СОУГ „Кирил Пејчиновиќ“ – Тетово

Проектна задача по предметот Англиски јазик

The Zodiac Signs

Ментор: Билјана Николоска Изработила: Мила Анѓелкоска

Март 2022
 Contents:

page
1. Introduction ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3
2. What is the Zodiac? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4
3. The Origins of the Zodiac --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5
4. The modern Zodiac signs ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6
5. Astrology and Birth charts -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7
6. The bad side of believing in Astrology and the Zodiac Signs ---------------------------------- 8
7. Quadruplicities --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10
8. Houses ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10
9. Conclusion -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13
10. Used Literature --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14

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 1) Introduction

Have you ever wondered what the signs of the Zodiac mean? For example when we turn on
the TV and we always see different advertisements for horoscope predictions. People call in and
get the predictions they have been looking for. Or even when the newspaper first arrives, some
people go to the horoscope section first. They base the entire day or entire week on the report
they get. It seems that nowadays this phenomenon is quite popular.

Most people already know that each individual’s zodiac sign is based off of their date of
birth. The month and the day of a person’s birthday is what determines a single person’s zodiac
sign.

It is possible that the zodiac and astrology are complete nonsense, that the planets and the
moon and the sun have no impact on our personalities or the way our lives pan out. Most
descriptions and superstitious myths of astrology actually reveal truth in some ways and whether
or not people believe, the debate still continues.

What is the downside to becoming aware of these patterns we might have, given how the sky
was arranged at our time of birth? It seems especially valuable if these insights are able to serve
as a social lubricant to start a more substantial conversation, sometimes they even help
understand yourself as a person better.

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 2) What is the Zodiac? Constellations?

The "zodiac" is the area of the sky that the sun, moon, and planets move through from the
perspective of the earth. It's centered on the ecliptic, the path the sun traces, and extends about
eight degrees on either side. The zodiac is narrow because most of the planets have orbits that are
only slightly inclined to the one of the Earth. The exception is Pluto, whose orbital inclination of
takes it out of the zodiac during part of its orbit.

And in rough alignment with that astronomical zodiac are the constellations of the zodiac,
twelve large constellations, each assigned a 30º segment of the full 360º of the zodiac that the
sun moves through over the course of the year. The northern zodiac constellations – Pisces,
Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer and Leo – are located in the eastern celestial hemisphere, while
the southern – Virgo, Libra, Scorpius, Sagittarius, Capricornus and Aquarius – are found in
the west.

The word zodiac comes from the Greek (“zōidiakos”), meaning the “circle of animals”
and seven of the constellations found along the ecliptic represent animals, as they did in Greek
and Roman times: Aries (the Ram), Taurus (the Bull), Cancer (the Crab), Leo (the Lion),
Scorpius (the Scorpion), Capricornus (the Goat), and Pisces (the Fish).

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 3) The Origins of the Zodiac (Babylonian mythology)

The story of the zodiac begins in Babylon somewhere between 1300 and 1000 BCE, when
Babylonian astronomers formed a very comprehensive list of stars and constellations. In it, they
set down the first official zodiac we have on record, containing seventeen or eighteen
constellations.

They start with the Pleiades, a bright cluster of seven stars which they called "the star cluster"
or "the bristle". Next was the constellation of Taurus, which was the bull of heaven - the
mythical monster released by Ishtar to battle Gilgamesh, and it does noticeably resemble a
horned head, which might have inspired the concept of the bull of heaven in the first place. After
follows the loyal shepherd of heaven, the precursor to the constellation of Orion; the old man -
Perseus; the scimitar – Auriga, that don’t have much of a story behind them. Next zodiac figure
in the great twins, also known as the Gemini. The Babylonian great twins represented two minor
gods, Lugal-irra (always on the left) and Meslamta-ea (always on the right), twin guardians of
doorways and possibly guardians of the underworld, who would chop the dead into pieces as
they passed through the gates. Following is the constellation of the Cancer, which throughout
the years has been considered to be the crab, crayfish, snapping turtle or even a scorpion. Next is
the lion, the precursor to Leo. It’s one of the earliest recognized constellations, and possibly
represented in the mythology by the monster Humbaba, another critter killed by Gilgamesh. Next
up is the seed-furrow - Virgo, which to the Babylonians represented the goddess Shala, deity of
grain, fertility and compassion, and usually portrayed as a woman holding an armful of plants, or
sometimes a massive double-headed mace. Then come the scales – the constellation of the
Libra, a small constellation without a clear shape that represents a lot of different things: a boat,
sometimes it's combined with the constellation scorpio to form its claws, but to the Babylonians
scales were very important since they served as the sacred symbol of Shamash - patron god of
truth and justice and twin brother to Ishtar. The next constellation, The Scorpion, also known as
Scorpio, is very identifiable from the hooked tail, but it’s another one with no apparent
mythology. Now the overseer title for the next constellation, the one of Sagittarius, isn't very
clear, but it’s representation – the god Pabilsag - might have been a healer god or possibly a

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hunter god and his physical representation is a little uncertain. Next on the list is the goat-fish,
the constellation of Capricorn, and these creatures were symbols of the Babylonian god Ea –
god of water and the creator of humanity, also known as the future Aquarius and the next
constellation. Ea was often portrayed as a merman holding an overflowing vase of water. The
following constellation, Pisces, was subdivided by the Babylonians into a few different
constellations: the southwestern part of it is either two constellations, known as the tail and the
great swallow or it's one constellation called the tail of the great swallow and the rest of it is
either seen as a stag or as Ishtar
herself, the queen of heaven. And
finally the last constellation is the
farm worker – the constellation of
Aries.

However this isn't the only ancient zodiac since plenty of cultures worldwide have noticed the
reliable movement of the sun, moon and planets through the fixed stars make a very useful
timekeeping tool and based of that
some form of a zodiac shows up in
various belief systems in ancient
cultures.

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 4) The modern Zodiac Signs

The constellations – unlike the astrological signs – are not of equal size and shape. The
stars that make up a constellation are not, for the most part, physically related. They’re just based
on patterns that our ancestors saw as they gazed skyward and tried to make sense of it all.

In 1930, the International Astronomical Union formalized the constellations as regions of

the sky, not just the star patterns within them. With this, they defined the boundaries we use
today. These modern constellations are rooted in those the Greek astronomer Ptolemy introduced
in the second century CE. He, in turn, borrowed them from ancient Babylonian texts. With the
current boundaries, there are actually 13 constellations that lie along the sun’s path. The extra
one not listed in any horoscope is Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer, which sits between Sagittarius
and Scorpius.

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 5) Astrology and Birth charts

Astrology is the study of the correlation between

the astronomical positions of the planets and events on
earth. Astrologers believe that the positions of the Sun,
Moon, and planets at the time of a person’s birth have
a direct influence on that person’s character. These
positions are thought to affect a person’s destiny,
although many Astrologers feel that free will plays a
large role in any individual’s life.

Astrology can be used as a powerful and fun tool for understanding ourselves, others, and
the world around us. We use many different tools, or languages, to define and understand our
world. For example, we can use psychological tools and terminology to explore human behavior.
Similarly, Astrology gives us rich tools for understanding human character, and offers us a
language for communicating our observations with others.

The constellations are more familiar to us as the astrological ‘star signs’ (actually ‘sun signs’)
under which a person is born. The star sign is determined by the position of the Sun ‘in’ a
particular constellation at the time of birth. To simplify it, as the Earth moves around the Sun in
its orbit, each of the Zodiacal constellations will be hidden ‘behind’ the Sun at some point during
the year. Whatever constellation is hidden behind the Sun at the time of a person’s birth is known
as their star sign.

While the sign position of the Sun is meaningful, there is much more to Astrology than just
the Sun. In fact, Astrology is just as delightfully (and sometimes maddeningly!) complex as
people themselves. Besides the sign of the Sun, each person has a Moon sign, Mercury sign,
Venus sign, Mars sign, and so forth. Furthermore, each of the planets and luminaries fall in
particular houses (there are 12 in all) in their birth charts (also called natal charts).

Character is also believed to be influenced by the relationships the planets, luminaries, and
points have with each other. Astrologers measure these relationships by the number of degrees
between them to determine whether they form an aspect or not.

6) The bad side of believing in Astrology and the Zodiac Signs

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 The public interest in astrology and the zodiac signs has grown rapidly over the last few
years because of its popularity and so-called entertaining value in it. But there are some people
who believe in them as if they are the only important thing in their lives although they are
believed to be a superstition around the world, which causes some characteristic flaws in them.
These people think that their lives, personalities and characteristic features are shaped by the
movements of planets and stars.

The negative side of it can be seen with people who are believing it in an assertive manner.
They often make ridiculous major life decisions based on their or/and other people’s zodiac sign
that has entirely unreliable astrological predictions. Some believers choose their friends and
behave towards others differently based on their own and others’ zodiac sign.

One of the other characteristic flaws in the believers is that they convince themselves that
they have no control in their lives and they cannot change their so-called prewritten fate. They
accept every prediction regardless of what their zodiac sign says.

It is rather upsetting to see the people who make major life decisions based on astrology and
its predictions. They can damage people’s understanding of science, be harmful to people’s sense
of self and personal relationships. It weakens people's capability to look logically at the world, a
capability that people need in the world now more than ever. People should not focus on their
future from horoscopes and the predictions of it. Only they have the power of shaping their
future.

7) Quadruplicities

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In astrology, the term quadruplicity is used to refer to the grouping of certain signs into sets of
four that share the same or similar qualities. The zodiac signs are divided in three quadruplicities:

 Cardinal – described as big-picture thinkers of the zodiac, great at brainstorming and

initiating, but might not be the strongest with follow-through. They include Aries,
Cancer, Libra and Capricorn.
 Mutable – described as the most adaptable of the zodiac, however, the not-as-positive
side is that they can be wishy-washy. They include Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces.
 Fixed: These signs are known for being really great at digging their heels in — whether
you call that resolute or stubborn as hell. They include Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and
Aquarius.

8) Houses

If the zodiac signs show “how” planets express themselves, the houses of the birth chart reveal
“where” these energies play out. Each of the twelve houses of a chart rule certain areas of life,
types of people and relationships, ideas, and life circumstances.

I. The First House: Self-Image:

the image we project to others, the first impression we make, how we start things, our defense
mechanisms, our relationship with our immediate environment, our general outlook on life, and
our physical appearance. The first house is an angular house. Its natural sign ruler is Aries and its
natural planetary ruler is Mars.

II. The Second House: Self-Worth and Money:

money and personal finances, sense of self-worth and basic values, personal possessions. Its
natural sign ruler is Taurus and its natural planetary ruler is Venus.

III. The Third House: Communication:

the lower mind, communication, interactions in our immediate environment, siblings and early
environment, neighbors, thoughts, short trips, writing and speaking, how we formulate our
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thoughts, language skills, media and communications. Its natural sign ruler is Gemini and its
natural planetary ruler is Mercury.

IV. The Fourth House: Family, Home, Roots & Security:

our psychological foundations and roots, family, home life, instinctive behavior, the mother or
the more “maternal” parent/caregiver, ancestry, our connection with our past, our sense of
security, domestic life, real estate. Its natural sign ruler is Cancer and its natural planetary ruler is
the Moon.

V. The Fifth House: Self-Expression, Creativity, Pleasure and Romance:

creative self-expression, pleasure and entertainment, all forms of “play”, speculation and
gambling, pastimes, hobbies, attitude towards romance, romantic relationships, lovers as
opposed to partners, attitude towards having fun, drama, adornments and costumes. Its natural
sign ruler is Leo and its natural planetary ruler is the Sun.

VI. The Sixth House: Work and Health:

work and job (as opposed to career), techniques and methods, daily life, order, self-improvement,
health, nutrition, attitude towards food, service, attitude towards service and co-workers,
helpfulness, pets, attitude towards routine and organization, how we refine and perfect ourselves,
aptitudes. Its natural sign ruler is Virgo and its natural planetary ruler is Mercury.

VII. The Seventh House: Partnership & Marriage:

Companionship, the alter ego, partnerships, one-to-one relationships, marriage, the first
marriage, the “significant other”, business partnerships, competitors, our “shadow self”, lawyers,
mediators, counselors, contracts. The seventh house is an angular house. Its natural sign ruler is
Libra and its natural planetary ruler is Venus.

VIII. The Eighth House: Transformation and Sexuality

transformation and crisis, our attitude towards crisis and change, sexuality, death and rebirth,
personal growth and transformation, regeneration, our partner’s resources, addictions,

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psychology, others’ money, taxes, divorce/alimony, inheritance. Its natural sign ruler is Scorpio
and its natural planetary ruler is Pluto.

IX. The Ninth House: Belief Systems and Higher Learning:

our personal belief system, our sense of adventure, exploration, religious beliefs and personal
philosophy, higher education, long-distance travel, morals, foreign languages and cultures,
personal truths, publishing, commerce. Its natural sign ruler is Sagittarius and its natural
planetary ruler is Jupiter.

X. The Tenth House: Career/Profession, Responsibility, Reputation and Standing:

career and profession, contribution to society, position in society, social standing, reputation,
material success and position, how we carve out an identity for ourselves, achievement, authority
figures, paternal figures, the father or most “paternal” parent/caregiver, bosses, governments,
attitude towards responsibility, attitude towards abiding by the law, desire for achievement. Its
natural sign ruler is Capricorn and its natural planetary ruler is Saturn.

XI. The Eleventh House: Aspirations & Personal Goals, Groups:

acquaintances and friends, groups, organizations, hopes, wishes, aspirations, personal goals, our
sense of our true inner purpose, our sense of the group, humanity. Its natural sign ruler is
Aquarius and its natural planetary ruler is Uranus.

XII. The Twelfth House: Soul Growth & Undoing, Privacy and Secrets:

that which is hidden or below the surface, karma, self-undoing, soul growth, hidden strengths
and hidden weaknesses, dreams, private affairs, lost items, hospitals and prisons, spiritual
studies. Its natural sign ruler is Pisces and its natural planetary ruler is Neptune.

9) Conclusion

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 In conclusion, the zodiac in general is one big phenomenon that sparks a lot of interest in
many people around the world even if it dates back from ancient times. We can’t deny the fact
that even if it sounds like a myth or fantasy it still has quite an interesting story about itself, no
matter if we talk about its history or meaning.

It is a good idea to approach it as an imperfect language. Even if it was perfect, we are not, so
our interpretations can never be considered anywhere close to perfect.

10) Used literature

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 o https://astronomy.swin.edu.au.com
o https://earthsky.org.com
o https://cafeastrology.com
o https://www.astrologyzone.com
o https://www.shape.com

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