Filed Under (Astrology) by admin on 04-05-2009
A great circle is a circle on a sphere obtained by intersecting the sphere with a plane that passes through the center of the sphere. There are certain important great circles on the celestial sphere.
1. Celestial Equator
The celestial equator is a circle that cuts the celestial sphere into two equal halves, with respect to the poles. It lies above the terrestrial equator.
2. Horizon
The horizon is a circle that cuts the celestial sphere into two halves: one which is visible, and one which is not. It is the “ground level” of the observer. The plane of this great circle is perpendicular to a line joining the point of an observer on the Earth and the zenith, and cuts through the centre of the Earth.
3. Ecliptic
The ecliptic is the annual path of the Sun, with respect to the stars, as seen from a geocentric perspective. The plane of this great circle always makes an angle of 23.5° with the plane of the celestial equator. This tilt is of great importance, as it is responsible for the seasons on Earth.
4. Central Meridan
The central meridan is an imaginary arc which cuts through the north point on the horizon, the zenith, and the south point on the horizon.
5. Prime Vertical
The prime vertical is an imaginary arc which cuts through the east point on the horizon, the zenith and the west point on the horizon.
6. Equinoxes and Solstices
Two great circles intersect at two points diametrically opposite each other. For the celestial equator and the ecliptic, these are the equinoxes. The solstices are the highest and lowest points on the ecliptic, with respect to the celestial equator. We will also use these terms for the times when the Sun is at these points. The spring or vernal equinox
falls on March 21, while the autumnal equinox is on September 23. At the equinoxes, the days and nights are of equal length. The highest point, the summer solstice, falls on June 21, and is the longest day of the year for the northern hemisphere. The lowest point, the winter solstice, is on December 22, and coincides with the shortest day of the year for the northern hemisphere.
Filed Under (Astrology) by admin on 03-05-2009
Astrology is one of the part of primbon. Astrology deals with projective geometry, meaning distances to celestial bodies are inconsequential. Only their relative positions on the celestial sphere are important. In other words, only the angular differences from the Earth matter. We need to define certain key terms to obtain a graphical idea of the celestial sphere.
1. Celestial Sphere
The celestial sphere is an imaginary dome around an observer on Earth. The observer is at the centre of the dome, with all the visible celestial bodies on its surface. It is a model of how the sky appears to us. In reality, the various celestial bodies are not the same distance from the Earth.
2. Celestial Poles
The celestial poles are the centres of rotation of the celestial sphere. They are called the north and south celestial poles (NCP and SCP).
3. Zenith
The zenith is the point on the celestial sphere straight overhead of an observer on the Earth.
4. Nadir
The nadir is the point on the celestial sphere that is directly opposite the zenith.
Filed Under (Astrology) by admin on 02-05-2009
The input data an astrologer needs are the date, place and exact time of birth. These will provide the material for the calculations needed to construct the individual’s horoscope. A horoscope is nothing more than a map or diagram of the various planets’ positions at any one point in time, with respect to the earth. The word “horoscope” is derived from the Greek word “horoskopos”, meaning “hour watcher”. Basic ingredients of the horoscope include the sun-sign, the Ascendant, information on the Houses, the Aspects, etc. The astrologer will then proceed to interpret the horoscope, and hence offer advice.
The heliocentric model places the Sun at the centre of the solar system. The geocentric model places the Earth at the centre of the solar system. Technically, it is not wrong to adopt the geocentric model, as we would be merely
considering different frames of references. We live in a geocentric world. Astrology is preoccupied with how the planets relate to an individual on Earth, and hence their relative positions. Generally, the heliocentric model is good for explaining how things work in the solar system, in accordance with the laws of physics. By contrast, the geocentric
model is suitable for descriptive purposes.
Filed Under (Astrology) by admin on 01-05-2009
Astrology is the belief that there exists a meaningful relationship between the positions of celestial bodies and human experience, and that we can systematically determine this relationship.
A common misconception is to confuse astronomy with astrology. Astronomy is the scientific study of the universe. Astrology is “astromancy”, or divination by the stars. An astronomer studies the stars using the scientific method. An astrologer casts horoscopes to predict earthly events, like the fates of nations and individuals. The only possible method to test the validity of astrological influences or predictions is using statistical studies. This means gathering large samples of individuals, tabulating their character traits, and checking if there exists a correlation between these and their horoscopes. This is not the focus of the project. Instead, the aim is to highlight some mathematical problems in the formalism of astrology. The focus is specifically on geometric problems encountered in house division.
Astrology has many faces. There is popular astrology, commonly found in newspapers. There is also serious astrology, which is the casting and interpretation of horoscopes of individuals. Serious astrology is itself sub-categorized. Natal astrology deals with the horoscope calculated at the moment of birth. Horary astrology determines the auspicious
moments to make personal decisions. Mundane or world astrology studies the fates of countries or nations.
