Agrippa's Orphic Table of Correspondences

Athena / Minerva: Pisces & Aries

I would not have thought impulsive Aries calculating or logical enough for Athena, but I can see the mutual affinity for leadership, war and enterprise. Aries governs the head, and Athena sprung fully-formed from Zeus’s. Pisces is not the favored sign of Athena but is assigned to her nonetheless and can be related back to her epithet Tritogeneia (daughter of Triton).

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artist: Iren Horrors

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Aphrodite / Venus: Aries & Taurus

Venus and Taurus line up perfectly in a modern framework, the planet Venus being Taurus’s natural ruler. Taurus is the earthly and sensual expression of Venus’s love for beauty, harmony, comfort, and delight. Aries is not her favored sign, but they do share the quality of passion and an association with dawn (Venus is the morning star).


artist: Iren Horrors

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Apollo / Phoebus: Taurus & Gemini

I am used to seeing Apollo associated with the sun, light, civilization, healing, music, athletics, and prophecy- none of which immediately make me think of Gemini. They do share cerebral and celeritous qualities. Apollo himself is a twin and does have a dual nature, helping mortals with one hand and sabotaging them with the other. Taurus is not the favored sign of Apollo, but one can see a connection in his role as a god of pastoralists, and Agrippa has listed the bull as his consecrated animal.


artist: Ylidae

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Hermes / Mercury: Gemini & Cancer

The association of Hermes with Cancer is not so intuitive, but he has his own lunar and liminal nature as a psychopomp, a trickster, a magician, and a thief. Hermes is also known for his compassion and congeniality (though he was regularly appealed to in his cthonic form to bind and curse enemies). The association of Hermes with mercurial Gemini needs no elaboration, even if it is not his favored sign.


artist: Ylidae

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Zeus / Jupiter: Cancer & Leo

The connection between the King of the Gods and regal Leo is not too difficult to grasp, even if it flies in the face of the usual stormy and Jupiterian associations. The solar, heavenly, and fiery nature of Zeus has been referred to consistently in Graeco-Roman philosophy and religious devotion. His secondary governance of Cancer is, to me, even less intuitive than Hermes’ primary governance over the sign. His governance over both luminaries perhaps seals his sovereignty over the provenance of heaven and his divine supremacy over the Olympians.


artist: Ylidae

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Demeter / Ceres: Leo & Virgo

Demeter’s domain over devoted Virgo, cthonia, and the earthly harvest also needs no elaboration. Her secondary governance of Leo can be related to her association with lion-flanked Cybele of Anatolia and the beastly iconography of primal mother-goddesses.


artist: Ylidae

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Vulcan / Hephaestus: Virgo & Libra

Ostracized Haphaestus does not share any qualities that I can think of with fair Libra, but his brides Aphrodite and Agalaea certainly do. His secondary governance over Virgo may be related to his virgin birth and his dutiful production of the technology of the gods.


artist: Ylidae

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Mars / Ares: Libra & Scorpio

Ares is as unsuited to Libra as is Hephaestus, in my opinion. Perhaps it is noteworthy that they both shared Aphrodite’s marriage bed. His primary governance over Scorpio is much more straightforward; from a modern lens, Pluto (Scorpio’s ruler) is the “higher octave” of Mars. Ares and Scorpio both harbor animalistic, passionate, sexual, vengeful, and aggressive qualities. Ares in someways represents the shadow side of the Aphrodite, in both her earthly guise which oversees reproduction and her airy form which is linked to fanciful romance, sexual fantasy, and divine love.


artist: Ylidae

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Artemis / Diana: Scorpio & Sagittarius

Artemis’s association with jovial Sagittarius is not so surprising, given her independent nature, her woodland domain, and her role as a huntress and an Archer. Her virginal nature is in conflict with her secondary sign of Scorpio, but her vindictive and mysterious qualities are not.


artist: Iren Horrors

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Hestia / Vesta: Sagittarius & Capricorn

Sagittarius is not Hestia’s favored sign, but a connection can be found in their associations with fire and order. Her primary governance over Capricorn a bit awkward (for me), but parallels can be drawn between the structure both provide and dutifully maintain. Her governance over an earth sign and a fire sign align with her role as goddess of home and sacred hearth.


artist: Ylidae

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Hera / Juno: Capricorn & Aquarius

Hera’s role as an unyielding matron and Queen of Heaven is not uncomfortable in her secondary sign of Capricorn. That said, I would have thought the pairing of Capricorn and Aquarius more appropriate for Hephaestus than Hera. Her primary governance over Aquarius is less straightforward, though her husband did immortalize Ganymede as his cup-bearer and homosexual lover. Various tentative connections could be made to the powers of the sky and the waters of heaven, but I struggle to see anything solid.


artist: Yliade

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Poseidon / Neptune: Aquarius and Pisces

The connections between Poseidon and both of his zodiac signs are easy enough to understand. No further exploration is really necessary.


artist: Yliade

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Traditionally the Moon rules over messages, messengers, and ambassadors. Cancer is also a moveable Sign, making it good for such pursuits. There is also something else the Moon and Mercury share in common according to Agrippa, although I won’t say it here.
So, I don’t see too much of an issue with it, coming from a traditional perspective.

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Orpheus says this of Zeus, quoted by Proclus and Aristotle:

“Zeus is the first. Zeus the thunderer, is the last.
Zeus is the head. Zeus is the middle, and by Zeus all things were fabricated.
Zeus is male, Immortal Zeus is female.
Zeus is the foundation of the earth and of the starry heaven.
Zeus is the breath of all things. Zeus is the rushing of indefatigable fire.
Zeus is the root of the sea: He is the Sun and Moon.
Zeus is the king; He is the author of universal life;
One Power, one Dæmon, the mighty prince of all things:
One kingly frame, in which this universe revolves,
Fire and water, earth and ether, night and day,
And Metis (Counsel) the primeval father, and all-delightful Eros (Love).
All these things are United in the vast body of Zeus.
Would you behold his head and his fair face,
It is the resplendent heaven, round which his golden locks
Of glittering stars are beautifully exalted in the air.
On each side are the two golden taurine horns,
The risings and settings, the tracks of the celestial gods;
His eyes the sun and the Opposing moon;
His unfallacious Mind the royal incorruptible Ether.” (Ancient Fragments, Orphic Fragments, by I.P Cory, 1832 edition).

Traditionally, both the Sun and Moon rule over the world. And Orpheus also says here that the Sun and Moon are part of the body of Zeus, the Demiurge. The Sun and Moon are not opposites in traditional astrology.

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In the astrology of the Roman Empire, Libra was called the “Claws of Scorpio”, as we see from Ptolemy. There were many malefic stars found in that Sign in those days, so the space from 15 Degrees Libra until 15 Degrees Scorpio is called the Via Combusta, a malefic space. So, I don’t see an issue with it.

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I hope none of these comments come off as hostile in some way, definitely not my intent! I hope they can be helpful in a way.

Also I am getting the hunch to take Carlos’ attribution of the Olympians to two constellations/signs with a grain of salt. I am not a scholar, so I don’t have something against it, but in these sources the Gods are specifically attributed one constellation/sign. I don’t see a reason why they should be considered to be/rule over two constellations/signs because the calendar month falls into the Sun’s ingresses into two signs. The calendar month is more arbitrary and is based off of the signs.

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Hostile? Not at all!! Your comments are greatly appreciated. Thank you for sharing your insight into traditional astrology! My lens of modern astrology is really out of field for this, and your knowledge helps it make sense, and inspires me to learn more about traditional astrology!

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@Dankquanicus please always feel welcome to add your opinion to anything I post. I value your insight and will not take it personally even if you dispute something I post. I am out of my expertise here, and am grateful to hear what you are up to sharing.

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Ref: Geosophia (Jake Stratton-Kent)

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Ref: Geosophia (Jake Stratton-Kent)

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