Is Sidereal Astrology More Accurate?
Western vs Vedic vs True Sidereal Astrology
January 2023
What is the difference between western and sidereal astrology?
There are three main components of astrology: signs, houses, and planets. The difference between sidereal astrology and the other systems is the signs, what we call the zodiac system. Only one-third of the chart, the signs, are different between zodiac systems.
The other two-thirds (houses and planetary aspects) are the same. Of course, this depends on what house system and aspects are used. You can use any zodiac system with any house or aspect system. There can be a lot of similarities between charts using different zodiac systems and the same house or aspect system.
Is sidereal astrology accurate?
Here at Mastering the Zodiac, we use the stars in the sky for the zodiac system called true sidereal astrology. In contrast, tropical astrology, the most popular zodiac system in Western astrology, uses the seasons.
If you think back to when astrology was first used, it was simply looking up at the sky. This is where all astrology comes from - nature and the visible sky.
What is tropical astrology?
We still find tropical astrology accurate as a derivative system. Tropical is derived from the original sky and then fixed around a seasonal calendar.
Tropical astrology is about 2000 years old. Popular astrology up to this point was already very derivative. The zodiac was an even thirty degrees, likely created by the Babylonians and pre-Babylonians (the constellations are actually different sizes in the sky). Simplifying the chart made sense for a time when we were making calendars and clocks based on astrology. It makes sense to create a calendar and clock using the seasons and an evenly divided wheel.
Is tropical astrology accurate?
We find tropical astrology is very accurate at describing physical, in the world, experiences. It uses the cycles of the earth around the Sun. This is a very physical thing. It's the repeating cycles of life, cycles of karma, and cycles of physical manifestation. This is where tropical astrology shines. It does a great job of describing physical manifestations. A good example is the tropical Sun sign which accurately shows the physical characteristics of the persona.
What is Vedic astrology?
Compared to Vedic, however, we find Vedic astrology to be more accurate than tropical. Vedic astrology uses a form of sidereal. Unfortunately, it does not use the true size of the constellations and it also uses an even thirty degrees for each of the signs, like tropical. However, it uses the nakshatra and pada system, which breaks down the signs into smaller divisions. These smaller divisions reference the stars. When using nakshatras and padas Vedic is a form of true sidereal astrology.
Is Vedic astrology accurate?
Vedic astrology is a very precise system that's been perfected over tens of thousands of years. Tropical astrology didn't have the same structure. A lot of information in the West was lost or kept for the noble class during the Roman Empire and Middle Ages. There are even theories that true sidereal was kept secret from the masses in the West. Vedic astrology in India had its nobility class as well, but, it was preserved well, taught regularly, and used more often.
Which version of astrology is more accurate?
Here at Mastering the Zodiac, we find true sidereal to be the most accurate zodiac system because it uses the original sky. We find that referencing the essential chart shows the essential self. We still find Tropical accurate in showing physical characteristics - being a seasonal system derived from the sky. And although Vedic is also a manmade system, we find it more accurate than tropical because it references the visible sky.
To see your true sidereal signs use our sidereal chart calculator.