by Agni Jnana Yannanda
Featured artwork Johannes Hevelius: Constellation of Andromeda engraving from celestial atlas
Alpheratz (Alpha Andromedae) Tropical 14° Aries, Sidereal 19° Pisces
Meaning: A star of independence, freedom, and personal ambition. Alpheratz offers the ability to break free from limitations and achieve greatness through self-reliance.
Mirach (Beta Andromedae) Tropical 0° Taurus, Sidereal 6° Aries
Meaning: Mirach is a star linked to harmony, love, and balance. It supports artistic and creative expression, often bringing emotional depth to relationships and artistic projects.
Andromeda’s Lore: The Bound Maiden and Her Stars—Alpheratz and Mirach
In the mythic tapestry of the night sky, the constellation Andromeda tells a story of vulnerability, sacrifice, and cosmic redemption. Daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia, the Ethiopian queen who boasted of her beauty, Andromeda was punished for her mother’s hubris. As divine retribution, she was chained to a rock at the edge of the sea, destined to be devoured by a sea monster. Her salvation came from Perseus, the hero who, after slaying Medusa, used her severed head to turn the monster to stone.
This celestial narrative is preserved in the stars—especially Alpheratz and Mirach—whose archetypes offer insight into Andromeda’s deeper meanings.
Alpheratz (α Andromedae): The Crown of Freedom
Alpheratz, also known as Alpha Andromedae, is the brightest sar in the Andromeda constellation. It is a binary star system located about 97 light-years from Earth. Alpheratz marks the northeastern corner of the Great Square of Pegasus and is also part of the Pegasus constellation.
Located at the head of Andromeda, Alpheratz is often considered a shared star between the two constellations. Its dual affiliation hints at a bridge between constraint and liberation.
Archetypally, Alpheratz represents royalty, potential, and release. The name derives from the Arabic al-Sirrah al-Faras, meaning “the navel of the horse,” which again ties it to Pegasus—the winged horse of inspiration and escape. In this light, Alpheratz becomes a portal star, marking the moment of self-recognition where Andromeda moves from passive victimhood into the role of a divine feminine figure redeemed and remembered.
It governs themes such as:
- Breaking free from limitations
- Claiming one’s sovereignty
- Beauty transformed through ordeal
Alpheratz glimmers with the reminder that what binds us may also awaken our power.
Mirach (β Andromedae): The Girdle of Grace, Compassion and Connection
Mirach is positioned at Andromeda’s hip or waist, traditionally interpreted as her girdle or belt—a symbolic seat of integration, connection, and fertility. While Alpheratz suggests the head and vision, Mirach anchors us into embodiment and relational energy.
Its archetype is one of stabilization after trauma, a return to the earthly realm of intimacy and emotion. In modern metaphysical interpretations, Mirach is associated with intuition, empathy, and artistic sensitivity. It is a star of peace, family, and sacred relationship, often linked to a softer, nurturing energy that supports creative expression and inner harmony.
In astrology and esoteric star work, Mirach speaks to:
- The healing of the feminine
- The restoration of balance
- Bridging the personal with the cosmic
It also connects symbolically to the root chakra, inviting us to cultivate beauty in our lived, embodied experience.
Andromeda as Archetype: The Cosmic Muse
As a constellation, Andromeda carries the archetype of the Bound Maiden, but she evolves—through suffering and rescue—into a Cosmic Muse or Stellar Bride. Her story is not one of passive femininity but of the soul’s journey from fear to sovereignty.
Together, Alpheratz and Mirach chart her path:
- Alpheratz is the liberating insight, the moment of awakening.
- Mirach is the return to wholeness, the grounded vessel of beauty and intuition.
In Contemporary Practice
For artists, mystics, and star-walkers, the Andromeda constellation serves as a symbolic tool for:
- Healing trauma around body and beauty
- Reclaiming feminine agency
- Crossing thresholds between imagination and action
- Connecting the cosmic and the personal through myth
Meditating on Andromeda’s stars, especially during her visibility in the autumn skies, can awaken latent memories of sovereignty, love, and ancestral strength.
Agni Jnana Yannanda
The One Who Speaks With The Stars
Agni Jnana is a poet, artist, and astrologer with a focus on Vedic, Western, and Star astrology. Originally from Poland’s Masuria Lake District, she now resides in the Shawangunk Mountains of upstate New York.
