Astrological Correspondences for the Knights of the Round Table – a traditional list

by Milky Way Maid

I was re-reading some old astrological references and came across this list again. Felt it might be of interest to all you King Arthur fans or lovers of medieval literature and culture.

First of all, Arthur and Guinevere themselves symbolized the Sun and Moon polarity. And there were not just 12 knights; there were many more. Ultimately they totaled 144 by some counts, or twelve for each sign. But primary among those that were most easily identified as belonging to one sign or another are these knights listed below:

ARIES– Sir Gareth, who (befitting his Mars ruler) was a skilled fighter but unfortunately also known for his temper. Youngest son of King Lot and Margause, making him King Arthur’s nephew;

TAURUS– Sir Dinadan, who was slow to anger but a formidable opponent once aroused.

GEMINI– Sir Lionel and Sir Bors, who were twins. (I bet you guessed that right away, LOL!) One was traditionally thought of as good and loyal, while the other one was unreliable.

CANCER– Sir Kay. He was in charge of the kitchens; was known for some culinary skills. And we don’t like to mention this, but he was kind of crabby sometimes.

LEO– Sir Gawain was the brave and rather flamboyant star of the popular tale of the Green Knight.

VIRGO– Sir Tristam, who was unlucky in health and therefore probably was forced to pay attention to care of the body more than most of the other knights. His health interfered when he was called upon to serve, which must have pained him more than the physical illness itself.

LIBRA– Sir Balin was notoriously indecisive, vacillating between his options too long and losing the moment. He hesitated when it came time to pass a death sentence on King Royn, and this hesitation led to his undoing.

SCORPIO– Sir Lancelot was not only a powerful warrior, but was also able to bring the dead back to life. Unfortunately his passion for the lovely and pure Guinevere was his downfall

SAGITTARIUS– Sir Percival was among other things known for the ability to communicate with animals.

CAPRICORN– Sir Urry looked older than his years but was rejuvenated by Sir Lancelot.

AQUARIUS– Sir Palomides was socially successful, admiring not only his fellow knights but also the kings of the Irish and Scottish territories; those kings admired him so much they sent many gifts and invites to major celebrations to share their fellowship.

PISCES– Sir Galahad. Representing the spiritual seeker mode of Pisces, he was the one most dedicated to the quest for the Holy Grail and was the only one pure enough to achieve a vision.

As long as I’m here, I may as well include the Celtic Tree Calendar. This is a 13-sign calendar so I have to assume this is based on the lunar cycles not the solar. The dates do not correspond to any of the Western astrology sun signs although the Alder month begins on March 18, which is close enough to our Aries ingress and spring Equinox to suit.

BETH (birch) – Dec. 24 to Jan. 20

LUIS (rowan or mountain ash) – Jan. 21 to Feb. 17

NION (ash) – Feb. 18 to March 17

FEARN (alder) – March 18 to April 14

SAILLE (willow) – April 15 to May 12

UATH (hawthorn) – May 13 to June 9

DUIR (oak) – June 10 to July 7

TINNE (holly) – July 8 to August 4

COLL (hazel) – August 5 to Sept. 1

MUIN (vine) – Sept. 2 to Sept. 29

GORT (ivy) – Sept. 30 to Oct. 27

NGETAL (reed) – Oct. 28 to Nov. 24

RUIS (elder) – Nov. 25 to Dec. 22

(Dec. 23 is not part of this calendar due to its standing as a special day. It is the day of the proverbial Year and a Day in the earliest courts of law.)