Lost Signs: The Snake Handler by JoeJarrah

DAZ|Studio • Mythology • posted on Feb 29, 2020

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Description

Though there are only 12 constellations in the Western Zodiac, the sun actually passes through 14 during the course of the year. The first of these is Ophiuchus, next to Scorpio. It is sometimes considered the 13th sign in sidereal astrology. Ophiuchus is a classical invention, having no equivaeant in Mesopotamian astrology. It depicts a figure with a snake, but the exact interpretation has varied over time and region. To the ancient Greeks, it was Apollo struggling with the snake that guarded the Oracle of Delphi. Later interpretations identified the figure as Laocoön, the Trojan priest of who warned his fellow citizens about the Trojan Horse and was later silenced by the Greek gods who sent sea serpents to kill him. The Romans saw the healer Asclepius, who learned the secrets of keeping death at bay after observing one serpent bringing another healing herbs. In medieval Islamic astronomy, the constellation was known as "the snake-charmer".