History of Alcyone and the Pleiades: Called "The Central One". Alcyone is the central or main star and also the largest star of the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters; the seven stars which are situated on the shoulder blade of Taurus, the Bull. Alcyone is often seen as representing the whole group that are all situated within one degree.

In Greek Mythology, Alcyone, who in grief over the death of her husband, Ceyx, threw herself into the sea and was changed into a halcyon; a bird identified with the kingfisher, believed to have had the power to calm the wind and the waves at the time of the winter solstice when it nested on the sea. Halcyon means tranquil and free from disturbance or care; prosperous; golden: as in "halcyon years".

Other versions make Alcyone, and her six sisters, the daughters of Atlas. Some said that it was because of the daughters' grief over Atlas, their father, whose labor in bearing the world on his shoulders, was the cause of their transformation and subsequent transfer to the heavens.

This cluster of stars were seen by some Romans as a "hen with her chicks", with Alcyone as "The Hen".

Other versions made them the "Seven Doves" that carried ambrosia to the infant Zeus. Pleiades (Peleiades) was called a "flock of doves". In order to flee the sexual advance of Orion, the Hunter, the seven sisters were transformed into Doves or Rock-pigeons.

Latin Butrum or Brutum, meaning a Bunch of Grapes was another title.

Arabic Al Najm, the Constellation par excellence was another title.

They were the 1st mansion of the Moon in a number of traditions. The Arabic word for them was Al Thurayya "The Many Little Ones" and marked the 1st manzil.

In the Hindu lunar zodiac the Pleiades are the 1st nakshatra (Moon Mansion), Krittika "The General of the Celestial Armies". The Krittikas were the six nurses of Skanda, the infant god of war, who took to himself six heads for his better nourishment.

As a Persian lunar station they were one of these titles: Perv, Perven, Pervis, Parvig, Parviz, Peren, Parur, Parwin, Parven; with references to the tent-maker "who stitched the tents of science".

With the Khorasmians and Sogdians, Parvi and Parur; — all these from Peru, the "Begetters", as beginning all things, probably with reference to their beginning the year [or perhaps the beginning of the lunar cycle].

The patriarch Job is thought to refer to them in his word Kimah, a Cluster, or Heap. The similar Babylonian-Assyrian Kimtu, or Kimmatu, signifies a "Family Group." Syrians had Kima. Aratos called them the Flock of Clusterers.

[Star Names, Their Lore and Meaning, Richard Hinchley Allen, 1889].

Abundant crops and green pastures were attributed to these "Rainy Stars". They were also connected with traditions of the Flood found among widely separated nations. The word Pleiades is derived from the Indo-European word pel[e]-¹, "to fill", with derivatives: fill, supply, plenty, accomplish, plethora, complete, plus, plural, replenish, implement, compliment, supplement, police, politics, policy, public, publish, publicity, palm, feeling, folks. "Pleiades" is also related to the Greek verb plein "to sail". These were the German Schiffahrts Gestirn, the "Sailors' Stars". The word Pleiades also derives from the sister's mythological mother, Pleione, a star that is close to this group. This star was at exactly zero Gemini in the year 2000.

The Pleiades marked the 1st Arabic manzil:

 Influences: Profitable to sailors, huntsmen and alchemists. (Robson*).

The Hindus also pictured these stars as a "Flame" or "Razor", and the regent was Agni, god of fire:

Influences: Those born on the lunar day will delight in white flowers, perform sacrifice, and will be magicians, metaphysicians, diggers, barbers, potters, priests or astronomers. With the Moon here at birth the native will be a glutton, adulterous, handsome and famous. (Robson*).

The astrological influences given by Manilius for the constellation Taurus:

The Bull will dower the countryside with honest farmers and will come as a source of toil into their peaceful lives; it will bestow, not gifts of glory, but the fruits of the earth. It bows its neck amid the stars and of itself demands a yoke for its shoulders. When it carries the sun's orb on its horns, it bids battle with the soil begin and rouses the fallow land to its former cultivation, itself leading the work, for it neither pauses in the furrows nor relaxes its breast in the dust. The sign of the Bull has produced a Serranus and a Curius, has carried the rods of office through the fields, and has left its plough to become a dictator. [eque suo dictator venit aratro] Its sons have the love of unsung excellence ; their hearts and bodies derive strength from a massiveness that is slow to move, whilst in their faces dwells the boy-god Love. [Astronomica, Manilius, 1st century AD, book 4, p.233].

The astrological influences given by Manilius for the Pleiades:

"The Pleiades, sisters who vie with each other's radiance. Beneath their influence devotees of Bacchus (god of wine and ecstasy) and Venus (goddess of love) are born into the kindly light, and people whose insouciance runs free at feasts and banquets and who strive to provoke sweet mirth with biting wit. They will always take pains over personal adornment and an elegant appearance they will set their locks in waves of curls or confine their tresses with bands, building them into a thick topknot, and they will transform the appearance of the head by adding hair to it; they will smooth their hairy limbs with the porous pumice, loathing their manhood and craving for sleekness of arm. They adopt feminine dress, footwear donned not for wear but for show, and an affected effeminate gait. They are ashamed of their sex; in their hearts dwells a senseless passion for display, and they boast of their malady, which they call a virtue. To give their love is never enough, they will also want their love to be seen".  [Astronomica, Manilius, 1st century AD, book 5, p.310-313].

General influence of the Pleiades: According to Ptolemy they are of the nature of the Moon and Mars; and, to Alvidas, of Mars, Moon and Sun in opposition. They are said to make their natives wanton, ambitious, turbulent, optimistic and peaceful; to give many journeys and voyages, success in agriculture and through active intelligence; and to cause blindness, disgrace and a violent death. Their influence is distinctly evil and there is no astrological warrant for the oft-quoted passage Job (xxxviii. 31) "Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades…? "which is probably a mistranslation. (Robson*).

A note about the above: It has been said that many of the negative interpretations given by astrologers in the past to the Pleiades and other stars with feminine qualities was caused by prejudice against men with a homosexual leaning. Words like "evil influence", as in the above case, is likely to relate to homosexuality (in men), an unmentionable word in Robson's days. Other substitutions were: "not a good omen with regard to relationships to the opposite sex", "disgrace", "immoral", "evil disposition". Homosexuality (in men) is only one of the many likely influences of the Pleiades, but not the predominant influence.

Influence of Alcyone: It causes love, eminence, blindness from fevers, small pox, and accidents to the face. (Robson*).

Ambition and endeavor, which gives preferment, honor and glory. Not a good omen with regard to relationships to the opposite sex. (Fixed Stars and Their Interpretation, Elsbeth Ebertin, 1923)

Desire to be well dressed and even misuse beauty aids, such as an excessive amount of perfume. Likely to drink too much. Success in trade conducted upon the seas. (Fixed Stars and Judicial Astrology, George Noonan, 1990).

Bereavement, mourning, sorrows and tragedies. (The Living Stars, Dr. Eric Morse).

If rising: Blindness, ophthalmia injuries to the eyes and face, disgrace, wounds, stabs (operations nowadays), exile, imprisonment, sickness, violent fevers, quarrels, violent lust, military preferment. If at the same time the Sun is in opposition either to the Ascendant or to Mars, violent death. (Robson*).

Impudent in speech if poorly positioned Mercury. Homosexuality. (Fixed Stars and Judicial Astrology, George Noonan, 1990).

Setting: Pleasant death, when setting, if aspected by benefics. (Fixed Stars and Judicial Astrology, George Noonan, 1990).

If culminating: Disgrace, ruin, violent death. If with the luminaries it makes its natives military captains, commanders, colonels of horse and emperors. (Robson*).

With Sun: Throat ailments, chronic catarrh, blindness, bad eyes, injuries to the face, sickness, disgrace, evil disposition, murderer or murdered, imprisonment, death by pestilence, blows, stabs, shooting, beheading or shipwreck. If in 7th house, blindness, especially if Saturn or Mars be with Regulus. If with Mars and Venus the native will be a potent king obeyed by many people but subject to many infirmities. (Robson*).

With Moon: Injuries to the face, sickness, misfortune, wounds, stabs, disgrace, imprisonment, blindness, defective sight especially if in the Ascendant or one of the other angles, may be cross-eyed, Color-blind or the eyes may be affected by some growth. If in the 7th house, total blindness especially if Saturn or Mars be with Regulus and the Moon be combust. (Robson*).

With Mercury: Many disappointments, loss of possessions, much loss from legal affairs, business failure, trouble through children. (Robson*).

With Venus: Immoral, strong passions, disgrace through women, sickness, loss of fortune. (Robson*).

With Mars: Many accidents to the head, loss and suffering through fires. If at the same time Saturn is with Regulus, violent death in a tumult. (Robson*).

With Jupiter: Deceit, hypocrisy, legal and ecclesiastical troubles, loss through relatives, banishment or imprisonment. (Robson*).

With Saturn: Cautious, much sickness, tumorous ailments, chronic sickness to family many loses. (Robson*).

With Uranus: Active mind, deformity from birth or through accident in childhood, many accidents and troubles, many unexpected losses often through fire or enemies, marriage partner proves false especially if female, troubles through women, occult interests, unfavorable for children, if any, and lack of harmony with them, heavy losses at end of life, violent death. (Robson*).

With Neptune: Bold, military preferment, honor, wealth, help from friends, many serious accidents, many travel, somewhat dishonorable occupation involving secrecy, ill-health to marriage partner and peculiar conditions respecting parentage, bad for children, may lose everything at end of life, violent death, often abroad while following occupation. (Robson*).

References

*(Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology , Vivian E. Robson, 1923)