Origin
The Western zodiac originated in Babylonian astrology
(about 500 BCE), and was later influenced by the Hellenistic
culture by 4th century BC. Each sign was named after a
constellation the sun annually moved through while crossing the sky.
Zodiac, a belt around the sky extending 9° on either
side of the ecliptic, annual path of the Sun, which contains 12
constellations or astrological signs. In astrology, the outcome of an
event is affected by the zodiacal positions of the Sun, the Moon, and
the planets when that event happened. The orbits of the Moon and of
the naked-eye planets also lie entirely within the zodiac.
In Western astrology,
astrological signs are the twelve 30-degree sectors
that make up Earth's 360-degree orbit around the Sun. The signs
enumerate from the first day of spring, known as the
First Point of Aries , which is the vernal equinox.
The astrological signs are
Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio,
Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces.
Polarity and the 3 Modalities
The polarity divides the zodiac in half and refers to
the alignment of a sign's energy as either positive or negative.
Positive polarity signs, also called active , yang,
expressive, or masculine signs, are the six odd-numbered
signs of the zodiac:
Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius.
Positive signs make up the fire and air triplicities.
Negative polarity signs, also called passive, yin,
receptive, or feminine signs, are the six even-numbered
signs of the zodiac:
Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Pisces. Negative signs make up the earth and water triplicities
The modality or mode of a given sign refers to its
position in the season it is found in. Each of the four elements
manifests in three modalities: cardinal,
fixed, and mutable.
Since each modality comprehends four signs,
they are also known as Quadruplicities.
For example, the sign Aries is found in the first month of spring in
the Northern Hemisphere, so practitioners of astrology describe it as
having a cardinal modality. The combination of element and
modality provides the signs with their unique characterizations.
For instance, Capricorn is the cardinal earth sign, impressing its
association with action (cardinal modality) in the material world
(earth element).
12 Constellations
♈️ Aries (Ram): 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
Learn more about Zodiacs
To learn more of the etymology and eastern influences, visit Wikipedia here.
Each zodiac sign is tied to a corresponding constellation, find out what is the brightest star in your zodiac.
- Coded by Anna Wright -