SO MANY of us rely on the stars to give us an insight into our future, regularly checking our horoscopes for mystical insights and advice.

But have you ever wondered where horoscopes came from, and just how the planet’s positions provide cosmic knowledge?

Here we reveal everything you need to know about the zodiac…

How do horoscopes work?

Horoscopes are based on the 12 signs of the zodiac.

Zodiac is the term used to describe the circle of 12 divisions of celestial longitude that are centred upon the path of the sun.

List of 12 star signs

The traditional dates used by Mystic Meg for each sign are below.

• Capricorn: December 22 – January 20
• Aquarius: January 21 – February 18
• Pisces: February 19 – March 20
• Aries: March 21 – April 20
• Taurus: April 21 – May 21
• Gemini: May 22 – June 21
• Cancer:  June 22 – July 22
• Leo: July 23 – August 23
• Virgo: August 24 – September 22
• Libra: September 23 – October 23
• Scorpio: October 24 – November 22
• Sagittarius: November 23 – December 21

The 12 divisions share the names we know as our star signs, based on our birth month.

The term zodiac derives from Latin zōdiacus – meaning "circle of animals".

Throughout history, the zodiac has been used to predict or echo characteristics of personality.

However in 2019, it was revealed that the stars have shifted so our zodiac signs have changed too.

The constellation named Ophiuchus was not included in the original zodiac.

What are they based on?

When it comes to calculating what might be in store for each individual sign, astrologists have a tried and tested method. 

Experts at Astrolutely say that the origins of reading horoscopes are widely debated, but the practice has remained the same.

They write: “The traits of the signs and planets and the meanings of the various angular relationships (aspects) have been handed down through the ages.

“The astrologers of the ancient world believed there was a connection between the ‘stars’ and life on earth. 

“They named the planets and the signs after their gods, based on a combination of observation and intuition. Even today, the myths that correlate with the planets and signs tell us almost everything we need to know about them.”

Susannah Cavill, a former astrology columnist, attests to this theory.

Explaining how the planets impact a sign, she told The Loop: “It’s a combination of looking at what the planets are up to and then working out intuitively how it’s going to affect a sensitive Piscean that week if there’s going to be a tricky full moon, or disruptive Mercury transit that will affect their day-to-day relationships. 

She adds that while not all people of the same sign are the same, there do tend to be familiar patterns.

“A flexible Gemini isn’t going to be as confounded by that Mercury retrograde interfering with their communications as the steady Taurus, who will find it maddening,” she says.

“As for generalization, all people of the same sign aren’t the same, but I’ve yet to meet a Scorpio who wasn’t secretive, for instance!”

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