Astronomy & Astrology : Don`t Ignore It may help understand astrology

[Guest guest]

Astronomy and Astrology (http://www.krysstal.com/zodiac.html)

 

 

Differences : Origins : Assumptions

 

 

 

Definitions

Astronomy is a science. It is the study of the objects in the

Universe. Stars, planets and comets are examined to determine their

structure and origin. As a science it has links with other sciences

like mathematics, physics and chemistry. Astronomy treats the Earth

as one of millions of bodies in the Universe.

Astrology is a belief system. The belief is that the positions of the

Sun, Moon and planets against the starry background influences

peoples' personalities and shapes their lives. An implicit assumption

is that the Earth is a special part of the Universe.

 

This essay discusses these two differing subjects.

 

 

 

----

 

 

The Planets and The Zodiac

Astrologers deal with the positions of the planets against the starry

background. Astrologers will say Mars is in Virgo therefore this will

happen or that will happen. The basis of astrology is the position of

the Sun, the Moon and the five naked eye planets against the patterns

formed by the stars. These patterns are called Constellations. The

Sun, Moon and planets are all labelled as planets by astrologers.

The Sun and Moon appear larger than the other planets so their

influence is larger. The five planets have differing properties.

 

 

Venus is a brilliant white object in the sky and is named after the

Roman goddess of beauty.

 

Mercury is silvery white and moves around the Sun quickly. It is seen

as the messenger of the gods.

 

Mars is red in colour. Since this the colour of blood, Mars is

considered to be the god of war.

 

Jupiter is the king of the gods because it spends a year in each

zodiac constellation.

 

Saturn is the baleful planet because of its relative faintness, its

pale yellow colour and its slow movement amongst the stars.

 

Each constellation has a planet associated with it. Astrologers will

say something like Taurus is ruled by Venus. Astrology is based on

birth charts for an individual. The position of the Sun, Moon and

planets is plotted on the zodiac at the moment of birth. The

constellations that are rising and setting are also listed. The

astrologer will then use this information to determine the

personality and attributes of the individual.

In actual fact, the constellations are artificial areas in the sky

invented originally by humans. They are based on star patterns

visible from Earth. All the stars in a constellation are scattered at

random in space. The patterns have no significance. Each culture uses

its own patterns. Where the West uses names like The Bull and The

Scorpion, the Chinese use The Rat or The Snake. The constellations

are still used by astronomers because they are convenient. It is

easier to say that Mars is in Virgo than to say Mars has coordinates -

5 degrees South, 177 degrees West.

 

The constellations have as much reality in the sky as the countries

have on the Earth. They are used in a similar way. It is easier to

say that London is in England rather than London has a Latitude of 51

degrees North and a Longitude of 0 degrees West.

 

Constellations, like countries, are human inventions.

 

 

 

----

 

 

Signs and Constellations

There is another point of confusion. The constellations that

astronomers use to identify parts of the sky are not the same as the

Zodiac signs used by astrologers. The Zodiac signs were based on the

constellations 2000 years ago when their modern (Latin) names were

first used. The Signs are an astrological convenience ignoring the

differences between two different types of solar calendar. This is

described further in The Calendar.

The astrological signs are about a month out from the astronomical

constellations. When an astrologer says the Sun is in Cancer, an

astronomer will look for it in Gemini.

 

If Mars is in Virgo, astronomically it means that, if you look at the

group of stars known to the Western cultures as Virgo, you will see

an extra red star-like object amongst those stars. That will be Mars.

However when an astrologer says that Mars in is Virgo, he is talking

about the abstract astrological sign that has no physical

significance. Mars will actually be in Leo.

 

The difference in the two solar calendars is caused by an

astronomical phenomenon called precession.

 

An astrologer would make predictions based on the position of Mars in

an imaginary sign. An astronomer would be able to point out Mars; it

would be found amongst the stars of Leo.

 

Even to say Mars is IN Leo is incorrect. Mars would be in the same

direction as the stars of Leo. These are themselves at different

distances. It is a bit like holding a hand against a building saying

the hand is IN the the building.

 

Mars is said to be the god of war because its red colour reminded the

ancients of blood. Mars is red because its surface is covered with

iron oxides - rust! Also, the constellations in use by the West are

not the same as those used by other cultures. The Chinese and Indians

have totally different zodiac signs as well as different numbers of

signs of the zodiac. Remember,

 

 

the signs of the zodiac are created by humans and do not exist in the

universe.

Astrologers invented the signs of the zodiac (as distinct from the

constellations) after the effects of precession became generally

known. If the constellations can be likened to the Earth's countries

(France, USA, Namibia) then the signs of the Zodiac can be likened to

ancient kingdoms that no longer exist (Babylonia, Ottoman Empire,

Phoenicia). Each Zodiac sign is 30 degrees wide in the sky. This is

how astrologers have defined them. The astronomical constellations

are all of different sizes, much like countries on the Earth.

 

Some astrologers will say that a particular zodiac sign represents

the essence of a particular time of year, much like a seasonal

effect. But each hemisphere of the Earth has different seasons at the

same time of year. Some areas of the Earth have four seasons (Spring,

Summer, Autumn, Winter) while other areas have two (Wet, Dry).

 

The stars do not cause the seasons. They are convenient markers for

the apparent path of the Sun around the starry sky. I say apparent

because the Sun's movement through the zodiac is really due to the

Earth moving around the Sun.

 

 

The seasons are caused by the Earth's equator being tilted by 23 and

a half degrees from the plane of the Earth's orbit around the Sun.

On 21st June the Northern hemisphere passes through the Summer

Solstice. 2000 years ago the Sun would have been in front of the

stars that we call Cancer at this solstice. Hence the Tropic of

Cancer. In fact at this solstice now the sun would be in Gemini. If a

Total Eclipse of the Sun were to occur at the solstice, the stars of

Gemini would be visible around or near the sun.

 

In astrology, a person's "star sign" is one of the 12 zodiac signs

that the Sun is in on the birth date. The dates for the Sun's passage

through each sign are well known.

 

In astronomy, the Sun actually passes through 13 constellations in

the sky. The table below lists the actual dates that the Sun is

within these constellations in the early 21st century, beginning with

Spring in the Northern Hemisphere. All seasonal notes are for the

Northern Hemisphere. The dates will change by one day every 70 years.

 

Incidentally, the word zodiac means circle of animals in Greek.

 

 

Constellation Common Name Start

Date End

Date Notes

Pisces The Fishes 12 Mar 18 Apr The Spring Equinox occurs when the

Sun is in this constellation (20 to 22 March). Originally Babylonian.

Very faint stars.

Aries The Ram 18 Apr 14 May Originally Greek (the ram with the golden

fleece). Features a line of three stars. 2000 years ago, the Spring

Equinox occured when the Sun was in this constellation. It was a

prince to the Assyrians. It became a ram after the animal begun to be

sacrificed at this time of year.

Taurus The Bull 14 May 21 Jun Greek or Minoan. The god, Zeus, in bull

form to abduct a Phoenician princess. Very prominant constellation

with two bright star clusters: The Pleiades (or Seven Sisters) and

The Hyades. Its brightest star is Aldebaran ("eye of the bull" in

Arabic).

Gemini The Twins 21 Jun 20 Jul The Twins, Castor and Pollux. They

were sons of Zeus: one was immortal and the other wasn't. The Summer

Solstice occurs when the Sun is in Gemini (21 to 22 June). The

Northern tropic should now really be called, The Tropic of Gemini. A

prominant constellation above Orion.

Cancer The Crab 20 Jul 10 Aug A small dim constellation with a pretty

star cluster, Praesepe (The Beehive). It occurs in the story of the

Greek hero, Hercules.

Leo The Lion 10 Aug 16 Sept A large distinctive constellation. It

also occurs in the story of Hercules. Its brightest star is Regulus

(Latin for "ruler").

Virgo The Virgin 16 Sept 31 Oct The largest constellation of the

zodiac. It is Demeter, the Greek corn goddess. Its brightest star is

Spica (Latin for "ear of corn"). The Autumnal Equinox occurs when the

Sun is in Virgo (22 to 23 September).

Libra The Scales 31 Oct 23 Nov A small, faint constellation.

Originally it was the claws of the scorpion but the Romans changed it

to a balance or scales because the Autumn Equinox (when the days and

nights are equal in length) occured with the Sun in this part of the

sky 2000 years ago. It is the only non-living zodiac constellation.

Scorpius The Scorpion 23 Nov 29 Nov This is the scorpion that killed

Orion, the Hunter. In the sky, Scorpius rises as Orion sets so the

two are never visible together. It is a spectacular constellation,

especially from the tropics or the southern hemisphere. Its brightest

star is Antares, Greek for "rival of Mars" because of its prominant

red colour. The name, Scorpio, is only used by astrolgers.

Ophiuchus The Serpent Bearer 29 Nov 18 Dec This is the Greek god of

medicin, Asclepius, who is depicted holding a serpent, a traditional

symbol for healing. This region of the sky contains many star

clusters and the Milky Way.

Sagittarius The Archer 18 Dec 19 Jan This is Crosus, son of the Greek

god, Pan, and the inventor of archery. This part of the sky contains

the brightest portion of the Milky Way as it looks towards the centre

of our Galaxy. It is not well seen from the northern hemisphere. The

Winter Solstice occurs with the Sun in this constellation (20 to 22

December). The Southern tropic should now be called the Tropic of

Sagittarius.

Capricornus The Sea Goat 19 Jan 16 Feb A small dim constellation. It

originated in Babylonia.

Aquarius The Water Bearer 16 Feb 11 Mar Another dim constellation

originating in Babylonia. At that time it was the rainy season when

the Sun passed through this part of the sky. The constellation was

previously a goose and a peacock.

 

 

 

----

 

 

Assumptions

Astrology is based on a number of assumptions that have been

discredited in the last 2000 or so years. It was formulated when the

sky was thought to be a crystal sphere centred on the Earth with the

stars placed on this sphere. The stars and planets were thought to be

gods in orbit around the Earth. The Earth was thought to be the

centre of the Universe. The Earth was made of four so-called elements

(earth, fire, air and water) while the heavens were made of a fifth

element, the aether. This was the basis on which astrology was

formulated.

We now know that the Earth is one of nine planets in orbit around the

Sun which is itself an ordinary star no different to the other stars

in the sky (except closer). We also know that there are more than

four elements (closer to 100, see The Elements). More importantly we

know that the stars and planets are made up of the same elements that

we find on Earth. We are PART of the Universe.

 

In the past there was no difference between astrology and astronomy.

The two grew up together in a world of spirits, gods, ghosts and

mysticism. Many people believe that the ancients had knowledge that

has been lost. Some ancient ideas were remarkably accurate. Others

were totally wrong. There are many examples of this. Below are tables

showing a selection of ideas by two Greek scientists Aristotle and

Pythagoras. Correct ideas are marked by a green tick ("check" in

USA); incorrect ideas are marked with a red cross.

[Guest guest]

JAYA JAGANNATHA!

 

Dear Astrofacts,

 

Namaste.

 

I cannot agree with the approach delineated in the essay below.

 

According to the Jyotish tradition, both sciences are branches of Jyotish.

Astronomy, or Ganita-shastra deals with calculationg the motions of the

planets, and astrological analysis of the chart arrived at with the help

of astronomical calculations is called Hora or Samhita. Both are equally

scientific, although astronomy gives more space for eperiments and

measurements, therefore it has become accepted as a natural science, while

nost scinetists nowadays regard astrology as a superstition. But according

to the Vedic tradition, both constitute knowledge revealed to the Rishis

by God. Therefore Jyotish is a divine science.

 

Yours,

 

Gauranga Das

 

--

Gauranga Das Vedic Astrologer

& Ayurvedic Consultant

Tel: +36309140839

www.brihaspati.net

www.atmacenter.hu

Skype: gauranga_das

 

 

On Thu, 31 Aug 2006 13:22:02 +0200, astrofacts_techniques

<astrofacts_techniques > wrote:

 

> Astronomy and Astrology (http://www.krysstal.com/zodiac.html)

>

>

> Differences : Origins : Assumptions

>

>

>

> Definitions

> Astronomy is a science. It is the study of the objects in the

> Universe. Stars, planets and comets are examined to determine their

> structure and origin. As a science it has links with other sciences

> like mathematics, physics and chemistry. Astronomy treats the Earth

> as one of millions of bodies in the Universe.

> Astrology is a belief system. The belief is that the positions of the

> Sun, Moon and planets against the starry background influences

> peoples' personalities and shapes their lives. An implicit assumption

> is that the Earth is a special part of the Universe.

>

> This essay discusses these two differing subjects.

>

>

>

> ----

>

>

> The Planets and The Zodiac

> Astrologers deal with the positions of the planets against the starry

> background. Astrologers will say Mars is in Virgo therefore this will

> happen or that will happen. The basis of astrology is the position of

> the Sun, the Moon and the five naked eye planets against the patterns

> formed by the stars. These patterns are called Constellations. The

> Sun, Moon and planets are all labelled as planets by astrologers.

> The Sun and Moon appear larger than the other planets so their

> influence is larger. The five planets have differing properties.

>

>

> Venus is a brilliant white object in the sky and is named after the

> Roman goddess of beauty.

>

> Mercury is silvery white and moves around the Sun quickly. It is seen

> as the messenger of the gods.

>

> Mars is red in colour. Since this the colour of blood, Mars is

> considered to be the god of war.

>

> Jupiter is the king of the gods because it spends a year in each

> zodiac constellation.

>

> Saturn is the baleful planet because of its relative faintness, its

> pale yellow colour and its slow movement amongst the stars.

>

> Each constellation has a planet associated with it. Astrologers will

> say something like Taurus is ruled by Venus. Astrology is based on

> birth charts for an individual. The position of the Sun, Moon and

> planets is plotted on the zodiac at the moment of birth. The

> constellations that are rising and setting are also listed. The

> astrologer will then use this information to determine the

> personality and attributes of the individual.

> In actual fact, the constellations are artificial areas in the sky

> invented originally by humans. They are based on star patterns

> visible from Earth. All the stars in a constellation are scattered at

> random in space. The patterns have no significance. Each culture uses

> its own patterns. Where the West uses names like The Bull and The

> Scorpion, the Chinese use The Rat or The Snake. The constellations

> are still used by astronomers because they are convenient. It is

> easier to say that Mars is in Virgo than to say Mars has coordinates -

> 5 degrees South, 177 degrees West.

>

> The constellations have as much reality in the sky as the countries

> have on the Earth. They are used in a similar way. It is easier to

> say that London is in England rather than London has a Latitude of 51

> degrees North and a Longitude of 0 degrees West.

>

> Constellations, like countries, are human inventions.

>

>

>

> ----

>

>

> Signs and Constellations

> There is another point of confusion. The constellations that

> astronomers use to identify parts of the sky are not the same as the

> Zodiac signs used by astrologers. The Zodiac signs were based on the

> constellations 2000 years ago when their modern (Latin) names were

> first used. The Signs are an astrological convenience ignoring the

> differences between two different types of solar calendar. This is

> described further in The Calendar.

> The astrological signs are about a month out from the astronomical

> constellations. When an astrologer says the Sun is in Cancer, an

> astronomer will look for it in Gemini.

>

> If Mars is in Virgo, astronomically it means that, if you look at the

> group of stars known to the Western cultures as Virgo, you will see

> an extra red star-like object amongst those stars. That will be Mars.

> However when an astrologer says that Mars in is Virgo, he is talking

> about the abstract astrological sign that has no physical

> significance. Mars will actually be in Leo.

>

> The difference in the two solar calendars is caused by an

> astronomical phenomenon called precession.

>

> An astrologer would make predictions based on the position of Mars in

> an imaginary sign. An astronomer would be able to point out Mars; it

> would be found amongst the stars of Leo.

>

> Even to say Mars is IN Leo is incorrect. Mars would be in the same

> direction as the stars of Leo. These are themselves at different

> distances. It is a bit like holding a hand against a building saying

> the hand is IN the the building.

>

> Mars is said to be the god of war because its red colour reminded the

> ancients of blood. Mars is red because its surface is covered with

> iron oxides - rust! Also, the constellations in use by the West are

> not the same as those used by other cultures. The Chinese and Indians

> have totally different zodiac signs as well as different numbers of

> signs of the zodiac. Remember,

>

>

> the signs of the zodiac are created by humans and do not exist in the

> universe.

> Astrologers invented the signs of the zodiac (as distinct from the

> constellations) after the effects of precession became generally

> known. If the constellations can be likened to the Earth's countries

> (France, USA, Namibia) then the signs of the Zodiac can be likened to

> ancient kingdoms that no longer exist (Babylonia, Ottoman Empire,

> Phoenicia). Each Zodiac sign is 30 degrees wide in the sky. This is

> how astrologers have defined them. The astronomical constellations

> are all of different sizes, much like countries on the Earth.

>

> Some astrologers will say that a particular zodiac sign represents

> the essence of a particular time of year, much like a seasonal

> effect. But each hemisphere of the Earth has different seasons at the

> same time of year. Some areas of the Earth have four seasons (Spring,

> Summer, Autumn, Winter) while other areas have two (Wet, Dry).

>

> The stars do not cause the seasons. They are convenient markers for

> the apparent path of the Sun around the starry sky. I say apparent

> because the Sun's movement through the zodiac is really due to the

> Earth moving around the Sun.

>

>

> The seasons are caused by the Earth's equator being tilted by 23 and

> a half degrees from the plane of the Earth's orbit around the Sun.

> On 21st June the Northern hemisphere passes through the Summer

> Solstice. 2000 years ago the Sun would have been in front of the

> stars that we call Cancer at this solstice. Hence the Tropic of

> Cancer. In fact at this solstice now the sun would be in Gemini. If a

> Total Eclipse of the Sun were to occur at the solstice, the stars of

> Gemini would be visible around or near the sun.

>

> In astrology, a person's "star sign" is one of the 12 zodiac signs

> that the Sun is in on the birth date. The dates for the Sun's passage

> through each sign are well known.

>

> In astronomy, the Sun actually passes through 13 constellations in

> the sky. The table below lists the actual dates that the Sun is

> within these constellations in the early 21st century, beginning with

> Spring in the Northern Hemisphere. All seasonal notes are for the

> Northern Hemisphere. The dates will change by one day every 70 years.

>

> Incidentally, the word zodiac means circle of animals in Greek.

>

>

> Constellation Common Name Start

> Date End

> Date Notes

> Pisces The Fishes 12 Mar 18 Apr The Spring Equinox occurs when the

> Sun is in this constellation (20 to 22 March). Originally Babylonian.

> Very faint stars.

> Aries The Ram 18 Apr 14 May Originally Greek (the ram with the golden

> fleece). Features a line of three stars. 2000 years ago, the Spring

> Equinox occured when the Sun was in this constellation. It was a

> prince to the Assyrians. It became a ram after the animal begun to be

> sacrificed at this time of year.

> Taurus The Bull 14 May 21 Jun Greek or Minoan. The god, Zeus, in bull

> form to abduct a Phoenician princess. Very prominant constellation

> with two bright star clusters: The Pleiades (or Seven Sisters) and

> The Hyades. Its brightest star is Aldebaran ("eye of the bull" in

> Arabic).

> Gemini The Twins 21 Jun 20 Jul The Twins, Castor and Pollux. They

> were sons of Zeus: one was immortal and the other wasn't. The Summer

> Solstice occurs when the Sun is in Gemini (21 to 22 June). The

> Northern tropic should now really be called, The Tropic of Gemini. A

> prominant constellation above Orion.

> Cancer The Crab 20 Jul 10 Aug A small dim constellation with a pretty

> star cluster, Praesepe (The Beehive). It occurs in the story of the

> Greek hero, Hercules.

> Leo The Lion 10 Aug 16 Sept A large distinctive constellation. It

> also occurs in the story of Hercules. Its brightest star is Regulus

> (Latin for "ruler").

> Virgo The Virgin 16 Sept 31 Oct The largest constellation of the

> zodiac. It is Demeter, the Greek corn goddess. Its brightest star is

> Spica (Latin for "ear of corn"). The Autumnal Equinox occurs when the

> Sun is in Virgo (22 to 23 September).

> Libra The Scales 31 Oct 23 Nov A small, faint constellation.

> Originally it was the claws of the scorpion but the Romans changed it

> to a balance or scales because the Autumn Equinox (when the days and

> nights are equal in length) occured with the Sun in this part of the

> sky 2000 years ago. It is the only non-living zodiac constellation.

> Scorpius The Scorpion 23 Nov 29 Nov This is the scorpion that killed

> Orion, the Hunter. In the sky, Scorpius rises as Orion sets so the

> two are never visible together. It is a spectacular constellation,

> especially from the tropics or the southern hemisphere. Its brightest

> star is Antares, Greek for "rival of Mars" because of its prominant

> red colour. The name, Scorpio, is only used by astrolgers.

> Ophiuchus The Serpent Bearer 29 Nov 18 Dec This is the Greek god of

> medicin, Asclepius, who is depicted holding a serpent, a traditional

> symbol for healing. This region of the sky contains many star

> clusters and the Milky Way.

> Sagittarius The Archer 18 Dec 19 Jan This is Crosus, son of the Greek

> god, Pan, and the inventor of archery. This part of the sky contains

> the brightest portion of the Milky Way as it looks towards the centre

> of our Galaxy. It is not well seen from the northern hemisphere. The

> Winter Solstice occurs with the Sun in this constellation (20 to 22

> December). The Southern tropic should now be called the Tropic of

> Sagittarius.

> Capricornus The Sea Goat 19 Jan 16 Feb A small dim constellation. It

> originated in Babylonia.

> Aquarius The Water Bearer 16 Feb 11 Mar Another dim constellation

> originating in Babylonia. At that time it was the rainy season when

> the Sun passed through this part of the sky. The constellation was

> previously a goose and a peacock.

>

>

>

> ----

>

>

> Assumptions

> Astrology is based on a number of assumptions that have been

> discredited in the last 2000 or so years. It was formulated when the

> sky was thought to be a crystal sphere centred on the Earth with the

> stars placed on this sphere. The stars and planets were thought to be

> gods in orbit around the Earth. The Earth was thought to be the

> centre of the Universe. The Earth was made of four so-called elements

> (earth, fire, air and water) while the heavens were made of a fifth

> element, the aether. This was the basis on which astrology was

> formulated.

> We now know that the Earth is one of nine planets in orbit around the

> Sun which is itself an ordinary star no different to the other stars

> in the sky (except closer). We also know that there are more than

> four elements (closer to 100, see The Elements). More importantly we

> know that the stars and planets are made up of the same elements that

> we find on Earth. We are PART of the Universe.

>

> In the past there was no difference between astrology and astronomy.

> The two grew up together in a world of spirits, gods, ghosts and

> mysticism. Many people believe that the ancients had knowledge that

> has been lost. Some ancient ideas were remarkably accurate. Others

> were totally wrong. There are many examples of this. Below are tables

> showing a selection of ideas by two Greek scientists Aristotle and

> Pythagoras. Correct ideas are marked by a green tick ("check" in

> USA); incorrect ideas are marked with a red cross.

>

>

>

>

>

>

 

 

 

--

Gauranga Das Vedic Astrologer

& Ayurvedic Consultant

Tel: +36309140839

www.brihaspati.net

www.atmacenter.hu

Skype: gauranga_das