Zodiac_Calendar

The zodiac typically refers to the stars and star groups or constellations near the ecliptic band throughout the year. Modern astrology recognizes 12 different sign constellations spaced roughly 30-days or 30-degrees apart. The sun and moon travel along the ecliptic and the zodiacal stars vary up to about 8-degrees either side of the ecliptic. Spiritual concerns span nearly every culture and anchor most world religions. Astrology here includes the ancient branch of calendar science that mixes beliefs in astrology with earliest astronomy. The following list details general dates and typical sign characteristics for the twelve modern constellation signs.

Study of the heavens includes the seven wandering stars (known planets), and moving celestial bodies that give us weekday names. Greek and Roman mythologies placed the wanderers against the fixed constellations called the zodiac. Twelve signs of the zodiac begin with the first point of Aries.

Aries (March 21 - April 19) At the two equinoxes, the sun crosses the celestial equator in the spring and fall. Mars was the Roman god of war, and equates to the Greek god Ares. Spelled Aries by modern English, the sun rises in Aries for a month beginning at the spring equinox. The Pleiades are seven stars that once marked the New Year by advancing the zodiac to the next sign of Taurus. Greek architecture featured the seven sisters facing east. The Porch of the Seven Maidens honors the feminine deities that appeared on the cusp separating Aries and Taurus. The Porch of the Seven Sisters attaches to the famed Parthenon Temple of Athena. Located high atop the Acropolis hill outside of Athens, the Greek home of the gods served tribute to the stars.

The Romans divided the month according to the Calends on the first day of each month, the Nones for the ninth day proceeding the Ides, and the Ides. The Nones of March, May, July and October were on the seventh of the month, and on the fifth day during the other months. Months of March, May, July, and October had the Ides on the fifteenth, and the other months held the Ides on the thirteenth. The first day, Calends, of April, is now on March 21 due to leap adjustments via the Gregorian Calendar. The 10-month Roman Calendar began the new year following the end of December on April 1. The expression "April Fool's Day" is a modern remnant of the 2,000-year old calendar.

Taurus (April 20 - May 20) is the zodiacal constellation that includes the star Aldebaran as the right eye of the bull. Taurus is charging Orion in the night sky. Aldebaran was one of the four Royal stars said to rule over the heavenly quarters of the year. The Book of Enoch I alleges the four Royal stars preside over all of Creation. Aldebaran presided over the first quarter. The face of Taurus, horns, and shoulders are visible amongst the other stars in heaven. A cloud cuts off the body of Taurus to allow space for other figures.

Gemini (May 21 - June 20) is named for the twin stars of Castor and Pollux. Cardinal points of the year were the two equinoxes and the two solstices. The summer solstice near June 21 earmarks the end of the zodiacal constellation Gemini. Describing the duality of the solstices, Gemini twins often face opposite directions. Gemini twins and the two faces of Janus look opposite to symbolize facing the past and future. The month of June comes to us from the Latin Junii or gens. Several families of a house or clan sharing a common ancestor provide the meaning behind the sixth month.

Cancer (June 21 - July 22), the mythical Crab Nebula, was easily visible some 2,500 years ago when it was farthest north and marking the solar rising position at the beginning of summer. Located between Gemini and Leo, the Crab Nebula was equal to Jupiter in brightness about the year 1,000 AD. Due to calendar changes and the procession of the equinoxes, the sun does not pass near this beehive cluster until around 1 August. From Cancer, the Tropic of Cancer marks the imaginary maximum latitudinal solstice line of 23.5 degrees to the North above the Equator. The Tropic of Capricorn is the latitudinal solstice line of 23.5 degrees to the South of the Equator.

July and August continue the namesake months inserted by Julius and Augustus Caesars. The Julian calendar reform shortened 10-months from 36 days to 30 days each. Two months we call July and August account for some 60-days in the 12-month calendar. The former Roman Calendar, like Egyptian, had 360-days with an extra intercalary 5-days being added to the end of the year. The Julian Calendar spread the 5-days amongst January, March, May, July and October. February was supposed to have 30-days in leap years to alternate with the 31-days of January and March. Augustus Caesar shortened February to 29 days in leap years, making the month of August 31 days long.

Leo (July 23 - August 22) is the zodiacal sign and constellation for the lion. Both the bull and the lion had significance in Babylonian mythology. Six stars form the sickle of Leo. The brightest star, Regulus, is at one end of the handle. Regulus was a Royal star that ruled over the second quarter of the ancient year. The lion probably represented summertime heat in Mesopotamia and the kingly qualities found in leaders. Julius and Augustus chose to insert their named months under the sign of Leo.

Virgo (August 23 - September 22), the virgin goddess, denotes the sign and constellation of Astraea. Man's increasing complexity caused the Greek virgin goddess of justice to leave the Earth when she felt no longer needed. Linked to Phoenician Astarte, she represented the Earth - mother fertility issue by announcing the fall harvest. The last four months of the old Roman Calendar had numerical names. Sept is the Latin prefix for the seventh month, in September of the former Roman year.

Libra (September 23 - October 23) opposes the spring equinox in the center of the zodiac. The balance scales show the distinction of the autumnal equinox. From the Latin, Libra means balance and symmetry. During the equinox 2,000-years ago, the sun crossed the celestial equator, or ecliptic near to Libra. The beginning of autumn has drifted westward into Virgo. Libra depicts scales for the goddess of justice, Virgo. Libra has been the claws of Scorpio. Libra owes its importance to the position held in the zodiacal circle. Octo is the Latin prefix that describes October as the eighth month.

Scorpio (October 23 - November 21) is the constellation for the scorpion and the first of the watery signs. Probably, the watery signs once marked the rainy season of Mesopotamia. Scorpio is the eighth constellation of the zodiac belt. Scorpio lies between Libra and Sagittarius and contains the brilliant red star Antares. Antares is the Royal star that once marked the fourth quarter of the year. Novem resulted in the ninth month, November.

Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21) is the celestial archer in the heavens. Pictured as a centaur, Sagitta translates from the Latin phrase to represent an arrow. Sagittarius is also a traveler, or an explorer, whose arrow aims at the scorpion. Deca provided December for the tenth and last 36-day month in the former year.

Capricorn (December 22 - January 20) is related to the festival Saturnalia of the Romans. The goat constellation is named from the Latin Caper or goat, plus the Cornu, which means horn. The mythological animal has the body of a horse or goat, with usually a single horn pointing outward from the forehead. The sun enters Capricorn on the winter solstice, or about December 22 in our Gregorian Calendar. Saturnalia attached Capricorn to Saturday in the early Roman Calendar of 10-months. Saturday ends the week and Saturnalia once ended the year. In the Julian 12-month calendar, Capricorn began the New Year after 360-days by adding the last 5-days. A year of 365-days in the original Julian system completes on December 31.

Aquarius (January 21 - February 19) is the famed water bearer sign that pours the water upon the ground so that the crops will grow. The named watery constellations of the zodiac include Capricornus, the sea goat, followed by Aquarius, the careless water carrier and dominant figure of the watery zodiacal scene. Aquarius spills the water urn to mark an irregular stream of dim stars. The waters of life descend into the mouth of the Southern Fish or Pisces.

Pisces (February 20 - March 20) is the last watery sign and the last constellation in the annual zodiac. Two imaginary fish tie together with a long ribbon, knotted at either end or center. The bright Pisces Austrinus star is a first magnitude star and the brightest in the watery constellations. Called Fomalhaut and pronounced Fo-mal-hut, the name is corruptive of the Arabic Fum al Hut, meaning the mouth of the fish. The cord ties together one fish before the upcoming equinox and the other for the dual end of the equinox that leads into Aries and the new zodiacal year.

Early church fathers combined the Julian Calendar with Jewish Calendar influence. Declaring Sunday, rather than Saturday, as the persistent Christian Sabbath Day served the Roman definition of changing the days at midnight. Subtracting 5-days from December 31 results in the older Roman year ending on December 26 of the later Julian dating plan. To maintain their Roman purification festival on February 15, Romans observed the same 50-day interval between the day after the New Year's Day and Februarius by reducing January from 36 days to 31 days. Reducing December from 36 days to 31 days accomplished the same 5-day omission as returning to the former 10-month, 360-day Roman year. Augustus Caesar modified the calendar by 354 CE, which spread the last 5-days prior to December 26. Christ's Mass observation on December 25 instead of December 26 maintained Jewish tradition of counting days at twilight on December 25. Another way of figuring the winter solstice or New Year's Day of the Julian Calendar, is to use the modern solstice approximation of December 22. Since the Gregorian Calendar rule concerning centennial leap days was not yet effective, 3-days would need adding to slip the winter solstice for each 100-years of the total 300-years. Three days added to December 22 places the winter solstice on December 25 of the year 354 AD. The intentions of the founding church fathers was to place Christmas Day on New Year's Day and the Roman festival Februarius on February 15 every year. Gregorian Calendar changes in 1,582 CE dealt only with the days between New Year's Day and the spring equinox. The other days fell into place.