It is not surprising that many of us believe in astrology, especially when it comes to zodiac signs and horoscopes. But have you ever wondered how in the world it existed and influenced us in some ways?
The Project spiritual website contains information about zodiac signs, astrology, and compatibility. But if you want to know and be familiar with the signs’ surprising history, keep reading this article.
What are the Zodiac signs?
Zodiac signs can be interchangeably called astrological signs. It is composed of 12 constellations that are referenced in the center of the ecliptic. These 12 constellations represented the 12 months of the year. The term zodiac came from the Latin word zōdiacus that means “cycle or circle of little animals.” This fact explains why most of the signs are represented by animals.
The 12 astrological signs are Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius Pisces. Each of them belongs to any of these classical four elements: earth, water, air, and fire.
Initially, there were 13 zodiac signs. The 13th sign is called Ophiucus, but since there are only 12 months in a year, it was removed from the list and remained a constellation.
Who originated them?
The Babylonians’ idea was to divide the ecliptic into 12 during the first half of the first millennium BC. But they decided to use these 12 signs to represent the 12 months of a year only around the end of 5th Century BC. Their records were compiled in Sumerian Clay tablets dated 1000 BCE. The very first evidence of Babylonian astronomy is Enûma Anu Enlil. It is a series of cuneiform tablets that show the different phases and behavior of the moons, sun, stars, planets, and other weather phenomena.
The second formal evidence of Babylonian astronomy and astrology is the MUL.APIN. It is composed of two cuneiform tablets that also shows celestial bodies’ movements, phases, and eclipses. The first tablet shows the position of the constellations and how they are related to the calendar. On the other hand, the other tablet contained information on how the Babylonian astrologers predicted the celestial bodies’ movements.
What represents each zodiac sign?
Since there are 12 zodiac signs, there are also 12 unique symbols that represent them. Mostly, the signs are symbolized by animals and humans. The only zodiac sign that is not defined by a living thing is the Libra. Scales instead characterize it. On the other hand, Taurus and Aries are represented by bull and ram, respectively. Gemini is characterized by twins, while a crab represents cancer. A lion and a virgin symbolize Leo and Virgo, respectively. Archer represents Sagittarius, and a Scorpio represents Scorpion. Lastly, sea-goat, the water bearer, and fish exhibit Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces, respectively.
Note that the signs are named such by the Latin word of the object or animate character representing them.
What is the purpose of Zodiac signs?
Babylonians didn’t divide the ecliptic into twelve sections only for nothing. They believe that the sun, stars, and moons’ movements had something to do with their daily lives during their time. The celestial bodies’ periodical movements like sun, moon, and stars dictate them to cultivate and grow crops. They also predicted the future by observing space, mostly when eclipses and other phenomena occur.
What is the use of Zodiac signs today?
Nowadays, zodiac signs are much related to Horoscopic astrology. Zodiac signs are used in relating two different persons, calculating their compatibility and incompatibility. The possible future is also predicted by the celestial bodies’ alignment the day a person was born. The personalities and characters of a person are associated with his or her zodiac sign too. Though there are questions about its legitimacy and accuracy, people are still somehow influenced by it.
Conclusion
We hope that we have guided you enough with the exciting and fantastic history of the zodiac signs. Keep in mind that whether the zodiac signs and astrological predictions are real or not, we still tend to believe them. It is because a glimpse of what lies ahead gives us hope to go on and move forward. It gives us reasons to stay optimistic and expect good things in the future. Although there is no scientific evidence and proof that prove zodiac signs being associated with horoscopes to be valid and reliable, it is harmless to believe it. It is our own decision to do so because, after all, we have our free will.