Constellation Cassiopeia Astrology

Constellation Cassiopeia the Queen, or Seated Woman, is a northern constellation which lies between constellation Perseus, constellation Andromeda, and constellation Cepheus. It spans 25 degrees of the Zodiac in the Sign of Taurus, and contains 8 named fixed stars.

Cassiopeia, the the wife of Cepheus and mother of Andromeda, was taken into heaven in consideration of the deeds of Perseus (see Andromeda). She is said to have boasted that not only Andromeda but she herself was fairer than the Nereids, and for that reason she was bound to her chair and condemned to circle the pole head downwards as a lesson in humility.

According to Ptolemy this constellation is of the nature of Saturn and Venus (slovenly, very immoral, shameless, revolting, mean, sorrows in love. If rising, good-tempered, healthy, gain by industry and marriage. If culminating, improved health, fame by help of superiors.) It is said to give haughtiness, boastfulness and exaggerated pride, but at the same time the power of commanding respect. It is associated by the Kabalists with the Hebrew letter Beth and the 2nd Tarot Trump “The High Priestess.” [1]

Cassiopeia, or Cassiope more correctly Cassiepeia, although variously written, is one of the oldest and popularly best known of our constellations, and her throne, “the shinie Casseiopeia’s chair” of Spenser’s Faerie Queen, is a familiar object to the most youthful observer. It also is known as the Celestial W when below the pole, and the Celestial M when above it.

Hyginus, writing the word Cassiepia, described the figure as bound to her seat, and thus secured from falling out of it in going around the pole head downward, — this particular spot in the sky having been selected by the Cassiopeia queen’s enemies, the sea-nymphs, to give her an effectual lesson in humility, for a location nearer the equator would have kept her nearly upright…

As the figure almost wholly lies in the Milky Way, the Celts fixed upon it as their Llys Don, the Home of Don, their king of the fairies and father of the mythical character Gwydyon, who gave name to that great circle… The astrologers said that it partook of the nature of Saturn and Venus. Professor Young gives the word Bagdei as a help to memorizing the order of the chief components from their letters beta (Caph), alpha (Schedir), gamma (Cih), delta (Rucha), epsilon (Segin), iota; the last being the uppermost when the figure is on the horizon, hanging head downwards. Cassiopeia lies between Cepheus, Andromeda, and Perseus, Argelander cataloguing 68 stars here, but Heis. 126; and the constellation is rich in clusters. [2]

and Cassiepia, her face upturned to witness the sacrifice she caused… Cassiope will produce goldsmiths who can turn their work into a thousand different shapes, endow the precious substance with yet greater value, and add thereto the vivid hue of Jewels. From Cassiope come the gifts of Augustus which gleam in the temples he consecrated, where the blaze of gold rivals the sun’s brightness and the fires of gems flash forth light out of shadow. From Cassiope come the memorials of Pompey’s triumph of old and the trophies which bear the features of Mithridates: they remain to this very day, spoils undimmed by the passage of time, their sparkle as fresh as ever.

From Cassiope come the enhancement of beauty and devices for adorning the body: from gold has been sought the means to give grace to the appearance; precious stones have been spread over head, neck, and hands and golden chains have shone on snow-white feet. What products would a grand lady like Cassiope prefer her sons to handle rather than those she could turn to her own employments? And that material for such employment should not be lacking, she bids men look for gold beneath the ground, uproot all which nature stealthily conceals, and turn earth upside down in search of gain; she bids them detect the treasure in lumps of ore and finally, for all its reluctance, expose it to a sky it has never seen. The son of Cassiope will also count greedily the yellow sands, and drench a dripping beach with a new flood; he will make small weights to measure the tiny grains, or else will collect the wealth of gold-foaming Pactolus; or he will smelt lumps of silver, separating the hidden metal and causing the mineral to flow forth in a running stream; otherwise he will become a trader of the metals produced by these two craftsmen, ever ready to change coinage of the one metal into wares of the other. Such are the inclinations which Cassiope will fashion in those born under her. [3]

ULUGH BEY says its Arabic name is El Seder, which means the freed. In the Denderah Zodiac her name is Set, which means set, set up as Queen. ALBUMAZER says this constellation was anciently called “the daughter of splendour.” This appears to be the meaning of the word Cassiopeia, the enthroned, the beautiful. The Arabic name is Ruchba, the enthroned This is also the meaning of its Chaldee name, Dat al cursa.

There are 55 stars in this constellation, of which five are of the 3rd magnitude, five of the 4th, etc. This beautiful constellation passes vertically over Great Britain every day, and is easily distinguished by its five brightest stars, forming an irregular “W.” This brilliant constellation contains one binary star, a triple star, a double star, a quadruple star, and a large number of nebulae… The brightest star, α (in the left breast), is named Schedir (Hebrew), which means the freed. The next, β (in the top of the chair), likewise bears a Hebrew name Caph, which means the branch; it is evidently given on account of the branch of victory which she bears in her hand.

She is indeed highly exalted, and making herself ready. Her hands, no longer bound, are engaged in this happy work. With her right hand she is arranging her robes, while with her left she is adorning her hair. She is seated upon the Arctic circle, and close by the side of Cepheus, the King.

References

1. Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology, Vivian E. Robson, 1923, p.36.
2. Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning, Richard H. Allen, 1889, p.142-145.
3. Astronomica, Manilius, 1st century AD, book 1, p.33, book 5, p.343.
4. The Witness of the Stars, E. W. Bullinger, 25. Cassiopeia (the Enthroned Woman).