Celtic Astrology

In modern Astrology the Celtic Zodiac is a thing of great debate, from the origins of it's form, the tools of its practitioners and the reasonings of it's regents of power – all have at one time or another found themselves either exposed to great question or simply overlooked.

Although the Celtic lunar based zodiac is thought to have been the one used by the Druids it was not until "Tree Zodiac" was, according to some, rediscovered by Robert Graves in his famous book, The White Goddess [1949]. Others, however, accuse Graves of being at best gravely mistaken and at worst contriving the Zodiac.

As I understand it ,uch of what Robert Graves put forward as the Tree Calendar and Tree Zodiac relies on modern interpretations derived from the book Ogygia, seu rerum hibernicarum chronologia [1685], a chronological account of Irish events, by the seventeenth century bard Roderick O'Flaherty [1629 - 1718].



O'Flaherty had claimed that his information was gained from a Duald MacFirbis [1585-1670], the great Irish scholar, clan bard of the O'Briens. Modern scholars, however, have placed seriously doubts upon these interpretations, and as the Bardic schools were essentially Christian, it is very unlikely that they preserved Druidic knowledge long into the Christian era.


It is also worth noting that according to the 'Camden's Britannia' the word Ogygia comes from Latin. It is quoted in Plutarch as the Roman's name for Ireland.


The most modern derivative of Graves lunar zodiac which is most commonly cited on the net comes from the work of Helena Peterson in her Handbook of Celtic Astrology [1995].
Joseph Monard, a Celtic scholar has described her work in the following terms: "Her lunar zodiac only makes the ancient Druids look like senile lunatics." and the zodiac as "phony." [According to my version of Celtic Astrology: A modern Hoax [2002] Centre Universitaire de Recherche en Astrologie].



It is certainly notable that the astrological system as outlined includes Uranus, Neptune and Pluto which were almost certainly unknown to the Druids and would thus have no place among their interpretations or system of analysis. It also appears ignorant of the ancient Celtic names of several planets and Gods.


Also the zodiac starts on December 24th whereas the Coligny Calendar shows us that the Celtic year started in October/November with the doorway of samhain.


However, the Graves and Patterson models are but two of several competing attempts at a Druidic Zodiac.


Others which I feel are worth a mention are:


Friedrich Hageneder's Tree-signs;
Carol Carnac's Celtic Astrology;
Edgar Bliss's Gaulish Astrology;
Kaledon Naddair's Shamanistic Calendar.


These approaches offer wildly different Tree Zodiacs, some 13-sign lunar, some decanated solar with 36 divisions. Whilst the Hageneder approach is also based on Ogygia, the others possess little in the way of exposition of how precisely each author determined that this was the zodiac used by the Celts and their Druids.


It is best to remember that the idea and thought that there was a comprehensive Celtic astrology is in little doubt. Classical writers, such as Strabo, Caesar, Diodorus Siculus, Cicero and Pliny, comment on the Druidic knowledge and experience of astrology. There was even a school of thought amongst some of the Classical Greek astrologers based in Athens that their astrology had been borrowed from the Celts.

For example, Caesar in the Conquest of Gaul [Conquest of Gaul, VI.18] writes:

"The Gauls claim all to be descended from Father Dis [a god of death, darkness and the underworld], declaring that this is the tradition preserved by the Druids. For this reason they measure periods of time not by days but by nights; and in celebrating birthdays, the first of the month, and new year’s day, they go on the principle that the day begins at night."


Caesar was not exactly known for his pro-Druidic sympathies. However, his comments do preserve some idea of the difference and complexity of real Druidic astrology.


Unfortunately for us, the Druids left us nothing about their side of the story. They left absolutely no written records to the effect of their teachings. Irish and Welsh written literature does not begin until about the 6th century AD so all known knowledge of them arise from culturally external perceptions of by the whispers of the ancestral lines.

By the 6th century when records came about the standard appears to be a variation of Western Astrology, based on a Babylonian/Greek model of interpertation – having entirely replaced the native system.


Aside from the references of the Classical authors, there is some other evidence that remains for the existence of Celtic astrology, especially the Coligny Calendar.

This is probably the best preserved example of a Celtic calendar. It embodies a number of engraved copper-alloy fragments were discovered in 1897 in ancient woodlands fifteen miles north-east of Bourg-en-Bresse, in France.


They were pieces of a single, large bronze tablet, which originally would have measured some 1.5 x 1 metres. The French archaeologist J. Monard has dated the fragments to the 1st century AD.

Several points of interest can be noted from the Coligny Calendar:


The calendar took into account the problem of the lunar month not being an exact fraction of the solar year by inserting an extra month on a regular cycle. This method of intercalation meant that most years contained twelve months, and approximately every third year contained thirteen months. This extra month was called Mid Samonios, and was intercalated between Cutios and Giamonios in the calendar.

The Celtic month started at the full-moon, rather than the new-moon. Each month alternately contained 29 or 30 days, making a Celtic year 354 days in length.


The month was divided into two parts, a 'light' half, and a 'dark' half, each approximately of two week's duration; the division marked by the word Atenoux 'returning night' on the Coligny fragments. This indicates that the new-moon also played a part in the Celtic calendar. This also bears-out the impression we get from the traditional Celtic folk-stories which maintain that the normal period of Celtic timekeeping was the fortnight.

By extrapolation, the calendar also confirms that the Gallic druids maintained a thirty-year cycle of timekeeping, comprising five cycles of 62 lunations and one cycle of 61 lunations, during which period, eleven intercalary months would be added.



The months of the Celtic calendar were as follows:



Celtic names -Modern months-Meaning*

Samonios-October-November-Seed-fall
Dumannios-November-December-Darkest depths
Riuros-December-January-Cold-time
Anagantios-January-February-Stay-home time
Ogronios-February-March-Ice time
Cutios-March-April-Windy time
Giamonios-April-May -Shoots-show
Simivisonios-May-June-Bright time
Equos-June-July-Horse-time
Elembiuos-July/August-Claim-time
Edrinios-August/September -Arbitration-time
Cantlos-September/October -Song-time



*Translations based on the work of Caitlin Matthews in The Celtic Tradition. (Which if you have not read, is most certainly worth the time!).


Two major Celtic religious festivals, Beltain and Lughnasadh, were marked on the Coligny calendar by small sigils. Each year started with the month of Samonios, during which period the festival of Samhain was celebrated.



Many terms of astrological reference or importance have survived into modern times. The Gaelic language has many words and concepts that stand witness to the thoughts and understandings of the past.


In old Irish itself there were at least six words for an astrologer.


Rollagedagh [one who gains knowledge from the stars].
Fisatóir [one who gains knowledge from the heavens].
Eastrolach [one who gains knowledge from the moon].
Fathach [one steeped in prophecy].
N éladoir [one who divinates from the sky, or clouds].
Réalt-eolach [one versed in astrology].



It must be said though that although the modern take on Celtic Astrology is just that. Modern. It is not without it's own virtues, style and insights. Age is not always a virtue that installs wisdom and truth as such things need to be earned, and while Celtic Astrology is still very much a reborn source of divination, it is well on the way to earned its standing


References:
Caitlin Matthews in The Celtic Tradition.
Robert Graves, The White Goddess.
Dr Sheperd Simpson, Celtic Zodiac.
Ogygia, seu rerum hibernicarum chronologia.
Joseph Monard, Celtic Astrology.

Pleiades – the Ancients homosexual constellation.

Since ancient Rome (and perhaps earlier) the constellation of the Pleiades was known to the western astrological traditions for its association with male homosexuality, symbolised by the “seven sisters” it's link to the modern age, although a weak echo of its once strong song, it still survives along side the stereotypical interpretations and associations of effeminate males – thankfully though it's range of meaning and inspired virtues are far from a slur on the gay soul, suggesting a evolutionary growth and union of the internal being to a more unified and balanced personality, beyond a sinplistic embodiment of male assertiveness but a more holistic and truthful balance of polarity.

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Astronomically, the Pleiades is located in a corner of the zodiac sign of the Venusian ruled Taurus and consists of several hundred stars about 500 light years from Earth. Most often with an unaided eye six stars are usually visible, at especially auspicious times the seventh Pleiadian star can also be seen, more than a dozen may be seen using field glasses, and several dozen more than that with even a basic telescope (making the Pleiades a favourite object of observation for amateur astronomers) as well as love lorn astronomers of the gone by ages.

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Mythologically, since the days of ancient Greece the myths surrounding the Pleiades always speak of the Seven Sisters (a questionable name that has never the less helped preserve its lineage as being a gay constellation) who were divine sisters, caught amongst the adventures with various gods and goddesses whom in there voyage to true individuality and rebellion of social expectations took flight in the form of doves, a symbol of love, and eventually settled among the stars.
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According to tradition they would stand though out the ages as a reminder to those that would follow in there steps of revolution, promising that all burdens endured would lead to a greater brightness that would withstand the darkness of mans own ignorance, as well as become a part of the divine onlookers that searched the earth from the heavens for those that shone with the illumination and cause that they themselves once stood for.

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Historically, by the time the ancient Romans were compiling the known astrological literature of the world, the Pleiades were firmly linked to homosexuality. Unusually as a civilization, the Romans did little to advance or develop the study of astrology on their own, but what they did do to a large extent was to codify and organize earlier astrological traditions from Greece, Egypt and perhaps others that are now lost to us.
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Modern research into the astrology of the ancients is still in its early stages and while it will always remain somewhat clouded by the passage of time, and the natural adaption of those that followed it and held it alive through the ages, it has not yet being discovered how or why the ancient astrologers connected in essence; homosexuality to the Pleiades.

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But given the known lack of imagination amongst Roman astrologers, it is likely they borrowed the association between the Pleiades and homosexuality from an earlier civilization.
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For instance the ancient Greek culture, which the Romans greatly admired, to a degree valued and accepted homosexual relationships alongside heterosexual ones, and what we do know about early Roman astrology is much of the interpretations of which the Romans compiled had been derived from the earlier ancient Greek society.

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Sadly in true imperial Roman style, the Roman astrologers failed to preserve any attribution about where the references to the Pleiades came from.
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Instead the Romans simply spelled out what the then current thinking was about the constellation, which historically is nothing less then a shame as although it has maintained the connection, it has lead to the origins of such a link to be lost among the ebbing sands of time.

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Here is an example of Pleiades astrological lore from the Roman astrology of 1900 years ago as found in the "Astronomica", Manilius, 1st century AD. (Edited and translated by G. P. Goold, 1977 by President and Fellows of Harvard College):
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"The Pleiades, sisters who vie with each other's radiance. Beneath their influence devotees of Bacchus (god of wine and ecstasy) and Venus (goddess of love) are born into the kindly light, and people whose insouciance runs free at feasts and banquets and who strive to provoke sweet mirth with biting wit.

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"They will always take pains over personal adornment and an elegant appearance they will set their locks in waves of curls or confine their tresses with bands, building them into a thick topknot, and they will transform the appearance of the head by adding hair to it; they will smooth their hairy limbs with the porous pumice, loathing their manhood and craving for sleekness of arm.

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"They adopt feminine dress, footwear donned not for wear but for show, and an affected effeminate gait. They are ashamed of their sex; in their hearts dwells a senseless passion for display, and they boast of their malady, which they call a virtue. To give their love is never enough, they will also want their love to be seen".

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Admittedly it is easy to accept that the ancient Roman astrologers were not advocates of Gay Liberation (although Roman society was remarkably tolerant of homosexual behaviour. Several Roman emperors were gay or bisexual, and one, Emperor Trajan, had his "paedogogium", a travelling harem of young men which accompanied him on his journeys throughout the empire) but it is never the less interesting that while the ancients did not ascribe homosexuality to the Pleiades as the constellation's prime attribute, they do quite often (and in fact most often) stipulate that it is a secondary attribute.
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(The primary attributes were commonly said to be successful journeys, particularly for sailors, success in agriculture, and success through use of intelligence. Negative omens for the constellation included blindness and wantonness.)

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Unusually though the references I was able to find from ancient Rome seemed to imply a homosexual association with the Pleiades are for men only. This may of course be due to the record keeping and an unusually ignorance of the very existence of lesbians, even among the ancients. So far at the moment I am unaware of such similar correlation between the Pleiades themselves and women amongst the Roman astrological writings, however, this said there are extant fragments from the ancient Greek lesbian poet, Sappho, making references to the Pleiades, which may shine allot of light on the possibility of it being a constellation of Homosexality itself beyond that of male generalisations.
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Δέδυκε μεν ἀ σελάννακαὶ Πληΐαδεσ, μέσαι δὲνύκτεσ πάρα δ᾽ ἔρχετ᾽ ὤρα,ἔγω δὲ μόνα κατεύδω. [transcription]

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The moon has set, and the Pleiades; it is midnight, the time is going by and I recline alone.
The sinking moon has left the sky, The Pleiades have also gone. Midnight comes--and goes, the hours flyAnd solitary still, I lie.
The Moon has left the sky,Lost is the Pleiads' light;It is midnight,And time slips by, But on my couch alone I lie.
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Translation by J. A. Symonds, 1883.

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This singularly beautiful fragment is quoted by Hephaestion from the "Hymn to Aphrodite", it was the first portion of the Poems of Sappho to be printed in 1554 and seeing as it deals with the female homosexual impulses of love and desired union it offers up much food for thought in relation to the possibility of the Pleiads having associations with the gay female form.

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The guidelines to astrology set by the ancient Romans were (more or less) the reference point for western astrology for the next thousand years following the fall of Rome. It is ture that during the Middle Ages, and indeed until very recently these references to homosexuality were anything but complimentary, but at least the homosexual presence was being noted, however negatively.

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Since modern Western astrology traces its roots back directly to the Roman codification of the earlier astrological studies, one might leap to the conclusion that the association of the Pleiades with homosexuality was preserved assuredly to the present times.
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Alas, that's not quite what happened, although not for any specific reasons of anti-homosexual intellectualism (although that was common enough in astrology up to and including the twentieth century see my earlier rant on that issue two posts down), but instead it is mainly because of an unrelated development in the evolution of western astrology, in which the Pleiadian connection began to wain.

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Over the past 200 years or so in Western astrology, study of the so-called fixed stars has fallen from use because of technical advances in astronomy. Fixed stars (and this includes non-zodiac constellations) were, up to the late 1700s, an important part of interpreting a natal chart.
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But better telescopes began an era of discovery of new outer planets, starting with Uranus in the late 1700s, and western astrologers have dwelt significantly on the new planetary bodies the astronomers have been locating ever since.

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The Pleiades constellation is simply another (minor) grouping of fixed stars which has been swept aside by western astrologers as heavies such as Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, the asteroids, Chiron (the centaurs), and the trans-Neptunian planetary bodies have grabbed the attention of most modern astrologers. Modern thinking (and I in part subscribe to this thinking) is that these newly-discovered planetary bodies are far more interesting and useful to our current evolution and situations than the fixed stars ever were.
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Still, realizing that we may have lost something by forgetting our past, a few modern astrologers are starting to research the forgotten ancient astrological methodologies to see if any are still relevant. Some of the ancient astrological techniques likely will be worth dusting off and re-incorporating into our modern study. But frankly, I have my doubts that the Pleiades connection to homosexuality will even make the cut, and for this I can think of two main reasons.

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First, as I expound at length elsewhere in this blog (again see two posts down for my rant) no astrological configuration of any sort can be called a "homosexual signature," notwithstanding the repeated failed attempts by many astrologers to try and find one.
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The second (and surely the most certain) reason why Pleiades may never regain its once and former association with homosexuality, is that when it comes to an appreciation and development of ancient studies there seems to be a strong vein of apathy among astrologers as well as those of a homosexual persuasion.

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Astrology once the science of divination and the study of stars, has become nothing more then fortune telling, instead of being a tool for development and foresight it remains in its secondary role of guidance – although that in itself is an authentic lineage and indeed has its place a total dedication to this narrow perception is limiting us to never fully utilising and appreciating the ancients in all there variety and humanity.
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Gay flag association:

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It may also be interesting to note that a few years ago I noticed that the seven sisters are a somewhat mimic of and symbolic to the seven virtues of the gay pride flag, along side the qualities of true individuality they are easily held within a harmonic spiritual embrace of both the community and its potential future growth.

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According to the early work of Diodorus Siculus in his records, Library of History, the Pleiades were the daughters of the Titan Atlas and the nymph Pleione, and each are said to hold a coloured candle for there greatest virtue:
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Electra – red for strength
Alcyone – orange for courage
Asterope – yellow for faith
Celaeno – green for mercy
Maia – blue for generosity
Taygete – violet for Hope

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Merope – Justice had only on occasion a candle, some say this was because Merope, who was ashamed of her love for the mortal Sisyphus (Σίσυφος) often hide her true face from the eyes of the outside world.
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It doesn't take much imagination as to why through the synchronistic name associations, the rainbow colour array and the all to often familiar behaviour has in part allowed the Pleiades to linger on as a constellation that in part reflects the homosexual spirit through the ages... and long may it continue!