Fixed Star Vega, Constellation Lyra by Darkstar Astrology

Vega is the principal star of Constellation Lyra. The harp is found between 10º – 29º Capricorn. It is from these stars that give the Zodiac sign of the goat its aspirations, the urge to rise above mediocrity and the need to be seen in the right places with the right people. This area of the sky craves high status and wants to influence. Constellation Lyra’s myth; Mercury made a little harp with three strings and gave it to Orpheus who used it to charm the beasts.

Jupiter placed Lyra in the heavens to honor Orpheus’s death. “It is said to give an harmonious, poetical and developed nature, fond of music and apt in science and art, but inclined to theft.” [1] Ptolemy said it is like Venus and Mercury. The theft will come from its associations with Mercury. The constellation obviously has a trickster element to it.

As you can see below, crime and punishment and being a law unto yourself is also a feature of this stellar zone. It is said that when this constellation rises in a chart; “There shall be born a man to investigate wrong-doing and punish the guilty…he will get to the bottom of crimes by sifting the evidence for them and bring to light all that lies hidden under the silence of deceit. Hence, too, are begotten the merciless torturer, the dispenser of penalties…..” ~ Manilus. 

The Latin word fidicula, sometimes associated this constellation, also signifies an instrument of torture. This explains the eclectic mix of artists, media “whores”, and politicians alongside some sadistic murderers. The Australian Lyrebird was mistakenly thought to have a tail shaped just like a Lyre and this “lie” was commemorated on a postage stamp. This extremely shy bird IS in fact a lair though, it is famed for its extraordinary ability to mimic any variety of bird and any sound. This is fitting since its principle star Vega is associated with pretentiousness.

Vega Keywords

Blood is thicker than water, family honor, loyalty, musical, theatrical, arty and crafty, waxes lyrical, charming the birds from the trees, pied piper, paying the piper, songbirds, lullaby, lair, aspiring, social climbers, class conscious, divas, wannabies, fans, stalkers, admirers, high status, flash cars, impressive, political clout, gangsters, grasping, publicity hungry, media whores, ancestral talents, dynasties, forging, faking, plastic surgery, perfection, idealism, the pinnacle of success, snobbery, rags to riches, riches to rags, thieving, criminal activity, torture, punishment, law unto themselves.

Stars of the Lyre

The alpha star of this small constellation is a beautiful pale Sapphire star called Vega found at 15º 19’ Capricorn.“It gives beneficence, ideality, hopefulness, refinement and changeability, and makes its natives grave, sober, outwardly pretentious and usually lascivious.” [1]  “Vega is supposed to give artistic talents especially for music and acting, but also a liking for good living. With eccentric artists, this may lead to a debauched life. Tied up with Jupiter or Venus, Vega is said to pave the way to riches and fame. However, if other influences play a part, this wealth may be lost again” [2]

The star seems to be associated with wealth, snobbery and a certain pretentiousness. Vega has high aspirations and likes to associate with the rich, glamorous and famous. it is the ultimate wannabe, which can become either a groupie or in the worst cases a stalking fan. I would think this star also has a talent for mimicry (There are a surprising amount of female impersonators) and also the kind of voice that can lull a person to sleep.

The other two important stars of Lyra are Sheliak: 18º Capricorn 53’ and Sulaphat: 21º Capricorn 55’. I think these two stars may have less of the artistic Venusian talents of Vega and lean more towards the Mercurial energy. So here there will be vocalists, those who use their bodies as instruments, the torch-song singers but also tortured souls, or those who like to torture. Early depictions of Lyre have it nestled in the breast of a Vulture.

This bird, like Mercury, is an ambivalent symbol, it can be protective and maternal yet also destructive. In nature the scavenger can be cleansing and purifying, but it also deals with the dirty jobs that no one wants to do. It has that vigilante feel to it. These are people who take the law into their own hands, the way that gangsters do. They are doing it for the “family” and protecting their own blood. In their mind it is honourable, never mind who else’s guts gets bust in the process. You can see this mentality I think in Sulaphat and Sheliak, both these stars fall around the talons of the Vulture. These stars are more tenacious, practical and hands-on than the more idealistic, visionary energy of Vega

Vega & The Planets

 Vega Ascendant

“High success is promised if Vega is positioned on the Asc or MC. One can find Vega in corresponding aspects in birth charts of statesmen, politicians, persons of importance.” [2] ”Avengers of crimes and in charge of public courts and inquires. If Saturn is in any aspect with Vega when rising, the native will pursue this vocation with a fanaticism to the point of utilizing tortures and executions to stamp out what he considers evil.” [3]

Vega on the Ascendant seems to give it more of an edge and makes it work like the stars in the vultures claws. Maybe this placement sums up the whole of Lyra’s energies since it is such a strong position. For all stars here, it seems to make the subject want to use their creative talents to make the world a better place, and there is a political agenda behind their art. It’s true that there are a good number of powerful figureheads here and people who champion a cause. Taylor/Burton Davison (12’)*; Hollywood couple. Derek Jarman (13’); Acclaimed British Avant Garde filmmaker. Hans Bethe (17’); Nuclear Physicist. Archie M Griffin (17’); American Footballer. Barbara Castle; British socialist politician. Paul Newman; Sapphire-eyed film actor and philanthopist. Meg Ryan; American actress. Bobby Brown; R & B Singer. Jay Rockefeller; Great grandson of Oil tycoon and Senator.

Sheliak: Dustin Hoffman (02’); Oscar winning American actor. Dick Healey (04’); Australian politician. Kevin Rudd (25’); Australian Prime Minister. Roy Castle (25’); British variety entertainer, record breaking musician. Emperor Nero (27’); Infamous eccentric Emperor and lyre player. Nero loved the theatre and was a champion of the arts. Enoch Powell; Controversial right wing British politician with strong views on immigration. Bill/Hilary Clinton Davison; Political duo.

Sulaphat: Lynda Hill (06’): Astrologer who popularized Sabian symbols. Napoleon III of France (21’); Last Monarch of France. Chairman Mao (22’); Chinese communist revolutionary. Clark Gable (24’); Matinee Idol and star of the biggest grossing films of all time. Queen Elizabeth II of UK (29’); Longest lived Monarch in British history. Napoleon IV of France (35’); Son of Napoleon III died aged 23. Elizabeth I of UK; “Virgin” Queen and last of the great Tudor dynasty. Bono; Lead singer of U2. Musician, humanitarian and collaborator.

Vega Midheaven

The musical talent here is obvious. There is also criminal activity in the sense that these people may have used illegal drugs at some point in their life. Their brush with the underworld will be brought to the public’s attention as well as how they deal with their recovery. Boy George exposed both his heroin addiction and Buddhism to the world. With Vega on the MC there is a sense of the confessional. The dramas of the subjects lives are played out very publicly. Karen Dunbar (11’); Scottish comedienne and entertainer. Gary Barlow (15’); Lead boy-band singer and songwriter. Boy George (15’); British gender-bending singer. Illegal drugs and has just come out of prison for hand cuffing an escort to a bed.  Cecil Beaton (18’); British fashion and portrait photographer. Stevie Nicks (20’); American Lead singer-songwriter of Fleetwood Mac. Successfully beat cocaine addiction. Rumored to be a witch because of her interest in Wicca and gothic clothing. Liz Renay (22’); American author of “My first 2000 men” and convicted felon. Dave Gahan (29’); British lead singer-songwriter of Depeche Mode who successfully overcame heroin addiction. Percy Shelley (35’); Radical romantic poet. Shakira; Singer-songwriter, musician and dancer. Ian Brady; Child Murderer and sex offender. Bette Midler; Mouthy American comedienne. Rosa Derriviere; TV Psychic.

Sheliak: With the Vulture claw stars, you can see the sense of family honor coming through. These subjects show family loyalty through their career and ancestral talent, so we get families of musicians, actors or politicians. The MC is the parental axis so here perpetrating the artistic genes becomes very important. The dark side of the raptor seems to be more apparent with Sulaphat on the MC. Maybe this shows some negative family trait that needs to be exorcised because it has become detrimental to the family line. Helmut Kohl (07’); German statesman and politician. John Henning (18’); Scottish carpenter turned sculptor. Lorraine Nicholson (20’); Actress daughter of Jack. Nicola Tesla (28’); Serbian inventor, physicist and futurist. Died a pauper despite his genius. Phil Andros; University professor turned tattoo artist and pornographer. Barry Sheene; Celebrity motorcyclist who was one of the first sportsmen to make money from endorsements. Robert Kennedy; Politician and civil rights activist. Assassinated like his president elder brother John. Liza Minnelli; American singer, actress, and daughter of Hollywood star Judy Garland.

Sulaphat: Andrew Cunanan (04’); Murderer and killer of fashion icon Gianni Versace. Angela Davis (12’); Black Panther activist. Greta Garbo (14’); Enigmatic Hollywood actress. Lyle Menedez (23’); Murdered his parents with his brother as an accomplice. Dakota Fanning (37’); Teen American actress and sister of child actress Elle. Harold Shipman (38’); British doctor and serial killer. Charles Manson; Cult religious leader, criminal and musician found guilty of conspiracy to murder. Amelia Earhart; First female to fly solo across the Atlantic. Record-breaking aviator who disappeared flying around the world. Ulysses S Grant; 18th president of the USA. Rodney King; African-American victim of brutal assault from police captured on a home video camera. Successfully sued the city of LA, but later continually broke the law through many drink/driving incidents. Julian Lennon; Singer-songwriting son of famous Beatle John.

Vega Sun

“Critical, abrupt, reserved, unpopular, fleeting honors, influential position, insincere friends.” [1] Sun is the ultimate creator so you would expect to see talented players of the Lyre here in the shape of some top guitarists. There are also the artists, musicians and high profile politicians. Science seems to be stronger here perhaps because the Sun combined with the Mercurial nature of the star itself seems to bring out the intellectual, logical side of the Lyre. Music, after all, is very mathematical and structured. Playing the guitar needs manual dexterity. The musician grasping the instrument is rather like the claws of the vulture grabbing its prey. Gipsy Ceberano Rogers (00’); Daughter of Australian singer Kate and video director husband Lee Rogers. Mike Rann (03’); 44th Prime Minister of Australia. Jeane Dixon (07’); Prophetess and Astrologer. Alvin Ailey (09’); Africa-American dancer and choreographer. Harry M Miller (21’); Australian Celebrity agent and promoter. Nigella Lawson (26’); Celebrity chef famed for her seductive presenting. James Croll (27’); Scottish scientist and astronomer who studied climate. Andre Masson (35’); French Cubist and later Surrealist artist. John Pemberton; American pharmacist who invented Coca-Cola while searching for a cure for his morphine addiction. Nicholas Cage; American actor and nephew of Francis Ford Coppola. 2nd wife was Lisa Marie Presley. Malcolm Young; Co-founder guitarist of band AC/DC. Rowan Atkinson; British alternative comedian who made the Mr Bean character a worldwide success.

Sheliak: Crystal Gayle (00’); American country singer, younger sister of singer Loretta Lynn. Simone De Beauvoir (05’); Feminist, activist and intellectual. Isaac Newton (13’); physicist, astronomer and alchemist. Considered the most influential scientist in history. Pierre Coubertin (18’); French historian who founded the modern Olympic games. Jimmy Page (21’); British guitarist of rock band Led Zeppelin. Ranked 3rd in the 100 greatest guitarists of all time list. Marilyn Manson, Elvis Presley, Joan Baez, David Bowie, Lyle Menendez.

Sulaphat: Maggie Bell (16’); Scottish Blues singer. Eva Le Gallienne (22’); British Theatre actress in the 1920’s, producer, director and open lesbian. Johannes Kepler (30’); Astronomer and Astrologer. Hermann Goering; Military leader and prominent Nazi. Richard Nixon; 37th President of the USA. Linda Lovelace; Deep-throat porn star turned anti-porn campaigner. Tracy Caulkins; Swimming champ. Jagger/Hall Davison; Rock and Rolling marriage.

Vega Moon

“Public disgrace, probably through forgery, loss through writings, some ill-health, success in business, gain through an annuity or pension.”[1] “In connection with the Moon…a tendency for occult and mysticism may be given.” [2] The Moon adds more shadow, introspection and intuition to Vega, I think the claw stars highlight the forgery and faking it, as you will see there are some unsavoury characters down below. For your average person however, this subject will definitely need to purge out their dark side through some art form or vent their spleen playing a musical instrument.

Robert Englund (01’); American actor best known for playing Freddy Krueger. Peter Gabriel (01’); British singer, musician and songwriter. MTV most played video for “Sledgehammer”. Max Ernst (02’); German painter, sculptor and pioneer of the Dada movement and surrealism. Wayne Thiebaud (07’); American pop art painter who subjects tended towards cakes, pastries, toys and objects of mass culture. Shirley Manson (10’); Scottish Lead singer of alternative band Garbage. Gustave Courbet (11’); French realist painter. Helen Gwynne Vaughan (14’); Prominent British botanist. Tammy Wynette (16’). Juliette Drouet (16’); French actress and courtisan who ran off in exile with her lover Victor Hugo. Roy Chapman Andrews(18’); American explorer and naturalist. Sarah Schulman (18’); Novelist, open lesbian and early writer of the AID’s crisis. Stevie Nicks (24’); American Lead singer-songwriter of Fleetwood Mac. Successfully beat cocaine addiction. Rumored to be a witch because of her interest in Wicca and gothic clothing. Lee Harvey Oswald (36’); Accused of assassinating JFK and then was himself assassinated. George III of the UK; Monarch who’s long reign included the American war of independence, in his latter years he suffered mental illness and is remembered as “The Mad King”. John Glenn; First American to orbit the earth in Space. Johnny Depp; American character actor. Liv Tyler; Actress, model and daughter of Aerosmith’s lead singer Steven. Osho; Sex Guru was arrested and imprisoned in the US accused of conspiracy to evade immigration laws. Barrett/Browning Davison;  Poet and author couple.

Sheliak: The Claws, but in particular Sheliak can bring the public disgrace or at the very worst the vile, predatory nature of carrion bird. We see here its tendency to bully and torture with the killers on the list. Raptor comes from the Latin “seized” or “plundered” which was certainly how the East end gangsters, the Kray twins built their empire. Cher (09’); American singer-songwriter, gay icon and plastic beauty. Edgar Degas; French painter. Ian Brady; Child killer and sex offender. Ronald & Reginald Kray; British gangsters involved with armed robberies, protection rackets, murdering and assault. Known to have employed various torture techniques to get their victims to comply and enjoyed celebrity status as part of the London’s swinging sixties nightclub scene. Adolf Eichmann; Nazi and major organiser of the holocaust. Julian Clary; Transvestite comedian famous for his double entendres. In his early career he would dress up as a policeman in drag. June Carter; American singer-songwriter. Member of the famous musical Carter family who played guitar, banjo and autoharp. All three of her children went on to make their careers in country music.

Sulaphat: Paula Abdul (15’); American singer, dancer and choregrapher. George Washington; 1st president of the USA and one of its founding fathers. Leopold Survage; French painter. Ian Brady, Julian Clary, Billie Holiday, Brad Pitt.

Vega Mercury

“Suspicious, reserved, bitter, thwarted ambitions, double dealing, secret enemies in influential positions, trouble with the mother, loss in business”[1] On the plus side, Mercury works as the magician here with musical talent and the ability to charm a following with its song. It also makes a great storyteller. Negatively; Liar! Keith Richards (01’); British guitarist and co-writer of the Rolling Stones. Benjamin Disraeli (01’); British Prime Minister. Simone De Beauvior (13’); Feminist, activist and intellectual. Paul Vidal de la Blache (15’); French Geographer. Laxman Pai (22’); Indian artist. Paul Newman; Sapphire eyed American actor and philanthropist. Maurice Gibb & Robin Gibb; British singer-songwriters and members of sibling band the Bee Gees. Phil Collins; British singer-songwriter. Jane Fonda: American actress and Callanetic exercise goddess. Dolly Parton; American country singer-songwriter. Benny Hill; British slapstick comedian. Brad Pitt; American actor. Lewis Carroll; British author famed for “Alice & Wonderland”. Peter Thatchell; Socialist politician and gay activist.

Sheliak: Mercury seems to thrive with the Mercurial star of the claws, though I think we get the tendency to scandal and maybe not having the ability to edit their words carefully. Verbally they may cut in too quickly and swoop into argument prematurely. Technically they can be very proficient with a good eye for detail. Joan Baez (07’); American singer-songwiter. Morgan Russell (09’); American abstract painter. Jimmy Page; British guitarist of rock band Led Zeppelin. Ranked 3rd in the 100 greatest guitarists of all time list. Giacomo Puccini; Italian classical composer. Vanessa Redgrave; British actress and humanitarian. Shakira; Singer-songwriter, Musician and dancer.

Sulaphat: Lord Byron (12’); British poet and leading light in the Romantic movement. Lead a life of excess, scandal, licentiousness and extravagance. Donna Summer (17’); American singer and gay icon turned Christian. Sissy Spacek (24’); American actress and singer. Marina Macario; Astrologer and illustrator who has been known to write a few tunes; Purple Kitchens. Maurice Utrillo; French cityscape painter. Henri Matisse; French painter. Elvis Presley, Rowan Atkinson, Vic Reeves, Natalie Cole, Ronald Reagan, Taylor/Burton Davison.

Vega Venus

“Hard-hearted, cold, miserly, ill-health, ugliness or deformity.” [1] A little too harsh perhaps, so I looked to Bernadette Brady for comparison. “ The artist, and visionary or one who supports different ideas about social orders. Unrealistic expectations of others leading to disappointment in an idea or person.” [4] The “deformity” is interesting in the light of the amount of female impersonators on this list. It is rather unusual that there should be so many for Vega. It may be a case of Venus overdose, where Vega can be become like negative Taurus. When there is too much gaudiness, make-up or plastic surgery one can look rather grotesque. Vega’s idealism and perfection taken to its extreme can become “ugly”. “Miserly” makes sense if someone is holding on to their Venusian possessions. Venus on Vega can tend towards the ostentatious. These subjects are the ones most likely to drive flashy cars, carry expensive designer handbags or have a trophy spouse. Venus overdose could also be receiving too much admiration (Bjork’s stalker) or loving too many ladies (Robert Kennedy).

Jim Bailey (07’); American singer and female impersonator. Paul Newman (09’); Sapphire eyed American actor and philanthropist. Dick Emery (10’); British comedian and female impersonator. Gary Hart (13’); American politician, author and lawyer brought down by the fact he was having an extra-marital affair. Jackie Curtis (20’); American actor, writer, singer and transsexual artist. Neil Diamond (23’); American singer-songwriter. Larry King (25’); TV/Radio personality who married eight times. Indira Gandhi (26’); Indian Prime Minister who was assassinated. Franz Shubert (27’); French classical composer. John Belushi (31’); American comedian, actor and musician star of the Blues brothers film who died of an accidental overdose age 33 administered by a female (Venus overdose – literally!). Robert Kennedy; American politician and civil rights activist who like his President brother was assassinated and also tended towards infidelity. Bjork; Elfin Icelandic singer-songwriter known for her emotional, raw and eccentric vocal delivery. She was stalked by an obsessive fan who sent her a letter bomb and then killed himself. Princess Caroline of Monaco; Daughter of tragic Princess Grace who died in a car crash.

Sheliak: Venus on the claws can go either way with the Mercurial energy here. Mostly it is much like Mercury on Vega, musical and vocal talent and the ability to charm, a great storyteller, but the ability to tell great lies also. The scavenging energy combined with Venus’s tendency to indulgence can result in decadent behaviour. Harold Shipman; British doctor and the most prolific serial killer in history with 250 plus victims. All were his patients. Tom Conti, Noel Coward, John Edgar Hoover, Burt Reynolds.

Sulaphat: Edith Piaf (15’); France’s most popular ever singer. She was unusually small earning her the nickname  Edith was seriously injured in a car crash leaving her addicted to morphine and having alcohol problems. William Blake (31’); Visionary British poet and influential figure in the Romantic Movement. Clark Gable (36’), Sandie Shaw, Placido Domingo, Blake/Amy Winehouse Davison.

Vega Mars

“Scientific interests, unpopular opinions, moral courage, favorable for gain.”. The Mars energy balances out both the Venus/Mercury energies really well here. You can see great achievement here without any negative manifestations. Mars is aspirational here, with also the talent to back it up. Mars turns the “wannabe” into a Queen Bee. These subjects may start off as an apprentice to someone they admire, but then become more famous than their hero.

James Madison (01’); 4th president of the USA. Carl Ludwig Rominger (10’) American geologist. John Pell (31’); British mathematician. Katy Perry (33’); American gospel turned pop, singer-songwriter who’s parents forbid her to listen to commercial chart music. Plays guitar. Frida Kahlo (37’); Mexican painter known for her often explicit and surreal self-portraits. Alexander Graham Bell; American scientist whose deaf wife and mother influenced his research on hearing which in turn led to the invention of the telephone. Katherine Hepburn; American actress known for her fearless persona and pushy independence. Kelly Osbourne; British fashion designer and singer, daughter of rockstar Ozzy.

The claw stars also seem to have the same success as Vega above, although Sulaphat can be a little more ruthless in its pursuit for fame, being quick to seize any opportunities that put them under the media spotlight. They people may be accused of looking for a “Sugar Daddy” or being “Gold Diggers”, since they tend to marry people of a higher class and wealthier than themselves. Conversely they may attract that from others also because they feel they need to buy their lovers affection.

Sheliak: Yves Tanguy (01’); French surreal painter. Shannen Doherty (05’); American “Beverly Hills 90210” actress. Marlon Brando (06’); American legendary actor. Laurence Olivier (07’); British legendary actor. Nancy Kerrigan (12’); American Figure skating champion who gained fame when her rivals ex employed someone to attack her knees with a baton. Mike Love (18’); American singer/songwriter with the Beachboys. Jim Carrey (25’); American actor and comedian known for his zany, hyper energy. Barbara Hand Clow (27’); Astrologer. Fernand Leger, Kim Bisset, Roseanne Barr, Nancy Spungen, David Bowie, Edward VII of UK, Theodore Roosevelt.

Sulaphat: Andy Gibb (06’); British singer-songwriter and member of sibling band the Bee Gees. Wayne Thiebaud (09’); American pop-art painter. David Tennant (09’); Scottish Actor and “Dr Who”, George Harrison (15’); British singer-songwriter and Beatles guitarist. Emperor Nero; Infamous eccentric Emperor and lyre player who loved the theatre and was a champion of the arts. Mary I of UK; Britain Monarch known for burning 280 protestants at the stake earning her the nickname “Bloody Mary”. Rik Mayall; British anarchic alternative comedian. Christina Aguillera; American singer-songwriter and TV celebrity.

1.Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology, Vivian E. Robson. p. 51. p.216.
2.Fixed Stars and Their Interpretation, Elsbeth Ebertin, 1928, p.75-76.
3.Fixed Stars and Judicial Astrology, George Noonan, 1990, p.12.
4.Star & Planet combinations, Bernadette Brady. P 245.