Dictionary term
Cepheus
Direct answer
Cepheus is a northern circumpolar constellation represented as a king and shaped roughly like a child's drawing of a house.
Cepheus is the King, a house-shaped constellation near the north celestial pole.
- Source
- The Great Almanac Dictionary
- Category
- Constellations & Star Lore
- Also appears in
- Constellations & Star Lore
- Aliases
- None listed
- Last updated
- 2026-07-16
Quick reference
- Use when
- Find Cepheus between Cassiopeia and Draco, using its pentagonal outline and the Milky Way as guides.
- Do not use it for
- The house-shaped stick figure is an observing aid, not the official IAU boundary.
- Reference category
- Constellations & Star Lore
- Related terms
- Carina, Centaurus, Cetus, Chamaeleon
The story behind Cepheus
Cepheus is one of Ptolemy's ancient constellations and belongs to the traditional Andromeda-Perseus sky group.
Cepheus in spiritual tradition
Cepheus connects a modest circumpolar outline with a method for measuring the scale of the universe.
The Great Almanac frames Cepheus with educational restraint. Mystical or symbolic language may be meaningful, but it should not be exaggerated into certainty, panic, or permission to ignore ordinary responsibility.
Cepheus in the Bible
This is a factual sky reference. It can support wonder and orientation without turning a measured position or inherited pattern into a claim of fate or private revelation.
Cepheus in numerology
Cepheus is not a numerology claim. Any numbers attached to it should retain their ordinary scientific, calendrical, navigational, or historical meaning unless a separate symbolic interpretation is clearly labeled.
Why Cepheus matters
It contains Delta Cephei, prototype of the pulsating variables used to establish the cosmic distance scale.
Example in a reading: Repeated brightness estimates of Delta Cephei reveal its regular pulsation over several nights.
Interpretive caution: The house-shaped stick figure is an observing aid, not the official IAU boundary.
How Cepheus is used in a reading
Find Cepheus between Cassiopeia and Draco, using its pentagonal outline and the Milky Way as guides.
Where interpretation stops
Cepheus is presented as sourced astronomy, calendrical, Earth-science, cultural, or instrument-history reference. Definitions should distinguish measured phenomena from civil convention and historical interpretation, preserve location and time dependencies, and avoid turning factual sky data into a deterministic personal claim.
Sources and editorial method
Research references used for this entry include:
- International Astronomical Union: The Constellations - Official names, abbreviations, and boundaries for the 88 modern constellations.
- NASA Space Place: What Are Constellations? - NASA introduction to constellation regions, patterns, visibility, and seasonal sky changes.
The page starts with a direct definition, then separates use, example, caution, spiritual meaning, and historical context. For astrology, occult, demonology, curse, and spiritual warfare terms, the editorial rule is to explain the term without making fear-based, fatalistic, medical, legal, financial, or ritual-instruction claims.
Continue learning
Continue into the current celestial field and place this sky reference beside live planetary positions.
Open Worldwide WatchRelated terms
These related entries help place Cepheus inside a wider reference cluster instead of leaving it as a standalone keyword.
