The Myths According to Which Each Zodiac Sign Was Created

A lot of people probably aren't aware of this, but each sign of the zodiac has a significant place and role to play in history and mythology.

Their symbolism is not coincidental, and each one was created in remembrance of a legendary figure from mythology whose personality was strikingly similar to that of the particular zodiac sign.

Any myth that depicts them, regardless of how implausible or fantastical the story may be, is also able to amplify our feelings of awe and wonder.

If we give these myths a little more thought, we may also come to the conclusion that they are applicable to all times and places, including the modern era in which we are living.

There is a rationale behind this as well because these fragments of our past define us and watch over our existence and life path

 

 

Aries

Myth of the Golden Fleece

The first person to worship Nephele, the goddess of clouds, was King Athamas of the city of Orchomenus in the Boeotian region of Greece, which is located in the southeast.

He had a daughter named Helle and a son named Phrixos with her. Phrixos's name means “curly,” like the ram's fur. After breaking up with Nephele, Athamas went on to marry Cadmus' daughter, Ino.

Because Ina was jealous of the fact that her husband had children from a previous marriage, she entertained the idea of taking their lives.

It is said that she convinced Athamas to sacrifice Phrixos because doing so was the only way to put an end to the famine in Orchomenus.

Nephele, or her spirit, then materialized in front of the children alongside a winged ram whose fleece was all gold in order to stop this.

The children then attempted to flee across the sea on the ram, but Helle fell off the ship and drowned in the Hellespont, which is named after her.

Phrixus was eventually transported by the ram to the secure location of Colchis, which is located in modern-day Georgia on the eastern shore of the Black Sea.

Phrixus then sacrificed the ram and hung its fleece on a tree in a temple that was dedicated to Ares.

The fleece remained in that location until the hero Jason took possession of it, at which point Aries became the name of a constellation in the sky.

Since the fleece is itself a representation of authority and royal power, it should come as no surprise that people born under Aries are known for their bravery and heroic qualities.

It is also mentioned in the story of the hero Jason, who goes on a quest to find the fleece so that he can take his rightful place on the throne of Iolcus in Thessaly.

 

 

Taurus

Europa's abduction by Zeus

After falling in love with Europa, Zeus made the decision to pursue her, taking advantage of the fact that his wife Hera was not there.

In order to accomplish this, he changed his appearance to that of a magnificent white bull with golden horns and sought refuge in the herd owned by Europa's father.

Europa was out with her friends gathering flowers when she came across the bull and was immediately taken aback by its stunning good looks. She proceeded to caress its side, decorated its horns with flowers, and climbed on its back.

Seeing his chance, Zeus rushed to the water and began swimming in the direction of Crete while carrying Europa on his back.

During the time that he was swimming, they were joined by Nereids riding dolphins, Poseidon, and Triton. Europe realized he was a god and begged him for mercy.

While they were on the island of Crete, he finally revealed his identity to her, and she was crowned the island's first queen.

After that, Zeus made the decision to make amends for her abduction by presenting her with three gifts:

Talos, a bronze automaton, Laelaps, a dog that never fails to catch its prey, and a spear that never misses.

Later on, Zeus created the constellation Taurus in the appearance of the white bull, which served as a symbol of love, power, and beauty.

 

 

Gemini

Castor and Pollux the Dioscuri

Castor and Pollux are the two twins that make up the constellation Gemini. The two siblings were sometimes referred to collectively as the Dioscuri.

Castor was the mortal son of King Tyndarus, whereas Pollux was the immortal of Zeus. Castor and Pollux were identical twins, so they were indistinguishable from one another in both their appearance and behavior.

Castor was an excellent horseman, and Pollux was a formidable warrior. Pollux begged Zeus to resurrect Castor after the latter was killed in combat.

Castor and Pollux were both granted immortality by Zeus on the condition that they spent half of their lives on earth and the other half among the stars in the heavens.

Castor and Pollux were ultimately reborn as the stars that make up the constellation Gemini, where they continue to shine brightly to this day.

In addition to being regarded as benefactors to humanity, the Dioscuri were also revered as protesters of travelers and, in particular, sailors who called upon them for favorable winds.

Since that time, sailors knew that if they saw these two stars together, their journey would be successful, whereas seeing only one of them was considered to be unlucky.

 

 

Cancer

The giant crab that was obedient to Hera

Goddess Hera was driven to madness by her husband Zeus' extramarital affairs and, more specifically, by the children who were born as a result of those affairs.

Hercules, the legendary hero, was the offspring of one of his extramarital affairs, and his mother despised him more than any of his other children.

She manipulated him into killing his own wife and children out of obsession. After regaining his sanity, he traveled all the way to the oracle in Delphi in the hopes of receiving guidance on how he could atone for his sins.

There, he was given the task of serving King Eurystheus and completing 12 tasks that would atone for his sins. During the second task, Eurystheus assigned Hercules the mission of slaying the Hydra, a monster that Hera had designed specifically to kill Hercules.

But Hercules' strength was greater than that of the beast, and so Hera, angry at Hercules' success, dispatched a gigantic crab to divert his attention.

Never was there a more wretched figure in Greek mythology, whom he simply crushed after she had pinched his toe.

However, as a reward for the crab's obedience and sacrifice, Hera set her among the stars in the form of the constellation Cancer.

 

 

Leo

The bravery of the Nemean lion

The Nemean lion was the first of the beasts that the hero Hercules had to slay, similar to the myth of Cancer.

In the city of Cleonae, he also encountered a young man who told him that if he didn't kill the lion within the next 30 days and come back alive, the young man would offer himself as a sacrifice to Zeus, but if he did, the lion would be sacrificed to Zeus.

Because of the protective properties of its fur, the lion that Hercules fought was able to avoid being injured by any weapon.

After coming to this realization, Hercules proceeded to suffocate the animal with his hands and use its own claws to remove the lion's fur.

King Eurystheus was astonished and terrified when the man returned after 30 days carrying the dead lion's carcass on his shoulders.

Hercules wears his fur both as a personal shield and as a badge of honor to show off his strength. At some point, Hera or Zeus creates the constellation Leo in recognition of the efforts and contributions made by the lion.

 

 

Virgo

The abduction of Persephone

The goddess of fertility known as Demeter, along with other fertility goddesses, is said to represent the sign of Virgo.

Therefore, in her honor, there is a constellation known as Virgo, which is symbolic of motherhood and fertility and not of the purity of innocence.

The story of Demeter and Persephone in Greek mythology is one that tells of the profound bond that can exist between a mother and her daughter.

When Hades, the god of the underworld, emerges from the underworld, he notices adult Persephone. He was captivated by her beauty, and it led to him falling in love with her. He then asked Zeus, her father, for her hand in marriage.

Zeus gives in and agrees. Hades, however, knows that Demeter will not agree with him because she has a deep love for her daughter, so he abducts her. 

Demetre is enraged by this and takes her anger out on the mortals, neglecting her duties to care for the earth in order to preserve it.

After being tormented by the death of plants and hunger, the mortals cried out to Zeus for assistance, and he gave Hermes the task of bringing Persephone back home.

Hermes thought he would find her suffering in the underworld; however, he was taken aback to discover that Hades loved her, respected her, and even made a garden for her in the underworld.

She had a strong desire to be with her husband and not go back to her hometown, but she was also missing her mother. Therefore, Zeus came to the conclusion that Persephone should spend time both with her mother and with her husband.

Hades would take Persephone down to the underworld for half a year, and she would spend the other half living on Mount Olympus with her mother.

Therefore, while she is spending time with Hades, Demeter brings about autumn and winter, but after she returns home, spring and summer bring fertility and happiness once more.

 

 

Libra

Justitia the goddess of justice

Justitia, the Roman goddess of justice, is honored by the constellation Libra. People used to have a happy and peaceful existence in ancient times, but as their intelligence increased, they started to develop negative characteristics, such as killing others and starting wars.

As the gods were unable to tolerate this, many of them ascended back to heaven from the earth. On the other hand, Lady Justice chose to remain with them in the hopes that they would revert to their previous behavior.

Still, each day she became more and more dissatisfied with her wicked deeds, and she returned to Heaven as well, but with the naive belief that one day they would be pure and good once more.

To this day, she is a symbol for those who hope that humanity will one day come to its senses and that justice will be served. At least Lady Justice will continue to optimistically believe this.

 

 

Scorpio

The myth about Orion

According to Greek mythology, the constellation Scorpio is symbolic of a figure that many goddesses found to be impossible to resist.

Orion was Poseidon's son and was known to be a skilled warrior, a passionate and good-looking man.

Even though he was celebrated by both humans and gods for his accomplished hunting skills, his lustful nature garnered most of the attention.

Because he was so persistent in his pursuits, he even lost his eyesight for harassing Merope. In spite of this, with the help of Hermes, he was able to regain his sight after staring into the face of the sun god Helios.

When he got his sight back, his lust came back too, but this time it is for Artemis, the goddess of the moon and hunting, who has never shown much interest in males.

She went so far as to swear that she would never get married, and as a result, many men revered her as a goddess of virginity.

However, Orion alone was successful in winning her affection and was the only one who was able to truly understand her.

Nevertheless, Apollo did not approve of this plan, and he desired to get rid of Orion; therefore, he asked the goddess Gaia to send a scorpion to chase him into the sea.

While in the sea, Apollo told Artemis that there was a spot in the sea that she should hit with her arrow to prove her skill. Too late, she realizes that she killed her beloved Orion.

Because Artemis was in such a state of emotional distress, Zeus decided to place Orion and the scorpion in the night sky.

Together, so that they will never have to face each other again because Orion always appears in the night sky only when Scorpio disappears.

 

 

Sagittarius

The myth about Chiron

Chiron, the most enlightened and fair of all centaurs, is symbolized by the Sagittarius constellation. The Titan Kronos and the Ocenaid Philyra were the parents of Chiron.

Chiron's origins, on the other hand, set him apart from the other centaurs, who were generally known for their noisy nature.

While the other centaurs were born from the sun and rain clouds, Chiron was born with human and horse DNA.

Apollo, who educated him in the use of herbs and medicine, was responsible for his superior wisdom, intelligence, and charitable nature.

Chiron's life changed forever, however, when Hercules shot him with a poisoned arrow by accident one day. Chiron was an exceptionally gifted healer; however, he was unable to cure himself.

Chiron could not die because he was immortal so he endured daily torment because of the poisoned arrow.

As a result, Chiron proposed that he take the place of Prometheus, who was being punished by the gods for granting humans the ability to use fire so that he could pass away in peace.

Zeus was so moved by Chiron's selflessness that he decided to immortalize him in the stars after he sacrificed his own immortality to set Prometheus free from his chains.

 

 

Capricorn

Pricus, the father of all sea goats

According to Greek mythology, Pricus was the father of all sea goats, who were a race of intelligent creatures that lived at great depths in the sea.

They were admired and favored by the gods, and because Chronos created Pricus, he possessed the power to control time.

Some of his children were drawn to the shore, and out of their natural curiosity, they ventured away from the sea, away from where their father, Pricus, intended to keep them.

The more time they spent on the rocky shore, the less magnificent their fins looked, and slowly they began to turn into normal goats.

Because of this, not only did they lose their beauty, but they also became headless animals that had no connection to the sea. This made Pricus very upset.

In order to prevent this from happening, he would turn back time every time his children went to the shore. However, regardless of the number of times he reversed time, his children eventually made their way to the shore.

Pricus begs Chronos to let him pass away because he was immortal and didn't want to suffer this fate and remain the only sea goat.

Chronos instead decides to immortalize him in the night sky by transforming him into the constellation Capricorn.

 

 

Aquarius

The myth about Ganymede

According to Greek mythology, the constellation Aquarius is supposed to be a representation of Ganymede, whom Zeus kidnapped.

Ganymede had a reputation for being the most handsome of all mortals, and Zeus desired to have him in Olympus.

He took him captive and offered his father horses as a form of compensation; his father accepted this offer. Because he was chosen to hold the cups of the gods, Zeus bestowed upon him the gift of immortality.

In a different version of the myth, Zeus also appears to him in the form of an eagle and transports him to the heavens in order to become a god.

But after some time, Zeus got tired of him and placed him as a constellation among the stars. Aquarius is the name of that constellation.

 

 

Pisces

The myth about Aphrodite and Eros

The goddess Aphrodite and the god Eros were responsible for the creation of the constellation Pisces.

Typhon, the god of destruction and evil in Greek mythology, was not on good terms with the other gods because of his nature.

One day, when he had had enough of being shunned by society, he climbed Mount Olympus in order to threaten all of the gods.

Due to the fact that they were aware of his abilities and powers, the gods made the decision to try to avoid him. They did this by transforming into animals in order to increase their speed and agility.

Aphrodite and Eros were the only two of the gods who did not take the form of an animal, and as a result, they were in danger of being injured.

Even though Typhon was still pursuing them, two fish appear and rescue them by carrying them away on their backs.

In recognition of this heroic act, the Greek gods placed the two fish in the sky, where they became part of the constellation Pisces.