A news report came out recently in which an astronomer said during an interview that due to the wobble of the earth and the resultant change in star configurations, our present astrological signs were obsolete and needed to be changed to coincide with what is really in the sky at any particular point in time.   Most everyone would be affected by having their signs moved back by one sign.  For instance, a Taurus would now be under Aries, a Virgo would now be under Leo, and a Cancer would now be under Gemini.   Not only that, Scorpio would be reduced to just a few days, and a new sign would be established called Ophiuchus, pronounced OFF-e-YOO-kuss.  And that's not all -  the symbol for Ophiuchus is a snake.  So those unlucky enough to be born under this sign would be identified as "the snake".  I usually reserve that term for ex-spouses!

Ok, so let's get real.  The world has been wobbling ever since there has been a moon up there, so this is not a news flash for astronomers or astrologers.  The zodiac signs were not even accurate sky-wise when astrology was first contemplated a few thousand years ago.  For the sake of uniformity, I suppose, the sky was originally divided up into 12 equal parts, just like a clock.  Unfortunately, the constellations are not uniformly spaced and some are much bigger than others, so the 12 uniform parts are and have always been just a general configuration.  Secondly, at least in the western world, the zodiac signs are based more on the seasons than on the actual configuration of the stars.  Aries is the first zodiac sign for a reason - it coincides with the first day of spring, which comes around the 20th or 21st of March with good regularity.   So broken down into its simplest components, the astronomer is right - we are now way off as far as up-to-the-minute star charts are concerned, but we are still right on the money as far as the first day of spring, which is what conventional western astrology is based upon (and astrology does take astrological configuration changes into consideration).   Using the clock analogy, the heavens are divided into 12 equal parts, just like a clock.  You can take the numbers off and mix them all up, but when the hands are positioned at 12 o'clock a.m. (Aries), it's still 12 o'clock regardless of the configuration of the numbers.

So now on to the less tangible aspects of astrology and the zodiac signs.  People have been studying zodiac signs and personality traits for thousands of years, with remarkably accurate profiles available today as a result.  Read your personality profile listed on the left and you will see your own unmistakable traits spelled out.  Read up on your spouse. kids, or friends - even when you don't immediately see some trait in someone close to you, eventually it will become apparent that the profile was indeed accurate.   Therefore,  moving  a Leo personality to a Cancer profile is patently absurd.  That's like saying that Mick Jagger suddenly has the personality traits of Princess Diana!  The only way to really change the astrological profiles  at this point in time would be to have everyone change sign names and to move the personality profiles back accordingly.  So that Mick Jagger's current Leo profile would become the profile for Cancer and Mick would identify himself with Cancer instead of Leo.  Seems like a lot of work and confusion with no real benefits.  And then there's the problem of what personality traits and birthstones and all the rest to give Ophiuchus.  I suppose you could piece together a profile using parts of the old signs, but then it becomes just making stuff up to fit with no other basis as far as historical data is concerned.  You think the astronomers disrespect astrology now, wait till we start making things up to fit!

So as far as astrology in the western world is concerned, nothing has changed.  The earth continues to wobble, and the seasons go on, and a Scorpio is still a Scorpion that might sting you. Therefore, enjoy your own sign, assess your fellow humans using their profiles as a guide, and continue with life as you know it!  And I don't have to change my website - Yay!

 

 

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