ballbearings.com (Ball State University website)
story by Jessica Husek
interactive by Jennifer Adams and Stephanie Cope

The constellations, which were originally used for navigation, are now used to describe personality and character.

Thomas Robertson, physics and astronomy department chair, said the constellations were named and studied about 4,000 years ago. Astrological signs are located along the ecliptic, or the path along which the sun appears to move through the sky, he said. The zodiac represents the 12 constellations that lie along that path, he said.

“The constellation in which the sun appears at the moment of your birth is defined as your astrological sign,” Robertson said.
Ancient astrologers connected constellations to stories and mythology, as well as using them as a physical guide and agricultural calendar, he said.
“They were able to take random patterns and put them into context,” he said. “They could tell from the positions of the constellations how to get home or when to harvest their crops.”

Alicia Katz, owner of Wandering Star Designs, said modern astrologers use the constellations for personality assessment. By using astrological charts, they are able to map out the exact locations of the sun, moon and planets at the moment a person was born, she said. They use this information to determine each person’s astrological sign and the typical traits for each sign, Katz said. For example, Scorpios, or people who were born between October 23 and November 22, are typically intense, dramatic and mysterious, she said.

Not all Scorpios, however, are exactly alike, she said.
“You have one sign that you identify with most, but you have a little bit of all of the 12 signs in you,” Katz said. “They vary according to degrees of importance to each person.”
Astrological charts also contain 12 Houses or sections that represent different areas of life, she said. For example, one house represents pleasure, while another represents relationships, she said.
“The houses help determine how your personality will play out in all areas of your life,” she said.
The signs are also divided according to their “qualities,” she said. The three qualities include Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable signs, she said. Cardinal signs are typically strong in character, while fixed signs are stable and reliable and mutable signs are adaptable, Katz said.

Putting all the information together creates a unique set of traits, she said. “From the charts you can map out your personality,” she said. “You can find out why you have certain strengths and weaknesses. You can learn what you’re hardwired for.”

That information can be used for personal growth and success, Katz said. “People find comfort in knowing why they are the way they are,” she said.