I suppose there is some debate about the star of Bethlehem. The "Dog Star" does work as an annually recurring symbol.
Most astronomers speculate that the "Star in the East" was not a star at all but a mars Jupiter conjunction that was so close as to be visible in the daytime as well as night as one point of light. That this occurred only once at a date that we would put as 6 BC and not December 25th either shouldn't render it unlikely.
Do we not also portray Jesus in the image of our own time?
It only requires an accounting of six lost years in the recording of two thousand years of history.
In fact if Christ was born in the year Zero he would have been born after the death of King Herod who was the one who said that all would be taxed who remained in the Holy Land. This was the reason for the flight of Joseph and the pregnant Mary to Egypt. It isn't possible for this to have occured after Herod's death, so the 6 BC date makes sense since Herod would have been near death but still living, and so does the star in the east make sense as in fact being a planetary conjunction.
The planets were known then as "wandering stars" It is only after Galileo and the development of the telescope that planets were identified as being generically different from stars.
I see no contradiction here. Orion's belt as the three wise men - and Sirius symbolically as the "Star in the East" sits well with me whether or not it would literally have been the star in question.
So does the unique event witnessed by the actual three kings ring true though most probably that other astrological event was the phenomenon.
But we have observed the sky for eons and perhaps with more appreciation before the electric light. And we tend to use the sky to project our myths and symbols. More remarkable than the number of stars has been our ability to name them.
In Egyptian astrology the Dog Star is a symbol of faithfulness. The Constellation Canis Major rules the middle decanate of Gemini and "loyalty" is the keyword.
Cygnus is not only the Swan but the same constellation is the Northern Cross. It rules the first decanate of Capricorn and would be the sign that rules Capricorn from December 21st through December 31st. It's keyword is "organization."
It's a perfect time for retailers to sell off last year's stock and to get ready for the January Sale and new stock being set out after Chinese New Year. Happy Year of the Rooster everybody.
There was a beautiful sunset here a few minutes later than a day before. You can almost feel the days getting longer.
In the words of Tiny Tim, God Bless us all!
PS: Another good constellation is one that looks like the one immediately above in Vicky's post, Triangulum (a triangle with wings) which rules the first decanate (10˚ segment) of Aries which in Astrological Calendar is the beginning of the new Cycle and Year.
Isn't it great that our "father's house" has many mansions, and that there is more than one window from which to view the varied and nonetheless connected universal universe under one God where All is One.
(Everything's happening perfectly. . .)
Merry Kwaanzukahmas to all!