Zodiacs originally derived from constellations that mapped out where the Sun travelled over the course of a year. The Zodiacs have since been divided into twelve signs, which loosely corresponded to the constellations.
Zodiac Astrology
Under Western astrology, the twelve Zodiac signs are:
- Sagittarius (November 22nd - December 21st)
- Capricorn (December 22nd - January 19th)
- Aquarius (January 20th - February 18th)
- Pisces (February 19th - March 20th)
- Aries (March 21st - April 19th)
- Taurus (April 20th - May 20th)
- Gemini (May 21st - June 21st)
- Cancer (June 22nd - July 22nd)
- Leo (July 23rd - August 22nd)
- Virgo (August 23rd - September 22nd)
- Libra (September 23rd - October 23rd)
- Scorpio (October 24th - November 21st)
The practice of Zodiacs has been around for thousands of years. Despite the stigma that is related to astrology, the concept states that these relate to human activity, meaning that signs are expected to hold certain characteristics. It is worth noting that these signs do not correspond to current astronomical constellations, however this article will refer to the dates when the Sun passed through them as they were established. This is because these dates are still used to determine astrological signs.
Zodiac Signs by Elements
In addition, these twelve signs are also sorted into for different categories. These are water, fire, wind, and air. These four elements contain three zodiac signs.
Water - Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
Fire - Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Earth - Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Air - Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Each of these elements reportedly contain characteristics that relate back to our human activity. Astrologists suggest water signs are connected to deep emotions, a disposition towards sensitivity, and the notion of water extends to ideas of the ocean. Fire is all about passion. They are warm, dynamic signs that thrive off inspiration. Zodiac air signs are thinkers and make decisions based upon knowledge rather than emotion. They are free spirits who communicate and analyse. Finally, the Earth sign. They are grounded, down to earth individuals, who hold a solid foundation on this earth. Together these four elements form the natural world.
Planets that guide zodiac signs
Astrology suggests that each sign has a ruling planet. This will effect how each sign is expressed, meaning when this planet is placed with the constellation, it has a powerful influence.
- Sun - Leo
- Moon - Cancer
- Mercury - Gemini and Virgo
- Venus - Taurus and Libra
- Mars - Aries
- Jupiter - Sagittarius
- Saturn - Capricorn
- Uranus - Aquarius
- Neptune - Pisces
- Pluto - Scorpio
Why is there a stigma attached to Astrology?
There is a lot of stigma around Astrology, but opinions vary depending on your system of belief. Due to the lack of scientific grounding, astrology is often disregarded. It is considered to be a pseudoscience as it has been unable to prove scientific value. There is also stigma for those who believe in astrology. People are often embarrassed due to the reactions they receive when they admit they're a believer in astrology. Furthermore, there have been arguments to suggest that it should be considered a spiritual belief.
Horoscopes have also branded astrology down to a matter of 'predicting your future' when astrology is a much more complicated system that looks at the position of constellations and considers your birth chart in relation to your characteristics. A horoscope will offer an astrologers interpretation of events based upon the system of signs.
A birth chart is a system that looks at your birth date, time and the location. Once you enter this information into a birth chart, you should have a twelve sectioned chart that depict how the sky looked on the day of your birth. By looking at this, you are able to determine connections between signs, houses, and planets, to offer an interpretation as to who you are.
Chinese Zodiac Astrology
In a similar concept to Western astrology, Chinese astrology also has twelve zodiac signs. It differs because they are represented as animals rather than symbols. Instead of being grouped by weeks, they are grouped by years. It is based upon a twelve year cycle. Where Western horoscopes change, Chinese astrology is set by year. The year you were born reflects your characteristics. To give an example:
Rabbit
Birth Years- 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1999, 2011, 2023
Personality Traits - Sensitive, civilised, judgemental, kind, and romantic. The rabbit is a tame creature that often represents hope and life.
