twelve houses that represent different areas of life. The ten planets, the Sun the Moon, Mercury, Venus, mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto- are then placed in the houses and signs. Their location and aspects then provide the basis for interpretation.
Zodiac, imaginary belt in the celestial sphere, extending about 8 degrees on the other side of the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun and Moon and of the other five planets that were known to the people in the ancient times. The zodiac is divided into 12 sections of 30 degrees each, which are called the signs of the zodiac. Starting with the vernal equinox and then proceeding eastwards along the ecliptic, each of the division is named after the constellation. The names of the zodiacal signs are: Aries the ram, Taurus the bull, Gemini the twins, Cancer the crab, Leo the lion, Virgo the virgin, Libra the balance, Scorpio the scorpion, Sagittarius the archer, Capricorn the goat, Aquarius the water bearer and the Pisces the fishes.
It is believed that the zodiacal signs originated in Mesopotamia as early as 2000 bc. The Greeks adopted the symbols from the Babylonians and passed them onto other civilizations. The Chinese also adopted the 12-fold division, but called the signs: the rat, ox, tiger, hare, dragon, serpent, horse, sheep, monkey, hen, dog and pig.
Astrology is a group of systems, traditions, and beliefs in which knowledge of the relative positions of celestial bodies and related details is held to be useful in understanding, interpreting, and organizing information about personality, human affairs, and other terrestrial matters. A practitioner of astrology is called an astrologer or, less often, an astrologist.