Treatise on the Astrolabe (c. 1391 to 1392) addressed to his son Lowys was composed by Geoffrey Chaucer (c.1343-1400). Chaucer's Treatise described how the constellations of the Zodiac take the shape of animals. The medieval Zodiac, was associated with chronology and the passage of time:

"This zodiak is dividid in 12 principale divisiouns that departen the 12 signes, and, for the streitnesse of thin Astrolabie, than is every smal divisoun in a signe departed by two degrees and two! I mene degrees contenyng 60 mynutes. And this forseide hevenysshe zodiak is clepid the cercle of the signes, or the cercle of the bestes, for 'zodia' in langage of Grek sowneth 'bestes' in Latyn tunge. And in the zodiak ben the 12 signes that han names of bestes, or ellis for whan the sonne entrith into eny of tho signes he takith the propirte of suche bestes, or ellis that for the sterres that ben ther fixed ben disposid in signes of bestes or shape like bestes, or elles whan the planetes ben under thilke signes thei causen us by her influence operaciouns and effectes like to the operaciouns of bestes."

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