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Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer, holds an interesting position in the Western Zodiac. While there are only 12 signs in the zodiac, Ophiuchus holds an unofficial position as the 13th sign. For more information about how and why Ophiuchus comes into play, see Western_zodiac. While many people dismiss Ophiuchus as an invalid part of the zodiac, there are some who regard Ophiuchus an essential part of it.

To the Greeks, Ophiuchus represented either the god Apollo struggling with the Python of Delphi or the Trojan priest Laocoön whose warnings about the Trojan Horse were cut off by giant sea serpents attacking and killing him. To the later Romans, the figure represents Asclepius, a healer who learned the secret of keeping death at bay by observing a serpent eating certain healing herbs. To prevent Asclepius from making humanity effectively immortal, Zeus killed him with a lightning bolt only to turn around and place him in the heavens to honor him.

This tag should be used for things directly concerning the sign Ophiuchus. Typically, this will be some sort of personification: A serpent, or a being with or carrying a serpent.

The symbol of Ophiuchus is an U-shape with a wavy line crossing it. ⛎ Images containing the astrological symbol of Ophiuchus should be tagged Ophiuchus_(symbol).

<-- Scorpio | Ophiuchus | Sagittarius -->

See also:

• Western Zodiac
• Ophiuchus (Wikipedia)