The eighteenth mansion is Antares, the red heart of the scorpion, and its name means 'the eldest'. Its deity is Indra, king of the gods, and it carries the weight of seniority.

Its lord is Mercury and its symbol is an umbrella, the mark of a protector. Tradition gives it authority, responsibility and the loneliness that comes with both. Antares is a red supergiant whose name means 'rival of Mars', and the Moon occults it in long series that run for years at a time.