By Olivia Waletzke
Astrology is a pseudoscience that claims people’s personalities and souls are based on the placement of celestial objects and planets. The study of astrology dates back to BC eras with Indian, Chinese, and Islamic cultures using the ideas as a part of their religions. As time went on, the ideas of astrology shifted from the entirety of Mesopatamia to present day China and India. Greek cultures also heavily relied on astrological ideals. Greek mythology explains a lot of the ideas and trends found in astrology, for the gods and goddesses in Greek culture are based on celestial ideas. During the ages of exploration of North and South America, explorers found that many Native Americans and natives of South American regions used the ideas of planets and stars controlling the world around them. These ideas weren’t taken well by the European explorers due to their Christian faith. Astrology remained popular in Asian cultures and slowly declined throughout the Americas as religions like Catholicism became more prevelant in the Western world.
Aries is the first sign in the zodiac. Aries people are normally headstrong leaders with intense personalities. They lead with both their head and heart, making them highly emotional people. The ruling planet is Mars, making Aries a fire sign. The symbol is the ram, highlighting Aries tendencies to always be ahead of everyone else. Aries people will be born from March 20th to April 19th. Commonly known Aries include Emma Watson, Elton John, Lady Gaga, and Paul Rudd.
Taurus is the second sign under the zodiac. Taurus people have divine feminine qualities due to their ruling planet being Venus. They normally are kind-hearted, devoted, and loyal to others. Their symbol is the bull. Taurus is an earth sign and begin on April 19th and end on May 20th. Well known Taurus people include William Shakespeare, Queen Elizabeth the Second, Megan Fox, and David Beckham.
The third sign in the zodiac is Gemini. Geminis are air signs, and are ruled by Mercury. Their symbol is the twins. This highlights Gemini’s tendencies to become two-faced, but on the positive side, it can be viewed as Gemini’s ability to see two sides of a story. Their key word is “communication” in the sense that Geminis are commonly known to be intellectual and fond of knowledge. Geminis are born from May 21st through June 20th. Commonly known Geminis include Kanye West, JFK, Marilyn Monroe, and Johnny Depp.
Cancers are the fourth sign under the zodiac. Cancers are romantic, imaginitve, and free in their emotions. Their ruling planet is the Moon and their element is water. A Cancer’s symbol is the crab. Cancers are known to be subtle in their communication, meaning that they aren’t the best at telling others how they feel, regardless of their intense emotions. Cancers are born from June 21st to July 21st. Well known Cancers include Lana Del Rey, Tom Cruise, and Elon Musk.
Leo is the fifth sign under the zodiac. Their ruling planet is the Sun, making Leos a fire sign. Their symbol is the lion, showing their tendencies to be great leaders, much like their sister sign, Aries. Leos are confident and creative, but their craving for being leaders can sometimes lead to their subtle arrogance. Leos are born from July 23rd to August 22nd. Well known Leos include Barack Obama, Viola Davis, and Alfred Hitchcock.
Virgo is the sixth astrological sign. Their element is earth and their ruling planet is Mercury. The Virgo symbol is the maiden, leading to their intense desire to be neat, clean, and healthy. Most Virgos display qualities of innocence and youth, especially Virgo women. Virgos are born from August 23rd through September 22nd. Commonly known Virgos include Blake Lively, Adam Sandler, and Michael Jackson.
Libra is the seventh astrological sign in the zodiac. Their element is the air and their symbol is the scales. With their ruling planet being Venus, Libras are fair and elegant people. They are good listeners and crave partnership with others. Libras know how to stay balanced with themselves, whether it be with relationships, jobs, or life in general. Libras are born from September 23rd to October 22nd. Famous Libras include Kim Kardashian, Will Smith, and Vladimir Putin.
Scorpio is the eighth sign under the zodiac. The ruling planets of this sign is Pluto and Mars. Scorpios are water signs. A Scorpio’s personality is nothing short of intense and strong due to their unique emotional range brought from their water element. Scorpios are powerful in persuasion and attract others easily. Scorpios are born from October 23rd through November 21st. Famous Scorpios are Bill Gates, Hillary Clinton, and Christopher Columbus.
Sagittarius is the ninth zodiac sign. The symbol of a Sagittarius is the archer. Their element is fire and their ruling planet is Jupiter. Sagittarius people are humorous, blunt, and moral. People under this sign tend to not address their emotions as much as other signs, leading to difficulties in certain relationships depending on who it is with. Junior Lola Newman, a Sagittarius, says “I feel like I fit my zodiac sign very well. I am the life of the party and I’m not afraid to call someone out if needed.” Sagittarians are born from November 22nd through December 21st. Common Sagittarians are Taylor Swift, Frank Sinatra, and Walt Disney.
Capricorn is the tenth sign in the zodiac. Their ruling planet is Saturn, their element is earth, and their symbol is the sea goat. Capricorn people are practical people who tend to overthink many situations. They are rooted in their knowledge and are very concerned with what others think of them. These traits can sometimes lead to insecurities. Capricorns are born from December 22nd to January 19th. Common Capricorns include Stephen Hawking, Jim Carrey, and Elvis Presley.
Aquarius is the eleventh sign in the zodiac. Aquarius people are ruled by Uranus and their element is air. Their symbol is the water bearer. Aquarians are intellectual leaders who tend to be very inventive and revolutionary. In addition to their intellectual abilities, Aquarians tend to be very good at bringing people together, acting like a parental figure to those they care about. Aquarians are born from January 20th to February 18th. Famous Aquarians include Bob Marley, Oprah Winfrey, and Harry Styles.
Pisces is the twelfth and final sign under the zodiac. Their ruling planet is Neptune, their symbol is the fishes, and their element is water. Pisces people are dreamy, emotional, and mystical people. These qualities can lead Pisces to struggle to keep themselves in the reality of life, however these qualities also aid Pisces people to live their lives to the fullest. Pisces are born from February 19th to March 20th. Popular Pisces people include Dr. Seuss, Albert Einstein, and Elizabeth Taylor.
It wasn’t until the mid 1960’s when astrology became more popular among younger people. The movement of “hippies” were responsible for the rise in popularity of the science as a response of war and traditional American family values. People, consisting of mainly young women, slowly strayed away from Christian religions during the 60’s and 70’s and, instead, turned to ideas of spirituality. Similar to the false perception of witches in the 1600’s, astrology and spirituality received similar backlash from older generations. Older people who still lived traditional lifestyles were extremely opposed to the ideas of self-awareness and connection to nature commonly found in astrology. During the 70’s, people like Stevie Nicks, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix all contributed to the trend of spiritual, non-religious ideas. Linda Goodman, a professional astrologer and author, was the first person to have a book about astrology be published. Her first book, Linda Goodman’s Sun Signs, was published in 1968 during the rebirth of astrology in the United States. The book was about the 12 major sun signs and how they apply to each person who was born under them. The book had a very small following, but overtime, Goodman continued to write more astrology, including a book on sign compatibility for those interested in finding the perfect soul mate.
Today, history repeats itself as more young people believe in astrology. Junior Daniela Quintao says that “it’s interesting to see what your horoscope says about your life and how it relates to other people’s lives, but I don’t heavily rely on it because it isn’t based on anything factual.” The idea of astrology and practices like spirituality and witchcraft will always receive some doubt. One of the main principles of ideas like these is the mystery behind natural and celestial beings, and how heavily one chooses to believe in them.
