Introduction

Return to Zodiac Menu

The zodiac signs are divisions of the zodiac, which is the path which the Sun takes as it moves through the sky in the course of a year. Although many people think of themselves as being "a Taurean" or "a Scorpio", the zodiac signs do not describe different types of people. They describe different ways in which the energies of the planets can express themselves. When somebody says that their "zodiac sign" or "Sun Sign" is Taurus, for example, this just means that the Sun was in Taurus at the time they were born.

Because the Sun represents the way we express our individuality, our Sun-Sign is an important part of our astrological make-up. It is also easy to work out, just by knowing our birthday. Each year, the Sun is in more-or-less the same place on a given date. For example, between April 21^st and May 21^st, it is in Taurus. This means that a person who was born between these dates has the Sun in Taurus - because the Sun is always in Taurus at that time of year. This means that the energy of the Sun expresses itself in a "Taurean" way in this person.

(Some people are confused by the fact that the dates given in different magazines are not always the same. This is because the Sun is not in exactly the same place each year: the date when it moves from one sign to another changes slightly. There is no "correct" set of dates which would be true for all years. However, the year that is actually important is, of course, the year that you were born. By looking in an ephemeris (a book which lists the positions of the planets on each day) it is very easy to find out exactly which sign the sun was in when you were born. Anybody born between 19th and 23rd of any month should do this, in order to be certain of their Sun-Sign. Alternatively, you can download one of the astrological shareware programs featured in the shareware section of this database.

The zodiac sign that other planets are in is also extremely important; however. For example, the sign that Venus is in shows the way in which our love of beauty, and the more feminine side of our personality is expressed. On the other hand, the position of Mars shows the way in which our energy, aggression and sexuality are expressed. An astrologer can work out the positions of all the planets in your birth chart; alternatively, you can do this yourself using some computer programs.

The twelve sign are divided into four elements of three signs each, and into three qualities, of four signs each. Understanding these basic concepts helps to give a deeper understanding of the nature of each sign.

Return to Zodiac Menu