Early astronomers witnessed the Sun passing through the Zodiac signs in a year’s time, spending roughly a month in each. As a result, they determined that each constellation covers 30 degrees of the ecliptic.
However, due to a phenomenon known as precession, the positions of the constellations we see now have changed.
The zero point of the Zodiac used to designate the beginning day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. The vernal equinox happens when the ecliptic and celestial equator collide, according to astronomers.
The zero point existed in Aries around 600 BCE, and it was known as the “first point of Aries.” (See Figure 1). The constellation Aries covered the first 30 degrees of the ecliptic; Taurus covered the next 30 degrees; Gemini covered the next 60 degrees; and so on for all twelve constellations of the Zodiac.
The Earth wobbles around its axis in a 25,800-year cycle, which ancient astrologers were unaware of. The gravitational attraction of the Moon on Earth’s equatorial bulge causes this wobble, which is known as precession.
This wobble has led the junction point between the celestial equator and the ecliptic to migrate west along the ecliptic by 36 degrees, or nearly one-tenth of the way around, over the past two and a half millennia. This indicates that, in relation to the stars beyond, the signs have moved a tenth of the way across the sky to the west, or about a month.
For example, persons born between March 21 and April 19 are considered Aries. During much of that time, the Sun was no longer in the constellation of Aries. The Sun is actually in the constellation of Pisces from March 11 to April 18! (See Illustration 2) See also Figure 3, which depicts the equinox precession from 600 BCE to 2600 CE.
The dates when the Sun is truly within the astronomical constellations of the Zodiac, as defined by contemporary constellation borders and corrected for precession, are listed in the table below (these dates can vary a day from year to year).
When precession is taken into consideration, your zodiac sign will most likely be different. And if you were born between November 29 and December 17, your zodiac sign is one you’ve never heard of before: Ophiuchus! After Scorpius, the eliptic crosses across the constellation of Ophiuchus.
Check out your “actual” zodiac sign below, and visit the Birthday Sky program to see what the sky looked like on your birthday.
In This Article...
In India, how are zodiac signs determined?
Because Indians subtract 23 degrees from a constellation’s visible position, there is a 23-day difference between sun signs in the western and desi zodiacs. “If someone is born on March 24, his Vedic sun sign is Pisces, whereas his Western sun sign is Aries,” Bhambi explains.
What are the zodiac signs and how are they divided?
The zodiac is a belt-shaped section of the sky that stretches approximately 8 degrees north or south of the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year (as measured in celestial latitude). The Moon’s and visible planets’ courses are all within the zodiac belt.
The zodiac is divided into twelve signs in Western astrology, and formerly astronomy: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. Each sign occupies 30 degrees of celestial longitude and roughly corresponds to the star constellations: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn
These astrological signs make up a celestial coordinate system, or more specifically, an ecliptic coordinate system, in which the ecliptic serves as the origin of latitude and the vernal equinox serves as the origin of longitude.
What is the origin of the zodiac signs?
The 12 zodiac signs Aries (March 21-April 19), Taurus (April 20-May 20), Gemini (May 21-June 20), Cancer (June 21-July 22), Leo (July 23-Aug. 22), Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22), Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22), Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21), Sagittarius (Nov. 22-De These Western, or tropical, zodiac signs were named after constellations and paired with dates based on their apparent relationship to the sun’s position in the sky.
By 1500 BC, the Babylonians had divided the zodiac into 12 equal signs, with constellation names that were similar to those we know today, such as The Great Twins, The Lion, and The Scales, and these were later adopted into Greek divination. These 12 signs were popularized by the astronomer Ptolemy, author of the Tetrabiblos, which became a key work in the history of Western astrology.
“Ptolemy codified the idea that there were 12 signs of the zodiac that were 30 wide and that the sun travelled through these signs on a regular basis throughout the year,” says Odenwald. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word “zodiac” is derived from a Greek term meaning “sculpted animal form,” and the sequence in which the signs are normally enumerated is also derived from that period.
Is a person’s zodiac sign decided by their name?
The zodiac sign is defined by the location of the moon planet in the horoscope, according to astrology. Let us tell you which zodiac sign you belong to based on the first letter of your name.
Aries – Aries is the first zodiac sign, according to astrology. Aries is the zodiac sign of people whose names begin with the letters Chu, Che, Cho, La, Lee, Lu, Le, Lo, Aa. Mars is the ruler of Aries.
Taurus – Taurus is the second zodiac sign. Taurus is the zodiac sign of people whose names begin with E, Oo, A, O, Va, Vee, Wu, Ve, Vo. The bull is the zodiac’s symbol. Venus is the ruler of the Taurus zodiac sign.
Gemini – The zodiac sign of Gemini is the third in the zodiac. Gemini is the zodiac sign of people with names that begin with the letters ‘A,’ ‘Ch,’ or ‘D.’ Twins are represented in astrology by the sign Gemini, whose lord is Mercury, the planet of speech, business, communication, singing, mathematics, and so on.
Cancer is the fourth zodiac sign, according to the horoscope. Cancer is the zodiac sign of people whose names begin with Hi, Hu, Hey, Ho, Da, Dee, Do, Day, Do, Ve. The lord of this zodiac is regarded to be the Moon.
Leo is the fifth and final zodiac sign in the astrological cycle. Leo is the zodiac sign of people whose names begin with Ma, Mi, Moo, Me, Mo, Ta, Tee, Tu, Tay. This zodiac’s ruler is the Sun.
Virgo – This is the sixth zodiac, according to the zodiac. Virgo is the zodiac sign of people whose names begin with Dho, Pa, Pi, Poo, Sha, N, Th, Pe, and Po. Mercury is the ruler of this sign.
Libra – According to the zodiac, Libra is the seventh sign. Libra is the zodiac sign of people whose names begin with Ra, Ri, Ru, Re, Ro, Ta, Ti, Tu, or Te. Venus is Libra’s ruler.
Scorpio is the eighth sign of the zodiac according to astrology. Scorpio is the zodiac sign of people whose names begin with the letters To, Ni, Nu, Ne, No, Ya, Yi, Yu. Mars is the ruler of this sign.
Sagittarius – Sagittarius is the ninth zodiac, according to the astrological cycle. Sagittarius is the sign of people whose names begin with the letters Ye, Yo, Bha, Bhi, Bhu, Dha, Fa, Dha, Bhe, Fa, Fa, Fa, Fa, Fa, Fa, Fa, Fa, Fa, Fa, Fa, Fa, Fa, Fa, Fa, Fa, Fa, Fa, Fa, Fa, Fa, Fa, Fa, Fa Jupiter is the ruler of this zodiac sign.
Capricorn – According to the zodiac, Capricorn occupies the tenth position. Capricorns have names that begin with Bho, Jaa, Ji, Khi, Khu, Khe, Kho, Ga, Gi, Hai. Shani Dev is the lord of this zodiac.
Aquarius – The eleventh sign of the zodiac has been described as Aquarius. Aquarians have names that begin with Gu, Gay, Go, Sa, Si, Su, Se, So, Da.
Pisces – Pisces is the zodiac’s last sign. Pisces is the zodiac sign of people whose names begin with the letters Di, Du, Th, Jha, J, De, Do, Cha, Chi.
Is there a Hindu horoscope?
You may identify your zodiac sign based on Indian astrology readings if you only know your date of birth. Here’s how to figure out what your zodiac sign is. Mesh is your zodiac sign (Aries). Your zodiac sign is Ram, your element is fire, and Mars is your ruling planet.
Is there a zodiac sign for each country?
When a place is founded or developed, a natal chart or birth chart is created. For example, Great Britain’s ‘birthday’ is December 25th, 1066, making it Capricorn.
Venus rules Greece and the magnificent Greek Islands, which are linked to Taurus and Libra.
Scotland is connected with Cancer and is known for its clans, or family tribes…
Who designed the zodiac signs?
The 12 zodiac signs, one of the earliest notions of astrology, were devised by the Babylonians around 1894 BC. The Babylonians lived at Babylon, which is roughly where modern-day Iraq is located. Babylon was one of the most prominent ancient Mesopotamian towns.
Is it true that astrology is founded on science?
This isn’t the first time astrology has had a moment like this, and it won’t be the last. For thousands of years, the practice has existed in various forms. More recently, the New Age movement of the 1960s and 1970s included a heavy dose of astrology. (Some refer to the New Age as the “Age of Aquarius,” referring to the 2,000-year period after the Earth’s passage through the Aquarius sign.)
While astrology didn’t go completely in the decades between the New Age boom and nowyou could still get horoscopes in the back pages of magazinesit “got back to being a little bit more in the background,” says Chani Nicholas, an astrologer in Los Angeles. “Then there’s something that’s happened in the last five years that’s given it an edge, a relevancy for this time and place that it hasn’t had in 35 years.” The millennial generation has taken it and run with it.”
Many of the people I spoke to for this article felt that, while the stigma surrounding astrology still exists, it has faded as the discipline has gained traction in online culture, particularly among young people.
“We’ve seen a reframing of New Age activities over the last two years, very much tailored toward a Millennial and young Gen X component,” says Lucie Greene, global director of J. Walter Thompson’s Intelligence Group, which studies and predicts cultural trends.
Broadly’s horoscopes have “grew really dramatically,” according to Callie Beusman, a senior editor. The Cut’s president and editor-in-chief, Stella Bugbee, claims that a typical horoscope article on the site received 150 percent more traffic in 2017 than the previous year.
Astrology is well-suited to the digital age in some aspects. If you feel like plunging into a Google-research rabbit hole, there’s a low barrier to admission and practically infinite depths to plumb. More jokes about Saturn returns, less “Hey baby, what’s your sign?” pickup linesthe availability of more in-depth knowledge online has given this contemporary wave of astrology a certain sophistication.
A quick refresher: Astrology is not a science, and there is no proof that one’s zodiac sign has anything to do with personality. However, the system has its own logic. The positioning of the sun, moon, and planets within 12 sectors of the skythe zodiac signsgives meaning to astrology. Even if you’re not an astrology fan, you’re probably aware of your sun sign, the most well-known zodiac sign. It’s determined by the position of the sun on your birthday. However, the position of the moon and each of the other planets at the time and place of your birth adds more shades to the portrait of you that your “birth chart” paints.
Horoscopes are designed to inform you about what the planets are doing now and in the future, as well as how this impacts each zodiac sign. Susan Miller, the popular astrologer who developed the Astrology Zone website, advises, “Think of the planets as a cocktail party.” “You could have three individuals chatting at the same time, two people arguing in the corner, and Venus and Mars kissing.” I need to figure out what’s going on in those monthly talks for you.”
“Astrologers are continually attempting to break down these massive concepts into manageable chunks of information,” Nicholas explains. “These days’ kids and their memes are the ideal setting for astrology.”
Astrology uses the planets and zodiac symbols to express complex ideas about personality, life cycles, and relationship patterns. That shorthand also works well online, where symbols and shorthand are frequently used.
Bertram Malle, a social cognitive scientist at Brown University, wrote me in an email, “Let me state first that I consider astrology a cultural or psychological phenomenon,” not a scientific one. However, “full-fledged astrology,” which goes beyond sun-sign horoscopes in newspapers, “provides a powerful lexicon to express not only personality and temperament, but also life’s obstacles and chances.” To the extent that one just learns this vocabulary, it may appeal as a rich means of portraying (rather than explaining or forecasting) human feelings and life events, as well as highlighting some potential coping routes.”
In times of stress, people frequently consult astrology. According to a short 1982 research by psychologist Graham Tyson, “those who contact astrologers” did so in response to pressures in their life, especially stress “related to the individual’s social duties and relationships.” “Under high stress, the individual is willing to employ astrology as a coping mechanism, even though he does not believe in it under low stress.”
Millennials have been the most stressed generation since 2014, according to American Psychological Association survey data, and they are also the group most likely to claim their stress has increased in the past year since 2010. Since 2012, Millennials and Gen Xers have been much more anxious than previous generations. Since the 2016 presidential election, Americans have been experiencing greater stress as a result of the political turmoil. According to the APA’s 2017 survey, 63 percent of Americans are “extremely concerned” about their country’s future. Reading the news stresses out 56% of individuals, with Millennials and Gen Xers being substantially more likely than older people to say so. Political infighting, climate change, global problems, and the prospect of nuclear war have all been prominent in recent news. If stress makes astrology look more appealing, it’s no surprise that more people are interested in it now.