An area of the sky in which the positions of the sun, moon, stars, and planets are believed in astrology to influence human behavior, and which is divided into twelve equal sections
Questions tagged [zodiac]
10 questions
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Why is it so bad to be born in the Year of the Fire Horse?
Japan's birth rate dropped precipitiously in 1966, only to recover completely in 1967.
This is apparently because 1966 was the "Year of the Fire Horse" - that is, in the 60-year zodiacal cycle you get by crossing the twelve zodiac animals with the…
senshin
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Was the constellation named after the Bull of Heaven?
On the Wikipedia page we can read:
In Babylonian astronomy, the constellation was listed in the MUL.APIN as GU4.AN.NA, "The Bull of Heaven".
In the Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the earliest works of literature, the goddess Ishtar sends…
kenorb
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Why does the astrology sign for cancer seem to represent a yin and yang?
This somewhat represents mythology around cancer specifically.
Why does the astrology sign for Cancer seem to represent a yin and yang?
According to this
This is also seen as two crab's claws, intertwined in a way which
represents the dual nature…
William
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What are some myths involving Capricorn?
I'd like to understand the astrological sign Capricorn more fully.
Are there any myths related to this sign? I am interested in both stories about Capricorn, or stories that reveal the goals of someone who is Capricorn. Even if there are myths…
Digityogi
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If the ox tiger is an unlucky direction, why build an entrance to it?
On the Oni Wikipedia, scrolled down to Demon Gate, it says that in Chinese Taoism and traditional Japanese esoteric cosmology (Onmyōdō), the direction northeast (though the wiki uses northeasterly) is an unlucky direction. On the animal zodiac…
Andrew Johnson
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What graphical symbols, if any, have been used for the three "modalities" in western or other astrological systems?
In western astrology the zodiac contains 12 signs each of which is assigned one of 4 elements (fire, earth, air, or water) and one of 3 modalities (also known as qualities) (fixed, cardinal, or mutable). There are 12 possible combinations of element…
user4244
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Could it be the the Dendera Zodiak is a Glyphed description of the Egyptian Book of the Dead?
Deckenrelief (Kopie des Tierkreises) in der Kapelle des Tierkreises
(Zodiak) auf dem Dach des Hathor-Tempels von Dendera, Ägypten, 16
October 2014 by Olaf Tausch
Dear Egyptomaniacs, Egyptologists etc.
Stumbling upon information on a lost…
Wolves' Shepherd.
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Why is the constellation Capricornus depicted as a sea-goat?
The constellation Capricornus is often represented in the form of a sea-goat:
Why is that? Are there tales that attempt to explain how this curious hybrid came to be?
yannis
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Why was the Babylonian zodiac divided into 12 equal segments?
Checking out the early history of the zodiac, it says the Babylonians were the first to divide it into an "equal" 12 parts, "by analogy to 12 schematic months of 30 days each". It also says "each sign contained 30° of celestial longitude, thus…
Lance Pollard
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How were the constellations named?
I think we can all agree that, despite some attempts, it is nearly impossible to see any bulls, rams, crabs or whatever in the stars. So the constellations were not named for their shapes. To me it makes more sense that they would be names in honour…
Marcel
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