The Western Zodiac, or Western Astrology, contains 12 zodiac signs. These 12 signs are based on our Sun’s zodiacal location in the sky as the Earth orbits around the Sun over a one-year period.
While we were researching we ran into the inquiry “How many zodiacs are there?”.
Our answer was there are 12 zodiac signs and respectively they have strengths and weaknesses, distinctive personalities, wishes, and attitudes concerning other individuals and life.
The next thing we wanted the answer to was; how many zodiacs are there in the world?
The answer is the twelve zodiacs are made up of twelve different animals which correspond with specific years. You can see a few examples below (you can find your specific Chinese Zodiac animal by having a quick look online):.
In Western astrology we go by 12 signs. This is the most common way of practice. However, there are some good reasons why a number of people add Ophiuchus as a 13th sign (like we explained in our “astrology expert” article).
How many constellations are in the zodiac?
These twelve constellations are called the Zodiac. The idea of the zodiac is ancient and has roots tied back to the early cultures of Mesopotamia.
There are 12 zodiacal regions in the sky and as the earth rotates around the Sun, we (from the Earth’s perspective) can see the Sun moving from one region of the sky to the next.
How did the 12 zodiac signs get their names?
The first 12 signs were named after the Gods of these cultures with the Greeks adopting astrology from the Babylonians and the Romans. They renamed the signs of the Mesopotamian zodiac according to the mythologies of their own culture.
You may be most familiar with the zodiac that has its roots in ancient Greece and Rome. The one that tracks the sun across the sky and associates the movement with constellations and their signs like Pisces and Gemini. It was around the Middle Ages that this was developed into the star signs we know and love today.