GEMINI: The Twins
Once, there lived Leda who was married to Tyndareus, the King of Sparta. Leda had twin boys named Castor and Pollux, but soon discovered that only Castor was the son of her husband, Tyndareus. Pollux was the son of Zeus, making him immortal, while Castor was mortal. The twins were handsome and adventurous. They took part in many events together and were known for their energy and curiosity. Castor was an amazing horseman, while Pollux was known for his strength. One day, in battle, Castor was killed. Pollux was heartbroken and prayed to Zeus to take his life as well, for he could not bear to live without his brother. Zeus was so touched by the twin's love and affection for his brother, that he granted Pollux his wish
and set their images among the stars as the constellation of Gemini, so that they would never again be separated.
Castor, having been hurt in battle, is held up by Pollux, in the sky. From their perch amongst the stars, Castor and Pollux look down upon the Earth, watching over those in trouble at sea or in grave danger in war.
CANCER: The Crab
Once, there lived a hero named Hercules. Zeus and Hera were Hercules’ parents. Hera, jealous of Zeus’ affection for their son, gave Hercules 12 tasks to test his strength and courage. Hera wished that the 12 tasks would prove to Zeus that Hercules was not worthy of his love. The second of the tasks was to defeat the Lernean Hydra - a snake-like creature with nine heads. The catch was that if anyone succeeded in cutting off one of its heads, two more would grow in its place. In order to guarantee Hercules’ failure, Hera sent a large crab to grab Hercules by the foot and distract him while he was fighting. Hercules’ plan to defeat Hydra was to cut off one head at a time while his
nephew, Lolaus, burned its necks before any new heads could replace the amputated ones. During the battle, the crab grabbed the foot of Hercules, but he crushed it with his other foot. Then, he cut off the final head of Hydra, defeating it. To honour Hercules’ victory and to remind Hera of her failure, Zeus placed the constellation of the Crab in the sky.