Zodiac is an imaginary belt located in the sky and extending nine degrees from the ecliptic in both directions. The visible trajectories of the planets, the Sun and the Moon pass through the signs of the zodiac. At the same time, our luminary moves along the ecliptic, and the rest of the stars in their movement along the zodiac follow up and down from the ecliptic.
The beginning of the zodiac circle is considered the equinox (spring), which is the ascending node of the solar orbit. In it, the ecliptic crosses the celestial equator.
The entire zodiac moves through fourteen constellations, but the zodiac circle itself is divided into only twelve equal parts, and each of the 30-degree arcs is designated by a sign-symbol, which corresponds to a certain zodiac constellation. An exception to the rule are the constellations of Cetus and Ophiuchus, which do not correspond to any sign in the described circle.
Zodiac constellations are located along the annual visible path among the stars of the Sun. Despite the fact that the luminary also passes through the constellation Ophiuchus, according to ancient tradition, it is not considered a zodiac.
Even in the days of Ancient Greece, all open zodiac constellationswere grouped, and each was assigned its own astronomical sign.
Today, the mentioned signs are not used to identify the constellations of the zodiac, they are used only for designations in astrology. The corresponding symbols also denote the points of the autumn and spring equinoxes (Libra and Aries), as well as the points of the winter and summer solstices (Capricorn and Cancer).
As a result of the precession, these points moved from the corresponding constellations over the past two thousand years, but the designations assigned to them by the ancient Greeks have survived to this day. In the same way, the constellations of the zodiac, which are tied to the vernal equinox in Western astrology, have also shifted. It turns out that today there is no correspondence between the symbols and the coordinates of the constellations. The relationship between the dates of entry into the zodiac constellations of the Sun has also been lost.
The boundaries of the constellations of the zodiac designated today no longer correspond to the division into 12 parts of the ecliptic accepted by astrologers.
In astrology, all zodiac signs are divided into four categories, which are associated with certain elements - earth, water, air and fire.
The fire signs include Sagittarius, Leo and Aries, the symbols of the earth - Capricorn, Virgo, Taurus, the water - Pisces Scorpio, Cancer, and the air - Aquarius, Libra, Gemini.
Fire signs define a hot person who ignites everything around, controls the will of other mortals. Water symbols correspond to an intuitive and emotional personality. air signscharacterize logic and intelligence. And the symbols of the earth are considered to be cautious, prudent, reliable people. They also believe that the signs of water and earth are introverts, and air and fire are extroverts.
The signs of the zodiac and the zodiac constellations are divided into crosses, which correspond to the division into four seasons of the year: winter, summer, spring and autumn, the beginning, end and middle of which correspond to the main (cardinal), stable (fixed) and changeable (mutable) characters.
