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History of Gemini Sign

In astrology the Gemini sign is the third sign of the zodiac year, and affects people born between May 21st and June 21st. In the astrological world of the zodiac, Gemini is considered the child of the zodiacal year, because being a sign with two personalities, Gemini people are considered a bit playful, alternating from one course to the next quickly and without too much thought about it.

Historically, the signs of the zodiac are relatively new in recent history, having their origins in Ancient Greek times, although many historians have proved that the key signs of the zodiac are actually much older, and can be traced to the very beginnings of human writing. Back in those times, much of what was written were historical accounts, so we can be certain that the signs of the zodiac probably predate writing, to the time when oral records of humanity’s history were passed from generation to generation almost unchanged for thousands of years.

Gemini Sign

Some historians have speculated cave drawings of people may also be an early representation of the gods and the signs. So whilst the zodiac signs, like Gemini, seem to be quite a recent discovery, they have in fact been with us for much longer, and in the eyes of astrology believers, proves that the traits and destinies inherent in zodiac signs have a long history of being known and believed, and were not just made up in recent history as is often alleged by people who see astrology as nonsense. Recent findings suggest that astrology as a religion and method of divining the future is much older than most established religions.

Amongst the Greek zodiac signs, Gemini is special, and can be traced to the story of two twin brothers, Castor and Polydeuces (also known as Pollux), one mortal, the other immortal, who were born to Queen Leda of Sparta. Castor was mortal, and his father was King Tyndareus, whilst Polydeuces was fathered by Zeus, the King of the Gods. Inseparable in life, they remain inseparable in death, and are depicted by the constellation that bears the name Gemini, with the stars Castor and Pollux forming the heads.

The story of how Castor and Polydeuces came to be in the heavens is an epic worthy of the times. Castor was an expert on horseback and with a bow, whilst Polydeuces could use his fists to box. The twins were also with Jason on his quest to bring back the Golden Fleece, but it was long after, when the two were tired of their adventures and ready to marry and have children that their story really becomes their own. The twins fell in love with the daughters of Leucippus, Phoebe and Hilaeira, who were unfortunately promised to the sons of Aphareus, Lynceus and Idas.

Gemini

Castor and Polydeuces kidnapped the sisters and brought them to Sparta where they were quickly married, and within a short time expecting children of their own. The sons of Lynceus were determined to steal back their promised brides and ambushed Castor and Polydeuces, and when Castor was lying dead, Polydeuces pleaded with Zeus to give him his life back. Zeus agreed, but only on condition they share Polydeuces immortality, thus the twins spend half of their day in Hades, and half of their day in Olympus, and mortals only see them when they rise from Hades to Olympus early in the dawn morning.

Despite our knowledge of Gemini as representing the brothers Castor and Polydeuces, or Castor and Pollux as Roman people knew them, in fact the story isn’t directly about two heroes. The true meaning of the story relates the stars, known by the same name as the boys, which are the first to rise at dawn, a little before the sun obscures them, and more importantly, the two stars only rise in spring. Thus, the Gemini sign is particularly special because of it’s connection with rebirth and the spring equinox.

The Gemini sign though is restricted to the northern hemisphere, with almost all ancient civilizations, from Asia, the Europe, North Africa, and North America giving special significance to the rising of the twin stars during spring. Even people who have migrated over the equator in Africa and Asia still have myths that relate to twins that fight to be immortal, yet in Australia, where the oldest and most isolated branch of humanity exists, the Aboriginal people have no knowledge of immortal twins, suggesting the myths shared by so many cultures were formed in the north after humanity spread from Africa 50-75,000 years ago.

Before the Greeks and Romans told the story of Castor and Polydeuces, other civilizations around them were already very familiar with the twin stars. Ancient Egyptians saw the twin stars as two goats who return to their goat herd at dawn, and included the two stars in their Ramissede Hour Tables, a scientifically useful measurement of time during the day.

Gemini Sign

Nobody is sure when the ancient Egyptians first started studying astronomy and creating myths around the stars, but we do know that at the same time the ancient Babylonians referred to the twin stars as Gilgamesh and Enkidu, together known as Mastabba Galgal. They were two heroes, also twin brothers, who fought a series of epic battles against the gods as they sought to attain immortality. Curiously, they were worshipped for the same reasons as the Greeks leading to the theory the Greeks borrowed the story of the Gemini twins Babylon, and then changed them to suit their own history.

Earlier still in ancient Vedic books from India the twin stars appear as Nakula and Sahadeva, two of the Ashvin horseman of Indian folklore. The Mithuna, an Indian constellation in which the two horseman appear, is an almost exact match with the Greek constellation of Gemini, and can hardly be coincidental, so Greek zodiac signs must have their origins in the ancient oral history of humanity long before writing was invented.

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History of Chinese Astrology

Chinese astrology is an ancient philosophy and form of fortune telling that is interpreted by knowing the exact day of a person’s birth, and using charts of the sun and the major planets allows practitioners to develop a horoscope and life chart for the person whose fortune is being determined. In common with western astrology, the Chinese variant is believed to be useful in predicting a person’s character and their potential for happiness and success in life.

Forms of ancient Chinese astrology have existed since the dawn of civilization along the valleys of the Yellow River in mainland China, although parts of the mythology may even predate the first human settlements and could be shamanic in origin. Archaeological evidence from between 3000 and 4000 Bc, about 5,500 years ago suggests that ancient Chinese rituals were already developed and that the Chinese Zodiac was already known.

Earliest myths in Chinese history suggest horoscopes were being prepared at the court of Emperor Huang Ti, who is considered the first true emperor of China and is believed to have lived in the 26th century BC, well over 4,500 years ago. The first written horoscope known to archaeologists which includes the 12 zodiac signs dates from sometime in the Shang dynasty (began 1760BC) and was written on a tortoise shell.

chinese-zodiac

Nobody is certain when Chinese astrology developed it principles and who first suggested using animals for the names of the years, but we do know that for most of the last 2,500 years Chinese astrologers have used a 12 year cycle, each named after an animal, and with the addition of a major planet for each cycle giving Chinese astrology a 60 year cycle before the names of the years start to repeat again.

Each year is named after an auspicious animal from Chinese mythology, the rat, buffalo, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and boar, each of which are considered to have both positive and negative qualities although the negative qualities are rarely considered character flaws, rather lacking certain prowess. The five planets known to ancient Chinese astronomers were Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn and each was associated with a natural element, water, metal, fire, wood, and earth respectively.

Nobody is quite sure how the signs of the Chinese zodiac came to be known after animals although legends from China tell of several beautiful stories. Probably the oldest origin lies with the Jade King, an ancient Chinese god who predates Confucianism or Buddhism and who had been so busy creating the earth and all its magnificent rivers, mountains, oceans, and all of the animals and then became disillusioned with men who he considered disloyal and a terrible influence in his creation.

Deciding to set some rules for men to live by and curb their natural urges to destroy their surroundings he looked down from heaven for a person who would be respected by men and be able to enforce the Jade King’s rules. Not seeing anyone suitable since all men were only interested in their own welfare he invited all the animals to meet him and enter a race to decide the 12 animals who would be given the honor.

Chinese Zodiac ChartIn some legends the race was a fair distance over mountains, across deserts and a mighty river before finishing at a small village, but in other stories the race was a simple affair requiring only a short run followed by a river crossing. In any event the order of the animals winning the race is always the same, being won by the rat who hitched a rid on the back of the ox and scampered off it’s back as it reached the opposite shore. The ox came second closely followed by the tiger, and then the rabbit to everyone’s surprise.

The dragon was next, and should have won the race but was a kindly soul who kept stopping to help other contestants. The snake hid in the hoof of the horse and then startled it at the finish to claim the 6th position. The ram, monkey, and rooster all arrived together after working as a team, followed by the dog who had stopped to bathe in the river, and lastly the pig who needed a meal before attempting the river crossing.

Later legends tell that the Great Buddha called the animals to a meeting just before he attained the final nirvana to pass on his wisdom and some advise to the animals who serve men, but only 12 animals turned up and they were each granted a place in the Chinese zodiac as their reward. The Buddha is reputed to have lived in the 25th century BC whilst the Jade King was known before this time so we must assume that the buddhists of the time adopted Chinese legend around the time that Buddhism was gaining popularity in China.

We know that at the time of Confucius, about 100 years before the birth of the Buddha that Chinese astrology was an important part of both court life and also of the ordinary citizen with Confucius himself quoted saying “Heaven sends down its good or evil symbols and wise men act accordingly”, and not long later the great Chinese astrologer Zou Yen who founded the School of Yin-Yang writing in the 2nd century BC that “When some new dynasty is going to arise, heaven exhibits auspicious signs for the people”.

Confucius

Confucius

Historical writings from the Tang dynasty which began around 600 AD attest to there being an encyclopedia of astrology in existence which defined every part of Chinese astrology and offered details of how to prepare a horoscope in accordance with the principles of Yin and Yang and Feng Shui. By this time Chinese astrology as we know it today was more or less completely known and understood, and had spread to other parts of Asia under Chinese influence including Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.

Chinese astrology remained largely unknown to the western world until the 17th century when trade with China started in earnest. The huge interest in Confucianism at the time exposed western astrologers to Chinese thought, though it wasn’t until the 20th century that Chinese astrology gained many adherents outside of Asia. The late 20th century, especially the 1990s witnessed a proliferation of books being published on Feng Shui and Chinese Astrology leading to many westerners adopting Chinese traditions in their own lives.

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History of Zodiac Signs

The signs of the zodiac are a belief that certain time periods, for example the 12 months of the year, or the cycles of the moon hold special value and can be used to predict the fortunes and life of the person born under the sign. Astrologists are people considered to have a gift for reading the signs and usually study for many years to understand the meanings behind the zodiac.

In ancient times before humans settled in villages and before the invention of writing the ability to predict the passage of the sun, moon, and other sky objects was particularly useful because memorizing the positions of the stars and planets in relation to the moon was the only way ancient people had of predicting the changing of seasons, determining where they were, and appeasing the gods who were known to be fickle and constantly warring against each other and occasionally against people as well.

Astrology

In modern times we see the stars and planets as celestial objects with mass and their own orbits rather than as gods, but we shouldn’t discount the value of the ancient’s observations since it was they who produced the first calendars and calculations we still use today for tracking the movement of celestial objects. Their need to predict other portentious sky events such as comets helped lay the groundwork for modern astronomy.

In the earliest known times, around 6000-7000 years ago, Mesopotamian priests in the Sumer valley would track the movements of the sun, the moon, and Venus in relation to the stars as they appeared during the year. The sun, moon, and Venus were considered gods, and their path thru the sky would be used to indicate the changing seasons, and the summer and winter solstices. The patterns in the stars weren’t considered terribly important, although events such as shooting stars were either a sign of good luck or of impending doom depending on the reading of the priest at the time.

Ancient Astrologers

Ancient Astrologers

Indian astronomers in Vedic times used the passage of the sun to understand the changing of the seasons and identified the sun with Vishnu who was said to have three aspects, the ram, the lion, and the bull, coincidentally, symbols that made their way into modern astrology from the shifting political landscape of the Near East and India under Alexander the Great.

Ancient Egyptians were perhaps the first to identify portents relating to the individual in the stars and passage of the sun and moon and other celestial objects. Records indicate that as early as 2750 BC astrologers were writing horoscopes for important people in Egyptian society although these were not based on signs of the zodiac so aren’t direct ancestors of today’s horoscope readings.

Around 1300BC or perhaps a little earlier, Assyrian people in the Near East started to gain power and influence in the region and conquered or absorbed most of their neighbors and noticed the further away from home they traveled that the stars were always the same, perhaps a little higher or lower in the sky but essentially the same, leading them to develop constellations, an act that made for more accurate calendars. They borrowed symbols for their constellations from their own religion and the folklore of conquered people.

Originally the Assyrians had eighteen constellations but by the time of Alexander the Great these had reduced to just twelve. Greek warriors brought the knowledge of the Babylonian constellations back to ancient Greece whose priests found them to be a wonderful addition to their existing knowledge of the gods. The Babylonian zodiac had twelve constellations, Aries, Pleiades, Gemini, Praesepe, Leo, Spica, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius, and Pisces.

Greek astrologers changed the names of Pleiades, Praesepe, Spica, and Capricornus to Cancer, Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn and so they have remained to this day. Each constellation was assigned to a god or hero and special significance attached to each zodiac sign based on the strengths or magic of its namesake.

The Greeks placed enormous importance on the day of one’s birth, and with the new constellations it was now possible to determine the strengths of the person at birth and perhaps prepare their parents and then it was hoped the individual himself for the challenges ahead by knowing which god or hero would be their protector. The Greeks came to believe that a person’s life was pre-ordained and that every major event could be predicted thru knowledge of horoscopes.

tetrabiblos

Tetrabiblos

Modern astrology is mostly erived from the writings of the Greek astronomer and mathmetician Ptolomy, no relation that we know of to the Egyptian pharoahs of the same name although he was head librarian at Alexandria’s great library and so had access to all of the civilized world’s writings on the passage of the celestial bodies. His four volume work on astrology, the Tetrabiblos, described everything about astrology known to the ancient Greeks.

Subsequent Roman and Arabic knowledge of astrology is directly descended from Ptolemy’s writings. The Romans were less interested in astrology than the Greeks and medieval people, tending to disagree that a person’s life was preordained and instead preferring to place their fate in the hands of the gods and their own actions.

After the fall of the Roman Empire medieval society reverted to local folklore and astrology was lost to western society until the Arab world rediscovered Ptolomy’s writings around the turn of the first millennium. Astrology was largely unchanged from Greek times into the renaissance period despite disappearing from daily use for several hundred years. Protestant and puritan Christians rejected astrology as un-Christian, but in Catholic parts of Europe the signs of the zodiac and horoscopes were often identified with the power of the saints.

In the 20th century astrology found new converts in the western world particularly the US where people were seeking more meaning to life as the traditional community based around a local church started to disappear. Astrology was easily adopted by people investigating other faiths such as buddhism, wicca, kaballah and other esoteric traditions. Many tarot readers found great synergy with astrology and have helped to keep the ancient art of astrology alive into the 21st century.

Zodiac Signs

Zodiac Signs

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