| ALNILAM | |
| Epsilon Orion | |
| 22GEM04. | 23GEM28. |
| -01.16'. | -01.12'. |
| 05h36m. | -24.30'. |
| B0. | 1.8. |
History of the star: A brilliant white star occupying the central position in Orion's belt.
The Arabic name for Alnilam or Al Nitham is An-Nidham, "The string of pearls".
It was also called "the Bullions set in the middle of Orion's Belt".
It portended fleeting public honors to those born under its influence. [Star Names, Their Lore and Meaning, Richard Hinchley Allen, 1889].
The Belt of Orion: Epsilon Alnilam zeta Alnitak and delta Mintaka form the Belt of Orion. One of the most obvious features people see in the sky is the three stars that form the "belt" across the middle of Orion; three stars in a row that appear to us of almost equal size and of equal distance from each other; Mintaka, the westernmost star in the belt, comes from the Arabic word for "belt"; Alnilam, this center star in the belt, means "a belt of pearls"; and Alnitak, the eastern-most star, means the girdle.
Known to the Arabs as the Golden Nuts, referring to walnuts.
The Bible makes reference to this famous group. God, while pointing out how all-powerful he was, asked Job if he was able to "loose the bands of Orion" (Job 38.31).
They were known in various cultures as; the "Line", the "Golden Grains", "Nuts", or "Spangles", "The Vertebrae in the Jauzah's back". "The Vagina", or "Scabbard"; "The Three-jointed Arrow"; "Rectitude," Jacob "Rod" or "Staff", "Distaff";
Seamen have called it the "Golden Yard-arm"; Tradesmen; the "Yard", the "Yard-stick", and the "Yard-wand"; Catholics; "Our Lady's Wand"; and French farmers; Rateau, the "Rake".
To the Arabs as, "Accurate Scale-beam". The Chinese similarly knew them as a Weighing-beam, with the stars of the sword as a weight at one end.
The ancient Jews sometimes called these stars "Nimrod", a biblical figure who was bound to the heavens for disobeying God, whence perhaps came the "Bands", or "Bonds", of Orion, which some say should be "Cords", or a "Girdle". But the conception of Nimrod as "the mighty Hunter before the Lord," at least in the ordinary sense of that word, is erroneous, for the original, according to universal Eastern tradition, signifies "a Lurking Enemy", or a Hunter of men rather than of beasts. This idea may have led to a Latin title, Venator, for the stellar Orion.
It is often" the Magi", the "Three Kings", the "Three Marys", or simply the "Three Stars".
The celestial equator now passes through the Belt, but was 12° below it 4000 years ago.
[Star
Names, Their Lore and Meaning,
Richard Hinchley Allen, 1889].
The astrological influences of the constellation given by Manilius:
Near neighbor to the Twins (Gemini), Orion may be seen stretching his arms over a vast expanse of sky and rising to the stars with no less huge a stride. A single light marks each of his shining shoulders, and three aslant trace the downward line of his sword ; but three mark Orion's head, which is imbedded in high heaven with his countenance remote." It is Orion who leads the constellations as they speed over the full circuit of heaven. [Astronomica
, Manilius, 1st century AD. p.35.]
Orion will fashion alert minds and agile
bodies, souls prompt to respond to duty's call, and hearts which
press on with unflagging energy in spite of every trial. A son of
Orion's will be worth a multitude and will seem to dwell in every
quarter of the city; flying from door to door with the one word of
morning greeting, he will enjoy the friendship of all. [Astronomica
The general astrological influences of the star: It gives fleeting public honors. (Robson*).
A good nut crop. "Passionately devoted to hunting, but not noble hunting with falcon or bow". Treacherous, irreligious. A shrew, in a female chart, rising and aspected by both Mars and a benefic. (Fixed Stars and Judicial Astrology, George Noonan, 1990).
General influence of the Cingula Orionis (Orion's Belt): The joint influence is to give strength, energy, industry, organizing abilities, notoriety, good fortune, lasting happiness, a sharp mind and a good memory. (Robson*).
Cingula Orionis with a malefic and the Moon at the same time with Markab (23 Pisces), death at human hands. (Robson*).
Cingula Orionis rising: Legacies, love or dissipation, gravity and austerity. (Robson*).
Alnilam with the Sun: Rash, headstrong, surly. If also culminating, military preferment and gain. (Robson*).
Cingula Orionis with Sun: Notoriety, good fortune, lasting happiness. (Robson*).
Alnilam with the Moon: Many sudden and unexpected losses and reverses, much help from friends, ill health of family. (Robson*).
Cingula Orionis with Moon: Blindness of at least one eye, new and influential friends, valuable gifts, love of respectable women. If a malefic be with Markab, drowning. If the moon is with Saturn also, drowning and assassination. (Robson*).
Alnilam with Mercury: hasty, quick temper, quarrels with associates, domestic disharmony through actions, troubles through writings and opposite sex. (Robson*).
With Venus: Trouble through love affairs, scandal, enemies among women. (Robson*).
With Mars: Quarrels, loss by lawsuits, domestic disharmony, bad health, violent death. (Robson*).
With Jupiter: Legal or Church preferment but danger of disgrace, loss by speculation, trouble through relatives and foreign affairs. (Robson*).
With Saturn: Courageous, domestic disharmony, leaves home early, successful but many unexpected losses, favorable for health. (Robson*).
With Uranus: Scientific ability, critical, enthusiastic, too many interests, may practice medicine or invent new surgical appliances but reaps no gain from them, many troubles and annoyances, disharmony with brothers and sisters who may cheat native out of inheritance, loss through law and in business, several marriages, enmity between native and partner's relatives, unfavorable for children, sudden death in middle age while travelling, leaving affairs involved in litigation. (Robson*).
With Neptune: Honest, outspoken, hasty in speech, rash and impulsive, offends others through irreligious speech, business and mercantile pursuits or engaged in science, may be head of learned institution or connected with large companies, fond of speculation, sports and the water, quick and level headed in emergencies, many friends but loss through some, danger of accidents, domestic harmony, dies before old age. (Robson*).
References
*(Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology