The Message in the Stars – Virgo

The logical place to break into the circle of the Zodiac is with Virgo. Of course, it is natural to begin with Virgo (the Virgin). In the Mazzaroth the word for Virgin is Bethulah. Interestingly in Arabic the same word means “branch”. Branch is also a biblical term for Messiah as seen in Zechariah 3:8 and many other references. In Latin, the language of Rome, the word Virgo means “virgin” and virga means “branch”. The term for this constellation in Coptic is Aspolia which means “the place of the desired branch”. The Branch is a biblical term for the coming Messiah.

The brightest star in the constellation of Virgo is Tsemech (Hebrew) which means Branch, in Arabic this word is Al Zimach meaning the same thing. One star in the constellation of Virgo is called Zavijaveh meaning “gloriously beautiful”:- the one who is referred to in Isaiah 4:2 as “the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious”. Other stars in the constellation are Al Mureddan which means “who shall come down” or “who shall have dominion”. In Chaldean this star was called Vindemiatrix, meaning “the Branch shall come down”.

One Decan associated with Virgo is Coma – “The Desired Son”. In Egyptian it was called Shesnu also meaning the ‘desired son”. Shakespeare referred to this in his play Titus Andronicus, Act iv Scene iii with the words “the good boy in Virgo’s lap”. Who is the good boy in Virgo’s lap, none other than the Branch, the coming Messiah of God. Coma is one of three associated constellations of Virgo. The Arabian astronomer Albamazer in AD 805 referred to the son in Virgo as having the name Ihesu. “There arises in the first decan, as the Persians, Chaldeans and Egyptians, the two Hermes and Ascalius teach – a young woman whose Persian name translated into Arabic is Adrenedefa, a pure and immaculate virgin … sitting on a throne nourishing an infant who has a Hebrew name, by some nations called Ihesu, with the signification Ieza, which in Greek is called Christ.”

When depicted by the Egyptians in Shesnu the son was always drawn higher than the mother indicating Him being superior.

From a Christian point of view, it is clear that we are talking about Christ the Messiah. Barbanel, a Jew living in Medieval times claimed a bright star was to have appeared in the heavens two years before the Messiah’s birth. It was this star which prompted the Magi to begin their journey. At midnight in the middle of September 5 BC the constellation was on the meridian above Bethlehem. A year later a bright star would have appeared over the head of Coma in the constellation of Virgo and its associated decans. That star would have been bright enough to have been seen all day and would have been visible for 30 years, i.e throughout Jesus life time (read “time on earth”; He is still alive!).

When you put all these pieces together we are talking about the heavens announcing the coming (the advent) of the Messiah. Little wonder the Magi knew when to move and the angels came down and sang praises to God along with the shepherds. As we shall see in the coming weeks, God’s plan for mankind has always been able to be seen in the heavens for those who are looking. Of course, we have to begin with the constellation of Virgo, the Virgin. Where else would we begin?