西洋占星術主要是將黃道帶人爲劃分為十二個隨中氣點移動（與實際星座位置不一致）的均等的區域以分別充當實際的黃道星座。因為西洋占星術體系使用了這些人爲劃分的區域充當天象作為理論基礎，進而依循「上行、下效」原則反映、支配着人類活動，因此十二星宮代表了十二個基本人格型態或感情特質[3]。如同在東亞地區的一些民族根據出生年份所代表的動物來定義一個人的生肖，在很多國家，一個人的出生月份就以星座來對應。西洋占星術就是試圖對應人的出生時間和這些均等劃分的區域來解釋人的性格和命運。西洋占星術通常分為僞恆星年派和中氣春分年派（英語：Sidereal and tropical astrology）兩支，但僞恆星年派只不過是基於中氣年派的每個等分時間點再加上25.5日，與真正的恆星年或恆星時毫無關係。
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