Aries the Ram

Aries is a small, but easy to find zodiac constellation visible in the winter sky. The star picture only has 3 bright stars but they form a distinct obtuse triangle in the sky 25 degrees to the right (or west) of the Seven Sisters star cluster. And this year, the bright planet Jupiter is nearby (just down and to the left after sunset). The brightest star is named Hamal, the head of the sheep.

For such a tiny constellation, Aries has an extensive mythology. Part one occurs when a king, with a son named Phrixus and daughter named Helle, leaves his wife and remarries a mean and nasty woman. The new wife is jealous of the children and plans to sacrifice them to the gods. Talk about your wicked step-mothers! At the last moment their biological mother sends a magical, winged, golden ram down to fly them away to the east. Unfortunately the daughter falls off of the flying ram to her death in the Hellespont (named in her honor).

Phrixus lands safely and sacrifices the ram to Zeus (thanks O Flying Ram) and gives the golden fleece to another King named Aeetes (whose daughter he eventually marries). The King put the fleece under constant protection guarded by a fierce dragon that never slept. The stage was now set for a man named Jason to make an epic journey to steal this Golden Fleece.

To be continued…

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Aries as the Golden Fleece

Not long after King Aeetes got the Golden Fleece, an expedition was formed to take it from him. A man named Jason, heir to the throne, needed to accomplish a dangerous task to boost his self-esteem. As a kid he read countless stories or daring deeds and courageous adventures. However, he was a rather wimpy kid who was picked on even in kindergarten. When he heard about the Golden Fleece, Jason vowed to face all dangers and bring it bravely back to Greece. So he gathered a group of explorers called the Argonauts to go with him (The Argonauts were named after the ship - Argo - that bore them to the fleece. The group included such A-listers as Heracles, Orpheus, Castor and Pollux.  The Argo was also an old constellation covering the southern sky now broken up into 6 modern constellations).

Medea, a woman possessed

After facing Harpies, pointy rocks, and mild seasickness Jason made it to the King Aeetes. Aeetes, of course, didn't want to give the fleece away. It still had that new fleece smell. But the King's daughter Medea, caught under a spell from Aphrodite, stood up for Jason. Medea helped him plow a field with fire-breathing bulls, defeat warriors that grew from dragon's teeth, and put a stalwart dragon to sleep to finally gain the fleece. In fact, Medea did all the work - mixing potions to entrance her enemies. Jason took the fleece and Medea back home with him where they did not live happily ever after. Once Aphrodite's spell wore off, Medea and Jason broke up... Alas, love is so fickle.

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