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Tropical vs. Siderial Zodiac

The Tropical zodiac used in Western astrology is defined by the alignment of Earth and Sun, the most fundamental natural cycle. All of nature depends on this rhythm, there's no survival without being in tune with it. The Tropical - or seasonal - zodiac therefore is a mirror of our most basic experience, of spirit descending into form. An exact mirror image of what's going on in nature, the Sun's progress through the twelve seasonal periods not only reflects on Earth's changing relationship to the very source of life, the Sun, but even more so on how nature responds to this rhythm.

The annual cycle is the manifestation of the Sun's changing altitude above the horizon, being the most direct measure for the amount of primary life energy received. The yearly rhythm is the long-term time marker of change, (whereas the daily rhythm is the short-term organizer).

This is much in contrast to the widespread opinion that the so-called constellations would be the most fundamental subdivisions of space. One never should forget that constellations are purely mental projections, conceived by our ancestors. Constellations are cultural artefacts, they might be part of our conditioning, since times immemorial, echoes from our past, almost genetically inherited. However that does not change the basic fact that in the very first place they have sprung forth from imagination. Our mind has the compelling drive to synthesize what we see, amalgamating the many dots the stars make against the canvas of the night sky, capturing and integrating them to geometric outlines, while freely associating with shapes that are part of our day-to-day life, projecting these mundane objects into the heavens. The random character of constellations is recognized even more when we take into account that stars which might appear to be close to each other from our angle of observation, in truth might well be vast distamces apart and not in the slightest way part of an organic unity. Just within the last few decades our cosmic perspectives have expanded beyond our wildest imaginations. We've just started getting an idea of how spacious the universe really is. Methods to measure distances were found, making it now possible to get a three-dimensional impression of space, an idea of the immense depth which we imbibe when opening ourselves to the unfathomable nightsky. When we get the impression that some of these singular dots of light are forming a pattern, when we see them as outlines or replicas of earthly creatures, we should remember that most probably this pattern only appears so from our point of view. There are only a few constellations - like Ursa Major, the Big Dipper - of which all the prominent stars are about the same distance away (in this case 80 light years approx.). Most constellations are conglomerates of very different types of stars vastly distant from one another, dispersed through deep space. So are the main stars of the Orion constellation between 400 and 1600 light years away from us, containing clusters of both very hot and young stars (Trapezium), and also very old and relatively cool ones - red supergiants which might burst into supernovae at any moment (i.e. Betelgeuse, Rigel).

So constellations are human projections, inventions of the mind, created by our intrinsic need for order. Constellations are testimonies of human genius, they are exquisite examples of our human attempt to define and categorize the universe we are surrounded by, so we finally might understand ourselves. Grouping the stars and forming virtual images in fact is a most artful method of understanding the geometry of the heavenly spheres. Studying the constellations we learn to read the nightsky, which then allows for exact observation of the moveable stars - what 'planet' means. Against the backdrop of the essentially unmoving fixed stars heavenly phenomena can be mapped. Constellations give a great frame of reference, allwoing for tables to be created and consequently making it possible to predict heavenly phenomena like conjunctions of planets, or eclipses fo Sun and Moon. Familiarizing oneself with the constellations gives the feeling of at-homeness in the vast dome of heavenly spheres, even making it possible to navigate vast oceans.

If anything, constellations are giving fascinating testimony of the powers of mind, and of how conditioning can take on a life on its own. The fairytale of constellations makes a prime example of how conditioning works, how mere assumptions over time solidify into rock-solid foundations, pillars holding an entire edifice of virtual reality. From here it's not a far stretch and constellations become the object of worship. Mind takes over, breeding all kinds of superstitions, dogmas and irrational beliefs, powerful enough to even defy reality.

In this light we have to admit that he sideral zodiac is totally incoherent. Iin fact it isn't a zodiac at all - it is a 360 degree globe containing all different and unintegrated, chaotic impulses from stars and galaxies, black holes and white dwarfs, red giants, pulsars, quasars and many more yet unidentified objects.

On the other hand, the Tropical zodiac is attuned to the four cardinal corners which resonate with Earth's ever changing life-cycles. Living on Earth in a physical body makes us part of this Earth - literally extensions of Earth. Our bodies consist of her elements - and after having died the body again reunites with Earth. We can survive only because we are part of a greater ecosystem, the biosphere. All the convieniences of today's life are estranging us from intimately experiencing this vital connection. Our culture has moved away from the elementary realm, we have lost touch with the fundamentals, we have become dangerously dependant on artificial realities. Yes, at least for the big majority of people living in the Western world life has lost many of its fundamental challenges. Because we're not growing our own food anymore we have lost contact with the vegetation cycle. Our instincts of hunting take us to supermarkets and shopping malls. And we live in fully climatized and airconditioned compartments, cut off from nature's pulse. So no wonder that we degenerate, to the point of losing contact with our very own bodies - dragging along like zombies in an artificial reality.

It is my understanding that living with the Tropical zodiac helps to reattune to nature in general, particularly reconnecting and rooting us in the body. Living in tune with nature through all the extremes of bitter-cold winters and burning hot summers means being at the pulse of life's rhythm, in touch with the factual, down-to-earth reality - connected with smell and taste. So to me the basic grid of orientation is the Tropical zodiac. As I see it, the human challenge is bringing our energy down to Earth - "this very body the Buddha and this very Earth the Lotus Paradise" (Gautama Buddha).

Looking through the veils of the Tropical zodiac means receiving those far-out emanations of planets and stars into our Earth's electro-magnetic grid and digesting them. The Tropical zodiac gives the perspective of looking down to

Earth - spirit having descended into matter - being born, struggling and adapting, growing up and coming to feel at ease with our physicality, allowing for the divine to become human.

Certainly, the Siderial zodiac is the other end of the story, undoubtedly as important. Diametrically opposite, in siderial perspective we are transcending earthly struggles. In favoring the siderial there is a subtle yearning for redemption - as Hindu tradition is saying - this world being Maya, illusiory. Siderial perspective is detached, not getting to impressed with material gain and loss, however suffering through life and not really allowing to enjoy it. Hence the siderialst is all concerned not to cause anymore Karma, in order to be liberated. Looking up to the stars we are facing the infinite, bodyless, eternal. And in siderial astrology, planetary movements are measured against the abstract cosmos, whereas in the Tropical we measure against the biological clock of mother nature.