The Ancient Greeks — along with other civilizations of the time — widely believed in a now-iconic phrase: "As Above, So Below." In other words, the Greeks strongly believed that the workings of the cosmos, the great mystery above us, directly affected our general well-being.
It very well seems the Greeks might have indeed been onto something. Even if you don't believe in astrology, per se, it is clear that the stars directly influence our lives — we know we can't possibly manage to live without the Sun. We know we are, ultimately, made of "star stuff."
Astrology, which can be loosely defined as a philosophy of stars, has changed significantly over time. It's hard to directly answer "how old are the Zodiac signs?" because they developed over time. The current iteration of Western Astrology is highly influenced by ancient Greece and ancient Babylon. In addition, Zodiac history is primarily derived from the mathematician and astronomer Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos, which was published roughly 1,800 years ago. This typically marks the beginning of astrology.
Ptolemy divided the Earth's orbit around the sun — a 360-degree experience — into distinctive 30-degree sectors, each with a different identification. He carefully documented the stars that could be witnessed during this time, which often included distinct constellations.
Ultimately, this led to the creation of the ancient Zodiac Signs, which are 12 cosmic phases correlated with each 30-degree sector. Today, many people believe the sign that is present at the moment of your birth can have a direct influence on the course of your life.
