Alcyone - myth and magic
If we look up in the night sky and direct our gaze towards Taurus the bull (right of Orion) there is a cluster of stars known as The Pleiades or The Seven Sisters. They were the daughters of Atlas (a Titan who was commanded by the god Zeus to hold up the earth - keeping the weight of the world on his shoulders) and Pleione (who was the prtectress of sailors). Their daughters were called Maia, Alcyone, Asterope, Celaeno, Taygete, Electra, and Merope.
The hunter Orion is said to have become obsessed with the girls and their mother and stalked across the heavens. In order to protect them from Orion’s advances the god Zeus truned them all into doves and placed them in the heavens as the stars we see now. The Pleiades or Seven Sisters were known in ancient greek history to be the “oceanids’ as they were assicuated with water.
The Pleiades - Seven Sisters Mythology
If we look up in the night sky and direct our gaze towards Taurus the bull (right of Orion) there is a cluster of stars known as The Pleiades or The Seven Sisters. They were the daughters of Atlas (a Titan who was commanded by the god Zeus to hold up the earth - keeping the weight of the world on his shoulders) and Pleione (who was the prtectress of sailors). Their daughters were called Maia, Alcyone, Asterope, Celaeno, Taygete, Electra, and Merope.
The hunter Orion is said to have become obsessed with the girls and their mother and stalked across the heavens. In order to protect them from Orion’s advances the god Zeus truned them all into doves and placed them in the heavens as the stars we see now. Orion himself was turned into a constellation and he follows them still in the sky. The Pleiades or Seven Sisters were known in ancient greek history to be the “oceanids’ as they were associated with water.
Maia [29 Taurus] was the eldest sister and originally the brightest star. She was a nymph who was the mother of Hermes who we now associate with Mercury. Over time her star has faded and now Alcyone has taken on the role of the brightest. Merope [29 Taurus] is the faintest star astronomically and sometimes is known as ‘The lost sister’ . She was often thought to be hidden as she married a mortal man (Sisyphus) and was said to have ‘hid her face in shame’. Merope carries themes of transformation as she has the ability to peer into the unknown and break oneself free from conventional thinking. She is a great source to call on if you feel ‘stuck in a rut’. Asterope [29 Taurus] is often associated with lightning as her name translates to flashing light [steropē]. She enhances inner wisdom, promotes psychic ability and helps one to discover their true soul purpose. Celano [29 Taurus[ is associated with communication and creativity. She is concerned with sharing truth and higher knowledge and wisdom with others. She was the wife of Poseidon (god of the sea) who we associate with Neptune. Taygete [29 Taurus] symbolises the search for spiritual protection and escape from danger due to her pursual by Orion. She represents our inner strength and her archetype is of somebody who moves from vulnerability to empowerment. She brings creative, spiritual and healing gifts. Electra [29 Taurus] is the third brightest star of the Pleiades. She was deeply grieved by the death of her father Atlas. She helps with processing deep emotional sorrow and channeling that into creative expression.
Alcyone is now the brightest star in the Pleiades. She sits at [29º Taurus/0º Gemini] and was known as the sister who watched over the seas. She is associated with the term ‘The Halcyon Days’ where peace and joy and prosperity ruled at that time. Alcyone is one of the 15 Behenian stars.
Alcyone was the wife of Ceryx, King of Thessaly. Their tale is of love and tragic loss as Ceys was lost at sea and Alcyone’s grief for him transformed them both into kingfishers (halcyons) so they would forever be together. This is where the term ‘The Halcyon Days’ stems from as legend goes thhat every two weeks in January the seas are calm in order for the kingfishers to safely nest on the beach and lay their eggs. This time of peace and calm is known as the Halcyon Days.
In ancient textbooks and astrology she may be associated with blindness however more modern interpretations see her as a guiding light (her image is that of a lamp,) so her ability to shine a light into the dark reveals hidden and secret knowledge.
