Horoscope Hang-Up: Earth Rotation Changes Zodiac Signs

[Sandy Eggo]

If you're the type of person who relies on mysterious-sounding locations of stars to determine your personality and outcome in life, get ready to be shocked.

The field of astrology, which is concerned with horoscopes and the like, felt a major disruption from astronomers, who are concerned with actual stars and planets. The astronomers from the Minnesota Planetarium Society found that because of the moon's gravitational pull on Earth, the alignment of the stars was pushed by about a month.

(More on TIME.com: See the best pictures of 2010.)

"When [astrologers] say that the sun is in Pisces, it's really not in Pisces," noted Parke Kunkle, a member of the group's board. Your astrological sign is determined by the position of the sun on the day you were born, so that means everything you thought you knew about your horoscope is wrong.

It turns out that astrology has had issues from its inception. (Aside from the fact that it tries to link personality traits with positions of the stars.) Ancient Babylonians had 13 constellations, but wanted only 12, so threw out Ophuchicus, the snake holder. Libra didn't even enter the picture until the era of Julius Caesar.

(More on TIME.com: See the most surprising pictures of 2010.)

According to the Minnesota Planetarium Society, here is where the real signs of the Zodiac should fall. Get ready for your world to change forever.

Capricorn: Jan. 20-Feb. 16.
Aquarius: Feb. 16-March 11.
Pisces: March 11-April 18.
Aries: April 18-May 13.
Taurus: May 13-June 21.
Gemini: June 21-July 20.
Cancer: July 20-Aug. 10.
Leo: Aug. 10-Sept. 16.
Virgo: Sept. 16-Oct. 30.
Libra: Oct. 30-Nov. 23.
Scorpio: Nov. 23-29.
Ophiuchus: Nov. 29-Dec. 17.  (Yep, this one is new — read all about the Ophiuchus way of life here)
Sagittarius: Dec. 17-Jan. 20.

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/01/13/horoscope-hang-up-earth-rotation-changes-zodiac-signs/

I'll always be a Sagittarius.

[me]

Guess I'm a Taurus now huh?  Darn and the description of Gemini fit me so well too.

[Palehorse]

LMAO! I was JUST going to post something about this!

Seems I am no longer a Sag anymore!  But instead I am now Ophiuchus (Oh-Fee-You-Kuss)

The constellation, Ophiuchus, has been known since ancient times, and is better known as Serpentarius, the Serpent Holder. It  is included in the list of 48 constellations described by Ptolemy. Ophiuchus is depicted as a man handling a serpent; his body dividing the large snake into two parts, giving way to the symbol used today as an Asclepius - the medical staff.



LIST OF KEY WORDS DESCRIBING THE SIGN OF OPHIUCHUS

interpreter of dreams, vivid premonitions,
attracts good luck and fruitful blessings,
serpent holder, lofty ideals,
a seeker of peace and harmony,
doctor of medicine or science, natural-pathic,
adds, increases, joins, or gathers together
poetical, inventive nature, expanding qualities,
seeks higher education and wisdom,
overseer, supervisor of work,
fame - either grand, or completely misunderstood,
longevity, aspirations of healing the ills of man,
architect, builder, reaches for the stars, figuratively and literally,
tax assessor, or levys taxes,
astrological talents, intuitive,
large family indicated, but apt to be separated from them when young,
the number twelve holds great significance,
foresight and good fortune to benefit from hard times,
has secret enemies in family or close associations,
many jealous of this subject,
notable father, apple of father's eye when young,
high position in life expected [depending on aspects] highest fame and legend comes after death
feelings of granular, wise, genius mentality,
likes to wear clothing of vibrant colors, and plaids in particular,
receives the favor of those in authority.


AND I have to say this, reading the attributes ascribed to those born under the sign of Ophiuchus, something clicks rather loudly!  I bold/red those attributes that seem more in line with my life to this point. . .

[Palehorse]

Another listing I found describes the attributes of the new sign as:

Many people are envious of this subject as he progresses well throughout life.
A seeker of wisdom and knowledge
Many people are jealous of this person
Tends to go for the more flamboyant in dress sense, favouring bright colours.
Authority looks upon him well.
Would make a great architect or builder.
Number 12 is this persons lucky number.
This person will have a big family but leave home at an early age.
-prone to change
-instinctual and impulsive
-jovial, good humored
-honest
-intellectual
-emotional and intuitive
-passionate, powerful
-hard to commit to lovers
-jealous
-overly critical of things disliked
-cordial, clever, and creative
-curious
-exciting and magnetic
-irresponsible and restless
-have penetrating eyes
-able to tell people what they want/like to hear
-passion for justice
-imaginative
-master of the written/spoken word
-procrastinator
-passionate lover
-like unlimited freedom, unusual ideas, and flirting
-dislike surface information, being taken advantage of, demeaning work
-like hidden causes, truth, involvement, persuasion, and being the undisputed best at something
-dislike disapproval, being safe/secure/confined, administrative details, and having my honesty doubted
-violent temper
-require praise
-defensive
-am everything and it's opposite
-sexual magnetism
-rebellious
- sarcastic
-tendency to discard friends when not 'useful'
-secretive
-belong to multiple groups of friends--unable to be 'labeled'

[Sandy Eggo]

I am NOT a Scorpio! I've spent my life being a fire sign and I like that. Although it might explain why I feel so centered and calm near water and why I prefer to live in a coastal region rather than in the middle of the US.

[Sandy Eggo]

PH, is your avatar your sign/symbol? It reminds me of the medical symbol.

[Sandy Eggo]

The more that I read about Scorpions the more convinced I am that the article is very wrong. It's just not me. One statement about sexual prowess...I agree with but the rest is someone else.

[Anne]

So that makes me a Gemini, I just don't know how to act! 

[Palehorse]

PH, is your avatar your sign/symbol? It reminds me of the medical symbol.

It is indeed both! The medical symbol is based upon that of Ophiuchus!

[Sandy Eggo]

Okay, I can relax

Posted: January 13, 2011, 10:11 pm ET
Tattoo parlor owners must be salivating. An assertion in a Minneapolis Star Tribune article that our understanding of the zodiac is off by about a month — and that therefore people have been identifying themselves with the wrong sign — caught fire on the internet Thursday, and many folks are in an absolute panic on social media.
"If my zodiac symbol has been changed to a Libra, what am I supposed to do with my Scorpio tattoo?!?!," read one tweet Thursday.
Some vowed to get their tats removed. Others groaned about losing the sign with which they've identified themselves for years. The zodiac and related terms — including Ophiuchus, said to be a 13th and neglected sign — were trending Twitter topics much of Thursday.
But before astrology fans scrape the ink from their arms because they think they're now a Virgo instead of a Libra, they should consider this: If they adhered to the tropical zodiac — which, if they're a Westerner, they probably did – absolutely nothing has changed for them.
That's worth rephrasing: If you considered yourself a Cancer under the tropical zodiac last week, you're still a Cancer under the same zodiac this week.
That's because the tropical zodiac – which is fixed to seasons, and which Western astrology adheres to – differs from the sidereal zodiac – which is fixed to constellations and is followed more in the East, and is the type of zodiac to which the Star Tribune article ultimately refers.
Two zodiacs. That's nothing new.
"This story is born periodically as if someone has discovered some truth. It's not news," said Jeff Jawer, astrologer with Tarot.com.
The hubbub started with Sunday's Star Tribune article, which said the following: "The ancient Babylonians based zodiac signs on the constellation the sun was 'in' on the day a person was born. During the ensuing millenniums, the moon's gravitational pull has made the Earth 'wobble' around its axis, creating about a one-month bump in the stars' alignment."
"When [astrologers] say that the sun is in Pisces, it's really not in Pisces," Parke Kunkle, a board member of the Minnesota Planetarium Society, told the Star Tribune.
"Indeed," the article continued, "most horoscope readers who consider themselves Pisces are actually Aquarians." The article also asserts Scorpio's window lasts only seven days, and that a 13th constellation, Ophiuchus, used to be counted between Scorpio and Sagittarius but was discarded by the Babylonians because they wanted 12 signs per year.
True enough, Jawer says, the sun doesn't align with constellations at the same time of year that it did millennia ago. But that's irrelevant for the tropical zodiac, codified for Western astrology by Ptolemy in the second century, he says.
In the tropical zodiac, the start of Aries is fixed to one equinox, and Capricorn the other.
"When we look at the astrology used in the Western world, the seasonally based astrology has not changed, was never oriented to the constellations, and stands as ... has been stated for two millenniums," Jawer said.
People who put stock in astrology can ask whether they should adhere to the tropical zodiac or the sidereal zodiac. Jawer argues for the tropical.
"Astrology is geocentric. It relates life on Earth to the Earth's environment, and seasons are the most dramatic effect, which is why we use the tropical zodiac," he said.
Posted by: CNN's Jason Hanna

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/13/no-your-zodiac-sign-hasnt-changed/

Although the source cited is different.

[Bo D]

I am a fish. I have always been a fish. I will always be a fish.

[~vxn~]

i am a bad pisces.  i will never be anything else.  i enjoy being a fish.

[Palehorse]

Well, I see the astrologers are like most people in this nation. . . resistant to change. . . NONE of them are posting the new configuration . . .