For most of human history there was no such thing as the ‘written word’. Knowledge was passed from generation to generation in story form… because we can all remember a good story. Many of these stories are still around today. Trouble is that the vast majority of people have never been taught what the symbolic meanings of the story are. Here is the story of the seasons.
Orion, a giant of a man, was the greatest hunter on Earth. He was a favourite of the male gods but his boasting upset the goddesses. One day, he boasted that such was his prowess as a hunter, he could hunt and kill every animal on Earth. This angered Hera, Queen of the Gods, who was the protector of the wild. She sent forth one of her minions, a monstrous scorpion, to teach him a lesson. A great battle occurred between the two, but eventually the scorpion stung Orion, who fell in agony to the ground and died. Now, this upset the male gods. Feeling sorry for Orion, they resurrected him from the dead and placed him in the heavens. But this further angered Hera. She retaliated by placing her scorpion in the sky at the opposite end of the heavens. For the rest of eternity, the scorpion would chase Orion across the sky. He would never lose sight of it. Hell has no fury like a woman’s scorn!
Orion (the Hunter) and Scorpius (the Scorpion) are two of the most notable constellations in the sky. Both are set against the Milky Way and are composed of bright stars. The two constellations are almost opposite each other in the sky and have been used around the world and through the ages as seasonal markers. Here in Aotearoa, Orion dominates our summer evening sky, while Scorpius is supreme in our winter evening sky. The two are only seen together in spring and autumn when one will be setting in the west as the other rises in the east.
At present, on a clear evening sky we see Scorpius – our sign of winter. While it is in our evening sky it will be cold and chilly. We look forward to the evening when the Scorpion sets in the west and the Hunter rises in the east… spring will be here.
by Richard Hall, astronomical communicator
Photo credit – Wikipedia, Mouser