New Astrological Dates Mean Squat, Professional Astrologists Say

Word that the birth dates that determine your zodiac sign need to be changed by a month has a lot of people -- particularly those with astrological symbol tattoos -- in something of a tizzy.

But professional astrologists say we all need to relax: Despite what astronomers say, these traditionalists have no plans to change the way they do horoscopes and assign zodiac signs. [W]hat certain astronomers are too lazy to find out for themselves," say astrologists Rob Brezsny and Jai Maharaj, is that "[t]he astrological signs are not defined by the constellations you see in the sky."

Astrologist Jeffrey Brock told the Los Angeles Times that the "new" astrology sign dates are "completely unfounded," and he believes astronomers are just trying to discredit his profession. Meanwhile, according to Frank Roylance at the Baltimore Sun's meteorology blog, the Minnesota astronomer who started the zodiac flap was incorrect in saying that the long-used astrology sign dates failed to incorporate a "wobble" of the Earth's axis.

"The bottom line is this: This 'drift' in the sun's apparent position relative to the background stars and constellations has been known and understood by astronomers and astrologers since the Greek astronomer Hipparchus figured it out in 134 B.C.," Roylance wrote. "Astrologers who use the dates and positions dictated by Near Eastern astronomers hundreds of years before the Christian era are well aware of it, and they don't care. They're not going to change the dates they use, and they're not going to add a '13th sign' -- Ophiuchus -- to the Zodiac," Roylance said. Astrologist Susan Miller, who runs Astrology Zone, took to Twitter to assure astrology lovers that all is right with the zodiac world: