To be born under a bad sign

Origin

Ancient cultures, from Babylon to Greece and Rome, held a profound belief in the power of the cosmos to shape human destiny. They meticulously charted the heavens, dividing the celestial sphere into twelve "signs" or constellations, each believed to imbue newborns with specific traits and fates. If, at the moment of birth, the planets and stars aligned in a way deemed inauspicious—perhaps under the influence of a "malefic" planet or an unfavorable constellation—it was believed the child was marked for a life of struggle and misfortune. This cosmic decree, etched into their very being by the stars, gave rise to the poignant phrase, "to be born under a bad sign," a lasting testament to humanity's age-old quest to understand why some lives seem blessed while others are eternally shadowed by ill luck.