Aculeus
M6 (NGC 6405) · Scorpius
Position (2026)
♐ 26°09′ Sagittarius
Magnitude
4.20
Planetary Nature
Mars / Moon (Robson)
Robson, The Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology (1923), printed page 117: entry 4 explicitly assigns Mars and the Moon to Aculeus; entry 5 gives Acumen the same nature and influence.
Spectral Type
Name Origin
Language
Latin
Original Form
aculeus
Meaning
Sting
Lewis and Short's A Latin Dictionary (1879), under aculeus, gives the Latin meaning recorded here. Robson uses the name for M6 in the Scorpion's sting (1923, printed page 117). Allen discusses M6 and M7 together in the Scorpio chapter and quotes the Latin aculeum for the sting (1899, printed page 370).
Aculeus in Astrology
Brady reads Aculeus as opposition that can be met and used to develop strength. Her examples include Margaret Thatcher and Edward VIII. Robson's 1923 entry predicts blindness in specified luminary and malefic configurations; Brady's summary of Rigor adds eyesight problems and leadership. Those claims belong to the old predictive register and need weighing against the whole chart. In practice, Brady's counsel is to meet the difficulty openly and keep gossip from directing the response.
Mythology & History
Brady places Aculeus and Acumen in the Scorpion's sting and notes the pair's Fish Hook name. Her discussion develops the image of a sting into a reading about opposition. She gives no separate myth for Aculeus (Brady, printed pages 288 to 291).
Robson's 1923 entry 4 assigns Aculeus the nature of Mars and the Moon. His blindness prediction concerns an afflicted luminary or a malefic afflicting the luminaries in conjunction with the cluster, and he treats opposition as equally effective (printed page 117). Brady distinguishes Robson's shared warning from Rigor's separate Aculeus and Acumen readings (printed pages 288 to 291). Brady gives natal and paran readings only; the crossing reading here applies her account of the star.
Scorpius Context
Robson places M6 above the Scorpion's sting beside Acumen (1923, printed page 117). Allen locates M6 and M7 along a line extended from the sting and discusses their identification with Ptolemy's nebulous object (1899, Scorpio chapter, printed page 370). Brady identifies M6 Scorpius in paran map 53 (printed page 289). This catalog row represents the cluster centre, so it has no single stellar spectral type.
Learn more about Scorpius and its stars.
Notable Charts
Jacqueline Kennedy
Aculeus and Acumen setting as Mercury reaches the Nadir
Brady's 1963 solar return gives both clusters this paran, with passage. She assigns the setting stars to March through July 1964 and reads the pair with Mercury through the nation's grief after the assassination of John F. Kennedy (printed pages 363 to 365, with the paired-star discussion on page 364).
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the name Aculeus mean?
The name Aculeus comes from Latin: aculeus, meaning "Sting." Lewis and Short's A Latin Dictionary (1879), under aculeus, gives the Latin meaning recorded here.
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