|
Your Zodiac Sign Didn't Change, Please Shut Up |
|
Posted Jan 14, 2011 - 10:38:19
|
|
So every few years, some lifestyle writer at some news paper gets it in their head that they should go talk to some poor Astronomer about their least favorite subject: Astrology.
Inevitably the Astronomer will point out that because of the wobble and variations of the Earth's movement, that the Sun no longer rises in the same constellations at the same times along the Ecliptic anymore. Maybe they'll find out about Ophiuchus too. The reporter will gasp, and write up an article about how all of our Zodiacal signs are wrong like this one.
Here's the problem: They haven't changed one damned bit.
In Western Astrology, we don't actually care about star position anymore and haven't for longer than you've been alive. See, what a lot of people don't realize is that there are two common Zodiacal systems: Tropical and Sidereal. At one time, millennia ago, they were the same... but no more.
Let me explain: Star signs were set initially in Astrology to correspond with the seasons. The idea in Tropical Astrology (which was founded by Ptolemy of all people) is that the seasons themselves are the important part, and as the constellations that happen to rise on the ecliptic shifted along in the year that the Astrological signs shouldn't change with it. In other words, you're an Aries because you were born in the spring, not because the constellation happened to be rising at the time.
Sidereal Astrology takes the opposite approach, saying the stars themselves are important. They still divide up the sky into 30 degree even segments (which isn't the same length as the amount of space the actual constellations correspond to, but hey - whatever), and most still omit Ophiuchus, but they're all about stellar timing.
The version of Astrology you've been brought up with, the date's you've been taught for years, are the Tropical Ones and not the Sidereal ones. The Tropical Zodiac, as it's based on the seasons, won't shift. So if you have a Taurus Tramp Stamp it's still as correct as ever, so worry not young lady (or sir - but you might want to worry about some other stuff in that case).
For the record, here is your Zodiacal chart:| Name | Tropical (2011) | Sidereal (2011) | Constellations (2011) |
|---|
| Aries | 20 Mar - 20 Apr | 14 Apr - 14 May | 19 Apr - 14 May |
| Taurus | 20 Apr - 21 May | 14 May - 14 Jun | 14 May - 21 Jun |
| Gemini | 21 May - 21 Jun | 14 Jun - 14 Jul | 21 Jun - 21 Jul |
| Cancer | 21 Jun - 23 Jul | 14 Jul - 14 Aug | 21 Jul - 11 Aug |
| Leo | 23 Jul - 23 Aug | 14 Aug - 13 Sep | 11 Aug - 17 Sep |
| Virgo | 23 Aug - 23 Sep | 13 Sep - 14 Oct | 17 Sep - 31 Oct |
| Libra | 23 Sep - 23 Oct | 14 Oct - 13 Nov | 31 Oct - 21 Nov |
| Scorpio | 23 Oct - 22 Nov | 13 Nov - 14 Dec | 21 Nov - 30 Nov |
| Ophiuchus | n/a | 30 Nov - 18 Dec |
| Sagittarius | 22 Nov - 22 Dec | 14 Dec - 13 Jan | 18 Dec - 21 Jan |
| Capricorn | 22 Dec - 20 Jan | 13 Jan - 12 Feb | 21 Jan - 17 Feb |
| Aquarius | 20 Jan - 19 Feb | 12 Feb - 14 Mar | 17 Feb - 12 Mar |
| Pisces | 19 Feb - 20 Mar | 14 Mar - 14 Apr | 12 Mar - 19 Apr |
So I hope that's finally settled... yeesh.
- Traegorn
