Ophiuchus the 13th zodiac sign Controversy or Truth? The Nasa Zodiac Article

The recent controversy fueled by once again by NASA about Ophiuchus the 13^th zodiac sign has been around for a while in an effort to debunk astrology, confuse the public and waste taxpayer’s money. Actually, there is no scientific basis nor historical basis for what they have said.  This is why the scientific ignores rubbish like this. Not having anything better to do other than vote Pluto out as a planet and raise issues regarding astrology NASA is at it again.  But it’s a misunderstood and confusing controversy because not everyone understands how astrology works.  Surprise, there are lots of constellations out there not just 12 or 13.  In fact the issue of Ophiuchus is an old hoax, prank, that resurfaces every few years.  Historically, Ophiuchus was never listed as a constellation in the Sidereal Zodiac. It is a constellation out there, but it’s off the ecliptic (that is, it’s not along the path of the Sun through the sky.  Ptolemy mentions Ophiuchus in his literature as an off-zodiac constellation, meaning that the Sun never travels through it. In any event, there are numerous constellations that touch the ecliptic but the even the Sidereal zodiac only uses 12 of them.  There is no system of astrology that uses 13 Zodiac signs.

Nasa suggests the Zodiac isn’t viable with only 12 zodiac signs because it was just made to fit into the 12-month calendar.  I say, Leap year is made to fit into the 12-month calendar too.  Our Tropical or Western astrological system is based on the orientation of the Earth relative to the Sun and planets of the solar system.   Sidereal or Vedic astrology deals with the position of the Earth relative to both of these as well as the stars of the celestial sphere.  

Refuting claims that it is updating the astrological signs, NASA has said that it did not do it as the space agency studies astronomy not astrology.   “We did not change any Zodiac signs; we just did the math. The Space Place (an educational page for kids run by NASA) article was about how astrology is not astronomy, how it was a relic of ancient history and pointed out the science and math that did come from observations of the night sky,” NASA spokesperson Dwayne Brown told Gizmodo. Last week a news spread that 86 per cent of the people now have a different star sign as NASA had decided to update the astrological signs for the first time in 2,000 years.  In NASA’s educational page for children called Space Place, the agency discussed how, some 3,000 years ago, the ancient Babylonians were keen sky-watchers and thought that the changing positions of constellations throughout the year could be linked to certain behaviors or events on Earth.  As a result of this, those sky-watchers invented the zodiac.  “So, as Earth orbits the Sun, the Sun would appear to pass through each of the 12 parts of the zodiac. Since the Babylonians already had a 12-month calendar (based on the phases of the Moon), each month got a slice of the zodiac all to itself,” Science Alert reported on Monday citing the article in Space Place.  But seeing as this happened 3,000 years ago, things were a bit arbitrary, and for whatever reason, the Babylonians left a constellation out of their zodiac — Ophiuchus, the report said.  “Even then, some of the chosen 12 did not fit neatly into their assigned slice of the pie and slopped over into the next one,” Space Place noted, adding, “To make a tidy match with their 12-month calendar, the Babylonians ignored the fact that the Sun actually moves through 13 constellations, not 12.”  NASA said that due to a tiny wobble in the Earth’s axis, the position of those constellations has shifted. This means that those constellations are no longer in the same spots today as they were when the ancient Babylonians were looking up. But that has nothing to do with change of zodiac signs.

There are currently 88 constellations recognized by scientists since 1928 and no new ones have been recognized officially since 1928.  We do not have 88 zodiac signs. Do we?  Could some astronomers get busy and discover some new constellations please.  Since most of the recent major astronomical discoveries have in fact been made by amateur astronomers, what is Nasa up to anyways?   Furthermore, the constellation of Ophiuchus lies way beyond or outside the constellations of Scorpio and Sagittarius. And true 13 Zodiac signs do not fit into our 12 month Gregorian calendar but neither do 88 constellations. 

There are two major Astrology Zodiacs in widespread use. One is called the Sidereal zodiac, the backdrop of the stars. It’s not the zodiac used by most Western astrologers; it’s the one used by Vedic astrologers, the kind in India, and a few in our part of the world. The two zodiacs are offset by about 23 degrees.  Western Astrology is based on the position of the Sun’s rays and the tropics.

Western or Tropical astrology is in fact, based on the 12 constellations Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn and Aquarius and Pisces.  Why 12?  This system of astrology is based on the orientation of the Earth relative to the Sun and planets of our solar system.  These 12 constellations or Zodiac signs fit perfectly into the Western astrological system that is based on the Sun passing through these constellations which is determined by the timing of the Equinoxes when the Sun shines directly Earth’s Equator.  And this changes by a few days from year to year.   The constellations of our zodiac signs, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn and Aquarius and Pisces are the closest constellations to our Sun.  Are there more constellations? Yes, there are 88 according to outdated information from 1928.  The constellation of Ophiuchus lies beyond or outside the constellations of Scorpio and Sagittarius. Alongside the other 88 constellations. 

To simplify things, it is true that the earth wobbles we have experienced a procession, (every 26, 000 yrs.) and things have changed since Babylonian times.  The earth is not in perfect rotation hence we have leap years to offset this issue.  However, if you notice the Sun does not enter the sign of Aries or Libra at the same time every year either.   The renowned astrologer and astronomer Ptolemy recognized this many years ago and corrected Western Astrology and the zodiac constellations to coincide with the 4 seasons of the year determined by the Equinoxes and Solstices.  The Processional Spring Equinox, the Fall Equinox and the Winter and Summer Solstice.  The Sun enters the sign or constellation of Aries on the Spring Equinox, the Sun enters the sign of Cancer on the Summer Solstice, the Sun enters the zodiac constellation of Libra on the Fall Equinox, and the Sun enters the constellation of Capricorn on the Winter Solstice.  One year the Sun will enter the Constellation of Aries on the 21^st of March, another year it could be the 22^nd of March.  You then take those four cardinal points the Spring Equinox, the Fall Equinox and the Winter and Summer Solstice and divide them equally and you have the 12 signs of the tropical horoscope. There are no extra Sun signs added the Tropical or Western zodiac it is a division of the 360 degree wheel of the year into 12 equal slices of 30 degrees.

Pyramids in Mexico and structures throughout the world built thousands of years aligned to track the Spring and Fall Equinoxes and the Winter and Summer Solstices in an effort to time their existences, farming, harvesting and lives, hence the term Archaeoastronomy. 

The rest of the zodiac signs or constellations fall neatly within The Spring Equinox, Fall Equinox and the Winter and Summer Solstices.  Our 4 seasons here on planet Earth and the 12 months of our Gregorian Calendar.   The number 12 has also been a very important number throughout our history.  Each of the 12 Sun sign is 30 degrees 12 x 30 =360° the circumference of a circle.  

Excerpt from the American Sidereal Ephemeris 2001-2025 A Brief Look at the Sidereal Zodiac by James A. Eshelman with Kenneth Irving

"In the Tropical Zodiac the beginning is permanently fixed at 0° the Vernal Equinox.  The Sidereal Zodiac is measured in a way that fixes it against the starry celestial backdrop.  Because the Vernal Equinox is not being fixed against this same starry celestial backdrop the Tropical Zodiac is in constant backwards motion in relationship to the Sidereal Zodiac (the Precession of the Equinoxes) As a result “signs” of the same name in these zodiacs do not presently occupy the same areas of space"

That's true, and most astrologers know this.  It gets confusing because there are also different methods of astrology.  The Chinese zodiac recognizes 12 animal signs, a similar concept to the western method of astrology means "circle of animals".   Eastern, Sidereal, or Vedic, astrology are Lunar based systems with 12 Sun signs.  The difference is that a Lunar based system, the planets are looked at exactly as they appear in the heavens.  Sidereal Astrology is the planets as they appear in the heavens.  Many different systems of astrology, and yet viable and worthwhile perspectives.  While classical, Western or Tropical astrology is based on the orientation of the Earth relative to the Sun and planets of the solar system, Sidereal or Vedic astrology deals with the position of the Earth relative to both of these as well as the stars of the celestial sphere.
The number 12 has always been considered a divine number. The number 12 is a perfect number in mathematics, there are 12 months of the year, 12 Tribes of Israel, 112 Stations of life in Buddhism, 12 Disciples of Jesus, 12 Gods who sit on Mount Olympus.

All this being said is a good thing because it opens the conversation about astrology.  Any good astrologer will have a working knowledge of Sidereal Astrology, Tropical Astrology, Heliocentric Astrology and more.