Welcome to The Reading Room
Every night we sleep under the biggest history book to ever exist, but rarely do we stop to look at the pages. The Reading Room is a space for you to explore the history and mythology behind the constellations that fill our night sky.
Why Constellations Matter – And Why You Should Care
In a world where there is more to read, watch, and absorb than any of us will ever be able to process in our lifetime, why should you spend time learning to identify a smattering of stars in the sky? Why should an old pattern drawn between barely-there points of light above us mean anything to a busy person with a mortgage, a long to-do list and a phone that never seems to stop demanding attention?
These are all fair questions. And if you’ll allow me to steal away a few precious minutes of your day, I’d like to answer them.
Aries: The Meaning Behind the Constellation
“I always thought it was rather boring.”
If I had a pound for everyone that comes out with that line when looking at one of my Aries prints, I’d have a stable new income stream. Just three simple lines slashed across the night sky.
If you were to look up, you’d have a hard time spotting it too, Aries is one of the smallest and faintest constellations ever recorded. On the surface, it doesn’t seem like a whole lot of anything.
But dig a little deeper and you’ll unearth a wealth of astronomical and cultural significance.
The Dark Side of Greek Mythology
One of my favourite things about the work I do at The Celestial Archive is how much research goes into learning about the stories that sit above our heads. If you’re looking at the constellations through the lens of Ancient Greece, you’ll encounter tales of heroes, monsters, and the complicate – and often brutal – relationships between gods and mortals. But dig a little deeper and you soon begin to realise those romanticised myths are laced with something much darker.
Pisces: The Meaning Behind the Constellation
To celebrate the beginning of Pisces season, we’re going to explore all there is to know about the star sign’s constellation. Pisces is a large but faint constellation that makes up the image of two fish tied at the fins.
Discovering Canis Major – The Greater Dog of our Winter Skies
One upside to these long cold winter nights is just how much more visible the night sky becomes. Search the horizon and you’ll find a flicker of colour belonging to Sirius, the brightest star of Canis Major, the legendary hound that has guided humanity for thousands of years.
Three Times Astronomy Influenced History in the Most Chaotic Ways
These days, many of us look up at the night sky in quiet awe. To some, it may prompt them to wonder the meaning of life itself, while others find comfort in the endlessness of it all.
But it hasn’t always been this way.
Here’s three of the strangest and most dramatic moments when the stars kicked humanity into chaos and exponential terror.
Sagittarius: The Meaning Behind the Constellation
To celebrate the beginning of Sagittarius season, we’re going to explore all there is to know about the star sign’s constellation. Sagittarius is one of the largest constellations and is made up of many bright stars which form the shape of a teapot
The Betrayal of Medusa: Monster or Victim?
If mythology is famous for anything, it’s for its tales of betrayal, spiteful gods and tragedy. Most of us are familiar with the story of Orion, killed by the Earth goddess Gaia for boasting too loudly of his hunting skills, or poor Andromeda, chained to a rock by her own parents as a sacrifice to the sea monster Cetus. But perhaps the most tragic of them all is that of the gorgon Medusa. Throughout popular culture, Medusa was mostly portrayed as nothing more than a black-hearted monster, intent on destroying any living soul that entered her domain. Yet if we were to look at the why behind her terrible circumstances, we might see her as the greatest victim of all.
Scorpio: The Meaning Behind the Constellation
To celebrate the beginning of Scorpio season, we’re going to explore all there is to know about the star sign’s constellation. Scorpius is a large constellation made up of many bright stars which form the shape of a scorpion.
The Blood-Red Comet of 1528: When the Sky Set Fear Aflame ☄️
Spooky season is officially here. So what better time to tell the tale of one of the most chilling – and some might say ‘hysterical’ – celestial events in history: the Blood-Red Comet of 1528.
Libra: The Meaning Behind the Constellation
To celebrate the beginning of Libra season, we’re going to explore all there is to know about the star sign’s constellation. One of the larger constellations in our skies, Libra is best seen between late June and September from almost everywhere on Earth.
Virgo: The Meaning Behind the Constellation
To celebrate the beginning of Virgo season, we’re going to explore all there is to know about the star sign’s constellation. The second-largest constellation in the night sky, Virgo is best seen between late March and June from almost everywhere on Earth, located between the constellations of Libra and Leo.