You Are Still The Same Sign!: Debunking this “New” Astrology

Last week many of my friends came to me in person, on twitter, on Facebook, and in text in a panic about this “new” astrology that has been brought to our attention by a man named Parke Kunkle. Let me start off by saying that you are all the same sign you thought you were and you can/need to calm down. I will now try to explain why in as clear a way as possible, with as little astro-jargon as I can (as well as why this entire thing is ridiculous).

1) This method of astrology does not rely on the constellations. Those of you who are upset by this change are probably those who follow western astrology, which some call tropical astrology amongst other names. Yes, the constellations are where the signs have been derived from, but haven’t you noticed how there are only 12 signs and conveniently 12 months in the year? That is because this method of astrology is largely driven by the wheel of the year–the seasons and the energies of the Earth’s 365 day life cycle. The year is divided up into 12 months (12 signs and 12 houses), and 4 seasons(4 elements, three signs per season with their cardinal/fixed/mutable quality designated by their location in a season). In this kind of western astrology that is mainstream in America the houses are fixed, and are also about the same size. This is unlike many kinds of eastern astrology–like vedic astrology–which does rely in the constellations and their movement and is effected by this change.

Let me say this a little more clearly: what has been brought to your attention regarding a shift in signs, actually has nothing to do with the astrology you’ve been following your entire life. So there is no need to let it bother you.

2) This is actually not new, so there’s no reason for a sudden change. Even if this shift did matter to our specific astrological discipline there is no cause for a sudden change. Giant heavenly bodies don’t move instantly, and everything in space is in constant motion; the Earth and these constellations have been moving for billions of years. If something has been moving for billions of years, how does it make sense to randomly pick a date to change it? Astrologers of all disciplines have known about these movements for years. I would only call my self an astrology enthusiast, not an expert, yet even I knew about these shifts years ago. I’m not the only one. Prominent astrologers AND astronomers have known this, it’s only because somehow the mainstream media really ran with it this time that it has gotten so much press.

So: Everyone in the astrological community has known about this for a long time, as these heavenly bodies have actually been shifting for billions of years. Your birth charts have still been correct, and vedic astrologers have already been adapting. This is old news, and again, doesn’t need to worry you.

3) Astrology is a complex metaphysical discipline that is held in a tangible context. Lets say for a second that this really was a big deal. That all of a sudden all the rules of astrology got overturned by this imbecile astronomer [sorry, my Scorpio sting just couldn’t stay hidden for the whole post], would I still care? Absolutely not. Why? Astrology is a discipline of metaphysical concepts about our personalities, life paths, and how the energies of the universe interact with those things. Yes, it is a very complex discipline involving many different mathematical aspects and different heavenly bodies, but those are just there as a key–a key to help us find meaning. However astrology evolved thousands of years ago it happened with knowledge of planets and constellations and so forth that is of course antiquated.  However if those keys still help us find truth–as they have continued to for thousands of years–than it doesn’t matter if the actual things in the sky have changed.

[Part 3 cont./Part 4 where I get angry]

Many of you may react to this and say, “But then how does it work? If what’s in the sky really doesn’t matter than why is my natal chart true?” or “Then why should I believe it?” My immediate and shallow answer is, “Well if what it’s saying is true, than believe it, and if not, then don’t.” But my more long winded version is simply that astrology is yet another tool that we have to get answers to things that we have no answers for. Believe it or don’t believe it, but do not start ripping it apart simply because you don’t know how it works. The truth is most of the people reacting like that, and many of the public freaking out at this not-really-news-cause-it’s-old-and-we-already-knew-it have no idea what astrology truly is, have no idea how complex, difficult, and fascinating it all is (let alone how it actually influences their life). This man went public trying to disprove astrology when–it seems to me–he only had a very surface knowledge of it in the first place. That is absolutely embarrassing and ridiculous, and he should be ashamed to call himself a scientist for acting so impulsive and ignorant.

On a different note: Modern day American culture is one of a Judeo-Christian premise. However, astrology did not come from this kind of culture and because of this requires a different kind of faith and different kind of thinking. I am in no way trying to say that in order to believe in astrology one must be a part of pagan or polytheistic faith, but what I am saying is that it works around a thinking that has come from those traditions. When looking at astrology you must always remember that it’s drawing upon philosophies that have come from different cultural and religious traditions that may seem difficult to understand and therefore easy to poke fun at, and/or try to disprove. Please try to remember that the faith one needs to believe in astrology–religious or secular, both being equally valid–is no different than the faith one has in Christianity, or even one’s own soul and consciousness.

WHAT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS POST:

–If you follow western astrology(if you grew up in America, or are apart of American society, that’s you) then this has nothing to do with you and doesn’t effect you.

–This is old news. But like actually old news. Like, billions of years old news. I mean it, billions…

–Astrology is complex and involves many many many things in order to truly understand it.

–Like anything involving the metaphysical, astrology is about meaning and faith in that meaning.