Astrology, a philosophy of stars, has significantly evolved over time. The current Western Astrology iteration is influenced by ancient Greece and Babylon.
It seems the Greeks might have indeed been onto something. Even if you don’t believe in astrology, per se, it is clear that the stars directly influence our lives - we know we can’t possibly manage to live without the Sun.
Zodiac history is primarily derived from Ptolemy’s Tetrabiblos, published roughly 1,800 years ago. Ptolemy divided the Earth’s orbit around the sun into 30-degree sectors, creating 12 cosmic phases correlated with each sector.
The horoscope origin for each Zodiac sign is unique.
Astrology isn’t something you have to choose whether or not to “believe in” - for many people, astrology is just a fun way to look at the world we live in and think about our relationship with the mysterious universe beyond us.
Read also: Understanding Lucifer's Role
История астрологии
The Western Zodiac: Origins and Evolution
The Western zodiac originated in Babylonian astrology and was later influenced by Hellenistic culture. Each sign was named after a constellation the sun annually moved through while crossing the sky.
The twelve ecliptic signs are positioned in a circular pattern, creating a pattern of oppositions related to different philosophically polarized attributes. In Western astrology, the polarity divides the zodiac in half and refers to the alignment of a sign's energy as either positive or negative, with various attributes associated to them as a result.
Positive polarity signs, also called active, yang, expressive, or masculine signs, are the six odd-numbered signs of the zodiac: Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius. Positive signs make up the fire and air triplicities.
Negative polarity signs, also called passive, yin, receptive, or feminine signs, are the six even-numbered signs of the zodiac: Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Pisces.
The modality or mode of a given sign refers to its position in the season it is found in. Each of the four elements manifests in three modalities: ‘’’cardinal’’’, ‘’’fixed’’’, and ‘’’mutable’’’.
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Each modality comprehends four signs, also known as Quadruplicities. For example, the sign Aries is found in the first month of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, so practitioners of astrology describe it as having a cardinal modality.
The combination of element and modality provides the signs with their unique characterizations.
Over the centuries, Western astrology's zodiacal divisions have shifted out of alignment with the constellations they were named after by axial precession of the Earth while Hindu astrology measurements correct for this shifting.
The following table shows the approximate dates of the twelve astrological signs, along with the classical and modern rulerships of each sign.
| Sign | Dates | Element | Modality | Traits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aries | March 21-April 19 | Fire | Cardinal | Energetic, courageous, impulsive |
| Taurus | April 20-May 20 | Earth | Fixed | Reliable, practical, stubborn |
| Gemini | May 21-June 21 | Air | Mutable | Curious, quick-witted, inconsistent |
| Cancer | June 22-July 22 | Water | Cardinal | Loyal, protective, moody |
| Leo | July 23-August 22 | Fire | Fixed | Creative, generous, domineering |
| Virgo | August 23-September 22 | Earth | Mutable | Analytical, hardworking, critical |
| Libra | September 23-October 23 | Air | Cardinal | Diplomatic, cooperative, indecisive |
| Scorpio | October 24-November 21 | Water | Fixed | Passionate, resourceful, jealous |
| Sagittarius | November 22-December 21 | Fire | Mutable | Adventurous, honest, tactless |
| Capricorn | December 22-January 19 | Earth | Cardinal | Disciplined, responsible, unforgiving |
| Aquarius | January 20-February 18 | Air | Fixed | Independent, intellectual, detached |
| Pisces | February 19-March 20 | Water | Mutable | Artistic, compassionate, escapist |
Individual Zodiac Signs: Symbols and Meanings
Each Zodiac sign has a unique symbol and a specific time frame. Here's a brief overview of each sign:
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- Aries (March 21 - April 19): Represented by a Lamb, symbolizing rebirth and new beginnings.
- Taurus (April 20 - May 20): An earth sign represented by a bull, with roots in many cultures.
- Gemini (May 21 - June 21): The first air sign, symbolized by twins.
- Cancer (June 22 - July 22): The first water sign, represented by a crab in Greek mythology.
- Leo (July 23 - August 22): A fire sign symbolized by a lion, linked to Hercules's mythical labors.
- Virgo (August 22 - September 23): Represented by a maiden, symbolizing justice, innocence, purity, and precision.
- Libra (September 23 - October 23): An air sign symbolized by scales, representing justice.
- Scorpio (October 24 - November 21): A water sign represented by a scorpion or sometimes a snake or eagle.
- Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21): A fire sign represented by an archer or centaur Chiron.
- Capricorn (December 22 - January 21): An earth sign represented by a goat or sea goat.
- Aquarius (January 22 - February 20): An air sign symbolized by a water bearer, inspired by Ganymede.
- Pisces (February 20 - March 20): Represented by two fish swimming in different directions.
The symbols of the zodiac signs.
The Chinese Zodiac: A Cyclical System
Like the Babylonians and Greeks, the Chinese also had a long astronomical tradition going back thousands of years. The Chinese concept of tracking time differed from the Western world, and this is reflected in the signs of the Chinese zodiac.
The Chinese astrological signs operate on cycles of years, lunar months, and two-hour periods of the day (also known as shichen). Nevertheless, some researches say that there is an obvious relationship between the Chinese 12-year cycle and zodiac constellations: each year of the cycle corresponds to a certain disposal of Jupiter.
In Chinese astrology, the zodiac of twelve animal signs represents twelve different types of personality. The zodiac traditionally begins with the sign of the Rat, and there are many stories about the Origins of the Chinese Zodiac which explain why this is so.
The ancient Chinese saw time as cyclical, with twelve-year patterns repeating themselves five times over a sixty-year cycle. Part of the reason for this is that Chinese astronomers used the twelve-year orbit of the planet Jupiter through the ecliptic as a guide.
The 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac.
The Animals of the Chinese Zodiac
The twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac each represent a year in the twelve-year cycle.
- Rat: Years include 1900, 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032.
- Ox: Years include 1901, 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033.
- Tiger: Years include 1902, 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034.
- Rabbit: Years include 1903, 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035.
- Dragon: Years include 1904, 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024, 2036.
- Snake: Years include 1905, 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025, 2037.
- Horse: Years include 1906, 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026, 2038.
- Goat: Years include 1907, 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027, 2039.
- Monkey: Years include 1908, 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028, 2040.
- Rooster: Years include 1909, 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029, 2041.
- Dog: Years include 1910, 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030, 2042.
- Pig: Years include 1911, 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031, 2043.
The Mayan Zodiac
The ancient Mayans also had a zodiac made up of thirteen animal figures. These animals mostly corresponded to the same star patterns recognized by the Greeks and Romans but with representations based on the animals of their culture.
To the Mayans, Aries was an ocelot, Gemini a bird, Cancer a frog, Sagittarius a fish-snake, Aquarius a bat, and Pisces a skeleton.
Modern Astrology and Its Popularity
Today astrology is widely considered a pseudoscience. That makes it a “false” science. It gives the appearance of science - namely, offering predictive power based on the motions of physical objects.