begins with the first day of spring (otherwise known as the vernal equinox). The signs of the Zodiac are: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. Astrology recognizes 12 zodiacal constellations but the Sun passes 14 of them. 

The missing links are:   Ophiuchus / the Serpent-Bearer (which includes the Serpens Caput / the Head of the Serpent and the Serpens Cauda / the Tail of the Serpent) and Orion / the Hunter. Both of these constellations touch on the Ecliptic, the Equator and the Milky Way. They have the energy of initiation, they aid the acquisition of consciousness and alertness. They are considered hidden signs because they haven’t yet been included in the astrological library.

The so-called patrons of the ecliptic constellations are deities from Greek mythology, the constellations are watched and ruled over by Olympian gods. The stars of the constellations were named in the order of their brightness and designated with the letters of the Greek alphabet (the brightest star is alpha, then beta etc.)

The 14 constellations of the ecliptic are:

• Aries/  The Ram 
• Taurus / The Bull 
• Orion/ The Hunter
• Gemini/ The Twins
• Cancer/ The Crab 
• Leo/ The Lion 
• Virgo/ The Virgin 
• Libra/ The Scales
• Scorpio / The Scorpion
• Ophiuchus/ The Serpent-Bearer (including the Serpens Caput / the Head of the Serpent and the Serpens Cauda / the Tail of the serpent)
• Sagittarius/ The Archer 
• Capricorn / The Goat 
• Aquarius/ The Water-Bearer 
• Pisces/ The Fish 

You can read about their hidden wisdom further on in detail. 

The Celestial Equator is the imaginary extention of the Earth’s orbital plane. The intersections of the Ecliptic and the Celestial Equator are the points of the spring and autumn equinoxes. The Sun falls under the Equator in autumn, it goes in the underworld, reflecting the depths of the soul. In spring it rises above, entering the higher sky, the world of consciousness.

The constellations of the Celestial Equator are: 

• Cetus/ The Whale 
• Eridanus/ The River Eridanus
• Monoceros/ The Unicorn
• Hydra/ The Northern Water Serpent 
• Sextans/ The Sextant
• Crater/ The Cup
• Corvus/ The Raven
• Aquila/ The Eagle
• Delphinus/ The Dolphin
• Equuleus/ The Foal

In an analysis (based on your birth chart) an astrosopher will use 24 secret constellations (14 ecliptic and 10 equatorial ones). With the help of these constellations, they can reveal your hidden talents, and the messages concealed in your personality and destiny.

The Sun, on its path from right to left, may encounter more than one planet at a time so it’s worth taking this into account when interpreting energetic influences. Although the visible direction of  constellations is the same, their distance often differs. The actual constellations vary greatly in size. For this reason, it is the quality of the constellation that is important, not the quantity.

Pictures:

flickr.com/Mary-Ellen Peters

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