In mythology, Ophiucus is identified with the healer Asclepius, the son of Apollo, who was able to bring the dead back to life. Realizing his power, Hades convinced Zeus to kill Asclepius with a lightning bolt, and he was placed into the stars as a constellation after his death.
The constellation, Ophiuchus, has been known since ancient times, and is better known as Serpentarius, the Serpent Holder. It is included in the list of 48 constellations described by Ptolemy. Ophiuchus is depicted as a man handling a serpent; his body dividing the large snake into two parts, giving way to the symbol used today as an Asclepius – the medical staff. Astrologers have not included Ophiuchus in the wheel of Astrological signs because the Sun spends only about nineteen days in this 13th sign of the Mazzaroth. Not that there wasn’t a 13th sign in the Heavens, but as far as Astrologers were concerned, the Sun traveled from the constellation ‘Scorpius’ and then proceeded directly into the sign of Sagittarius. In reality, this was not the case. The Sun, for 19 days of the year, travels through the star constellation ‘Ophiuchus’ before entering Sagittarius from Scorpius – see chart below. thus The sign of Ophiuchus is patterned after the original ‘Serpent Holder’, Enki, a Sumerian god.
The serpent hiding!
Full source: http://themindunleashed.org/2013/08/...ophiuchus.html
The 13th sign
The Sun passes in front of Ophiuchus – the 'serpent bearer' – for 19 days each year. (Background image courtesy of IAU).
The astronomical zodiac actually contains 13 star signs – the 12 that we’re familiar with plus another one, called Ophiuchus.
Ophiuchus was deliberately left out of the original zodiac, over 2000 years ago, even though the Sun clearly passes in front of it after passing in front of Scorpius (commonly known as Scorpio) and before reaching Sagittarius. The reason for this is not known, but it may be because ancient astrologers wanted to divide the 360 degree path of the Sun in a mathematically pleasing way – 12 equal parts, each one of 30 degrees.
However the true boundaries that divide the constellations, as described by the International Astronomical Union, are far from equal. For example Ophiuchus is behind the Sun for a full 19 days of the year. That’s 12 days more than its neighbour, Scorpius.
So if you’re born between 30 November and 18 December – congratulations! You’ve won a new star sign on the astronomical zodiac.
Full source:http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zp4fvcw#zqyxtfr
