← Encyclopedia of Astrology · lesson 192/235
Zosma
Zosma is a white star of the second magnitude on the back of Leo, the Lion, near its hindquarters, between Regulus at the heart and Denebola at the tail. Its name is from the Greek for "girdle" or "loincloth", after its place on the figure. In astrology it is a quieter star than its famous neighbour Regulus: it is linked with sensitivity to suffering, one's own or other people's, and with a pull toward service.
In the zodiac
Zosma stands today at about 12° Virgo. It moves forward about one degree every 72 years through precession, so a chart from 1950 places it about a degree earlier, near 11° Virgo.
Its nature
Ptolemy gave the stars on the Lion's hip and the bright star in its tail the nature of Saturn and Venus — a mix of seriousness and affection, restraint and attachment. Older writers were unkind to Zosma, linking it with self-absorption, melancholy, unpopularity and a fear of being harmed by others. Modern astrologers usually read it more compassionately: as someone who knows what it is to feel set apart or put upon, and who often turns that knowledge into care for others — sometimes at a cost to themselves, which is worth noticing.
In a chart
A close conjunction — within about a degree, a degree and a half at most — is what usually counts. On the Moon or Venus it is often read as tender feelings and a strong urge to look after people; on the Sun, the Ascendant or the Midheaven it can describe a life drawn toward helping, healing or advocacy. The star colours the point it touches rather than acting alone, and its sensitivity can be as much a strength as a burden.