Western zodiac traced back to Babylon, Egypt, Greece

According to legend, under the fury-fueled wrath of the Titan Typhon, the Olympian gods were sent into a frenzy. Motivated by his resentment and desire for revenge, the Titan planned an attack on the Olympian Gods. In order to escape his ambush, many gods resorted to assuming the form of their sacred animals. All but two, Aphrodite and her son Eros. Luckily, two fish found the pair and allowed them to climb on their back. The duo led the mother and son to safety, their service honored with a constellation, Pisces. Pisces, the anchor of the Zodiac is one of the twelve signs. Like Pisces, each of the twelve has both a story and a constellation. However, a sign’s legend or myth does not accurately tell its history nor does it accurately define its origins.

The word Zodiac itself originates from the Greek phrase zōdiakòs kýklos, meaning “circle or cycle of little animals.” However, the origins of the Zodiac chart are traced back to Babylonian astronomy.

Using the Egyptian decans, a collection of 36 star formations used as time-telling devices, Babylonian astrologers laid the basis of modern astrology. The astrologers split the decans equally to create 12 signs. The constellations were then each assigned one of the twelve signs.

The first imagery of the 12 zodiac signs is dated to 50 BC in the Dendera Zodiac, an ancient Egyptian engraving. However, it was Hellenistic influences and interpretations that laid the foundation of Western astrology, also known as Tropical astrology. Most notable was the astronomer Ptolemy. Ptolemy was a key figure in the evolution of horoscope astrology. Under these influences, astrology transformed into what it is today.