22 September 2014

Transforming this Space

Changes.
The galaxies move through space.
The stars ignite,
burn,
age,
cool,
Evolving.
God is Change.
God prevails- Octavia Butler

It’s been a while but I am back and currently resurrecting this blog. I took some time off in order to reconcile some questions and concepts I had within my own mind and spirit. I was also busy riding the huge waves of this tumultuous year- Whew! So much has changed…and now here we are. This past Uranus retrograde has affected us all in profound ways whether we realize them or not. For me, it brought me to question and revolutionize the way I thought about everything, including this blog.  

Going forward I will be reporting to you using a 13-sign, sidereal zodiac. This was a monumental decision for me because astrology is an art and I needed to carve out my own unique genius; my own approach based on what makes sense to ME not the establishment or popular thought. Flow with me on this one.

My approach to spirituality in general has always been about acknowledging and respecting the traditional (no need to reinvent the wheel) while taking full advantage of our ability to evolve and transform. My astrology, in my mind, is where past and future meet. Time is a relative shape-shifter in my world, waiting for us to realize how malleable and subjective She is…which brings me to this change.

My approach weaves together traditional renaissance astrology (lunar mansions, astrological magic, fixed stars, decans and other fun stuff) with sidereal, constellational, 13-sign elements to create what I call WildSeed Astrology. All the magical, fused with the modern preoccupation with what we can see. They both have their value.

The case for the change- Sidereal vs. Tropical
Chris Warnoc (over at Renaissance Astrology, which is a fantastic site) divides the orientations in astrology into three approaches to the zodiac: tropical, sidereal and constellational. The Tropical system is derived from Ptolemy's ephemeris, which he wrote around 120 A.C.E. The problem here is that he didn’t factor in the progression of the equinoxes which would cause all his calculations to skip ahead about one degree every 75 years. Now, 1900+ years later, that’s created a difference of about 27 degrees which put the planet’s positions almost a complete sign back. To many, this is the main reason why the science of astrology is no longer respected because tropical astrology’s seasonal zodiac isn’t necessarily astronomically correct.

According to The Siderealist (another fantastic site), since the sidereal approach it is based on fixed stars and those stars are found in constellations (and are used as markers within the constellation), it would seem to me that sidereal and constellational astrology are one in the same. While a case can be made for either approach (and trust me, there are TONS of sites that elaborate on that debate…it’s a pretty old one)- seasonal or star-based (sidereal comes from the latin ‘sidus’ meaning star), in the end it’s about what beliefs you subscribe to and what works best for you. Since the tropical zodiac is measured by the position of the sun against the Earth’s horizon at whatever place in on the planet, it uses the seasons as its reference to track time. The sidereal zodiac is the position of the Sun as referenced against a stellar background. And while tropical astrology is a seasonal astrology, marking 0 degrees Aries at the Vernal Equinox, I still prefer to use astronomical calculations for my astrology because in my opinion the astronomical stellar background brings astronomy and astrology back together as one.

And then there’s Ophiuchus.
No need to reinvent the wheel so, take a look at what the great folks over at The Siderealist have written and why Ophiuchus needs to make Her way back into our minds and our astrology:

The constellations and the houses, were truncated to a 12-sign and 12 house system. Thirteen is a number associated with women, witches and Shamans, and is part of a lunar matriarchal society that presaged the Roman empire, and was ruled by the Moon goddess. The Romans destroyed this legacy by fire and steel, and Ptolemy likewise enslaved her astrology in service of Roman aggression and bloody atrocities

The true ecliptic includes the constellation Ophiuchus which really completes the 360 degree ecliptic. The Romans officiated a brutal, murderous backlash against women that included removing Ophiuchus from the eponymous Zodiac. Ophiuchus is the shaman, the snake-handler, possessing the secret female wisdom. Shamans were ALL females, until men started disguising themselves as women in order to secretly practice shamanic lore. The rejection of Ophiuchus from Zodiac calculations and the downfall of the lunar-based matriarchy occurred at the same time, and for the same reasons: men wanted to usurp the power of strong women…They wanted to change astrology to eliminate the 13-month, 28-day of the calendar, and replace it with a Solar, 12-month calendar... Female deities Aries, Leo and Taurus were changed to animals to further make women irrelevant. The powerful female Ophiuchus was completely eliminated from the Zodiac and the female symbol of the snake-handler was transmogrified into an old man, a dystopian opinion based on Roman efforts to destroy female power in the tribal areas.”

So there we have it folks. The Mama is back, with her medicine, visions, potions and cult. We welcome Her and her ancient teachings. I’ll still offer all the classic WildSeed goodies: deities, spirits, herbs, tarot correspondence, etc.- just with a different flava. Trust- I think it’ll be a good fit. And feel free to message me with your thoughts and comments! I’m always open to learning and exchanging.

Your new sign
Tropical astrologers have given you your sign based on their seasonal zodiac that doesn’t actually match what’s happening in the sky. Take a look up at the sky and see for yourself. The planets and luminaries aren’t where they say they are. Now that we are using 13-sign, sidereal zodiac you will notice that your sign may have changed depending on your birthday. Don’t panic. Here’s a list of dates that will help you find your correct sign. For your free13-sign chart drawing feel free to message me or order a reading.

13 Sign Dates
Aries: 4/19- 5/13
Taurus: 5/14- 6/19
Gemini: 6/20-7/20
Cancer: 7/21-8/9
Leo: 8/10-9/15
Virgo: 9/15- 10/30
Libra: 10/31- 11/22
Scorpio: 11/23- 11/29
Ophiuchus: 11/30- 12/17
Sagittarius: 12/18- 1/18
Capricorn: 1/19- 2/15
Aquarius: 2/16- 3/11
Pisces: 3/12- 4//18


My next moon report is coming soon…stay tuned! 

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