Consider the facts. About 86 percent of world population is reading wrong horoscope daily! There are, actually, 13 zodiac constellations, and not 12. Ophiuchus (the serpent holder), the 13th sign, is sandwiched between Scorpio and Sagittarius.

Most of us know our "sun signs" but only a few, actually, understand what it means. The first question that comes to mind is what zodiac means and what are constellations?

Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, defines the zodiac as an imaginary belt in the heavens extending approximately 8 degrees on either side of the Sun's apparent path (the ecliptic). There is a zodiac in western astrology (Tropical Zodiac), a different one in Vedic astrology, and a very different one in Chinese astrology. In western astrology, the zodiac is a band on the celestial sphere that contains the perceived paths of the Sun, Moon, and principal planets and is divided into twelve equal parts of 30° each, called "signs of the zodiac" or "astrological signs", each named after a constellation. At the centre of this band is the plane of the ecliptic. The width of the zodiac allows for the fact that the orbits of the other bodies are inclined relative to plane of the ecliptic, and thus extend about 8º beyond the ecliptic.

A constellation is a group of stars visibly related to each other in a particular configuration. The constellations are totally imaginary things that poets, farmers, astronomers and astrologers have made up. The real purpose for the constellations is to help us identify the different stars. The constellations help by breaking up the sky into more manageable bits. They are used as mnemonics, or memory aids. The zodiac includes twelve of the constellations that the ecliptic crosses. It, actually, crosses a thirteenth - Ophiuchus. The Royal Astronomical Society confirmed this in 1995.

In 1988, John Mosley of Griffith Observatory, in his paper "Born Under Ophiuchus and Ignored by the Horoscopes: A Modern Dilemma", observed, "When the astrological sun sign system was set up more than two thousand years ago, these signs only approximately coincided with the constellations. Cancer, for example, is a small constellation, and Pisces is huge, but both are accorded one-twelfth of the sun's annual path." Such a situation caused confusion amongst astrologers since its interpretation was mostly arbitrary.

This was the position 2600 years ago. Fortunately, things are clearer now. It has been found that as it spins, the Earth is wobbling just like a top, which is slowing down. This wobbling is called 'precession', and it's so slow that the earth takes 25,800 years to complete one wobble. "Originally, the sun was in front of the stars of Gemini during the first two weeks of May. Now in 1988, the sun is in front of the stars of Taurus during the same two weeks."

"Not only has the position of the sun on the first day of spring shifted over the past few thousand years; so has the position of the sun on every date. For example, the sun used to enter Cancer at the moment of the summer solstice (hence the term Tropic of Cancer for the latitude where the sun is overhead on that date). This year (i.e. 1988) the sun is in Gemini on the summer solstice. Beginning in 1990 the sun will be in Taurus at the summer solstice, two constellations off its 'original' position."

The astrologers knew about such a dilemma from as early as 2nd century B.C. when the Greek astronomer, Hipparchus, in fact, discovered the Earth's wobble. "The sun was supposed to be in Aries as spring began, but it was really in front of the stars of Pisces. The astrologers took this bombshell in stride and declared that the signs drifted with the sun and that the sun was still in the sign of Aries, even though it was in front of the stars of Pisces", says Mosley. So the constellations have stayed in the same direction, but the signs have drifted to the west.

"If you were born during the first two weeks of May 2600 years ago, you were born when the sun was in both the sign and constellation of Taurus. Now, during those weeks, the sun is in Aries. Astrologically speaking, you are still a Taurus; astronomically speaking you are an Aries."

"Of the 366 possible birth dates, the sign astrologers use corresponds to the astronomical constellation only 14 percent of the time. The astrological sign is off by one constellation for 84 percent and by two constellations for the other 2 percent", Mosley further contends.

Ophiuchus appears between November 30 and December 17, thereby disturbing the astrological calculations
'Ophiuchus' is derived from the Greek words ophis (serpent) and cheiro-o (to handle); hence Serpent Bearer (See Picture). Ophiuchus represents Aesclepius, believed to be the first doctor of medicine and an ancestor of Hippocrates (the great physician); and serpens was his symbol of healing. The serpent is the symbol for venom that can both cure and kill. Ophiuchus controls it and uses it to heal. This same snake is found on the symbol of medicine worldwide.

So, does this mean, astrologers were wrong all along? "No," asserts Western astrologer Zane Stein, "In the US, Canada, and most of Europe, the main astrology is Western or Tropical. It is 12 signs based on dividing the space between the solstices and equinoxes into thirds. So the first day of Aries is the first day of Spring (Spring equinox), the first day of Summer is the first day of Cancer (Summer Solstice), and likewise for Libra and Capricorn."

"The astrologers who use the Tropical Zodiac believe that it is the relation of the Sun and Earth that makes the zodiac signs, and that the constellations were only coincidental in giving meanings. After all, some of them don't really look anything like the animal or symbol they are supposed to look like! And tropical astrologers do not use Ophiuchus because they are dividing the quadrants between the solstices and equinoxes into equal portions, and these are the signs they use."

Another Western astrologer Patrick Arundell on his website concludes, "With regard to the twelve zodiac signs, these start from the Sun's position on the first day of the Northern Spring called the first point of Aries. Although each of the twelve zodiac signs from Aries to Pisces are divided into 30-degree units and named after a nearby constellation, each's meaning is not dependent on that constellation. Therefore those who believe in astrology can continue to do so with total confidence."


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RAJIV BHALLA

After four year gap,there are a leap year and 13th sign genrated in leap year,not in regulerly.The day of 29th Feburary,and the Poornima of Diwteeya Samat-Maas,there are a 13th sign.