The zodiac calendar both tracked time and provided predictions: The Babylonians observed that the movement of planets, called transits, corresponded with both auspicious events and misfortunes on earth.
According to Space.com, the ancient Babylonians created the zodiac by dividing the sky into 12 sections, each named after the largest constellation it contained. The zodiac calendar both tracked time and provided predictions: The Babylonians observed that the movement of planets, called transits, corresponded with both auspicious events and misfortunes on earth. As Swinburne University notes, the Romans adopted the zodiac at the dawn of the first century, expanding the roles of the stars and planets through mythology. It was at that intersection of meticulous observation and epic folklore that astrology was born.