The innermost wheel depicts the Tropical Zodiac, the signs of which are
based upon the four "tropical points," the equinoxes and solstices.
The arrow points to the Spring or Vernal Equinox, the beginning of
the Tropical Zodiac. The four tropical points are also called the
"cardinal points" because they constitute the beginning of the four
cardinal signs, shown in the inner wheel as 0° Aries, 0° Cancer,
0° Libra, and 0° Capricorn. Each sign in the Tropical
Zodiac is 30 degrees. The middle wheel is the so-called "Astronomical
Zodiac" and contains the names of the constellations of stars with the
same names as the signs of the Tropical Zodiac. The lines
that separate them roughly correspond to the figures of the constellations
depicted in the outermost wheel. The constellations with the same
names as the signs of the Tropical Zodiac are not each 30 degrees in length
and vary widely (note how small Cancer is and how long Virgo is).
The outmost wheel, in addition to containing depictions of the
constellations of the Astronomical Zodiac, is divided into 12 segments of
30 degrees each, which constitutes the "Sidereal Zodiac." In some
cases (Taurus and Scorpio) the demarcations of the signs of this zodiac
correspond well with the astronomical boundaries of the constellations with
the same names. However, the constellations of Leo, Virgo, and
Pisces do not fit within the 30 degree sign boundaries of these Sidereal
Zodiac signs and the constellations of Cancer and Libra are much smaller
than 30 degrees. |
This is a 1700s depiction of the constellations of the heavens.
Note that they are almost all living creatures. Although
nearly impossible to read without magnification, the names and
demarcations of the signs of the Tropical Zodiac are around the outmost
edge of the circle. |
This is an inset of the 1700s depiction of the constellations of the
heavens shown above. The Spring or Vernal Equinox is shown in the
bottom left corner as the beginning of the sign of Aries in the Tropical
Zodiac. The sign of Aries is marked off in 10 degree segments in the
outermost edge of the circle. Yet, the constellation of
Pisces (the fish to the immediate left of the ram) encroaches into most
of the tropical sign of Aries and the constellation of Aries,
shown as a ram lying down and facing backwards, is mostly in the band of
sky assigned to the tropical sign of Taurus (labeled as "Tavrvs" at
center right). This
displacement of the signs of the Tropical Zodiac from the
constellations with the same names, is called "Precession of the
Equinoxes" and is the reason that the Tropical Zodiac is also called the
"Moving Zodiac." However, this movement of the signs of the Tropical
Zodiac against the backdrop of the constellations of stars is
imperceptible to us mere mortals because it retrogresses (moves backwards
in the order of the signs of the zodiac) at the rate of 1 degree every
72 years! |
This is a depiction of the signs of Capricorn and Sagittarius in
the Tropical Zodiac. The constellation of Sagittarius
(labeled "SG") is in the band of the sky defined as the sign of
Capricorn and the constellations of Ophiuchus and Scorpio (labeled
"SC") are in the band of the sky defined as the sign of
Sagittarius. The alternating black and white line in the center
is the ecliptic - the projection of the Earth's orbit onto the sky.
Both of the signs of Sagittarius and Capricorn are divided into
thirds by vertical lines. These thirds are called "faces" by
traditional astrologers and decanates or decans by modern astrologers.
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By the time you read this, the “non-story” that appeared in the media
during January 2011 (at a slow time for real news) will be “old news” but
I heard enough comments and received enough questions (including from my
wife) to warrant this article. The “non-story” to which I refer is
the claim by some astronomers that astrologers ignore the fact that there
are more than 12 constellations in the band of the sky defined as the
zodiac. Although the boundaries given by astronomers to the
constellation of Ophiuchus cross the ecliptic, the center of the zodiac
(see the diagram at bottom left),
the number of constellations in the zodiac is irrelevant and unrelated to
the signs of the zodiac used by astrologers. The reason that
such critics and the reporters who parrot them misunderstand this concept
is because the signs of the zodiac are not and never have been the
same as the constellations that bear the same names!
Unfortunately, this non-story about how astrologers need to “change
the zodiac” surfaces every few years, I think to irritate astrologers and
to try to discredit the science of astrology in the eyes of the public.
Yes, astrology fits the definition of a science.
The reason I feel compelled to respond to this non-story is illustrated
by a brief conversation I recently had with a client. I sent her
the recording I made of our session (via a new electronic venue I am
using) and called to verify that she received it. During this
conversation, she asked me if the recent “change in the zodiac” that she
had read about altered what I told her during her appointment. I
reassured her that the non-story in the press was based upon completely
misconstrued concepts. She was relieved because she was concerned
(before talking to me) that my analysis had been invalidated by the
omission of other zodiacal constellations.
The “Tropical Zodiac,” used by about 85% of U.S. astrologers (including
myself), has nothing to do with the stars or the constellations
in the band of the sky we call the zodiac (a band of eight degrees on
both sides of the ecliptic, the earth's orbit projected onto the sky).
Therefore, if astronomers want to claim that this band in the sky
contains 13 constellations or 16, their number has no relevance to the
Tropical Zodiac whatsoever! The four “cardinal signs” of the
Tropical Zodiac are defined as astronomical events we call the two
equinoxes and the two solstices. The definition of the beginning
of the sign of Aries in the Tropical Zodiac is the moment the Sun crosses
the Earth's equator directly overhead, going from the southern to the
northern hemisphere (in the northern hemisphere this event is called the
spring equinox). Conversely, the definition of the beginning of
the sign of Libra in the Tropical Zodiac is the moment the Sun crosses
the Earth's equator directly overhead, going from the northern to the
southern hemisphere (in the northern hemisphere this event is called the
fall equinox). The definition of the beginning of the sign of
Cancer in the Tropical Zodiac is the moment the Sun reaches the
northernmost position directly overhead, called the summer solstice in
the northern hemisphere. This position of the Sun corresponds to a
circle on the Earth that we label by the astrological name, the “Tropic
of Cancer.” At this time of year, the Earth's north polar axis leans
toward the Sun. Conversely, the beginning of the sign of Capricorn
in the Tropical Zodiac is the moment the Sun reaches its southernmost
position directly overhead. In the northern hemisphere we call this
event the winter solstice and it corresponds to a circle on the Earth that
we label by the astrological name, the “Tropic of Capricorn.” The
other signs of the Tropical Zodiac are 30 degree segments of the zodiacal
band between the equinoxes and the solstices.
The above definitions of the Tropical Zodiac are based upon astronomical
events and are completely independent of and unrelated to the stars or
the constellations. Instead, they are a function of the overhead
position of the Sun in Earth's sky and the tilt of the Earth's axis
relative to the Sun as the Earth moves around its orbit. So
comparing the constellations of the stars with the signs of the Tropical
Zodiac is like comparing apples with oranges – they are both fruits but
they are otherwise unrelated to each other. Herein lies the source
of confusion by those who have never studied astrology and who
unscientifically criticize it – the signs of the zodiac have the same
names as the constellations in the zodiac. The fact that the
sign of Pisces does not align with the constellation of
Pisces in the sky is irrelevant to the practice of tropical astrology.
There is another zodiac, called the “Sidereal Zodiac,” but its definition
is also unrelated to the constellations of stars with the same names as
the zodiac signs. Sidereal means determined by or from the stars
so this zodiac is related to one of the constellations in
the band of the zodiac – Aries. This zodiac is used by about 15% of
U.S. astrologers but it is almost exclusively used by astrologers in India
(called eastern astrologers). However, the definition of this zodiac
is unrelated to the number or size of the constellations of
stars found in the band of the zodiac (tropical or sidereal).
The sign of Aries in the Sidereal Zodiac is defined as beginning at
a point in the constellation of Aries and each of the 12 signs of this
zodiac are demarcated as 30 degree segments measured from this point.
In conclusion, most astrologers today use the same Tropical Zodiac
introduced by the Hellenistic Greeks 2,500 years ago and those who
criticize astrology without first examining it are in the same category
with the people who conducted the Inquisition (condemnation based upon
prejudice, not investigation).
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*Echo is a monthly newspaper about community, the
environment, health, cuisine, and spirituality that is distributed in
central Virginia.
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