What is the Zodiac: Ancient Names and Legends
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| Legends of 12 Zodiac Signs |
| Table of Content |
What is the Zodiac?
The zodiac is a diagram used by astrologers to represent the positions of the planets and stars. It is divided into twelve sections, each of which has its own name and symbol. The zodiac is used to try to calculate the influence of the planets, especially on someone's life.
The Zodiac is the path of the Sun in the sky (an imaginary sphere surrounding the Earth, on which the projections of celestial bodies – planets, stars, galaxies, etc) in a year.
At each different time, the Sun will cross a different position in the Sky. In 1 year, that path forms a closed circle and the ancients called that circle the Zodiac. They divided the Zodiac into 12 parts, each part corresponding to 1 sign (12 constellations or 12 zodiac signs), 30 degrees angle.
♦ What is My Zodiac Sign: Dates and Characteristics Explained
You can easily visualize the phenomenon of changing the position of the Sun on the Zodiac through the following figure:
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| What is the Zodiac? |
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| As the Earth orbits the sun, the sun appears to move against the background stars (red line). The constellations (green) through which the sun passes define the zodiac |
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| Tidal forces from the sun cause Earth’s axis to wobble over a 26,000-year period. The wobble changes where in Earth’s orbit the solstices and equinoxes occur. Image via NASA/ Wikipedia. |
When was the Concept of the Zodiac Sign Born?
The concept of the Zodiac was created by ancient Babylonian astrologers as far back as 1645 BC. The perfect circle of 12 Zodiacs with 12 signs corresponding to the four seasons and 12 months.
The signs are divided into four groups of elements (Fire, Water, Air, and Earth). Each element group consists of 3 signs representing signs with similar personalities.
According to ancient astronomers, in a period of 30 - 31 days, the Sun will pass through one of twelve special constellations.
Those born during the time when the Sun passes through any constellation will be ruled by that constellation and their personality is also affected by that constellation. 12 constellations form 12 signs in the Zodiac circle, meaning "Path of the Sun".
According to astrology, this circle is called Horoscope, and in Greek it is called Zodiakus Kyklos (ζωδιακός κύκλος) – meaning “Circle of mascots.”
Currently, the Zodiac is considered a new trend among young people because it is not superstitious but quite true to reality.
However, in fact, the constellations are not equal in size like the 12 signs but are very different, so there are constellations where the time of the Sun passes through a whole month or more, but there are also constellations that time is just few days.
Video - 12 Zodiac Signs and Their Meanings:
Are There 12 or 13 Constellations?
With the modern understanding in astronomy about the constellations, up to now, the Zodiac has all 13 constellations, not 12.
In 1930, the International Astronomical Union demarcated the modern constellations with all 13 constellations lying along the path of the Sun. The constellation that is not listed in the western horoscope is Ophiuchus – also known as the 13th constellation, located between the constellations Scorpio and Sagittarius.
Check More: 12 Zodiac Signs: Horoscope, Symbol, Personality Traits, Meaning and Every Thing
Ancient Zodiac Signs: Names and Legends
1. Aries: March 21 – April 20
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| Aries |
Leading in the circle of 12 zodiac signs is the constellation Aries - a sheep with golden fur in Greek mythology.
It is also the simplest of the Zodiac constellations. Its stars are quite difficult to observe. This constellation has only two bright stars, alpha and beta. The remaining stars have very weak luminosity, especially many of the stars of this constellation are binary pairs.
2. Taurus: April 21 – May 20
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| Taurus |
According to mythology, Zeus fell in love with Europa, so he turned himself into a white cow to avoid the tracking of his wife Hera. Europa rode on that white bull and Zeus took her to a new land, building it into Europe as it is today.
There is also a legend that Taurus was the bull that attacked the hunter Orion.
In astrology, Taurus is one of the largest and brightest constellations. Its brightest star is Aldebaran, one of the brightest stars in the night sky, slightly above its horns the Hyades group of stars.
In addition, in the sky of this constellation Taurus you can also see two very famous nebulae, M1 (Crab Nebula) and M45 (Pleiades - Seven Stars).
Unlike Aries, the stars of Taurus are quite bright, so you can see and identify this constellation quite easily. However, if you look at it between summer and autumn, you will only see it after midnight.
3.Gemini (Gemini): May 21 - June 21
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| Gemini |
According to legend, Castor and Pollux are two half-brothers from different mothers. Castor's father was a mortal while Pollux's father was Zeus.
Both brothers are famous warriors for their strength and martial arts, but Pollux is immortal because of the blood of Zeus.
During a fight, Castor was hit and died. Zeus appeared and gave his son Pollux the choice to either go to heaven to live an immortal life or share half of it with Castor.
Not wanting to be separated from his brother, Pollux chose the second privilege, so every day the two Pollux brothers lived in heaven with the gods, the next day they lived a day in the underworld.
On spring evenings, if the weather is nice, you can see this constellation of Gemini shining in the sky.
4.Cancer: June 22 – July 22
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| Cancer |
The second feat of the hero Hercules was to destroy the many-headed Hydra.
While Heracles fought with this monster, the goddess Hera, because she hated her husband's child, helped Hydra by sending Cancer crab to attack Heracles, but this crab was killed by Heracles using a mace. after that.
This constellation Cancer occupies a relatively small area on the celestial sphere compared to the rest of the constellations of the Zodiac.
5.Leo: July 23 - August 22
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| Leo |
Legend has it that the mighty Hercules was assigned to tame a man-eating lion in the Nemea forest. But the lion was also a mighty monster who fought fiercely against Hercules' bow and sword. It used tremendous strength to hold Hercules down.
But with skilled skill and top fighting ability, Hercules was able to destroy the lion. And that battle became one of the illustrious feats of Hercules' 12 exploits.
Leo can be considered one of the brightest and most beautiful constellations of the Zodiac or even among all 88 constellations of modern astronomy.
This constellation occupies a fairly large area of the celestial sphere with very bright stars, especially Regulus - one of the brightest stars in the sky. In the evenings from April to June, you will easily see this constellation present in the sky most of the evening.
6.Virgo (Virgo): August 23 - September 22
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| Virgo |
The constellation Virgo (also known as the Virgin) has many different legends. There is an opinion that it is the constellation representing the wheat goddess Demeter, one of the 12 supreme gods of the Olympia world.
7.Libra: September 23 - October 23
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| Libra |
Greek mythology has the division of the world into generations: gold, silver, bronze, demigods, iron. And the goddess of justice Astraea is the one who stands to maintain justice in the world. She used the Libra balance to distinguish between good and evil.
In the golden age, people and animals lived in harmony and happiness. But in the silver age appeared evil and malignant people.
The gods had no more endurance, so they retreated to heaven, leaving only Persephone to fight. At the same time, people became more violent, they only knew there was war, the god Persephone could not stand it anymore, so he had to withdraw to the Slanper world.
When observed, the constellation Libra occupies a fairly modest area with relatively bright stars. On summer evenings, you can recognize this constellation quite easily even though it only has a few bright stars.
8.Scorpio: October 24 – November 22
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| Scorpio |
The legend of the constellation Scorpio (also known as Scorpio, Scorpio, Scorpio) is the story of revenge of the goddess Hera against Orin.
Hera ordered the giant scorpion to come to the ground and attack Orin to death. Both had a very fierce battle to the death and in the end they were both honored in the constellations. But because they are in opposite positions, when the scorpion star rises, the Orin star goes down.
The constellation Scorpio is considered one of the brightest constellations, especially with Vietnam's climate characteristics among the 88 constellations in general and 12 constellations of the Zodiac in particular.
Summer evenings from March to September every year, you can observe this constellation throughout the evening. It is usually located quite high in the sky, slightly to the south, and is easily recognized by the scorpion's curvaceous body with its recognizable claws and tail.
9. Sagittarius: ovember 23 – December 21
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| Sagittarius |
Sagittarius (also known as Archer, Gunner) is a creature whose upper body is human, the lower half is horse.
In Greek mythology, centaurs lived with humans. However, most centaurs are very aggressive and barbaric, with only one being praised and brought up into the constellations. It was the centaur Cheiron, king of the centaurs, and also a learned figure, who befriended the heroes Peleus and Heracles.
In a misunderstanding, Heracles shot and killed Cheiron with a poisonous arrow. In memory of this friendly centaur, when Cheiron died, his name was given to a constellation in the sky.
Located right next to the constellation Scorpio, Sagittarius is also a very bright constellation and occupies a fairly large area (slightly smaller than Scorpio).
Most of the constellation consists of the brightest stars in the form of Sagittarius's bow, the rest of the stars are mostly relatively dim and difficult to identify. Like Scorpio, you can observe this constellation in the evening for quite a long time of the year.
10.Capricorn: December 22 – January 19
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| Capricorn |
In the attack of the monster Typoon to overthrow Zeus, the god Zeus was initially defeated, the gods were afraid to flee Typoon, they turned into animals to avoid being pursued.
God Pan - a half-goat, half-human god who turns into a fish, but only the tail can be transformed, and the upper body is still in the shape of a goat. When the god Hermes freed Zeus and Typoon was defeated, the gods dared to return to their original form and return to heaven.
Next in the Zodiac after Sagittarius is the constellation Capricorn. This constellation is a bit dimmer, but on a clear summer evening, you can still easily recognize it thanks to its location and thanks to the stars arranged in a closed triangle.
Exactly a right triangle with the right angle facing the Archer Sagittarius, but the right angle is slightly cut into many small bends.
11.Aquarius: January 20 – February 18
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| Aquarius |
Aquarius is the name for Ganimede, a very beautiful guy. His beauty made Zeus himself love, the god sent the eagle Aquila to fly down to earth to take him to Olympia, grant him immortality and he became the bearer of wine to pour for the gods to drink in meetings of the world of gods.
This constellation is located directly behind the sea goat Capricorn, its stars are slightly brighter but complicated to recognize at first glance.
On the other hand, the time this constellation of Aquarius appears in the sky in the evening is when the weather has begun in the winter in the North of Vietnam, the brightness of the stars will be greatly reduced due to the density of clouds and night dew. , you can try to observe it by identifying some of the brightest stars and by its position on the Zodiac.
12. Pisces: February 19 – March 20
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| Pisces |
Like the legend of the constellation Capricorn, Pisces is the constellation that describes the escape of the gods during the attack of Typoon. The goddess of love and beauty Aphrodite and her son, the cupid, Eros also transformed themselves into fish and these two fish together fled the aforementioned attack until Zeus triumphed and returned to heaven.
If you want to observe the constellation Pisces in the most favorable way on summer nights, you will have to stay up past midnight, because this constellation only appears before midnight in winter time, when the light conditions in the atmosphere will be very detrimental to your observations.
Ancient Aliens: ORIGINS OF THE ANCIENT ZODIAC (Video):
13.Ophiuchus – 13th zodiac sign: November 30 - December 17Due to the modern definition of constellations, in which each constellation occupies a certain area of the sky, astronomers have found that a part of the constellation Ophiuchus (the snake-keeper) has invaded. into the area of the Zodiac, located between the two constellations Scorpio and Sagittarius. For this reason, the constellation Ophiuchus is considered the 13th sign of the Zodiac. It is also a large constellation and is very bright when appearing in the night sky. When observing the area containing the Zodiac on summer evenings, you will easily recognize this constellation with the shape as shown above, located directly above Scorpio and Sagittarius with some stars in the middle. these two constellations. ♦ Read More: OPHIUCHUS: Facts 13th Zodiac Star Sign With Dates, Symbols and Meaning |
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