In Babylonian Astronomy, the earliest record of twelve zodiac sign dates back to 700 BC. The geocentric view of the path of the Sun in the heavens was divided into 12 equal coordinate zones. The first Babylonian Calendar was based on the twelve signs. The position of the sun at the vernal or spring equinox marked the first sign (Aries) which is also known historically as First Point of Aries.

The Twelve Signs of the Zodiac by M. M. Shoemaker (1904)

In Babylonian Astronomy, the earliest record of twelve zodiac sign dates back to 700 BC. The geocentric view of the path of the Sun in the heavens was divided into 12 equal coordinate zones. The first Babylonian Calendar was based on the twelve signs. The position of the sun at the vernal or spring equinox marked the first sign (Aries) which is also known historically as First Point of Aries.

Comte C. De Saint-Germain (1901), page 22, Practical Astrology: A Simple Method for Casting Horoscopes.

The Babylonian star catalogues assigned twelve signs names that have evolved into the names we use today for the 12 zodiac signs.

Click the chart for an enlarged view.Essential Dignities according to Zodiac Sign

Aries

MARCH 21-APRIL 19,

The Warrior The Innovator. The Sovereign.

The Aries mission:
Lead the way by example;
To conquer;
Being a force in nature;
To be a leader;
Innovativeness is a virtue
Self-reliance;
Enjoy the thrill of the moment.
Stand out and be notable.

Expressions and Influences : Involves initiations and new beginnings. Plants the first seed. Exerts strong willpower. Possessing a strong identity. Confident, aggressive, assertive and seeking glory. Native is ambitious and determined.

Traits: Enthusiastic, passionate, courageous, intrepid. Arrogant, stubborn and impulsive.

Dignities are strongest when: Natal Sun is in Aries, Mars is in Aries, Pluto in Aries. In Houses 1, 5, 9, and also in Houses 3, 7, or 11, . Aries has a positive influence in these areas.

Weakest Dignities Natal Venus is in Aries, Saturn is in Aries and in Houses 4, 8 or 12. Aries can have a greater impact in these areas.

Taurus

APRIL 29-MAY 20

The Builder. The Builder. The Architect. The Organizer.

The Taurean Mission – HTML0
To establish emotional security
To establish financial security
Growth and expansion
Self-substantiation is manifested
Being pragmatic and self-sustaining

Expressions and Influences : Material acquisitions, power to build strong foundations, involving land or nature; estates or land-related; motivated by material desire; seeking control over the land or earth; traditional, conservative, and risk averse. Practical; asset, money, trade, or commerce oriented. Ambitious; high-achieving, but cautious.

Traits: Seeks security and stability, practical, powerful, independent, stubborn, forceful, sensual, with a natural sense of beauty and arts and culture, loyal but possessive; can be lazy or indulgent; frugal.

Dignities are strongest when: Natal Moon is in Taurus, Venus in Taurus in Houses 2, 6, 10, and also in Houses 4, 8, or 12. Taurus has a positive influence in these areas.

Weakest Dignities Natal Mars, Uranus or Pluto in Taurus in Houses 3, 7 or 11. Taurus can be more difficult in these areas.

Gemini

MAY 21 – June 20

The Great Twins The Trickster The Truth-Speaker The Visionary.

The Gemini Mission
To impress;
To explore diverse interests;
Get ahead of the crowd
To live a life of a jack-of-all trades
There are many choices;
Multiple skill sets are required;
Multi-talented:
Think.

Expressions and Influences : Flexible, adaptable and expressive; involves siblings, twins or multiple personalities; multiples. Changeable; you will experience many changes and shifts in this area; fluctuating. Situations involving this life area are unpredictable, changing, and always shifting. Short distance travel will be productive.

Characteristic Qualities: Can be unpredictable, adaptable to change, versatile, multi-talented; persuasive, witty; intellectual; conversational; can be capricious; too many ideas but not enough execution.

Dignities: Natal Mercury is in Gemini, in Houses 3, 7, or 11, and also in Houses 1, 5, or 9. Gemini has a positive influence in these areas.

Weakest Dignities Natal Jupiter; House 2, 6, or 10 Gemini can be more difficult in these areas.

Cancer

JUNE 21-JULY 22

The Nurturer The Mystic The Defender.

The Cancerian Mission – HTML0
Find intimacy
Seek reassurance
Feeling safe is important.
Spirituality is the search for meaning;
Find meaning in love
Find your home

Expression and Influences: Constructive use of intuition and sentimentality in corresponding area of life; where one can be more intuitive; motivated by home and family; emotional; private; relating to ancestry, heritage, or lineage; hidden treasures; self-preservationist; where one seeks spiritual understanding or meaning.

Characteristic traits: Complex individual; home-loving, conservative; intuitive; loving, protective of one’s own personal space and loved people; hard outer shell that is difficult to break; moody; timid; pessimistic.

Dignities are: Natal Moon, Jupiter in Cancer, Neptune in Cancer. In Houses 4, 8, or 12, and also in Houses 2, 6, or 10; Cancer is more influential in these areas

Weakest Dignities : Natal Mars; Saturn in Cancer, in Houses 1, 5, or 9 Cancer can be more difficult in these areas.

Leo

JULY 23-AUGUST 22

The Baron. The Baron. The Radiant One The Charismatic. The Entertainer.

The Leo Mission
Leading the way is a good thing.
Motivate and be motivated
To be a superstar;
Create your own work;
Seeking personal glory
To seek validation;
You can get recognized for your creativity.

Expressions and Influences: Achieving in a particular area, achieving a high level of success; looking for happiness and romance. Being bold and brave. Seeking attention.

Characteristic traits A leader who is big-hearted, magnanimous and ambitious; who needs to be in the spotlight; who seeks fame and honor; an optimist; good at performing arts; self-confident; can become too proud of themselves; intense; a person with a strong sense of pride.

Dignities are strongest in Houses 1, 5, 9, and House 3. They also have a strong influence in Houses 3, 7, or 11, Leo has a positive influence in these areas.

Weakest Dignities Natal Saturn and Uranus are in Leo, respectively. Leo can be more difficult in these areas.

Virgo

AUGUST 23-SEPTEMBER 22

The Craftsman. The Scholar The Truth Seeker

The Virgoan Mission : HTML0
Do the right thing
Plan the best possible strategy
Be methodical at all times;
Carefully deliberate and decide;
Love and be loved back.

Expressions and Influences: Strives to perfectionism, relates to health or healing, servitudes, where one is restricted or obstacles; emotionally unavailable. Holding oneself back because of being risk-averse or fear of vulnerability. Hermit-like or Introverted tendencies.

Characteristics: High intelligence and meticulousness; detailed-oriented; analytic; highly critical both of oneself and others; reliable; health conscious; down to earth; fussy and fastidious; finicky and sensitive; conservative and judgmental; difficult to satisfy.

Dignities: Natal Mercury is in Virgo, in Houses 2, 6, or 10, and also in Houses 4, 8, or 12; Virgo has a positive influence in these areas.

Weakest Dignities Natal Venus in Virgo, Jupiter in Virgo, Neptune and Pluto in Virgo. In Houses 3, 7 or 11. Virgo can be more difficult in these areas.

Libra

SEPTEMBER 23 – OCTOBER 22,

The Scales The Aristocrat The Judge. The Judge.

The Libran Mission:
Find true love
Consistency is important;
To live a simple, easy life.
The Holy Grail is the ultimate goal of all those who seek it.
Restore balance to a situation where there is an imbalance.

Expressions and Influences : Seeking harmony and balance in the corresponding area; being multi-talented in that area; having a high regard for arts and culture, valuing diplomacy, partnerships, contracts, and legal issues, social associations, and a tendency to be indecisive.

Characteristic traits: Fair, diplomatic, and just. Social, romantic, charming. Tactic, even-handed. Can be too compromising. Attempts to appease everyone. Inherently attractive.

Dignities are: Natal Venus Libra; Saturn Libra; Houses 3, 7, or 11, and also Houses 1, 5, or 9; Libra has a positive influence in these areas.

Weakest Dignities Natal Sun Libra, Mars Libra, Pluto Libra in Houses 2, 6 or 10. Libra can be more difficult in these areas.

Scorpio

OCTOBER 23, NOVEMBER 21,

The Insurgent The Shapeshifter. The Shapeshifter. The Challenger.

The Scorpion Mission: HTML0
To unlock mysteries;
To investigate;
To triumph
The ability to survive in the face of all opposition.
Perfect the art of seduction
To wield great power.

Expressions and Influences : high-achieving towards this area of your life; intense, many secrets, concealing the true identity; the occult and esoteric; sensual; seeking for power; taking risks; passionate; external physical crises and transformations in this area. Legacies. High ambitions. Some arrogance.

Characteristic Qualities: Determined, intense, fearless; possesses the ability to confront.

Dignities: Natal Mars, Uranus and Pluto in Scorpio. In Houses 4, 8 or 12, but also in Houses 2, 6 or 10. Scorpio has a positive influence in these areas.

Weakest Dignities Natal Moon in Scorpio, Venus in Scorpio in Houses 1, 5 or 9, Scorpio can be more difficult in these areas.

Sagittarius

NOVEMBER 22- DECEMBER 21,

The Sage The Explorer

The Sagittarian Mission – HTML0
The good life is a way of living;
To seek adventure;
To follow the path of freedom;
Make a difference to the world.
To seek spiritual expansion;
Seek knowledge and truth.

Expressions and Influences : Seeking expansion and diversity of experiences; higher education; active imaginativeness; hunter mentality; hunter/prey dynamics; ambitious, risk-taking; taking risks in this area; spiritual; seeking greater ideals; faith, long-distance traveling brings fruition, foreign lands; inner spiritual journey to self-knowledge.

Characteristic traits: Idealistic, intellectual, witty and free-spirited; has an optimistic outlook and a bright outlook. Can be tactless and careless.

Dignities: Natal Jupiter is in Sagittarius, in Houses 1, 5, 9, or Houses 3, 7, 11, or Houses 1, 5, 9. Sagittarius has a positive influence in these areas.

Weakest Dignities Natal Mercury is in Sagittarius, in Houses 4, 8 or 12. Sagittarius can have a stronger influence in these areas.

Capricorn

DECEMBER 22 – JANUARY 19,

The Overachiever The Governor. The Pragmatist. The financier. Plutocrat

The Capricornus Mission
To excel;
They should be proud of what they have achieved;
To be loved by family and friends.
To be loved by the entire world;
To seek ascension, always;
Ascend to new heights in status.

Expressions and Influences : Aiming high, seeking greater social status, public esteem, or power in the corresponding area; seeking advancements within that area; being more ambitious, and representing the themes of your life goals.

Characteristic traits: high achiever, goal-oriented and results-oriented; pragmatic; disciplined; conservative; modest; prudent; callous; pessimistic and stubborn; introverted; self-centered; detached; moody; inability of expressing the self; rigid values and ideologies, rigid; materialistic.

Dignities are: Saturn in Capricorn, in Houses 2, 6, 10, and also in House 4, 8 or 12. Capricorn has a positive influence in these areas.

Weakest Dignities Natal Moon in Capricorn, Jupiter in Capricorn, Neptune is Capricorn in Houses 3, 7 or 11. Capricorn can have a stronger influence in these areas.

Aquarius

JANUARY 20, FEBRUARY 18,

The Eccentric. The Eccentric The Advocate. The Diplomat.

The Aquarian Mission: HTML0
Understanding life’s mysteries is the key to understanding it.
Serving the greater good is a noble goal.
Be a champion for social justice
Uniqueness and originality are important.
To march in your own rhythm;
Understanding what all this means, learning, and knowing.

Expressions and Influences : Humanitarians, devotional and spirituals; eccentrics and unconventionals; those who march to their own beat; those who seek change and progress.

Characteristic Qualities: Popular, intelligent, unpredictable; rebellious; eccentric; aloof; emotionally superficially; unavailable; can become an extremist if provoked; stubborn; energy of Higher Thought.

Strongest Dignities: Natal Saturn in Aquarius; Uranus in Aquarius; in House 3, 7, or 11; also strong in House 1, 5, or 9. Aquarius has a positive influence in these areas.

Weakest Dignities: Natal Sun in Aquarius; Neptune in Aquarius; in House 2, 6, or 10. Aquarius can be more difficult in these areas.

Pisces

FEBRUARY 19-MARCH 20

The Martyr The Messiah. The Dreamer.

The Piscean Mission :
Avoid feeling lonely
Feeling connected with others
Connecting to the entire world;
To live your dreams;
Turning fantasies into reality;
Adapt to any situation
Be a chameleon.

Expressions and Influences : Challenges and difficulties in the corresponding life area; fluctuation; indecisiveness, self-sacrifice, passive and too yielding; crisis, revelations and epiphanies in the corresponding life area; karmic lessons for this path are to gain self-knowledge in this area and reveal your hidden self.

Characteristic traits: Compassionate, empathic, sensitive, yielding to other people; idealistic and escapist.

Dignities: Natal Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto in Pisces. Pisces has a positive influence in these areas.

Weakest Dignities Natal Mercury is in Pisces, in Houses 1, 5 or 9. Pisces can have a greater influence in these areas.

Medieval Medical Astrology – Health and the Zodiac signs

According to medieval medical astrology the twelve signs of the zodiac correspond to parts of the human body from head to toe. Modern astrology also attributes certain spiritual practices to the 12 signs. The above table of reference provides both physical health and spiritual health correspondences.

The Ancient Zodiac Plan of Hermes from Athanasius Churchr Oedipus Aegyptiacus 1652

Download the free resource below to complement what you have read.

Learn the Twelve Astrological Signs in PDF (HTML1)

This document is for beginners in astrology. This was one of the supplementary materials from my “Learning the Opening of the Key”, a tarot course offered by the Tarot Readers Academy.

Quick Reference Sheet for Houses and Signs (PDF)

These quick reference sheets provide an overview of house, sign and planet correspondences. You can get all the information you need in one glance. These were a permanent fixture on my desk for a time.