Sidereally speaking,
I'm a two-minded fish
not a crabby ram.
Updated once more on 10.24.2006, after I posted "Making the case for astronomology -- and what's this about Ophiuchus?"
"Sidereal astrology is the practice of some Western and all Indian astrologers to base their study of the sky on the actual position of the planets in relation to the starry background. Most astrologers in the Americas and in Western Europe have adopted the tropical zodiac approach. They base their study on a notional view of the heavens that does not match the actual positions of the stars.
"Sidereal astrology is more closely related to the actual constellations. Precession of the equinoxes moves the astrology signs forward through the years. Thus, sidereally, Aries begins in April instead of March. As an example, if you are a March Aries in tropical astrology, then you are a Pisces in sidereal astrology."
These are the current dates
for the Sun's transit through the zodiac:
Capricorn: January 19 to February 15
Aquarius: February 16 to March 11
Pisces: March 12 to April 18
Aries: April 19 to May 13
Taurus: May 14 to June 19
Gemin: June 20 to July 20
Cancer: July 21 to August 9
Leo: August 10 to September 15
Virgo: September 16 to October 30
Libra: October 31 to November 22
Scorpius: November 23 to November 29
Ophiuchus: November 30 to December 17
Sagittarius: December 18 to January 18
I was born on the 12th of April, so a sidereal plot
(as well as direct observation) will show the Sun in Pisces:
versus...
What's of equal if not greater importance than the Sun sign
is the sign of the ascendant. My AC does the ecliptic slide
back to Gemini, which must explain mytwo blogs.
"About 2,000 years ago, the sidereal and tropical zodiacal systems were in approximate agreement. However, the tropical zodiacal system assumes that the constellations are all the same size, which they are not.
"Also, the tropical zodiacal system neglects the constellation of Ophiuchus*, which was recognised as a constellation of the sidereal zodiac at least 1,700 years ago. Finally, due to precession of the equinoxes, there is a difference of about one zodiacal sign between the two systems."
* - Aside from the fact that the ecliptic intersects Ophiuchus (and the Sun spends more than twice as much time in that constellation than it does in Scorpius), cosmic symmetry would seem to require that there be 13 stations through which the Sun passes. There are, after all, 13 Moon cycles in a solar year: 13 lunations x 28 days in a lunation = 364 days.
And while we're on the subject of the zodiac:
"Because of their inclination from the ecliptic, the planets are not restricted to the 13 constellations of the ecliptical zodiac. Seven of the eight planets pass through 21 constellations (Pluto is excluded because of its highly inclined orbit). Thus, there are 21 [nitpicky] astronomical constellations of the zodiac.* These are: Aries, Taurus, Orion, Gemini, Cancer, Hydra, Leo, Sextans, Crater, Virgo, Corvus, Libra, Scorpius, Ophiuchus, Sagittarius, Scutum, Capricornus, Aquarius, Pegasus, Pisces and Cetus."
* - However, most of the planetary transits through those secondary constellations are the equivalent of a butterfly fluttering past and then back over a fence: fleeting.
"Sidereal astrology is the practice of some Western and all Indian astrologers to base their study of the sky on the actual position of the planets in relation to the starry background. Most astrologers in the Americas and in Western Europe have adopted the tropical zodiac approach. They base their study on a notional view of the heavens that does not match the actual positions of the stars.
"Sidereal astrology is more closely related to the actual constellations. Precession of the equinoxes moves the astrology signs forward through the years. Thus, sidereally, Aries begins in April instead of March. As an example, if you are a March Aries in tropical astrology, then you are a Pisces in sidereal astrology."
These are the current dates
for the Sun's transit through the zodiac:
Capricorn: January 19 to February 15
Aquarius: February 16 to March 11
Pisces: March 12 to April 18
Aries: April 19 to May 13
Taurus: May 14 to June 19
Gemin: June 20 to July 20
Cancer: July 21 to August 9
Leo: August 10 to September 15
Virgo: September 16 to October 30
Libra: October 31 to November 22
Scorpius: November 23 to November 29
Ophiuchus: November 30 to December 17
Sagittarius: December 18 to January 18
I was born on the 12th of April, so a sidereal plot
(as well as direct observation) will show the Sun in Pisces:
versus...
What's of equal if not greater importance than the Sun sign
is the sign of the ascendant. My AC does the ecliptic slide
back to Gemini, which must explain my
"About 2,000 years ago, the sidereal and tropical zodiacal systems were in approximate agreement. However, the tropical zodiacal system assumes that the constellations are all the same size, which they are not.
"Also, the tropical zodiacal system neglects the constellation of Ophiuchus*, which was recognised as a constellation of the sidereal zodiac at least 1,700 years ago. Finally, due to precession of the equinoxes, there is a difference of about one zodiacal sign between the two systems."
* - Aside from the fact that the ecliptic intersects Ophiuchus (and the Sun spends more than twice as much time in that constellation than it does in Scorpius), cosmic symmetry would seem to require that there be 13 stations through which the Sun passes. There are, after all, 13 Moon cycles in a solar year: 13 lunations x 28 days in a lunation = 364 days.
And while we're on the subject of the zodiac:
"Because of their inclination from the ecliptic, the planets are not restricted to the 13 constellations of the ecliptical zodiac. Seven of the eight planets pass through 21 constellations (Pluto is excluded because of its highly inclined orbit). Thus, there are 21 [nitpicky] astronomical constellations of the zodiac.* These are: Aries, Taurus, Orion, Gemini, Cancer, Hydra, Leo, Sextans, Crater, Virgo, Corvus, Libra, Scorpius, Ophiuchus, Sagittarius, Scutum, Capricornus, Aquarius, Pegasus, Pisces and Cetus."
* - However, most of the planetary transits through those secondary constellations are the equivalent of a butterfly fluttering past and then back over a fence: fleeting.
Sidereally speaking,
I'm a two-minded fish
not a crabby ram.
mr damon, 02:33
1 Comments:
I learned something I didn't know! Thank you. My sign is the same - chosen by religious astrologers who must have been using the sidereal system. Now, to re-read and properly digest.
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