THE ASTROLOGY OF THE REAL SKY

In this blog, we pride ourselves on practicing psychological astrology based on the real astronomical sky—that is, a psychological and sidereal astrology that takes into account the precession of the equinoxes but also considers the actual size of the constellations that touch the ecliptic.

Logically, this has implications for the interpretation of birth charts according to this system of the real sky. The first of these is that we must introduce a thirteenth constellation that touches the ecliptic and through which the Sun, in turn, passes in its apparent motion along the zodiacal band.

This thirteenth constellation, Ophiuchus, occupies 18 degrees of the zodiacal band, and the Sun passes through it between November 30 and December 17.

Because astrology and its interpretations are based on a system rooted in Western philosophical and cultural tradition—a system that has been developing for 2,000 years—another major consequence is that we have virtually no interpretive data on this new zodiacal sign, the sign of Ophiuchus, nor do we know its ruling planet, how it interacts with the other signs, etc…

In this regard, the Sidereal Astrology Association* and some of its founding members, such as Dr. Dani*, are compiling interpretive material and publishing pioneering books on the subject, such as this one on Ophiuchus and its interpretation:

THE APPARENT MOTION OF THE SUN

The apparent motion (as seen from Earth) of the Sun along the zodiacal band is the annual path that our star appears to trace against the backdrop of the constellations. This occurs due to the Earth’s orbit around the Sun and defines an imaginary line in the sky called the ecliptic.

The Zodiac (in astronomy) is a zone of the sky through which the ecliptic passes (the curved path traced by the Sun as seen from Earth), taking the vernal equinox—the intersection of the ecliptic and the celestial equator—as its reference point.

The Sun travels along the zodiacal band from west to east, moving approximately 1° (degree) per day. Upon completing 360 degrees in about 365.25 days, the Sun returns to its original position after one year.

The zodiacal band is inclined by about 23.5 degrees relative to the celestial equator, which causes the changes in the seasons. The Sun successively passes through the 13 constellations of the zodiac (Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Ophiuchus, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces).

Traditional tropical astrology divided the zodiac (as well as the time it takes the Sun to traverse it) into twelve equal parts or signs, each represented by one of the twelve traditional constellations. Subsequently, each constellation-sign was divided into 30 degrees, and thus the zodiac was divided into 360 units, later called degrees.

WESTERN SIDEREAL ASTROLOGY OF THE 20TH CENTURY

In the 20th century (and even as early as the late 19th century), some Western astrologers began to realize that astrological calculations and predictions did not always align with significant events in personal and planetary life.

And they began to perform calculations that took into account the shift (ayanamsa) caused by the precession of the equinoxes. And thus Western sidereal astrology was born, which, moreover, was rooted in the experience of a millennia-old tradition, that of Vedic astrology (jyotish), which had been performing these types of calculations since time immemorial. The only difference was that in the West we continued to use a circular mandala (the 360° zodiacal wheel we all know, with its twelve zodiacal signs of 30° each) and our traditional Western terminology. And Vedic astrologers, while taking the precession (ayanamsa) into account and performing the same calculations, used a different mandala, as well as their own Vedic terminology.

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE ASTRONOMICAL ZODIAC AND THE ASTROLOGICAL ZODIAC

The main difference between the astronomical zodiac and the astrological zodiac lies in the fact that the astronomical zodiac is based on the actual, current position of the constellations in the sky, while the astrological zodiac uses a fixed system of geometric divisions created over 2,000 years ago.

Due to the Earth’s wobble, the two systems no longer align.

KEY FACTORS IN THE DISCREPANCY

1. The Phenomenon of the Precession of the Equinoxes

The Earth is not a perfect sphere and wobbles like a spinning top. This movement is called the precession of the equinoxes and takes about 25,776 years to complete one cycle.

Because of this, the starting point of the astrological year (the vernal equinox) shifts backward by approximately 1° every 72 years. Over the last two millennia, the cumulative shift is nearly a full sign (about 30°, exactly 24.21 degrees). Therefore, when astrology says that the Sun enters Aries, astronomically the Sun is still crossing the constellation of Pisces.

2. Irregular Sizes vs. Exact Divisions

The constellations in the night sky have irregular boundaries defined by the International Astronomical Union. The Sun spends a variable amount of time in each one:

• Virgo: It takes the Sun about 45 days to cross it due to its large size.
• Scorpio: The Sun traverses it in just 7 days.

Astrology simplifies this by dividing the 360° of the ecliptic into 12 identical segments of 30° each, assigning an average of 30 days to each sign. This results in the fact that in our birth chart, calculated according to the 12-sign method of traditional tropical astrology, the positions of our planets are not actually in the correct constellation-sign. This is an obvious phenomenon due to the unequal sizes of the constellations.

3. The Case of Ophiuchus

In the Sun’s actual path along the ecliptic, the star crosses the boundaries of a thirteenth constellation: Ophiuchus (the serpent-bearer), located between Scorpio and Sagittarius. The Sun passes through it approximately between November 30 and December 17. Astronomy officially records it, while traditional Western astrology disregards it to maintain the mathematical symmetry of the 12 signs.

---

Conclusion: The astronomical zodiac describes the physical and current state of the observable universe. The astrological zodiac functions as a symbolic and historical map that preserves the celestial positions of classical antiquity.

THE 21ST CENTURY AND THE ADVENT OF REAL-SKY ASTROLOGY

The sun, in its apparent motion, moves at a constant speed. That is, it takes the same amount of time each day to move from one degree to the next along the zodiacal band. Roughly speaking, it advances one degree each day.

This wouldn’t be a problem if the actual constellations were all the same size. We’d divide the wheel into 360 degrees as we’ve done until now, and that would be that. But the problem is that with current advances in astronomy and NASA’s increasingly precise calculations, it is impossible to ignore the fact that the constellations, as they appear in the ecliptic band, are not 12 but 13, and furthermore, they have different sizes.

SUMMARY:

To calculate our birth chart according to traditional tropical astrology, we need to use an algorithm in which all planets and house cusps are expressed in longitudes from 0° to 360°; the algorithm divides the result by 30 to determine the corresponding sign according to this formula:

This is an example of a tropical astrological birth chart. In this case, it is for Dolly Parton, who recently passed away. She was born on January 19, 1946, in Sevierville, Tennessee (U.S.), at 8:25 p.m., according to her birth certificate.

Using Dolly’s birth data, we’ve calculated her natal chart. She has the Moon on the Ascendant in Virgo, and the Sun conjunct Venus in Capricorn, almost in the sixth house.

Can you really picture this woman—with the Sun in Capricorn and the Moon on the Ascendant in Virgo—given the incredible career she’s had as a singer and her such open and expressive personality?

LET’S NOW PROCEED WITH THE CALCULATIONS FOR DOLLY PARTON’S 12-SIGN SIDEREAL BIRTH CHART

To calculate our birth chart according to traditional sidereal astrology, we need to apply an ayanamsa* correction of 24.21° to the traditional tropical positions.

*The vernal equinox point retrogrades at a rate of 1 degree every 72 years. To accumulate the current 24.2 degrees, approximately 1,740 years have had to pass since the last time both systems were perfectly aligned (around the year 285 AD).

To calculate a sidereal birth chart using the Lahiri ayanamsa or the Fagan-Bradley ayanamsa (both of which yield very similar results), the algorithm adds a subtractive correction step to the traditional tropical ” ” algorithm. Instead of calculating everything from scratch, the geometric position of the planet is taken, and the exact value of precession for that date and time is subtracted from it.

ONCE AGAIN, LET’S NOW MOVE ON TO THE CALCULATIONS FOR A TRADITIONAL SIDEREAL CHART WITH 12 EQUALLY DIVIDED SIGNS WITHIN THE 360-DEGREE ZODIACAL WHEEL.

We’ll use Dolly Parton’s natal data again. We now obtain a sidereal natal chart in which her Moon rises in the sign of Leo. Although her Venus, conjunct her Sun, remains in the sign of Capricorn.

The sidereal chart explains Dolly’s radiance and expressive personality a little better. She used to say that her husband, Carl Dean, was her opposite because he liked to keep a low profile and often stayed home. She, on the other hand, loved to go out, socialize, and shine.

FINALLY, LET’S CALCULATE DOLLY’S NATAL CHART USING THE ACTUAL ASTRONOMICAL POSITIONS AT THE TIME OF HER BIRTH. THAT IS, ACCORDING TO THE SIDEREAL ZODIAC OF 13 SIGNS—INCLUDING OPHIUCHUS—AND BASED ON THE TRUE MEASUREMENTS OF THE CONSTELLATIONS IN THE SKY.

To calculate our birth chart based on the actual sky, we need a truly complex algorithm that must include calculations involving planetary constellations with different longitudes.

Because, obviously, if our sun travels one degree each day, as it passes through the sign of Pisces, after 20 days it will be approximately 20° from the sign of Pisces, but after 42 days, it will be 4° from the sign of Aries (since the sign of Pisces occupies a zodiacal band of 38°) and not 12 degrees from the sign of Aries as traditional tropical astrology would suggest, nor would traditional sidereal astrology, based on the astrological mandala of 12 equal signs (12 equal constellations) of 30 degrees each.

To calculate a sidereal birth chart based on the astronomical constellations of the IAU (International Astronomical Union), the algorithm completely abandons the traditional mathematical division of 12 signs of 30° each.

Instead, the algorithm uses an ecliptic geolocation method with irregular boundaries, which introduces a 13th constellation (Ophiuchus) and variable time windows for each sign.

Below, we can clearly see how the different sizes of the constellations significantly affect Dolly Parton’s birth chart.

We want to honor Dolly with this birth chart, which we’ve calculated based on the true astronomical positions in the sky at the moment of her birth.

In this birth chart, we can see her fiery and radiant nature, just as we knew her during her more than 60 years in the world of music and entertainment. A Moon rising in Leo, the sign of solar expression; a Sun in Sagittarius, another sign of fire and passion; and Venus in Sagittarius in conjunction with the Sun. Venus in Sagittarius in conjunction with the Sun is the ruler of her Midheaven in Taurus. Venus in Sagittarius as the ruler of a Midheaven in Taurus fits her much better in the world of show business than Venus in the sign of Capricorn.

Her altruism and philanthropy are a thing of the past, but not all the good deeds she did out of the generosity of her heart.

We hope that with these three examples of the same natal data calculated in the three different ways we present in this article, what we wanted to express has become much clearer. And also the different ways in which the three systems of astrology function.

DIFFERENT PAGES with PLANETARIUMS that allow you to explore the REAL SKY on a specific date:

https://skylitstudio.co.uk/night-sky

RESOURCES and links

Resources