The twelve zodiac signs and what they mean in Astrology?
Solar sign(Sun sign) and what it means in Astrology?
In the 5000 years that have passed since the study of astrology was first recorded, the 12 signs of the zodiac have acquired special associations, characterisations and meaning. Ancient Greek philosophers formulated the theories of Man in Microcosm—that is, the human being is a miniature version of the cosmos. This means everything in nature has a parallel in human beings, and thus humankind and the universe are linked together in a system of unrelenting correlations. This is also known as the Hermetic Theory. In keeping with the theory, a vast body of correspondences grew up surrounding the 12 signs of the zodiac. We could see each astrological sign is an archetype, and the 12 signs put together a picture of human beings, our bodies, minds, and emotions, and of the surrounding world in which we live. The 12 zodiac signs are like a unending expansive map, draped on the outskirts of the heaven reflecting different qualities, attributes and tendencies. The 9 astrological planets in the solar system (Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) are like actors dancing around the 12 zodiac stages, playing their unique roles in our lives.
When we say, “what is your sign?”, what does it really mean? This is the foundamental concept we must understand about solar signs. From our viewpoint here on Earth, the Sun travels around the Earth once each year. Within the space of that year the Sun moves through all 12 signs of the zodiac (in reality, it is the Earth that is orbiting the Sun, but see we are on Earth, it seems it is the Sun that is moving). The Sun will spend approximately one month in each sign, and this sign that the Sun is traveling through at the time of your birth is the so-called “sign” of yours. Each sign would be taking 30 degrees of the Sky, so in total this is a 360 degrees circle. Essentially, the so called "your sign" is about the position of the Sun at the moment of your birth. If a baby was just born, for example today 10th December 2019, their Sun would be positioned in Sagittarius in 17 degrees. Of course all the other planets are also scattered around the zodiac belt. Their Mercury would be in 29 degrees in Scorpio and their Moon would be in Taurus(Moon moves fast so it also depends on the exact time).
The Sun is the only cosmic existence in the solar system that is shining (the Moon also shines too but ultimately it is simply reflecting the light of the Sun). It is the most powerful planet. It gives us life, warmth, energy and vitality. It is the force that sustains us on Earth. So the Sun is the most essential and pervasive influence in our horoscope and in many ways it determine how we "shine" in the world. The position of the Sun in our birth chart governs our individuality, our distinctive style, and our drive to fulfil our goals in life. If you are an Aries solar sign, your individuality will shine through your courage and action; if you are a Libra solar sign, you ten to shine through your quality of diplomacy and relationship building skills.
Other planets in our charts also have their own roles to play. For example, Venus is the symbol of love and beauty, it represents how we want to be loved and our social grace; Mars is the planet of sexual drive and aggression, it is the planet that spurs us into action; and of course the Moon, which symbolises our sense of home and emotional security…Every individual has a unique configuration of the planets positions. You are never the same as anyone else, you are your unique individual. Today we will focus on solar sign first in this chapter.
As a general guideline, you can check the below chart and see where your birthday fits in. However, if you are born on the cusp, please do use some astrological calculation tools online to clarify. For example, in most places on Earth, August 23rd 2019 falls under Leo, however if you were born in Sydney Australia on 23rd August after 8:03pm, the Sun would have already entered Virgo. So do check your accurate zodiac sign based on not only your birthday, but also your birth place and birth time. There are many websites that give free birth chart calculation. One of the websites I use is https://astro-charts.com/tools/new/birthchart/
General Solar Sign guideline:
Virgo: August 24 – September 22
Libra: September 23 – October 23
Scorpio: October 24 – November 22
Sagittarius: November 23 – December 21
Capricorn: December 22 – January 20
Aquarius: January 21 – February 18
Pisces: February 19 - March 20
Aries: March 21 - April 20
Taurus: April 21 – May 21
Gemini: May 22 – June 21
Cancer: June 22 – July 22
Leo: July 23 – August 23
In Astrology, the 12 signs are further divided into several sets of groups based on different qualities. This is when we go a bit deeper about how they are different. The first grouping is based on DUALITY. They are either Masculine or Feminine.
Now it is very important to know that these qualities have nothing to do with our gender or even psychological gender. A Scorpio (Feminine sign) man does not mean he is more feminine than an Aries Man; a Genimi woman also does not mean she is less feminine than a Cancer woman. The duality is about the energy and expression of each sign's archytype. In Astrology, the masculine sign is considered direct and energetic, a feminine sign is receptive and magnetic. The masculine signs are defined as outer-directed and strong through action. The feminine signs are self-contained and strong through inner reserves. If a woman has most her planets and important angles in masculine signs, she could still look feminine and seductive, but when you talk and interact with her, you will feel there are some masculine traits in her, such as not taking things personally, being direct in her speech and less emotional when dealing with daily matters. A man with many plants and angles in feminine signs could also be masculine in his demeanors, but he might be quite receptive, imaginative and sympathetic.
The second way to group the 12 signs is called triplicities. The 12 signs are divided into four groups with different elements-fire, earth, air and water. Signs within the same element share some common/similar qualities. Also note that Fire and Air signs are the masculine signs; water and earth signs are feminine signs. See below picture to find out each element's qualities and traits.
We can also categorise the 12 signs into 3 different modalities. They are called Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable.
Cardinal signs: Aries, Capricorn, Libra and Cancer
Fixed signs: Leo, Taurus, Aquarius and Scorpio
Mutable signs: Sagittarius, Virgo, Gemini and Pisces
These qualities signify the sign’s interaction with the outside world. Cardinal signs are enterprising and outgoing; fixed signs are resistant to change but are perfectos and finishers; whereas mutable signs are versatile and adaptable, and they are excellent at adjusting itself to various circumstances.
After we put them into these categories we can see each sign has a unique duality, triplicity and modality: For example, Aries is a masculine, cardinal fire sign, and Taurus is a feminine fixed earth sign. What does that exactly mean? Being masculine, Aries is active rather than receptive, being fire, it is excitable and energetic; being cardinal, it is outgoing as well as open to new experiences. Taurus is a feminine sign, so it is less an outward active sign compared to Aries, but it is fixed, so it is more consistent and firm in its opinions. Taurus is also more probable to finish a project to the end compared to Aries. Now if you are Aries person, you might argue, "I always finish projects and I stick to the end!" Please bear in mind that here we are not talking about a Taurus solar sign person and an Aries solar sign person, but simply the archetypes of those signs.
If we group all the information above, the 12 signs look like the below chart in the sky:
Finally, I would like to point out the 6 unique pairs out of the 12 signs. Each two signs on an astrological wheel is put into a pair, and they are opposite each other. This is called the oppostion pair. As we see on the wheel above, Aries and Libra are a pair; Taurus and Scorpio are a pair. This is also called “Polarity”. Signs in the same pair share the same duality and modality, but are different in triplicity. These kind of pairs have significant meanings in astrology studies, because they are opposite, but also complimentary(meaning they learn things from each other); they are in conflict, but also in love. In fact, when we are choosing marriage partners; there is a tendency that we either choose the same sign energy, or the opposite energy. As people say, the opposites attract!
So how are those signs opposite each other in their qualities?
Aries <-> Libra
Aries is SELF, Libra is PARTNERSHIP;
Taurus <-> Scorpio
Taurus is PERSONAL POSSESSION; Scorpio is SHARED POSSESSION
Gemini <-> Sagittarius
Gemini is DAILY COMMUNICATION and STREET SMART; Sagittarius is HIGHERKNOWLEDGE and PHILOSOPHY
Cancer <-> Capricorn
Cancer is HOME and DOMESTIC LIFE; Capricorn is CAREER and PUBLIC LIFE.
Leo <-> Aquarius
Leo is PERSONAL PLEASURE and CREATIVITY; Aquarius is COMMUNITY/FRIENDSHIP and IDEALISM ON A LARGE SCALE
Virgo <-> Pisces
Virgo is DETAILS AND SELF IMPROVEMENT; Pisces is DREAMS and SELF DELUSION.
If you have many planets in Aries, you could be very much attracted to Libra energy individuals, because their sense of diplomacy and social grace is something you might not naturally possess, thus there comes the attraction; if you are a very typical Cancerian, you might find people who have strong traits of Capricorn very attractive, because they possess the qualities such as determination and ambitiousness. Again, here we are not saying if you are a Cancer then you will only like Capricorn solar sign people. These are simply all archetypes, or you can see them as energy or qualities that people carry. Part of the fascination of Astrology is in its complexity and intricacy. The various associations and symbolism surrounding the 12 signs are part of that rich tapestry draped from the heaven. No two astrological signs are alike. Each one is different and unique. Each holds clues to who we are and the things and places to which we are drawn. In the following chapters, I will discuss more about the 12 zodiac signs individually and what it means when our Sun sits in them.
Letao~the Kingdom Healer
www.thehealingkingdom.com
