The Forgotten Land and Ophiuchus

Grace has a daughter in school in Alpine, Texas (Sul Ross State, part of the UT systems, I think). Funny, to me, Alpine is West Texas. Here, in El Paso? That’s East Texas.

All about what one uses as a frame of reference. From Grace’s backyard, literally, I can see Old Mexico, New Mexico, and still be in Texas. This is West Texas, just about as West Texas as it gets.

It’s all about a frame of reference.

The Forgotten Sign:

The original framework I use in my astrological prognostications, the 12 signs, the location is no longer determined by the location of the constellation, the signs are named for constellations, but no, that’s not where the constellations are now. I’d cite roots, but the oldest text I used to consult is a translation of a Greek text from about 100 AD, and I’m not someplace I can look it up at the moment. Still between that and the Persian Astronomy (astrology), that’s where we start.

Capricorn still starts on the shortest day of the year, and likewise, Cancer starts on the longest day of the year. Solstice. When the Sun – quite literally – stands still. Then it’s divided in 12 equal parts, named for constellations, but not where they are at the moment.

The science, or, to some, the superstition that is based on the location of the planets, the sun and the moon, that remains. I use components from several schools of astrology, but the essential framework? Still “Western.”

It’s about a frame of reference.

I should really have some canned text to answer this question as it crops up every year or two. The old battle, church versus science versus astrology. We all used to be on the same team.

Now?

Not so much.