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Fixed Star Lessons: Number One
Q: Why would I use fixed stars in an astrological delineation? Aren’t there enough possibilities?
Indeed, there are many asteroids, from four to a few hundred possibilities, Lilith, Vulcan and the Dark Moon, hypothetical positions and points like Transneptunian Planets, and more recently researched entities called Centaurs.
There are two advantages to fixed stars over the other entities mentioned above: they are visible and most major fixed stars have been used interpretatively in the past.
In antique times positions of, fixed stars were used to orient large structures like megaliths and pyramids and were usually given religious significance for a culture.
For example: the Nile flood coincides with the first appearance of Sirius, just before sunrise and this was interpreted as a causal event: this was seen as the star of the Nile flood and the star of Isis. The day of the rising of Sirius and of the river’s flooding because the sacred New Year’s Day to the Egyptians.
I should underscore note that fixed stars have important in other kinds of charts: horaries, event charts. Try this too!
Q: Wouldn’t this just add more factual clutter to interpret?
Well, you have to make some choices. If one is to maintain a lifetime interest in astrology, it’s a good idea, once in a while, to investigate a new area. It keeps us fresh.
It may also be a matter of what weight to give various fixed star interpretations in the overall interpretation of somebody’s birth chart. This we’ll have to go through slowly and with examples during this set of lessons.
I also would like to emphasize that one can see fixed star in the sky very easily. I also have a bias toward visibility conditions of the sky as integral to an understanding of the symbols of astrology and how to use them.
Q: Why should I trust something, just because it was used in the past?
That’s fair. Times change, and fixed star interpretations can also change as our priorities and understanding changes. However, because they’ve been around for awhile, do you want to challenge the traditional astrological interpretations of the planets?
Q: Aren’t fixed stars fatalistic?
Well, some of them seem to be! Again, there may be possibilities of more psychological interpretations, and we need to provide room for that.
However, it’s also true, that there are major features of our lives in which we have only the illusion of control. Modern astrologers often use outer planets in a fatalistic way, and before they had outer planets, astrologers had fixed stars.
Q: What makes a fixed star fixed?
Consistently they maintain the same position in the sky, through the seasons and the years. This makes them distinct from the planets – literally “wanderers” - which move. The fixed stars also maintain the same positions in relation to each other, and are usually part of con-stellations.
However, fixed stars also move but very slowly. This is related to the precession of the equinoxes, and one can say that fixed stars -- particularly those along the ecliptic – move forward about one degree every seventy-two years.
Q: With all the fixed stars in the sky, what are the important ones?
It’s not such an easy question to answer! There’s no dearth of them!
It is critical at the outset to use a manageable number, like twelve or fifteen, and get to know them intimately. Then you can expand.
There are two major factors:
One first is the brightness of the star in the sky, called “magnitude.” Some stars are bright, some faint. One would want to use stars that are easy to see by the naked eye.
Another factor is closeness to the ecliptic. Some of these stars are close to the ecliptic, and some very far away.
Q: Can we fully trust a zodiacal position of a heavenly body very far from the ecliptic? (BTW, this may cause a problem with Pluto’s position, but don’t get me started!
One solution to this is given by Bernadette Brady, in whose book she advocates using stars as they appear on angles during the day of somebody’s birth.
I should also mention that prominent astrologers of the past -- such as William Lilly – just used zodiacal position, regardless of distance from the ecliptic.
Q: I repeat my question – which stars are the most important ones?
Here’s what I’ll do – I’ll list prominent fixed stars and closest zodical positions. If a star is disturbingly far from the ecliptic – measured by celestial latitude – I’ll signifiy that with an asterisk. Next time we’ll talk about the important question of measurement. That’ s next time
Here are ten stars to start out with. You can also find interpretations for them very easily.
Algol – 26 Taurus *
Aldeberan – 9 Gemini
Rigel – 16 Gemini *
Sirius – 14 Cancer *
Regulus – 29 Leo
Spica – 23 Libra
Arcturus – 24 Libra *
Antares – 9 Sagittarius
Wega – 15 Capricorn *
Formalhaut – 3 Pisces *
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