About Astrology Signs

Astrology has had an astounding influence on world events. First attempted as a means of predicting the unpredictable, astrology has been refined over the years into a widely embraced system. In particular, astrological signs like Pisces and Leo have carved themselves a place in most major newspapers, and even in casual conversation at dinner parties and bars. And so, at the turn of the 21st century, astrological signs remain a stable force in popular culture.

History

Western astrology can be actually traced back to ancient Babylonia, where priests tried to discern connections between the movement of the heavens and human events. When Alexander the Great conquered Egypt in 332BC, the Egyptian practice of astrology was absorbed into Greek thinking. Over four hundred years later, the famous Greek mathematician Ptolemy published an astrological treatise known as the Tetrabiblos which, among other things, refined astrology to include the zodiac and the astrological signs that are widely recognized today.

Types

In modern Western astrology, each of the twelve signs represent an ideal type, each with own personalities and skills. In its most simplified form, Aries can be assertive, but impatient; a Taurus is stable, but rigid; a Gemini can be independent, but restless; Cancers are artistic, yet moody; a Leo can prove powerful, but egotistical; Virgos can be industrious, but pedantic; Libras are diplomatic, but indecisive; Scorpios can show themselves to be inquisitive, but suspicious; a Sagittarius might be optimistic, but scattered; Capicorns are businesslike, but demanding; an Aquarius is inventive, but unpredictable; and Pisces are idealistic, but detached. Each sign is further associated with one of the four elements: fire, earth, air and water.

Geography

Astrology has taken shape all over the world, from Egypt to China, and India to the Aztecs. In the Indian system, the twelve signs of the zodiac don't feature as prominently as they do in the Western tradition. Instead, the 28 lunar mansions are considered more important. In the Chinese system, the signs are not associated with constellations. Rather, the Chinese signs (all animals, like the Sheep and the Monkey) operate on a sixty-year cycle, and are divided into five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. And over in the Americas, Mayan rulers often waited until the ascendancy of Venus to begin waging war.

Misconceptions

Most astrological forecasts don't possess any particular insight in their own right. Instead, the accuracy sometimes ascribed to astrology or horoscopes is often credited to something known, in psychology, is known as the Forer Effect. The Forer Effects proposes that individual people will think that descriptions of their personality or life were designed uniquely for them - even though, in fact, the descriptions are simple vague enough to apply to almost anyone.

Significance

The legacy of astrology can still be seen in the English language itself: the words jovial, saturnine and mercurial all have astrological roots. The French astrologer Nostradamus, of course, offered a series of famously cryptic predictions in 1555. And in America, popular interest in astrology coincided with World War I and the Great Depression. Even a First Lady, Nancy Reagan, planned her husband's schedule with the help of her long-time astrologer.

Resources

• Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos
• Rob Brezny's Free Will Astrology