Overheard this week:
“Oh my god you’re such a Leo.”
“Wow that was so Pisces of me.”
“Are our astrological signs compatible?”
And yes, I am guilty of saying all of these things. If you’re like me, you identify strongly with your astrological sign. If not, you’re probably an Aquarius (no shade).
Astrology has been around for thousands of years, starting with the Babylonians. They used the stars to track weather and celestial events. When the zodiac was introduced, the Babylonians identified twelve constellations and the zodiac signs were born. One’s zodiac sign refers to the month and day they were born. For example, I was born on Aug. 17, so I’m a Leo. According to the sun, the dates and common characteristics for each sign are:
Aquarius: January 21 – February 18; unique, calm, sociable
Pisces: February 19 – March 20; conscious, dedicated, good temper
Aries: March 21 – April 20; hopeful, active, brave
Taurus: April 21 – May 21; romantic, decisive, artistic
Gemini: May 22 – June 21; insightful, smart, quick-witted
Cancer: June 22 – July 22; gentle, imaginative, careful
Leo: July 23 – August 23; loyal, reflective, proud
Virgo: August 24 – September 22; helping, elegant, modest
Libra: September 23 – October 23; idealistic, reasonable, strong social skills
Scorpio: October 24 – November 22; mysterious, independent, sensible
Sagittarius: November 23 – December 21; rational, lively, optimistic
Capricorn: December 22 – January 20; generous, endearing, persistent
Each sign has different characteristics, priorities and perspectives. The sign that is most commonly referred to is the sun sign. One’s sun sign is determined by the position of the sun at the time of birth. Other signs include moon, venus and mars. In astrology, the moon sign is the second most important because it determines your private persona and deeper motivations. It has the most impact in romantic relationships and feelings toward the physical world. Moon signs are determined by where geographically a person is born. Venus tells about love, style and pleasures. Astrologists are able to make assumptions about romantic compatibility based on the compatibility of venus signs. Mars describes the way you go after what you want. It is similar to Venus, except it refers more towards body attraction. Mars is responsible for our animalistic tendencies such as aggression and survival.
So, you may be asking, what’s the hype?
The hype of astrology is having the ability to access a deeper, more personal layer of our being to gain insight about ourselves and others. Horoscopes have even turned into a form of social media through apps like Co-Star and Path. With Co-Star, users can become friends and compare the compatibility of their birth charts along with reading daily horoscopes. My friends and I are able to compare what our similarities and differences are based on what zodiac sign each planet is in. On DailyHoroscope, there is a way to check compatibility between signs (and yes I do this with every person I am interested in). Our horoscopes can brighten our days, provide astrological insight on how to make important choices and make us aware of when there are massive planetary shifts like Mercury retrograde.
Astrology allows me to connect with myself on a deeper and more meaningful level. I can almost predict if I am going to have a creative spurt of energy or if I am going to be feeling off. Major shifts like Mercury retrograde cause me to have major travel issues and trouble making big decisions. With this information, I am able to plan ahead and warn the people around me before the shift occurs. Being a Leo has given me another way to identify myself. Astrology has enabled me to see myself as strong, outgoing, and determined.
I urge all of you to read into your zodiac (even if you do not believe) and watch out for the Mercury retrograde coming on Halloween.
