Divination 101
Sidereal versus Tropical Astrology

During our Journey with Wahya Circle we have all been asked to conduct our own personal moon watches for 28 days. The purpose in this exercise was to orient ourselves to the sky “above” or “out” from us as we stand here in our respective places on Earth —where we can see the Moon from the Space we occupy. We do this because we are not confined to Earth, number one, and number two because the sky as we see it now is NOT how it was seen around “year 0” when this snapshot of “Tropical Astrology” was taken and ran with.

At the dawning of the outward movement of the Roman Senate and respectively Christianity, as it conquered and ran conquest across vast lands from the Middle East to Western Europe, there were many fractures that occurred within different societies that already existed in those regions and that part of the world. They all had practices long before that movement ever took place.

In the Hindu society there was an usurp of Knowledge from the Vedic scholars in their timeless aspirations and their lifelong studies of the sky, sidereal included, and its effects on our metaphysical energy. This Knowledge was taken out of its Practitioner’s context and used in Western Thought and Esotericism of the Northern Hemisphere. No care was taken by those who appropriated the mathematically supported view of the sky, and it also seems that no care was given to anything that Vedics had studied, postulated and proved to that point.

The bottom line is, Tropical is dominant in Hellenistic Western Esoteric astrology while Sidereal is more dominant in Vedic or Eastern astrology, that continues to keep up with sky movement as viewed from our moving ‘Mother Earth Ship’ to this day. Although, the tides are shifting, it will be a little while longer before things return to balance.

HEMISPHERE CYCLES AND SEASONS
Here at TCMed, we teach primarily about the Northern Hemisphere cycles, seasons of Earth, and cycles of the Moon as witnessed from this point,. We do this because Three Circles Medicine is based out of the United States - North America. We also share about the cycles inside of us –or personal, and outside –that which we see in the immediate world around us and the Universe beyond. The latter is regardless of Hemisphere, of course. We know that in energetic workings, looking at our cosmic neighborhood —no matter from where — gives us a deeper understanding of those Lessons, driving home the adage, “as above, so below”. With these considerations, we recognize that many Practitioners want to follow what we are all seeing “live” in our skies, no matter where we are on Earth as it appears in each hemisphere. Hence, sky maps.

We should all be aware that when it comes to Tropical Astrology in the Southern Hemisphere, many Practitioners feel they have been overlooked and essentially “forced” to use Knowledge that proliferated in the Northern Hemisphere, where most –BUT NOT ALL – humans reside. The misunderstanding that this causes for Practitioners in the Southern Hemisphere is off-putting at best when you inquire about it with versed Practitioners. The evidence we are instantly given is that of some certain North American chain stores using the N. Hemisphere calendar of events for the cue to place “Halloween” items for sale during their Summer or Beltane, for example. In the eyes of many Practitioners in the Southern Hemisphere, that is simply wrong for them. Their seasons are OPPOSITE of the Northern Hemisphere. That is the first cyclic difference that everyone can plainly see.

(Did you happen to notice the differences when exploring your moon sign last week?)

ASTROLOGY
For a bigger difference that involves us all, over 90% of Practitioners follow “popular astrology” which does not always take into consideration where we are in real time on Earth and what is in the sky above. You are best served as a Practitioner with an ever-expanding mindset, or “cosmic mindset”, to begin utilizing a sky map to orient yourself for your Work and “keep in mind” the Tropical Astrology “horoscope” due to the energy that has been placed into it from believers on Earth. After all, Knowledge is power.

ASTROLOGY FACTS
Just so you are aware, because of stellar drift, the wobble of the Earth’s axis, and other MATHEMATICAL AND ASTRONOMICAL factors, the two zodiacs, Tropical and Sidereal, drift further apart each year.

Tropical Astrology is solely sun-based. It will seemingly forever keep the Vernal Equinox at 0 degrees Aries. It appears to be frozen in time over 2500 years ago. We have shifted from this naturally 1 degree every 72 years and continue to do so.

Sidereal (Vedic) Astrology is based on our star, Sol (Sun) AND the stars of the Constellation actively in real time sky as we are viewing them.

This Knowledge can effect a LOT of Work. Know that all of this is but one piece of the astrological pie that we all took pieces of. There are also differences in House views amongst Astrologists who study natal charts the world over. Having the ability to share Knowledge such as this with you is done so in order to enable you to better discern for your SELF what feels “correct” or “most beneficial” to you… and that goes for all practices! What you feel about every practice matters versus what someone else feels about a practice, even when choosing to walk a specific Path. As we have learned, when walking a specific Path, you are choosing to practice in the way that they teach you versus how you determine what is best —FOR YOU.

Magickal Discernment is key.

Explore it. Ask yourself questions. Ask yourself why you follow what practices you do, especially if they did not originate with you. What culture did it come from? Are we missing any pieces? How can we more fully understand what is being presented to us in our personal practices?

With all of that stated, Skyview, Skymap and apps like them are priceless. Or, learning to use a sextant is! Take your pick! 😉

“Understanding astrology is to have a metaphysical understanding of the collective, universal, cosmological context we live in. ”

— Benebell Wen

Divination 101
Moon “Void of Course”

As we have been exploring, we see differences in our astrology and astronomy apps that we often utilize. This is seen in mostly in Tropical Astrology. In quite a bit of Western Esoteric thought, it is to our benefit to ask the question, “what does it mean when the Moon is ‘void of course’”?

For most modern astrology followers, the “void of course” moon is said to occur when the moon passes its final major aspect with another celestial body before changing its Constellation Zodiac Signs.

In general, Practitioners who follow this thought feel it is ideal to plan ahead to avoid big events happening during a “void of course moon phase” and some also avoid making big decisions during the time. They often choose instead to “go within” and keep focus there as they do during a “dark moon” phase when working on Shadow or Ego work. While this effort is respected, it can often only provide so much growth to that Practitioner when doing things such as mediation, Shadow Work, and various other beneficial aspects of their personal practices.

If it is no longer serving a Practitioner that has exhausted their learning curves and Experiences going within during this time, or “being still”, they may “adjust their sails” for what lies ahead for them. ReWork a previous Magick or Medicine. It is described as a “Wild” card in Uno by others. It is all a personal choice, and you may be in a “resting” phase in your spiritual life, so this is okay. However, if you do not feel this way, “at rest”, then minding the thoughts that arise and tell you “you cannot do that” is essential to avoid a situation of possible esoteric gatekeeping and the limitation of your consciousness expansion by the thoughts of others. (Read that again.)

Other Practitioners feel this “need to avoid” simply is not true for their Path as they have done many years of continuous Shadow and Ego work, meditation, other energy work, and wish to expand their practices with regard to the energies around them. It is viewed as Luna simply passing through Constellations on a spectrum and not perceived with an absolute “all or nothing” – “I cannot see it” view. They are conscious of the Universal Constant of Change.

It can be seen as an “ending of a sign” (WEAKENING TRAITS) as well as “beginning a sign” (STRENGTHENING TRAITS) as it passes through the midpoints between the constellations —as the upcoming energies begin to take hold of Her and the passing energies release. (Like passing a baton in an Olympic Journey) The traits of the passing Constellation Zodiac can continue to affect you based on your personal natal chart, or “astrological life map”, where you are with Shadow and Ego work, and various other personal metaphysical practices. This affect of each sign can and will weaken as the Constellation Zodiac Sign is being passed by the Moon.

The closer to the middle of a Constellation Luna travels, the stronger the traits of that Constellation Zodiac are metaphysically.

As She passes through that Sign, the energies “lessen” or “wane” from the Zodiac Constellation that She has already passed. It will then again “strengthen” as it travels to the next celestial body or Constellation… and begins the process again of waning, or “lessening” energies, the hold of that Constellation, as She travels through that energy point in the sky to the next.
Please note: We often repeat or restate the same piece of Knowledge in different ways to reach the Learning Styles of different Practitioners.

Change is the Universal Constant. This Constellation process is cyclic, as with all things, Her phases, “as above, so below”, and so on.

We can utilize the shared Knowledge to metaphysically FEEL our way through as we transition between the stars to determine what effects are going to energetically be on each of us as spiritual beings in our practices. A BoS for Moon “stuff” is ideal for tracking these changes until you can understand what is coming. As stated, it is cyclic. The Constellations that we see can not only be Experienced through our sense of sight, or hearing through its sound waves from varying points, but also through our Intuition of its energies and their effects upon our daily Experiences. #Feelings

We are never in a “void” on this plane without the choice to be so. It is up to us to “see” what actually exists around us with ALL of our senses, not just our “five” physical ones of Matter. It benefits us as Practitioners to not succumb to the mindset of saying “I cannot see anything so it must not be there” – unless doing so truly benefits you on your Path, rather than putting in the work to Experience it in a fuller way. Do not be stopped by “just a cloud”. See beyond it as we have the technological capability to see beyond it… AND WE ARE HONING OUR INTUITIONS TO DO SO.

Energy is all around us, to be Experienced in the Stream of Consciousness of which we swim continually in our existence, no matter how we view that energy – as “no two Paths are the same.”