Teen Talk Tuesday - Zodiac and Stonehenge with Jodi
Has everyone heard about the new zodiac sign and the change in dates of all the existing ones? Everyone is talking about it! Personally, I have mixed feelings dealing with the situation.
A few days ago NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration - its mission is to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery, and aeronautics research) released the new sign called Ophiuchus the Serpent-Bearer. Since many people are not happy with their new sign after all these years, NASA said they are not changing the Zodiac signs. They study astronomy and not astrology. They didn’t change the Zodiac signs, they just did the math. Ophiuchus has always been there, it was just not included for neatness’ sake of the 12 month calendar. And the Earth’s axis has changed which changed how the night sky looks compared to Babylonian times.
The history of this new sign is that the Ancient Babylonians came up with the calendar system according to the location of the constellations throughout the year. They developed a 12 month calendar and assigned a sign to each month with equal days. They did not include the 13th constellation, because the thirteen signs did not match the twelve-month calendar.
Many people are upset about this as I am. It’s still soaking in that I have been a Pisces instead of an Aries my whole life. Well, Ancient Babylonians, no one will forget about you now.
The number 12 has been important over the years and associated with many of our traditions:
12 months to a year
12 tribes of Israel
12 disciples of Christ
12 prophets
12-note chromatic scale
12 signs of the zodiac
12 days of Christmas
12 labors of Hercules
12 inches in a foot
History of the Zodiac:
The word comes from the Greek and Latin, meaning “circle of animals.”
The original signs of the Zodiac that we are all familiar with are:
Aquarius the Water Bearer - January 20 - February 18
Pisces the Fish - February 19 - March 20
Aries the Ram - March 21 - April 19
Taurus the Bull - April 20 - May 20
Gemini the Twins - May 21 - June 21
Cancer the Crab - June 22 - July 22
Leo the Lion - July 23 - August 22
Virgo the Virgin - August 23 - September 22
Libra the Scale - September 23 - October 23
Scorpio the Scorpion - October 24 - November 22
Sagittarius the Archer - November 23 - December 21
Capricorn the Goat - December 22 - January 19
And the new:
Capricorn - January 20 - February 16
Aquarius - February 16 - March 11
Pisces - March 11 - April 18
Aries - April 18 - May 13
Taurus - May 13 - June 21
Gemini - June 21 - July 20
Cancer - July 20 - August 10
Leo - August 10 - September 16
Virgo - September 16 - October 30
Libra - October 30 - November 23
Scorpio - November 23 - November 29
Ophiuchus - November 29 - December 17
Sagittarius - December 17 - January 20
Okay, so is February 16 Capricorn or Aquarius? And what about the rest on the transition days? Eeeesh
So now which horoscope to believe?
Jodi, don’t be too upset, the signs are remaining the same.
Since Jodi talked about astrology and the zodiac, I thought I would do a little research on Stonehenge, which is one of the most well-known symbols of astrology.
- Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, England, about 8 miles north of Salisbury.
- The first Stonehenge was constructed in 3100BC. It was a large earthwork with a ditch, bank, and the Aubrey holes. The holes are about one meter wide and deep with steep sides and flat bottoms. They are in a circle 284 feet around. It is believed to be the site of religious ceremonies. It was abandoned for 1000 years.
- Around 2150BC, 82 bluestones from the Preseli mountains were brought to the site. Each stone weighs about 4 tons. At the site, they form an incomplete double circle. Heel stones were erected and the Avenue was built, aligned with summer sunrise.
- About 2000BC, the Sarsen stones were transported to the site. The largest stone weighs 50 tons. The stones form an outer circle with lintels. Five trillthons were placed in a horseshoe and those are the remains we still see today.
- In 1500BC the bluestones were re-arranged into the horseshoe we see today. There were originally around 60 of these stones.
- No one knows who built Stonehenge, but it has been proposed that it was either the Druids or early Christians. Many historians believe several distinct peoples built Stonehenge. It is also believed that it is aligned with the magnetic North Pole.
- Multiple lunar and solar alignments correlate with Stonehenge. Gerald Hawkins believes it was used to predict astronomical events. And it aligns with the summer and winter solstices.
- Stonehenge might have been used as a calendar according to some archaeologists. It has also been used as a burial site, ceremonial site, and religious pilgrimage destination.
Links of Interest:
NASA - https://www.nasa.gov/
Ophiuchus the 13th Zodiac Sign? No, it’s not! - http://www.dailyhoroscope.com/horoscope-headlines/ophiuchus-the-13th-zodiac-sign
Chaos in the Zodiac: Some Leos are Virgos Now - https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/09/26/chaos-in-the-zodiac-some-virgos-are-leos-now-but-nasa-couldnt-care-less/
Constellations and the Calendar - http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/starfinder2/en/
Stonehenge.co.uk - http://www.stonehenge.co.uk/
Stonehenge - Mystery on the Salisbury Plain - http://www.unmuseum.org/stonehen.htm
Astro-Archaeology at Stonehenge - http://www.tivas.org.uk/stonehenge/stone_ast.html
Stonehenge - British History - http://www.history.com/topics/british-history/stonehenge