IS YOUR STAR SIGN REALLY WHAT YOU THINK IT IS?

Ever wondered if your zodiac sign really suits you? Enter Ophiuchus, the mysterious 13th sign that might just explain everything. Grab your birth chart; it’s time to see if your stars have been lying to you!

- Eleanor le Riche

For me, astrology has always been a fascinating and mysterious art, but my star sign never really resonated with me. Being a Scorpio just didn’t sound like me. Scorpios are known for passionate emotions, loyalty and their often possessive tendencies in relationships. They are secretive, intuitive, ambitious – qualities that might sound great in theory, but honestly, it all just felt like way too much work for me. Who has the time, or the energy, for all that intensity?

So when I first heard about the 13th zodiac sign, I was intrigued. What if I wasn’t actually a Scorpio after all? Maybe I was a Libra. Libras crave validation and are hyper-attuned to the needs and feelings of others. Their internal world is often turbulent, and they work tirelessly to maintain balance in their lives and relationships. That sounded far more like me; a sign that values harmony, fairness and calmness over chaos and emotional sturm und drang.

Naturally, I had to ask South Africa’s favourite astrologer Linda Shaw for her take on this. And her response wasn’t what I expected.

HOW WESTERN ASTROLOGY WORKS

First things first. Astrology, Linda explains, is the ancient art of interpreting the influence of celestial bodies on human lives, and is based on the apparent path the sun travels across the sky over the course of a year – a route called the ecliptic. Along this path are the familiar 12 zodiac constellations: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces.