Constellation Corona Borealis
What an interesting time to discuss matters of the crown, leadership, status, dominant men, imagery of the Self and all those things that come from our bravery and our ego. With coronavirus locking us in, showing us that new ways are needed to cope with reality and present ourselves to the world, we must think about the symbolism of this constellation and what its messages might be.
Constellation in the Zodiacal Circle
Corona Borealis or “The Northern Crown” is a constellation set in the northern celestial atmosphere, covering most of Scorpio, starting with its 3rd degree. With the beginning of 2020 Mars touched the end of this constellation, putting a strong accent to the finish line of all stories connected. There are seven stars in charge of forming its distinctive shape of crown and the brightest two of them are observed found on the 9th and 12th degree of Scorpio. Time will show that the entire pandemic somehow gives brightest clues and intensely affects people with personal points, angles, the Moon or fast planets on those degrees or in exact aspect of personal points with them.
On that note, it is interesting to observe New Year’s horoscope for Wuhan, China, where the Moon was found on the 12th degree of Pisces, in exact trine with Alphecca, the brightest star in the constellation, while the Sun forms a sextile with the second-brightest, Nusakan. The name of its alpha star, Alphecca, was the name firstly given to the entire constellation by Arabs and means “separated” as a reference to the string of jewels that are apart from each other. This symbolism should probably be analyzed some more as we are being physically separated from one another by the pandemic as the string of jewels, just as we are covering our faces as if to connect with certain parts of Arab traditions.
The Myth
The myth of Corona Borealis is primarily the myth of Ariadne, the woman who sacrificed loyalty to her father for love, and to help end revenge and destructive ways of his rule. King Minos of Crete, Ariadne’s father, found that the suitable retribution for the murder of his son by unknown assassins was for the city of Athens to send seven young boys and seven young girls every nine years to feed the minotaur in a carefully built labyrinth. Theseus, meant to be the main hero of the story, volunteered to go as one of the young when it was time for the third cycle of sacrifice, with the intent to stop the horror and defeat the monster. Upon his arrival to Crete, Ariadne fell in love with him and to save his life in the labyrinth built for those who come in to never return, she gave him a ball of thread. She told him to tie one end of the string to the entrance of the labyrinth so that he can always follow its trail back and get out. Using his hidden sword (or by alternate versions a magical sword also received from Ariadne), he killed the minotaur and ended years of panic and fear governed by revenge of her father. This part of the myth is an obvious imagery of Mars reaching its exaltation in Capricorn, with the initial step is being connected to the destination by a logical line that gives us knowledge needed to return to the world of the living when we have bravely dealt with our deadly inner demons (Saturn).
In return for her loving deeds and her help, Ariadne was to become his wife, but instead he left her on an island and sailed away while she was sleeping. There are several interpretations and reasons for this abandonment, one of them being his fear from Dionysus who wanted Ariadne for himself, and the other that Theseus saw a woman he liked more and decided to sail off with her. Whatever the case, physical, human love was taken away from her and she was taken for granted, used, and in a way collateral damage, disowned and abandoned, to make the only possible connection afterwards – with God and Neptune. This is where she is given a crown from Aphrodite as a gift for her wedding with Dionysus, and the crown is imbedded into stars to signify their eternal (Divine) love that heals all wounds of basic, ungrateful human interaction and instinctive, physical contact.
To add to that, Theseus ends up married to her sister, but never finds happiness in his relationships and love life, while she is crowned and glorified by gods, as she deserved from the start.
Interpretations and Meaning
This is a story of energy given and received, rounded up in cycles of karma that must be retributed, as stories return to their start, revenge is taken, love is given back, shadows are overcome and our inner heroic fights might make us insensitive to others. It is also a story about guilt and abandonment, promises that weren’t respected, fears, destructive ways of the humankind, and sacrifices that no longer need to be made when love gives us tools to deal with our shadows and get out of our maze. Mostly, this is a story about gratitude and unconditional love, where the giving hand of the loving individual has the power to protect, save and make way through the most complicated and endangering issues. Even though Ariadne’s expectations weren’t met, and she seemingly got nothing in return from the man she loved, she is crowned by gods and rewarded through highest authorities as the one who deserves to be happy. She has chosen to follow her heart and have absolute faith in the one she loved, and this earned her a crown when this faith was widened to connect with the Divine.
Keep in mind that the heroic act of the masculine, where Theseus defeats the youth-devouring beast, isn’t any promise of dignity and respect towards the feminine. Without her emotions and decisions against her own family line, his quest wouldn’t have been possible. It is her faith in him that gives him everything that he needs for the battle, and yet, he took her for granted only to move on and leave her without even saying goodbye. He may be the hero, but she is the one wearing the crown, and this is exactly where things become tricky to interpret in the face of our current circumstances.
The Cycle and The Pandemic
The connection of our ongoing pandemic with this constellation and the myth is strong. The type of virus with its name as the red flag before us, seems to be the messenger to speak of invisible betrayals, issues that require love over ego, and feminine over masculine in order for love to prevail. The real victory that deserves highest crowning isn’t in the fight of Theseus with the minotaur (although necessary and heroic in the core), but in loving acts of the feminine that gives way, understanding, with faith and devotion to another. Selflessness is rewarded and victorious and no chase for status or position will prove fruitful if there is no contact with other humans and responsibility towards those who love us and give their loyalties away just to keep us going. It is our ticket out of confusing mazes and our own inner monsters.
Minotaur’s defeat after 27 years of its nasty devouring habits is a relevant piece of the story that each of us currently has a task to unfold. We are faced with our instinctive side, the one that goes against our inner child, hungry, afraid, and complicated. It is the root of existential fear that comes through revenge and our fear of loss. It is also a signal that our shadows have come to be freed, recognized, and defeated with gifts of love. We must keep our promises, see the unconditional giving and the price that we are to pay to make ourselves happy.
Interestingly, exactly 27 years ago in April and May, we had a newly found Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome that took some lives away in the United States. On April 23rd in that same year, WHO declared tuberculosis a global emergency. Respecting the cycle, 9 years later in November, the epidemic of SARS begins in China. As the next 9 years pass, 2011 brings other matters of the Moon (the heart chakra) to focus by excessive flooding in Thailand, Cambodia, Pakistan, Philippines as well as Japan’s earthquake that led to numerous deaths and tsunami warnings in 50 countries. This was the most powerful earthquake recorded in Japan and the fourth in the entire world since the record-keeping began.
Prior to this entire cycle, in 1984 we will see no intense and worldly spread signals for similar issues. This brings a sense of ease as it means that the cycle has ended and will be overcome and gone for good. On the other hand, we should ask ourselves what has brought on the wrath of gods, authorities and father figures of all sorts to lead to this point of physical and economic instability. Where was the anger buried and which war-like or deadly situation in the 1990s led to such an extensive cycle to round up now, with the return of Saturn to its righteous rule next to Pluto, the collector of lives? Who kept secrets and who took revenge in the meantime?
Personal Impact and Ariadne’s Responsibility
Observe the years on a personal plane as well, especially if there is a strong connection of your natal chart to this constellation. We all give our part of the collective atmosphere and you can observe the presence of the theme in your life, along with your fair share of singular responsibility within the collective flow. It is obviously time to forgive, turn to spiritual work instead of holding a grudge or cutting off those who never personally did us wrong. Debts might not be repaid and yet, the Universe takes care of its own and charges on a higher level. Kings may be kings but they won’t be happy if they are vengeful or ungrateful, and we are all challenged to seek gratitude for those who never had to stand by our side against their families, social circles and their system but still loved us enough to choose to do so.
On the other hand, this is a story of conditioned love that must outgrow its victimized state and find peace in contact with the Divine. Whether we like it or not, Ariadne had her share of responsibility in expectations, codependence, and ties to the man who isn’t worthy of her but only a tool to end some deeply rooted family shadows. She may have sacrificed everything she had ever known to help him, but he set her free from the demonic actions of her father and led her away towards God. Yes, gratitude goes both ways, even though we might fail to see it at first, and yes, true happiness is found only if we believe in the unseen, the impossible, and the spiritual part of our wounded emotional core.
Most of all, this seems to be our opportunity to see the immense value of what we give to the collective by defeating our demons and to be grateful to our inner warrior for its struggles, just as much as to our feminine strength to step out of our family line’s patterns. It is a chance to not be a victim and to not be ungrateful to Self, choosing not to leave our vulnerable side behind this time around. Reunite with you, as this is what the message of Corona Borealis is all about, for all the love you have doesn’t depend on any person other than yourself. Dive in, breathe, and allow emotions to give strength to faith, while thanking the masculine you for its effective power to cut off what has been destructive or tainted by anger to the point of injustice.
With all that said, bear in mind that our inner man will not become a woman just as our inner woman will not become a man. All we can do is give them enough mutual respect and gratitude to work together for a higher cause. Ariadne may have been guided by the love for a single man, but she has been guided to end horrors of injustice and vengeance on her path to God. While we expect a lot from our earthly love stories and our partners, they might only be tools towards much greater healing in our family tree and ways of the world. Expectations from others should be lowered as we are all only human, but overall expectations are to be sky high when it comes to joy that comes your way if we commit to loving and helping others selflessly, no matter loyalties to the wounded that we'll lose along the way.