Royal Stars De-throned?

Why were four Fixed Stars considered "Royal"? Aldebaran, Regulus, Antares and Fomalhaut retain their regal status to this day among western astrologers. The tradition stems from Arabic astrology/astronomy, which some see as our modern astrology's closest relation. The astrology of Arabia filtered through to Europe from Persia (today's Iran), thousands of years ago.

These stars were accorded such high stellar office by ancient astrologers and astronomers because it is said that in those days their positions marked the four cardinal points, the equinoxes and solstices. Seen on an astrological chart of the heavens these define the ascendant, midheaven descendant, and nadir, which points are  acknowledged as being the most powerful areas of an astrological chart. Any planet or point near to these angles is thought to play a dominant part in personality or events.


The four stars were also referred to as Watchers of the Heavens, looked on as guardians of the Vernal and Autumnal equinoxes, and the Summer and Winter solstices.

The four bright stars formed a huge astrological cross, long before the cross became a symbol of Christianity. Zodiac signs involved were the four Fixed signs: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius. In tarot cards (right) The Wheel of Fortune and The World, you can see depicted in each corner of the cards a human figure, an eagle, a bull and a lion representing the Fixed signs. While the tarot as we know it, with the Major Arcana, didn't originate in Arabia, the four suits probably did, and the number four's significance reflects the four directions, north, south, east and west, and the four astrological cardinal points. The name "tarot" is thought to derive from the Arab word "turuq", which can be translated as "four ways".

The symbolism of the four Royal Stars in ancient times is thus easy to account for and accept. However, it isn't as easy to accept that any astrological interpretation of these stars should retain the same flavour now - their formerly "Royal" positions all changed some time ago.

Fixed stars, of which these are but four out of billions, are so called in order to to differentiate from the moving bodies we call planets. Fixed stars do move, but very, very slowly because of precession. (Explanation here).

The four Royals are no longer at their original sites. Their approximate position today: Aldebaran has moved from Taurus to Gemini (9.55 degrees in 2010). Regulus moved from Leo to Virgo around 2010/11. Antares has moved from Scorpio to Sagittarius (9.54 degrees in 2010), and finally Formalhaut moved from Aquarius to Pisces (4.00 degrees in 2010). Now, all four Royals reside in four Mutable signs instead of their original four Fixed signs.

Some astrologers still see the four Royal Stars as powerful when they appear in very close major aspect to a planet or sensitive point in a natal or mundane chart. The reason for this, I guess, harks back to the stars' early important status. Perhaps there is a question mark here. As the stars moved on over the centuries, ought they not to have shed their royal reputation? It was their position, not their intrinsic properties, I assume, which had originally defined them as highly significant.

A very good piece on Fixed Stars in general by Rob Tillett, HERE.

Mention of fixed stars always brings to my mind those four gorgeous Arabian horses in Ben Hur, their names were names of Fixed Stars: Altair, Antares, Aldebaran and Rigel. It's a pity the horses weren't named for the four Royal Stars; only two of the four are Royal, but all were known as fortunate. Altair (The Eagle), Antares (Heart of the Scorpion), Aldebaran (Bull's South Eye), Rigel (Orion's Foot). In the Ben Hur story, Judah Ben-Hur meets an Arab sheik who owns a magnificent stable of four Arabian white horses. They will compete in an annual chariot race in Antioch...the rest, as they say... .