Tonight, as we look up into the center of the dome of the sky, we can find a group of constellations that commemorate the main characters from the myth of Perseus. Near the pole star, if we cast our glance on a circular course, we can find Cepheus and Cassiopeia, the king and queen of Ethiopia. South of them is Andromeda, their beautiful daughter, chained to a rock and waiting to be sacrificed to the sea monster Cetus, who can be found further south. If we look to our left from Andromeda, we will find the hero Perseus, who is on his way to save Andromeda, having just completed his first heroic task, the slaying of Medusa. Medusa's severed head can be found in Perseus' left hand. In the book The Origins of the Mithraic Mysteries, author David Ulansey makes the case that the constellation of Perseus was worshiped by the members of the Mithraic religion as an image of Mithras himself, who slayed Taurus the bull, found just below him to the south. Whichever myth we assign to Perseus, it is clear that he is a venerated ancient hero. Like other heroes, he can be called on for help and protection. |
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