Z is for Zodiac

Holy fuckballs! We've actually made it to "Z". AND THERE WAS MUCH REJOICING! Yaaaaaaaay.


Anyway, I'd like to finish out the month with a look at the Zodiac that we use here in the United States, as well as in other parts of the world. 


Many folks know what sign they are but they don't know how the Zodiac calendar is organized. As such, a lot of people can't figure out what sign a person is by their birthdate. That's actually pretty simple. 


Western astrology is based on the idea that the astrological year begins in the spring and ends on the last day of winter. Because it's seasonal, we don't have to worry that someday we'll need to add a sign--like Vedic astrologers did a while back when they came up with the 13th sign, Opichucus. 12 is what we have and we only need twelve of them, because while they were inspired by the stars, their progression is based on our seasons. 


Each sign has a QUALITY and an ELEMENT, a unique combination! In other words, if you can remember the element and quality it will help you remember the sign and where it is located in the astrological year.


An element is a description of the characteristics of the energy put out by a particular sign. In astrology we have four elements: Fire, Earth, Air, and Water. The signs are divided up equally among the elements, so we have three signs of each element. 

• Fire—Rules the spiritual body; motivation, passion, courage, excitement, stress, anger, rage, and restlessness are all part of this element

•  Earth—Rules the physical body; anything tangible is part of this element, including money/resources, job/work, practicality, reliability, work ethic, stubbornness, long-term views, and anything sensual are all a part of this element.

•  Air—Rules the mental body; anything relating to our thoughts and ideas or the functioning of our brains is a part of this element.

• Water—Rules the emotional body; anything related to feelings and emotions, how we express them and their overall effect on our lives is a part of this element. 

A quality is a description of the feel of the energy put out by a particular sign. The signs are divided into an equal number of qualities, so there are four signs of each quality. 

• Cardinal—signs that most clearly express the qualities of the sign; these are natural leadership signs and ideas people. A cardinal sign begins each season.

• Fixed—signs that are least likely to change over time; these signs are naturally inclined to take the ideas of others and develop them into something incredible. A fixed sign is in the middle of each season.

• Mutable—signs that are incredibly flexible; they can lead or follow and are much more adaptable—and less predictable—than other qualities.  But they also have short attention spans.  Each season ends with a mutable sign.

Starting with the first day of spring, the elements are always in this order: Fire, Earth, Air, Water

Starting with the first day of spring, the qualities are always in this order: Cardinal, Fixed, Mutable

Approximate dates of the astrological signs

Aries—March 20-April 19 (Beginning of spring)

Taurus—April 19th-May 20

Gemini—May 20-June 21

Cancer— June 21-July 22 (Beginning of summer)

Leo—July 22-August 23

Virgo—August 23-September 22

Libra—September 22-October 23 (Beginning of fall)

Scorpio—October 23-November 22

Sagittarius—November 22-December 21

Capricorn—December 21-January 19 (beginning of winter)

Aquarius—January 19-February 18

Pisces—February 18-March 20

Thanks again for sticking with me! See you next time. 

A TO Z BLOGGING CHALLENGE COMPLETED. :D