of the moon. As a result, they do not accurately follow the seasons of the solar year. To assist farmers to decide when to plant or harvest crops, the drafters of the calendar put in 24 seasonal markers, which follow the solar year.” It must be observed that in China, a season begins not at a solstice or equinox, but at a date between them; each of those points serves as the peak of the season and not its beginning, as they do in Europe.
The “Dog Star” Sirius is the very bright star that accompanies the group of Orion “The Hunter”, as a dog follows his master on the hunt. This star was significant for the ancient Egyptians, marking the time of its first appearance above the horizon as hailing the overflow of the river Nile.
Egypt has no rainfall, either to wet the land for farming or to divide the year into wet and dry seasons. It’s farming, which is one of the oldest in the world, entirely depends on the overflow of the river to wet the land and prepare it for planting. In consequence, the ancient Egyptian year was divided into three seasons: Inundation; Growth = Winter; Harvest = Summer (s. site).
The best known reliance on heavenly bodies is the Babylonian zodiac, which is connected with the Babylonian calendar beginning around the Spring equinox as mentioned above (s. site). The zodiac stems from the solar calendar, expressing an astronomical observation of the position of certain constellations in relation to the sun in monthly periods around the year:
Nisanu (the first month) – March/April (Spring equinox) – Aries
Aiaru (Procession month) – April/May – Taurus
Simanu (Time of brick making) – May/June –