Suddenly, a zinger about the zodiac seems to be everywhere online. If you haven’t heard, the Minnesota Planetarium Society has pointed out that the dates associated with horoscopes have been incorrect for a very, very long time. This means that the astrological sign you have always associated with yourself may be wrong. We discuss the reasons behind this age-old discrepancy, here.
Another fascinating consequence of this astronomical correction of the pseudo-science of astrology is the addition of a 13th sign, Ophiucus. This blog has enthusiastically chronicled the meaning behind this zodiac anomaly for a while now. Read about the history and meaning of this additional astrological associate, here.
Whether or not your sign has shifted overnight, regardless if you take the zodiac seriously or approach it with laughter, the meaning behind the traditional zodiac characters is fascinating and more than a little random when you look at all of symbols and names collectively. Here is some background on the history of these 12 symbols, along with the terms that relate to them:
- Aries is Latin for “ram.” In Greek mythology, the story that inspired the sign involves a brother and sister being saved from human sacrifice by a flying ram whose wool is made of gold. After the brother, Phrixus, sacrifices the ram, its wool becomes the famous Golden Fleece.
- Taurus is Latin for “bull,” and this story is a tad salacious. This bull is associated with Zeus, who appeared to the princess Europa as a bovine in order to kidnap her. The region where Zeus apparently absconded with her is a little place now known as Europe.
- Gemini, Latin for “twins,” refers to the brothers Castor and Pollux, one of whom was mortal, the other immortal. A tale goes that when the mortal Castor died, Pollux convinced Zeus to let both of them share Pollux’s eternal life. The twins purportedly found immortality as part of a constellation.
- Cancer is Latin for “crab.” The mythological basis for this sign is bizarre and minor. When Hercules was fighting the monster called the hydra, the goddess sent down a giant crab to help defeat the Greek hero. Instead of being turned into a humongous crab cake, the crab was placed in the sky to honor its valor in battle.
- The constellation of Leo, Latin for “lion,” has been identified as such by many different cultures, but in Western culture it’s generally associated with the Nemean Lion, another creature Hercules destroyed.
- Virgo, Latin for “virgin,” doesn’t have a single mythological association. The Greeks associated the constellation with their harvest goddess Demeter.
- Libra, Latin for “scales of measurement,” overlaps with the mythological meaning behind Virgo. Sometimes the scales are considered to be held by the Roman goddess Astraea, associated with justice.
- Scorpio, Latin for “scorpion,” derives from the story of Orion the hunter. Orion apparently claimed he would kill every creature on Earth. The Olympian gods, not too keen on this notion, summoned a giant scorpion to kill him. The two fought so long and hard that both were placed in the heavens to honor their toughness.
- Sagittarius means “archer” in Latin. The figure in Greek mythology is often considered to be a centaur, half man and half horse, but Babylonian mythology associates it with a bizarre creature that has wings, a scorpion’s tail, the head of a man and the head of a panther.
- Capricorn is Latin for “horned goat,” and is represented by a mythical creature known as the sea-goat, half-goat, half-shark. This imagery dates back to ancient times, but emerges in Greek myth as a goat or nymph who was the nurse-maid for the infant Zeus.
- Aquarius, Latin for “water-bearer,” is associated with a number of figures in mythology, including Ganymede, a handsome young prince whom Zeus abducted.
- Finally, Pisces, which is Latin for “fishes,” may refer to the myth of Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love, and her son, Eros, being transformed into fish to survive the wrath of another Greek monster, Typhon.
ah, ok. i want to know the corrected dates.
We discuss the reasons behind this age-old discrepancy, here.
The link goes to a blank page.
Ganymede was not a woman. He was a Trojan youth. Zeus fell in love with him, abducted him, and made him cupbearer to the gods. Ganymede was preceded in that role by a woman (well, by a goddess): Hebe, the daughter of Zeus and Hera; she was cupbearer to the gods, serving them nectar and ambrosia, until her marriage to Heracles.
first comment (: woooo
second comment 
WOOOO!
I have thoroughly enjoyed this article. Personally, I have no inclinations to astrology, but brevity aside, the wealth of information in this article is quite appealing.
I look forward to reading the comments of the more erudite astrological pundits.
so wait i dont get it……AM I STILL AN AQUARIUS?????????????
It did not change for anyone born before 2009.
A generally well-written and informative article, though I’m sure that much more could be said about each of the zodiac signs. I just have a few quibbles about the details that were given:
> The twins purportedly found in immortality as part of a constellation.
The “in” should be dropped.
> When Hercules was fighting the monster called the hydra, the goddess
> sent down a giant crab to help defeat the Greek hero.
Which goddess?
> Libra, Latin for “scales of measurement,” overlaps with the
> mythological meaning behind Virgo.
This could really use some better explanation, especially as Virgo is listed as having “not a single mythological association.” As it stands, the sentence is basically meaningless in context.
Gah, signs aren’t retroactive–i.e. even changed, your sign isn’t going to change because you were born before this happened. Seriously people, do your research.
I thought this was pretty interesting sow hat is the meaining behind the thirteenth sign, and also I checked the hot word blog on the link “HERE” and all that came up was a blank page. However I’m still impressed with this find, but I’d like to know why the signs have changed, good work!
This article explains the discrepancies…
http://planetwaves.net/pagetwo/2011/01/13/your-zodiac-sign-is-not-wrong/
Blessings !!
so wait i dont understand this blog……is my zodiac sign still aquarius or has it changed and if so then what am i now?
Where is Leo??
I am Greek and I know that Ganymedes was a man. Well, I guess Zeus was bi.
This sucks for the people with tattoos associated with their zodiac signs. What are the dates for each, now? Most internet sites are blocked on this computer.
dang, now i have to change my personality to match my new sign:)
has leo changed????
i will always be an aries no matter what
The article above spells it Ophiucus, but isn’t it spelled Ophiuchus?
Tarus to Aquarius this whole time i’ve been living a lie.
This sucks, the Libra sign was SO TOTALLY me….
*reads new sign*
Holy crap! Vigro is also SO TOTALLY ME!!!
¬_¬
Sorry to rain on everyone’s parade, here, but this research is based on sidereal astrology, which has next to nothing to do with Western astrology as we know it (which is Tropical astrology). Your sun sign did NOT change, just because of this. People periodically “discover” this information. But it really has no bearing on astrology as we know it.
Aries*
[...] link: Did your horoscope sign change? Regardless, learn what the words … No comments [...]
If this is true, how do you figure out what your new sign is.
I think horoscopes are stupid.
If my last comment was offensive, sorry. I didn’t mean it that way. I just don’t believe in horoscopes.
what is the sign for a scopio.
Who ever reads my post be informed that our signs have not changed. The Tropical seasons have changed ever since this year, ever since this Controversy of Identity Crisis, you are the same, just because you just read something that stated months changed, doesn’t mean you’re going to drastically change or something, don’t change your identity. ALSO, if anyone is born on 2011, then their signs are the new cycles of today. We are all the same. Don’t go Bah-zonked. We had a lot of reports of Astrology tattoos have been removed from people’s bodies. Such lives have been ruined…
No ones’ sign changes, and all astologers have know of the existance of Ophiucus and it’s meaning. It is not a sign that you can be born into as Leo or Aries. It lays between Scorpio and Saggitarius and has a spiritual meaning. It has always given Scorpio his passion and Saggitarius his religious couriosity. Any sign can attain the spiritual significance of this sign once that individual has achived and elevated state of their own sign. Ophiucus is a man wrestling a serpent and in traditional Christian Astrological circles is commonly accepted to represent Christ who deffeated the serpent, the Devil, when he died and rose again. Thus it’s spiritual context. This can never have an identity of it’s own such as the other signs, no one can attain this level of spirituality without working towards it.
I am appaled at the lack of research expressed by this article and am dissapointed that many of you seem to believe these allegations with no evidence in any detail. Astronomers, who have long been the enemy of Astrologers, have no right to decree what the Zodiac is or isn’t to the Astrologer. They have no respect for the practice nor do they understand it.
I asked Santa Claus about this and he referred me to the Easter bunny for it’s opinion. It said the tooth fairy said that Cupid had something to do with the change.
i want @ no if my zodiac sign changed my bday is april 5
“What’s your sign?”
This question is an inexorable constant in the bartending microverse.
My usual answer is that I was born under the Sign of the Ritual, and that it gives me plus ten willpower and the ability to turn undead once per day.
~Saf
E. Mitchell is correct. Nothing to do with it at all.
what about the cancer?? did it change?? please tell me XD
My astronomy teacher last year actually told my class about this! I hope he had something to do with this announcement, since he was so passionate about his work.
I don’t remember the details, but I think the shifts in the astrological signs has something to do with Earth’s rotation. Because earth wobbles on its axis, the zodiac constellations aren’t in the same place each time they are observed. After years and years of the wobbling Earth, the signs are about one month off. Not only that, but the 13th sign was completely written out, so anyone born from the end of November to about the middle of December may not have the “proper” sign unless they knew about Ophiuchus beforehand.
These astronomical issues have been around for quite some time, so even if they were only “discovered” recently, they still alter the constellation data for people born before 2009.
I remember our class actually got to re-calculate our zodiac signs. My birthday was right on the threshold, so my sign didn’t change. They have the revised dates online here: http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1979415/has_earths_wobble_forced_changes_in_astrological_signs/
if the zodiac didnt change til 2009, what are the dates for them now? im aries pisces cusp, i know ill stay the same, but what about my son? 2010
Zeus appeared to the princess Europa as a bovine in order to steal her away and kidnap her? Steal her away AND kidnap her? Did he intend to abduct her, too?
Yeah i don’t care if it says it’s changed, i still show traits of a Tarus.
New Signs from the website: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41062376/ns/technology_and_science-science/?GT1=43001
•Capricorn: Jan. 20-Feb. 16.
•Aquarius: Feb. 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-Aug. 10.
•Leo: Aug. 10-Sept. 16.
•Virgo: Sept. 16-Oct. 30.
•Libra: Oct. 30-Nov. 23.
•Scorpio: Nov. 23-29.
•Ophiuchus: Nov. 29-Dec. 17.
•Sagittarius: Dec. 17-Jan. 20.
I flat out refuse to become a Cancer. I only know how to be a Leo! ROAR
@Saf
Your account has been credited +2 internets.
HAHAHA Well if your going to add another sign then everyone should remember that the chinese zodiac also has a 13th sign(The Cat) that was removed. What’s also interesting is that I live in Florida and for years I’ve been telling people that the Winter cold doesn’t hit til about mid Jan and that they should move the months back to line it up. Could this mean we are going to see an extra month in our Year?!?!?! Since I thought of it do I get to name it?!?! Hmm… how about Jeri:)
- Jerry C.
totally non sense…
yo what up peoples hows it hanging!
Well, since all the secrets are coming out i am forced to tell you the truth about your time/calendar. Your time is not the year 2011; that is based on the time Europeans or better yet, the church of western Europe decided to start keeping track of their times.
This meaning, it does not apply to other civilizations that kept track of their time in their Native Calendars. For instance to the Chinese the year is not 2011, they use that because the Europeans like to think they are in power. In other words your time is up Rev.
Android!
@ Jerry C. so… the month should be called Jeriber? lols
For that person waaaay up there near the top (and anyone else wondering) I’m pretty sure that the goddess mentioned who sent down the crab to kill Hercules is Hera. She was pretty much obsessed with trying to kill him because he was Zeus’s son with another woman and Zeus was her husband.
I like the number 13 better and also what is this crap about overlapping signs i was born in April 18th and the website above says i’m either a piesces or Aries which one is it ><
It’s a mistake, what changed was the SIDEREAL ZODIACS! Not the WESTEN ZODIACS, wikipedia it.
i would like to know this year is good or bad.
who invented zodiac sings, howcome pple believe more in this things rather than God, this things are unreal and make the people stupid and unable to see the truth, how can u belive what this things tell u if they are like a million of this zodiac guessings.
The zodiac sign hasn’t changed. The Sidereal astrology has changed, most westerners use the zodiac sign anyway so it probably hasn’t changed
my zodiac sign is gemini and i want it to stay gemini. GEMINI FOREVER
…so because of that 13th zodiac sign, from virgo, im now a leo…well…i like them both…im not really particular with zodiac sign…so it does not matter, one person’s behavior and attitude is still a choice and influenced by the surroundings.
wait, if my birthday is may 30, am i still a gemini?!?!
The article is about oddities, but here’s a separate oddity In the list of zodiac signs:
“Virgo, Latin for “virgin,” doesn’t have a single mythological association. The Greeks associated the constellation with their harvest goddess Demeter.”
Not a single mythological association? When in the next sentence it says the Greeks associated the constellation (Virgo) with Demeter, the harvest goddess?
“The Greek earth goddess par excellence, who brings forth the fruits of the earth, particularly the various grains. She taught mankind the art of sowing and ploughing so they could end their nomadic existence. As such, Demeter was also the goddess of planned society. She was very popular with the rural population. As a fertility goddess she is sometimes identified with Rhea and Gaia.”
“In systematized theology, Demeter is a daughter of Cronus and Rhea and sister of Zeus by whom she became the mother of Persephone. When Persephone was abducted by Hades, lord of the underworld, Demeter wandered the earth in search of her lost child. During this time the earth brought forth no grain. Finally Zeus sent Hermes to the underworld, ordering Hades to restore Persephone to her mother. However, before she left, Hades gave her a pomegranate (a common fertility symbol). When she ate from it, she was bound to spend a third of the year with her husband in the infernal regions. Only when her daughter is with her, Demeter lets things grow (summer). The dying and blossoming of nature was thus connected with Demeter.”
more about Demeter:
http://www.pantheon.org/articles/d/demeter.html
http://www.pantheon.org is the website for Encyclopedia Mythica™, interesting site covering mythology, folklore, folktales, etc., from all over the world.
We Virgos love reference sites…
The New Zodiac
ARIES = APRIL 19 – MAY 13
TAURUS = MAY 14 – JUNE 19
GEMINI = JUNE 20 – JULY 20
CANCER = JULY 21 – AUG 9
LEO = AUGUST 10 – SEPTEMBER 15
VIRGO = SEPTEMBER 16 – OCTOBER 30
LIBRA = OCTOBER 31 – NOVEMBER 22
SCORPIO = NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29
OPHIUCHUS = NOVEMBER 30 – DECEMBER 17
SAGITTARIUS = DECEMBER 18 – JANUARY 18
CAPRICORN = JANUARY 19 – FEBRUARY 15
AQUARIUS = FEBRUARY 16 – MARCH 11
PISCES = MARCH 12 – APRIL 18
I hate the new changes!! I want it to change back!! I like being a Pices.
By the way, being an analytical, rational person, I’ve always known that astrology is completely unscientific. I just like to joke around about my supposed “Virgo” traits. I’m sure I have just as many “Sagittarius” traits or “Gemini” traits – and neither of those is my sun sign, rising sign or moon sign. It is too bad that anyone takes astrology seriously.
If you tell people who believe in astrology what your sign is, they invariably say “I knew it! You act like a (whatever sign you said.)” So tell them another sign, not your real one. Then you can really have some fun with astrology. 
I am very much into the astrological world. I have books on the information and I have yet to find out what this “change of signs” is about but I’m very sure it has nothing to do with anyone of older age say over….15 years old. That’s just my guess. Everyone needs to quit going bonkers over this whole thing. It’s like when they said “Pluto is no longer a planet.” It doesn’t matter, it still affects the Scorpio weather or not it’s called a planet(I still consider it a planet) It’s still there, it’s still influential. Just like this “change of signs” thing. It sounds very off the wall and I can’t seem to find ANY media to support this new “discovery”
I’m a scorpio, I know who I am and what I am. Don’t you? If not, then why are you freaking out over what your sign is? If you don’t know who you are…then you can’t claim what you are.
XD This is so funny…I learned about this in 10th grade science. As known the zodiac are the constillations the Sun seems to pass through on the ecliptic plane. As provided in Astronomy these are the real dates and real constillations on the ecliptic:
Pisces [March 13 - April 20]
Aries [April 20 - May 13]
Taurus [May 13 - June 21]
Gemini [June 21 - July 20]
Cancer [July 20 - Aug 11]
Leo [Aug 11 - Sept 18]
Virgo [Sept 18 - Nov 1]
Libra [Nov 1 - Nov 22]
Scorpius [Nov 22 - Dec 1]
Ophiuchus [Dec 1 - Dec 19]
Sagittarius [Dec 19 - Jan 19]
Capricorn [Jan 19 - Feb 18]
Aquarius [Feb 18 - March 13]
Scorpius and Capricornus are £atin, not Scorpio and Capricorn.
I had been led to believe that Taurus, the bull, was connected to Orion…
Even if the zodiac signs have been reallocated, due to changes in the Earth’s rotation, whichever zodiac calendar you choose to follow, your zodiac sign is that under which you were born so, it should not change. According to a published calendar, my brother is now caner but he was born £eo, so £eo he should remain.
Why, after all this time has Ophiuchus suddenly been added? He was big news, here, in England, YEARS ago!
Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
I am glad there is a change…PEOPLE, get with it…Planets, Stars, earth. “TiLT” change…Things are changing in space and the weather is changing…There are new planets….It’s time for transformation, I am glad to be an Aqurius “SCIENCE”
I think it is fantastic that there is change in the universe…It grows and changes…I want to see and go with the change..:)
I am glad too see that they finally took notice of the change in the sky. I have seen it…We are coming into a new time…..AND I AM GLAD I GET TO HAVE A CHANGE>>>> I love my new sign..Think it is really me…
Neither this blog entry nor any of the links in it explain the change in the Zodiac. This is not fair to the readers. Given that the title is “Did your Horoscope sign change?” I think the article should address if it did nor not. I am disappointed in Dictionary.com for pulling this crap on its readers.
nyc,,But i m eastern and i want to know what is LEO in eastern culture.
Hy Kurri there is LEO in series after the Cancer.
Thanks for offering some sensible and informed commentary on this Natasha. It was SO needed!
Interesting, but what possible difference should it make for a person what arbitrary dates are chosen to assigned their birthday to an association with a cluster of stars, or what mythical creatures are associated with each cluster? The stars (and even more, their position when someone is born) are completely irrelevant and have no influence whatsoever. Sorry, but astrology and the idea of a range of birth dates determining personality or destiny is ridiculous.
“The twins purportedly found in immortality as part of a constellation.”
Something just doesn’t seem right about this sentence. I’m not quite sure what though. Maybe you, the writer of the Hot Word Blog can look into that. It’s in the section where you gave background information about Gemini, lucidly.
Regards,
Misanthrope
I think my sign is “$”
i was born a leo. yeah! roar! but now, due to those changes . . . blah blah blah . . . about ophiuchus . . . blah blah blah . . . i’m already a cancer. ok. whatever my zodiac sign is, i still roar. yeah! roar1 
Open mouth wide and yawn.
wait just a min. so i aint an Aquarius anymore???????????? i dont want to be a Capricorn!!!!!!!ughhhhhhhhhhh but aquaruis is soooooooo me.One of the most common traits of an Aquarius is their honesty!!!!!!!!! hello that is sooooooo me!The Capricorn personality is sometimes confusing. Which is weird because people have told me that to!Ughhhhh.
Very interesting and informative post, it definitely helped me to better understand the 12 (or maybe 13?) sign of zodiac
i know a chick that got heres on her hip and then it changed
PEOPLE! This only applies if you are born in 2009 or after! You are safe from changing. If you love your zodiac so MUCH!
!I hope you are happy with this comment
PEOPLE! THIS ONLY APPLIES FOR PEOPLE BORN AFTER 2009!
You are still what you are!
YEAH ME!
people you are still what you are! (luckily)
This only applies to people born in 2009 or after
most of us are safe…
Don’t worry
This is all BS im all about my zodiac sign..im a Taurus from birth until im long gone! The truth is the babies born this year, their signs have changed..09-11…everybody before those years we are still the SAME!!
YA HEAR??? THANK GOODNESS!
@Emily Marie I couldn’t agree with you mroe this is a bunch of BS!!!!!! I stick to my sign Scorpio!!!! So all this can go jump out a window!!!
@(‘_’)@
*BUTTER*
i meant to say More*
•Libra, Latin for “scales of measurement,” overlaps with the mythological meaning behind Virgo. Sometimes the scales are considered to be held by the Roman goddess Astraea, associated with justice.
This is also held by the Greek Goddess of Justice.
And show some respect for the Ancient Gods.
I want to know if my sign changed 29th april