History of the star: A double star, possibly binary, brilliant white and pale emerald on the Tail of the Great Bear, Ursa Major

A companion star and only 11' distant is situated Alcor, a 4th magnitude star and only people with excellent eyesight could distinguish it as a separate star. These stars used to be the 'test' or 'riddle' by which people used to test their eyesight on. 

The present Arabic name for Mizar is Al-Maraqq (1), "The loins", or the "groin" of the Great Bear (2).

Mirak was an early name for this, a repetition of that for beta; but it was changed to the present Mizar, from the Arabic Mi'zar, a "Girdle" or "Waist-cloth", which, although inappropriate, has maintained its place in modern lists; Mizat and Mirza being other forms. The "hill Mizar" of the 42d Psalm sometimes is wrongly associated with this, the original Hebrew word mis'ar being better rendered in the Psalter, from Coverdale's version, as "the little hill," i.e. of Hermon, of which it was a minor peak.

In India it was Vashishtha (or Vasishta, or Vasisht), "most wealthy" (5) (born from Brahma's breathing), one of the Seven Sages. Vasishta is supposed to have been born as the result of Brahma’s will power. He was a great ascetic, and labored for the welfare of the world (3). A law-book and another on yoga are attributed to him (5). He was married to Arundhati, the companion star Alcor which was said to be the missing Pleiad of Taurus. Arundhati is famous for being virtuous and for devotion to her husband, and spent all her time in service to her husband, Vashishtha. In India even nowadays, immediately after the wedding, the bride is shown Arundhati (Alcor) and she worships the star. It is a symbolic acceptance of the ideal of virtue and devotion by the bride. Vasishta had his hermitage on the banks of the river Saraswati (3). The richest of the sages, he owned Nandini, the cow of plenty (offspring of Surabhi). As this cow was able to grant the sage all his wishes, he became the master of every vasu (desirable object) (4). The cow is said to have been produced at the churning of the ocean. Blavatsky relates it with Vach-Viraja, the daughter of Brahma. (5) [These seven sages of Ursa Major were married to the seven stars of the Pleiades of Taurus (the bull/cow)].

This star, Mizar (zeta), also was the Arabic 'Anak al Banat, the "Necks of the Maidens", referring to the "Mourners at the Bier"; or perhaps this should be rendered "the Goat of the Mourners," for in some editions of Ulug Beg's Tables it was written Al Inak, — correctly Al 'Inz.

With Alcor (80 Ursa Major) it has various combined titles. There is an Arabic story in which this star, Mizar, is the walidan of the Banat, with Alcor as her new-born infant. [In an Arabic story Alcor, was the little infant in the arms of one of the "Mourners" - this star Mizar. The constellation of the Great Bear was seen as a funeral procession, around a Bier or coffin. The bier was marked by the Plough or Big Dipper stars on the body of the Bear  - Merak (beta), Dubhe (alpha), Phecda (gamma) and Megrez (delta). The coffin was followed by "Mourners"; the three big stars on the tail of the Great Bear; epsilon (Alioth), zeta (this star Mizar), and eta (Alkaid). These mourners, the children of Al Na'ash, who was murdered by Al Jadi, the pole-star (Polaris), are still nightly surrounding him in their thirst for vengeance, the walidan among the daughters — the star Mizar — holding in her arms her new-born infant, the little Alcor.]

Popularly, in England, Jack on the Middle Horse, are well known, Jack was Alcor, this star Mizar being the horse.

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

The astrological influences of the constellation: It is said to give a quiet, prudent, suspicious, mistrustful, self-controlled, patient nature, but an uneasy spirit and great anger when roused. By the Kabalists it is associated with the Hebrew letter Zain and the 7^th Tarot Trump "The Chariot". (Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology , Vivian E. Robson, 1923)

The astrological influences of the constellation given by Manilius:

"Now when, after completing a revolution round the pole, the Bear (Ursa Major) with muzzle foremost replaces her unceasing steps in her former tracks, never immersed in Ocean but ever turning in a circle, to those born at such a time wild creatures will show no hostile face, and in their dealings with animals these men will find them submissive to their rule. Such a one will be able to control huge lions with a gesture, to fondle wolves, and to play with captive panthers; so far from shunning the powerful bears that are the kin of the constellation, he will train them to human accomplishments and feats foreign to their nature; he will seat himself on the elephant's back and with a goad will direct the movements of a beast which disgraces its massive weight by yielding to tiny jabs; he will dispel the fury of the tiger, training it to become a peaceful animal, whilst all the other beasts which molest the earth with their savageness he will join in friendship to himself; keen-scented whelps he will train..." [here the translator notes that eight pages have been lost] [Astronomica, Manilius, 1st century AD, book 5, p.357, 359]

"Now where heaven reaches its culmination in the shining Bears, which from the summit of the sky look down on all the stars and know no setting and, shifting their opposed stations about the same high point, set sky and stars in rotation, from there an insubstantial axis runs down through the wintry air and controls the universe, keeping it pivoted at opposite poles: it forms the middle about which the starry sphere revolves and wheels its heavenly flight, but is itself without motion and, drawn straight through the empty spaces of the great sky to the two Bears and through the very globe of the Earth, stands fixed, since the entire atmosphere ever revolves in a circle, and every part of the whole rotates to the place from which it once began, that which is in the middle, about which all moves, so insubstantial that it cannot turn round upon itself or even submit to motion or spin in circular fashion, this men have called the axis, since, motionless itself, it yet sees everything spinning about it. The top of the axis is occupied by constellations well known to hapless mariners, guiding them over the measureless deep in their search for gain. Helice (Ursa Major), the greater, describes the greater arc; it is marked by seven stars which vie with each other under its guidance the ships of Greece set sail to cross the seas. Cynosura [Ursa Minor] is small and wheels round in a narrow circle, less in brightness as it is in size, but in the judgement of the Tyrians it excels the larger bear. Carthaginians count it the surer-guide when at sea they make for unseen shores. They are not set face to face : each with its muzzle points at the other's tail and follows one that follows it. Sprawling between them and embracing each the Dragon separates and surrounds them with its glowing stars lest they ever meet or leave their stations." [Astronomica, Manilius, 1st century AD, book 1, p.27, 29].

The general astrological influences of the star: Supposedly, Mizar portends a Mars nature. The reputation of Mizar, if it is in maximal position in a mundane map, is that of being connected with fires of a catastrophic extent and mass calamities. In personal charts Mizar is not helpful if conjunct with 'bad' planets. It is not wrong to assume that, besides these handicaps, artistic emanations can also be attributed to Mizar. (Fixed Stars and Their Interpretation, Elsbeth Ebertin, 1923) 

Presages the death of a loved one. (Fixed Stars and Judicial Astrology, George Noonan, 1990).