Repeat Post: Beginnings of the Babylonian Signs

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BEGINNINGS OF THE BABYLONIAN SIGNS

 

Cyril Fagan was fond of saying that there was only one ancient zodiac, and

this zodiac was marked by Aldebaran-Antares at 15 Taurus-Scorpio, Regulus

at 5 Leo and Spica at 29 Virgo. But a star list in Hunger and Pingree's

ASTRAL SCIENCES IN MESOPOTAMIA (Brill, 1999) seems to put this statement to

rest. This list also clearly shows that the measurement of sidereal signs

was imprecise, even up to 110 B.C.

 

The star list makes it abundantly clear that the signs of the zodiac were

measured in relation to various fixed stars, the 'Normal Stars' used in

Mesopotamia rather than from an equinox point. My notes below include the

current positions of the relevant stars and don't take into consideration

proper motion that might have occurred over the centuries. I have compared

the Fagan-Bradley positions with the Krishnamurti degrees because there are

59 minutes between the two, which rounds off nicely to one degree.

 

Page 148: THE NORMAL STARS

 

" The Normal Stars are stars near the ecliptic--about 30 in number--whose

" conjunctions " with the Moon and the planets are recorded in the Diaries

and in the Normal Star Almanacs... "

 

Page 150: " A study by Huber [1958] of some Almanacs and Normal Star

Almanacs of -122/1 to

-110/09 deomonstrated the following beginnings of the zodiacal signs to be

in use at that time: " [Here I have excerpted a few stars from the list.]

 

Beginning of Gemini: " 30 minutes before or after Normal Star 7 " (zeta

Tauri-Al Hecka)

Today's positions: K= 1Ge01 F-B= 0Ge02 (Perfect hit for F-B)

 

Beginning of Cancer: " With Normal Star #12 " (Beta Gem-Pollux)

Today's positions: K= 29Ge28 F-B= 28Ge29 (K is within approx. half a degree)

 

Beginning of Libra: " ca. 2 degrees after Normal Star 23 " (Alpha Virginis,

Spica)

This puts Spica at 28 degrees of Virgo rather than the 29 claimed by

western siderealists or zero Libra as used in India.)

 

Beginning of Aquarius: " 35 minutes before or after Normal Star 32 " (Delta

Cap-Deneb Algedi)

Today's positions: K=29Cp47 F-B=28Cp48 (K is definitely closer to zero

degrees of Aquarius.)

 

The difficulty of zeroing in on a precise ancient zodiac is shown by the

position of the norhern balance pan of Libra (Beta Libra), which is listed

as 25 Libra in the Mesopotamian Catalogue fragment BM 46083 (page 150 in

Astral Sciences). Today's position of that star is K= 25Li37 and F-B=

24Li38. '25 Libra' could refer to either position.

 

I think it is rather foolish to claim that a very precise ancient zodiac

existed. The positions listed above and others in the list of sign

beginnings aren't spaced exactly 30 degrees from each other. Nevertheless,

the positions indicate that today's sidereal zodiacs are very close to the

somewhat imprecise Mesopotamian sidereal zodiac in terms of marking stars.

 

Perhaps Ken Bowser or someone else will counter this conclusion, but this

is my understanding at this time.

 

Therese

 

 

 

" How can Pluto be in Sagittarius when it's so close to Antares? " -----

 

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