Bellatrix: Astronomical and astrological properties

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 93162

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "alshainofthenorth"
<alshainofthenorth at y...> wrote:
> Since Carol asked and others might be interested as well, I picked 
> the Internet and here's what I came up with. Credit where credit is 
> due, first, here are the sources:
> Prof. Emeritus Jim Kaler has a great website on astronomy at
> http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/
> Anne Wright's site has to be the best on fixed star astrology I've 
> seen. Bookmark it. http://www.winshop.com.au/annew/
> 
> Some basic astronomy first: Bellatrix (AKA the Amazon Star) is a blue-
> white giant star in the constellation Orion, with the apparent 
> magnitude of 1.63, placing it as the twenty-fifth brightest of the 
> fixed stars. Its distance from the Earth is 240 light years, much 
> closer than the rest of the stars in the constellation.  
> 
> I've managed to trace the name Bellatrix (which indeed means female 
> warrior) as far as the Alfonsine Tables of Toledo (compiled in the 
> thirteenth century), where it is a translation of Arab Al Najid, `the 
> conqueror'.
> 
> Astrological properties: Ptolemy said the star is similar to Mars and 
> Mercurius and can give great civil or military honor. Also danger of 
> sudden dishonor, renown, wealth, eminent friends and liability to 
> accidents causing blindness and ruin. In a woman's horoscope, it 
> makes her loquacious and shrewish, and gives a high-pitched, hard and 
> sharp voice (though other astrologers considered it a lucky star for 
> women.)
> 
> Later astrologers have connected Bellatrix with strong will, strong 
> passions, fighting spirit and courage, but also a tendency towards 
> hatred, fanatism and recklessness, and also violent death. It might 
> create some interesting theories about Bellatrix and Rudolphus that 
> the Larousse Encyclopedia of Astrology connects the star with 
> marriage for money or honour followed by reversed fortunes.
> 
> Hope something of this is of general interest.
> 
> Alshain (has so little faith in astrology that couldn't move a speck 
> of dust)


Thanks very much. I think JKR's reasons for choosing the name
Bellatrix are pretty self-explanatory, but the (supposed) properties
of the star and its associations with specific character traits may
also prove important.

I don't have much to add except that I checked the associations with
death for Sirius, Regulus, and Bellatrix on Anne Wright's page and
some of them seem fitting. Regulus in most positions seems to indicate
a long life and natural death, but in association with Neptune, it
indicates death by accident or assassination. Sirius is generally
associated with a famous death (oops) but in association with Uranus
indicates a sudden death, and, in association with the moon, death by
wild beast or soldiers (does a woman warrior count?). Bellatrix in
association with the sun indicates a violent death, and, in
association with Neptune, many narrow escapes followed by a violent
death. (Sounds like Bellatrix will receive her just deserts.) And
Alfard, the uncle who willed his money to Sirius and lost his place on
the family tapestry by doing so, turns out also to be a star (you may
have known but I didn't) is generally associated with death by poison
or suffocation and in specific positions, death by drowning or a
public death caused by secret enemies. (Moral: Don't name your kid
Alfard.) The deaths by poison or water shouldn't be surprising
considering that Alfard is in the constellation Hydra, the water snake.)
 
http://www.winshop.com.au/annew/DEATH1.html
http://www.winshop.com.au/annew/DEATH2.html

Anyway, despite being a complete sceptic concerning astrology, I
thought all this was interesting in relation to the Black family. 

Oh, and watch out for Professor Sinistra (the feminine of "sinister")
and yet another star, whose general influence "gives an immoral, mean
and slovenly nature"  

http://www.winshop.com.au/annew/alphabet1.htm

I had fun with this one. Thanks. (I carefully avoided looking at the
properties associated with Alshain!)

Carol