History of the Hyades: Prima Hyadum is the chief star of the Hyades; six stars situated on the forehead marking the northern eye of the Bull in the constellation of Taurus, 10° southeast of the Pleiades. The Hyades are: gamma (this star Prima Hyadum), theta¹, theta², delta (Hyadum11), and epsilon (Ain). Some include alpha (Aldebaran).

The Hyades were the seven daughter of Atlas and Aethra, half sisters of the Pleiades (see Alcyone), with whom they were entrusted by Jupiter with the care of the infant Bacchus/Dionysus. 

They were placed among the stars as a reward for their sisterly love, which was evinced by their sorrow at the death of their brother Hyas (Hylas) who was drowned in a well [in another version he was killed by a wild beast in Libya]. The Roman poet Ovid (43BC.-17AD) records that the sisters were grief-stricken and their tears fall on us as rain.

Pliny wrote of them as being "a violent and troublesome stars causing storms and tempests raging both on land and sea"; in later times Edmund Spenser called them the Moist Daughters.

"Hyades" means "rainy ones". The stars were of ill omen to farmers and sailors because the season of storms and heavy rains coincided with the time of their heliacal rising and setting (their first appearance after a time of invisibility, and their last appearance before becoming invisible again). During the classical times those periods were at the end of May and November.  

The colloquial title for the Hyades among the Roman country-people was Suculae, "the Little Pigs", as if from Sus, "Sow". It was thought that the title might come from the resemblance of the group to a pig's jaws; or because Aldebaran and its companion stars were like a sow with her litter. Pliny accounting for it by the fact that the continual rains of the season of their setting made the roads so miry that these stars seemed to delight in dirt, like swine!

Occasional Arabic titles were Al Mijdah, a "Triangular Spoon", and Al Kilas, or Kala'is, "the Little She Camels", referring to the smaller stars in distinction from Aldebaran, the Large Camel. These Little Camels appeared in one Arabic story as driven before the personified Aldebaran, in evidence of his riches, when he went again to woo Al Thurayya, the Pleiades (chief star Alcyone), who previously had spurned him on account of his poverty. Another author made the word Al Kallas, "the Boiling Sea", so continuing in Arabia the Greek and Roman ideas of its stormy and watery character. Generally, however, in that country, the Hyades were Al Dabaran, the title of the 2d manzil, which these stars constituted, as they also did the Hindu 2nd nakshatra, Rohini, Aldebaran marking the junction with the adjacent Mrigacirsha.

In the Alfonsine Tables we find Lampadas, the accusative plural of Lampada, a "Torch".

In China as in Greece or Rome, they were worshiped as Yu Shi, the General, or Ruler, of Rain, from at least 1100 B.C. The Hyades with other nearby stars on the body of the Bull were known as the Announcer of Invasion on the Border.

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

The Hyades consist of six stars situated on the forehead of the Bull and marking the northern eye. (Aldebaran - Alpha Taurus; Theta 1 and Theta 2, Ain - epsilon; Prima Hyadum - gamma; Hyadum11 - delta)

The astrological influences of the constellation: By the Kabalists Taurus is associated with the Hebrew letter Aleph and the 1^st Tarot Trump "The Juggler". (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 Hyades:

"The Hyades are a stormy star group and was regarded as a separate constellation. Those born at this time take no pleasure in tranquillity and set no store by a life of inaction; rather they yearn for crowds and mobs and civil disorders. Sedition and uproar delight them; they long for the Gracchi to harangue from the platform, for a secession to the Sacred Mount, leaving but a handful of citizens at Rome; they welcome fights which break the peace and provide sustenance for fears. They herd their foul droves over untilled countryside, for this constellation also begot Ulysses' trusty swineherd (Eumaeus, or Eumaios, was Odysseus' swineherd ). Such are the qualities engendered by the Hyades at the rising of their stars". [Astronomica, Manilius, 1st century AD, book 5, p.308-311]. 

Striving for prestige leading to power politics leads to tremendous success in life if bridled, if not, failure and a fall from power. May exploit other human beings in quest of power. Staggering increase in sexual urge, a dissolute life, excessive and licentious ways. (Fixed Stars and Their Interpretation, Elsbeth Ebertin, 1923)

Saturn-Mercury star in Ptolemy's coding, which we might well describe as unhappy thoughts and so it shows up when the star is on a difficult spot or planet in a horoscope. But if it be harmonious in aspect, instead, the same star denotes a good clear thinker, writer or speaker. (The Living Stars, Dr. Eric Morse).

Rising: Rising or culminating with luminaries, makes their natives military captains, commanders, colonels of horse and emperors. Injuries to the face, wounds, stabs (may be operations nowadays). Blindness, bad eyes. Imprisonment. (Robson*).

If culminating: Disgrace, ruin, violent death. (Robson*).

With Sun: Evil disposition, disturbed mind, failure in study, muddled thinking, misfortune, murderer or murdered, death by blows, stabs, shooting, beheading or shipwreck. (Robson*).

With Moon: Tactful, fair ability, difficulties connected with writings, may forge the name of employer or friend but finally escape punishment and retain position, liable to sickness and disgrace, danger of blindness or eye injuries. (Robson*).

With Mercury: Quick mind, resentful, hasty temper, broods over small troubles, favorable for gain. (Robson*).

With Venus: Many accomplishments, artistic, ability to write or paint, strong passions, which influence work. (Robson*).

With Mars: Abrupt, brave, aggressive, courageous, lacks concentration. (Robson*).

With Jupiter: Ambitious, dishonest, legal difficulties, quarrels with relatives, judicial sentence. (Robson*).

With Saturn: Caution, forethought, omnivorous reader, scientific, success but little prominence, worry and annoyance from relatives. (Robson*).

With Uranus: Scientific, literary, artistic and mystical interests, unconsciously psychic, greatly influenced by environment, favorable for marriage after 35 and for gain and children, ill-health, seldom long life. (Robson*).

With Neptune: Keen intellect, learned, kind-hearted, sympathetic, scientific and philosophical interests, some inventive genius often connected with etheric waves, which will bring fame but not wealth, broad and unorthodox religious views, benefits from companies, favorable for domestic matters, not good for children, brothers or sisters, knowledge gained psychically, sudden death while engaged in important work. (Robson*).

"The Hyades with Neptune in the 8th causes confused ideas, making 'world saviors' and leading to delusions of grandeur", Vehlow wrote this before 1934. It is therefore hardly possible that he meant this to refer to Hitler in whose nativity Pluto is found in conjunction with the Hyades and nearby positioned is Neptune in the 8^th house." (Fixed Stars and Their Interpretation, Elsbeth Ebertin, 1923)

References

Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology