Single in the CNY? Find Your Soulmate with Astrology?

Do you believe in soulmates? Do you believe in astrology? Do you believe that soulmates have anything at all to do with astrology? There has been much ado over the many, many years that people have been peopling-- that there is, in fact, a link between people coupling (or wanting to) and astrology.

Most people don't exactly know where this idea came from. Like, who decided that the day you were born would coincide with an animal of some sort that was also linked with a constellation of stars? And then who, pray tell, decided that certain animals and constellations go better with some animals and constellations over others? What was the trial-and-error period of such things? And who was in charge of recording the research and the double-blind studies that go along with having the system we have today? Turns out, we have about 2000 years and the Babylonians to thank.

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According to the American Federation of Astrologers (yes, it's a thing),

Babylonian astrology was introduced to the Greeks early in the 4th century B.C. and, through the studies of Plato, Aristotle, and others, astrology came to be highly regarded as a science. It was soon embraced by the Romans (the Roman names for the zodiacal signs are still used today) and the Arabs and later spread throughout the entire world.

While earliest astrology was used to bring a sense of order out of apparent chaos, it was soon utilized to predict weather patterns, primarily for agricultural purposes. It was eventually broadened to include forecasts of natural disasters and war and other events in the course of human affairs. Amassing successes in these fields, it was a natural progression for astrology to be used as counsel for kings and emperors and, in time, for all of us.

Which is all well and completely interesting. But how did we get from "counsel for kings" to "what's your sign?"

Did you cringe?

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Meanwhile, There Is A Science to It.

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The zodiac (which is derived from the Greek word meaning "circle of animals") is believed to have developed in ancient Egypt and later adopted by the Babylonians. Early astrologers knew it took 12 lunar cycles (i.e., months) for the sun to return to its original position. They then identified 12 constellations that they observed were linked to the progression of the seasons and assigned them names of certain animals and persons. The signs of the zodiac are subdivided into four groups:
Fire Signs: Aries, Sagittarius, Leo
Water Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
Air Signs: Libra, Aquarius, Gemini
Earth Signs: Capricorn, Taurus, Virgo

But What Does ANY of This Have to Do with Soulmates?

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According to the-Soulmate.com (serious),

Your Zodiac sign/star sign reflects the position of the sun when you were born. This influences your personality traits and character as a human being. On the other hand, your Zodiac soulmate is the person who, based on your zodiac sign, is compatible with you. Basically, this means that your personality traits match each other and make up for each other’s differences.

So now that you know where soulmates and astrology came from, maybe, "what's your sign?" isn't so cringe afterall.