On the signs of the zodiac, in principle, every literate person has some idea. Interest in horoscopes and astrological forecasts flashes from time to time with particular force, then fades out and reborn again. Especially strongly, the need to understand the vicissitudes of one’s fate arises at crucial moments in life when some important decision should be made. That's when we call astrology for help in order to lift the veil over the future.
Acquaintance with the zodiac circle
The basis of astrological knowledge is observations of the zodiac circle and planets, constellations that pass through it. The Greek zodiac circle is translated as "circle of animals", "animals in a circle." In fact, this is an imaginary circle, which is divided into 12 imaginary parts of equal size. Each of them corresponds to a certain constellation, and since exactly half of them are connected with animals, hence the originality of the name.
The zodiac circle was invented by mankind for a long time, more than 4 thousand years ago. The first information about him came from ancient Babylon. Among the Babylonians, this is a circle with constellations, and the Moon originally moved around it. Subsequently, the zodiac circle was divided into equal sections, and in addition to the moon, attention was paid to other planets and stars, including the sun.
The next stage in the study of the celestial sphere is associated with the
ancient Greeks. They introduced the concept of the zodiac, renamed individual constellations. Thanks to the Greeks, we got so familiar Aries and Libra. Yes, and the zodiac circle itself has somewhat changed. Antique astronomers included 13 constellations in it, therefore, they were divided into 13 shares. True, the later "superstitious" constellation was ruled out. However, astronomers and astrologers argue about the Ophiuchus to this day.
Scientists have identified another nuance. Modern astrology should consider the signs of the zodiac differently, and the circle should begin not with Aries, but with Pisces. The error lies in the lack of temporary and astronomical changes associated with leap years. Ptolemy’s calculation system, taken back in the Middle Ages as a basis, was somewhat outdated, but remained as the only working one.
Star "loss"
So, in ancient Greece there were not twelve, but thirteen zodiac signs. The “loss” was the constellation of Ophiuchus, which is being debated about: should the passage of the sun through it be taken into account or not? That is, how important are the degrees that the Sun touches in its path. Practicing astrologers, of course, take into account all the subtleties, but in the popular literature for the convenience of understanding the subject, Ophiuchus is not taken into account. But everyone who is familiar with ancient mythology remembers it. After all, the constellation got its name from Aesculapius, more precisely, in his honor. So the name of the God of medicine not only entered into aphorisms and winged expressions, but also ascended into heaven in the form of a constellation.
We and our horoscopes
Horoscopes can be trusted and not believed, taken seriously or talk about them with ridicule - this is a private matter for everyone. According to the definition of astrologers, this is like a snapshot of the sky, a map that accurately indicates the position of the Sun, Moon, all 9 planets and some stars at the time when a person came to this world. To compile an accurate horoscope, not only the date, month and year of birth are important, but also the time, at least approximate, as well as the locality. That is why people born almost simultaneously cannot have the same horoscopes.