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Zodiac Signs Are Outdated

SurkovDimitri from Getty Images/CanvaPro

The ancient Babylonians believed the movements of the planets and stars were omens predicting the future, prompting them to track patterns in the night sky. They established the Western zodiac signs 2,500 years ago by naming the constellation behind the sun each day from Earth’s perspective. However, the constellations no longer align as they did 25 centuries ago. For instance, 2,000 years ago, September 16 was in Virgo, but today it is in Leo.

The Earth spins like a wobbling top, causing our view of the stars’ positions to shift by one degree every 72 years. Since Babylonian times, this has resulted in a nearly 35-degree change. Our current view of the constellations today will not be seen again for 2,600 years.

The Babylonians originally identified 17 zodiac constellations but reduced the number to 12 to match the number of months in their calendar year. However, the slices of the night sky are unequal. The sun spends twice as long in front of Virgo as in front of Cancer. This change also excluded Ophiuchus, which, when combined with Scorpio, only appears in front of the sun for a week. It may be time for astrologers to reconsider the zodiac signs

In-Print National Content Global Brief Global and Health Briefs November 2025

 

 

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Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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