My Sun Sign Journey to True Astrology

Sunset Stargazings #1: A Tale of Fire and Water.

Happy Spring/Autumnal Equinox, fellow diggers!

Things appear business-as-usual on the geopolitical front (i.e. a slow and painfully drawn-out descent into WW3 by roughly 2025?) — thus, barring a last minute 9/23 curveball (looking your way, Sleepy Joe) we continue our DTWH pivot towards unearthing the mythology and mystery of the celestial Skyclock.

What does that mean? It means it is time for our inaugural edition of Sunset Stargazings: deep Astrological musings set to the backdrop of where you would rather be (reptiles and arachnids notwithstanding)!

Relatively recent venturers Down the Wombat Hole may be surprised to know that, slightly over a year ago, I was running for Australian Federal politics as a Conspiratorial Terrain Theorist: an archetype based in the fiery and spotlight-seeking inspiration of the Fire Signs (particularly Leo).

Slightly more seasoned diggers are already aware of this fact, and equally aware of my tendencies to slip into Melodramatic Emo Boi mode: an archetype based in the moody and emotional depths of the Water Signs (particularly Cancer).

How can one humble-ish Wombat occupy seemingly incompatible archetypes? You are about to find out!

In this 20 minute video, I outline my approach to Astrology, and how it has been shaped by my journey to understanding my Sun Sign: that is, in Astrological terms, the aspect of our personality that we shine most brightly and consistently into the world.

The video focuses more on my personal story; the rest of this post deals more with the nitty gritty: the difference between Tropical and Sidereal Astrology, and an introduction to “True Sidereal”, which uses the observable size and location of each constellation in the Zodiac rather than an even 30 degrees for each.

If you make it to the end and have your own chart insights to add, please share them in the comments!

Navigating the Great Skyclock Debate

Or: Tropical Astrology vs Sidereal Astrology

Like every marginalised and vilified community, Astrology has its own ideological schism that prevents it from working together harmoniously against established power structures and for the good of humanity. Much like Germies vs Terrainers in the ‘Rona Dissident ranks, in this case we have Tropical vs Sidereal.

The debate between the two sides centres around the concept of Precession (or, more specifically, the Precession of the Equinoxes). Let me try and explain this concept and the debate around it as clearly and succinctly as possible, using the analogy of the heavens as the Skyclock.

If you view our sky as a coherently rotating time-keeping instrument (as I do; come at me Heliocentrists), you can understand Precession as a hidden — and much slower — turning of this clock. What if, as well as the minute and hour hands rotating at their different speeds, the numbers on the background also slowly turn, maybe at 1 degree per day? If we didn’t account for that additional rotation in our timekeeping, our reading of that clock would grow, day by day, less accurate.

To focus the analogy: if we were to look for the same spot on the Zodiac at the same location at the moment of the Spring Equinox, we would find that spot to have moved backwards by just a fraction — such that it would take 70 years for 1 degree of rotation around the ecliptic, and an entire 25,000ish years for the Grand Turning to complete.

Or, if you prefer the Heliocentric model:

A small part of my globe-denying self dies every time I have to use this extremely helpful illustration

I have no doubt by this point — simply through my own experience with it — that Astrology is legit. However: I also believe its legitimacy rests on an accurate understanding of the Luminaries — not just the energies at play in all the various planets, stars and constellations, but their actual real and observable configuration in the sky, both in the past and in the present.

Now, as a born-again Geocentrist (i’m not particularly concerned with the shape of the Earth, and see the debate largely as a distraction), I’m in no position to lecture anyone about listening to a mainstream Earth science like Astronomy. Nonetheless, the Precession of the Equinoxes does seem to be a very real and observable phenomenon of our sky (if it too was a psy-op, every stargazing culture on Earth would have to be in on it… which i’m not saying is impossible, but probably makes you further down the wombat hole than me).

This means that the Skyclock has rotated roughly 24 degrees away from the Tropical model, which is essentially locked in place from 2000 years ago. In fact, Tropical Astrology is quite open and transparent in not using the location of the constellations, with the theoretical location of each Sign instead based on the timing of the seasons: the Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere will always signal the start of Aries season, even though the Sun will still be in Pisces in the observable sky.

In short, and in a strictly Astronomical sense, Sidereal should be the most accurate form of Astrology:

You can check this discrepancy yourself, right now, as I am about to do.

As I type this, in late July (yes: this post took a long time to bring together), nearly every Astrology practicer, blogger and content creator will tell you we are entering Leo season. Yet, if we look at what is actually happening in the sky — using direct observation as our foundation, as all Earth sciences should — we see something different:

Screenshot taken on July the 25th using the Sky Guide app, clearly showing that the Sun is located in Cancer (where it will stay until August 6-7).

I will give a specific example of one of my friends, who was born in the first few days of August, thus making Leo his Tropical Sun Sign. It would not be an understatement to say that he is one of the least “Leo” people you can imagine: gentle and softly spoken; actively avoiding drama, the spotlight and any kind of self-promotion.

On the other hand, what he certainly does demonstrate in his personality are the traits of a Cancerian. Those who know him, know his life is dedicated to the home and the family: working FIFO (fly in, fly out mining work for non-Aussies) to support his wife and three children for one week, with the other week spent nurturing and caring for them in person.

This is just one example (alongside my own, which I will get to soon), however reflects why I believe Astrology has been largely dismissed by the mainstream: for many, if not most people, the description of arguably the most crucial aspect of their birth chart simply misses the mark.

Of course, the Sun Sign is just one aspect of our chart, and arguably given more importance than it should. Additionally, the Tropical vs Sidereal debate only concerns one of the three pillars of a birth chart, with the other two (the House placements of each Planet and the Aspects/angles between them) remaining mostly consistent.

I should also note that I have learned most of what I know about Astrology from Tropical practitioners, particularly in relation to the Houses and Aspects. Nonetheless, I now firmly believe that the practice of Astrology will — much to its detriment, and to humanity as whole — fall short of its full potential (and continue to not be taken seriously as a legitimate scientific approach to deciphering our reality) as long as it remains locked in the Tropical worldview.

Thus, a primary purpose of Wholesome Astrology is to gently lead us out of this limiting paradigm: to “Harmonise the Heavens” by outlining a more integrative approach to deciphering the machinations of the Skyclock.

Harmonising the Heavens: Integrating Tropical and Sidereal Placements

So: Sidereal is right and Tropical is wrong? Not so fast; things — as seems to be the case in this realm — are not quite as simple as they appear.

As you will find in the comments of the above “Sidereal Astrology Explained” 10 minute video, many people find their Tropical chart to be an entirely accurate representation of their personality, even when compared to their Sidereal chart (including one of my best friends, who was very much triggered when I suggested she was a Capricorn Sun and not an Aquarius). Some of the most informative Astrologers I follow use both approaches, and believe they both have their own value. Clearly there is mystery in this thing that can’t be materially reduced down.

Mystery component aside, there is a very material reason why many people have found Tropical Astrology so helpful: they have their key planets in the same Signs under both approaches.

For example, I am Pisces Rising in both my charts: meaning that the constellation of Pisces was rising over the Eastern horizon at my time of birth. I (and many others) consider the Ascendent Sign to be the best indicator of our overall character — I understand it as the lens through which our planetary archetypes are focused through, or the colour of the stained-glass window through which our core personality shines.

Thus, both Tropical and Sidereal Astrology accurately describe this crucial aspect of my personality.

My Tropical (top) and Sidereal chart: while the outer Zodiac ring rotates 24 degrees, the House placements and aspects remain consistent (as does my Pisces Ascendent).

For the majority of people who do not have the same Sun, Moon and Ascendant Signs under both approaches, it is important to look at your key placements under each chart, seeing which set of energies you believe to be most accurate, before you dig further.

A more integrative (although far less specific) approach would be to understand the energy of a planet on a spectrum between its Tropical and Sidereal placement. For example, I consider my Sun Sign a blend of fiery Leo (my Tropical placement) and watery Cancer (my Sidereal Placement), given it describes my polarising and often contradictory outer personality quite accurately (more on this aspect of my chart below).

Introducing “True Sidereal” Astrology

My birthday is August the 6th, which under Tropical makes me a Leo. I identified with this Sign considerably for a few years, and was likely a significant reason why I decided to run for politics.

But there was always a question mark: I am also quite introverted and emotional (I self-identified as an Emo in my late teens and early 20s). Indeed, as the campaign progressed, I witnessed my superficial Lion mask gradually slip off, replaced by a more sensitive and emotional self that progressively undermined the political persona I had been upholding.

I still see myself in my Tropical Chart, but find my Sidereal placements to resonate more strongly: pointing to a deeper side to my personality and soul purpose. However, it was only once I found an approach called “True Sidereal” that my chart properly clicked.

What is True Sidereal? Very simply, it refines the standard Sidereal approach by dropping the equal 30 degree division of the 12 Signs, replacing them with the actual size of each constellation as it sits within the Skyclock. This is the end result:

You can calculate your True Sidereal chart for free at www.masteringthezodiac.com/sidereal-birth-chart-calculator

Along with the pretty colour scheme, True Sidereal expands the extent of some Signs — notably Taurus, Leo, Virgo and Pisces — while reducing the extent of Aries, Cancer and Libra. It also splits Scorpio in two, incorporating the 13th Sign of Ophiuchus — a constellation known as the Serpent Bearer, which was dropped from the standard Zodiac (likely because 12 signs is far more conducive to a neat and tidy Skyclock than 13).

My Sun Sign is an example of the extra layer of detail that a True Sidereal approach can provide. As I mentioned, Sidereal moves my Sun from Leo to Cancer. However, if we take into account the relative sizes of each Sign, I was actually born right on the cusp of the two:

As you can also see, my Sun is conjunct with two other planets: Venus in green and Mars in red. This means, in simple terms, a blending together of the energies of both planets into my Sun personality. Give its proximity, I also include Mercury in this mix, even though it lies just outside of the 10 degree margin for a conjunction. In this context, we see the blending into my outer personality the Planet of communication and Intellect (Mercury) with both the archetypal Male planet of strength and aggression plus the archetypal Female planet of love and beauty.

In my Tropical chart, this conjunction occurs entirely in Leo, and entirely in Cancer under Sidereal. But look closer at the placement of each under True Sidereal: Venus sitting pretty in the Feminine Water of Cancer, and Mars at home in the Masculine Fire of Leo.

Venus in Cancer — Strength: Dreamy, full of longing, very impressionable; profound desire for harmony, unification, and spiritual and physical exchange. Shadow: victim of own delusions; illusory, indiscriminate, unpredictable, depressed from constant disappointment.

Mars in Leo — Strength: Optimistic, self-confident, and imperial manner with grand gestures; life affirming and spirited when carrying out plans. Shadow: Egoistic, presumptuous, arrogant.

Taken together, we can see a very polarised outer self emerge: someone who can switch almost instantaneously between seemingly incompatible personalities — say, for example, someone who can run for federal politics as an anti-Jibby Jab conspiracy theorist, whilst also being a hopelessly emotionally melodramatic.

It’s not just my Sun Sign. My True Sidereal chart revealed to me how all my inner planets are aligned around transition points between Fire and Water (known as Gandanta points in Vedic Astrology, or the spiciest regions of the Zodiac): Saturn and the Moon either side of the cusp between Scorpio and Sagittarius, and my chart ruler Jupiter on the cusp of Pisces and Aries.

My chart is, in other words quite literally a Tale of Fire and Water (with vague apologies to George R. R. Martin). In fact, dare I say it myself, if you wanted to create a distinctly disorientating and disrupting fiery and watery personality, you could hardly design a chart more precisely than this.

Hopefully, within this context, your adventures/travails Down The Wombat Hole are starting to make more sense!