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Copyright © 2005 (& updat. © 1978)
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www.moses-egypt.net
Publ. in AMH Magazine, December 2006
(no.4, pp.24-27);
In ancient times the astronomical
observations most often were executed
by the priests. To support this work the sky was divided in a maze of various
construction lines. I addition to time measuring and calendar precision this
activity also served purposes of cultic nature and insights.
The Immobile Constellations and the Movable ‘Star Signs’
From where and how far do the
traditional 12 constellations reach when constituting the special kind of zodiac
named the immovable sidereal zodiac? Aries was always the first in the row of
constellations, but from where does it begin? This constellation is almost empty
of stars in the area around the imagined border to the constellation of Pisces.
Therefore, in the sidereal zodiac it has been necessary to find elsewhere
reference points with known positions, e.g. well-defined star positions, in
order to measure and compute the starting point in question.
In the following, for a
better understanding and to avoid confusion, the sidereal zodiac, i.e.
the immovable zodiacal constellations, will be mentioned mainly, and thus not
the movable “star signs” (likewise with zodiacal names), who have their
celestial positions related to the vernal equinox’s current change of position.
(The last mentioned zodiac is the one astrologers in Western culture dealt
with).
As a conspicuous star,
Spica has been used through times in attempts to find the possible original
point for computing the place of the siderial zodiac’s starting point. Ptolemy
(approx. 85-165 AD), the famous astronomer of antiquity, directed his attention
a lot to this star. Also in ancient India it gradually became common to use this
star for the purpose.
In his work, “Almagest”
(IV, II) with the original Greek name Mathematike Syntaxis, Ptolemy
describes the procedure determined approx. 250 years earlier by his colleague,
Hipparchus, about the position of this star. In addition he, in his “Almagest”
(VIII,I), mentions that Spica is one of the 5 most luminous main stars of
the fixed zodiac.
Also alpha Tairi, alpha
Leonis (Basiliscus-Regulus ), and for instance beta Leonis as well as
alpha Piscis australis, are among a number of stars pointed out by
Ptolemy from the 346 stars known at the time as being luminous of the first
degree.
Therefore, in any case,
inside this group it would be most relevant to find the star usable for
computing of the starting point - thus a star not necessarily being Spica.
The
Egyptian-Greek astronomer, Ptolemy (85-165), resided in Alexandria,
Antiquity’s centre of knowledge. (Above, a Renaissance concept of him).
The Four Royal Stars
In the just mentioned group of the
most luminous zodiacal stars the following two are special and very bright. That
is Aldebaran (Alpha Tauri), main star of the Taurus constellation - and
Basiliscus-Regulus (Alpha Leo), main star of the Leo constellation.
These in ancient time very
much used stars concerning celestial measuring bring into the picture two other
also very luminous main stars, i.e. Antares (Alpha Scorpio) in the
Scorpio constellation and Sadelmelik (Alpha Aquarius) of the Aquarius
constellation.
From time to time it has
been maintained that the star searched for to find the original starting point
had to be the aforementioned star Aldebaran. Especially this star was often a
help by normal observations. And in the tradition is known a computing method in
which this very bright star, Aldebaran, has been used in connection with the
main star of the Scorpio constellation, Antares, which is actually situated
exactly opposite to Aldebaran.
Greek-Babylonian ancient
texts mention the method - and so do the Greek astronomers, Rhetorius (about 100
BC) and Cleomedes (approx. 150-200 AD).
In Antiquity the
constellations of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius were considered to be the
four “fixed” celestial signs of the zodiac. This means that from a very early
astrology tradition, their significance was considered as being connected to the
world’s “fixed”, stable, or material mode of existence.
The historical designation
as “the four royal stars” is special for these four stars. They had their
name in the ancient world of stars and celestial relations, because they were
understood as being supremely important by being part of a bigger, but now
generally unknown, reference pattern.
The Great X-Cross in the Sky
In this pattern it was of great
importance that the opposite royal stars together with the connecting stars’
interconnecting lines of sight are crossing the sky between each pair of these
royal stars, thus forming an X-cross, dividing the very ecliptic into two
different pairs of almost symmetric parts.
Through times the mutual
distance between the royal stars has not changed in a visible way, as they have
only an insignificant proper motion.
If these stars should be
computed today being placed in the star signs of our “normal”, movable
zodiac, their positions within the past century up till the year 2000, are thus
the following: Aldebaran approx. 9°55’ in the
sign of Gemini, Basiliscus-Regulus approx. 30°00’
in the sign of Leo (or 0°00’ in the sign of Virgio),
Antares approx. 9°55’ in the sign of Aries,
and Sadelmelik approx. 3°30’ in the sign of
Pisces.
To be briefly oriented by a “rough” information the Persians also used
the four royal stars marking the four corners of the world, however, only in an
approximate direction.
This practice started
approx. 4,000 years ago, when Basiliscus was situated in the solstical midsummer
point. These stars were also called “the foir celestial guardians - in their
points Hastorang, “the northern position”, Tascheter” the
most eastern”, Venant “the most southern”, and Satevis “the most
western position”. Also in India this pattern was followed.
In antiquity the unchangeable celestial cross or rather the X-cross
formed by the lines of these stars was well known for not having four right
angles; instead it was divided in two angles of approx. 70 degrees and
two of 110 degrees.
This X-cross between the
four royal stars was thus one of the most important orientation patterns.
Especially because it naturally marks these four geometrical main points in the
sidereal zodiac.
Easily observed by everybody was, for instance, the mutual line of
sight of the Aldebaran, the main star of Taurus, and the Antares, the main star
of Scorpio, being situated exactly “opposite” each other. Quite an amount of
statements are known saying that one of the stars of such definite couple of
stars was rising at exactly the same time as the other “line connected” star was
setting.
This may have been seen as a strong symmetry, and a special precision
in such a pattern was understood. A wide-spread and severe attention was
connected to (with a modern expression) pattern recognition.
Thus it is understandable
that these phenomena were in much awe, when it was so strongly accepted that a
special logic of patterns was created on the basis of the (at that time) well
defined lines of sight between the stars.
In the religious-philosophical concepts from the ancient initiation
cultic ideas, these kinds of circumstances - many with an amazingly symmetry and
mutual accordance - were considered signs of a special order of cosmos of
synchronic connection, i.e. such connection between the sky and the earth
concerning both the living beings and the physical conditions.
I
in the
In the sky the constellation of the lying Lion appears as the Great Sphinx.
Its main star Basiliscus-Regulus is also named the Lion’s Heart.
The Basiliscus Star
The main stars Aldebaran in Taurus
and Antares in Scorpio are stars situated approx 5°
beneath the ecliptic line, and Sadelmelik in Aquarius is 10°
above. Concerning observation aid the Basiliscus-Regulus in Leo was thus
considered “leading”, because it is situated exactly at the ecliptic.
During observing the night
sky it was not without difficulties for the ancient astronomer-priests when
searching for the exact position of the ecliptic, which is the “orbit” of the
sun and thus the lengthwise middle line of the zodiac. Difficult, because the
exact celestial placement of the ecliptic is to be found only by means of the
positions of the moon eclipses caused by the sun and the earth. Up to five moon
eclipses can be observed annually, and they can only happen at the very
ecliptic. This is the reason for the name ecliptic, which means
‘eclipse(line)’.
Each 25,000th
year a cyclic “zero point” will appear, when the sidereal zodiac (of immobile
constellations) and the movable zodiac of “star signs” have exactly the same
starting point - at the vernal equinox.
Also here the Basiliscus
(Regulus) star presents its importance, because this star is the only one
situated exactly at the ecliptic. In the above work, “Almagest” (IX, 3), Ptolemy
describes how, therefore - necessarily, in a somewhat indirect way - he first
has to decide the longitude position of Basiliscus in order to be able - on this
basis - to decide other sidereal positions.
In particular, this
operation could be made around the time of equinox (carefully determined by the
equal length of day and night) by first observing the sun in its setting point
(near the start of the fixed Aries, in Ptolemy’s days) and then measuring the
distance to the moon (if the moon appeared within the same visual field) being
already possible to see dimly at dusk, and then finally to compute the length
from here to Basiliscus (near the start of Leo). In this way he was able
eventually to maintain the position of Basiliscus from the point of the vernal
equinox.
This operation was of a
great importance because by this kind of traditional practice at that time the
Basiliscus was anticipated as being situated in the very beginning of the Leo
constellation. And by consequence, when having found the correct position of
Basiliscus, automatically this would cause within this system that the starting
point of the sidereal zodiac was 120° from
that position. Thus the found spot showed the determined border line of the
Aries constellation, because the starting point of Aries was here defined as
situated in a triangular (trigon) relation, i.e. 120°
from the beginning of Leo.
This could also prove that the sidereal zero point was not merging
with the moving zodiac’s zero point at the time of Ptolemy, approx. 130 AD - as
claimed by many. If this were true, there should have been 120°
between Basiliscus and the moving zodiac’s starting point (vernal
equinox), and this is not the case. Whereas this was the case at the time of
Hipparchus - and actually it was marked with a solar eclipse passing over the
Basiliscus star in 157 BC.
Starting Point Known in Ancient Tradition
The importance of Basiliscus as a
precisely defined, but indirect, starting point of the sidereal zodiac, is also
demonstrated by the fact that it was among the rather few stars, which early was
by Hipparchus being mentioned with a defined longitude (ecliptic length).
Hardly correct, but many researchers nevertheless maintain that this
longitude system might have been something quite new and “primitive” at that
time with the Greeks.
An important schedule of
the stars of that time was the records of Theon of Alexandria, the Mathematician
and Astronomer; it was known as “Handy tables” (300 AD). Accordingly, it is
Basiliscus which is introducing these records of the positions of the stars,
because among several methods there also was a tradition which, when being
practised, required that Basiliscus was to be the marker for computing the
starting point of all longitudes. Indeed, the same practice is also used by
Ptolemy in his work “Inscriptio canobi”.
This practice can be found
from Ptolemy and back to Hipparchus and further back via the Persians to the
Babylonians, who had it from the early Sumerians.
Evidences of the
astronomical importance of this star in even earlier history can be seen in
Babylonian finds with the positions of Basiliscus written 1985 years prior to
Ptolemy.
As early as approx. 2320 BC traces show where this star would have
been situated around the solsticial midsummer point. The authority, Professor
Charles Piazzi Smyth, the Scottish Astronomer Royal, claimed the following:
“... through
times the best astronomers of all nations have used the longitude of Regulus (Basiliscus)
as dating point ...”.
The
2000 years old Greek-Roman sculpture depicturing the astro-mythological giant
Atlas carrying the sky globe on his shoulders. The Vernal equinox - at the time
of
the manufacturing of the statue, i.e. 2000 years ago - is exposed at the start
of Aries
(right foreleg) by the crossing of the equator and the ecliptical mid-line of
zodiac.
The Significance of the Royal Stars
Among the names of four royal stars, Antares refers directly to this main
star’s constellation of Scorpio, which according to tradition was ruled by
Planet Mars, as the name is believed to have been ant Ares, meaning in
Greek “as Mars”, which it also is visually, as it appears reddish. Therefore, in
India, it is called Rohini, ‘the red one’.
Aldebaran, the main
star in Taurus, stems from Arab Na’ir al-Dabaran, which means ‘the
brightest of the following (stars)’ - as Aries was seen as the first of
constellations in the zodiacal concept.
In the
1880ties, Camille Flammarion, the well known French astronomer and writer,
decided on one reason or another - as did earlier Bailly, his 18th
century great astronomer colleague - that the southern royal star, situated
close to the border between Aquarius and Pisces constellations, had to be
Fomalhaut (alpha Picis australis). Unfortunately this perception,
ignoring previous and traditional knowledge, has later become an part not to
eradicate from literature. Consequently the southern royal star is now only
known with the “incorrect” designation.
One
reason for this confusion could be that Sadelmelik - which here is the correct
star - is situated at exactly the same ecliptic longitude as the position of
Fomalhaut, which, however, by being to far outside the ecliptic, has to wide a
distance to this. Another reason might be that of these two stars,
Fomalhaut is most shining, which however, is not at all the criteria.
But as already hinted, in the present matter
the Fomalhaut star is even a poorer observation point, because it is situated as
much as 21° from the elliptic, i.e. more than
twice as far away compared to Sadelmelik with only 10°.
Simply, Fomalhaut does not at all belong to the concept of the
zodiac’s four ‘fixed’ constellations. Also, despite
its fish name it does not at all belong to the zodiac either.
Thus by Fomalhaut none of the
conditions of the royal star are fulfilled, neither in a star mythological or
technical way.
Whereas Sadelmelik,
which is the correct one, even is indicating the affiliation among the four
royal stars, as its name means something with ‘king’ - it means ‘the fortune of
the king’ (in Arab al Sa’d al-Malik). Also therefore, it is not
understandable how this modern tall story has been allowed to continue
undisclosed.
The name of the main star
of Leo is Regulus meaning ‘little king’ - this is Copernicus’ Latin
translation of its Greek name, Basiliscus, for instance from the works of
Ptolemy, and of the same meaning. It is also called Stella regia - from
Latin, rex, i.e. ‘king’, altogether ‘royal star’ which here “was ruling
the celestial conditions”.
In the holy text of ancient
India, Rig Veda, the Basiliscus star was called Magha, i.e. ‘the mighty’
- which is also the nickname of the kings, and correspondingly in Persia it was
named Meyan, ‘the mighty centre’. In China Basiliscus-Regulus was called
“The great star of the Imperial Family (Heen Yuen)”.
In Babylon Basiliscus
was named Sharru having two interpretations, ‘radiance’ and ‘king’
(cf. modern sha) - thus exist an affiliation. As far back as with the
Sumerians, this star was known.
The Leo
constellation in “De Astronomia” (“Poetica Astronomica”, published in Venice
1482) by Hyginus (64 BC - 17 AD), Latin writer and chief librarian of the
Palatine Library.
The bool’s illustrations (Ratdolt) became a model for all star atlas in several
centuries.
Royal Stars and the Initiated’s Knowledge
Hipparchus is probably not the first
person to discover the precision phenomenon - the spring equinox point’s slowly
shift of positions by moving backwards. The Babylonians would have discovered
the symptoms of this via their numerous star recordings for thousands of years,
and technically they could not avoid to have known something about it.
Originally this knowledge
seems to have been known to secluded cults - not least in Babylon, but also in
India and Egypt - with their teaching by the initiated groups more than anything
this included star knowledge.
Plato lived from 427 till
347 BC, thus approx. 200 years prior to Hipparchus. Plato was an initiated
person himself, and in his work, “Timaios” (Plato’s writings, VIII), he tells
about the sky above us and its exterior “homogeneous” movement being slowly
moving to the right. Apparently he describes the precision and not the
rotation of the earth, because among other things he separately describes also
the earth’s own (rapid) rotation and pole axis in the same chapter.
As mentioned, such
knowledge being seen to reach far back in time, for instance with the Sumerians.
From long before their own culture these Sumerians took over the probably oldest
tradition of the Basiliscus concerning having once been situated in east at the
spring equinox point; they called this star Gus-ba-m, meaning ‘the flame
of fire-luminous of the eastern house’.
In Babylon the “diagonal” line of sight between Aldebaran and Antares
might ideologically be understood as a connection manifested metaphorically in
the Babylonian type of sphinx: the Winged Bull, thus including the at that time
important constellation Aru, Babylonian for ‘Eagle’, which is placed
close by the Scorpio stars.
In the astro-mythological world of imagination Taurus and Scorpio were related
to the elements of earth and water.
Basiliscus and
Sadelmelik, the two other main stars, were often most engaging as being the
“royal” stars. Their diagonal line of connection across the sky was understood
by the ancient star knowledge as the connection between the elements fire and
air based on their belonging so-called “fixed” constellations, i.e. Leo and
Aquarius. Astro-mythological - and perhaps even far older than any of these
records - this has been interpreted as being expressed in the Egyptian sphinx:
the body of a lion with a human head of the Aquarius.
Traditionally, when passing
through the stars of Taurus, especially the Pleiades cluster, the moon was
considered having significance as “elevated” and by itself attached to the
element of water, which was also the case of the Scorpio - in the sky this
constellation is placed opposite to Taurus.
All this was known very early in the Babylonian world of ideas - a
culture very occupied with the night sky and celebrating the moon. However, in
Egypt, the great neighbour of the Babylonian empire, the celestial features of
the religion was in several respects more related to the sun.
Within their country, the
ancient Jewish people got into endless jams with these two great nations, but
were also influenced by them. One result of this was that from a basis
originally of the Moses rules they actually had to accept living by calendar
systems of both parties, a hybrid of combined sun and moon calendar with 12
months of the sun year and 13 months of the moon year respectively - at that
time of vital religious importance, also in a symbolic sense.
Ove von Spaeth
Author, historian,
researcher - Copyright © 2005 (& updat. © 1978)
This text
includes extracts from Ove von Spaeth’s book “Den Hemmelige Religion” (The
Secret
Religion) - which is volume no. 4 of his series
“Assassinating Moses”, p.t. in Danish only
( C.A. Reitzel,
Publisher and Bookseller, phone (+45) 33 12 24 00 &
info@careitzel.com )
More information:
www.moses-egypt.net
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