The Sun amongst the Star Signs

Havelock Ellis once said, "The sun, the moon and the stars would have disappeared long ago... had they happened to be within the reach of predatory human hands." I guess you could say that we have manipulated the universe for ourselves. We use the natural phenomena to explain our behavior and future in the form of astrology. There are two types of astrology: one associated with the sun, the other associated with the moon. The two differentiate when it comes to solar or lunar eclipses. However these two are related. There are 12 lunar signs in one sun sign. The twelve sun signs are the zodiac signs. The solar and lunar cycles also impact one's horoscope. Each sun sign or zodiac has a ruling plant and a certain element of which they are part of. This is interesting because the elements are what people believed the heavens were made of before the Scientific Revolution: Earth, fire, water and air. Each sign has a specific constellation that it is associated with.  For  example, Capricorn's constellation is Capricornus. Each sign also has a number relevant to its location to the sun like a clock. I think it's fascinating how the ancient ideas of the heavens and modern astronomy can be combined to claim influence on one's life. At times, this idea of astrology can be totally bizarre or totally accurate; to be honest, I believe in astrology, but only to a certain extent. Is it a matter of psychology? Is it superstition? Does it really affect our lives? How can we explain what the ancient Greeks believed when they formulated this science of astrology? 

Check out this video on astrology facts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjwIEakWsBc

Every two thousand years the tilt and the wobble of the Earth causes the Sun to be in the next zodiac sign for the same date. The ancient Greeks introduced astrology thousands of years ago; for example the summer solstice i.e. June 23rd was in Gemini two thousand years ago but now it is in Taurus. Likewise, if your horoscope is not quite an accurate reflection, perhaps you should check the previous sign.    

And check out this video on constellations: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElTdCP5wWSU

What do these constellations really mean? How do these signs reflect ourselves? Which star signs are the most compatible? What is the symbolism behind each sign? Stay tuned for more! 

Searching Deeper in Astronomy

Plato once said, "astronomy compels the soul to look upwards and leads us from this world to another." This other world can be called astrology. Astrology and astronomy go hand in hand. Astrology is the study of celestial bodies that are believed to influence the daily lives of humans. Astrology consists of Zodiac signs which affect a person's horoscope. But the question is, where, when and how did this idea of Zodiac signs start? What are the legends behind each sign? 

"Astrology" in Greek means "science of the stars." However, the idea of astrology was not developed in ancient Greece; the origins based on my sources are slightly unclear. Some claim that astrology goes all the way back to the Sumerian civilization, some say astrology was native to Babylon, others claim Greece, Egypt and Mesopotamia. Although the origins are a little blurry, we do know that astrology has been around for a long time, over 5000 years! Astrology connects religion and science: astronomy with a superstitious twist can be defined as astrology. Whether you believe in it or not, that's up to you. 

There are several different types of horoscopes based on different locations. For example, one person can follow the Chinese horoscope, while another follows the Greek's zodiac signs. We are going to take a bigger look into the zodiac signs. There are 12 zodiac signs: Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius. Which one are you?