The Real Summer Solstice

What actually makes astrology... astrology?

Want to do astrology ⸺ real astrology ⸺ like an ancient astrologer priest? With the timeless application of precise astronomical science used by the architects of (just to name a few), the great pyramids, Gobeckli Tepe, Gunung Padang, and Sacsayhuamán?

For the ancients, marking the solstices and equinoxes in relation to the backdrop canopy of the fixed stars of the cosmos was of immeasurable importance. As evidenced by the painstaking precision of the placement and orientation of these incredible structures.

This also required an intimate knowledge of the night sky and a detailed astronomical acumen. In fact during this time, astrology and astronomy were the same study. They were literally inseparable. This was the case, in fact, until the period coincident with the emergence of the Church in Rome. It was at that time that the link between astrology and astronomy (at least in the west) was severed.

How much of that severance was undertaken willingly by Ptolemy-inspired Greco-Roman astrologers of the period, and how much was imposed by the emerging Church is debatable. The fact remains, though, that the severance occurred. Western (Tropical) astrology at this point became a seasonal based system, divorced from the actual (and astronomically verifiable) planetary placements in the sky.

What is also beyond debate is that the emerging Church ⸺ claiming to be the only legitimate connection to the Divine ⸺ and now with the backing of the powerful Roman empire, set out to eliminate the competition. And so astrology (along with other forms of divination) was attacked with the same vengeance as that of other competing religious sects. The Gnostics, for instance. Divination in general, and astrology in particular, was persecuted with the intent to drive it into extinction. The result being that true astrological divination was then crushed anywhere the Church and the Roman empire had influence.

True astrology didn’t die, though. It continued to flourish in areas outside of the Church’s influence. India and Asia, for instance. The Arabic nations.

Note: it is my contention that the Church absolutely kept true (Sidereal) astrology as a teaching within the highest echelons of the priesthood. And it relegated the Tropical calendar system to the masses. Not the focus of this article however it will be covered in my upcoming book on the subject.

In fact, the suppression of classical knowledge during the rise of the early Church in Rome, together with the decline of the Western Roman Empire, fueled an ages-long brain-drain out of the west and into the Islamic world. This shift helped ignite the Islamic Golden Age, a period of explosive advancement in the arts, sciences, mathematics, and philosophy. And, as you might guess, true astrology.

Meanwhile in the west, the Dark Ages ensued in the vacuum created by the exodus of intelligence fleeing the Church’s persecution. Pure astrology continued to flourish in those areas outside of the Church’s influence, while the degenerate, western Tropical system remained, frozen in time, as a seasonal calendar in Christendom. And it remains frozen in time to this day.

Just as we can nowadays “follow the money” to find the truth of a situation, we can “follow the persecution” to find what truths the early Church truly feared. Gnostic Christianity, for instance? Driven out of Christendom. Along with true astrology.

This is a detailed, long and sordid history, to be sure, and the subject of a detailed study and forthcoming book. But the punch line here is that the “astrology” practiced in the west today is a neutered, “Church approved” version that “works” only in so far as it tracks time and seasons. Which, at the time, it could be argued, was certainly useful in a Farmer’s Almanac kind of way ⸺ for planting, animal husbandry, building and, of course, the waging of war.

But what about if we want a true divination system? One that looks to nature (in this case, the stars) as a precise, Hermetic, “as above, so below” reflection and representation of not only life on earth, but also the very mystery of our own lives?

For that we need to use Sideral planetary placements, which means "of the stars", and is used in astronomy (and true astrology) to refer to timekeeping systems based on the Earth's orbit and slow, 26,0000 year wobble (and other factors too lengthy to dive into here) relative to the fixed stars in our observable universe. We need a system that works regardless of epoch, season, or hemisphere.

In short, I ought to be able to look to the sky (or my stargazing app), and those planetary placements should match my astrological placements (the ephemeris) for that date, time and location.

The neutered (as far as astrology and astronomy are concerned), western, “Church approved” calandar system ⸺ the Tropical system ⸺ is fine for use as a calendar. But why call it “astrology” when it is clearly divorced from what is actually present in the sky?

I wouldn’t have a beef about this if it weren’t so deceiving to the masses of those interested in the art and science of astrology. Truth in advertising is all that I’m advocating for. If your divination system is based on the seasons and not the actual placements of the planets in relation to the heavens, so be it. Simply acknowledge as much so that people can choose early on in their studies.

It took me years (albeit, prior to the internet age) to figure out what the hell was going on. Why the ephemerides I studied did not coincide with what I actually saw in the sky. And more tellingly, no book I consulted ⸺ or astrologer for that matter ⸺ could give me a simple and solid explanation for the discrepancy. I feel like this should be required disclosure in Tropical astrology. Especially for those who at least have a boy scout’s understanding of the night sky. And especially for those who don’t have that understanding!

And make no mistake: this is a Tropical astrology issue. Because this is the system divorced from the stars. That the stars and planets actually occupy the location seen from our vantage point on earth is self-evident in Sidereal systems.

And I assume that anyone considering a divination practice that purports to divine the stars and planets ⸺ i.e, someone like ME, 30 years ago ⸺ would rightly assume that what they are engaging in a study of what is actually present in the sky. Not some abstracted aberration of that reality.

Please understand my motives here: I am not the divination police. Nor do I care to be; I’ll let the Church carry that mantle. I myself have used such “out there” practices as cloud divination. That is, casting a question, then allowing my unconscious mind to find the answers of that question in what I “see” in the clouds. I regularly consult the I Ching. Not much difference between these practices and Jungian dream interpretation. And a number of other psychological and divination processes that are highly beneficial.

Astrology, though, is a different animal. Because it is inseparable from astronomy means it is precise, time-based and cyclic. Over and beyond the short cycles of the seasons.

If a new astrologer were to realize that, and still chooses to follow the Tropical, seasonal, debased-from-the-stars variety of “astrology”, then I’m all for it. Sovereign beings, sovereign choices.

That there is a level of bait-and-switch energy present in Tropical astrology is self-evident in the fact that the practice does little to inform their newbie legion on what the actual foundations of the practice are. I have not yet met a Tropical astrologer who could adequately describe to me why there is a discrepancy between what their ephemeris says and what a stargazing app of their choice says. Or better yet, on a cloudless night, point to a clearly in Leo, Mars and have them explain how it is that they can claim the planet to be actually in Virgo.

Or how the star Aldebaran, the “eye of the bull” of the constellation Taurus, is not actually in Taurus… but in Gemini?

Or how the star Regulus, “the heart of the Lion” of the constellation Leo, is not in Leo… but in Virgo?

I could go on (and on and on and on…) but you get my drift.

A practical example…

Which brings us back around to this: the upcoming summer solstice which occurs June 20th, 2025. Tropical astrologers will tell you that this point marks 0 degrees Cancer. Well, I can very easily pull up any stargazing app, and look at the constellation that provides the backdrop to our Sun as it rises above the eastern horizon at dawn on June 20th… and clearly see otherwise.

If this is confusing to you as a novice astrologer, my point is being made. Hang in there.

This is the actual mundane chart for dawn on the 20th of June where I live. You can do the same for where you live and see what I mean.

I will experience sunrise at 5:06 AM on the day of the summer solstice (June 20th, 2025). This clearly shows me that the Sun is at 5 Gem 12 at that date and time.

So which system is correct? Well, in my mind, as astrology is a study of the actual heavens and their influence upon human affairs, and that astrology is inseparable from astronomy, the answer is quite simple. Sidereal is the system that accurately reflects the heavens as they are.

Ultimately though, the decision is yours.

So why is this in any way important?

Well, for most it’s not. Our “1st world”, western culture has lost all touch and relationship with Nature and Natural Law. The calling card of the west is to extract itself, step by technological step, from nature itself. This is the defining characteristic, in fact, of the Kali Yuga. And it’s apparently not important for Tropical astrologers either, who are fine with using a seasonal calendar divination system in lieu of true astrology.

But as for Ariel and me ⸺ and for those who we teach ⸺ it’s incredibly important. Because I believe we are truly a microcosm of the macrocosm. That is the essence of the Hermetic Principle of “as above, so below”. I believe that nature never lies. That is, what nature reveals is Truth. That, as well, is the basis of Natural Law. That being the intrinsic, divine order that governs all of creation. The set of immutable, universal principles that structure reality across all planes—physical, mental, and spiritual. These laws are not man-made, nor are they subject to cultural or temporal shifts. Rather, they are eternal truths that underlie the cosmos and reflect the mind of the Divine.

So if my mission is the search for truth and wisdom, why would I ever ascribe to a system that, by its very nature, is a purposeful (man made) aberration of Natural Law?

In practical terms, the result of Tropical astrology is to negate the power and influence of the astrological signs that “host” the planets and luminaries in their orbits. The true zodiac might as well not be involved. Which, in essence, is to render the practice of astrology, if not useless, then severely handicapped. The exact outcome, in fact, that the Church desired. Because institutions become institutions by exterminating the competition. It doesn’t matter if that institution is organized religion, government, or a multi-national corporation. The playbook is the same.

The Difference Between 432 Hz and 440Hz

In my mind, the difference between Tropical “astrology” and the Sidereal-based, Functional Astrology Ariel I practice is the difference between nature’s 432 Hz and the abstracted 440 Hz. The difference seems insignificant. Until, that is, you really begin to unravel the knotted chords.

If you’re unfamiliar with basic music theory, consider that a pure A note is 432 Hz. This is a naturally occurring frequency, and one that resonates with the rhythms of the Earth and of the human body. This tuning was seen not simply as a technical choice, but as a reflection of cosmic (and sacred) geometry and organic coherence.

All was well until in 1939, when representatives from Nazi Germany pushed to standardize tuning at 440 Hz, a slightly sharper pitch. Ostensibly for standardization ease. I propose that it was done deliberately to drive a long standing psychological disharmonization.

Despite objections from musicians and researchers, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) formally adopted A=440 Hz in 1955. From that point forward, nearly all commercial and classical music has used this tuning, whether or not its impact on the human nervous system was fully understood.

We know that sound can regulate nervous system states, alter brainwave patterns, and re-pattern stored emotional trauma. In this light, the question isn’t just which pitch is more “correct,” but which one fosters coherence in the human system. If 432 Hz aligns more harmoniously with our biology, then habitual exposure to 440 Hz may do irreparable long term harm. Functional Astrology, as a system grounded in resonance and timing, treats these kinds of shifts as pivotal. Just as planetary transits reshape inner states, so too do the frequencies we expose ourselves to daily.

Listen to Mozart at its natural 432 Hz and you can feel the difference. It’s analogous to interpreting the sky as nature intended, vs a man-made abstraction of the heavens.

The Power of the Ascendant

The most powerful placement in one's entire birth chart is the rising sign, or the Ascendant. The Ascendant signifies and defines the characteristics of the “temple” in which the soul will dwell during this incarnation. And just as we saw for the Sun at dawn on this Summer solstice, the Ascendant point for the individual is marked by what constellation ⸺ and to refine it even further, what Lunar temple ⸺ lay directly on the eastern horizon at the moment of the native’s birth. Get this wrong, and the entire chart is wrong.

I’ll write more about the power of the Ascendant in a following article. Because knowing the characteristics of the temple in which your incarnated soul dwells is, quite literally, a super power. It’s a super power that’s available to us all and yet, unfortunately, it’s “hidden” to those of us in the west. It’s either poo-pooed by modern science or inadvertently obscured by those who don’t know any better. And purposely obscured by those who do know better.

But for now, I encourage you to greet the sunrise on the morning of June 20th. That point where the Sun will reach his northernmost point relative to the equator. Feel the power of that moment.

Then if you choose, reflect on the power that was held on the horizon at the exact moment of your birth. There was a real, defined astrological and astronomical energy exactly on the horizon at that precise moment. Nature unfolded at precisely that moment in time to perfectly ⸺ in a Hermetic, as above, so below way ⸺ define the temple in which your soul would dwell in this incarnation. And from that point can be cast your entire birth chart. The seed of every experience and lesson you incarnated for.

This is no small thing to get wrong. The stars were here long before us, and they’ll be here long after we’re gone. We can be wise and correctly interpret their message, or think we can cleverly outwit or divorce ourselves from them. There can be no in between.

I’ll leave you with this: a quote from the late, great, Terence McKenna. To the extent that we have ⸺ either intentionally or otherwise ⸺ lost our birthright and intimate connection with the natural world is self-evident in the continued decline of western civilization. By measure, the most highly medicated and yet most unhealthy civilization to tread the increasingly unhealthy earth.

“Not to know one's true identity is to be a mad, disensouled thing — a golem. And, indeed, this image, sickeningly Orwellian, applies to the mass of human beings now living in the high-tech industrial democracies. Their authenticity lies in their ability to obey and follow mass style changes that are conveyed through the media. Immersed in junk food, trash media, and cryptofascist politics, they are condemned to toxic lives of low awareness. Sedated by the prescripted daily television fix, they are a living dead, lost to all but the act of consuming.”

⸺Keith