Zodiac is an imagery belt around the havens that extends to 9 degrees on either side of the ecliptic, the plane of the earth’s orbit, and the sun’s apparent annual path. The orbit of the principal planets and moon also lie entirely within the zodiac. There are 12 zodiac signs in the zodiac, each of which occupies 30 degrees of the great circle. Zodiac signs in astrology are different from the constellations of astronomy in which the sun actually appears. However, most of the time when people think about zodiac signs, they get confused with the astronomical constellations and their symbols.
Each zodiac sign roughly covers a month’s time. However, unlike our calendar months, the time of the zodiac sign is calculated in a different way because astrologers calculate the first sign of the zodiac off the Northern hemisphere’s vernal equinox which happens around March 21. From there, the dates of other zodiac signs are set as the sun passes through the respective constellations.
Below is the list of 12 zodiac signs. The history of their symbols is unknown though they seem to have first appeared in Greek manuscripts of the late middle ages.
Aries (Ram): March 21–April 19
Taurus (Bull): April 20–May 20
Gemini (Twins): May 21–June 21
Cancer (Crab): June 22–July 22
Leo (Lion): July 23–August 22
Virgo (Virgin): August 23–September 22
Libra (Balance): September 23–October 23
Scorpius (Scorpion): October 24–November 21
Sagittarius (Archer): November 22–December 21
Capricornus (Goat): December 22–January 19
Aquarius (Water Bearer): January 20–February 18
Pisces (Fish): February 19–March 20
Four elements of the zodiac
Zodiac symbols have four elements of Air, Earth, Fire and Water which were initially recognized by the Ancient Greek philosopher Empedocles who said the universe was made up of two opposite forces, known as Love and Strife. Varying combinations of these four basic universal elements were behind the essence of nature and things in the world.
Modalities of zodiac signs
In addition to the four elements, Zodiac also has modalities which are the sign’s basic modes, and how they are expressed. Each sign is affiliated with a modality in quadruplicity, wherein four zodiac signs are assigned to each modality. The three zodiac modalities are Cardinal, Fixed, and Mutable.
The Cardinal Modality consists of four cardinal signs of Aries, Cancer, Capricorn, and Libra. The cardinal signs either mark the start of a new season or a solstice. Those with cardinal modality tend to be rational and natural leaders.
The fixed modality represents the middle season and sustaining. Fixed modality signs are Aquarius, Leo, Scorpio, and Taurus. People born under the fixed modality tend to be reliable and persistent.
Mutable modality zodiac signs are Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces. Those born in mutable modality tend to be versatile and adaptable.
Horoscope is a chart of heavens that shows the relative positions of the Sun, the Moon, and the planets, and the ascendant and midheaven signs of the zodiac at a specific moment in time. Your individual horoscope usually plots the moment of your birth and is used by astrologers, in combination with other astrological data, to predict your future events.
