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WHAT IS
THE
ZODIAC?The Zodiac is a circle of
space surrounding the
Earth. It may be imagined as a belt in the heavens about 15
degrees wide in which
the planets travel. It is the Sun's apparent path, called the
ecliptic. The zodiacal
circle is divided into twelve parts, each part containing 30
degrees of space called
the Signs of the Zodiac. Thus a sign is a one-twelfth division
of the zodiacal circle
and is defined as containing 30 degrees of celestial longitude:
12 signs each
measuring 30 degrees constitute the circle of the zodiac or 360
degrees. In this circle
the planets travel each in its own orbit, one outlying beyond
the other. The zodiac,
then, is a circle divided into twelve signs through which the
planets travel or transitfrom west to east, going through one sign
after another in their order from Aries to
Pisces. Although the zodiac is generally referred to as a circle
it is, in fact, elliptical.
Each sign possesses a certain specific influence of its own. The
motion of the Earth
around the Sun once a year causes the Sun to appear to pass
through one of the 12
signs each month. Its influence, according to location,
determines not alone the
seasons but the general nature and character of persons born at
that time.
The signs in order are:
Aries the Ram,Taurus the Bull,
Gemini the Twins, Cancer the Crab,
Leo the Lion,
Virgo the Virgin,
Libra the Scales,
Scorpio the Scorpion,
Sagittarius the Archer,
Capricorn the Goat,
Aquarius the Water-Bearer, and
Pisces the Fishes.
The signs of the zodiac do not correspond to the constellations
of the same names,although the mythologies of the signs and the
constellations are related.
The word zodiac comes from the Greek zodiakos meaning a circle.
It is often
assumed that the connection is with animals (living creatures,
from the Greek zoe
"to live" and the English zoo. However, the root meaning of
zodiakos hasnothing to do with living creatures, but instead comes
from the primitiveroot zoad, meaning a path or way or going by
steps. In this connection, it is
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used to denote the way along which the sun appears to move
through thestars in the course of the 12 months. This course is
repeated every year as theapparent position of the sun returns to
almost the exact spot that it occupied on the
same date a year before. So the path through the sky along which
the suntravels (or appears to travel) is called the zodiac and is
divided into 12
segments.
Each of these segments is marked by a group of stars which is
easily recognized.
These 12 groups of stars (constellations) have names that are
familiar to most people
and are known as the "signs" of the zodiac. Please keep in mind
that the star groups
(constellations) do not necessarily look like the objects for
which they are named,
but each is associated with the picture of the object.
The fact that the signs of the zodiac bear little resemblance
the pictures associated
with them should be of great interest to observers of the
night-time sky. Every
ancient culture with any knowledge or tradition concerning the
stars recognizes the
same 12 star groups and the same names or meanings of names.
Examine the starknowledge of whatever ancients you choose
(Babylonia, China, India,Persia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, Central
America.....) and everywhere the sameconstellations are identified
and associated with the identical or similarmeanings and names.
Answer for yourself: How can we explain this?
The only explanation for this fact is that there was one
original Source who
identified the constellations with their meanings before the
dispersion of the peoples
of the earth. God is that Source. The 12 signs as originally
given by God were a
prophetic outline of the purpose of God in the history of
salvation.
Answer for yourself: What is the role of the Zodiac in God's
salvation of mankind?
What is the message we are to hear and have we heard it yet? It
is to these issues we
continually turn in the next articles.
Blessings...Craig Lyons M.Div.
