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General Information on the Constellations

Author: 
Sinder Velvin

Cyrus' overview of the Constellations from Redguard is an adequate one:

Which Month Corresponds to which Constellation.
Morning Star The Ritual
Sun's Dawn The Lover
First Seed The Lord
Rain's Hand The Mage
Second Seed The Shadow
Mid Year The Steed
Sun's Height The Apprentice
Last Seed The Warrior
Hearthfire The Lady
Frostfall The Tower
Sun's Dusk The Atronach
Evening Star The Thief

It says here that the stars of Tamriel are divided into thirteen Constellations. Three of them are the major Constellations, the Guardians, which protect the minor ones, their Charges, from the thirteenth Constellation, which is the Serpent. Each Guardian has three Charges a piece, and are only on guard during their particular season.

In Redguard, a conversation with Coyle leads to information about the Constellations:

Cyrus: I never paid much attention in astronomy class. Guardians and charges?

Coyle: Gosh Cyrus, everyone knows the three Guardians each protect three Charges in their own circle of heaven. Didn't you learn the rhyme? Strong Warrior charges... Wise Mage orders... Clever Thief watches.

Another Redguard conversation, this time with Erasmo, also leads to information:

Cyrus: How does the Orrery work?

Erasmo: Erasmo doesn't know! But it watches the sky! Dwarves knew the power of the stars, watched all the Constellations and who they protected!

Cyrus: Constellations? Who do the Constellations protect?

Erasmo: Flash!! Each other! Didn't your parents teach you about the stars of Tamriel? The 3 Guardians each protect 3 Charges from the Snake!

Cyrus: What - What are the Guardian Constellations?

Erasmo: Every schoolboy knows of the Warrior, the Thief, and the Wizard. Of course, the Dwarves didn't believe in magic, so the Wizard is the Mechanist to them.

Cyrus: What do you mean, Charges?

Erasmo: Damn! You never read as a child! The Guardians each protect the 3 Charges of their circle. Flash!! The Thief watches the lover and Shadow. Warrior the Steed, and on and on. You Redguards are slow!

This unofficial document posted by former Developer Michael Kirkbride may help:

The stars are the bridges to Aetherius, the magic plane. They are perceived as holes on the inside surface of space. Because they are on the inside of a sphere, all stars are equidistant from Nirn. Larger stars, therefore, are not closer to the mortal plane, they are just larger tears in Oblivion. The largest tear in Oblivion is Magnus, the Sun.

[...]

Constellations are collections of stars. Since each star is a bridge to magic, Constellations are very powerful phenomena, and are revered. There are generally accepted to be thirteen Constellations. Nine of these are made up completely of stars. Three others are called Guardian Constellations, as they are each governed by a Dominion Planet. The Dominion Planets are Akatosh (eye of the Warrior), Julianos (eye of the Sage), and Arkay (eye of the Thief). The last Constellation is made up of unstars, and is called the Snake.

Morrowind and Oblivion's The Firmament has a nice introduction:

The Stars of Tamriel are divided into thirteen Constellations. Three of them are the major Constellations, known as the Guardians. These are the Warrior, the Mage, and the Thief. Each of the Guardians protects its three Charges from the thirteenth Constellation, the Serpent.

When the sun rises near one of the Constellations, it is that Constellation's season. Each Constellation has a Season of approximately one month. The Serpent has no season, for it moves about in the heavens, usually threatening one of the other Constellations.

The following quote from the A Brief History of Cyrodiil Team Diary on the The Elder Scrolls Website is fascinating:

In more ancient times, it was common for people to turn to the heavens in times of spiritual need. The thinking being, that there above lies the answers otherwise unobtainable here on the ground. I believe it’s fair to say the general populace of Tamriel collectively thinks along similar pathways – For good reason. It is well known there, that special powers are derived from the synergistic energies related to celestial gatherings and patterns. Even the mysterious, ancestral denizens of Tamriel, the Dwarves, were all too aware of the impact of the night sky on their daily lives and went to great lengths to study and understand their place in it all.

In Oblivion, Uriel Septim VII says the following about stars:

Emperor Uriel Septim: I've served the Nine all my days, and I chart my course by the cycles of the heavens. The skies are marked with numberless sparks, each a fire, and every one a sign. I know these stars well, and I wonder... Which sign marked your birth?

The Oblivion book Magic from the Sky is certainly interesting:

The stars are our links to the plane of Aetherius, the source of all magical power, and therefore, light from the stars is the most potent and exalted of all magical powers.