- Precession and astrology
- Horoscope Hang-Up: Earth Rotation Changes Zodiac Signs
- Dates, Dates, and More Dates
- Horoscope Dates - Discover what the 12 Zodiac Signs mean!
Precession and astrology
As an example, the Sun spends 46 days in Virgo and only 7 in Scorpius. Below are the approximate dates the Sun enters and leaves the 13 constellations that touch the ecliptic.
The signs of the Tropical Zodiac, each 30 degrees of arc along the ecliptic, were named after 12 of the constellations and are defined by the changing of Earth's seasons.
The tropical sun is used in almost all popular astrological columns. Below are the approximate dates the Sun moves through each sign of the Tropical Zodiac. The sidereal star zodiac begins its yearly cycle when the sun aligns with the constellation of Aries.
Then, like the tropical zodiac, divides the ecliptic into 12 equal sections of 30 degrees each.
Horoscope Hang-Up: Earth Rotation Changes Zodiac Signs
Below are the approximate dates the Sun moves through each sign of the sidereal zodiac. All the dates above are listed on The Real Astrology Academy: Ophiuchus , the serpent Bearer, is a large group of bright stars that can be seen in the dark sky of the northern hemisphere from June through October. Astrologers who use the Tropical Zodiac believe the mythology of the surrounding constellations are an important part of the nature of the sign.
So, Ophiuchus is certainly not irrelevant.
Dates, Dates, and More Dates
It's just not an astrological sign. In Greek myth, Ophiuchus was placed in the sky by Zeus to honor Aesculapius.
Aesculapius, the Greek god of medicine, had been taught the healing arts by Chiron. His rod, entwined by a snake, is today the official insignia of the American Medical Association.
For the astrological meaning of Ophiuchus and its stars, read Star Lore of the Constellations - Ophiuchus: The first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere was once marked by the zero point of the Zodiac.
Astronomers call this the vernal equinox and it occurs as the ecliptic and celestial equator intersect on approximately March Unbeknownst to the ancient astrologers, Earth continually wobbles around its axis in a 25,year cycle.
This wobble — called precession — is caused by the gravitational attraction of the moon on Earth's equatorial bulge.
Over the past two-and-a-half millennia, this wobble has caused the intersection point between the celestial equator and the ecliptic to move west along the ecliptic by 36 degrees, or almost exactly one-tenth of the way around, to the border of Pisces and Aquarius. This means that the signs have slipped one-tenth — or almost one whole month — of the way around the sky to the west, relative to the stars beyond.
For instance, those born between March 21 and April 19 consider themselves to be Aries. Today, the sun is no longer within the constellation of Aries during much of that period.
Horoscope Dates - Discover what the 12 Zodiac Signs mean!
From March 11 to April 18, the sun is actually in the constellation of Pisces! The table below lists the dates when the sun is actually within the astronomical constellations of the Zodiac, according to modern constellation boundaries and corrected for precession these dates can vary a day from year to year. You will most likely find that once precession is taken into account, your Zodiac sign is different.
And if you were born between Nov. The ecliptic passes through the constellation of Ophiuchus after Scorpius. Check out your "real" zodiac sign, based on the sun's current path, and compare it to the date still used by astrologers in parentheses:. Live Science Strange News Reference: By Pedro Braganca September 20, Wobbly Earth Means Your Horoscope Is Wrong ] The constellations of the Zodiac The ecliptic, or the path of the sun as it's perceived from the revolving Earth, passes through the constellations that formed the Zodiac: Fire — Aries, Sagittarius, Leo spontaneous and impulsive Water — Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces imaginative and emotional Air — Libra, Aquarius, Gemini quick and animated, tendency to intellectualize feelings Earth — Capricorn, Taurus, Virgo quiet and slow reactions, slow to change emotionally However, a phenomenon called precession has altered the position of the constellations we see today and has resulted in a shift of the zodiac constellations.