Astronomical Astrology

Many of you may have systematically made use of mindfulness techniques to stop, pause, to become aware of what is transpiring in the moment. Alternatively, you may have leveraged meditation as a respite from your emotions and also from your thoughts and feelings. However, what is it that makes you act, respond, think, believe and feel in the manner in which you do? What is the trigger which presses your emotional and even subconscious buttons, or why do you respond in a particular fashion? The answer to these questions may be a lot more complex than you originally conceived, as you look out into the greater universe.

There is far more that is not seen, than can be seen. Then consider that everything in the universe is energy. Welcome to the world of actuality and real truths. Absolutely nothing within the cosmos is by accident or fortune, all follows well prescribed patterns and flows of energy which form the basis of all matter, thoughts and our reality.

Astrology has been steeped in myth and superstition for years, yet has always been held separate to the science of astronomy and the observation of the stars. With Astronomical Astrology, we bring the two disparate areas together, bringing to light astrology backed by science and the real observations of the Sun, Moon and planets across the sky. This new form of astrology factors in the full motion of the planets and the stars, including taking into consideration the precession of the equinoxes due to the long term wobble of our planet.

The awareness, knowledge and comprehension of the energies which affect and affront you form the underlying basis of the Life Force Institute’s teachings. The energies which are shaped by the Sun, Moon and planets as they transit through the constellations have an effect upon you, and form the basis of the Life Force Institute’s Astronomical Astrology.

In astronomy, the zodiac is a group of constellations that is present behind the path which the Sun, Moon and planets traverse across the sky, as seen from our planet Earth. . The Zodiac occupies a small eight-degree view on either side of an imaginary line known as the ecliptic. The ecliptic is the plane of Earth’s orbit around the Sun, which in effect traces a path of the Sun’s movement around the celestial sphere over the course of a year.

The constellations of the zodiac are named after figures, animals and objects from Greek or earlier mythology. The ecliptic line directly passes through thirteen constellations: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpius, Ophiuchus, Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius and Pisces. The ecliptic also passes very close to the constellations of Auriga, Corvus, Cetus, Orion & Sextans which means that on occasions the Moon or some of the planets may actually transverse these other constellations. We call this group of 18 constellations the extended zodiac.

The reason why the Moon or some of the planets may appear in constellations other than the constellations of the ecliptic has all to do with angles and orbits. This is because the planets of the solar system do not orbit in the same plane, as each of them varies by a small amount above or below the ecliptic plane. Pluto, Mercury and Venus have the greatest variance by 17.14 degrees, 7.01 degrees and 3.39 degrees respectively. This means on occasions they will be seen to stray outside the eight-degree window of the ecliptic which is the standard Zodiac. Similarly, the orbital plane of the Moon is tilted at around 5 degrees, so this can result in the Moon often appearing in constellations outside of the normal Zodiac.

The two main forms of Astrology recognised by most people are known as: tropical astrology and sidereal astrology. At the core of each system, both forms of astrology share a lot in common, however, there is one key exception. While Sidereal Astrology continues to move the dates for the constellations forward due to the precession of the equinoxes, Tropical Astrology is stuck in a fixed time frame set approximately 2,000 years ago.

Most systems of Astrology neatly divide the sky into 12 equal portions of 30 degrees, and designate a star sign based on when the Sun appears in those regions at midday throughout the year. While the astrological star signs have the same names as the zodiac (or Astronomical) constellations, they rarely match up to the actual position of the Sun, moon or planets in any of the astronomical constellations of the zodiac.

Most forms of astrology do not align with the science of astronomy and the observations of the sky due to two factors: the precession (or drift) of the equinoxes & the dimensions of the constellations. A few authors, such as Stephen Schmidt, in his 1970 book “Astrology 14” and Walter Berg with his book “The 13 Signs of the Zodiac”, come close to the actual depiction of the constellations as they took into consideration both aspects of drift and dimensions.

Many people may find this new form of Astrology hard to believe, as they have associated to being a certain star sign for all of their life. The cornerstone of Astronomical Astrology is the actual observable locations of the Sun, Moon or planets in relation to the 18 constellations of the extended zodiac. . However, Astronomical Astrology does not dismiss the aspects of what someone has believed throughout their life, as it must be realised that thoughts are their own energies, which can form a layer of reality around an individual. In which case you may find that you exhibit aspects of the star sign you think you are, but at the time you will find that you react sub-consciously due to the energies which are the actual astronomical aspects.