Simply, sidereal astrology is charting the planets based on their actual placement against the stars. If a person is born with the Sun in Aries, then the Sun should be in Aries in the sky. Most western astrologers cast their charts with a tropical zodiac, which doesn’t show the actual location of the planets against the zodiac.
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Why are sidereal and tropical astrology planets charted differently?
What does the spring equinox have to do with it?
Around 100 BCE, when Hellenistic astrology was in its heyday, the spring equinox was at around 0 Aries.
In this image you can see the Sun on its path in orange, crossing over the celestial equator, in light blue. This is the vernal equinox. It’s location in 100 BCE was on the border of Aries, or 0 Degrees Aries marked in green. (see note 1 at the end) The tropical zodiac still places the vernal equinox at this location 2100 years later.
Here is the vernal equinox in 2022
The Vernal equinox, where the Sun’s path crosses the celestial equator, is in Pisces. If you were born on 20 March 2022, your tropical sun sign would be Aries, but the Sun was really in Pisces. In sidereal astrology, your Sun sign would be Pisces.
Eastern astrologers continued placing the planets against the stars as they appeared. This use of sidereal charting continued from 100 BCE to the present. Sidereal charting is not new.
Why don’t all astrologers use sidereal charts?
That’s quite a long, complex and subjective story. The cause cannot be pin-pointed even though some theories exist. What I see is that Western astrology seems to have got stuck in the Hellenistic times. After the fall of Rome and the brutal christian suppression of astrology, there wasn’t much of an “astrology” community to share ideas and learn from. It also seems the christian Kool-Aid of “tradition” poisoned western astrology to a standstill. Even with this, tropical astrology remains relevant.
In the east, astrologers continued to practice without oppression. Hindu or Indian astrologers used and continue to use sidereal timing, placing the planets against the stars as they are. They recognized the advancement of the equinox but did not fix their zodiac to the equinox.
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What is the measurable difference between sidereal and tropical planet placements?
Let’s compare the 2022 vernal equinox. The date and time of the event is 21 MAR 2022 11:34 EDT. Remember, the vernal equinox is ALWAYS 0 Aries. The sidereal location of the Sun is 04o 57’ Pisces. The difference is 25o 03’ minutes! That is 4-degrees 57-minutes shy of being an entire zodiac sign off.
Can I find the planets with my telescope using sidereal degrees?
No, astrology divides the 360-degree ecliptic into 12 equal 30-degree zodiacs and is one dimensional. The coordinates used in astrology are two dimensional. Astronomy divides the sky by either an equatorial grid or azimuthal grid. Astronomy coordinates are right ascension and declination, or altitude and azimuth respectively.
Astronomical boundaries of the constellations differ from the astrological zodiac. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) set the astronomical boundaries in 1922. Astronomically, there are 13 constellations along the ecliptic.
There are 13 zodiacs?
No, there are 12 zodiacs and 13 astronomical constellations. That came about when the IAU outlined “hard” boundaries to constellations. Ancient star maps show Orpheus and Scorpio. Their stars entwine and blend into each other. Only the foot of Orpheus separates Scorpio and Sagittarius and the stars in this area are not significant.
The zodiac differs from the constellations for two reasons. First, astronomers are not astrologers. Second, similar to the oppression of astrologers by christianity, science made its own rules to discount whatever they deem to be non-scientific.
The IAU could have made the area of Orpheus smaller, but they had no regard for astrologers.
Basically, instead of playing ball nicely, the star watchers who were not astrologers took the celestial ball and call it theirs. We call that appropriation. And let’s be real here. It’s space. There are no hard boundaries.
Science should ultimately detach it’s cold, dry, dead existence from astrology. Astronomers should use none of the original zodiac or constellation names. Those belong to astrology.
Astrology is a science. It is a metaphysical science. It is beyond the physical sciences. To compare astrology to astronomy is to strip astrology of its spiritual connection.
Is the sidereal zodiac the same as the tropical zodiac?
Yes, the two zodiacs are the same, or you can say there is only one zodiac. The dates of when the Sun enters each zodiac sign are different.
In the tropical zodiac, the dates are static because the zodiac always starts at 0 Aries.
The sidereal zodiac moves with procession. The date the Sun enters a sign moves out about one day every 80-81 years.
Do western sidereal charts get interpreted the same as eastern sidereal?
No. Eastern sidereal interpretations are based on Hindu teachings.
Do western sidereal charts get interpreted the same as tropical charts?
Yes, we use the interpretations from Hellenistic astrology in the west for tropical and sidereal charts. (see note 2 at the end)
There is a great deal of debate that two systems cannot exist with the same interpretation and both are right. This is highly subjective, while both groups present their arguments as objectively as possible.
Societies all over the Earth have had their own astrology. These systems worked for them within their culture and beliefs. There has never been one singular root of astrology. This single origination concept comes from the christian need for singular dogma and has poisoned the spiritualist thinking.
Are you saying all astrology systems are correct?
All astrology systems work in their own way. Interpretations will always be different. There is no universal interpretation of the placements, and that’s okay. If you come across an astrologer that reasons only their astrology is correct, then you’ve come across a less than stellar astrologer.
What’s the important information to take away about sidereal astrology?
Sidereal is reading planetary impressions based on their actual placement against the stars. The location of the vernal equinox has no effect on sidereal planetary placement. Sidereal placement is not new; it’s been in use by Eastern astrologers since antiquity. The western Hellenistic interpretation of sidereal charts is as valid as any other astrological interpretation.
Notes for absolutists
- Sun location in 100 BCE was on the border of Aries- In fact, what I represent here is the International Astronomical Union’s border of the constellation Aries. It is a relative approximation and provided as a visual.
- We use the interpretations from Hellenistic astrology- there is debate if some Hellenistic methods, like horary, are effective with sidereal astrology. I guess you can’t fix everything with duck tape.
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