The Ancient Realm That Defines The Biography Of Your Life

From the dawn of history, myths have enjoyed widespread and lasting appeal. Even though they’re fictional, they tap into the collective unconscious and symbolize real places within the human soul.

Although none of us has ever met the mythological Greek adventurer Odysseus, we’ve all met someone who shares his passion and lust for reaching their goal no matter what obstacles fate throws their way.

Even though it’s a fair bet that none of us has ever crossed paths with the falcon-faced Egyptian sun god Ra, chances are good that we know someone who is endlessly positive and has a fiery passion for life.

Despite the fact that England’s King Arthur—if he ever even existed—has been dead for at least a thousand years, we’ve all met someone who would love to recline amid the endless sensual pleasures of a remote island.

Based on your zodiac sign, this is the ethereal realm where you’d feel most at home.

1. Aries: Valhalla, the Hall of Warriors

Better than any other mythological realm, Valhalla symbolizes the never-say-die warrior spirit of Aries. The word “Valhalla” is a fusion of two words in Old Norse that mean “hall” and “the slain.” In Norse mythology, Valhalla is a gigantic and majestic hall where those who were slain in battle live in bliss with the god Odin. The hall’s roof is protected from predators by a wall of shields. The warriors feast on the flesh of a boar who is slain every day and then is entirely reconstituted the next day, only to be slain and eaten again. Valhalla’s warriors drink an intoxicating beverage drawn from a goat’s udders. For fun, they battle one another every day. And then, when the final war of Ragnarok is imminent, the warriors exit the mighty hall to protect Odin against the giants. 

2. Taurus: The Enchanted Gardens of Avalon

Taurus is ruled by Venus, the planet of luxury, beauty, and an appreciation for life’s finer things. In Arthurian legend, Avalon is a remote island whose original name means “The Isle of Fruit Trees.” It’s a place of magic and relaxation where King Arthur was transported to recover from wounds he suffered in battle. It’s also where King Arthur’s sword Excalibur was forged. On Avalon, people live at least a hundred years in extreme pleasure without having to lift a finger—the island grows its own crops and meets everyone’s needs. Avalon represents the perfect lifetime island dream vacation for a Taurus.

3. Gemini: The Crossroads of Hermes

In Greek mythology, Hermes is the guide to, and protector of, travelers. According to both Greek and Roman myths, crossroads hold deep spiritual meaning as they symbolize changes in direction, transitioning from one place or life phase to another, and the ongoing journey of spiritual development. Since Gemini is symbolized by the Twins, the crossroads represent a silent agreement between polarities, the resolution of conflict, and the ability to adapt to the twists and turns that life’s journey often throws at us. In this sense, the Crossroads of Hermes represent a peaceful truce between warring extremes.

4. Cancer: The Lunar Grotto

Ruled by the Moon, Cancer is a deeply emotional sign who provides light to others even in their darkest moments. Astronomers have found that lava tubes beneath the Moon’s surface are much larger than lava caves on Earth, sometimes measuring a half-mile wide and a hundred miles long. In the video games Don’t Starve Together and Return of Them, the Lunar Grotto is a serene and moonlit cave that symbolizes the deep internal world of emotions and memories—and just as lunar caves run much deeper than they do on Earth, a Cancer’s interior world is much deeper and more profound than is found in any other zodiac sign.

5. Leo: The Sun Palace of Ra

In ancient Egyptian mythology, which extends back 4,500 years and is one of the world’s oldest belief systems, Ra is the god of the sun. He is the king of the gods, and from him all life springs. Ra is the creator of the heavens above, the Earth, and the underworld below. In astronomy—which is astrology’s less dreamy cousin—the sun is just a giant ball of fire and the center of the solar system. The zodiac sign Leo is a fire sign ruled by the sun, so what better mythological deity to represent the sunny and charismatic Leo than Ra, the supreme sun god?

6. Virgo: The Sacred Temples of Healing

The Greek deity Apollo was the god of healing. The Greeks of antiquity built over 300 temples in remote areas that were surrounded by hot mineral springs and sanatoriums. The sick and infirm could travel to the buildings outside these temples. Initiates would wear white robes, offer a sacrifice, and then bathe in the temples’ healing waters. If they were deemed suitable candidates for entering the temples, they were guided into them by a priest, who would decide on a suitable healing regimen to cure their affliction. Since Virgos are the zodiac’s great nurturers and healers, they would feel completely at home as priests and priestesses in the ancient Temples of Healing.

7. Libra: The Halls of Ma’at

Often depicted as a winged woman, the Egyptian goddess Ma’at embodied truth and justice. With her divine ability to bring balance from chaos, she enabled humanity to operate with good faith and wisdom. Also known as “Director of Underworld Justice” and “Lady of the Hall of Judgment,” Ma’at served as a judge in the afterlife. She would place one of her white feathers on the Scales, and if someone’s heart outweighed the feather, this would be seen as proof that they had lived an evil life and deserved punishment. Since Libra is symbolized by the Scales and is known as the most balanced and fair-minded of all zodiac signs, the Halls of Ma’at serve as their perfect abode.

8. Scorpio: The Underworld of Hades

Hades (pronounced “HAY-deez”) was the god of the dead and king of the underworld in Greek mythology, where he stood imperiously with his three-headed dog Cerberus by his side. Over time, his very name was used as a pseudonym for hell, as is seen in the term “hotter than Hades,” but his name has also become synonymous with “the unseen one.” Scorpio is generally regarded as the most inscrutable, intense, and mysterious of the zodiac signs, so Hades is their perfect match. They revel in that which cannot be seen but can only be sensed. And just as no one would ever really wish to visit hell, no one in their right mind wants to get on Scorpio’s bad side.

9.  Sagittarius: The Eternal Odyssey

In the epic Greek poem The Odyssey by Homer, the hero Odysseus, King of Ithaca, wanders for ten years after the Trojan War trying to find his way home. The story takes him from one challenging situation to the next, as he is held captive on an island, encounters the lotus-eaters, survives a harrowing ordeal with the Cyclops, suffers a shipwreck, almost gets shipwrecked again as he and his crew try to navigate the narrow straits between Scylla and Charybdis, and is nearly vanquished by the evil sorceress Circe. The endless excitement and challenges that Odysseus craves is perfectly complemented by the spirit of Sagittarius, the zodiac’s explorer and adventurer.

10. Capricorn: The Mountain Throne of Kronos

Kronos was the youngest of the first generation of Titans in Greek mythology. He is typically symbolized by a scythe that he used to castrate and depose his father, Uranus. (I suppose I could use this opportunity to make some crude jokes about castration and anuses, but I will refrain.) The time that Kronos ruled over others from a throne in the mountains was known as the Golden Age, when there was no need for rules because everyone instinctually did the right thing without fear of being punished. During his reign, Kronos represented ambition and discipline, which is perfectly mirrored in Capricorn’s hardworking and diligent nature.

11. Aquarius: The Celestial City of Stars

The night sky above you is the very foundation of astrology, as untold billions of celestial bodies spin and whir amid the endless darkness, prodding the imagination and spurring hope for an unknown future. The eternal wonder of the stars prodded humans to transition from astrology to the science of astronomy, which is the task of understanding and mapping out the universe’s mysteries. The M3 star cluster, one of the brightest and largest constellations, is sometimes referred to as the “Celestial City of Stars,” as each star modulates its brightness in rhythm with the others. It also features stars known as “blue stragglers,” which stand out from the others visually yet also perfectly complement the whole. Aquarius, which is one of the most forward-thinking and socially conscious signs in the zodiac, is perfectly represented by the M3 cluster, which embodies both individuality and pro-social thinking.

12. Pisces: The Dreamy Abyss of Neptune

Pisces, who is ruled by the planet Neptune, is one of the dreamiest and most sensitive signs. In Roman mythology, Neptune was the god of the oceans who controlled the winds and storms. He was basically a Roman remake of the Greek god Poseidon. According to Greek myths, Poseidon was as intemperate and unpredictable as the stormy ocean waves, and he often found himself warring with mere mortals as well as with Zeus himself. But Poseidon/Neptune also found solace in the ocean’s vast and terrifyingly dark depths, where he could take a break from the waves and the winds and inhabit a peaceful realm of pure imagination.