An explanation of some technical terms
Fixed Stars
The planets can clearly be seen to move across the heavens but the stars which
form the various constellations appear to be stationary. We know that they are
moving, albeit exceptionally slowly, but to the ancients they appeared to be
fixed and immutable. This was the sphere of the heavens which was eternal; change
only affected the earth. Due to the precession of the equinoxes, the zodiacal
position and the right ascension of fixed stars will move with time. This should
be born in mind when referring to old charts. They move at 72' per century.
Fixed stars can add another level of interpretation to astrology but traditional
interpretations can tend towards the fatalistic. You can start to understand
this when you consider that each star is a separate sun. They are particularly
useful when looking at mundane astrology and the natal charts of leaders or
those who move in a collective environment. There are considerably more malefic
fixed stars then benefic ones. Practically the only benefic star is Spica, currently
found at 23 Libra. Looking at the translations of the star names gives us clues.
The Chinese refer to Algol as Piles of Bodies; Algol is commonly acknowledged
to be a significant malefic.
Another consideration is that many stars are some way from the ecliptic, therefore
their ecliptic degree may not be the best position to consider. Stars which
rise or set in paran - at the same time - as planets could yield more information;
you can see this as bodies rising together across the horizon, only one point
of the horizon is the ecliptic.
Modern work on fixed stars is lead by Diana K. Rosenberg and Bernadette Brady,
see the links page for more details.
We also need to distinguish between the individual stars and the formations
in which they have been grouped, otherwise known as constellations. There will
be associations with a particular star i.e. Spica, which will be part of a constellation,
in this case Virgo.
The constellations have changed over the years and this is why
we have difficulties working out exactly which stars ancient authors
were referring to. There were 48 constellations before the seventeenth
century. These were "neatened" in recent times and new ones created.
Also important to bear in mind are the changes Regiomontanus instigated,
which involved using the Celestial Equator as the circle of reference
rather than the ecliptic. The coordinates given for a particular
star would change although, of course, the star had not moved, it
was only being referred to by a different system.
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