Have you ever had someone try to pick you up by saying "Hey, baby, what's your sign?" Unfortunately, I have. I was born under a starry March sky over two decades ago. I have always identified as a Pisces: sensitive, creative, and dreamy. If you, like most of our generation, grew up relying on ambiguous pseudoscience to help define your identity, you may be in for a shock.
One day as I sat in a cozy planetarium seat under the glow of artificial stars, my astronomy professor threw our class a curveball. Apparently, due to a phenomenon called precession, the planet Earth's alignment in relation to the stars changes over a period of time.
The twelve signs of the Zodiac are assigned based on the constellation that was most visible at the time of an individual's birth.
For instance, as a Pisces, the constellation Pisces was apparently visible in the sky on my birthday. However, this was not true on my birthday, but rather on my birthday over 3,000 years ago when the ancient Babylonian people created the Zodiac.
We all know that the earth rotates, but what you might not know is that it's not steady on its axis. It gradually shifts because of the moon's gravitational pull, changing our perspective of the starry skies over time.
For example, today, the North Star, or the star closest to the North Pole, is a star called Polaris. But in ancient times, the star closest to the North Pole was called Draco. When Draco was directly above the earth, the constellations of the Zodiac were also in their given positions, but as Polaris has gradually shifted into its new place, all the stars of the Zodiac have been moving, too. So, none of the constellations appear in the same place in the sky each month as they did 3,000 years ago.
Fortunately, it was easy for astronomers to figure out where the constellations of the Zodiac appear now. However, what this means is that you have a different Zodiac sign, and you've been reading the wrong horoscope for your entire life. (The stars haven't shifted significantly during our lifetimes).
Here are the dates the Zodiac signs appear in the sky today. They've shifted about a month.
When I first saw this, it truly hit me that I am no longer a Pisces, and I never was. I am apparently an Aquarius… open-minded, intellectual, and friendly. I guess I can dig it, but deep down I think we all know that the ancient Babylonians were just searching for meaning in the universe. A person's Zodiac sign has not been scientifically proven to affect personality.
Whether I'm a Pisces or an Aquarius, I am first and foremost myself, and you are you, regardless of your sign. So next time someone tries to pick you up by asking "What's your sign?" you can tell them what I told you, and… well… they'll probably just walk away.
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