sidereal right ascensions, 6

[Guest guest]

In principle, " precession-corrected " (tropical) positions and " truly

sidereal " positions are exactly the same, the difference being only the

point in time that is chosen as fiducial:

 

1-) precession-corrected positions (usually) use the radix as fiducial

 

2-) sidereal positions use September 9, A.D. 221 as fiducial

 

NOTE: This date refers to the Fagan/Bradley sidereal zodiac, which I use as

example in this exposition.

 

In other words: a " sidereal astrologer " uses the tropical zodiac of the

year 221 as fiducial, a " tropicalist " who works with precession-corrected

positions uses the time of the radix as fiducial. Both are

" precession-corrected " tropical positions, the only difference is the

amount of time or of accumulated precession which results from the fiducial

or starting point chosen. Both are sub-sets of a purely sidereal (or

quasi-sidereal) reference frame.

 

Astrological measurements can be either tropical or sidereal, independent

of whether one uses a tropical (or sidereal) zodiac or not. That this is

often not recognized is another example of how much astrologers are

controlled by a purely spatial abstraction at the expense of the more

realistic, dynamical model that includes both space and time.

 

Confusion is created by the habit of associating the word " sidereal " with a

specific sidereal zodiac of some astrological tradition or school.

" Sidereal " is a system of reference to measure movement, and is independent

of any of the traditional zodiacs used by astrologers, sidereal or

tropical. The question of sidereal or tropical is not simply a question of

what traditional zodiac one uses, but a question of how one wants to

measure time and movement.

 

If one subtracts the precession accumulated from the time of the radix to

the tropical positions of a specific date, one is effectively using a

sidereal zodiac with its zero point defined as the position of the equinox

at the date of the radix. The tropical position of 0 Aries when a person is

born is considered fixed in a quasi-inertial or " fixed " reference frame,

and precession is counted from that day on. A precession-corrected tropical

solar return is a strictly sidereal construct based on a sidereal reference

frame the starting point of which is the radix.

 

Another way of saying it is that a " tropical " precession-corrected return

represents positions in a sidereal zodiac the starting point of which is

the vernal point of the radix, while a purely " sidereal " return represents

positions in a sidereal zodiac the starting point of which is the vernal

point of September 11, A.D. 221 (in the case of the Fagan/Bradley zodiac).

 

" Sidereal " is by convention a " fixed " reference frame, against which the

precessional motion is observed and measured. The astrological concept of

" a radix " is almost the same thing: something " fixed " in time against which

one charts everything that happens in time. From this perspective,

precession-corrected (=sidereal) solar returns and transits appear to be

the most logical way to proceed, since the birth chart is conventionally

considered " fixed " in time and space.

 

This is the principle behind the use of a sidereal reference frame. What

zodiac (tropical or sidereal) one chooses to represent the positions is

irrelevant form a mathematical or calculation standpoint, unless one gives

special weight to purely astrological considerations, such as where the

zodiacal signs should begin or end, a consideration that for many

astrologers (including myself) is of little interest.

 

A " fixed " sidereal reference frame is no different than what is assumed

about the moment of birth or the birth chart, the concept of " radix " , the

radix moment having a different weight than all the others and used as the

common reference frame for all. The radix space and time coordinates are

the basic reference frame in Astrology.

 

Is astrological analysis (or, for that matter, the analysis of a human

life) a question of anything against anything or is it by necessity

structured around certain " privileged " or meaningful events?

 

The symbolical link between the concept of " sidereal " (i.e. fixed in time

and space) and the concept of " radix " provides the framework to understand

the different possibilities; one can categorize the types of events being

compared --i.e., birth against anything else, a human biography, a process,

or simple unrelated events. For example, one can think of:

 

1-) precession-corrected positions when one date or chart is seen in

reference or with respect to the other (the radix)

 

2-) tropical-only positions when both are seen comparatively in reference

to themselves only (in equal or " democratic " terms, giving the same weight

to the 2 moments)

 

3-) a traditional sidereal zodiac when both are seen in reference to

something else that includes both. The traditional sidereal zodiac is

especially useful when one is comparing 3 or more independent dates or charts.

 

These may be more philosophical considerations that are not related

directly to this discussion, but I can see now why I feel that a better

understanding and practical application of precession, as opposed to the

trivial, boring discussion of competing zodiacs-- is so immediately vital

and appealing or important to me.

 

Juan