What is your zodiac sign? You've probably heard that question before. And you must have wondered what the point of that question was. To answer this question, we need to look at where that question comes from. You soon find out that it is not just about one zodiac sign, but belongs to a larger system called astrology. But what exactly is astrology?
Types of astrology
Astrology is not the same everywhere in the world. There are three major astrology movements. These are the western (tropical) astrology, Chinese astrology and vedic astrology. All three have similarities and differences with each other. To keep it simple, only western astrology will be explained.
What is a zodiac sign?
When asked for your zodiac sign, you will most likely answer with the zodiac sign that corresponds to the month you were born in. But did you know that you have more zodiac signs? A zodiac sign is only the symbol that belongs to your birthday. And on the day of your birth you automatically have a whole system with all zodiac signs that belong to you. That may sound a bit vague and sometimes it is. This system consists of all planets and houses to which a sign belongs. Everyone has a unique system that suits them, because no one is born at the same time. Even twins do not have the same signs, We call these individual systems a birthcharts. To find out what your birthchart is, you can look it up on the internet and fill in the details of your birth. It is important to know the exact time. One minute can make a big difference on a birthchart.
Birthchart
A birthchart consists of a circle with all lines and zodiac signs. It can look very complicated. That is why many sites provide a simplified table. It doesn't cover everything, but it is certainly a useful tool for understanding astrology. Many sites also have explanations with the birthchart so that everyone can read it.
12 zodiac signs
In a birthchart there are 12 zodiac signs that can be divided among the planets and houses. These zodiac signs all have different characteristics and strenghts. The signs belong to an element. The elements are fire, air, water and earth. The four elements all have broader properties which applies to all signs under this element.
Within the elements, all zodiac signs are also divided into cardinal, fixed and mutable. These are indicated as season starters, persecutors and completers.
The elements
Fire
Fire includes leo, aries and saggitarius. These zodiac signs are often assertive, spontaneous and active. To get a good picture, you can also think of a flame. Flames are also spontaneous, you never know what could happen to them. It can go from a cozy warm feeling to a dangerously large flame. For some people, fire constellations give them a sense of home, but others are intimidated by them and don't know how to handle them.
The fire signs are masculine and yang and are said to frequently have a good relation with air signs.
Earth
The zodiac signs associated with earth are taurus, virgo and capricorn. One term to describe them is, of course, that they are down-to-earth. Yet it is a little more complex than that. Here you can also think of the earth again. Earth is a powerful element. It does not break so quickly and is therefore very reliable. Earth is very practical. Yet the earth does break a little if you handle it too hard. Although you don't always see the fractions. These are the earth signs too. A misconception that people often have is that people with many Earth signs have few emotions. This is not correct, they are just not always good at expressing or it takes a while for the fractions to show up.
The earth signs are feminine and yin. In general, they have a great connection with water signs.
Air
Air includes gemini, libra and aquarius. These zodiac signs are often intellectual, flexible and communicative. That again looks like air. You can't grab or stop air. Air needs space to move and if it doesn't get it, it will find its way out. It never stays in one place, this shows the curious and intellectual nature of the air signs.
The fire signs are masculine and yang and are said to frequently have a good relationship with air signs.
Water
Water signs are cancer, scorpio and pisces. Usually they are described as emotional and sensitive, but they are also very intuitive. Water is exactly how to describe it. Think of an object, such as a stone, that you throw into the water. A circle is formed in the water and so it goes on almost indefinitely. These are the water signs. They can flow around something, but they can also crash into something hard. They are feeling focused. This allows them to be emotional and caring. Water signs tend to be more spiritual at times. They rely on their senses, because they cannot lie.
The earth signs are feminine and yin. In general, they seem to have a great connection with water signs.
The quality
Cardinal
Cardinal signs are the beginners of a season when you consider the sun placement. They are more likely to take the initiative and tend to take control. This includes cancer, aries, libra and capricorn. The zodiac signs all have a different plane where they want to control and lead. They are often stronger in stressful situations because they have the power to come up with and start new ideas.
Fixed
Fixed signs are in the middle of a season. These are the leo, taurus, aquarius and scorpio. These constellations are a bit more passive than the cardinal signs and a bit more stubborn. They may not always take the initiative, but they are stable. Once they do something, they go for it. Just don't try to throw spontaneous changes their way, they'll be less served by that.
Mutable
The mutable signs end the season. These zodiac signs are virgo, gemini, sagittarius and pisces. They are better with change. That is not surprising since they are the completers of the season. They will finish something faster and know that change is coming again, so they can better adapt to it.
What do the planets say?
Planets simply say something about our personality. Each planet has a zodiac sign that is different for many people. These zodiac signs, in combination with the planets, say something about yourself.
Below is a table with questions that can be answered by looking at the planets.
What do the houses say?
Houses can change zodiac sign every minute. That is why it is so important to enter the exact minutes of your birth in your birth chart. The houses also always have a zodiac sign, these tell something about a part of your life that it has an effect on. The 12 houses are as follows:
- House of the self (ascendant / rising) → self-projection, identity expression and self-awareness.
- House of possessions → finances, tangible possessions and self-esteem.
- House of communication → communicating, teaching and learning.
- Home of family → family ties, emotional/intimate environment and home environment.
- House of pleasure → relaxation, erotica and youthfulness.
- House of health → well-being, routine and bodily functions.
- House of partnership → romantic relationships, work relationships and marriage.
- House of transformation → death and reincarnation, sexual relations and trauma.
- House of philosophy → intellectuality, philosophies and cultures.
- House of social status → career, fame and ambition.
- House of friendships → social relations, community involvement and groups.
- House of unconsciousness → healing, spirituality and loss.
Astrology and witchcraft
Astrology is an important part of their practice for some witches. It can provide assistance while practicing spells. By looking at the planets you can find out when to cast a spell. The phase of the moon can already have an effect on how the spell plays out. Also, witches can use astrology to find their strengths and weaknesses. This again allows them to find out how they can follow their path for optimal results. Finally, astrology can help witches strengthen their intuition. Getting to know yourself better makes it easier to listen to yourself and also follow your own intuition.
