Hello there good friends and followers,
This post heralds the news of the start of a parallel project that I believe has revealed itself through my fascination with the stars and the enjoyment of building this blog to share with you all. With the Monsoon season out in Arizona approaching, this leads me to take a hiatus from the night sky, as most of July and August are hit-and-miss due to the thunderstorm activity brought to the desert. I hope that the Monsoon will bring well-needed rain out here in Southern Arizona; we are beyond dry out here and I cringe to think of the damage that a half-finished cigarette or spark from a cheap firework or a lightning strike would cause. I am grateful that the fires north of us are being contained successfully and give an even greater amount of honor and thanks to the firefighters, volunteer personnel, and other parties involved in that effort. I personally have not boded well with the aftermath in the air; this week brought not only continued dry skin and cracked hands, but a near swipe at a sinus infection and terrible allergies and asthmatic symptoms. I was not happy.
So to further explain; I will be taking a break from the blog after sharing about the summer triangle next post. In the rainy months ahead, I will post short posts on the full moons of July and August, and return in September to the last third of the zodiac. In the meanwhile, I am reviewing and starting to deeply understand and write the story of my life out into the desert and how it has created further spiritual reflection and growth in all aspects of my life, especially my spiritual recovery. Within a five year span much has happened through my passion with the universe related to my personal recovery journey, and I feel it is time to relate it to others.
But enough of that; let us explore the story of Hercules. He is one of the few heroes to be immortalized in the night sky, along with Orion and Perseus. Theseus did not make it into the sky, only the wedding crown glitters as a reminder of his success over the Minotaur and the labyrinth. Half-mortal son of Zeus, Hercules was born of Alcmene, known as one of the most graceful, wise, and respected royal women. Zeus posed as Alcmene's husband through an illusion and lay with her. Hera furious when she found out of Zeus' continued conquests. What further angered Hera was that Zeus got Hercules to suckle at the breast of Hera, thus making him immortal. The milk of the goddess was known to grant immortality, increased size, strength and skill. While Hercules was still an infant, Hera sent a pair of poisonous snakes to kill him while unsupervised in his crib, but Hercules easily strangled the pair. As an adult, he could still not find respite from Heras wrath; she set a spell upon him and he killed his children and wife in a stupor. Hercules sought the oracle about how to go about atonement of the deed. The Oracle told of the given name "glory of Hera" and the 12 Labors to be completed for his freedom.
King Eurystheus, who just so happened to be his half-brother, sent Herc on quite a quest:
1) He defeated the Nemean Lion (Seen in the night sky as Leo)
2) He defeated the Lernean Hydra (Seen in the night sky as Hydra)
3) He captured the Ceryneian doe, a difficult to catch animal with golden horns; he could not kill or harm the doe, as this doe was a favorite of the goddess of the hunt and the moon, Artemis
4) He captured the Erymanthian boar, the most ferocious animal alive
5) He had to complete a bet to clean Augean Stables in a day; he succeeded by diverting rivers
6) He drove drive away the Stymphalian birds, known for their razor sharp arrow-like feathers; he received the help of Athena and Hephaestus in the shape of a pair of bronze noisemakers
7) He captured the Cretan bull, known to breathe fire (Seen in the night sky as Taurus); this bull was a gift from Poseidon to Minos, King of Crete, and the King kept it instead of sacrificing it as he had promised. This infuriated Poseidon and he caused Minos' wife to fall in lust with the bull, conceiving the birth of the Minotaur, which was put into the labyrinth and later slain by Theseus
8) He round up the Mares of Diomedes, gruesome flesh eating horses
9) He obtained the magic belt from the Amazonian Queen through completing numerous trials; the belt was given to the Queen by Ares, the god of war
10) He herded the cattle of Geryon, a triplebodied monster born of Medusa's body when slain by Perseus, which Hercules killed with one well-placed arrow
The King then became enraged that Hercules succeeded, and placed the last two tasks to be completed. The King argued that Hercules tried to make a profit out of the cleaning of the stables, and was assisted in the slaying of the Hydra.
11) He had to obtain the golden apples of Hesperides, slaying a hundred headed dragon (seen in the night sky as Draco the Dragon)
12) He had to capture Cerberus, the three headed hell-hound and pet of Hades, and had to take caution that he would be able to leave the Underworld by taking up study and blessings to protect his soul
Something about all these trials is rather interesting, if you look at them as having a specific trait or skill that is heroic. The first and second reflect endurance and teamwork. The third and fourth are the success of the warrior in balancing the doe (golden innocence/gentleness) and the boar (taming the primal nature.) The fifth and sixth model ingenuity and creativity and the importance of brains over brawn. The seventh and eighth show how the hero is a humanitarian, to serve and maintain safety and a sense of community. The ninth and tenth show the use of diplomacy and discipline. The last two trials could be seen as symbolically triumphing over heaven and hell through strengthening of the spirit.
Take your field binoculars and view M13, the Cottonball Cluster in Hercules as a wonderful example of a globular cluster. You can find M13 hanging out half-way between two of the keystone stars; see the image above for a guide. Indeed you can see this in May at the horizon; be aware now that Hercules will be further up in the Eastern sky. Why did I wait so long? Well, to get a better view away from the horizon where all the city lights or particulates could mess with your viewing pleasure! Enjoy!
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