Scorpio

As the Golden Huntsman, Orion, sets in the West each Spring, Scorpio - the scorpion which killed him - rises in the East. Its stars have always been feared by sailors, as its rising promised storms. But for the alchemists, November, Scorpio's season, when the earth decays, was the best time for making gold. The scorpion in the skies was also sacred to the god of war 7000 years ago in the Euphrates valley. Antares, the great red star that marks the heart of Scorpio, is 9000 times brighter than our sun. Scorpio, with its curving tail, lies between Libra and Sagittarius on the zodiac band.