What is Astrology and how does it work ?

Pisces (February 19-March 20) have sea-green as a favorable color and Libra (September 23-October 22) have the color blue. So, next time you're in need of a little bit of extra luck (and let's face it, more luck never hurts!) try surrounding yourself in your favorite color or choosing a token item in that color to keep with you.

Astrology got its beginnings in around 3000 BC Mesopotamia. From there, different cultures took the Babylonian beliefs and created their own beliefs and rules around it. Greece, for example, combined characters from Greek mythology with star signs.

India and China combined religion and superstition with astrology in an effort to make it relatable to the local public. Many of the first scientists in medieval Europe were astrologers or astronomers, and while some people look down on it as a pseudoscience now, it was a highly valued profession at the time.

If you haven't heard of the elements (fire, earth, air, and water) before, you likely haven't heard of the qualities of the star signs, either. These qualities are Cardinal, Fixed, and Mutable. Cardinal signs are Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn and they're associated with initiation (both of the spirit and the seasons).

Fixed signs are Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius, and Taurus and they are associated with being steady, digging in, and even being stubborn. Mutable signs are Sagittarius, Gemini, Virgo, and Pisces and they are associated with flexibility and communication.

Whether a coincidence or not (astrologers would say certainly not) certain combinations of zodiac signs have better odds of producing successful relationships than others. Of course, zodiac compatibility shouldn't be the ONLY thing you consider when looking at the future of a relationship, but it certainly provides interesting insights.

passionate Scorpios merge best with Water signs like Cancer and Pisces. Aquarius blends well with Air signs like Gemini and Libra. The elements and qualities of signs also affect how compatible signs are, so there are many factors to consider when it comes to sun sign compatibility.

Mercury in retrograde is an astrological term you're likely to hear thrown around quite often, but may be unsure of what it actually means. Three to four times a year, the planet Mercury appears to stop and actually reverse (retrograde) although it's just an optical illusion. When this happens, many people say they notice certain things like computers and phones being on the fritz

Astrologers also say you might want to be careful in making set plans during retrograde because plans are more likely to fall through. So, next time you know Mercury is in retrograde, pay attention to how things unfold in your life and maybe you'll find a connection.

While we've established that a certain matching of zodiac signs can impact a romantic relationship, signs are also said to interact and affect the actual physical act of making love. Certain signs are associated with certain sexual characteristics, and these characteristics play into sexual compatibility. Aries are thought to be powerful lovers, although they can also be seen as selfish or fleeting.

Taurus, being the most masculine sign, is associated with lovers with a high sex drive. Gemini make for creative lovers and the power of excitement and change will not be lost on them. Thanks to Leos being known for their fiery passion, they are largely thought to make the best lovers overall, but the other 11 signs certainly have something to say about that.

You may have led your whole life thinking you were an intense Scorpio, only to find out you're actually a Libra! What!? Well, things change in the sky just as they change on Earth. A phenomenon called precession, which refers to the Earth wobbling on its axis. Because, as we discussed, your star sign depends on the position of the sun at the time of your birth, and if the position of the Earth is different than we thought, so too will be your sun sign

Whether you should actually "switch" zodiac signs according to this information is the subject of much debate, but the general consensus seems to be that astrologers have always known about precession and therefore, have always taken it into account.

Whether you’re using a convenient online astrology chart mapper, like the popular one provided by Astro Sofa, or seeking out an in-person consultation, you will need to check with your parents or birth records to know the precise time you entered the world. Only then will you be able to correctly pin down your various signs.

What you probably assume is your only sign, based only on your date of birth, is actually your sun sign. But there are several others, including ones for each planet and 12 different “house cusps,” all of which you will discover once a chart has been made for you.

The three biggest ones used while interpreting how they represent your personality are the aforementioned sun sign, the rising (also know as “ascendant” and “first house cusp”) sign, and the moon sign.

For example, I thought I was just a Taurus, but it turns out that Taurus is actually my sun sign, with another Taurus for my rising sign, and Aquarius as my moon sign. I guess I know why I can be so darn stubborn with that doubling up on Taurus!

This is supposedly where the stubbornness comes in for me and my fellow rising Taureans. We prefer to “stand firmly on their feet.”

With its connection to your heart, Astrology.com describes this as what drives your spirit and ego. Essentially, it motivates someone to reach toward their aspirations.

Continuing with my own chart as an example, having a Taurus sun sign can be interpreted to mean I’m more materialistic when it comes to my goals in life.

Astrology.com says this is the indicator for how our moods swing and in what way our instincts kick in, ranging from stone-faced stoics to hand-wringing worriers.

The final example from my chart describes my Aquarian moon sign as someone who likes to be neighborly and helpful, but also tends to prefer plenty of their own personal space.

If you’ve always been a skeptic about astrology, and the reason is that you don’t identify with the main traits of your sun sign as described in vague horoscopes over the years, this could be because you relate more to your Saturn, Pluto, or another planetary sign (or one of your other 11 “house cusps”) more than you relate to your rising sign.

According to Jean-Luc Margot, a planetary astronomer and professor at UCLA who discussed the phenomena with LiveScience, this term is a misnomer for what is actually happening.

To understand what’s really happening, imagine you’re in the fast lane of a highway, looking out your window at the cars going slower in the other lanes. From this perspective, it looks like they are moving backwards when in fact they are just going at a different speed. It is the same case for Mercury slowing down on its path, making it appear to be backtracking.