New Zodiac Sign Discovered: Has Your Sign Changed?
NASA announced in 2016 about a new zodiac sign that would change the current twelve-member zodiac we’ve known for all our lives. It certainly caused quite a panic when this was first reported. And while most astronomers take this news in stride, most astrologers can’t actually stay still just yet.
A Deeper Look at Astrology
Since the dawn of time, mankind has looked up at the night sky and dreamed about the great beyond. They pondered and sought to give meaning to the universe around them.
The growing curiosity they had about the universe lead them to study its great emptiness and the bodies that abound. However, this lead to two schools of thought.
One was more scientific and focused on the bodies contained in space and sought to define everything that it contained. The other was more mystical in nature and sought to give meaning to their existence using the movement of these heavenly bodies. The former was called astronomy while the latter was called astrology.
Astrology vs. Astronomy
Both astronomy and astrology have been compared with each other because they both involve the study of outer space and the bodies it contains. However, there are fundamental differences between the fields of study.
Astronomy
Astronomy is defined as the study of the heavenly bodies, which are other bodies aside from earth. These include the stars, planets, comets, asteroids, galaxies, and black holes, among others. Essentially, it involves the study of the universe, outer space, and all it contains.
Astrology
Astrology also involves the study of heavenly bodies. But rather than study the object itself, it aims to study the movement of these bodies and the influence of this movement on human lives. Within astrology, astrologists might study how the position of the planets, the moon, or stars during one’s birth can affect his or her personality.
Some argue that astrology is to a similar astronomical field of study that is astrophysics as both involve the study of the motion of objects in outer space. However, astrology is considered as a pseudoscience because of its mystical nature and claims.
History of Astrology
The term astrology has Greek and Latin origins. It comes from the word astrologia – from astron, which means “star”, and logia, which means “the study of”. Together, it means “the study of or an account of the stars.” However, this was later changed to mean “divination of the stars” as the prior definition was given to astronomia, or astronomy.
Early History
According to archeologists, the roots of astrology traces back to as early as 30,000 B.C. as early humans would use the stars as maps. They would even map lunar cycles, which led to the discovery of their influence on tides and rivers.
But most of the credit with the birth of astrology goes to the Babylonians. Early records suggest that Babylon’s astrological charts helped them predict seasons and certain celestial events. Farmers used this new knowledge of the constellations to map out their agricultural activities.
Early in 4th century B.C., the Babylonians introduce astrology to the Greeks. Eventually, they start to make more advancements in medicine, geometry, mathematics, and philosophy through astrology. And through the works of philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle, astrology came to be regarded as a science.
Astrology continued to flourish through the Middle Ages as it came to be an intrinsic part of everyday life. Doctors, mathematicians, scholars, and even popes practiced astrology. However, it was later seen as heresy when the church came to power.
Skepticism and Entertainment
With the rise of the church, astrology was seen more as a superstition rather than as a true science. And the coming of the Protestant Reform Movement helped astrology decline even more.
Rationalism became the popular school of thought during the 17th century. Frequent patrons of Western European cafes and parlors began emphasizing reason and analysis to counter the excessive authority and control of the church. With more and more skeptics seeking to reform society and reduce superstition, astrology was relegated as mere entertainment that shouldn’t be taken seriously.
By the 1920s, many continued to see astrology as a form of entertainment. Many magazines and newspapers began publishing horoscopes based on zodiac signs – the ones we continue to see today.
Origins of the Modern Zodiac
According to Ancient Wisdom, the term zodiac comes from zodiacus, a Latin term that was derived from the Greek ζoδιακoς κύκλος (zodiakos kuklos), which means “circle of animals”. The name refers to the twelve divisions of 30° each on the path of the sun, referred to as the ecliptic.
The basis for the modern zodiac we use today is thought to have originated from Sumeria but was later on adopted by the Babylonians. Contained within early Babylonian catalogs were constellations that formed the foundation of the modern zodiac. For instance, early evidence of the twelve major zodiacal constellations were contained in the MUL.APIN, which translates to “the Shiny Herd”.
| Sumerian | Translation | Modern Name |
| GU.AN NA | Heavenly Bull | Taurus |
| MASH TAB.BA | Twins | Gemini |
| DUB | Pincers, Tongs | Cancer |
| UR.GULA | Lion | Leo |
| AB.SIN | Her Father was Sin | Virgo |
| ZI.BA.AN.NA | Heavenly Fate | Libra |
| GIR.TAB | Which Claws and Cuts | Scorpio |
| PA.BIL | Defender, Archer | Sagittarius |
| SUHUR.MASH | Goat-Fish | Capricorn |
| GU | Lord of the Waters | Aquarius |
| SIM.MAH | Fishes | Pisces |
| KU.MAL | Field Dweller | Aries |
*Taken from Ancient Wisdom. www.ancient-wisdom.com/zodiac.htm
The 12 Zodiac Signs
Talk about what the signs are and which civilization invented what we use today
Add the keywords: (Without the new zodiac sign, there were originally just 12 zodiac signs)
Aquarius, the Water-Bearer (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18)
Aquarius is the eleventh sign in the zodiac. The symbol for Aquarius is the water-bearer, a boy carrying a jar full of water.
According to the myth, the water carrier symbol represents Ganymede, a beautiful Phrygian youth. He was the son of Tros who was king of Troy and the son of Dardarus. He was tending to his father’s flock on Mount Ida when Zeus spotted him. Ganymede was a fine, beautiful man. Zeus fell in love with the man. Immediately, he took the form of a large bird and whisked Ganymede away to the heavens. Since then, Ganymede serves as a cupbearer to the gods.
Pisces, the Fish (Feb. 19 – March 20)
Pisces is a Latin word that means “fish”. Among the twelve zodiac constellations, Pisces is one of the earliest recorded zodiac signs, appearing as early 2300 B.C.
According to a Greek myth, Gaia sent Typhon, the father of all monsters, to attack the gods. This attack led Pan to warn the others as he changed into a goat-fish as he jumped into the Euphrates. As a means of escape, Aphrodite and her son Eros would transform into fish, sometimes represented by koi fish, in order to escape Typhon.
Aries, the Ram (March 21 – April 20)
Aries is the first astrological sign in the zodiac. It is also the first fire sign, along with Leo and Sagittarius.
The symbol of the ram in Greek Mythology is based on Chrysomallus. In the myth, Chrysomallus is a flying ram that rescued the children of the Boeotian king Athamas, Phrixus and Helle, and provided the Golden Fleece.
Taurus, the Bull (April 21 – May 21)
Taurus, Latin for bull, is the second astrological sign in the modern zodiac. Among the Mesopotamians, it was the first sign established and was called “The Great Bull of Heaven”.
Taurus was a prominent figure in Greek Mythology as it was identified with Zeus. Zeus would frequently take up the form of the white bull, which he used to abduct the legendary Phoenician princess Europa.
Gemini, the Twins (May 22 – June 21)
Gemini is the third astrological sign in the zodiac. It is considered as one of the most important zodiac symbols as it is said that is can capture a person’s most basic levels. It can articulate the duality of a person’s existence and allows a person to view life from different angles.
Gemini was associated with the myth of the children of Leda and Argonauts, Castor and Pollux. Pollux was Zeus’s son with Leda whom he seduced. Castor, on the other hand, was the son of Tyndareus, Leda’s husband and the king of Sparta. Castor, being born of two human parents, died because he was mortal. But Pollux begged Zeus, his father, to grant Castor with immortality. Zeus obliged and gave Castor immortality by uniting both of them together in the heavens.
Cancer, the Crab (June22 – July 23)
Cancer is the fourth astrological sign in the zodiac. It is considered one of the cardinal signs and one of the six negative signs.
Cancer is represented by a crab based on the Karkinos, a giant crab that harassed Heracles during his fight with the hydra. It was placed in the nighttime sky by Hera to form the constellation. Hera swore that she would kill Heracles, one of Greece’s famous heroes. However, he was difficult to defeat because of his indomitable strength and fighting prowess, which allowed him to survive. In a fit of rage, she cast a spell of madness on Heracles, which caused him to commit a great crime. To atone, he was tasked to perform twelve difficult tasks, one of which was to kill the nine headed water serpent, Hydra.
Leo, the Lion (July 24 – Aug 23)
Leo is the fifth astrological sign in the modern zodiac. Its name comes from the Latin word that literally means lion.
Leo represents the Nemean Lion presented in Greek Mythology. The Nemean Lion was part of the twelve labors of Heracles, which he was able to kill. The lion would take women hostage in his cave to lure warriors that sought to rescue the damsel in distress. Heracles entered the cave and engaged the lion in hand-to-hand combat because it was impervious to human weaponry. In the end, Heracles was able to grab the lion midair as he pounced and breaking its back.
Virgo, the Maiden (Aug. 24 – Sept. 23)
Virgo is the sixth zodiac sign, immediately following Leo. Many legends tell about the origins of Virgo, the most popular of which coming from Greek Mythology. The maiden symbol was based on Astraea, the last immortal to abandon the Earth when all the gods fled to Olympus at the end of the Silver Age.
Libra, the Scales (Sept. 24 – Oct. 23)
While the other zodiac signs are represented by animals or mythological creatures, Libra is the only sign that is represented by an inanimate object. The symbol of the scales comes from the Scales of Justice held by Themis, the Greek personification of justice. She later became the modern depiction of Lady Justice.
Scorpio, the Scorpion (Oct. 24 – Nov. 22)
Scorpio is the eighth zodiac sign. It is represented by the scorpion and is closely associated with Artemis, a Greek deity believed to have created the Scorpius constellation.
Sagittarius, the Archer (Nov. 23 – Dec. 22)
Sagittarius is the ninth astrological sign in the modern zodiac. It is represented by the archer, which is actually a centaur, a half-horse half-man mythological creature. It is a learned healer whose higher knowledge forms a bridge between Earth and Heaven.
Capricorn, the Fish-Goat (Dec. 23 – Jan. 19)
One of the most recognizable among the zodiac symbols is the fish-goat hybrid Capricorn. It is the tenth of the twelve zodiac signs and was based on the Sumerians’ primordial god of wisdom and waters, Enki, who had a goat for a head a fish for a tail.
The NASA Discovery
In 2016, NASA made waves with their announcement of a new zodiac sign named Ophiuchus. The announcement made was aimed at kids, but shocked the entire world of astrology, nevertheless.
Why was it so shocking? For one, the world has known the zodiac to only have twelve signs that represented twelve divisions in the celestial longitude for over 3,000 years. A sudden announcement of a 13th member to the circle can certainly be a big shock to many.
However, NASA reiterates that the new zodiac sign should be added and the 3,000-year-old astrological system needed the change.
NASA asserts that changes to the zodiac signs needed to be done because “the math demands it”. The announcement revealed something about the ancient Babylonians that created the modern zodiac system we know today: they deliberately left out the 13th sign because it didn’t fit their calendar.
During ancient times, the Babylonians were able to map out 12 lunar cycles each year, which later formed the basis of their calendar. However, when they came up with the zodiac signs, they saw that 13 signs and 12 lunar cycles didn’t add up. So they left one out on purpose.
NASA simply offered a correction. With the addition of the new sign Ophiuchus, the signs as well as the dates for each sign have changed.
But what does this mean for astrology predictions? This may have likely made previous predictions inaccurate. That is because predictions were likely made based on a twelve-member zodiac calendar, which has shifted with the addition of the thirteenth sign.
The New Zodiac Sign: Ophiuchus
With the addition of the new zodiac sign Ophiuchus, all people who have been born between November 29 and December 17 will now adopt the new sign. People with this sign are believed to be seekers of knowledge and wisdom. They are thought to be fascinating, active, impulsive, clever, and extravagant, but are also jealous, power-hungry, and sensitive.
What is Ophiuchus?
Ophiuchus is the serpent-bearer, represented by a man holding a snake. The Greek astronomer Ptolemy was first to record the constellation in the 2nd century. This constellation contains Barnard’s star, the second closest star to the Earth.
According to legend, the constellation occupied by the serpent bearer contained two planets. One of the planets was covered in fiery molten lava while the over had a large swamp. Occupants of the constellation, the Ophuichans, built there short-lived civilization on marshy land. In the wetlands, they slept in huts and spent most of their time exploring the land to look for and develop medicine.
The Magic 13
With the addition of the new zodiac sign Ophiuchus, the zodiac signs for most people will likely shift to the previous. Here is a list of the new dates for reference.
- Capricorn: Jan. 20 – Feb. 16
- Aquarius: Feb. 16 – March 11
- Pisces: March 11 – April 18
- Aries: April 18 – May 13
- Taurus: May 13 – June 21
- Gemini: June 21 – July 20
- Cancer: July 20 – Aug. 10
- Leo: Aug. 10 – Sept. 16
- Virgo: Sept. 16 – Oct. 30
- Libra: Oct. 30 – Nov. 23
- Scorpio: Nov. 23 – Nov. 29
- Ophiuchus: Nov. 29 – Dec. 17
- Sagittarius: Dec. 17 – Jan. 20
Is It Time to Change Your Sign?
Many of the concerns surrounding the announcement of the new zodiac sign revolved around the fact that they now need to adopt a new sign for their horoscope. Is it really the time to change your sign?
When asked, NASA was quick to reiterate that astrology isn’t a real science. While astrologists may argue that the slight gravitational pull of the sun, or the movement of the stars at specific times of the year could affect personalities, astronomers see no such correlation. This means whether you choose to adopt the new system or stay with your current sign, it really shouldn’t matter.
