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The constellation of Pisces has an almost universal association with female deities. The ancient Babylonians recognised the Fishes as the goddesses Anunitum and Simmah; while the Syrians saw the group as a representation of their goddess Ashtarte and frequently drew it as a woman’s head upon a fish’s body. The Greeks adopted this identification, suggesting that the two Fishes represent Venus and her son Cupid. According to mythology, Venus and cupid dived into a river and transformed themselves into fishes in order to escape the evil attack of monstrous Typhon. Of course, mythology also claims that Venus was born from the sea while astrology, appropriately, exalts her in the sign of the Fishes.People born under the Pisces sign are either commended for their compassionate humility and sympathetic consideration, or berated for being weak-willed, gullible and lacking in focus. Kindness, trust and a ‘willingness to believe’ has contributed to Pisces ’ reputation as one of the most spiritual signs of the zodiac.”

Aquarius is generally depicted by a young man pouring water from an urn. There seems little doubt that the symbolism arose from the Sun’s passage through Aquarius during the rainy season of the ancient year, which also explains the dominance of ‘watery’ constellations in the surrounding area of heaven. (In the dry and arid climates where many of these figures were determined, water was taken as a sign of fertility and prosperity)Aquarius is a very ancient constellation and the figure of the Water bearer has often been associated with the Babylonian deity Ea, the god of waters and streams. The Babylonians called Aquarius Gu La meaning ‘Great Man’ or ‘Giant’ which is considered by many to be a reference to Ea. The Egyptians depicted their god Hapi as an ancient symbol of the Nile pouring water onto the Earth from two jars which seems to have been derived from the same source. The symbol for Aquarius is derived from the Egyptian hieroglyphic Mu, for water, and it was when the Moon was full in Aquarius that the Nile overflowed its banks and flooded the land.Jake Baddeley has included much of this symbolism into this painting including visual references to Ea, both in the composition and in the elements. The horns on her head for example were worn by Mesopotamian deities as a sign of their supremacy.Aquarians are often recognised as social idealists, locked into a quest to pursue their guiding principles of truth, justice, democracy, universal harmony and brotherhood of man. Calm objectivity combined with idealistic vision results in a genuine interest for scientific ingenuity and a natural instinct for fair-mindedness. Known for being one of the most rational and humane signs of the zodiac, Aquarius, in its positive expression, is the archetype for civility, tact and reasoned logic.”

Classical mythology explained the constellation figure of Capricorn as Pan who, during the war of the Titans, jumped into the Nile in terror and changed his shape into that of a goat-fish, suggesting that they were as ignorant of the real meaning of Capricorn as are we. Capricornus is the Latin name for the constellation which refers only to a goat’s horn, a potent symbol for fertility.The constellation has a widespread association with aquatic creatures in ancient times. Early Hindu astrologers depicted it as a goat’s head upon the body of a hippopotamus and it was known by some Latin authors as Neptune’s Offspring or The Rain-bringing One. This is partly because the Sun’s passage through this section of the sky coincided with the rainy season of the ancient year. The symbolic roots are also tied into the worship of Ea, one of the most important Babylonian gods who ruled over Waters, Wisdom and Magic. Ea’s domain was the ‘Primeval Deep’, and he was known by the title ‘Antelope of the Ocean’.Ea was the most stoical of the ancient gods and his mythological traits reveal him to be a constant friend to humanity. The Greeks preserved his character in their own myth of Oannes, an exceptionally wise creature, described by Berossus as half-fish and half-human, who was said to have emerged from the ocean on four occasions to bring culture and civilisation to mankind. Ea and Oannes are both described as articulate, patient, tolerant and serene. Their lack of emotional excitability are impressed upon the character traits associated with the star sign Capricorn.Whereas Cancer was ‘the Gate of Men’, through which souls descended to Earth from Heaven, Capricorn was ‘the Gate of the Gods’, the portal of ascension through which souls of the departed ascended back to Heaven. Suitably Capricorn marks the Winter solstice a time when the powers of the sun are at its weakest. The Hermetic-Platonic philosophy has a direct relevance to Babylon and therefore strengthens the argument that Capricorn celebrates the mythology of one of their prominent gods. The name ‘Babylon’ is the Greek form of bab-ili, the Assyrian translation of the Akkadian ca-dimira, ‘gate of the gods’, by which name it was locally known. The Hebrew name Babel (bab ‘gate’ el ‘god’) shows the connection more clearly.The goatfish however can be seen as a powerful dualistic emblem, uniting creatures that roam the mountains with those that swim the depths of the ocean, a symbol of the integration of spirit with matter. This duality is characterised by a life-long striving towards accomplishment. The sign is known as the most ambitious of the zodiac, driven to climb, yet constantly checked by the pressure of a planet whose nature is to hold back and restrain.”

Classical legend claims that the Greek Centaur Chiron placed Sagittarius in the heavens to guide the Argonauts in their expedition through Colchis.The symbolism connected to Sagittarius is very ancient. Cuneiform inscriptions found in Mesopotamia refer to Sagittarius as ‘The Strong One’, the ‘Giant King of War’ and mention him under the guardianship of Nergal, whom the Mesopotamians identified with Mars.The inherently aggressive nature of Sagittarius seems to have been largely forgotten today through its association with the more idealistic attributes. Sagittarians are choleric in their temperament and are known for their exuberance and extroversion. The volatile influence of Mars can set their fiery light ablaze. In this work it is the striving, goal orientated aspect that I haves focused upon, showing the rider aiming her arrows at a heavenly target.”

In classical myth the Scorpion was the revered slayer of Orion, the powerful warrior who had boasted that his strength was so great he was invincible to the mightiest creatures of the earth. Orion’s vulnerability was proven by the lowly but deadly Scorpion. The two constellations remain linked in combat in the heavens, directly opposing each other across the sky, so that Orion is said to flee in the west whenever his murderer rises in the east.For many centuries prior to the Christian Era, Scorpio was the largest of the zodiacal figures, with its claws extending over the area now attributed to Libra, making Libra a fairly modern constellation. This has been offered as an argument that the earliest zodiac contained only six great constellations, of which Scorpio was one.The Scorpion, as a constellation figure, has a great antiquity in Mesopotamia where it was viewed as a symbol of darkness and resilience. An emblem of autumn, it is found on Babylonian boundary stones dating to the 12th century BC. For later dwellers on the Euphrates it became symbolic of the decline of the Sun’s power after the autumnal equinox, then located within its stars. Its malignant influence was most readily seen in the stormy weather and early darkness that accompanied its rising, as witnessed in this passage from Aratus: “ storm-tossed at sea, when the Sun scorches the Bow, trust no longer in the night but put to shore in the evening. Of that season and that month let the rising of the Scorpion at the close of night be a sign to thee”.Scorpio’s fundamental dynamics are then the essence of darkness. They are feminine, nocturnal, autumnal. They are also the essence of the scorpion. Dangerous, predatory and cunning.”

“Libra – September 23 – October 22The balance corresponds to an Egyptian deity Ma’at. In Egyptian myth the dead were judged by Anubis. He used a feather, which was the representation of Ma’at, the Goddess of truth and justice responsible for maintaining order in the universe. The heart was the seat of the life-spirit. Hearts heavier or lighter than the feather of Ma’at were rejected and eaten by Ammit, the Devourer of Souls. As it was known to the Babylonians as the scales – which were held sacred to the sun god Shamash, who was also the patron of truth and justice – we can assume that this tradition is very old. Today, we recognise this image as we use it to represent justice. The key traits for a Libra personality type is said to be the qualities of balance, harmony and diplomacy. The constellation itself is also in the shape of a pair of scales.”

“VIRGO (August 23 - September 22)Virgo is the only female figure in the zodiac and as such has been associated with most of the main female deities but in particular those who represent crop fertility, including Ceres - the Roman goddess of corn and harvest - Proserpina, Persephone, Demeter and Aphrodite. The zodiac figure of Virgo is generally depicted as a winged maiden holding a palm branch in her right hand and an ear of corn in her left, though here I chose flowers as a more general symbol of fertility.The roots of the symbolism of Virgo as the earth goddess holding a spike of corn can be traced to the ancient Mesopotamian period. Thus the Babylonian reference for the constellation was Ab Sin, ‘the Furrow’, depicting the virgin land about to bear its fruit. By the classical era the Sun’s transit through the zodiac sign had taken precedence and Virgo became more directly perceived as a Maiden of fruition through the Harvest.The original Virgo is believed to be the early grain goddess Nidoba who, prior to Nabu (the Babylonian god of wisdom, justice and ‘the scribe’), was an important goddess of writing. As Nabu rose to prominence he absorbed the worship of Nidoba and became identified with the planet Mercury, the planet that now rules this sign. In Babylonian myth, the identification between Virgo and the grain goddess led the constellation figure to be personified as Ishtar, the consort of the corn god Tammuz.The Roman Manilius’s description of the traits of Virgo directly influences later accounts of the meanings of its stars. He clearly describes an emphasis that accords with our modern view of Virgo being the sign of purity, prudence, diplomacy, discerning mental vision and a retiring disposition.”

“LEO - July 23 - August 22Leo is associated with the summer sun. The noble lion has always been regarded as a creature of kingly attributes and the constellation has a very ancient association with royalty and authority.The main star of Leo is Regulus, a diminutive of its earlier form Rex, meaning King. The same title was given to it by the ancient Babylonians. Along with Fomalhaut, Aldebaran and Antares it was one of the four ‘Guardians of Heaven’: stars which marked the four cardinal points linked to the direction of south and the culminating point of the Sun. Regulus was the natural symbol for glory and the height of power.In Greek myth Leo depicts the lion of Nemea, which Hercules was commanded to kill as the first of his twelve labours. These are therefore the qualities associated with a Leo personality and the general mood I tried to imbue the painting with.”

“CANCER – The Gate of Souls (June 21 – July 22)Cancer marks a very special place in the heavens. It rises at the time of the summer solstice one of the four major divisions of the year. Together with the line created by the path of the sun, the ecliptic, this creates a cross, marking the position of a gate through which new souls pass and descend to earth as they are incarnated. This is called the golden gate. This aspect of Cancer also explains the meaning of the Twins who precede Cancer in the zodiac, and who typically were represented as warriors with a bow and mace, as they guard the gate against demons. At the other side of the sky during the winter solstice, Capricorn rises and marks in the same way the silver gate where departed souls would return to heaven. Here Jake Baddeley has depicted the Gate of Souls holding the sign of Cancer. His son exclaimed when he saw it that it looks like sperm around an egg, and indeed it does. Although this was entirely unintended, this fits with the theme perfectly as a depiction of newly incarnated souls.Cancer’s main personality types are instinctive and emotional they are known for their remarkable psychic sensitivity and receptiveness to emotional impressions. This is widely accepted as one of the most psychic signs of the zodiac and there is usually a marked interest in the occult, a vivid recollection of powerful dreams, and strong symbolic appreciation.”

“GEMINI (May 21 – June 20)The ancient Babylonians referred to the constellation as Mastabba Galgal, the ‘Great Twins’, and commemorated within it the mythical friendship of Gilgamesh and Enkidu, who fought against the gods in twelve adventures and so is considered by some to be a reflection of the solar journey through the zodiac.The Greek recognised the two stars as Hercules and Apollo. Hercules being a Greek development of Gilgamesh. It was the Romans who referred to the stars as Castor and Pollux the names they are now known as, who were also both great warriors. It has been suggested that these warriors guarded the gate of souls, a special place in the heavens marked by the next constellation - Cancer.Gemini’s theme is one of duality. A Gemini seeks to reconcile all contradictions where reason and belief, intellect and emotion, masculinity and femininity, merge into one.”

The qualities of a Taurus personality are the essence of the bull, being strength, stubbornness, persistence and dependability.”

As each sign is given a month one wonders why Aries , the first sign is the sign of March and not our beginning of the year January. The reason for this can be traced all the way back to the Sumerians whose year began in March on the spring equinox, a fact that reveals the nature of the sign; the vitality of spring and the return of the sun are key themes related to Aries. Aries started out as a Babylonian farm worker or ‘hired hand’ developing later into Dumizi the Shepherd king, both relating to the farming calendar. The Egyptians developed this idea portraying the constellation as a ram headed god representing both fertility and the vitality of war. Aries has much to do with the solar qualities of creativity, energy, enthusiasm and courage. The Sun is the symbol of consciousness, individuality, clear direction and definition - the power of the will to rise above instinct and take control. The warlike Romans saw Aries as ruled by the planet Mars personified by the Roman god of war with the similar name of Ares, accentuating the martial character of this sign. This is the aspect that Jake has incorporated into this painting.”