Pollux star meaning: the head of the hindmost twin
Pollux is the head of the second Twin, and the Pollux star meaning lies in that phrase. Its Arabic name, Raʾs al-Tawʾam al-Muʾakhkhar, means "the head of the hindmost twin", which Canopy renders "Head of the Second Twin". Its partner, Castor, is Raʾs al-Tawʾam al-Muqaddam, the head of the foremost, and the words describe their order across the sky: Castor crosses the meridian first, and Pollux about eleven minutes later.
Pollux astrology in Canopy starts from a single planet: the Pollux fixed star is Martial, of Mars alone. It is not one of the fifteen Behenian stars but one of twenty more the app carries. With Castor, it once marked the seventh lunar mansion, al-Dhirāʿ, the Forearm.
Where the Pollux fixed star stands
By tropical longitude, Pollux stands near 23°34′ of Cancer (2025 position), three degrees past Castor. Canopy advances every star for precession, so its star page reads a minute or two later in late 2026, and a natal contact uses the star's place on the birth date. That degree falls in Canopy's ninth lunar mansion, al-Ṭarf, the Glance, a Naḥs mansion.
Astronomers call Pollux Beta Geminorum, yet at magnitude 1.14 it outshines Castor, the alpha, at 1.58. It can be seen from almost everywhere people live.
Pollux in astrology: a star of Mars alone
Canopy's badge for Pollux reads Martial, and its Planetary Nature card shows one planet, Mars. The Chart tab marks a contact "Star: Martial", the Today card's star box reads "Star nature: Mars", and a Pollux window says: "Pollux (Raʾs al-Tawʾam al-Muʾakhkhar) is a martial fixed star of the nature of Mars." On a day when Pollux is the Today card's leading contact, the card adds "Seek: courage, competition." and "Avoid: aggression without cause."
Pollux conjunct the Sun, Moon, Ascendant or Midheaven
Canopy reads Pollux in a birth chart by conjunction alone: the star, at its place on your birth date, within three degrees of a planet, the Ascendant, the Midheaven, the Vertex or a lunar Node. The Chart tab lists it under Other Conjunctions, without a Behenian badge, as in the sample chart at the top of this page: "Conjunct your natal Saturn (Zuḥal) · 0.4°", "Star: Martial".
Every contact carries one reading, drawn from the classical sources: "Raʾs al-Tawʾam al-Muʾakhkhar (Head of the Second Twin) brings Mars-like boldness and potential for cruelty or audacity. When conjunct a natal planet, you have courage and fighting spirit, but may struggle with aggressive impulses. Success through sports or martial activities." Its Traditional Uses line reads "Talismans for courage in competition and overcoming fear." There is no separate text for Pollux conjunct the Sun, the Moon, the Ascendant or the Midheaven; the reading is the star's.
The Sun reaches Pollux around July 15, so births from about July 12 to July 18 carry a Sun contact, and a planet between about 20½° and 23½° of Cancer touches both Twins. For transits, the Today card shows a planet in aspect to Pollux within two degrees, and the Full Reading's Fixed Star Influences reuse the natal reading as their text.
How to make a Pollux talisman
The classical Behenian lists give a stone and a plant to fifteen stars, and Pollux is not among them. Canopy pairs it with red jasper and basil all the same, on the Correspondences card of the star's own page, so its answer to how to make a Pollux talisman is those two materials, the nature of Mars, and a moment chosen for the star. The window pages do not repeat the pairing ("Correspondence data unavailable for this star"), and Canopy gives no construction steps; this page reads the subject as history and timing, with no claim that a talisman works.
When to make a Pollux talisman: the Pollux election
Canopy times a star by its degree. A Pollux window needs that degree within one degree of the Ascendant or the Midheaven, and the Moon applying to Pollux by conjunction, sextile or trine within two degrees. "Rising" and "culminating" mean the degree, not the light: the app never checks the horizon. The angles cross a degree in about four minutes on average, so a window lasts minutes and belongs to one place.
The Moon therefore stands at about 21½° to 23½° of Cancer, her own sign, for the conjunction; of Taurus or Virgo for a sextile; of Pisces or Scorpio for a trine. Scorpio is her fall, excused only for a conjunction in the star's own sign, so a trine from late Scorpio is always set aside. So is a conjunction made between about July 6 and July 24, when the Sun near the star leaves the Moon combust.
The tests every star shares are set out under fixed-star talisman windows. Among them, the Moon may not apply by square or opposition to Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter or Saturn, or apply to the South Node or an undignified Mars or Saturn, and no Mars, Saturn, South Node or afflicted planet may stand within three degrees of the star. While Mars is within three degrees of Pollux, in Cancer, the sign of its fall, every Pollux window is set aside.
A passing moment is scored out of ten: six for the Moon's conjunction or three for a sextile or trine, two for the angle, and one each for a waxing Moon and a Moon not void of course. Conjunctions score 80 to 100 percent, sextiles and trines 50 to 70; 70 and above is Excellent. Pollux's Martial nature changes nothing here, since no star's nature is an input. It matters in purpose searches, such as a wedding or a launch, where a Martial star on the Ascendant or Midheaven sets the moment aside. Canopy keeps only the best few windows per star, not every passing moment.
Two imagined Pollux windows
In mid-July the Sun stands on Pollux's degree, so a Moon closing on the star from 22° Cancer is combust and the moment is set aside. On an early-spring evening, with Pollux's degree on the Midheaven, the Moon waxing at 22° Cancer, not void of course and applying by conjunction, and every other test passing, the moment scores six, two and two: 100 percent, Excellent.
Finding Pollux in Canopy
Open Talismans, then Fixed Star Talismans; Fixed Stars on the Elections tab opens the same screen, where windows read Pollux Election. All 35 stars are listed with their Arabic names and the fifteen Behenian stars start selected, so tap None, then Pollux, choose your dates and search. Each result gives its time range, a line about Mars in your own chart, the Moon, the peak and the score.
Find where Pollux falls in your chart, and its next window where you are.
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Questions
What does Pollux mean in astrology?
In Canopy, Pollux is a Martial star of the nature of Mars alone. Its natal reading, drawn from the classical sources, speaks of courage and fighting spirit, a possible struggle with aggressive impulses, and success through sports or martial activities.
What does the star Pollux mean?
Its Arabic name, Raʾs al-Tawʾam al-Muʾakhkhar, means the head of the hindmost twin; Castor is the head of the foremost. Astronomers call the star Beta Geminorum.
What degree is Pollux in astrology?
About 23°34′ of tropical Cancer (2025 position). Canopy advances it for precession, and a natal contact uses the star's place on your birth date.
What does Pollux conjunct the Sun or Ascendant mean?
Canopy gives one reading for any contact within three degrees, with a planet, the Ascendant, the Midheaven, the Vertex or a Node: Mars-like boldness, courage and fighting spirit, and a possible struggle with aggressive impulses. A Sun contact belongs to births from about July 12 to July 18.
How do you make a Pollux talisman?
Canopy pairs Pollux with red jasper and basil on the star's own page, and times the minutes when its degree is within one degree of the Ascendant or Midheaven while the Moon applies to it. It gives no construction steps.
When is the best time to make a Pollux talisman?
When its degree rises or culminates where you are and a waxing Moon, not void of course, applies to it by conjunction from the low twenties of Cancer, outside roughly July 6 to July 24. With every other test passed, that window scores 100 percent.
Is Pollux a benefic or a malefic star?
In Canopy, neither: it is marked Martial. That changes nothing in Fixed Star Talismans, but in purpose searches, such as a wedding or a launch, a Martial star on the Ascendant or Midheaven sets the moment aside, as a malefic one does.
