Editorial: Sign, sign, everywhere a sign...but what is it?

    The scientists have spoken. First they demote Pluto, the little blob of mass that everyone had ingrained in them since kindergarten as the ninth planet in our solar system, to a mere dwarf. Now they're looking at revamping the whole astrological system into something that's sure thoroughly confuse people all around the globe, putting into question which zodiac sign a person truly falls under.

    It's the end of the world as we knew it.

    Hot off the tweets and blogs comes the big announcement Thursday from Minnesota Astronomer Parke Kunkle that due to precession – the moon causing the earth to wobble on its axis and gradually shift in orientation with the sun – that took over the last few thousand years, the astrological signage set in stone by ancient Greeks and Babylonians no longer applies and hasn't since around the time Christ was said to be born. The scientists maintain that this realignment of the planets necessitates a 13th sign, Ophiucus, into the mix.

     With the new system, Ophiucus is squeezed into the November/December spot between Scorpio and Sagittarius. Anytime you add something to an already established calendar consisting of 365 days in 12 months, you're going to have to do some adjusting to compensate. Hence, the new signs/date ranges: Most are moved up about a month, so, for example, Pisces, instead of falling in the mid-February to mid-March range is now in the March to April range.

     It's not quite that simple, though. Some signs, like Virgo, encompass a much longer range of days than before while others, especially Scorpio with only a week, are shortchanged. Only a select few people who are apparently born on lucky days retain their same signs in the new configuration.

    Over the past 24 hours, the electronic media has been overloaded with cries of angst. True believers, who make up about a quarter of the population, are upset about the prospect that the sign they'd come to love and respect as their own is no longer theirs, their personality traits being different than once thought and having to nix their partner because he/she is no longer compatible, sign-wise. Even those who don't take it all seriously but still read their horoscopes from time-to-time and proudly proclaim “Sagittarius” or “Capricorn” when asked their sign is are in an uproar about having to change it. Which daily prediction is a person to follow?

    So who will prevail in the battle between science and this pseudoscience/superstition? Signs point to the latter. The general consensus among high-profile astrologers is that the scientists who have come up with this theory are just trying to discredit astrology, that their practices are based on a combination of things such as mythology in addition to science. These things have actually been silently debated among both communities for centuries, but in the age of Facebook and Twitter, Knunkle has managed to garner 15 minutes of fame surrounding the controversy.

    The thinking here is that no one should rush to get rid of all the jewelry, knick-knacks and
tattoos depicting their “old” zodiac signs. Ophiucus has too many strikes against him to become a popular sign, what with being the serpent-bearer (nobody wants to be a snake) and slashing Scorpio's population hold. Maybe in the next century or two, after the inevitable technology tank out, the scientific and astrological communities will settle for a compromise that pleases almost everyone.

    Then again, if you've never liked your sign, this is the perfect chance to change it.