Moon's gravitational pull changes horoscope and Zodiac signs

Boy Wonder · Jan 13, 2011

If you're the type of person who relies on mysterious-sounding locations of stars to determine your personality and outcome in life, get ready to be shocked.
The field of astrology, which is concerned with horoscopes and the like, felt a major disruption from astronomers, who are concerned with actual stars and planets. The astronomers from the Minnesota Planetarium Society found that because of the moon's gravitational pull on Earth, the alignment of the stars was pushed by about a month.
"When [astrologers] say that the sun is in Pisces, it's really not in Pisces," noted Parke Kunkle, a member of the group's board. Your astrological sign is determined by the position of the sun on the day you were born, so that means everything you thought you knew about your horoscope is wrong.
It turns out that astrology has had issues from its inception. (Aside from the fact that it tries to link personality traits with positions of the stars.) Ancient Babylonians had 13 constellations, but wanted only 12, so threw out Ophuchicus, the snake holder. Libra didn't even enter the picture until the era of Julius Caesar.

According to the Minnesota Planetarium Society, here is where the real signs of the Zodiac should fall. Get ready for your world to change forever.
Capricorn: Jan. 20-Feb. 16.
Aquarius: Feb. 16-March 11.
Pisces: March 11-April 18.
Aries: April 18-May 13.
Taurus: May 13-June 21.
Gemini: June 21-July 20.
Cancer: July 20-Aug. 10.
Leo: Aug. 10-Sept. 16.
Virgo: Sept. 16-Oct. 30.
Libra: Oct. 30-Nov. 23.
Scorpio: Nov. 23-29.
Ophiuchus: Nov. 29-Dec. 17. (Yep, this one is new — read all about the Ophiuchus way of life here)
Sagittarius: Dec. 17-Jan. 20.

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Just google it and you'll see plenty of articles on it
or check your facebook (my friends are going crazy...alright, I am, too).

I never believed in stuff like horoscopes, but I used to read them because I thought they were interesting. And I always felt special being a Libra ; ;
Now I'm a Virgo?
~~DAMN IT, I'M GOING TO BE A VIRGIN FOREVER~~

EDIT: Now I'm hearing that the gravitational pull isn't affecting the horoscopes? Anybody who knows astrology want to teach me something here?

Misty · Jan 13, 2011

Guess I'm a Libra now.

nbd, I always thought it was funny that I was a Scorpio. I still consider myself one. Horoscopes really don't mean anything imo, doesn't matter if they're astrologically correct to me.

Luna Lovegood · Jan 13, 2011

I can't wait until everyone's personality and chemistry with others suddenly changes.

lolololol horoscopes.

Spaze · Jan 13, 2011

Oh wow. XD

I guess this makes me a Gemini? ; ; I'll miss being a crab.

Sara · Jan 14, 2011

I'm a Pisces. I have no idea what I was before, so I really don't care. lol...

I heard about this on the early news today and I thought they found a new constellation or something, not a whole gravitational pull. Huh...

Fork · Jan 14, 2011

Meh. I'm still a Taurus.
But oh dear, my girlfriend is an Aries now! Are we even compatible?!

Yeah. I'm sure the people who actually do care about that stuff would worry.
Still though, it's pretty interesting that something like this would even happen.

Boy Wonder · Jan 14, 2011

Tattoo parlor owners must be salivating. An assertion in a Minneapolis Star Tribune article that our understanding of the zodiac is off by about a month - and that therefore people have been identifying themselves with the wrong sign - caught fire on the internet Thursday, and many folks are in an absolute panic on social media.

"If my zodiac symbol has been changed to a Libra, what am I supposed to do with my Scorpio tattoo?!?!," read one tweet Thursday.

Some vowed to get their tats removed. Others groaned about losing the sign with which they’ve identified themselves for years. The zodiac and related terms - including Ophiuchus, said to be a 13th and neglected sign - were trending Twitter topics much of Thursday.

But before astrology fans scrape the ink from their arms because they think they're now a Virgo instead of a Libra, they should consider this: If they adhered to the tropical zodiac - which, if they're a Westerner, they probably did – absolutely nothing has changed for them.
That's worth rephrasing: If you considered yourself a Cancer under the tropical zodiac last week, you're still a Cancer under the same zodiac this week.

That's because the tropical zodiac – which is fixed to seasons, and which Western astrology adheres to – differs from the sidereal zodiac – which is fixed to constellations and is followed more in the East, and is the type of zodiac to which the Star Tribune article ultimately refers. Two zodiacs. That's nothing new.

"This story is born periodically as if someone has discovered some truth. It's not news," said Jeff Jawer, astrologer with Tarot.com.
The hubbub started with Sunday's Star Tribune article, which said the following: "The ancient Babylonians based zodiac signs on the constellation the sun was 'in' on the day a person was born. During the ensuing millenniums, the moon’s gravitational pull has made the Earth 'wobble' around its axis, creating about a one-month bump in the stars' alignment."

"When [astrologers] say that the sun is in Pisces, it’s really not in Pisces," Parke Kunkle, a board member of the Minnesota Planetarium Society, told the Star Tribune.
"Indeed," the article continued, "most horoscope readers who consider themselves Pisces are actually Aquarians." The article also asserts Scorpio's window lasts only seven days, and that a 13th constellation, Ophiuchus, used to be counted between Scorpio and Sagittarius but was discarded by the Babylonians because they wanted 12 signs per year.

True enough, Jawer says, the sun doesn't align with constellations at the same time of year that it did millennia ago. But that’s irrelevant for the tropical zodiac, codified for Western astrology by Ptolemy in the second century, he says.
In the tropical zodiac, the start of Aries is fixed to one equinox, and Libra the other.

"When we look at the astrology used in the Western world, the seasonally based astrology has not changed, was never oriented to the constellations, and stands as … has been stated for two millenniums," Jawer said.

People who put stock in astrology can ask whether they should adhere to the tropical zodiac or the sidereal zodiac. Jawer argues for the tropical.
"Astrology is geocentric. It relates life on Earth to the Earth’s environment, and seasons are the most dramatic effect, which is why we use the tropical zodiac," he said.
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No, your Zodiac sign hasn't changed.
I don't have a Libra tattoo B|
...alright, I am planning on getting one.

The Twin · Jan 14, 2011

According to this, I'm a Gemini now instead of a crab. Dang.

Do I believe it? Not really. I don't believe a random bunch of stars is the reason behind my sucky love life yet amazing artistic talents. I brought that upon myself. Yes, even the love life bit.

(well okay maybe not the love life bit)

Korra · Jan 14, 2011

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/13/no-your-zodiac-sign-hasnt-changed/?hpt=C2

Link to the actual article Bueno posted.
tl;dr you're only "affected" if you're born after 2009. Your horoscope is based on the positions of the heavens at your birth, not as the universe changes.
I was so ****ing tired of seeing EVERYONE on my Facebook feed freak out about this last night. :|

P · Jan 14, 2011

Damn. I wanted to be an Ophiuchus. Looks like I'm back to being a Sagittarius.

beezygee · Jan 14, 2011

Not like this would have affected me anyways since I would still be a Pisces.
glub glub huge fish

Ophiuchus kinda sounds pretty cool though!

T3F · Jan 15, 2011

Aquarius: Feb 16-March 11
Pisces: March 11-April 18

...I am both Aquarius and Pisces???

Clawtooth · Jan 15, 2011

Like wolfie said, it's about the star sign on the day you are born, and like the article CNN posted, this is neither new news, nor is it correct. In the west, we follow the Tropical Zodiac. This Zodiac is tied more to the seasons than to the actual star signs. Therefore, unless the months have magically shifted days, your star sign hasn't changed. In the east, they follow the Sidereal Zodiac which is the one with Osephicus (spelling?) in it. The Sidereal Zodiac DOES match the stars If I remember correctly, so it's changing all the time (I think). So no, your star sign hasn't changed.

Sara · Jan 15, 2011

Sweet Bloody hell... *reading Aries, my sign8

Maybe I should believe in this stuff, this is almost exactly what I'm like. Well, except for a few things. That's awesome.

Ars Nova · Jan 16, 2011

...Huh... The contrast between Aquarius and Capricorn is intriguing. And I feel it better reflects now-burgeoning sides of my personality. Mixing the Eastern and Western forms seems to be destiny for me.

I've never read horoscopes religiously, but I did always identify with typical traits of the Aquarius (Though I often wish I was more of a Leo). Either way, I like the change. It mirrors my expanding horizons and my ability to cater to different crowds. That, and I wasn't gonna get tattoos of my sign(s), anyway.

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Moon's gravitational pull changes horoscope and Zodiac signs

Boy Wonder Dark Phoenix in Training

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