b'Matters heart of thematterThingsthat Matter Since 1990 Having Fun withFeaturing Local People, Places and PUBLISHER& EDITOR IN CHIEF Astrology Ellen DonkerASSOCIATEEDITORAnne Mandell Im a Leo. Whats your sign?SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER BY ELLEN DONKERRachael EntineADVERTISING CONSULTANTSRene ConlonH. Leslie GilmanAmy PowerthatmyexactlywhenIsion. Most recently, in the wake of the GRAPHIC DESIGN I rememberzodiacsignwascoronaviruspandemic,interestin-Ellen Donker dont learned COPY EDITORS Leo, but it was probably sometimecreased especially among millennials Charles Hammer in elementary school. As a shy childand Generation Z. In fact, in a 2022 Tia Swanson withabossyoldersister,Ilikedpoll, 27 percent of Americans said CONTRIBUTORS thatmysignrepresentedstrengththeybelieveinastrology.Theper-Adrianna Donat and leadership. And since I was a catcentage was even higher, 37 percent, Rose Bennett Gilbert lover, it made me smile. But is my personalityamong those under age 30. Amy Lynn-Cooper dramatic and dominant? I think not.Whateveronestakeonastrology,the Cindy Perman Maplewood photographer Julia Maloof Verderosastaff at Matters Magazine thought it would be Erin Rogers Pickering started learning about zodiac signs in middle school. Shefun in our Women in Business feature to ask women to Ilysse Rimalovski remembers a summer on Cape Cod when she and hertell us their signs and the traits of their zodiac that con-Maribeth Theroux sister Stella would walk to the candy store to get theirtribute to their business success.Julia Maloof Verderosa monthlyhoroscopescrolls,whichwerelong,skinnyResponses were interesting. I found out that some papers that listed the signs in different colors and tinywomen followed their horoscope very closely and had writing. She says, We really took it to heart. We wouldin-depth knowledge of zodiac signs. They told me which study what our horoscope was for that day, every day.planet ruled their sign and whether their zodiac was a Verderosa says shes a late Aries and totally believed infire, earth, air or water sign. Some also knew the signs Please address all correspondence to: astrology at the time. She says, Its so interesting thatwith which they were most compatible, important data Visual Impact Advertising, Inc. even now, because we studied it so much, it still can col- forthoseinbusinesspartnerships.Othersdescribed P.O. Box 198 or my impressions [of people] when I know their birth- themselves as cuspers, being on the boundary of their Maplewood, NJ 07040 daysthe stubbornness of Taurus, the gregariousnesssign. Given the change in the Earths tilt over time, a 973-763-4900 of Geminis, emotional Cancers, attention-seeking Leos.Gemini at the tail end of the signs date span could make mattersmagazine.comAccordingtoBritannica.com,thezodiacisabeltan argument about really being a Cancer, or a little of info@mattersmagazine.com around the sky extending 9 degrees on either side of theboth.Matters Magazine is owned and publishedSuns apparent annual path. Around 500 BCE, the Bab- Other women simply chose the traits of their signs by Visual Impact Advertising, Inc., P.O.ylonians divided the zodiac into 12 astrological signs,descriptionandtiedthemintotheirbusinessperfor-Box 198 Maplewood, NJ 07040. Matterseach occupying one-twelfth (or 30 degrees) of its greatmance. In every case, though, they were surprised by Magazine is free, with editions direct mailed seven times a year to the residents of Maple- circle. The dates traditionally associated with the signshow closely aligned their sign was to their personality wood and South Orange and distributed toof the zodiac are when the Sun is supposed to be in theand wondered whether there was something to astrology businesses and surrounding communities totaling 16,000. Subscriptions are availablerelevant constellation. During the course of 2,500 years,after all. to non-residents for $30 (U.S.) $40 (Foreign)the direction of the Earths tilt has shifted and the datesAlthough I dont follow my horoscope or completely annually. No part of the publication may beare no longer completely accurate. identify with my sign, Im still proud to be a Leo. I still reprinted or otherwise reproduced without writtenpermissionfromVisualImpactIf youre wondering why people believe in astrology,have my Leo keychain, probably purchased sometime in Advertising, Inc. research suggests that its a coping mechanism that helpshigh school. I hung the keys to my first car on it. Perhaps CIRCULATION VERIFIED BY people make sense of their world when life feels com- its sentiment that has kept me from throwing it out, U.S. POSTAL RECEIPTS. plex. It can also be a way to validate how people thinkreminding me of a time when my developing personality READ & RECYCLE about themselves.sought validation from a sign, even if I never quite be-Interest in astrology rose during the Great Depres- lieved in it. 8/ matters magazine / fall 2024'