The God's New Clothes, (or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Point Out Their Naughty Bits.)

 Today the Sun is conjunct the Star Mirach, in the “left hip” of Andromeda, the constellation of a princess whose Mother Cassiopeia bragged about her beauty surpassing all else, and is chained to a rock, awaiting Cetus, a beast of the Sea to “devour her” in penance for the sins of her mother to save the kingdom.  This star has been described by Ptolemy as being “of the nature of Venus” and giving “good fortune in Marriage”.   Elsbeth Ebertin described the influence of Mirach as  “These people have a stimulating effect on others, they make friends easily and are helped on in life by others”.  No kidding.  Let's be adults here people.  The Gods of the Heavens have their naughty bits out, and let us not mince words about it.

  This is a very serious issue which first came to my attention while scanning the skies with my astro-binos.  While checking out what was happening below the belt of Orion, I came upon a milky emission.  No joke.  I wasn't fully aware of Ensis before, but my mind was blown seeing it through my own augmented eyes.  It is officially the tip of Orion's sword, sheathed in his scabbard.  Let's think about this for a moment, here's a couple visual aids to help. 

The tip of his "Sword".

 This is the tip of Orion's sword, which is a nebula, hence it looks like semen in the sky.  A nebula can birth stars and planets... are you with me here people? It is given the nature of Mars and the Moon, which is a prime combination for fertility.  The astrological signification of Ensis is that it can lead to blindness which is reminiscent of an ancient folk horror about playing with one's sword too much.  

There is nothing filthy about what comes out of Orion's "Sword".
This is just star dust.

   Back to Mirach.  Her hip eh?  Bernadette Brady writes this of Mirach in the essential text Star and Planet Combinations, “This star is connected to concepts of the young fertile virgin: receptivity, feminine power, intuition, the arts, and aesthetic inclinations. The theme of this star is to be receptive and fertile, but Mirach also has a shadow of being self-indulgent or personally obsessed.”  These are all things we commonly associate with the “left hip” naturally.  

 

She's upside-down. Use your imagination.

 

  On to Bootes.  Here we have the Alpha star Arcturus as his left knee.  Again with the left.... the Sinister... there's a message there to be gleaned for those into gleaning.  Here's a handy visual reference. 

There's that left knee again, dead center in the crotch as usual.

I mean... come on.  Speaking of come, it has been said of Arcturus that, “When moist Arcturus clouds the sky.”  Well then.  Arcturus is given to the nature of Mars and Jupiter, a decidedly fecund combination of planets.  In China it was called Ta Kio, the Great Horn.  The incredible resource that is  Constellations of Words has this about Arcturus, “The idea of a weapon again manifested itself in the Kontaratos, Javelin-bearer, of the GraecoPersian Tables; while the 17th century German astronomer Bayer had Gladius, Kolanza, and Pugio, all applied to Arcturus, which probably marked in some early drawing the Sword, Lance, or Dagger in the Hunter’s hand. Similarly it took the title Alkameluz of the whole constellation.”  Manilius wrote, “threatening-like he presses forward as one does over a team of bullocks “  yeesh!

  Back to Mirach, if we look at Vivian Robson's take, we have a much more negative view of the “left Hip” of Andromeda, but the understanding of what was being talked about here was rather clear. 

"With Sun: Trouble through opposite sex, disappointments in expectations but otherwise favorable.

With Moon: Trouble with opposite sex owing to indiscretions, bad for domestic affairs, honor through martial matters.

With Mercury: Vacillating, unstable, peculiar events, many travels and changes.

With Venus: Voluptuous, bad morals, scandal, drink or drug-taking late in life.

With Mars: Ill-mannered, boisterous, evil associations, may be a tramp.

With Jupiter: Help from women but danger of scandal, much travel, legal or ecclesiastical difficulties.

With Saturn: Strong passions, debauchery, mechanical genius, misdirected talents."

 

  I feel like Mr. Robson had some issues to deal with, but that's not my place to judge.

   So here's my take.  The mythology of the Gods of the sky we've inherited are not exactly bashful wall-flower tales.  These Gods got down and dirty in ways most modern libertines would shy away from.  So why is it that so many constellations clearly straight up have their naughty bits waving in the wind (often denoted by the most prominent star in the constellation), while we pretend that we are talking about hips and knees and swords?  I believe the lineage here is one of reverence to the Gods of the sky.  They may be up to their debaucheries on full show, but the devout initiates are averting their eyes and pretending like they do not see it.  It is not a show of false modesty which led to the disguising of this blatant symbolism on display as any reading of the mythology will show you.  This was a conscious and concerted effort to show reverence to their gods to avert the wrath of a spurned Zeus who had to turn into a swan to get that sticky icky.  

   The message I think is that we need to see past the overt distillation of the traditions here to view the mythology of OUR stars clearly.  There is great insight into the fertility and erotic potentials of various stars disguised as knees and sundry to be discerned.  This is just a friendly heads up to look past the subterfuge of exoteric modesty.  There is always more going on beneath the clothed veil of the surface when it comes to mythology, and all else.  Someone has to point out that the emperors are wearing no clothes.