Zodiac signs have been around for thousands of years, ever since the first astrologers began mapping the celestial heavens. The word Zodiac comes from the Greek for "circle of little animals" and refers to the patterns or configurations of the principal planets, the Moon, and the Sun as they move around the sky through the year.
The zodiac is divided into 12 signs, each 30 degrees long. The cycle of the zodiac starts with Aries, which begins at the spot in the sky where the Sun is on the first day of spring (March 22 to April 21).
Zodiac signs are not the same as Sun signs. When a person says, "I'm an Aries," what they're really saying is they were born at a time of the year when the Sun was in the sign of Aries. The Western calendar mimics the movement of the Sun around the zodiac, so the Sun is in each zodiac sign at nearly the same time every year.
The movement of the planets through each of the zodiac signs is irregular compared to the Sun's 12-month rotation. The fast moving Moon, for example, spends about 2-1/2 days in each sign. The very slow moving Pluto spends from 12 to 24 years in each sign.
The 12 signs of the Zodiac can be divided a number of ways.
Zodiac Signs Divided By Element
- The Fire signs are Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. This energy is active, intuitive, and often picky with a need for possibilities.
- The Air signs are Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius. This energy is logical, reasonable, and cool with a need to understand.
- The Earth signs are Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn. This energy is grounded, practical, and controlled with a need for security.
- The Water signs are Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. This energy is imaginative, sensitive, and opinionated with a need for connection with people.
Zodiac Signs Divided By Modality
- The Cardinal signs are Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn. These are the signs of dynamic change, movement, and making things happen.
- The Fixed signs are Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius. These signs indicate stability, focus, and maintaining the status quo.
- The Mutable signs are Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces. They express adaptability and adjustment.
If you'd like to read a deeper explanation of zodiac signs, check it out at Wikipedia.
