An unusual post

If you know me well, you know I'm not likely to write a blog post about astrology.  Yet, here I am, doing just that.  Hooray for unpredictability!  If you were unaware, like I was until I was informed by a friend last night, an astrologer in Minnesota published an article in a newspaper stating that there is a 13th zodiac sign called Ophiuchus and that we need to begin using it because the earth's wobble is messing with the locations of the constellations.  For a few hours, I went from being a Cancer to a Gemini.  I was unhappy because I prefer being crabby to being not-the-only-one-of-my-kind (cancer is a crab, gemini are twins).  Then I read an article stating that the American Federation of Astrologers issued an official response stating that the Minnesota guy is wrong and we can keep our old signs.  Not knowing anything about astrology, this could be like the CDC saying not to worry about smallpox anymore, I have no idea.

Although I don't read horoscopes (except to play the game where you add "in bed" to the end of every sentence), and I don't put much stock in the personality traits associated with each sign (I fit into ALL of them), I do have a fascination for the stars.  One of my favorite star stories comes from the Bible, where the wise men followed a star to find the savior of the world.  Because stars are stationary, scientists today believe the wise men were following a wandering star -a planet- or possibly a configuration of two planets lined up.  To me, this is wonderful.  Although in my day-to-day life I do not believe we should try to find meanings or messages from the stars about our fate or make choices accordingly, this story says to me that God thought Jesus' advent to earth was so important, that even the stars declared the coming of the Messiah.  It says to me that perhaps, just maybe, there are other events that are important enough that God would reflect them in the stars.  The invention of chocolate truffles perhaps?

There is another interesting thing about the astrological signs.  In Christian circles, astrology is viewed with great distrust and is considered sinful, pagan, and even demonic.  However, the constellations associated with the astrological signs tell a wonderful story that Christians tell over and over in less creative ways.  Allow me to elaborate:

Virgo (the virgin):  Isaiah 7:14  Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign:  The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Libra (the scales):  Isaiah 42:1  Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.

Scorpio (the scorpion):  In the sky, the constellation is reaching its claws towards the scales, as if to keep them out of balance.  In art and mythology, Scorpio is shown stinging the foot of a man while the man crushes it.  Genesis 3:15  And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers, he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.

Sagittarius (the archer/centaur):  In the sky, the constellation is pointing his arrow to shoot the scorpion.  In art and mythology, a centaur represents a being caught between two natures, or the incarnation of God as a man.  Below him in the sky, is the Southern Cross.  John 1:14  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Capricorn (the goat):  Reference Leviticus 16.  Aaron as the high priest was to offer to the Lord a sin offering for his own sins.  Then he was to offer a goat to the Lord as a sin offering on behalf of the people.  Jesus became the scapegoat and the sin offering on behalf of all people, so that blood sacrifices were no longer necessary.

Aquarius (the water-bearer):  After the sacrifice, God poured out his Spirit to guide us.  I John 5:6-8  This is the one who came by water and blood- Jesus Christ.  He did not come by water only, but by water and blood.  And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.  For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.

Pisces (the fish):  As Jesus' followers began to establish the ancient church, and were persecuted, they found ways to identify themselves using secret symbols.  Even today, the fish represents to the world one who follows Jesus' teachings.

Aries (the ram):  A continued reminder that just as God sent a ram in place of Abraham's sacrifice, so he provided a ram by sending the Messiah, and continues to provide for his followers to this day.  Genesis 22:13-14  Abraham looked up and there in the thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns.  He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.  So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."

Taurus (the bull):  In this constellation, the Pleiades (stars) make up the neck of the bull.  The Pleiades in mythology are the 7 sisters who judge.  Judgment is coming in the last days.  John 12:47-48  If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person.  For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.  There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day.

Gemini (the twins): He came once and is coming again.  Mark 14:61-62  But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.  Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?"  "I am," said Jesus.  "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

Cancer (the crab):  The crab is an animal that has completely encased itself behind secure walls of protection.  It trusts in its exoskeleton and can sometimes be fearless because of that.  We too can live our lives knowing we are secure in who we are and without fear of the end times.  Psalm 91:1-2  Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

Leo (the lion): Revelation 5:5  Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep!  See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed.  He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."

And so concludes the story of the world that is written in the stars.  But, you ask, what about the 13th symbol?

Ophiuchus (the serpent bearer): He falls between Scorpio and Saggitarius, both in the zodiac and in the timeline of the story I've laid out above.  His symbol is that of a snake wrapped around a staff (shown above).  Sound familiar?  Numbers 21:6-9  Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.  The people came to Moses and said, "We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you.  Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us."  So Moses prayed for the people.  The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live."  So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole.  Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.

Moses provided a foreshadow of the things to come; Jesus was later asked if he was Moses or Elijah.  The literary element of foreshadow is amazing and, in my opinion, makes a story just that much more exciting!  John 8:24 and 28  "I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins."  ... So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me."

If you ask me, the story the Bible tells is an exciting one, and to see that same story told in the stars is just beautiful.  I love stars!