People all over the world eagerly scan the paper in order to get a glimpse of the horoscopes that they think will determine the outcome of their day.

While horoscopes and zodiac lore have garnered the interests in astrologists and superstitious people alike, the hype is not as big as it was hundreds of years ago.

The term “zodiac” is derived from the from the Latin word zōdiacus, which was originally taken from the Greek word zōdiakos kyklos, meaning “circle of animals.”

A lot of people are unsure of what the zodiac even is. The zodiac is defined as a celestial coordinate system composed of a circle of twelve divisions that are centered upon the path of the sun.

Historically, the idea of the zodiac never started out as a mystical, psychic reading of how one’s life will turn out. It all began with astrology, the study of how the positions of the stars and movements of the planets have a supposed influence on events and on the lives and behavior of people, and was very scientific and calculated.

The origin of the zodiac seems to point in the direction of ancient Egypt in the Babylonian era, with it being present in the Babylonian calendar of 7th BC. This system was borrowed by the Romans and influenced their astrological predictions.

Separately, the Chinese and Indians have taken over the world of the zodiac, as their studies and use of the zodiac have spanned over 3000 years.

However, nowadays, in modern American society, the zodiac has been reduced to a supposedly magical prediction about one’s day, and it has some students skeptical.

Hayley Fiske, Sophomore and Aries, states that she “doesn’t think the Zodiac determines what kind of person she is,” stating, “Stars are just things that happen because of chemical reactions. They have no power.”

Similarly, Liz Martinez, Sophomore and Taurus, agrees “How can stars know what type of person I am?” When asked if her daily horoscope has ever been accurate, she said, “Yes, but I felt it was due to chance.”

    In contrast, Junior and Scorpio Victoria Bent, absolutely believed the zodiac is real. She says,”When I read my online horoscope, I wasn’t expecting much, but then the events of that day matched up exactly with what my horoscope read. Now, I’m a believer.”