The Shocking Discovery
Last week, the internet news was a-blazin' with the sudden discovery of a 13th constellation name Ophiuchus, the serpent bearer, or more accurately the snake messenger. Purportedly, this was the smoking gun covered in finger prints that proved western astrology is bullishit.
It may all well be bullshit, but this is neither a new discovery, nor the smoking gun. As I have known for some 8-9 months, there is the sidereal zodiac, and then there is the zodiac. There is the Greek or Western system, and there is the Eastern Hindu system. The Hindus have had a 13 constellation system for some 2,500 years. It is called the Jyotishia system.
The news, so recently discovered, reads more like a critique of Greek mythology from the viewpoint of Hindu mythology than anything else. You know... I can critique Christianity in terms of Islam, or Islam in terms of Buddhism. Based on my training in Athro and my experiences in theological debate, I can tell you this goes no where fast. This is a sure-fire recipe for a waste of time.
It turns out that the Western Astrologers have been aware of the 13th constellation for a long time. Several thousand years, at least. They preferred to standardize on 12 roughly equal constellations because they believe it is more symmetrical and yields more accurate predictions.
Who is right? Are the Greeks right? Are the Hindus right? Is anyone right? Will anyone be able to tell?
For the record, most of the good astrology software packages on the market will do the Jyotishia system for you in addition to the Greek and the Chinese system.
Just a little diddy about rivaling systems pointing in the same direction
As you know, I used Kepler 7.2 and a batch of test data to generate a series of calculations regarding my personal synastry with all women born between 1966-1995. Based on that test data, I determined that a theoretical female born on 3/12/1986 9:00pm in Los Angeles California was the most optimal mate for me; although I am not entirely crazy about Pisces. Just to refresh your memory, here are the numbers again.
Category Totals
1. Romantic and Sexual Attraction: 5272. Similarity of Interests and Temperament: 229
3. Mutual Success and High Achievement: 129
4. Problem Solving, Communication, and Mutual Understanding: 329
5. Mutual Kindness, Friendliness, Pleasantness, and Peace: 309
6. Aggressiveness, Competition, Power, Success, or Violence: 332
7. Adventurousness, Surprises, Disturbances: 97
8. Shared Creativity, Imagination, and Inspiration: 136
Given above are your compatibility scores in 8 different categories. A score of 100 is average. A score above 100 indicates that the trait is strong, and a score below 100 indicates that the trait is weak. More specifically, you can interpret the scores as follows:
Above 150 is very high. This trait is VERY strong!
125 to 150 is above average. The trait is strong.
115 to 125 is slightly above average. The trait is slightly strong.
85 to 115 is average.
75 to 85 is slightly below average. The trait is slightly weak.
50 to 75 is weak.
50 or lower is VERY weak!
So what in the world would Jyotishia have to say about this match up?
At the moment, I am not aware of a Jyotishian Synastry calculator as sophisticated as the ones the Greeks have developed. Still, based on the scanty information I have unconvered, Dave and La-La still look like a match.
According to the Jyotishian system, I am a Leo, not a Virgo. That's a funny thing too, as my last name is Leon, and I have often felt more like a Lion than a Virgin. According to the Jyotishian system, La-La is an Aquarian.
The interesting thing is that Leo and Aquarius are 180 degree opposites in the Jyotishian system, just as they are in the Greek system. As is the case in Greek astrology, Jyotishia proclaims a strong attraction between and complementarity of opposites. They fit together like Yin and Yang. Most of the Jyotishian interpretations of La-La's chart and my chart point out scores of match-points.
If a Jyotishian synastry calculator were to be invented soon, I am fairly sure my scores with La-La would remain extremely high.
The Chinese System
Under the Chinese system of astrology, I am a Yang Fire Horse. Yang Fire Horses have a tendency to be Mavericks. We run solo. This year of 2011 is the year of the Yin Metal Rabbit. In the year of the Yin Metal Rabbit, Yang Fire Horses will find renewed pressure to find a lasting relationship. The recommendation to all single Yang Fire Horses is this: Find a Tiger to play with in 2011.
This naturally begs the question: Who the hell is a Tiger anyhow? As it turns out, Wikipedia has a very nice piece on the Chinese Zodiac, and it tells me that there are two years of the Tiger that might present a good option for me: 1975 and 1986. It just so happens that 1986 was the year of the Yang Fire Tiger. La-La just happens to be a Yang Fire Tiger.
Is it all a co-inky-dinky?
