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Meanings of the Zodiac Signs
Nearly everyone has heard of the signs of the zodiac, mostly through
"sun-sign astrology" columns, where the signs are taken as major
determinants of the personality. In fact, in natal astrology, the use of signs
is much more modest. The zodiac signs are considered to modify or color the
energies of the major planets (not just the Sun), bringing out certain traits of
a planet, inhibiting others, but without wholly changing that planetary energy.
Astrologers also view the zodiac as the archetype of "cycles" and
"cyclic time", the signs being phases or levels of development within
the entire cycle.
Zodiac Profiles
Each profile contains: the common symbol (also known as a "glyph") for
the sign, the planetary ruler(s) of the sign; the various Sub-cycles that make up
its core meaning; the main personality themes related to this energy; keywords and
phrases of related topics.
What is the Zodiac?
If you could observe the motion of the Sun against the stars for an entire
year, it would appear to trace out a large circle in the sky that is known as the "ecliptic".
This circle also happens to be the plane of the Earth's orbit around the Sun.
The zodiac is a thin band of the sky on either side of the ecliptic. The word "zodiac"
literally means "circle of life", since most of the zodiac signs are
animals or people.
What are Zodiac Signs?
The zodiac is divided into 12 signs, each 30 degrees long. The cycle of
zodiac signs starts with Aries, which begins at the spot on the ecliptic where
the Sun is on the first day of spring. These 30 degree sections of the sky are
actually blocks of space, not time.
Zodiac signs are often confused in the popular mind with "sun
signs". When a person says, "I'm an Aries!", what they're
really saying is they were born at a time of the year when the Sun is in the
zodiac sign of Aries. Because our calendar is designed to mimic the motions of
the Sun around the zodiac, the Sun is in Aries at nearly the same time period
each year (roughly March 20th or 21st to April 19th or 20th). Hence the 12 sun
signs are like months of a calendar based on the zodiac. They represent time,
not space.
The motions of the other planets through the zodiac signs can be quite
irregular, compared to the Sun's motion. On average, they range from the fast
moving Moon (which spends about 2-1/2 days in each sign) to the slow poke Pluto
(roughly 12 to 24 years in each sign).
Planetary Rulers of the Signs
Each sign is associated with a planet that is called the "ruler" of
that sign. Usually, there is some similarity in meaning or energy between the
sign and its ruler. A planet is supposed to express its energy in the most
natural, straight-forward fashion through the sign it rules.
Some signs (Scorpio, Aquarius, Pisces) have two rulers, an old, traditional
ruler and a modern one. Since the discovery of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto the
last few centuries, these planets have replaced the traditional rulers. And with
the introduction of Chiron and the major asteroids into astrology,
yet-another-round of arguments about rulers is breaking out. Perhaps the entire
notion of "rulership" should be taken with a grain of salt.
Sub-Cycle Symbolism
Although a certain amount of mythology is associated with the meanings of
each sign, most of these meanings are actually derived by looking at the zodiac
as a collection of overlapping cycles within cycles.
For instance, the cycle of the 4 elements (fire, earth, air, water) describes
4 different personality types. This cycle is repeated 3 times around the zodiac.
The 3 modalities (cardinal, fixed, mutable) establish 3 distinct styles of
expressing energy; this cycle is repeated 4 times.
Each sign has a polarity (positive/negative, or in the older texts,
masculine/feminine) that alternates with each sign.
Further, the zodiac is divided into thirds (primordial, individual,
universal) and halves (subjective, objective), which suggests a life-cycle of
growing emotional and social maturation.The interweaving of all these sub-cycles
then creates the overall profile of the zodiac sign
Zodiac, Houses, and Planetary Rulers
| SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC |
HOUSE |
RULER |
| Glyph: |
Sign: |
MODE |
ELEMENT |
Glyph: |
Planet |
 |
Aries |
Cardinal |
FIRE |
1 |
 |
Mars |
 |
Taurus |
Fixed |
EARTH |
2 |
 |
Venus |
 |
Gemini |
Mutable |
AIR |
3 |
 |
Mercury |
 |
Cancer |
Cardinal |
WATER |
4 |
 |
Moon |
 |
Leo |
Fixed |
FIRE |
5 |
 |
Sun |
 |
Virgo |
Mutable |
EARTH |
6 |
|
Mercury |
 |
Libra |
Cardinal |
AIR |
7 |
|
Venus |
 |
Scorpio |
Fixed |
WATER |
8 |
 |
Pluto |
 |
Sagittarius |
Mutable |
FIRE |
9 |
 |
Jupiter |
 |
Capricorn |
Cardinal |
EARTH |
10 |
 |
Saturn |
 |
Aquarius |
Fixed |
AIR |
11 |
 |
Uranus |
 |
Pisces |
Mutable |
WATER |
12 |
 |
Neptune |
Symbols of Astrology
| Element |
The vital forces that make up creation |
Triplicity |
| FIRE |
Directed will; energy radiating out from the center; action. |
|
| EARTH |
Physical: force that holds the atoms together; practical applications;
consolidation. |
|
| AIR |
Intellect; the energy that shapes the pattern of things to come;
communication. |
|
| WATER |
Soul, Emotions; power of the unconscious mind; connecting to the
source; reception. |
|
Symbols of Astrology
| MODE |
Cycles of Energy |
Quadruplicity |
| Cardinal |
Initiating; gets things going. |
|
| Fixed |
Persisting; gets things done. |
|
| Mutable |
Alternating; adaptable, flexible. |
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