Friday, January 14, 2011

Tightening Up the Zodiac

by Pa Rock
A New Pisces


The solar Zodiac is changing.  The twelve signs which claim us on the date of our birth have been the same since they were charted in the skies over 3,000 years ago.  But those signs, based on the alignment of the stars to the Earth and Sun, have gradually changed over the past three millennia, causing a need for the Zodiac to be updated.    Astronomer Parke Kunkle says that the Earth has a wobble to its axis, and that continuing wobble has created a one-month bump in the alignment of the stars.

According to Parke Kunkle, it is now time to add a thirteenth sign to the Zodiac.  He is recommending the addition of Ophiuchus which will run from late November through mid-December.

The modern Zodiac will reflect the following:

Capricorn:  January 20 - February 16
Aquarius:  February 16 - March 11
Pisces:  March 11 - April 18
Aries:  April 18 - May 13
Taurus:  May 13 - June 21
Gemini:  June 21 - July 20
Cancer:  July 20 - August 10
Leo:  August 10 - September 16
Virgo:  September 16 - October 30
Libra:  October 10 - November 23
Scorpio:  November 23 - November 29
Ophiuchus:  November 29 - December 17
Sagittarius:  December 17 - January 20

While the original Zodiac had twelve signs with approximately thirty days each, the new, more modern Zodiac will have thirteen signs of unequal lengths.  Virgo, for example, will last nearly a month and a half, while poor Scorpio has been reduced to a  mere six days.

That must be some wobble!

The article that I read stated that even though the new Zodiac is accurate in today's skies, it will likely be ignored by astrologers.  The authors noted that the shifting alignments have been known and noted since at least 500 B.C., but that astrologers have remained faithful to the original model.

Lazy bastards!

My sign has shifted from Aries to Pisces - that's quite a bit for me to get my old gray head around.  But times change, and I think that I will move forward and recognize this new Zodiac as the official one that I plan my life around - just to piss people off!

Nancy Reagan is undoubtedly livid!

3 comments:

Bk in MO said...

Parke Kunkle is an astronomer. Astrology in the western world uses the tropical zodiac, based on the seasons, instead of the sidereal zodiac of astronomy that follows the constellations. In the East, the sidereal zodiac is more commonly used for astrology - for example, in India. However, in the US and in the UK, the tropical zodiac is the one. No need to worry. You are still an aries if you were one before.
Every so often, some astronomer will give a news conference and break the news of the procession of the equinoxes as though it is brand new. Trust me, astrologers are aware of this, and have been, all along. He is just trying to make a name for himself, and in the process has confused a lot of people.

Pa Rock said...

BK,

I think maybe this guy is right. Lately I have noticed that I am developing an affinity for water - to the point that I am even bathing on a semi-regular basis. I am also showing signs of growing fins and gills!

BK in MO said...

Something really fishy about that, Rock.