SafekipediaWestern astrology
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What is Western Astrology?
Western astrology is a fun way some people think about the stars and planets. It is most common in Western countries. This type of astrology started a long time ago with a writer named Ptolemy. He wrote a book called Tetrabiblos. His ideas came from older times, like Hellenistic and Babylonian cultures.
The Zodiac and Your Sun Sign
In Western astrology, people often talk about the zodiac. The zodiac is a band of stars in the sky where the Sun, Moon, and planets seem to move. Astrologers use these stars to make a system of twelve signs. Each sign is linked to a time of year. Most Western astrologers use the tropical zodiac. This starts with the sign of Aries around March 21. This matches the Earth's seasons.
Your sun sign is a simple way to think about astrology. It only uses your birth date. For example, if you were born between March 21 and April 19, your sun sign is Aries. People believe that each sun sign shows different kinds of personalities. The signs are also grouped into four elements: fire, earth, air, and water. They are also split into three qualities: Cardinal, fixed, and mutable.
The Twelve Zodiac Signs
| Latin Name | Gloss | Symbol | Unicode Character | Approximate Sun Sign Dates | Ecliptic Longitude | House | Polarity | Triplicity | Modality | Modern Ruler | Classic Ruler | Greek name | Sanskrit name | Sumero-Babylonian name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aries | The Ram |  | ♈︎ | March 21 – April 19 | 0° to 30° | 1 | Positive | Fire | Cardinal | colspan="2" | Mars | Κριός (Krios) | Meṣa (मेष) | MUL LU.ḪUN.GA "Agrarian Worker", Dumuzi |
| Taurus | The Bull |  | ♉︎ | April 20 – May 20 | 30° to 60° | 2 | Negative | Earth | Fixed | colspan="2" | Venus | Ταῦρος (Tauros) | Vṛṣabha (वृषभ) | MULGU4.AN.NA "Divine Bull of Heaven" |
| Gemini | The Twins |  | ♊︎ | May 21 – June 20 | 60° to 90° | 3 | Positive | Air | Mutable | colspan="2" | Mercury | Δίδυμοι (Didymoi) | Mithuna (मिथुन) | MULMAŠ.TAB.BA.GAL.GAL "Great Twins" (Castor & Pollux) |
| Cancer | The Crab |  ( ) | ♋︎ | June 21 – July 22 | 90° to 120° | 4 | Negative | Water | Cardinal | colspan="2" | Moon | Καρκίνος (Karkinos) | Karka (कर्क) | MULAL.LUL "Crayfish" |
| Leo | The Lion |  | ♌︎ | July 23 – August 22 | 120° to 150° | 5 | Positive | Fire | Fixed | colspan="2" | Sun | Λέων (Leōn) | Siṃha (सिंह) | MULUR.GU.LA "Lion" |
| Virgo | The Maiden |  | ♍︎ | August 23 – September 22 | 150° to 180° | 6 | Negative | Earth | Mutable | colspan="2" | Mercury | Παρθένος (Parthenos) | Kanyā (कन्या) | MULAB.SIN "The Furrow"* *"The goddess Shala's ear of grain" |
| Libra | The Scales |  | ♎︎ | September 23 – October 22 | 180° to 210° | 7 | Positive | Air | Cardinal | colspan="2" | Venus | Ζυγός (Zygos) | Tulā (तुला) | MULZIB.BA.AN.NA "Scales" |
| Scorpio | The Scorpion |  | ♏︎ | October 23 – November 21 | 210° to 240° | 8 | Negative | Water | Fixed | Pluto (or) | Mars | Σκoρπίος (Skorpios) | Vṛścika (वृश्चिक) | MULGIR.TAB "Scorpion" |
| Sagittarius | The Archer (Centaur) |  | ♐︎ | November 22 – December 21 | 240° to 270° | 9 | Positive | Fire | Mutable | colspan="2" | Jupiter | Τοξότης (Toxotēs) | Dhanuṣa (धनुष) | MULPA.BIL.SAG, Nedu "soldier" |
| Capricorn | The Goat |  ( ) | ♑︎ | December 22 – January 19 | 270° to 300° | 10 | Negative | Earth | Cardinal | colspan="2" | Saturn | Αἰγόκερως (Aigokerōs) | Makara (मकर) | MULSUḪUR.MAŠ "Goat-Fish" of Enki |
| Aquarius | The Water-bearer |  | ♒︎ | January 20 – February 18 | 300° to 330° | 11 | Positive | Air | Fixed | Uranus | Saturn | Ὑδροχόος (Hydrokhoos) | Kumbha (कुंभ) | MULGU.LA "Great One", later qâ "pitcher" |
| Pisces | The Fish |  | ♓︎ | February 19 – March 20 | 330° to 360° | 12 | Negative | Water | Mutable | Neptune | Jupiter | Ἰχθύες (Ikhthyes) | Mīna (मीन) | MULSIM.MAḪ "Tail of the Swallow"; DU.NU.NU "fish-cord" |
The Horoscope
Western astrology focuses on creating a horoscope. This is like a map of the stars and planets at a special moment, often when someone is born. This map is believed to tell us about a person's life and personality. The most common type is the natal chart. This chart is made for the exact time and place of a person's birth.
Astrologers look at where the planets are in the sky and how they relate to each other. They also look at special points in the chart, like the ascendant (the sign that was rising on the eastern horizon at birth) and the midheaven (a point high in the sky that relates to career and public life). These points help give meaning to different parts of a person's life.
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