Rise of the Wadjet Witch - By Juliet C. Obodo Page 0,2
one.”
“I don’t know anything about horoscopes; I didn’t even know what a chakra was. And I’m not an astronomer yet. Still in school, remember? With a full schedule.”
“But aren’t you doing research on the zodiac?”
“No, my research is on constellations. There’s a huge difference between the zodiac and the constellations. People always make that mistake. That is exactly why I had such difficulty getting the academic board to approve my research. Thank goodness I had Jonathan behind me. They love him.”
“Aren’t they both star systems?”
Now it was her turn to babble. “Yes, but they deal with different areas. The zodiac is just scratching the surface when it comes to what’s out there. It’s like comparing a bicycle to a motorcycle. I’m focusing on elliptical rotation. Look.” Memphis grabbed two slices of naan to use as props. “The zodiac is composed of twelve thirty-degree angles. It’s seasonal and follows the four cardinal points of the Sun. Constellations are ever-changing star groupings.”
“Oh, I didn’t know there was a difference,” Jill mumbled through a piece of seasoned tofu.
“Yup.” Memphis laid the down the larger piece of naan and placed a smaller piece in its center. “This big piece is where the constellations lie, which are more than just twelve, by the way. This inner circle, the smaller piece of naan, is where the twelve signs of the zodiac were organized into thirty-degree angles two thousand years ago. At that time, these two areas were aligned. The constellation Aries and Aries in the zodiac were in perfect alignment. Now these two pieces are headed in opposite directions.” She pushed one naan toward Jill’s plate and one toward her own.
“Thank you very much.” Jill grabbed the naan and dipped it into her curry sauce.
Memphis ignored her. “The pieces won’t realign again for another twenty-six thousand years. It’s the twenty-six thousand year cycle that has been divided into twelve astrological ages containing two thousand years. That is what the Age of Aquarius is referring to.”
“Oh, it’s not just a musical number from Hair?”
“Anyway, my research will focus on the constellations, particularly Ophiuchus, a large constellation located around the celestial equator. It’s one of fourteen constellations that cross the ecliptic. It’s been called a missing zodiac sign, but that’s because people are mixing up the terms. The signs of the zodiac are a twelve-fold division of the ecliptic so that each sign spans thirty degrees of celestial longitude, approximately the distance the Sun travels in a month. Constellations are unequal in size and are based on the positions of the stars. The constellations of the zodiac have only a loose association with the signs of the zodiac and generally do not coincide with them. In astrology, the constellation of Aquarius, for example, actually corresponds to Pisces. The constellation of Ophiuchus occupies most of the sign of Sagittarius.”
Memphis could have spent all night talking about the stars, but Jill changed the topic to another mystery of the universe: men.
“All this talk of men reminds me of the fact that I’m not having sex, which leads to the fact that I’ve started smoking again, which leads to the fact that I need a cigarette.” Memphis said after a few minutes’ discussion.
“You’re still having those cravings?”
“Cravings for sex or for cigarettes?” Memphis raised an eyebrow.
“You really need to kick this habit, Em.”
“Again, sex or cigs?”
“Cigs, and I know just how you can quit smoking for good. We recently published a story about hypnosis. I was a guinea pig and volunteered to go for weight loss.”
“To lose weight? Where? Your head?” Memphis envied Jill’s svelte figure.
“Well, I have really bad eating habits. No more sugar or late night snacking since. I enjoy three square meals a day, and I no longer feel the need to clean my plate.”
Memphis eyed Jill’s plate, which still had sauce and rice. At this point Memphis was usually smacking her hand away from her own dish.
“Wow! That is impressive.”
“And I’ve lost two pounds, I’m sure you noticed.” She looked into her purse and handed Memphis the hypnotherapist’s business card.
“Oh, yes, of course I did. You look great, but I don’t think smoking and giving up dessert are the same type of problem.” Memphis still accepted the card.
“They most certainly are related. They are both addictions and tied to our minds. The mind is quite powerful. The brain is a muscle, you know.”
“Yes, I know. I was a biology major.”
“Well, you have her card—just make an appointment. You’ll be cured after just one session, I guarantee it.