Zodiac Signs

Have you ever thought about the symbol of your sun sign? Each of the twelve zodiac signs has a unique symbol which is used to represent the zodiac। Only Greek mythology has a story associated with every symbol and its stellar constellation. Here I am representing the twelve zodiac constellations along with the stories of their symbols (with my hand made sketches of each) which have origins in Greek Mythology. The sketches I made are not representing any authentication related to the mythological stories, they are solely based on my imagination.

1. ARIES: Phrixos and his sister Helle were twins. They were children of Zeus, the king of Gods. Their step mother Ino hated them. She roasted the seeds of local farmers so th ecrops would not grow. She also bribed the man who was sent to an Oracle by the farmers. The man declared that if Phrixos and Helle are kiled, crops can be saved. Both twins were thrown in the river. But they were rescued by a golden Ram sent by their natural mother Nephele. The golden ram was then made a constellation known as “Aries”.



2. TAURUAS: Europa was a magnificient Phoenician princess. Zeus was enamored of Europa and decided to seduce or ravish her. He transformed himself into a tame white bull and mixed in with her father’s herds. While Europa and her female attendants were gathering flower, she saw the bull, caressed his flanks, and eventually got onto his back. Zeus took that opportunity and rail to the sea and swam, with her on his back, to the island of Crete. He then revealed his true identity, and Europa became the first queen of Crete. The bull form of Zeus was raised to become a constellation known as “Taurus”.




GEMINI: Castor and Pollux were twin sons of Tyndareus and Zeus respectively. The name of their mother was Leda. Pollux was immortal while Castor was mortal. They defeated a famous king Theseus. They were also arch enemies of their cousins Idas and Lynecus (twins). Idas and Lynecus cheated them once by not giving them their share of cattle which they all raided at Areadin. Castor and Pollux took revenge by abducting the cattle of Idas and Lynecus. In the meantime, Paris, prince of Troy kidnapped their sister Helen and this event finally led to the famous Trojan war of Troy. And the two sets of twins fought with each other and Castor was mortally wounded. POllus kiled Lynecus and Zeus killed Idas. Pollux, when given choice by his father Zeus, gev half of his immortality to his dying brother Castor. The brothers became part of the stellar constellation called “Gemini”




CANCER: Hercules was a greek hero, who was given twelve difficult tasks to finish. One of them was to fight with a monstrous Hydra. While Hercules was busy fighting the multi headed Hydra, the goddess Hera, who did not like Hercules sent a crab called “cancer” to distract him. Cancer grabbed onto the hero’s toe with its claws, but barely breaking the rhythm of his great battle with the Hydra. Hercules crushed the crab under his foot. Hera, grateful for the little crustacean’s heroic but pitiful effort, gave it a place in the sky and the crab became a constellation known as “Cancer”




LEO: Out of the twelve difficult tasks assigned to the greek hero Hercules, one was to slay the Nemean Lion and to bring back its skin. Hercules wandered the areas until he came upon the town of Cleonae. While he was looking for the lion, he made arrowsto use against it, not knowing that it was impervious. When he found the lion, he started shooting arrows but the lion would not die. After sometime Hercules made the lion return to his cave. The cave had two entrance one of which Hercules blocked; he then entered the other. Becuase of the fact that the lion’s skin was impenetrable, Hercules was forced to stun the lion with his club, before proceeding to strangle it. He then used lion’s own claws to cut off its pelt. When he returned, the King was shocked. He gave Hercules the lion’s invincible pelt to wear as a cloak. The Nemean Lion was raised to the sky to become a constellation called “Leo”




VIRGO: Astrea was a daughter of Zeus and Themis. She and her mother were both personifications of justice. Astrea, the celestial virgin, was the last of the immortals to live with humans during the Iron Age, the final stage in the world’s disintegration from the utopion Golden Age. Fleeing from the new wickedness of humanity, she ascended to heaven to become the constellation “Virgo”



LIBRA: Astraea, the celestial virgin, was the last of the immortals to live with humans during the Iron Age, the final stage in the world’s disintegration from the utopian Golden Age. Fleeing from the new wickedness of humanity, she ascended to heaven and the scales of justice she carried became the constellation “Libra”, reflected in her symbolic association with Justitia




SCORPIO: Orion was a powerful greek hunter. Goddess Eos invited him to spend the night with her and he happily accepted but later bragged of the conquest and also boasted that he was such a magnificent hunter, that he would exterminate all of the wild beasts of the Earth. Apollo (God of the Sun, who was responsible for guarding herds) persuaded goddess Gaia, to send a giant scorpion with impenetrable armor to sting Orion until the hunter was dead. The scorpion succeeded and was raised to sky to become a constellation “Scorpio”.




SAGITTARIUS: Chiron was a centuar and a skilled bowman। He was intelligent, civilized and kind. He was immortal and known for his knowledge and skill with medicine. He was said to be the last centaur and highly revered as a teacher and tutor. When Hercules went to his friend Pholus’s cave and both of them drank the divine wine, many centuars including Chiron, intoxicated by the smell of the wine, attacked the cave. Hercules shot poisonous arrows at them. Chiron was wounded. Chiron, the master of the healing arts, could not heal himself, so he willingly gave up his immortality. He was honoured with a place in the sky as constellation “Sagittarius”




CAPRICORN: Amalthea was a goat that suckled the infant Zeus after his mother Rhea saved him from being devoured by his father Cronos। The goat's broken horn was transformed into the cornucopia or horn of plenty. Amalthea was given place in sky as the constellation “Capricorn”




AQUARIUS: Ganymede was a divine hero whose homeland was Troy। He was a Trojan prince। Ganymede was the most handsome among mortals, by reason of which he was abducted by Zeus in the form of an eagle to serve as cupbearer to the gods and as Zeus' beloved. Being associated with the Eagle (Aquila), Ganymede was raised in the sky as constellation “Aquarius”



PISCES: Aphrodite was the greek goddess of love and beauty. Her son Eros is popularly known as the “cupid”. Both mother and son, transformed into fishes, in order to escape the monstrous Typhon when he attacked to destroy Zeus. They tied together with a cord on their tails, to make sure they do not lose one another. This form of the mother and son was raised to sky to become a constellation known as “Pisces”.

Adobe Illustrator: Working with Live Trace and Layers (for novices)

Many people ask me how I draw on Adobe Illustrator? Well I am still very novice in the usage of the softwares, so I usually follow a tedious process, I know there are ways to do things more easily. But now I have got my hands apt at doing it this way. Thought of sharing it with you.
Here I am presenting the procedure I followed to digitize and color a simple sketch originally drawn by blue ball pen, in Adobe Illustrator. This is the original pen sketch, I sketched in my free time in my office.

To tell you the story behind the sketch: There was a prince in Mahabharata named Vasudeva who was married to a royal maiden Devaki. The uncle of Vasudeva, Sini, pleased with the decision of Devaki to marry Vasudeva, placed both of them in his chariot. There was another warrior Somdatta who was competing for the hand of Devaki. He challenged Sini for a fight. Both of them fought and ultimately Somdatta was defeated, and Sini placed foot on his chest and thus disgraced him in public.
So I have drawn these four characters whom I'll color in Illsutrator such that the beauty of original sketch is not gone.

1. Import the original Sketch:Original sketch can be imported by scanning. I have simply clicked a pic of my sketch with digital camera and have copied it to my laptop. Now open Illustrator and import the sketch by going to File> Open. It looks like this.

2.Click on the pic using the cursor tool. You'll be able to see four tabs at the top. Out Of this you can click on two. They are Live Trace and Mask. There are lots of options in Live Trace. You can choose any of the presets. Each preset have a different setting for tracing. I have defined a new presets called Tracing Preset 2. I click on that.

3. These are the options of Tracing Preset 2. You can view this by clicking Tracing Options instead of selecting any presets.This is an important step. Look at the settings in this preset. The mode is black and white that means even if I have made my original sketch by blue ball pen, it will be visible with black outlies.By changing the threshold value you can change the areas of your original sketch to be ncluded in the tracing result. If you want more detailing then choose high threshold value. However, increrasing the threshold value also results in thick black lines in the tracing result. The most important setting is the Trace Setting, where I have chosen Fill and not Stroke. And I have chosen Ignore white option to let the white spaces as it is, so that i can color using brushes.

4. This is the tracing result. Ofcourse I am not happy with this as it have missed many details.

5. Now I have increased threshold value from 91 to 118. Now the sketch is almost fully visible though lines have become thick.

6.I have now made the Layer, Brushes and Color windows visible by going to Windows> Layer,Windows>Brushes.. You can see that the tracing result is on Layer 1.

7.For coloring I'll create another layer called Layer2 beneath Layer1. Here I'll do all the coloring.

8. By clicking on the folder like icon on the bottom left side of the Brushes window, I have imported Artistic > Artistic Calligraphic Brushes.

9. These are different types of Artistic Calligraphic Brushes. The number refers to the roundness of the brushes. The higher the number, the thicker would be the lines.By single clicking on desired brush sizes, I'll import them in the Brushes winow.

10.Clicking on the Strokes window gives the color Picker. It shows different shades. I have chosen one color which I'll use as skin color for Sini.

11. If you see I have chosen a brush with small roundness as I have to color in the face which require leaving out the portion of eyes, beard and mouth, so for careful coloring, I have zoomed the pic (Ctrl++). See the effect of Vectorized image that even when zoomed to 200 %, image doesnt look blurred.

12. Now I'll color using the graphic tablet and pen. you can see that since I am coloring on Layer2, it is not overwriting the traced lines.
This is the way I use graphic tablet

13. Now color in Sini is almost over, and I have changed the brush sizes frequently while coloring. By using thin brushes and choosing dark colors, I have given shading as well

14. Similarly I will color in Somdatta's figure.

15. Now I have to color rest of the people in the sketch and I also want that the colors I have just done shud not be affected. For this, I will create another layer Layer3 beneath Layer2.

16. Here I will color the chariot and the figures of Devaki and Vasudeva.

17. Now to color rest of the sketch, the people in background and sky and ground, I will create yet another layer below Layer3. Its Layer4.

18.Now, oops I have forgetten that the fight between Sini and Somdatta is over so both of them should be bleeding. Now I cannot add the wound colors on them while I am working on Layer4. So I will go back to Layer2 and with a very narrow brush I will create blood marks on the bodies of Sini and Somdatta.

19. Now I have to add text to the image. For this I have to go to Layer1. And By clicking on "T" icon, I can enter the text. Here I have used "Baraha Direct" software to type in Hindi.

20. Now the pic is ready. I can now exprt it using File>Export and choosing the output format as JPEG. It will then ask for what quality image you want? Low, Medium, High ? All this has to do with the resolution. I choose medium quality as High quality JPEG takes a lot of time to export and lot of space in memory also.
The output pic looks like this.

Another way is not to use Tracing option at all. Use instead the original sketch as a template layer and manually trace the outlines using a brush. This is more common and popular method. An exmple of the same:

Mirza Ghalib

Generally people associate Ghalib with dejection, separation, frustration, etc. All these feelings are quite apparent in his work. But the legend called Ghalib is much more than that. Even while displaying the same feelings of grief, separation, broken-heartedness, the words he used, and specially the linkages that he made of his feelings with phenomena of nature, beauty of his lover and sometimes religious and social dogma is really amazing.
I’ll like to discuss about few of the amazing shayaris of Ghalib:

1. Harek baat pe kehte ho tum ki tu kya hai
This was the introductory ghazal for the TV series. It starts like this:
“हैं और भी दुनिया में सुखनवर बहुत अच्छे,
कहतेहैं की गालिब का है अंदाज़-ऐ-बयान और”
Which means that though there are many poets and masters of words in the world, but the style of Ghalib was somewhat ‘different’. I dont think this was written by Ghalib himself, but it may be possible if we look at other works of Ghalib.
“हर एक बात पे कहते हो तुम के ‘तू क्या है’ ?
तुम्ही कहो के यह अंदाज़-ऐ-गुफ्तगू क्या है ?
रगों में दौड़ते फिरने के हम नही कायल
जब आँख ही से न टपका तो फ़िर लहू क्या है ?”
Which means that ‘why do you boast yourself and disgrace others by belittling them.
The next line is a marvel. He says that I am no fan or admirer of something that is ‘able to flow through veins’ (like blood). If it can’t get out of eyes like tears, then whats so special about it? This beautiful verse tells that tears that a person sheds are more powerful than the blood that flows in the veins.
“चिपक रहा है बदन पर लहू से पैराहन

हमारी जेब को अब हाजते रफू क्या है?"

(पैराहन=clothes, हाजत=requirement, रफू=mending)
Which means that clothes are attached with the body through blood, now what is the use of mending my pockets? He questions the materialism and money mindedness here. Being soaked in blood, and clothes sticking to body because of blood, signifies the state of pain, and mending of pocket signifies longing of worldly needs. The use of word ‘pocket’ is important as money is usually kept in pockets.
“जला है जिस्म जहाँ दिल भी जल गया होगा,
कुरेदते हो अब राख-ऐ-जुस्तजू क्या है ?”
(राख-ऐ-जुस्तजू= ambitions reduced to ashes)
Ghalib says that heart along with its desires might have got burnt the same way as the body (burnt in pain) now what is the use of searching for any leftover ambitions? Quite simple but very effective
“रही न ताक़त-ऐ-गुफ्तार और अगर हो भी,
तो किस उम्मीद से कहिये की आरजू क्या है ?”
(ताक़त-ऐ-गुफ्तार= strength to speak)
This is again one of the best of Ghalib. He says that ‘I no longer have strength to speak anymore. And even if I have, I cannot tell what my desire is, as I have no hopes left’. Which means that pain has left me speechless and hopeless.

2.Hazaron Khwahishe aisi
One of the most famous ghazal of Mirza Ghalib’s shayaris. The verses go like this:
“हजारों ख्वाहिशें ऐसी की हर ख्वाहिश पे दम निकले,
बहुत निकले मेरे अरमान लेकिन फिर भी कम निकले”
Ghalib says ‘I have plethora of desire, and each desire is such as ‘to die for’’. This means there is a deadly(strong) longing for those desires. He says that desires are never ending. Even if most of them get fulfilled, we still feel unsatisfied.
“मोहब्बत में नही है फर्क जीने और मरने का,
उसी को देख कर जीते हैं, जिस काफिर पे दम निकले”
(काफिर=infidel, liar)
Ghalib says that life and death in love, both are related to the beloved. Here life refers to the pleasure of being with the beloved and death refers to the pain of separation because the lover turns out to be a betrayer/liar. He says that the company of the same person gives life whose betrayal gives death, so there is not much difference between life and death in love.
“निकलना खुल्द से आदम का सुनते आए हैं लेकिन,
बहुत बेआबरू होकर तेरे कूचे से हम निकले”
(खुल्द=heaven, आदम=Adam, बेआबरू =insulted, कूचा=house)
Ghalib says that we have heard about the disgraceful banishment of Adam from heaven, but my banishment from your house (by your rejection/betrayal) was much more disgraceful.
“खुदा के वास्ते परदा न काबे से उठा जालिम,
कहीं ऐसा न हो या भी वही काफिर सनम निकले”
(काबा=shrine)
This one is amazing. Here Ghalib asks (probably religious people) not to unveil the shrine, as he might see his beloved beneath the shrine instead of God; the same beloved who had betrayed in love. It also means that Ghalib is saying that the truth which can hurt let it be untold. ‘Ignorance is bliss’ as the truth can be as disheartening as the betrayal of a lover.
“कहाँ मैखाने का दरवाजा ‘गालिब', और कहाँ वाईज ,
पर इतना जानते हैं, कल वो जाता था की हम निकले”
(मैखाना=place where wine is served, वाईज =priest)
Here Ghalib says that, a person who is believed to be as pure as a priest, and a place which is believed to be as sinful as a place where wine is served, these two things cannot be related as per social norms. But he says that ‘yesterday when I was leaving that place (after drinking wine), the priest came in’. This does not, however, shows that the priests or religious heads are corrupt. It means that every person on this earth has weakness. If we go by the first verse, we can say that every person (even someone like priest, who can be considered as unearthly) has some desire which needs to be fulfilled.

3. Achcha Hai…
This is also one of my favourites:
“उनके देखे से जो आ जाती हैं यूँ मुह पर रौनक,
वो समझते हैं की बीमार का हाल अच्छा है”
(रौनक=smile)
This is Ghalib at his best. He says if I smile looking at you you feel that I am alright, even if I am feeling pain at the core of my heart. It shows that sometimes people require something more than a sympathizing gesture.
“देखिये पाते हैं उशाक बुतों से क्या फैज़,
एक बराहमन ने कहा है की ये साल अच्छा है”
(उशाक=lovers, फैज़=blessings, बराहमन =a learned person)
This verse clearly distinguishes lovers from remaining (sane) people. Ghalib says that lets’ see what kinds of blessings we can get from the lovers, though the learned ones say that everything is going to be allright.
“हमको मालूम है जन्नत की हकी़त लेकिन,
दिल के खुश रखने को ‘गालिब'ये ख्याल अच्छा है”
(जन्नत=heaven)
This is my favourite. Ghalib says that even though we know the reality of the heaven, its good to live in its illusion. Here reality of heaven means that hopelessness has no end, but the illusion of heaven is somewhat a soothing feeling which says that everything is going to be allright.

4. Yun Hota to kya Hota
This one is also a famous ghazal by Mirza Ghalib:
“न था कुछ तो खुदा था कुछ न होता तो खुदा होता,
डुबोया मुझको होने ने, न होता मैं तो क्या होता”
Ghalib says that when there was nothing, there was God and He will remain when there will be nothing. I am suffering because of my existence, what would have happened had I not existed.
“हुआ जब ग़म से यूँ बेहिस, तो ग़म क्या सर के काटने का,
न होता यूँ जुदा तन से तो जानो पर धारा होता”
(बेहिस=tormented, तन=बॉडी, जान=knees)
This is again a masterpiece. Ghalib says that when I am suffering so excruciatingly from grief and pain, that I won’t mind being beheaded. If not removed that way, my head will rest on my knees anyway. (The posture of crying while sitting with head bend on knees)
“हुई मुद्दत की गालिब मर गया पर याद आता है,
वो हर एक बात पे कहना, की यूँ होता तो क्या होता”
Simple yet powerful. Ghalib says that when I will die people will remember me (as an insane) who used to say that what would have happened if this had happened….
While searching for the deep meaning works of Ghalib, I c ame across many blogs. One such blog is here:
http://nisthaonweb.com/art/
It contains the lucid narrations and meaning of the lyrics of some of the famous shayaris of Ghalib. Two of my favorite ghazals of the TV series on Mirza Ghalib, which used to come on Doordarshan long back, are beautifully explained here:
“Ye na thi hamari qismat, ki visaal-e-yaar hota”
http://nisthaonweb.com/art/2008/10/09/ye-na-thi-hamari-kismet/
“Baazecha-e-atfaal hai duniya mere aage”
http://nisthaonweb.com/art/2008/08/07/baazeecha-e-atfaal-hai-duniya-mere-aage/