After having some 30 years in the sack of astrology using western methods first half and sidereal second half I am not doubting the sidereal zodiac. I think it works well.
I use the vedic system whith special rules and techniques. The weighting of planetary strength by looking at dignities and debilitation is important.
I also use the lunar mansions extensively which gives almost "another zodiac" to use as well with 27 "signs".
Also planetary periods are integrated in the system.
Taking all these in account the system work good and well in my opinion.
Taking not these into consideration the matters seems subjective from case to case it seems. When doing tropical work I did felt it was working,
and I still believe it does. But prefer now sidereal chart.
---I could give many examples how this is applied but one quite clear is the case of Amy Weinhaus:
She have in her chart a sidereal taurus ascendent which perhaps not is totally fitting when compared to western gemini asc.
But seeing that she have node Rahu in taurus first house, using dignities, the fact is that rahu is exalted in taurus makes Rahu come forth in a strong way in her chart. Rahu is the innovator newthinker and rebel.
Now taking her chart ruler venus in cancer...opinions could be had about that I guess.
But looking at the nakshatra venus is placed in..Ashlesha
This nakshatra is one of the difficult ones, that is associated with poisons
(drugs) it's shakti is "the power to poison".
She died of alcohol poisoning.
Her 7th lord is mars which is in cancer. Mars is debilitated in cancer showing a weak partner.(It was her boyfriend who was introducing her to drugs) Mars is also in nakshatra of ashlesha associated with drugs.
---Another example is Obama:
With sidereal Capricorn ascendent having saturn and jupiter in
ascendent (whole sign). Saturn in own sign.
This according to vedic astrology gives a
Shasha yoga. Magnifying the qualities of Saturn giving disciplined and manager qualities. It is a wellknown fact that Obama is very disciplined guy working (saturn) extremely hard and goaldirected and going to gym every morning.
Jupiter in ascendent give his lawyer business.
When he won the election riding on a massive wawe of popularity he was in the planetary period of
Jupiter-Moon (public sucess). moon is his second strongest planet probably as exalted in sidereal taurus. giving popularity.
When he later became president he was in the subperiod of Mars and then Rahu. both in 8th house, and a hard time giving changes and problems (economical).
---Hitler had his Sun in Sidereal Aries (exlated and strong for leadership)
He had Mars the planet of war in sidereal Aries in own sign.
Doing charts like this I feel the system works.
Comparing character qualities is not as telling in my opinion.
When comparing the two systems.
Each system works when applying it's techniques. Western astrology is quite heavily aspect dominated seeing aspect patterns and so forth.
Vedic astrology is much planetary focused much by seeing planetary strength.as weighted in the sidereal zodiac. See which planet is dominating the chart and rulerships, which give rise to combinations (yogas).
---I having a tropical gemini moon which make sense, as I was brought up in an environment of books, with both parents doing academic studies. I feel at home in bookstores..
but my moon is in sidereal taurus exalted in 10th house, and as such dominates the chart. And this makes total sense as Working with people in
nurturing profession and is very much lunar in personality. Moon as strongest planet is ruling 12th house and spirituality is prime interest. (sidereal sun ,mercury jupiter in pisces)
) In that when looking up, early astrologers were more concerned than we are today with the ascensional times (thanks, JUPITERASC) as well as signs of equal light and all that, and then imposed the whole 30* houses on top. I'm not saying one or the other is right or wrong, only that we all need to keep an open mind, and like every dang thing else about astrology, decide for ourselves.
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