Elsa had a link the other day to a site called Astrococktail that has a great collection of news links with astrological connections. From that site I found a link to the works of Chrichton Miller, who speculates that the Celtic Cross was an instrument for astronomical calculation, and that the ancients knew the locations of many of the constellations by using the Celtic Cross.

Miller claims that the constellation Draconis (the Dragon, or Serpent) lies above the latitude of 66.6 degrees. Astronomer David Pratt confirms this: “The north ecliptic pole lies in the constellation Draco, and has the equatorial coordinates 18h (270°) RA, +66.6° decl. “ The word “Draco” is from the Greek draconis meaning “dragon,” and the constellation is symbolized by a coiled serpent or dragon.

I then found this interesting page, The Stars of Revelation, from which I quote the relevant passages of Revelation regarding the Dragon:

[Rev 12:1-6] [A]nother portent appeared in heaven; behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems upon his heads. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, that he might devour her child when she brought it forth…

Later, there is a war between Archangel Michael and the dragon:

[Rev 12:7-9] Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they were defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world–he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

Later, in Rev 13:11-17, another beast appears that “spoke like a dragon.” This beast “works great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in the sight of men,” and it’s number is 666.

Ancient cultures throughout the world have legends of serpent-like creatures that were revered and feared, representing wisdom, knowledge and power. The Aztec god Quetzalcoatl was known as the “feathered serpent,” and in China, dragons are the most powerful and divine of creatures. Even the snake in the Garden of Eden was the monitor of the Tree of Wisdom.

Surely the connection between the dragon, the number 666 and the constellation Draco at the 66.6 degree declination is more than a coincidence. Nowhere could I find a more reasonable explanation of this number “666.” I have no idea what this means, but it’s certainly worth pondering.