The zodiac is recognized as the first known celestial coordinate system. Before looking at what the zodiac is, it is important first to understand what the ecliptic is. the apparent path of the sun across the heavens through the constellation that divide the ecliptic into twelve equal zones of celestial longitude If you were to imagine what you see when you look up into the sky, and if you tracked the apparent movement of the Sun through it, this is what is meant when the word ecliptic is used. Put simply it means the apparent pathway of the Sun through the sky as viewed from earth.The zodiac is actually a group of constellations that form the backdrop to the Sun’s apparent pathway through the sky that extends 9 degrees on either side of the ecliptic. The zodiac is recognized as the first known celestial coordinate system. The orbits of the planets (and our Moon) also fall within this zodiac belt. The etymology of the term zodiac is that it comes from the Latin z?diacus, from the ancient Greeks – zodiakos kyklos, “circle of animals”,   because most of the constellations through which the ecliptic passes represent animals (e.g., Aquarius, Virgo, Gemini and for some Libra). Although the constellations are irregular in size and shape the 12 astrological signs are generally allocated 30 degrees each.

The ecliptic was clearly identified and divided into 12 equal signs of the zodiac around 450 BC in Mesopotamia. Most reference sources indicate that the zodiac is a Babylonian invention – the oldest record of the zodiacal signs is a cuneiform horoscope from 419 BC. At the same time, Greek sources claim the discovery of the ecliptic during the second half of the 5th century BC. Like many historical developments it is quite possible that both the Greek and Babylonian cultures developed these systems at about the same time. The zodiac remains in use in modern astrology, though the issue of tropical astrology and sidereal astrology is central.

Because the Sun’s pathway through the heavens is basically constant and can be found at roughly the same spot for the same zodiac dates in each year, this is how we came to use Sun Signs: the position of the Sun in relation to the backdrop of the zodiac constellations. This system is convenient because the average person doesn’t have to have complicated planetary positions worked out to know which constellation affects them personally, the date of birth is all that is needed in most cases.

Symbolically, each of the zodiac signs (Aries – Ram(0°); Taurus – Bull(30°); Gemini – Twins(60°); Cancer – Crab(90°); Leo – Lion(120°); Virgo – Virgin(150°); Libra – Scales(180°); Scorpio – Scorpion(210°); Sagittarius – Archer(240°); Capricorn – Goat(270°); Aquarius – Water Bearer(300°); and Pisces – Fish(330°)  represent various qualities or whether the signs should be defined in terms of signs roughly aligned with the constellations of the same name.

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