Have you ever been asked ‘what zodiac sign are you’, followed by ‘ooh, I can tell’?
Whether you follow them in your culture or you believe it’s a bunch of baloney, I’m going to break it all down for you.
A zodiac sign refers to, in contemporary Western astrology, “one of the 12 divisions of the ecliptic, each consisting of 30 degrees, marked off from the point of the vernal equinox,” according to dictionary.com.
In layman’s terms, it refers to the period of time you were born and its relation to your personality. Astrology, or the study that assumes and attempts to interpret the influence of the heavenly bodies on human affairs, has been rising in popularity recently.
Many know their sun sign, which is based off of when you were born.
Your moon and rising sign, however, play a big role in shaping your personality as well.
These two signs are based off of when you were born, what timezone you were born in and what city you were born in.
We must remember zodiac signs are pivotal for some cultures, so be sensitive when talking about them out in the real world.
Even if you don’t believe in them, respect other people’s opinions and beliefs as long as they aren’t causing any harm to the people around them.
On the other hand, however, don’t use your zodiac sign to justify bad habits or negative character traits.
You can’t write off being an asshole to all of your loved ones and the barista at Starbucks because you’re a Scorpio or because mercury is in retrograde.
While it’s fun to see what signs we tend to gravitate towards and vibe with, we can’t let it dictate every single aspect of our lives.
We also definitely can’t let it be an excuse for not getting your life together or drunk texting that one ex another time on a girls’ night out.
Knowing our friends, coworkers, potential boyfriends and family’s signs can be fun especially if their sign’s characteristics do line up with a majority of their personality.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t partake in astrological wonderings from time to time but remember people are much more than their signs.
They’re fluid and ever changing humans who can grow to be the exact opposite of their signs.
All in all, don’t harass people who avidly follow astrology but also remember that your sign can’t be a crutch for bad lifestyle choices.
