You’ve likely seen some of my posts about the sign of Ophiuchus and people are either curious about it or automatically want to fight me because it goes against their current set of belief systems. Turns out, it’s a thing. Keep reading to understand.
The more I learn, the more I realize there’s a lot within astrology (especially Western astrology) that is incorrect, misunderstood and/or just flat out wrong. I’ll be honest, 3 years ago if someone made a post about Ophiuchus I would have instantly disregarded what they were saying because I personally wasn’t at a space where I had an open mind about learning new things beyond what I was already taught. Wild times out here, amiright? With that being said, welcome to understanding Ophiuchus.
This post will break down the sign of Ophiuchus, its symbolism, what it means, some of the dates to look out for and the archetypal themes that come along with it. I’ll warn you now, a lot of Scorpios & Sagittarius placements are *actually* Ophiuchus placements so keep that in mind as you read. If you want to know if you have Ophiuchus placements, read this post about how to look up your placements within the real sky because you won’t see this information on any tropical or sidereal chart calculations.
Ophiuchus:
Ophiuchus is a zodiac constellation along the sun’s ecliptic path (meaning - the 360 degree path of the sun within the constellations of the zodiac) that is between Scorpio and Sagittarius. The sun (and other planets/luminaries) travel over the right foot of Ophiuchus who is considered to be “The Serpent Bearer” or “Serpent Handler.” An older name for this constellation is “Serpentarius”. The symbolism of Ophiuchus is important to understand and comprehend if you want to understand the archetypes (characteristics) as well.
The man depicted within the constellation is Asclepius who is known for his healing abilities. He was born to Apollo (a god) and Coronis (a mortal woman), making him a hybrid. From a very young age, he was raised by the Centaur Chiron (the healer/and/or/wound that we refer to sometimes within natal charts, if the name sounds familiar, yes, same dude/centaur - which is also the same man/centaur represented within the zodiac constellation of Sagittarius). Chiron taught Asclepius the art of healing through herbal medicines, drugs to treat and cure, cupping and understanding human immunity/utilization of immune systems, sound healing, reiki, energy work, and also spiritual connection and healing through divine guidance/energy/love.
Asclepius got *so good* at healing that he was able to raise people from the dead or stop them from dying even if that was their fate determined by other gods. Zeus wasn’t into that (ruler of the gods at the time) and was like, “No absolutely not” (I mean, probably, idk what he actually said) and some stories say he killed Asclepius with a lightning bolt and threw him into the sky and others say he just made him stop healing people in that manner. Knowing Zeus though (kind of a massive douche-bag) he probably did kill him and put him into the sky.
Within the constellation, we see Asclepius holding a snake— the snake is the constellation of “Serpens.” The name classification “ophidian” is “relating or denoting snakes” and “Ophidia” is “reptile group/small snake” which is where the name “Ophiuchus” comes from. Some people within the spiritual community hold the belief that snakes are associated with spiritual growth and healing but from my studies and understanding, snakes are actually disempowered dragons.
In the constellation of Ophiuchus, Asclepius is holding the snake in a way that suggests he has power over it or has “charmed” it in a sense to get it to work for him. There’s another story that says he killed a snake and it was brought back to life with magical herbs brought by another snake, but given Asclepius’ background in healing, he would have already known how to do that himself if he had wanted to.
Ophiuchus Archetypes and Themes:
Generational healing abilities - noticing what needs to be healed within family lines (mind, body, spirit, soul)
Can sometimes feel like a “healer’s burden” - it’s an honor to be able to do it but takes a lot of time, effort, and energy and your heart truly has to be in it
Advanced knowledge of self, ancestral lineage, and cultural roots - sometimes buried in subconscious and knowledge needs to be brought forward from within if forgotten
A reconnection with the spiritual side of life for self and helping others as well
Mind - Body - Soul - Spirit self-integration through unconditional love energy and healing methods
Embracing unconditional love for self first and learning how to extend it to others as that is the basis of all divine healing work
Getting to know and reconnecting with your spiritual family in the non-physical
Working with the elements- unique understanding and abilities through combinations of water, air, earth, fire and love/spirit
Alchemy - changing states of energy
Connection to angels (aka aliens)
Frequencies and sound for healing - understanding and utilization of
Completing cycles and not continuing them - knowing something needs to finish before moving onto the next step (could also look at this from the evolutionary perspective of learning how to complete a cycle before moving into Sagittarius energy which is one’s true divine path)
Knowing your enemy - understanding what you’re up against spiritually, culturally, socially and psychologically
Ability to see through and into people and handle situations with emotional manipulators without being easily impacted
Being able to see clear beginnings and ends to cycles in own life and societally - knowing that nothing can continue as is for eternity and helping to facilitate that change
Shadow aspects of this energy can include:
“Snake” like behavior and lying to get what you want
Trickery
Hiding knowledge from others to keep it for oneself for power purposes
Using power for selfish purposes and not aiding collective
Elaborate schemes that play on people’s psyches and feelings
High exptectations for personal treatment while simultaniously not reciprocating that energy with others
Holding others to higher standards than they hold themselves to
Purposeful withholding of information, love, or other things they know someone else’s wants for control purpose
Ophiuchus Ruling Planet and Element:
Ophiuchus ruling planet: Jupiter
Ophiuchus Element: Spirit/Love
Spirit/Love is literally the 5th element (not metal) and Ophiuchus at its high vibrations radiates this energy completely and totally.
Ophiuchus Dates
The sun generally travels through the constellation of Ophiuchus around December 1st to December 19th, but it can have slight variations year-to-year so be sure to check an astronomy app for the most accurate information. Also, check to see if you have any other planets within the constellation of Ophiuchus as well!
Let me know if you have any thoughts or questions in the comments! Thanks for staying curious about astrology and expanding your knowledge. Also, if you find you have Ophiuchus placements please let me know your experience with this energy as this was mostly channeled information but lived experiences are very important as well.
<3 - Lilly
Owner and Astrologer at Astrology Vibez
Do you want to know where you have Ophiuchus in your chart? Get an astronomical astrology chart now.