“What’s your zodiac sign?” is a common question that can have two very different responses: “I’m a Cancer sun, Gemini moon, and Aquarius rising!” or “Why would I know that?”. There is a lot of skepticism when it comes to the relationship between the stars and personalities, 60% of Boulder High Students think it’s a fallacy. How astrology’s used today makes it hard to disagree with them, but shockingly, Astrology’s origin dates back thousands of years.
As it turns out astrology was created in the third millennium B.C.E in Mesopotamia. Back then, astrology was a serious science. Babylonians studied the celestial movements and believed that the positions of stars and planets could influence future earthly events. At the time, astrology wasn’t about personal horoscopes, but more used to predict weather and help solve political matters.
However, around the second century B.C.E. the zodiac was created. Originally, there were 13 signs but because a calendar has twelve months, they decided to abandon the sign Ophiuchus. The signs themselves were named by constellations and matched to dates based on the relationship between their placement in the sky and the sun. The Babylonians set the groundwork for many cultures and societies to further expand on the idea of astrology.
The Romans and Greeks commonly used astrology. They implemented these star signs into their everyday life. For example, the Greeks marked the start of spring when the sun appeared in the constellation of Aries. Roman Astrologist Ptomely further explained that astrology was a logical but imprecise science.
The traits associated with each sign originated from the symbol/animal of the constellation. For example, Leo’s are linked to a Lion, which represents courage and leadership. While Pisces are associated with the fish, which portrays empathy and intuition.
By the 1500s, astrology was incorporated into medicinal practices. Doctors were required by law to calculate the position of the moon before procedures like bloodletting or surgeries. Astrology was also used in many examples of classical literature like Dante’s Inferno. It was an extremely common practice to study the stars. However, around the 1700s the difference between astronomy and astrology became clearer, and it was wildly depopularized.
In modern day astrology is usually used in instagram posts and tacky boardwalks. However, there remains a healthy group of people who are devoted believers. Although there is still a strong group of skeptics.
Whether it is real or not, horoscopes and astrology are commonly used as a way of self-reflection and a motivation to improve your character. At its core value I believe there is no harm in putting logic aside and believing in the stars.
