"The Cosmic Journey of Osiris: Orion's Stars and the Eternal Cycle of Life and Death through Myth"
“One thing people have in common can be revealed in Myth”.
- Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth
"Orion", plate 29 in Urania's Mirror, a set of celestial cards accompanied by A familiar treatise on astronomy ... by Jehoshaphat Aspin. London. Astronomical chart, 1 print on layered paper board : etching, hand-colored.
We need stories to understand ourselves. Like many great thinkers/philosophers such as Demetra George and Carl G. Jung, we need mythological narratives and archetypes, in order to emphasize personal growth, and self-actualization, eternal patterns of transformation. Modern archetypes can also be manifested through myth and be expressive of the collective unconscious when looked at through the lens of the Astrologer. We learn about ourselves and our purpose through understanding mythical stories and astrological symbols, especially with the Fixed Stars.
The constellation Orion, “Orion the Hunter” and its key stars (Rigel, Betelgeuse, and Bellatrix) are central to the Egyptian myth of Osiris and Horus. In Egyptian mythology, Osiris is one of the most significant gods, associated with the afterlife, resurrection, and the cyclical nature of death and rebirth. Osiris, the king of Egypt and god of the dead was killed by his jealous brother Set. Osiris' wife, Isis, collected the scattered pieces of his body, reassembled him, and resurrected him, allowing Osiris to rule the afterlife as the god of the dead. Their son, Horus, then avenged his father's death by defeating Set, becoming the ruler of the living and symbolizing the eternal cycle of kingship passed from father to son.
The Egyptians believed the constellation of Orion mirrored the myth of Osiris due to these stars path across the sky. It signified the rising and return of Osiris' soul to the heavens, representing resurrection and eternal life. Additionally, the Milky Way was thought to be the heavenly Nile, and Orion's journey across the sky symbolized Osiris' passage through the underworld and triumph over death. The rising of Orion was closely linked to the annual flooding of the Nile, a life-giving event that brought fertility to the land, mirroring the rebirth of Osiris.
Horus, the son of Osiris, is metaphorically linked to the Sun, representing the living king, while Osiris symbolizes the dead, eternal king of the afterlife. As Orion rises and sets with the seasons, it reflects the eternal cycle of life and death, mirroring the myth of Osiris' demise and rebirth, and Horus' ultimate triumph over the forces of chaos. According to Bernadette Brady:
“The importance of a heliacal rising star, one that rises just before the sun, is that the star acts a heard for the sunrise. The rising Sun was considered by the Egyptians to be the infant Horus in the arms of Isis. As the Sun rose, signifying the return of God, it appeared to sweep up the star in its light and carry it across the sky. Thus the god mixed the energy with that of the star, and the star was illuminated by the god. By. Noon the sun was no longer see as the infant Horus; rather, it was adult Horus, or Ra; and at sunset it became Osiris, god of the underworld”. (1)
“To ride the chariot of fire a star had to do two things: it needed to rise just before the sun AND it needed to do this as it completed its journey of death into rebirth”.
The time in the day or night when a star is seen to rise, set or culminate is fixed to a particular calendar date (ignoring precession). (2)
Orion the Hunter – visible to both hemispheres – rises in the east on December evenings.
The key stars of Orion (Rigel, Betelgeuse, and Bellatrix), also individually hold a symbolic mythological significance associated with the myth. Rigel, the bright blue-white supergiant marking Orion's left foot, symbolizes strength, forward movement, and Osiris' triumph over death, representing resurrection and eternal power. Bellatrix is a blue giant star located on the left shoulder of Orion associated with strength, skill in battle, and strategic victory, representing the warrior aspect of Horus, the god who fights and ultimately defeats Set. Betelgeuse, the massive red supergiant on Orion's right shoulder, embodies the fiery, explosive energy of Osiris' rebirth, as well as the dramatic, cyclical nature of death and renewal.
Orion’s placement in the sky, with its bright and powerful stars, mirrors the eternal and cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth. The stars within this constellation particularly Rigel, Betelgeuse, and Bellatrix, add layers of meaning, representing the power, conflict, and transformative energy that are central to the mythological narrative of Osiris. Applying the archetypal myth to this constellation is a constant reminder that death is not the end, but transformation and personal growth is what leads to eternal life. We can all relate to different myth’s in one way or another and it can teach us to go inward providing profound psychological, symbolic significance and purpose in our lives.
- Erika Beach
Quoted in Bernadette Brady Book, “Brady’s Book Of Fixed Stars”, (book), 1998, p. 163.
“Brady’s Book Of Fixed Stars”, Bernadette Brady, (book), 1998, pgs. 163 - 175
“On The Heavenly Spheres, A Treatise on Traditional Astrology”, (book), Helena Avelar and Luis Ribeiro, 2010. ch. 2, 3, and 12.
“Astrology and the Authentic Self”, Demetra George, (book), 2008, Ibis Press, ch.15, pgs. 268 - 278
“Mythastrology; Exploring Planets and Patheons”, Raven Kaldera, 2004, First Printing, pg. 101 - 104, 387 - 390.