Sidereal vs. Tropical: The Astrology Debate You Need to Hear

Hi, I'm Joni Patree and welcome to my YouTube channel. Well, I want to talk about the differences between the Western Tropical Zodiac and the Sidereal Vedic Zodiac and why I've converted from being a Western astrologer, which I was for over 20 years, to Vedic astrology, which I have done for over 20 years as well. It's really based on the astronomy. Let me explain what's going on here. The reason why I'm prompted to do this talk is because the New York Times just put out a very explicit representation of how your chart, your signs have changed. Also, in the same week, there was a talk on Good Morning America. This is becoming mainstream and people want to know the truth. People are still stuck on thinking that they're a particular sun sign. Basically, I know most people, that's all they know is their sun sign with astrology, their sign. They don't realize that when they're talking about their sign, they're simply only talking about where their sun is because astrology and the Western Tropical is based on the sun. It deals with the seasons because every month the sun is particularly in a different sign astrologically. If you're a Taurus, you're born in May. If you're an Aries, you're born in March and April. If you're a Pisces, it kind of overlaps the months. Each month has been relative to a sign. This has been traditionally the norm of what we know in astrology. You're thinking in terms of the 12 months relative to the 12 signs in Western Tropical Astrology. But did you know that what you're talking about is where your sun and actually where all your planets were on your day of birth were 2,000 years ago? This is what was so explicitly said in the New York Times article that 2,000 years ago, yes, the Zodiacs, Tropical and Sidereal lined up. What's interesting though is over the course of time, the stars are moving and the stars are what constitutes the signs. The groupings of stars are reminiscent of the signs. The stars are what give the signs their meanings. Looking at that, if the stars are constantly moving backwards and they move backwards in the Zodiac, by the way, slowly, very slowly, I'm trying to make this real simple so everyone can understand this. They are moving very, very slow, but over the course of from 2,000 years ago when the Zodiacs lined up, they have shifted almost a full sign off. Not quite, but almost. They've shifted 24 degrees backwards in the Zodiac. A sign is 30 degrees. Basically, all of you, your sun signs will fall back a sign. In other words, if you're Scorpio in your traditional tropical Western astrology, you're going to fall back to Libra. That's where the sun is. Astrology is more than just where the sun is. The reason why I think tropical astrology became so popular is because people didn't need to look it up. They just knew that if you were born from October 22nd or 21st to November 21st, you were a Scorpio. Everyone knew that because they had a lot of magazine articles and they would have that. What is your sun sign? But it's different now. You are not the sign you may have associated with your whole life. This pretty much is if you think of it in terms of the stars that are slowly moving. They actually move through all of the 12 signs because of the wobble of the earth. The earth is wobbling like a top. As it wobbles, our representation of the stars that the planets go through, the backdrop of the stars. Imagine this. The stars are like a backdrop around the earth, the whole horoscope, the circle. They're divided up into 30 degree segments. But these stars that represented the signs have shifted back at this point in time, almost a full sign. The planets, they go around and where the backdrop of the stars are, they go in and out of different signs. But because of this wobble of the earth, which is called precession, precession of the equinoxes, this wobble from our vantage point of where the stars are, it has shifted backwards, almost a full sign. So that in essence will place all of your planets, not just your sun, all of the planets that are used in your horoscope. And what is a horoscope? It is simply where all the planets were at your time, your day, your year, and your place of birth. So it's like a freeze frame of the sky at your birth. And where the planets fall relative to the backdrop of the stars, the groupings of stars, which constitutes the signs, that's where your planets are. And you are essentially, when you look at your Western tropical chart, are looking at where the stars were 2000 years ago, not today. This is a fact. Sidereal means star, and it means the stars have been moving. And that represents the signs that your planets are situated in at your day and time of birth. Now the stars and the planets, everything is still constantly moving. And actually, it will take 26,000 years for these stars to go through all 12 signs of the zodiac, 26,000 years. So right now, we're looking at where they are the year of 2025. And what I am talking about is the astronomical true placements of where the planets are relative to their signs, which are constituted by the stars. And the stars are constantly moving slowly. As a matter of fact, they don't move but one degree backwards in the zodiac every 72 years. And so at this point, you know what's interesting? When you talk about the age of Aquarius, right now we're in the age of Pisces. And this is due to this processional cycle. This is where the starting point of the zodiac is, and it's still in Pisces. It started 2,000 years ago, the age of Pisces. But we won't be in the age of Aquarius till about another 430 years. Because at the point where we are right now, we're at six degrees of Pisces. And we still have six degrees to go to get to the end of Aquarius, 29 degrees. So this is going to take that long. So Pisces is when it started 2,000 years ago. What began? The birth of Christ. And religion, spirituality, all the temples, all the churches were built. And what is the symbol for Pisces? The fish. What's the symbol for Christianity? The fish. So all of this is very relative. Now, another thing that I think is very important to point out is that Vedic sidereal astrology is true to the stars. And what I mean by that is that the stars, we have to take reference, the stars are moving. Therefore, they stay representing the signs that they are, because they are the stars, right? The signs are the stars. So therefore, let's talk about some major fixed stars that are actually the royal stars, which one is Aldebaran, which is the eye of the bull. And everything that Aldebaran represents is symbolic of the meanings of the sign Taurus. If you go to Regulus, one of the brightest stars in the sky, it is the heart of the lion. It represents kings and leaders and loyalty. That is all the symbology for Leo. And another one, let's talk about Antares, a star of courage, valor, and war. It is the heart of the scorpion. And everything that this star gives meanings to gives the sign Scorpio its meanings. But because Western astrology, they are not moving the zodiac, but they know the stars are moving. They actually put the stars in their chart in signs that aren't relative to the meanings of the stars, the star groupings. They are the signs. You just cannot say that Regulus, which is the heart of the lion, gives Leo all of its qualities. You just cannot say it's in Virgo, but they will. As well as Taurus, the eye of the bull, that this is in Gemini, I don't think so, as well as Scorpio. They say that Antares is in Sagittarius. These are the stars that constitutes the signs. This is true astrology, true stars. Astrology is built with the meanings that come from the stars. This is true astrology. So, and I know people have all sorts of arguments about this, but let me just say this. I have been a practicing Western astrologer. I have been a practice for years, not just a month or a year, for 20 years. And I've been a practicing sidereal Vedic astrologer for over 20 years. And this works far greater. And let me tell you another reason why. Some Western astrologers use sidereal astrology for their calculations. Yes, they do, but they don't use what is used in Vedic astrology, which is the 27 nakshatras. The 27 nakshatras are the stars. They're called asterisms. And that means the groupings of stars. These 27 nakshatras are 13 degree, 20 minute segments of the zodiac. Whereas you have the 12 signs of the zodiac divided into 30 degrees, that makes up the 360 degree circle of the zodiac. But when you take the zodiac and you make it into smaller portions, 27 of them, each portion will be 13 degrees, 20 minutes. And what is so phenomenal and works in divine order is that each nakshatra is 13 degrees, 20 minutes, but so is the mean motion of the moon each day. So the moon stays in a nakshatra per day. And this is relative to the lunar calendar in India, the 27, 28 day calendar. And actually there is a 28th nakshatra that sits somewhere in Capricorn, not usually used, but some use it for specific reasons. But this is the lunar calendar. And because of this, I always say Vedic astrology is lunar based, whereas tropical astrology is solar based. It's based on the seasons. Every single year where the sun is, it will create the seasons, whether it's the spring or fall equinox or the summer or winter solstice, where the sun is gives the seasons. But I'm talking about star-based astrology. And this is based on the nakshatras. And there is a predictive tool in Vedic astrology that I am telling you is so powerful. Every person I've read for is in awe over the system called the dashas. There are different dasha systems, but the one that's used by most astrologers is called the Vimshottari dasha system. It's based on where your natal moon is in the chart. That's why in Vedic astrology, I say, look at your moon and your ascendant. We're not really looking at the sun. These are the focal points because the moon in your Vedic chart is what determines when your whole life patterns and cycles will evolve. So whatever nakshatra your natal moon is in, the planet that rules that nakshatra, all of the 27 nakshatras are ruled by a planet. The planet that rules the nakshatra your natal moon is in will start your entire life cycles of your life. And there is a sequential order that these cycles always go in, just as after K2 always comes Venus and so on. There's a pattern. So if you start out in a particular cycle that is maybe your nakshatra of your moon is ruled by Jupiter, then that means you start in Jupiter's mahadasha, that cycle. This speaks volumes about when your life will change because every time you change out of one grand cycle to the next, your entire life and perception of your world changes 100%. And you can see these cycles. They're pretty long, but they're all based on the moon and the nakshatras. This is Vedic astrology. But Vedic astrologers, for the most part, there's a few odd ones out there, but for the most part, they use the sidereal calculation of the true placements of where the planets are relative to the stars. So with that, I think I'll close. If you would like more information on me, if you want your chart done, your sidereal chart done, go to my Galactic Planner. You will get your predictions based on transits and dashas. This is a remarkable tool. You cannot go without it. This will give you the guidance and the comfort and security to know when things are going to happen in your life so you can be fully prepared for any life experience and the major shifts and changes. Go to galacticplanner.com and get your planner. It takes your individual chart and it will give you your Vedic chart. As well as when you go to my website, sign up for my free newsletter. It will give you all the new things that we're putting into the planner. Go to galacticcenter.org and sign up for my newsletter and we will tell you because we're constantly adding new features that are making it the best planner out there to give you the guidance that you need in this world. I'm telling you, this is a tool that you're going to want. So, go to galacticcenter.org, sign up for my free newsletter and also join Patreon. Become a member of our spiritual community. Learn more. And if you want to learn Vedic astrology, become an astrologer yourself. Sidereal Vedic. Go to my university. Go to universityofvedicastrology.com. Thank you.