Everything You Need to Know About Constellation Ophiuchus: The 13th Zodiac Sign & Its Associated Crystals

Many who follow astrology may have heard about the Ophiuchus zodiac sign or “13th zodiac sign.” This 13th sign changed the dates for the traditional 12 signs, but Ophiuchus isn’t exactly new. 

Ancient astrologers knew about the Ophiuchus constellation but left it out of the zodiac to maintain a cleaner 12-sign system. However, some modern astrologers want to bring Ophiuchus back into the zodiac. So what are Ophiuchus sign traits and what healing crystals are best for someone under the Ophiuchus zodiac sign?

Here’s a sneak peek at the best crystals for Ophiuchus we’ll be covering:

Best Ophiuchus Zodiac Crystals

• Rose Quartz
• Amethyst
• Clear Quartz

Before we get into healing crystals, let’s cover some basics about the Ophiuchus sign.

What Is The Sign Ophiuchus?

You probably have lots of questions about this new zodiac sign, so let’s answer them one at a time.

First off, how do you even pronounce Ophiuchus?

The correct Ophiuchus pronunciation is “oh-FEW-kiss.” (It’s a tricky one!)

How long has Ophiuchus been around?

The Ophiuchus constellation has always existed but was first used as a zodiac sign in Steven Schmidt’s 1970 book Astrology 14: Your New Sun Sign. Schmidt argued that astrology should include two more signs: Ophiuchus and Cetus. In 1995, astrologers Walter Berg and Mark Yazaki supported Ophiuchus as a zodiac sign but didn’t include Cetus.

What’s the Ophiuchus symbol?

Ophiuchus means “Serpent-Bearer” and is represented as a man holding a snake. The image originates from the constellation’s winding shape. Moreover, Ophiuchus has a mythological association with the Greek god of medicine, Asclepius. 

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Asclepius is often shown holding a staff with a snake coiled around it, called the Rod of Asclepius. You might recognize this symbol, as it’s still used in the healthcare industry. According to myth, Zeus (god of the sky) put Asclepius into the sky as Ophiuchus after Asclepius died.

What are the Ophiuchus sign dates? 

Ophiuchus dates are from November 29th to December 17th. But wait — Sagittarius is during that time! So is Ophiuchus Sagittarius? 

Not quite. Let’s look at where Ophiuchus falls in the zodiac wheel and how this 13th sign affects the traditional 12 zodiac signs.

Ophiuchus in the Zodiac Calendar

Ancient astrologers knew about Ophiuchus. But, historians still don’t know the ancients interpreted the 13th sign. According to modern sidereal astrologers, Ophiuchus zodiac sign dates are between November 29th to December 17th. That puts Ophiuchus between Scorpio and Sagittarius. 

Ophiuchus is more connected to Scorpio than Sagittarius; but, all three signs represent a spiritual journey of sorts. 

A Scorpio’s primary goal is to explore the people’s deeper truths, including themselves. Ophiuchus takes that understanding of human behavior and moves toward acceptance and healing. At the last stage, Sagittarius allows for new knowledge and spiritual growth. 

What about the Ophiuchus element or planet ruler? Let’s do a quick breakdown:

• Element: Ether | Spirituality, awareness, balancing opposites
• Modality: Fixed or Mutable | Persistent and stubborn or adaptable and indecisive
• House: None
• Planetary Ruler: Chiron (planetoid, not planet)

Ether, or space, is the “fifth element” in ancient science. In Ayurveda, ether corresponds to the throat chakra, which represents the understanding and expression of deep truths.

Chiron is a lesser-known part of the zodiac chart that represents our emotional wounds and how we heal from them. Pretty fitting for Ophiuchus, right?

Under Stephen Schmidt’s Astrology 14 classifications, Ophiuchus is a fixed sign; however, Ophiuchus’s renewal-focused traits are consistent with the mutable sign category.

Speaking of, what are the new dates under the 13-sign structure?

New Zodiac Sign Dates with Ophiuchus

If you remember learning fractions, you’ve likely realized a 13th zodiac sign shifts the dates of the traditional signs — from 12 pieces to 13 pieces, fraction-wise. With Ophiuchus included, what are the new zodiac sign dates?

• Aries: April 19th to May 13th
• Taurus: May 14th to June 19th
• Gemini: June 20th to July 20th
• Cancer: July 21st to August 9th
• Leo: August 10th to September 15th
• Virgo: September 16th to October 30th
• Libra: October 31st to November 22nd
• Scorpio: November 23rd to November 29th
• Ophiuchus: November 30th to December 17th
• Sagittarius: December 18th to January 18th
• Capricorn: January 19th to February 17th
• Aquarius: February 16th to March 11th
• Pisces: March 12th to April 18th

Now you know whether you have an Ophiuchus birthday, but what is Ophiuchus known for?

Ophiuchus Traits: Sun, Moon, and Rising

As you know now, Ophiuchus focuses on understanding, accepting, and healing. What does that mean exactly?

Once you understand what drives our behavior, you can transform your perspective. See, you must experience acceptance to heal from any emotional wounds holding you back. 

In a nutshell, the Ophiuchus sun focuses on deep emotional and spiritual healing, which leads to a transformative state of forgiveness and acceptance. From there, Ophiuchus can experience spiritual growth and help others discover the same.

Can you have an Ophiuchus moon sign?

Yes, you can! Having an Ophiuchus moon means you’re a nurturing presence who brings out the best in others. You also value the home and may have goals for a close-knit family of your own.

The Ophiuchus moon connects to powerful goddesses like Isis, goddess of life and healing, and her sister Nephthys, a protective goddess. Similarly, those with an Ophiuchus moon sign tend to be emotionally supportive and level-headed in a crisis.

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What about Ophiuchus rising?

An Ophiuchus rising comes across as lively with a relentless spirit. However, your intensity may intimidate others who may judge you, which can make you spiteful. IF you have an ascendant in Ophiuchus, your goal is to accept your quirks and release bitterness toward people who don’t understand you.

Now that you’re caught up on Ophiuchus information, let’s look at the traditional birthstones for Ophiuchus!

Ophiuchus Month Birthstones

Ophiuchus birthdays are in both November and December. So, there are a few possibilities for which is your birthstone. 

First, let’s look at November birthstones:

• Yellow Topaz (Imperial Topaz): A golden-hued topaz gem symbolizing gratitude, comfort, and hospitality.
• Citrine: A yellow quartz nicknamed the “Success Stone” for its use in bringing prosperity and abundance.
• Pearl: A typically grayish-white living gemstone that represents wisdom and long-lasting friendship.

Now let’s check out December birthstones:

• Blue Topaz: A sparkling form of topaz in rich shades of blue, known for alleviating anxiety and enhancing communication.
• Turquoise: An opaque sea-green gemstone associated with powerful protection, wisdom, and serenity.
• Tanzanite: A glittering blue-violet zoisite stone said to enhance intuition and facilitate transformation.

While you can certainly use your birthstone’s healing powers, certain crystals are better tailored to an Ophiuchus’s needs. So, what are the best Ophiuchus zodiac crystals?

Best Crystals for Ophiuchus

Do you have an Ophiuchus sun, moon, or rising? You can bring your own healing traits to fruition by using healing crystals! Ophiuchus zodiac signs need time for self-reflection to achieve self-love and self-acceptance.

The best crystals for Ophiuchus are:

• Rose Quartz 
• Clear Quartz 
• Amethyst 

What makes these the best Ophiuchus zodiac crystals? Let’s find out!

Rose Quartz

Ophiuchus signs value meaningful relationships with others. And, there’s no better crystal for relationships than rose quartz. A symbol for universal love, rose quartz opens your heart to help you give and receive authentic love. 

However, Ophiuchus knows better than anyone that self-love comes first. Rose quartz helps you heal from long-term emotional pain, and facilitates acceptance and emotional transformation.

How to Use Rose Quartz for Ophiuchus: Ophiuchus signs can wear a rose quartz necklace to keep the stone close to their hearts or meditate with rose quartz crystals during hard times.

Amethyst

As one of the very few purple gemstones, amethyst already shares Ophiuchus’ uniqueness. Ophiuchus signs are all about total transformation of mind-body-spirit, and amethyst is a crystal for holistic healing.

Amethyst is perfect for enhancing Ophiuchus’ focus on spiritual growth, while making sure they stay grounded in reality. 

How to Use Amethyst for Ophiuchus: You can use amethyst during meditation to access spiritual guidance. Or, use amethyst crystals in a crystal grid to manifest specific intentions.

Clear Quartz

Like the Serpent-Bearer of Ophiuchus mythology, clear quartz is known as the “Master Healer.” Clear quartz aligns with Ophiuchus’ spirituality, activating the crown chakra and enhancing spiritual connections.

Besides being a master healer, clear quartz is known for amplifying other crystals. Any Ophiuchus will likely feel their healing powers enhanced with this powerful gemstone, whether they use it on its own or to amplify other crystals. 

How to Use Clear Quartz for Ophiuchus: Set an intention in as you hold a clear quartz crystal, then keep the stone close to remind you of your intention. Another option is to utilize clear quartz for crown chakra healing.

We’ve discussed a few starter options, if you will, for using Ophiuchus crystals, but now let’s dive deeper into ways to incorporate these crystals into your day-to-day life.

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How to Use Ophiuchus Zodiac Crystals for Healing

If you’re new to the world of crystals, you may wonder how to use healing crystals in the first place. Don’t worry, Ophiuchus signs, we’ve got you covered!

Wear Crystal Jewelry

Wearing your crystals as jewelry is one of the simplest — and stylish — ways to use crystals on a daily basis. You don’t need to wear your crystal jewelry every day to feel the healing effects, however.

Any crystal mentioned above — rose quartz, amethyst, clear quartz — is perfect for jewelry. We recommend a rose quartz necklace near the heart, amethyst earrings, or a clear quartz ring. 

Create A Healing Ritual

Rituals offer comfort and meaning during times of rapid change or distress. Change is the Ophiuchus goal, but that doesn’t mean transformation is an easy process. To calm your journey, create your own healing ritual: consider a crystal bath at night or journaling with a crystal nearby.

The ever-reliable clear quartz is a great choice for any ritual, while lovely rose quartz is great for opening the heart for an emotionally freeing journaling session.

Chakra Healing

Energy healing is becoming more and more popular, and chakra stones are an invaluable tool for chakra healing. You can work on aligning all your chakras for a more holistic healing process or focus on specific chakras for targeted healing.

Here are the chakras associated with each Ophiuchus crystal:

• Rose Quartz: Heart Chakra
• Amethyst: Third Eye Chakra
• Clear Quartz: Crown Chakra

While you decide on a healing method, you may wonder: How do crystals connect to astrology? We’ll tell you!

Why Use Crystals for Your Zodiac Sign?

While most zodiac signs have certain buzzwords associated with them, discovering what your specific zodiac sign means for your life is a personal process. Healing crystals can aid this process by helping you explore your sign’s qualities and teaching you how to work with those traits. 

Before you can interpret your personal zodiac meaning, you need to first understand the zodiac system overall.

Astrological interpretations date back to ancient times, though ancient Babylonians didn’t have apps like Co-Star or The Pattern at their disposal. Still, the fundamentals have largely stayed the same. 

Recap: The Big Three

Astrology beginners should start by focusing on the “Big Three” signs: sun, moon, and rising/ascendant.

Sun signs represent a person’s overall personality or purpose in life. Your sun sign is based on the portion of the year you were born. If you were born between November 29th and December 17th, you’re an Ophiuchus sun!

Moon signs are less consistent, changing every couple of days. Your moon sign represents your emotions and instinctual urges, which can change just as rapidly.

Rising signs, or ascendants, represents how you present yourself to the world and how others perceive you. Since rising signs change every two hours, this part of your chart is a crucial piece of the puzzle of what makes you you. 

Whether you believe in the power of astrology for prediction or simply use astrology for self-reflection, adding healing Ophiuchus zodiac crystals into the mix can help you fully understand yourself inside and out.

What’s The Verdict On Ophiuchus?

What do you think? Is Ophiuchus just a constellation, or should we add this new sign to the zodiac wheel? 

Ancient Babylonian astrologers knew about Ophiuchus but chose to exclude it for a neater 12-month system. If you like their way, feel free to ignore Ophiuchus and the new dates. If you’re up for a change, throw Ophiuchus into the mix! 

For any Ophiuchus seeking acceptance and healing, we’ll leave you with this quote from fellow Ophiuchus sun Britney Spears:

“For me, success is a state of mind. I feel like success isn’t about conquering something; it’s being happy with who you are.” 

Explore Ophiuchus zodiac crystals and more in our crystal shop!

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