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.
In This Article...
What are the four signs of the zodiac?
If you’re even remotely interested in astrology, you’re probably aware of your Sun sign. That’s your “primary zodiac sign,” the one established by your birthday and the one you tell people when they ask, “What is your sign?” You’re a Leo, a Cancer, or an Aquarius, for example.
You may also be aware that your birth chart contains far more information than your Sun sign. Every planet in the sky has a sign, including the Moon, Mercury, and Saturn, as well as some points (like your Rising sign, determined by which sign was on the horizon when you were born).
The zodiac consists of 12 signs, each of which is broken down differently by astrologers. Fire, water, earth, and air are the four elements that each sign represents. If you’re a Pisces, for example, you can say you’re a water sign, or you can look at your entire birth chart and say that, while your Sun sign is a water sign, you also have a lot of planets in earth signs like Taurus and Virgo.
The signs are also divided into three qualities in astrology: cardinal, fixed, and changeable. These are referred to as modalities. Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn are the four cardinal signs. Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius are fixed signs, whereas Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces are mutable signs. Examine your horoscope for your Sun sign. What is its mode of operation? Examine your entire birth chart. Are there a number of planets in fixed, cardinal, or changeable signs in your horoscope?
What are the zodiac’s ten signs?
Astrological signs are the twelve 30-degree sectors that make up Earth’s 360-degree orbit around the Sun in Western astrology. The signs begin on the vernal equinox, which is the first day of spring and is known as the First Point of Aries. Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces are the zodiac signs. The Western zodiac has its origins in Babylonian astrology and was influenced by Hellenistic culture later on. Each sign was named after a constellation that the sun passed through every year as it crossed the sky. This point is underlined in the popular and simple sun sign astrology. By axial precession of the Earth, Western astrology’s zodiacal divisions have shifted out of alignment with the stars they were named after over the millennia, whereas Hindu astrology measurements have corrected for this moving. Chinese and Tibetan cultures developed astrology (a system of omina based on celestial appearances), but these astrologies are not based on the zodiac and instead deal with the entire sky.
Astrology is a debunked scientific theory. It has no scientific validity or explanatory capacity, according to scientific analyses of the theoretical underpinning and experimental verification of assertions.
Celestial occurrences, according to astrology, are related to human action on the concept of “as above, so below,” with the signs representing distinct modalities of expression. Until the 19th century, scientific astronomy and Western astrology both employed the same sectors of the ecliptic.
Different systems of astrology now utilize various techniques of measuring and dividing the sky, yet the names and symbols of the Zodiac have mostly remained consistent. The Equinox and Solstice points (points pertaining to equal, longest, and shortest days of the tropical year) are used in Western astrology, while the equatorial plane is used in Hindu astrology (sidereal year).
Aries, who should you marry?
Libra (opposites attract), Sagittarius, and Leo are the most compatible signs for Aries in friendship and romantic relationships (fellow fire signs will speak their same passionate language).
By birthday, what element am I?
There are 12 astrological signs in Western tropical astrology. Each of the four elements has three Zodiac signs connected with it, which are always exactly 120 degrees apart along the ecliptic and are said to be in trine with one another. The four classical elements (also called as triplicities) are still used extensively by most current astrologers, and they are still considered a crucial part of astrological chart interpretation.
Starting with Aries, which is a Fire sign, the next sign in order is Taurus, which is Earth, followed by Gemini, which is Air, and finally Cancer, which is Water. This cycle repeats twice more before concluding with Pisces, the twelfth and final astrological sign. According to Marcus Manilius, the elemental rulerships for the twelve astrological signs of the zodiac are as follows:
- Aries 1; Leo 5; Sagittarius 9 hot, dry, and ferocious
- Heavy, chilly, and dry2Taurus; 6Virgo; 10Capricorn
- 3 Gemini; 7 Libra; 11 Aquarius bright, hot, and damp
- Water is for Cancer, 8 for Scorpio, and 12 for Pisces. It is cool, moist, and gentle.
Who is the Earth sign’s supremo?
Don’t you think of a tough and authoritative leader when you think about Capricorn? Because they are the rulers of astrology, they emit cardinal energy. Winter has arrived when the sun enters Capricorn, and Capricorn is in charge with the same serious and calculated power that is required to survive the toughest season of all. Capricorn, as an earth sign, leads with logic, reason, and long-term goals in mind. This zodiac sign is quick to devise a strategy and delegate responsibility within their society. It’s up to them to devise a winning strategy.
What is it about water that attracts fire signs?
She argues that water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces) are traditionally associated with earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn) because water nurtures the earth. Because air feeds fire, air signs (Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius) and fire signs (Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius) go together. “Signs in the same element (earth, water, air, or fire) also make the most harmonic angles to each other, known as ‘trines,’ which are 120 degrees apart,” she continues.
What is the order of the 12 zodiac signs by month?
- Aries is the first sign of the zodiac (March 21April 19)
- Taurus is the sign of the bull (April 20May 20)
- Gemini is a sign of the zodiac (May 21June 20)
- Cancer is a disease that affects people (June 21July 22)
- Leo is a sign of the zodiac (July 23August 22)
- Virgo is the sign of the Virgin (August 23September 22)
- Libra is a sign of the zodia (September 23October 22)
- Scorpio is a zodiac sign that (October 23November 21)
- Sagittarius is the sign of the eagle (November 22December 21)
- Capricorn is a sign in the zodiac that (December 22January 19)
- Aquarius is the sign of the water bearer (January 20February 18)
- Pisces is a water sign (February 19March 20)