Scorpio is the sign of mysteries, secrets, and hidden things, so it’s no surprise that among its hidden attributes is an entire “lost sign” of the zodiac.

I wrote about this last year in the second half of Scorpio, so many of you already are aware that there’s a thirteenth constellation of the zodiac, Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer, sometimes called the Snake Handler. There is so much rich symbolism in this sign, including its hidden nature.

As I explained previously, the zodiac is comprised of twelve constellations on the ecliptic, the path the Sun takes as it appears to move through the sky from our perspective here on Earth. Although Ophiuchus is clearly on the ecliptic, it was formally excluded from the tropical zodiac, because the sky is a 360-degree circle, and it divides very easily into twelve but not so neatly into thirteen.

When the ancient Greeks came up with the tropical zodiac system, they incorporated Ophiuchus into the adjacent sign of Scorpio. But most of Scorpio is actually Ophiuchus. Depending on how you calculate it, the Sun is theoretically in Scorpio for just one week and in Ophiuchus for three weeks.

I believe that this is the source of the healing and regenerative powers that many Scorpios and Rising Scorpios have. Some of the most talented healthcare professionals I know have strong Scorpio in their charts. Among their many gifts, they intuitively understand the source of the illness and therefore can find the right cure.

Astrology is strongly informed by mythology, and the mythology of Ophiuchus is fascinating. He is said to be Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine. To this day, the medical community uses entwined snakes as its symbol. Incidentally, snakes and scorpions were both regarded as symbols of death and regeneration, and they are used interchangeably as symbols for Scorpio.

Interestingly, Ophiuchus is near the location of the Galactic Center, which adds to its healing properties. Just as our own healing comes from our core (the Latin root for heart), collective healing comes from our greater center. Advanced healing technologies are coming into the mainstream that use the various light spectrums and sound waves to influence the body’s core energies so that it can heal itself.

So many mysteries left to solve…

Wishing you all much love and courage,

Pat

Image: Ophiuchus, from the Star Atlas of Johannes Kepler, early 17th century.