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Gift ideas for Christmas, Valentine's Day and Birthday
The gift is the time when we want to demonstrate to a person dear to us, that we love him or her. You can give a gift at any time, in order to A gift can be made at any time, to confirm to a... [Read more]
The Constellations of the Zodiac
Among the 88 constellations, 12 of them are known as zodiacal, that is which are part of the zodiac. These are the 12 constellations that are more or less at the equator the Earth, and for this very... [Read more]
The Constellations of the Zodiac - Curiosities
The Constellations of the Zodiac
Among the 88 constellations, 12 of them are known as zodiacal, that is which are part of the zodiac.
These are the 12 constellations that are more or less at the equator the Earth, and for this very important position, astrology has associated them with the 12 zodiac signs, which are:
- Aries
- Taurus
- Gemini
- Cancer
- Leo
- Virgin
- Libra
- Scorpio
- Sagittarius
- Capricorn
- Aquarius
- Pisces
The concept of the zodiac originated from the Babylonians before 2000 BC as a method to measure the passing of time. The division into 12 parts arrived later and it is due to the number of constellations through which the sun apparantly moves, its names are derives from these constellations of the zodiac signs. Some symbols (animals) attributed to the zodiacal constellations (still in use today) are of Sumerian origin.
The signs of the zodiac that we know are those described for the first time by the Alexandrian astronomer Ptolemy in the second century AD.
Together with the astronomical use, we still have the basic functionality and structure of the "zodiac calendar." The Aries is the beginning of the year at the vernal equinox; Shrimp that backs from the cancer is the retreat of the sun from its northernmost point in the summer solstice; the lion, the symbol of fire, is the summer heat; the Libra corresponds to the balance between night and day, the autumnal equinox; the decline of the power of the sun is remembered by the scorpion, the symbol of darkness; the aquarium water carrier corresponds to the rainy season that, in Egypt, involved the annual flooding of the Nile; fishes symbolize the return of life and the new beginning of agriculture.
(source: http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zodiaco)