Ophiuchus: The 13th Sign of The Zodiac

No matter how unique you are, you’ve got something in common with billions of other people on Earth: your zodiac sign. Also known as an astrological sign or a sun sign, at the moment of birth, we’re categorized into one of these 12 celestial signs: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius or Pisces. Personally, I’m a Virgo; known for being fussy, overcritical, introverted and modest. Well, at least that’s what the astrologers say.

Back in 2011, a Fox News article threatened the astrological status quo with murmurings that there could be a 13^th zodiac sign. Based on information provided by the Minnesota Planetarium Society, the word was that the moon’s gravitational pull on Earth had changed ever so slightly in the course of a thousand years. This adjustment caused a one month change in the way that the astrological signs aligned in the sky. So, instead of being a Libra, you could very well be a Sagittarius, an Aries could truly be a Cancer, and so on.

We would soon learn that this ‘newcomer’ to the zodiac would be Ophiuchus (ofi-uh-kus)—the Snake Bearer. If he had been a canonical zodiac sign, he would have sat between Scorpio and Sagittarius, and would represent those born between November 30 and December 17^th.

Overnight, the internet was buzzing with this newly discovered information; after all, so many billions of people had formed such a bond with their own zodiac signs. What if their whole astro-personal identities were never what they thought they were? Would all those horoscopes suddenly mean nothing?

Ophiuchus’ origin story varies amongst cultures. Even in Greek mythology, there are 2 very different stories associated with him. One story tells that the constellation was an homage to Apollo who fought the python that guarded the Oracle of Delphi. Another Greek story tells that the constellation was based on the story of a priest of Poseidon that tried to warn the Trojans of the Trojan horse and was later killed by 2 sea serpents. Important to note is that many cultures that accept Ophiuchus as a true zodiac sign have changed the name to Serpentarius.

Interestingly enough, 2011 wouldn’t be the first time that Ophiuchus, as a new zodiac constellation, has been brought up. In 1970, astrologer Stephen Schmidt was pushing for the addition of not just Ophiuchus, but Cetus (a whale) as well. He even wrote a book about it called Astrology 14: Your New Sun Sign.  

So is it a zodiac sign, or not? The verdict is divided. Astronomers say it should. Even NASA includes Ophiuchus in their list of constellations of the zodiac. On the other hand, astrologers say that it shouldn’t—astrology is based of the 4 seasons, not the constellations. There are 4 seasons, each with a beginning, middle and end, equaling to 12 zodiac signs. We’re certain that we’ll hear more about Ophiuchus (or Serpentarius) again real soon.

Text: Crysti Couture