Sirius: Astrology’s Dog Star
By Dikki-Jo Mullen
Mercury, the writers’ planet, is moving rapidly through Cancer, racing toward Sirius, the dog star, in the heavens. I sit, pen in hand, at my desk, in Orlando, Florida. With a heavenly bark, the celestial canine is reciting to me. Sirius is offering you this special fixed star feature. Dog’s message is a reminder of hope and encouragement from the heavens during these times of earthly changes. Sirius is a binary star, shining a brilliant white and yellow. Star gazers can find it in the mouth of the Greater Dog (Canis Majoris) constellation. Sirius correlates with approx. 14 degrees of Cancer.
Chinese astrologers felt this star was of great significance and named it Tseen Lang, the heavenly wolf. When it was especially brilliant Sirius, they observed, would bring protection from evil doers. The name Sirius derives from Seiros, a root word meaning sparkling or scorching. It was first honored during the Sothic period of chronology. It has been seen as a blessing from the Egyptian Gods Osirus and Thoth. It rises during the legendary dog days of summer, in July and August, signifying seasonal changes.
Sirius Transits and Key Notes
July 4 – 7 of any year – with The Sun – domestic harmony, preferment is freely given (Sirius is prominent in the horoscope of the USA, born on July 4).
(note: Check with your astrologer to see which house in your own personal horoscope spans 13 – 15 degrees of Cancer for more insight into exactly how you can call upon this faithful and heavenly canine companion for specific help!)
Sirius is considered a favorable fixed star, promising great success and recognition as well as leadership. Overall, when accented in the birth chart, it enhances the higher vibrations of Mars and Jupiter. This promises honor and renown but does enhance impatience and a competitive energy when afflicted Sirius can indicate dangerous attack mode behavior in dogs, also dangers from other beasts and injury from blades and power tools.
A Meditation To Call Sirius:
Wander back in time to the arctic tundra of nine thousand years ago. The environment was a harsh one and life tended to be short. Bleak surroundings made the personal quest for security and stability an elusive one. This was the time when wolves and human beings first explored the benefits of living close to each other. People had scavenging done for them while the wolves always had refuse to eat. A partnership began which continued and intensified for two thousand years.
The theory that we become a part of all that we touch is an important magical axiom. Both the wolves and the people they traveled with slowly began to change. The first breeds of dogs developed. Bones dating to 5100 BC were discovered in Illinois at the Koster archeological site. The bones were definitely not those of wolves, they were more dog like and were found intermingled in funerary sites with the bones of people.
Canine Shamanism
The partnership of living in close proximity had created a permanent physical and spiritual bond between humans and dogs. Further archeological evidence indicates that dogs helped hunters pursue game and provided companionship for adults. Puppies were the playmates of youngsters. Some tribes gave dogs a ceremonial position that included sacrifice before being ritually eaten. Dog skeletons have been found throughout North America buried with special honors. In the desert Southwest and along the Northwest coast long haired dogs evolved. Their hair was used to weave blankets and ornamental belts. In 1778 John Ledyard, the first Caucasian explorer to glimpse the Pacific Ocean, described the local natives as being dressed in garments made of plant fiber interwoven with the hair of their dogs, which were primarily white in color.
For many hundreds of years dogs were the only domesticated animal in North America. In the Great Plains they would carry loads of belongings on special pole frames called travois for their human friends. Its curious to note that dogs tended to be small in warm climates and would grow larger in the North. The very largest dogs of all lived in the far North among the Eskimo.
Legends of talking dogs who faithfully reported to their owners of betrayal come from the Eastern Woodland Indians. The dog pleads that he is the only companion to be trusted. Then he snitches to his human companion about the thievery or infidelity perpetrated by other people. This illustrates the long standing tradition of love and loyalty shared between dogs and human beings.
The Shawnee, a tribe of the Eastern Woodlands, always recognized a Grandmother deity who was accompanied by a small dog familiar near her sacred magical campfire. Dog headed people are described in a variety of legends. These beings were the sinister offspring of a young girl who had taken an unknown lover. He was actually a dog by night and a human by day. Reflective of the werewolf tradition of Eastern Europe, these dog heads could become beast like. They were capable of cleverly attacking and murdering travelers, then fleeing with their plunder to the End Of The World. Combining a mixture of human and dog abilities the dog heads overpowered people. They had one eye in the center of the forehead and could either walk upright or on all fours. Their hind feet, or legs, were dog like and the arms or front feet were those of a human being. Variations of this traditional tale come from Alaska, Siberia and throughout the Northern United States.
In Northern Wisconsin in the late 1950s a local legend existed about a woman who had given birth to triplets who were actually a litter of half dogs. The description was quite authentic and believable. Perhaps it was illustrative of the very intimate bond which can form between a human and a beloved dog. Possibly that love can grow so deep that the treasured dog will truly merge with a human being. This mirrors the way marriage partners merge, grow to resemble each other and eventually become two halves of the same soul.
The Ancient Greeks portrayed the dog as an emblem of courage and devotion. The China of Fo-Hi, about 3400 BC, saw dogs as messengers of joy and good fortune. An Egyptian ritual tells of five dog amulets buried on each side of a house to assure its safety and security against intruders. Recognized universally as the very epitome of loyalty dogs have always claimed a unique position in the human heart and psyche.
Dog Dreams
Dream books always give great significance to the appearance of dogs as a dream symbol. A dream of a vicious dog warns of enemies and other misfortunes which cant easily be avoided. Affection given by a dog in a dream augurs great success and many friends, while dreaming of a purebred show dog promises wealth. If a dreamer is dogged by a blood hound temptation must be avoided. The blood hound represents a spy who is observing the dreamers movements and plotting a downfall.
Leave a Reply