Zeta the Star
Zeta Ophiuchi is a star located near the left knee of the Serpent Bearer, in the constellation of Ophiuchus. Zeta is a massive, hot, bright blue star plowing its way through a large cloud of interstellar dust and gas. Travelling at 54,000 miles per hour, Zeta Ophiuchi is about 20 times more massive and 65,000 times more luminous than the sun; if it wasn't surrounded by so much dust, it would be one of the brightest stars in the sky and appear blue to the eye.
Ophiuchus, the 13th constellation
Between Scorpio and Sagittarius is the mysterious thirteenth constellation of Ophiuchus, a name that means “serpent bearer.” In Roman myth, Ophiuchus represented Aesclepius the healer, who learned the secrets of resurrection by observing snakes healing each other with herbs. Earlier, in Babylonian times, Ophiuchus was known as the “Sitting Gods”.
Today, all the stars in the constellation except those of the feet are out of elliptical alignment with the traditional twelve signs of the zodiac. Still, a thirteen-sign zodiac would align rhythmically with the thirteen moons of the solar year, and perhaps call back a natural balance knocked off kilter by our adoption of the Julian/Gregorian twelve-month measurement system.
Golden Gate of the Ecliptic
The Golden Gate (or Gate of the Gods) is a “doorway” formed by two open star clusters, the Pleiades and the Hyades, in the Taurus constellation (known traditionally as The Bull, esoterically as The Hand). As the planets in our solar system move along the elliptical plane of the sun, they appear to pass through this doorway when observed from Earth. Most recently, Mars passed through this gate in March of 2021.
In ancient times, during the winter solstice, the constellation of Ophiuchus would have appeared through the Golden Gate while observing the sky in the direction of Galactic Centre. Opposite lay the Silver Gate (or the Gate of Man) in the constellation of Orion.
The ancients considered these astral portals highly important in the spiritual evolution of humanity, and depicted these stellar alignments in stone and clay. One example is the Sky Tablet of Tal-Qadi, discovered in a neolithic temple in Malta in 1927.
How this website came to be
Zeta Ophiuchi exploded into Chrissy’s consciousness during a phone call with her best friend and fellow mystic Jax on May 17, 2022. Jax is a teacher at the Connaissance School of Numerology and creator of this amazing artwork. (Chrissy did the doodles!) Chrissy gleefully squealed “I think I just found my alter ego!” Zeta dared Chrissy to stand at the threshold of the Void, ready to welcome those who dare to dance at the edge. Since then, everything has changed.
Some of the first images of Zeta, captured by Chrissy and Jax.
In the summer of 2022, artist/designer Christel LeBlanc (aka Forest Friend) discovered Zeta Ophiuchi through the Golden Gate in her own astrological chart, and very shortly thereafter, found Chrissy on YouTube. Christel and Chrissy then began a correspondence of esoteric/intuitive work, “feeling out” this expansive Zeta energy, seeking to alchemize it into an embodied form that could be shared with others.
Through a profoundly expansive collaborative process, this website and its content began to emerge in stages, guided not only by Zeta but by the transformative forces of Pluto and the deep, dark, powerful nature of the Divine Feminine.
“I feel like I'm a student of Zeta. What made me so excited to work with you [Chrissy] is the wonderful expansiveness that you offer in every interaction, and the perspective that every twist and turn and feeling and thought is both valuable wisdom and simply a fleeting moment to observe and release.
The way you and I "play" together comes from a combination of you and me and Zeta and the desire to manifest something from the Void. And my own work and spiritual growth have exploded in new ways I could never have foreseen—the results of inner work done within the environment of this infinite field.”
Christel LeBlanc, collaborator and co-creator of this website