Is Ophiucus the 13th Astrological Sign?

It’s a “debate” that comes up at least once every few months. Is there really a 13th astrological sign called Ophiucus? Short answer: No. And we want to nip this mess in the bud.

There’s a lot more to the conversation, but what it all boils down to is this: The confusion surrounding Ophiuchus is a problem of astrological signs vs. astronomical constellations.

Astrology is a system based on traditional understandings of the way the sky impacts us here on Earth, which helps explain our place in the universe with the sky as our guide. In Western astrology, we study the movements of our solar system relative to Earth’s position in the wheel of 12 equal, 30º zodiac signs that were designated in ancient civilizations, like the Babylonians. It’s a system of meaning.

Meanwhile, astronomy is the scientific study of everything in space. This stretches beyond constellations, of which there are far more than 12. Astronomers track the movement of planets and the history of stars to produce things like the stunning images from the Hubble Telescope. Physically, space is always changing and expanding so there’s always more to explore! It’s a system of discovery.

So what does it mean for you? Your sign doesn’t change.

NASA doesn’t have control over what is meaningful in astrology, and they never claimed to! Just like astrologers don’t try to analyze the images from the Hubble Telescope. Astrology and astronomy have both evolved and adapted in their own ways based on their separate goals and frameworks.

So the 12 signs of the zodiac in astrology remain the same. As does your birth chart.

And don’t forget, an astrologer can help you unravel this mystery too! They are the experts when it comes to looking to the stars and their meaning for us here on Earth. Chat with an astrologer who can break down all of this for you today.