I think it is Dean Cain's birthday one of these days, and since the people behind LnC apparently decided that Dean Cain's birthday would be Superman's birthday as well, I guess it's time for us to celebrate Clark Kent! Hip, hip, hooray!
But if you were born at this time of year, your sign is Pisces.
![[Linked Image]](http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/image/pisces.JPG)
Dean Cain is a Pisces, as well as Superman and Clark Kent. But what does that mean? Is it possible to observe a person and conclude from his or her looks or behaviour that this person is a Pisces? Is a Pisces person fishy?
![[Linked Image]](http://www.destructoid.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/09/banner4.jpg)
No, of course that's not what it means to be a Pisces! Being a Pisces doesn't give you any particular quirks or qualities, and it doesn't make you particularly fond of swimming or eating fish. It just isn't possible to observe a person and conclude from his or her looks or behaviour that we are dealing with a Pisces. But then what does it mean to be a certain sign?
You may have heard that if you are a Pisces then the Sun was in Pisces at the time when you were born. So how does it work that the Sun is in your sign?
Undoubtedly you know that you can see different constellations in the sky during different times of the year. Now in winter, for example, Orion is brilliantly prominent, although it's beginning to sink lower in the west.
![[Linked Image]](http://homoveritas.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/orion_m.jpg)
Orion, a winter constellation if you live in the Northern hemisphere.
In the summer, those of you who live in America will find that Scorpius and Sagittarius grace your summer night skies:
![[Linked Image]](http://www.computerweekly.com/PhotoGalleries/238295/1754_20_The-centre-of-the-Milky-Way-towards-Sagittarius-and-Scorpius.jpg)
The Milky Way with Scorpius.
So why do we see different constellations at different times of the year? It is because the Earth orbits the Sun, and as our planet moves around the Sun, the Sun appears to "enter" and "leave" twelve different constellations in the sky:
![[Linked Image]](http://www.dailygalaxy.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/06/05/ancient_zodiac.gif)
To us on the Earth, it looks as if the Earth was stationary and the Sun moves across the sky. In January and early February it appears to be in Aquarius, in late February and March it appears to be in Pisces, in late March and early April it appears to be in Aries, etcetera.
What really happens is that in late January and early February, the constellation of Aquarius appears to form the "backdrop" of the daytime sky. Aquarius appears to be right "behind" the Sun. Of course we can't see Aquarius in the daytime, when the sky is bright. Indeed the best time of year to see Aquarius is six months after (or before) it was right behind the Sun. So if you are an Aquarius and want to see your constellation, go out on a night in July and look south, and there is Aquarius! Unfortunately the stars of this constellation are quite faint, so Aquarius won't look like much. Still, it will be there to see in the night skies of July!
Anyway, if you are an Aquarius, then Aquarius was "behind" the Sun in the daytime sky on the day you were born. If you are a Pisces, then Pisces was "behind" the Sun in the daytime sky on your birthday. This effect is really due to the fact that the Earth orbits the Sun, and from the vantage point of the Earth the Sun appears to "move in" and move out" of twelve different constellations of the sky, the so-called Zodiac:
The path of the Earth and the Zodiac In the picture you can see in this link, the Sun appears to be in Pisces! So in this link it's Superman's birthday, or close to it!
The twelve signs of the Zodiac are Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. But there are many more constellations in the sky, for example Orion and Ursa Major, the Great Bear, where you can find the Big Dipper. But you can never be "an Orion" or "a Great Bear". That is because the Sun never moves into those constellations, as seen from the Earth. The Great Bear is always high above the ecliptic, the path of the Earth around the Sun. There are 88 constellations in the sky, but due to the Earth's flat and steady orbit around the Sun, the Sun only enters twelve of all the constellations of the sky. (Except I think that there should really be thirteen constellations in the Zodiac, as the Sun briefly passes into Ophiuchus the Snake-Carrier between Scorpio and Libra. Who knows, if you thought you were a Scorpio or a Libra, you may actually be a Snake-Carrier instead!)
Anyway, the fact that the Earth orbits the Sun means that some constellations are always hidden in the glaring light of the Sun, and other constellations are gloriously positioned high in the sky at midnight. But as the Earth moves along its path around the Sun, the constellations that "slip behind the Sun" change over the year. The constellation that was right behind the Sun on the day that you were born (and which was therefore impossible to see on your birthday) is the constellation that is your sign.
So, finally, does being a Pisces make you fishy? Obviously not. Pisces is a "watery" constellation (whatever that means)
and gives the people born in its sign "watery" qualities (whatever that means).
Sounds like mumbo jumbo to me, if you want to know what I think.
But, hey, I looked up Pisces as an astrological sign and checked what qualities the sign was supposed to give those who were born in it. Can you believe how accurately it describes Clark Superman Kent?
WATER SIGNS (Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces)-- The Water signs exhibit benevolence. These type people are charitable, have a kindly disposition and promote goodwill. They are concerned with the welfare of others. Where other people are concerned they are kind, generous and philanthropic. They seldom harbor hostility. They derive pleasure from doing good deeds. The philosophers called the Water signs servers. People under this sign are cooperative, companionable, hospitable and sociable. They are true humanitarians and are concerned with the welfare of other people. They are called servants or servers because of their unselfishness and sincere devotion to the welfare of humanity. They unconditionally come to the aid of the sick and the unfortunate just as they would for one of their own family, and most often ask nothing in return. The Water signs have an emotional nature. They have strong feelings and sensibilities. They tend to make decisions based on their emotions rather than by reason. Although they are emotional in nature, they do not outwardly express it. Their feelings are hurt easily but they tend to not let it show. The Water signs' emotions are directed toward other people. They are deeply concerned about the welfare of their friends and family. They also care about what other people think and say about them. An insensitive remark from someone can hurt their feelings deeply, although they may not show it. They give of themselves and their material possessions freely to help a less-advantaged person gain confidence and stature. They will go all out where close friends or family is concerned. It is not easy to make friends with a water sign because they are skeptical and naturally shy. They will be generous and kind to a certain point, but when you gain their confidence you will have an all-weather friend who will stand by you through your struggles. The Water sign's fault is being untruthful. They will suppress the truth by words, writing and conduct to do damage to another. This is not spite. This is their non-violent way of getting their revenge. Milder cases include stretching the truth a little, not exactly untrue but not the real truth. Water signs are emotional people and tend to get carried away in the heat of a situation. These people are not prone to physical violence normally, but being of an emotional nature and having the tendency to let things build up inside them, they can become extremely abusive. The exception is the sign Scorpio. Scorpios are self-confident, intelligent, and strong-willed....they will tell it like it is - whether you like it or not makes no difference to them. They will resort to caustic verbal and oftentimes physical violence in an instant. Scorpio, by ancient definition, was previously ruled by Mars as is Aries, and that Mars quality in present in both, both are prone to physical violence when angered.[4]
Amazing, right? Except I doubt that Clark can be considered a Pisces. The way I see it, you can be a Pisces only if you were born on the Earth and had Pisces as the backdrop of the daytime sky on the day you were born. Kal-El Clark Superman Kent must have been born on Krypton or possibly in his little spaceship, though I doubt he was born there. Anyway, the Sun would have been a faint and unremarkable star as seen from Krypton, and there is no reason to believe that the Sun was found in the constellation of Pisces from the vantage point of Krypton (assuming that Pisces was even recognizable as a constellation from Krypton).
Anyway, the description of Clark Kent's astrological qualities was truly remarkable!
Ann
Happy Birthday everyone!