Hi everyone and Welcome Back Stargazers!
This has been an unbelievable week: U.S. Astronauts lifted off and then were sent hurtling to circle the Moon – it’s 50 years since this has been done – a very exciting time to be alive! Can’t wait to see what they discover, and hear their stories upon return in ten days on April 10th.
This week we’ll be learning about the astronomy of Venus as well as the folklore and legends that surround this unique planet. As we know, Venus is the 2nd planet from the Sun and has fascinated humanity for years due to its brilliance as the Morning Star and Evening Star. Its unique characteristics have directly inspired a vast array of folklore and religious traditions across diverse cultures.
Often referred to as Earth’s ‘sister’ or ‘twin’ because of the similar size and mass, Venus’ environment, however, is radically different from Earth. The extreme climate has a thick atmosphere of 96.5% carbon dioxide, which traps heat and causes an intense greenhouse effect, making it the hottest planet in the solar system … hotter than Mercury!
Unlike most of the planets, Venus rotates clockwise (retrograde) on its axis, meaning the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east. Similar to the Moon, Venus has phases too: full, half, and crescent. Galileo’s 1610 observation of these phases provided critical evidence for the Sun-centered model of the Solar System.
Fun fact: Over an eight-year cycle, Venus’ position relative to Earth traces a near-perfect five-pointed star in the sky, a pattern known as the ‘Pentagram of Venus.’
Folklore and legends surrounding Venus
Since Venus appears and disappears near the horizon, many cultures originally believed it was two separate stars: one for the morning and one for the evening. The Greeks initially called it Phosphous (morning star) and Hesperus (evening star), before finally identifying Venus as one object and connecting it to Aphrodite.
Romans: named Venus as their goddess of Love and Beauty. They considered Venus as their ancestral mother through her son Aeneas, the legendary originator of the Roman people. (The goddess Venus actually is equivalent to the Greek goddess Aphrodite, representing fertility and beauty, mentioned above.) But the Romans also thought of her as the goddess of Love AND War. This split personality is due to Venus’ role as the Morning Star, in which she represents the War goddess, and her role as the Evening Star, when she’s the goddess of Love.
Maya and Aztec: for the Mayan culture, Venus was the ‘Great Star’ and a patron of war. They tracked this planet’s 244–day cycle with incredible precision in their Dresden Codex* and timed military campaigns based on its appearance.
In Aztec myth, the morning star was the resurrected heart of the god Quetzalcoatl. Note: Quetzalcoatl was considered in both Mayan and Aztec cultures as the Creator of Humankind, ruler of prophecy and patron of priests.
Lakota culture: Venus is known as the Light of Dawn, a male spirit controlling cycles and beginnings.
Bible: the Latin name Lucifer (Light Bringer) originally referred to Venus as the Morning Star. In the Book of Isaiah, the term was used symbolically for a fallen king, which in later Christian tradition was reinterpreted as a reference to Satan.
In astrology, Venus is the ruler of Taurus and of Libra; and considered the major indicator of how a person behaves in love and marriage as well as being socially adept and well-mannered (or not). In a natal chart, its position influences the chart native’s attitudes towards money, wealth, possessions and the niceties of living such as rich food, artworks and a very comfortable home.
So, keep looking toward the Heavens. The Stars are guiding our Astronauts through space and back home by April 10. And what a homecoming they’ll receive. This adventure reminds us all of our place in the Solar System and that we’re dependent on each other as well as the stars.
Side note: Just saw the “Hail Mary Project” (a new movie with Ryan Gosling) … very funny – sad – and full of juicy science items, space talk, and unusual friendships. I highly recommend it for all ages. It’s in theaters at a perfect time since we currently have Astronauts racing through space!
Happy Stargazing until next time!
Yours in the Stars,
Astrid
*The Codex is named for its archival home in Dresden, Germany, purchased by the Royal Library in 1739 and is preserved as a world treasure, as it’s one of only four remaining books recorded by Mayan scribes and a centerpoint of their culture and religion.