A Beginner’s Guide to the Zodiac Universe

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at FSU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Zodiac signs have gained widespread popularity in recent years. There have been fictional books and TV shows about it; anyone can look up their horoscope, and most people are familiar with their Zodiac sign. However, it can be challenging to decipher what it all means. What are the qualities of each sign? Does it impact your life?

Let’s start by acknowledging the difference between astronomy and astrology. Astronomy is the study of the universe and space around Earth, and it’s academically studied as a science. Astrology is more spiritual; it’s the idea that the movement of celestial bodies influences human life on Earth. It’s based on the movement of the constellations (which the Zodiac signs are named after) in reference to the Sun and Moon as Earth revolves around the Sun.

With that said, it can be fun to consider what the constellations might be saying about the day! So, what does it all mean?

The Water Signs

The water signs include Cancer (June 22 to July 22), Pisces (Feb. 19 to March 20), and Scorpio (Oct. 24 to Nov. 21). They’re known to be the most empathetic, sensitive, artistic, emotional, and perceptive people. They’re the people you want to go to when you have some tea to spill, or when you need advice.

The Fire Signs

The fire signs are Leo (July 23 to Aug. 22), Aries (March 21 to April 19), and Sagittarius (Nov. 22 to Dec. 21). Fire signs are known as the most passionate and driven people. These signs are usually quite extroverted, with a strong spirit. They’re thought to be more impulsive and spontaneous, which, though often a good thing, can sometimes lead to destruction.

The Earth Signs

The Earth signs are: Taurus (April 20 to May 20), Capricorn (Dec. 22 to Jan. 19), and Virgo (Aug. 23 to Sept. 22). They are thought to be more grounded, stable, and reliable than the other signs. While this groundedness is typically a good thing, it can also lead to excessive stubbornness, too much resistance to change, or too much attention to detail, causing them to miss the big picture.

The Air Signs

The air signs include Aquarius (Jan. 20 to Feb. 18), Libra (Sept. 23 to Oct. 23), and Gemini (May 21 to June 21). They’re the more logical signs, often compartmentalizing their emotions using logic to sort through them more easily. Much to the contrary of Earth signs, the air signs aren’t at all grounded most of the time and are typically known to be very social. They’re usually thought to be intellectual and analytical, with fairly good communication skills.

compatibility

As anyone with any inkling towards Zodiac signs knows, different signs have different compatibilities, both in friendship and romantic love.

In a friendship, water signs often bring a sense of acceptance and empathy to the other person, fire signs often bring spontaneity and fun, earth signs often bring loyalty and mindfulness, and air signs often bring thought-provoking conversation and, occasionally, a refreshing perspective.

Love, though, is always more nuanced than friendship, and it’s the same with the signs. Because love is such an intimate experience for every individual, to describe compatibility in relationships with the signs, one would have to look at each sign.

Generally, though, the water signs crave a partner able to match their sensitivity and see them for who they really are. The fire signs crave a passionate and exciting relationship with a partner who also values that in a relationship (perhaps another fire sign). The earth signs crave stability, security, and loyalty in a partner. The air signs crave someone they can be free-spirited with — or at least so they say.

Retrograde… What Does It Mean?

And finally… retrograde. If you’re at all involved in the Zodiac world, you’ve heard the word. You’ve heard something like “Mercury’s in retrograde.” The question is… what on Earth does it mean?

In astronomy (not astrology), when a planet is in retrograde, it simply means that, from our viewpoint on Earth, a certain planet is appearing to move backward instead of forward. The planet isn’t actually moving backward (all the planets, including Earth, orbit the Sun in the same direction), but different planets have different rates of revolution around the Sun, causing a visual illusion.

In astrology, retrograde is basically a fancy way of saying that some disruption is going to happen. It doesn’t have to be a bad thing, though! Maybe it’s an unpleasant event, like stress or fatigue. Oftentimes, people see this as a time for contemplation or to take a breather.

Astrology can be a fun thing to think about. Now, if anyone brings it up, you’ll know what they’re talking about!

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