Traditional astrology refers to the several styles of western astrology that were practiced before to the mid-nineteenth century. It encompasses Greek and Roman Hellenistic Astrology, as well as Arabian, Medieval, and Renaissance European astrology systems. Classical Astrology is a term that refers to astrology that is not limited to the Classical period of Western history or culture.
Traditional astrology almost died out in the 1800s, and by the turn of the century, western Modern Astrology (Revised Astrology) approaches had entirely supplanted it. Traditional astrology, on the other hand, is rising in popularity these days, typically as a mash-up of many historical techniques in the hands of its practitioners.
“Modern” astrologers aspired to reinvigorate astrology in the early twentieth century, but they despised conventional astrology’s obviously pessimistic view of human nature and people’s limited opportunities to improve their circumstances. Furthermore, becoming a temple robber, a shipwreck victim, or the owner of runaway slaves were all issues in the past, but they have little relevance in today’s urban life. Modern astrology’s forefathers effectively condensed traditional astrology by ignoring many of its procedures and instead interpreting planets, signs, aspects, and houses through psychological or human potential movements. In the 1970s, astrology had a resurgence, particularly in the hands of practitioners who based their readings on common-sense understandings of human character rather than devotion to certain schools of thought.
Some astrologers became dissatisfied with modern astrology’s disregard of astrology’s historical underpinnings, apparent lack of organization, and too optimistic vision of human perfectionability by the 1990s. Others felt that translating old astrological books into English would save them from obscurity. Horary Astrology, which had previously had little place in psychological personality assessments, has earned a new interest.
Traditionalists and modern astrologers continue to argue about which branch is the best today. While some modern astrologers use old western and Hindu methodologies in their work, many traditionalists today use modern instruments (such as the outer planets) and interpret human character and events in ways that are strongly oriented towards modern cultural norms.
1. The Twelve-Letter Alphabet Must Be Abandoned
Planets, zodiac signs, and houses are the essential elements of astrological symbolism. Planets have had specific correspondences with certain signs and houses since the beginning of the astrological tradition, which were thought to be more favorable and advantageous to the expression of each planet’s intrinsic essence.
Traditional astrology’s planet/sign and planet/house correspondences, on the other hand, diverge from modern astrology’s “During the second half of the twentieth century, the twelve-letter alphabet became widespread. The twelve-letter alphabet explains that the meanings of a given planet, sign, and house, such as Mars, Aries, and the first house, are derived from the same principles and so interchangeable in interpretation. Venus, Taurus, and the second house, Mercury, Gemini, and the third house, and so on.
However, while Mars is the lord of Aries, there is no basis for its link with the first house, nor is there any special correspondence between Aries and the first house in conventional astrology. This operational concept is very visible and troublesome in many modern organizations “The same interpretation of a planet, for example, Mars in Gemini or the third house, is presented in a cookbook style interpretation guide. A classical astrologer would use entirely different methods to determine the meaning of Mars in a sign versus a house, and Gemini would not be associated with the third house.
In This Article...
What is astrology’s oldest form?
The earliest organized system of astrology is Babylonian astrology, which dates back to the 2nd millennium BC. Although there is speculation that some type of astrology originated during the Sumerian period in the third millennium BC, individual references to ancient celestial omens dated to this period are not regarded sufficient evidence to indicate an integrated system of astrology. Scholarly celestial divination is generally said to have started with late Old Babylonian literature (c. 1800 BC) and continued through the Middle Babylonian and Middle Assyrian periods (c. 1200 BC).
The use of omen-based astrology was widespread by the 16th century BC, as indicated by the creation of the Enuma Anu Enlil, a comprehensive reference work. It included 70 cuneiform tablets with 7,000 heavenly omens on them. Texts from this period also mention an oral tradition, the origins and content of which are unknown. Prior to the 7th century BC, practitioners’ understanding of astronomy was fairly poor, and Babylonian astrology was essentially prosaic, preoccupied with the prediction of weather and political concerns. Astrological symbols were most likely used as a yearly almanac of listed activities to remind a community to do things that were appropriate for the season or weather (such as symbols representing times for harvesting, gathering shell-fish, fishing by net or line, sowing crops, collecting or managing water reserves, hunting, and seasonal tasks critical in ensuring the survival of children and young animals for the larger group). Their mathematical skills had advanced to the point where they could anticipate future planetary placements with considerable accuracy by the 4th century, at which point elaborate ephemerides began to appear.
Babylonian astrology arose from the practice of divination.
The oldest known detailed writings of Babylonian divination are a collection of 32 tablets with inscribed liver models originating from around 1875 BC, and these show the same interpretational framework as celestial omen analysis.
The blemishes and marks on the sacrificial animal’s liver were seen as symbolic signs from the gods, delivering messages to the king.
The gods were also thought to appear as heavenly pictures of the planets or stars with which they were linked. As a result, evil celestial omens associated with a particular planet were interpreted as signs of the god that planet represented being dissatisfied or disturbed. Attempts were made to satisfy the god and discover workable means for the deity’s expression to be realized without causing considerable harm to the king and his nation. An astronomical report to King Esarhaddon about a lunar eclipse in January 673 BC demonstrates how the ritualistic use of substitute kings, or substitute events, combined an unwavering belief in magic and omens with a purely mechanical view that the astrological event must have some kind of natural correlate:
… A flood will occur at the start of the year, causing the dikes to be breached. The monarch, my lord, should write to me when the Moon has made the eclipse. As a stand-in for the monarch, I’ll cut through a dike in the middle of the night in Babylonia. No one will be aware of it.
In her 1995 book Mesopotamian Astrology, Ulla Koch-Westenholz argues that this ambivalence between a theistic and a mechanical worldview defines the Babylonian concept of celestial divination as one that, despite its heavy reliance on magic, is free of the implications of targeted punishment for the purpose of revenge, and thus “shares some of the defining traits of modern science: it is objective and value-free, it operates according to known rules, and its data are consi
The most important distinction between ancient Babylonian astrology and other divinatory disciplines, according to Koch-Westenholz, was that the former was originally solely concerned with mundane astrology, was geographically oriented and specifically applied to countries, cities, and nations, and was almost entirely concerned with the welfare of the state and the king as the nation’s governing head.
As a result, mundane astrology is considered one of the oldest branches of astrology. The techniques and practice of natal astrology were only developed after the gradual rise of horoscopic astrology in the 6th century BC.
What is modern Western astrology, and how does it differ from traditional astrology?
Western astrology is the most widely practiced astrology system in Western countries. Ptolemy’s Tetrabiblos (2nd century CE) provides the historical foundation for Western astrology, which was a continuation of Hellenistic and ultimately Babylonian traditions.
Western astrology is predominantly horoscopic, that is, it is a sort of divination based on the creation of a horoscope for a precise moment, such as a person’s birth and location (because time zones may or may not effect a person’s birth chart), in which numerous cosmic bodies are supposed to have an influence. In western popular culture, astrology is frequently limited to sun sign astrology, which simply analyzes an individual’s date of birth (i.e. the “position of the Sun” at that date).
Astrology is a debunked science that has continuously failed to hold up to experimental and theoretical scrutiny.
What is the origin of the term “tropical astrology”?
You probably don’t know the difference between the Sidereal and Tropical zodiacs if you’re new to astrology. This is a post for you!
If you’re like me and reside in the Western world, you’re probably an Aries (like me) or one of the other 11 signs if you know anything about astrology. But what precisely does that imply? For the most part, “sign” refers to one’s zodiac sign. This is the constellation in which the sun was when they were born.
However, you may frequently hear people claim that astrology is incorrect because “I’m told I’m an Aries, but the sun was in the sign of Pisces on the day I was born, so let’s just dismiss astrology completely.” “Bill Nye the Science Guy” This is exactly what The Science Guy says in a short video (but with his sun sign). So, what does he mean when he says that?
This is related to a phenomenon known as the Tropical Zodiac. Most Western astrologers use the Tropical Zodiac, which is based on where the sun was stationed on each calendar day 2000+ years ago. This was the time when astrology made its way from India to the “West” via Zoroastrian Persia. This sparked a major philosophical debate about predestination vs. free choice, as well as the birth of the Tropical Zodiac. That is to say, thousands of years ago, the Tropical Zodiac got locked in the sky as the sky.
But here’s the thing: the sky isn’t set in stone! As you may be aware, the earth has a “wobble,” sometimes known as the precession of the equinoxes. The sky shifts over thousands of years, and the constellation in which the sun originally shone is no longer visible on any given day! For example, I am an Aries in the Tropical Zodiac, and the sun was in the constellation Aries on the day I was born thousands of years ago. However, due to the earth’s wobble, the sun is now in the constellation of Pisces on the day I was born, indicating that I am a Pisces by the Sidereal Zodiac. Because of the precession of the equinoxes, the Sidereal Zodiac literally tracks the wobbling of the Earth!
Surprisingly, the genius rishis (enlightened sages of Vedic India) devised a mathematical method that compensated for the equinox precession! This is even more incredible when one considers that the only way this is conceivable is for someone to be able to monitor the wobble of the Earth via satellites or for 3000+ years of extremely exact astronomical observations and mathematical modeling. This implies that Jyotish, or Vedic Sidereal Astrology, is far older than the 2500-year-old date on which it was first documented in ancient India (see footnote below).
Because of this great understanding of the precession of the equinoxes, the Vedic Sidereal Zodiac is able to trace the motion of the heavens, and I am accurately classified as a Pisces Sun in the Vedic system. But that doesn’t rule out the possibility that I’m an Aries! Both systems, you see, have been designed to maintain their own integrity within their own systems. In fact, I frequently refer to myself as an Aries, and I act like an Aries in a lot of ways. This could be because my Moon is in Aries in both the Western and Vedic calendars. You claim it’s your moon, but what exactly is it? Yes! Not only do we have Sun signs, but we also have Moon signs, Mercury signs, Rising (Ascendant) signs, and more!
Astrology is more than just the horoscopes you read in the newspaper and laugh at. Astrology is a broad and complex field that combines art and science. In the West, astrology has been widely dismissed due to a belief in free will, as well as an Enlightenment-era response to the Church and a rejection of spirituality and religion in favor of materialism and science. The repercussions of this reaction can still be seen in modern Western society. Science and spirituality are generally considered as complementary in India; they are not seen as mutually exclusive. One of the things that draws me to astrology is the combination of art and science. I love measurable, repeatable phenomena while yet acknowledging that the cosmos is propelled by an unseen force.
Scholars disagree on the age of Jyotish, but I believe the most accurate estimate is 500 BCE, which is when it was first formally documented. It is estimated to be at least 5000 years old in India, based on data from the precession of the equinoxes. That’s a cautious estimate; a more plausible date is around 3500 BCE, and it could be much older.
How long does it take to learn astrology?
Astrology is a branch of science. It’s similar to a doctor’s treatment for diagnosing a problem or condition.
Any astrologer can read astrology, the Vedic system, and make forecasts, but real-life difficulties are unique, and are not talked about in books.
So, from my perspective, it’s all about how much knowledge you have from books, as well as how many charts you’ve gone through to try to figure out the exact mapping of life events. By analyzing charts and providing precise solutions to clients with correct explanations.
It could take months or perhaps a year, but it won’t be as simple as six months or a few weeks. It’s like being in the middle of a sea. Don’t pass judgment based on the appearance of the waves.
A great astrologer is a lifelong learner, and the more charts you see, the more you understand it.
What was Jesus’ take on astrology?
I believe that God created astrology as a tool for us to better understand ourselves and to use as a spiritual tool. Numerous bible texts, in my opinion, support astrology. As a Christian, I try to remember what Jesus said. “There shall be signs in the sun, moon, and stars,” Christ predicted in Luke 21:25, referring to the importance of astrology. He explains the value of astrology with his pupils, as well as how it might be used as a sign of his return. Why would Jesus provide us this critical knowledge if we are not intended to understand the energies of the planets and signs, and if he was actually against it? Just as the three wise men knew Jesus would be born under the star in the sky that led them to him lying in the manger, Jesus warned us that when he returns, there will be signals in the sky.
Which method of astrology is more reliable?
Between these two astrological forms, there is a variation in the house system. Vedic astrologers utilize whole-sign houses, with the Ascendant’s sign occupying the first house. The four angular houses (1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th) are known as kendras and are the seat of authority in Vedic astrology. The trikonas, on the other hand, hold the areas of good fortune and opportunity (1st, 5th, 9th).
All of these distinctions demonstrate that both of these types of astrology have their unique significance. Western astrology employs a distinct methodology, more akin to an open system, in which conventional procedures for preparing the birth chart are given less weight. Traditional methods, on the other hand, are the foundation of calculation and analogy in Vedic astrology. Because we can’t view the outer planets with our naked eyes, they aren’t utilised here. The best part about Vedic astrology is that planets are directly linked to energizing qualities like yoga, ayurveda, and a slew of other key spiritual assets in India.
Western astrology can produce bizarre results because astrologers here believe on the Sun sign, which is fixed for one month, as opposed to Vedic astrology, which emphasizes the Moon, which is fixed for 2.25 days. Let us have a look at how Vedic astrology differs from Western astrology.
Moon houses aren’t very important in Western Astrology. The Sun is the most important planet here, and its position is accorded great importance. The moon houses, on the other hand, are important in Vedic Astrology. In Vedic astrology, there are 27 Constellations. They are the most important factor in making time-related predictions. It is possible to learn about the finest times in life in order to establish a successful business, purchase a home, or perform ceremonies such as weddings, partnerships, or housewarmings. The Nakshatras are also useful for assessing a person’s characteristics and gaining a thorough understanding of their mental state. While Vedic astrology can provide more precise results by focusing on the moon, western astrology is unable to do so.
Horoscope matching is a valuable feature of Indian Vedic Astrology that has been utilized to determine the compatibility of a potential bride and groom before marriage since ancient times. Horoscope matching, also known as Kundli matching, is a wonderful present for a newlywed couple. The more traits (gunas) that match, the more compatible the bride and groom are. Horoscope matching can easily reveal two people’s potential to operate well together. Such information is not available in Western astrology. Though we can perform compatibility analysis using this method, the results will not be as exact as in Vedic astrology.
Nothing compares to the precision and profundity of Vedic Astrology. Western astrology can’t compete with the Vedic system’s deep levels of wisdom and insight. We employ nakshatras in Vedic astrology to refine the meaning and expression of the chart. The time-systems analyze the signals and themes of your current existence (dashas). There are dozens of aspects (Vargas) that can assist you in extracting the intricacies of every area of your life, from marriage to death, and from happy to terrible times. Western astrology, on the other hand, relies heavily on the sun for predictions and progression, which has rendered their method ineffective for many years.
Finding a good muhurta is highly crucial in Vedic astrology while starting any new work. Muhurta is the art of choosing the most auspicious time to achieve success in any endeavor you choose. By regularly studying the cosmic position for the window period to start something new or make any crucial decision, Vedic astrologers compute the auspicious moment. In western astrology, on the other hand, there is no such precise method for determining the optimal time to start a new business.
The composition, alignment, pace, and movement of the current transits are used to foretell the future in western astrology. Western astrology is not very good at predicting events; instead, it focuses on predicting changes in a person’s attitude or how the planets will affect his character. The current planetary phase, or shift in the position of the planets in a person’s birth chart, is used in Vedic astrology to forecast the future. As a result, each planet dominates your home for a specific amount of time. Interestingly, depending on the nature of the ruling planet, that time period might be favorable or harmful. For example, the Sun reigns for six years and Saturn reigns for nineteen. As a result, Vedic astrology’s future predictions are more precise and precise.
Because it is based on more exact astronomical principles, Vedic astrology appears to be more upright than western astrology. The best part about Vedic astrology is that the astrologers consider not just the natal chart but also the dasas, or periods of different planets travelling through different signs, and their impact on people’s lives. In addition, Vedic Astrology places a greater emphasis on the Moon sign than the Sun sign. The reason for this is that the Moon changes signs every 2.25 days, whereas the Sun takes around a month, so predictions based on the Moon are more accurate because our moods and circumstances change frequently. Second, because the moon governs the mind and emotions, predictions and analyses based on the moon’s position are more accurate. Vedic Astrology, in contrast to western astrology, can provide more concrete and detail-oriented ways of prediction.
Planets, signs, and houses are used in both Vedic and Western astrology to produce the chart. Vedic astrology, on the other hand, takes into account “Because it depicts the sign that was rising on the eastern horizon at the very moment you were born, you are the rising sign. This is more precise than using a calculator “In Western astrology, the sun sign is employed to prepare your chart. The reason we say this is because the sun has been in the same sign for the past 30 days. Your rising sign, on the other hand, was thought to be the exact minute on the day you were born. The sun is undeniably significant, but so are the other planets, particularly the moon, when making an astrology chart.
Vedic astrology encompasses astrological gemology, color therapy, mantra therapy, and a slew of other techniques for counteracting the harmful effects of the planets in our life. Western Astrology does not provide such a solution, which is one of the main reasons why western systems cannot match Vedic Astrology’s immense power.
Western astrology focuses on assessing an individual’s psychological nature, although it is ineffective at predicting future events. Vedic astrology, on the other hand, produces more predictable outcomes when it comes to predicting when specific events would occur. Vedic astrology is founded on karma, therefore it accurately describes an individual’s karmic tendencies and when they can be developed to that individual’s benefit. In western astrology, there is no technique for using karma to reap future advantages.
Yearly Vedic astrology predictions are more accurate and reliable than Western astrology predictions. All of these forecasts based on signs are generic. In western astrology, the sun sign is used to predict the year, therefore all people born in the same month are assigned to the same sun sign. They would be inheriting a certain set of traits. However, when utilizing moon signs to make a yearly prediction, two people born in the same month but at different times may have distinct birth stars. This is why Vedic astrology forecasts are more accurate.
You may have questioned why, according to Western astrology, your Sun sign is Aries, but in the Vedic system, it is Cancer. You may also notice differences in your rising sign and the placement of other planets in new signs. This occurs because a horoscope is calculated differently in Vedic and Western astrology. Both employ distinct methodologies to make predictions about a person’s nature, conduct, life events, and major events. Because the Western system is based on the Sun, it is superior at assessing physical and psychological patterns. Because it is based on the lunar system, which has a stable constellation, the Vedic system is considerably better at explaining the soul nature and predicting future occurrences.
Another reason why Vedic system is better than western system is that it uses the Dasa Predictive system. Depending on the planet, a planetary Dasa can last anywhere from 6 to 20 years. Vedic astrology not only assesses the circumstance, but also calculates the outcome of karma and offers a remedy to mitigate the bad effects of planets ruling your home. Thus, the Vedic system is more accurate because it has remained intact for thousands of years, and its base is the knowledge employed in modern astronomy with reference to any astronomical phenomena that occur inside the system. Let us be proud of our Vedic system!
