How Do Zodiac Signs Work: A Guide for Beginners

zodiac signs

Your zodiac sign may say something about you that you didn’t know.

Astrology is often dismissed as pseudoscience by people who only know it as the horoscope signs in the back of the newspaper. There’s a lot more than meets the eye, however.

Not only is astrology and the zodiac incredibly complex and fascinating, but there might also be something to it. The universe works in mysterious ways and what astrology attempts to explain is the symbiotic relationship between the way the universe works and the way we work as beings within that universe.

We’re fundamentally linked to the universe, so using it to learn a little bit more about ourselves actually makes a lot of sense. In this post, we’re going to look at some of the basics of astrology and how zodiac signs came about.

How do zodiac signs work? Let’s find out.

Astrological History

Astrology is a search for meaning in the sky. Philosophers and scientists have been looking up and asking big questions about existence since the earliest societies. The scope of astrology is huge and what it encompasses differs between cultures, but Western astrology is usually associated with horoscopes and zodiac signs.

Your astrological sign is determined by your birthday. The 12 signs represent twelve-30 degree sections of the ecliptic and the signs are based on the constellations present in the sky during the ecliptical section. Visit this link for more info on the meaning of constellations.

Western astrology has its roots in ancient Babylon. The Babylonian system was influential on the ancient Greeks and Egyptians, who eventually developed the relationship between astrological omens and the birth chart.

The twelve houses and their association with the four classical elements was another development of the Greeks. Starting in the 2nd century AD, in due part to Ptolemy’s Tetrabiblos, knowledge of astrology had spread across Europe, where it’s remained relatively unchanged since its inception.

How Do Zodiac Signs Work?

Okay. Now that we’ve covered the beginnings of what has become known as Western astrology, we can look at how zodiac signs work and how to apply them to your life.

In total, there are still 12 zodiac signs; Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. The ecliptical position, the position of the sun and planets, and the movement of the moon are all important factors in analyzing a person’s characteristics.

When your birthday falls determines your astrological sign. The idea is that people are always in symbiosis with the stars that are present during their time of birth and the movement of the stars deeply affects their personality traits.

The 4 Elements

Each astrological sign is also associated with one of the four classical elements; earth, fire, water, and air.

Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces are all water signs. They tend to be passionate people, that are full of emotion. They’re occasionally mysterious and they’re known for their intimacy.

Capricorn, Virgo, and Taurus are earth signs. They’re extremely down to earth and practical. They use logic and are able to withstand letting emotion get in the way of their better judgment.

Gemini, Aquarius, and Libra are air signs. These are outgoing people with great communication skills. They have large friend groups and never shy away from a conversation.

Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius are fire signs. They’re dynamic people, but highly emotional. They can get angry easily, but have a lot of energy and are very strong-willed. They’re also extremely intelligent.

Finding Your Sign

A lot of people do know their sign but wouldn’t be able to tell you any of the other ones. If you don’t know it, just match your birthday to one of the date ranges and you’ll have it.

  • Aries: March 21 to April 19
  • Taurus: April 20 to May 20
  • Gemini: May 21 to June 21
  • Cancer: June 22 to July 22
  • Leo: July 23 to August 22
  • Virgo: August 23 to September 22
  • Libra: September 23 to October 22
  • Scorpio: October 23 to November 21
  • Sagittarius: November 22 to December 21
  • Capricorn: December 22 to January 19
  • Aquarius: January 20 to February 18
  • Pisces: February 19 to March 20

The Houses

The houses of the zodiac are probably the most confusing aspect of astrology because their meaning is a bit vague. They’re meant to represent different experiences and energies where planets and signs operate in relation to your personal experience in life. Get it?

Each house corresponds to one of the zodiac symbols (in the same order) and represents an aspect of a person’s life. They’re a crucial piece for determining someone’s horoscope.

  • House I (House of Self): All about ego, physical appearance, traits, and one’s general outlook on the world.
  • House II (House of Value): This house corresponds to monetary and spiritual worth.
  • House III (House of Communication): Education, intelligence, happiness, and travel are covered in this house.
  • House IV (House of Family): Your ancestry, caretaking, and comfort are important here.
  • House V (House of Pleasure): This house is for recreational activities, games, children, love, and creativity.
  • House VI (House of Health): Your skills, well-being, caretaking, and pets are represented here.
  • House VII (House of Partnerships): This one is about relationships, marriages, friendships, and diplomatic ties of any kind.
  • House VIII (House of Reincarnation): Here, you’ll be dealing with committed relationships, occult and psychic matters, and self-transformation.
  • House IX (House of Philosophy): This relates to foreign travel, religion, education, knowledge, and experience.
  • House X (House of Social Status): Your career and status in society, the government, authority, and public appearance are represented.
  • House XI (House of Friendships): Your hopes and wishes, like-minded acquaintances, clubs, and societies are represented.
  • House XII (House of Self-Undoing): This represents mystery, seclusion, elusiveness, privacy, retreat, and reflection.

An Interesting Field

Next time someone asks you, “How do zodiac signs work?”, you can answer them. It’s a complicated system, but learning about the zodiac can provide you with some insight into the inner-workings of the universe.

Ancient cultures took great meaning from the zodiac and people today still consider it an important part of daily life. In a society that’s becoming more and more disconnected from the terrestrial world, it’s important to still look to the sky once in a while for answers.

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