The Zodiac: Zodiac Signs
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 that is called the ecliptic. The zodiacal circle is divided into twelve parts, each part containing thirty degrees of space called the signs of the Zodiac. Thus a sign is a one-twelfth division of the zodiacal circle and is denned 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 twelve signs of the Zodiac are Aries (Mesha), Taurus (Vrishabh), Gemini (Mithuna), Cancer (Kataka), Leo (Simha), Virgo (Kanya), Libra (Thula), Scorpio (Vrischika), Sagittarius (Dhanu), Capricorn (Makara), Aquarius (Kumbha), and Pisces (Meena). It is these twelve signs through which the planets travel or transit from west to east, going through one sign after another in their order from Aries to Pisces. Each sign possesses a specific influence. The planets also as they travel around the Zodiac exert an influence according to their separate nature and position in the Zodiac. Although according to modem Astrology there are twelve planets viz., Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu, Kethu, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, Hindu Astrology recognises only the first nine. Each sign of the Zodiac is owned by a planet who is termed as its ‘ruler’. Sun and Moon rule one sign each viz., Leo and Cancer respectively. Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn rule two signs each. There is controversy about Rahu and Kethu ruling some signs but the fact is that they being shadow planets do not own any signs but cast their influence according to signs in which they are placed, or lords of those signs, or according to planets influencing them by aspect or association. Mars rules Aries and Scorpio, Mercury Gemini and Virgo, Jupiter Sagittarius and Pisces, Venus Taurus and Libra and Saturn Capricorn and Aquarius.
