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Copyright: western zodiac
The sky is full of stars, and for millennia, we have gazed upward, looking for answers...
The western zodiac is one attempt to make sense of the stars, originally by the ancient Greeks, but with influences from Babylon and Egypt. In this method, the sky is divided up into sections and the time of one's birth determined one's astrological sign, which (supposedly) plays into one's life, personality and the decisions one makes.
There are 12 signs, with an optional, yet controversial 13th sign. The method of determining one's sign varies from region to region.
The most common method is known as 'Tropical astrology,' and was created in Greek's Hellenistic period. It uses a set, unchanging series of dates to determine one's astrological sign. 'Sidereal Astrology,' on the other hand, changes its dates slowly over the millennia of stellar drift and the axial rotation of earth, and is in use in Hindu astrology, among many others.
By the tropical zodiac, Aries begins on the date of the northern vernal equinox, which is typically around March 21st. However, the sidereal zodiac starts when the sun begins to transit Aries. These dates once were the same, but however, due to several thousands of years of stellar movement, these dates have drifted apart. This explains why the sidereal dates are so different from tropical zodiac's.
The International Astronomical Union (or IAU) recently calculated the appropriate zodiac dates based entirely off of the actual observable limits of the constellations in the sky. This means that some constellations are much smaller than others (such as Scorpio, which lasts approximately 6 days) while others are much wider (such as Virgo, which lasts for around 45 days). There is also a gap between Scorpio and Sagittarius that they have filled with a 13th constellation: Ophiuchus. Its inclusion is controversial, with some embracing it and others denying it.
Nevertheless, all of the thirteen (13) zodiac signs are presented here:
| Symbol | Sign | Traditional Symbology | Traditional Element |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aries (Symbol) | ♈ Aries (zodiac) | A sheep, ram or goat. | Fire |
| Taurus (Symbol) | ♉ Taurus (zodiac) | Bull/cow or similar cattle. | Earth |
| Gemini (Symbol) | ♊ Gemini (zodiac) | Set of twins. | Air |
| Cancer (Symbol) | ♋ Cancer (zodiac) | A crab. | Water |
| Leo (Symbol) | ♌ Leo (zodiac) | A lion. | Fire |
| Virgo (Symbol) | ♍ Virgo (zodiac) | A fertile young female. Perhaps a farmer, druid, or nymph. | Earth |
| Libra (Symbol) | ♎ Libra (zodiac) | A set of scales, often accompanied by a young male or female respectively. | Air |
| Scorpio (Symbol) | ♏ Scorpio (zodiac) | A scorpion. | Water |
| Ophiuchus (Symbol) | ⛎ Ophiuchus (zodiac) | A man holding a snake. | — |
| Sagittarius (Symbol) | ♐ Sagittarius (zodiac) | A centaur, often an archer. | Fire |
| Capricorn (Symbol) | ♑ Capricorn (zodiac) | A capricorn – half goat, half fish. | Earth |
| Aquarius (Symbol) | ♒ Aquarius (zodiac) | Merfolk or a being with a jug of water. | Air |
| Pisces (Symbol) | ♓ Pisces (zodiac) | Two fish. | Water |
Usage of tag
More importantly, however, is the role of this tag: Images tagged with this tag should somehow involve the western zodiac. Most frequent would be personifications of the astrological signs, but other uses may apply.
When the symbol for the Astrological sign shows up, Western_Zodiac should not be tagged unless accompanied by other criteria.
See also
- chinese zodiac
- modern zodiac
- western zodiac
- zodiac (astrology)
Additional reading:
The following tags implicate this tag: virgo_(zodiac), sagittarius_(zodiac), pisces_(zodiac), gemini_(zodiac), ophiuchus_(zodiac), libra_(zodiac), leo_(zodiac), taurus_(zodiac), scorpio_(zodiac), aquarius_(zodiac), capricorn_(zodiac), cancer_(zodiac), aries_(zodiac) (learn more).
