Fish Eaters: The Whys and Hows of Traditional Catholicism


"Praise ye Him, O sun and moon: praise Him, all ye stars and light''



Libra


Hebrews 2:16-17 16 "For no where doth He take hold of the angels: but of the seed of Abraham He taketh hold. Wherefore it behoved Him in all things to be made like unto His brethren, that He might become a merciful and faithful Priest before God, that He might be a propitiation for the sins of the people."




In April, Libra rises in the East. The Hebrew name for this constellation is "Moznayim," which means "the Scales, weighing." Its Latin name, and the name by which we know it -- Libra -- means "balance." How beautifully this sign reminds us of the propitiatory Offering of the Son to the Father to appease God's justice and pay the wages of our sins, which is death.

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death. But the grace of God, life everlasting, in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 3:20-26
Because by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified before Him. For by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now without the law the justice of God is made manifest, being witnessed by the law and the prophets. Even the justice of God, by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all them that believe in Him: for there is no distinction: For all have sinned, and do need the glory of God. Being justified freely by His grace, through the redemption, that is in Christ Jesus, Whom God hath proposed to be a propitiation, through faith in His blood, to the shewing of His justice, for the remission of former sins, through the forbearance of God, for the shewing of His justice in this time; that He Himself may be just, and the justifier of him, who is of the faith of Jesus Christ.

Of interest in Libra is the oldest known star -- HD 140283, but better known as "Methuselah," a star that appears to be as old as the universe itself. In fact, scientists' earlier dating of the star indicated it is older than the universe itself -- an impossibility, of course, but one that seems to have been ironed out thanks to better observations afforded by the Hubble telescope. How poetically right it is that this star of great age appears in the sign that symbolizes Christ's love for us. The words of Ephesians 1:4 come to mind: "He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world..."



Decan One: Crux

Crux, also known as "the Southern Cross," is the symbol of our redemption by Christ's Sacrifice. The Southern Cross is used in the Southern hemisphere the way Polaris (the North Star) is used in the Northern hemisphere: it it used in navigation, as the means to find the South Pole. A nearby star -- Alpha Centauri, the third brightest in the entire sky -- is the closest star to our Sun (the Southern Cross won't be visible above latitudes of 25o).



Decan Two: Lupus

At the right times of the night and at the right time of the year, you will see underneath Libra, very low on the southern horizon, a constellation that had formerly been regarded as an asterism of Centaurus. This group of stars had been seen as representing the sacrificial offering of Centaurus, the two-natured being we just read about when we looked at Virgo and which represents Our Lord. Most fascinating, it had also been seen as representing a wineskin held by Centaurus, a very fitting symbol of what happens on our altars. After being separated from Centaurus, it became known as "Therion" meaning "sacrificial animal"; since the Renaissance, it is known as "Lupus" (Wolf).

By the older symbology, Christ here is both Priest (Centaurus) and Sacrificial Victim (Therion) -- and this Sacrifice is offered on the altar symbolized by the constellation Ara ("Altar"), a constellation we'll learn about when we get to Sagittarius..



Decan Three: Corona Borealis

This constellation is a crown set with a half-circle of seven jewels, which can be seen as representing the seven sacraments, the media of God's grace. This crown can be seen as referring back to His Sacrifice, as symbolized by Libra, as it's through His Sacrifice that we're able to receive the crown of life and glory we're promised if we endure to the end:   

1 Peter 5:4
And when the prince of pastors shall appear, you shall receive a never fading crown of glory. 

Apocalypse 2:10
Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer. Behold, the devil will cast some of you into prison that you may be tried: and you shall have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful until death: and I will give thee the crown of life.

Apocalypse 3:11
Behold, I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

Two of Corona Borealis's stars literally "glitter" like gems: T Coronae Borealis and R Coronae Borealis are variable stars that brighten and dim over time, and the former -- known commonly as "the Blaze Star" -- is also a recurrent nova that periodically erupts with luminosty.

This constellation was thought by the Greeks to be the crown of Ariadne, who gave Theseus a thread to trail behind him so that when he entered the labyrinth to kill the minotaur, he could find his way back out again. Labyrinths, along with being symbols of the path to Jerusalem, have long had a very old Marian symbolism because of the story of Ariadne -- a woman who points to the Way --  which makes the presence of this constellation very appropriate at this time.



Libra is first fully visible over the Eastern horizon in early April and can be seen in the Spring and Summer in the Northern Hemisphere.

   

Libra relative to other stars in the Spring sky:

Table of Contents

The Zodiac

Introduction

A Tour of the Heavens

Envisioning the Celestial Sphere

The Constellations of the Zodiac

Virgo
Libra

Scorpius

Sagittarius

Capricornus

Aquarius

Pisces

Aries

Taurus

Gemini

Cancer

Leo

Summary and a Few Odds and Ends

The Traditional Catholic View of Astrology



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