Cassiopeia depicts the Church of God after the marriage feast. If the Pleiades are an image of the Church-Bride on earth, then Cassiopeia shows her future — the Wife of the Lamb, sharing in Christ's reign.
Full interpretation
Verifiable historical, etymological and topographical statements are accompanied by sources. The theological conclusions are the project’s interpretation according to its published methodology.
The constellation Cassiopeia is located next to Cepheus — the image of the enthroned King. On the celestial map, Cassiopeia is depicted seated on a throne, corresponding to the biblical promise: after the marriage feast, the Church of God will reign together with Christ.
In some ancient Arabic manuscripts, Cassiopeia is called the "Sitting Woman," and the arrangement of its stars resembles a woman pointing forward with her hand.[Kunitzsch & Smart][IAU · имена звёзд]
The names of its stars are of particular interest.
Schedar (α Cassiopeiae) bears the Arabic name Al Dhāt al Kursiyy, which is associated with the expression "breast of the Pleiades." This is unusual, since the actual Pleiades are in a completely different region of the sky. Such a name seems to connect the two constellations into one story.
Caph (β Cassiopeiae) means "palm," and the full Arabic name translates as "palm of the Pleiades." And again Cassiopeia is named through the Pleiades.[Kunitzsch & Smart][IAU · имена звёзд]
Another star of the constellation — Al Sanam al Nakah — means "camel's hump." This name recalls the ancient image of the constellation Camelopardalis, which was originally depicted as a camel—the very camel that brought Rebekah to Isaac. In the biblical story, this is a type of the Holy Spirit bringing the Bride to Christ.[Kunitzsch & Smart][IAU · имена звёзд]
Thus the names of the stars form a coherent picture:
Pleiades — the Church as Bride on earth. The camel brings the Bride to the Bridegroom. The Sitting Woman takes her place beside the King. The Church becomes the Wife of the Lamb and shares in His reign.
On the celestial map, the Great Bear — the image of God's Church on earth — is on one side of the Pole Star, and Cassiopeia is on the other. Between them lies the constellation Camelopardalis (the ancient Camel), as well as Andromeda — the image of the Church still awaiting the meeting with the Bridegroom. All this forms a sequential narrative: God's Church passes from Bride to Wife of the Lamb.[Kunitzsch & Smart][IAU · имена звёзд]
Therefore one can say:
The Pleiades are the past of Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia is the future of the Pleiades.
