MESSAGES FROM THE WONDROUS CANOPY OF THE HEAVENS

(PART II)

INTRODUCTION

“For, by the sacred radiance of the sun,

The mysteries of Hecate and the night;
By all the operation of the orbs.
From whom we do exist and cease to be”
- William Shakespeare

A BRIEF BACKGROUND

Astrology deals with the observation and correlation of energy exchanging between the
planets of the solar system, the stars in the constellations and life here on Earth. There are
astrological markings uncovered which have been found to date back as far as 3000 B.C.
The Chaldeans (later known as the Babylonians) kept records which date back to 700 B.C.
Wise men of this period were known as astrologer priests and they were highly esteemed in
the community. Their knowledge was based on observations of the positions of stars and
planets which they used to cast horoscopes and natal charts for kings and rulers. The
priests of the Egyptian Pharaohs were instructed in astrology by the Babylonians for it was
a part of their religion.

It is imperative for us to have a glimpse of the dawn of time and the original role that stars
played in human lives just to understand the importance of fixed stars and constellations in
astrology. Long before there were horoscopes, aspects, houses or signs, dedicated priest
astrologers of virtually every civilization, observed and measured sky patterns. The first
picture book of man was the sky and man used to spend hours of the night observing the
ever moving heavenly spectacle. Mysterious risings, settings, and circling of the heavens
were weighed against mundane phenomena of earth, sea and mankind. The ancient
wisdom recorded by earliest scribes, known only to these most learned priests of the
earliest civilizations has come into our hands.

In the process of their observation, certain bodies in the sky were seen to be relatively
stationary to the earth. To distinguish them from the Planets or the “Wanderers” that
move with the zodiac, the ancients called them Fixed Stars. Fixed Stars are suns beyond
our solar system. Our sun is a fixed star. Many fixed stars are viewed with astrological
interpretation in relationship to worldly events and personal birth charts. They are
referred to as fixed because they are generally so far away it takes millions of years for
their light to reach our visual sight on earth and thus provide the appearance that they are
fixed in the heavens and do not move.

Encyclopedia Britannica states that fixed star was a general name applied to all self-
luminous stars by ancient astronomers because, due to their considerable distance from
Earth, stars appeared to have no relative motion and so were thought of as remaining fixed
in position in sky; Halley proved this wrong in early 18th century; in contrast, planets were
called wandering stars.

This is a research‐based article is written for the instilling a scientific temperament and information on
the Fixed Stars.At the same time it is a tribute to my teachers at the Jyotisha Bharati, Bharatiya Vidya
Bhavan, Mumbai. Prof. Anthony Writer
 MESSAGES FROM THE WONDROUS CANOPY OF THE HEAVENS
(PART II)
In reality, these fixed stars also advance at a rate of approximately 50.23” of the arc per
year. As the fixed stars are beyond the zodiac, lying in the constellations, they do no move
across the ecliptic. Those near the ecliptic and of significant magnitude have considerable
influence.

John J. Falone, author of “The Genius Frequency” while writing about the background
stars or the fixed stars, says that “we have hardly nicked the surface of this vast potential
body of knowledge. Again, for purposes of our understanding, it would be useful to regard
the constellations in same way one regards a symphony. The constellations form the chord
structures through which we pass and planets are the solo artists that play against this
tonal/textural background.”

Learning from the ancients with a reference to the Indian system

Throughout the centuries, people have looked to the stars to help them navigate across
open oceans or featureless deserts, know when to plant and harvest, and preserve their
myths and folklore. Ancient peoples used the appearance or disappearance of certain stars
over the course of each year to mark the changing seasons. To make it easier to "read" this
celestial calendar, they grouped the brighter stars into readily recognizable shapes, the
constellations.

We are given to understand that our modern constellation system comes to us from the
ancient Greeks. The oldest description of the constellations as we know them comes from a
poem, called Phenomena, written about 270 B.C. by the Greek poet Aratus. However, it is
clear from the poem that the constellations mentioned originated long before Aratus' time.
No one is sure exactly where, when, or by whom they were invented. And yet a little
detective work reveals a plausible origin.

The first clue is that Aratus' constellations did not include any near the south celestial pole
(the point on the celestial sphere directly above the Earth's south pole) because that area of
the sky was always below the horizon of the ancient constellation-makers. From the size of
this uncharted area of the sky, we can determine that the people responsible for the
original constellations lived near a latitude of 36° north -- south of Greece, north of Egypt,
but similar to the latitude of the ancient Babylonians and Sumerians.

In addition, the constellation-free zone is not centered exactly on the south celestial pole.
Because of a "wobble" of the Earth's axis of rotation, the position of the celestial poles
changes slowly with time, a phenomenon known as precession. The uncharted area is
centered on the place in the sky where the south celestial pole would have been around the
year 2000 B.C. This date matches the time of the Babylonians and Sumerians.

Since the beginning of time, ancients gazed at the stars with reverence and awe. In contrast,
the study of our solar system’s planets, as used in modern astrology, is relatively new - it is
only 4500 years old. The stars are termed Fixed Stars because they do not appear to move,
as compared to the planets that appear to continually wander the sky.

This is a research‐based article is written for the instilling a scientific temperament and information on
the Fixed Stars.At the same time it is a tribute to my teachers at the Jyotisha Bharati, Bharatiya Vidya
Bhavan, Mumbai. Prof. Anthony Writer
 MESSAGES FROM THE WONDROUS CANOPY OF THE HEAVENS
(PART II)
Ancient Egyptians worshiped the star Sirius (Isis) as its July rising brought fertility to the
land through the flooding of the Nile River. And where would modern religion or the
retail business be without three wise astrologers called the Magi? New technology makes
the study of these ancient stars practical.

Indian System derived from ancient observations

In ancient times the Aryans were living at the North Pole and during the night they
observed the sky throughout the year. For 6 months of the year there was day (Brahama’s
day) and for another six months there was night (Prajapati’s night). One day of theirs (of
24 hours) was equal to one year of ours. It took one nakshatra or asterism 1000 years to
come to the horizon. The scene was a continuous whirling of the dome. Therefore, for the
27 nakshatras used in Indian (Hindu) astrology today, it took 27000 years.

The March of Time

This is a research‐based article is written for the instilling a scientific temperament and information on
the Fixed Stars.At the same time it is a tribute to my teachers at the Jyotisha Bharati, Bharatiya Vidya
Bhavan, Mumbai. Prof. Anthony Writer
 MESSAGES FROM THE WONDROUS CANOPY OF THE HEAVENS
(PART II)
a) The Celestial Equator passed through each nakshatra in turn, which rises exactly in
the east (the true east).
b) The Sun’s conjunction with the easternly rising nakshatra determined the true east
in each age or yuga.
c) The east was, therefore, a variable direction.

Later on, due to freezing climatic conditions, the Aryans moved from the North Pole to
habitats which were more stable climatically. Some of them settled in Central Asia, others
moved to Europe via Greece, the seed of European civilization, while others moved to India
through Afghanistan.

The following were their observations :

1. The East was a variable point. The only fixed direction was the zenith and any
star occupying this point would be called Dhurva Taraka.
2. Any luminary in the southern hemisphere would be called invisible and the
horizon was the celestial equator.
3. The Sun would come to the equator on 21st March and then it is seen whirling
round and round, gradually making circles of high altitudes.
4. From 11th June to 1st July, it would be seen stationary for 21 days, whilst at a
constant height of 23s½ degrees.
5. Then the Sun gradually descends and becomes invisible (or sets) on 23rd
September.
6. There was a continuous lighted period of 6 months duration (Aha) and an
equally long dark period (Rathra).
7. When the Sun comes to the Celestial Equator, it becomes visible to the Polar
residents. This phenomenon occurs only once after a year, but it’s rising point
shifts in a reverse direction.

The Sun’s diurnal movements in latitude 82½° North.

This is a research‐based article is written for the instilling a scientific temperament and information on
the Fixed Stars.At the same time it is a tribute to my teachers at the Jyotisha Bharati, Bharatiya Vidya
Bhavan, Mumbai. Prof. Anthony Writer
 MESSAGES FROM THE WONDROUS CANOPY OF THE HEAVENS
(PART II)

8. Modern astronomy tells us that the rate of this shift is known as the Precision of
the Equinox, shifting by about 50.23 seconds per year.
9. The Sun would come to the same point of the ecliptic, as the equinotical Sun, in
about 26,000 years approximately.
10. The Moon would remain invisible so long as her declination was Southern. As
soon as her declination became zero, she would make her first appearance to the
residents of the North Pole. She would whirl round and round to a height of 30
degrees and after giving a continuous light for about 15 days, would disappear.

The Moon’s continuous visibility (Shukla Paksha)

The Moon’s continuous invisibility (Krishna Paksha)to the dwellers at the North Pole
This is a research‐based article is written for the instilling a scientific temperament and information on
the Fixed Stars.At the same time it is a tribute to my teachers at the Jyotisha Bharati, Bharatiya Vidya
Bhavan, Mumbai. Prof. Anthony Writer
 MESSAGES FROM THE WONDROUS CANOPY OF THE HEAVENS
(PART II)
11. The Celestial equator slides on the ecliptic in a retrograde direction and hence
passes through each star (whose latitude is less than 23½ degrees). Hence each
star (nakshatra) got its turn of being an eastern star. The equator passes
through the same star twice during the period of 26000 years (on the first
occasion it intersects the ecliptic at an angle of 22½ degrees and the other, it will
be intersecting at an angle of 180 degrees from 23½ degrees. Hence if Kritikas
were an eastern star in 3000 B.C., it were so even in the year 16000 B.C.
12. To the Vedic sages the stars were known as nakshatras (groups of stars having
different shapes). Initially, due to the gradual retrograde shifting of the Sun’s
rising position in the horizon of the polar region, it was observed that the Sun
shifts the place by an interval of 1000 years and at the end of this period a new
star rises in the East. The number of asterism or stars according to the then
belief was 24 in one Brahama’s ahoratra of 24000 years.
13. Later on, Abhijit or Wega (6° Cap 40` to 10° Cap 53` so) was included and there
was a split up into two parts each of the 3 groups of Phalguni, Ashada and
Bhadrapada in the names of Purva and Uttras. Then, in the 28 constellation
system one Brahama’s ahoratra was equal to 28000 years
14. When the Aryans left the polar they saw 360 sunrises and sunsets and the
nakshatras were modified to 27 (discarding Abhijit) and Brahma’s ahoratra
now took a period of 27000 years, corresponding to the 27 nakshatras.
15. In “Astronomical Light on Vedic Culture” R.V Vaidya states the following:
“The nakshatra was the period of time taken by a star group to remain as our
eastern star for the preceding star. According to him the following stars must
have come to the Celestial equator in the century years noted against them :

No. Asterism (star) In the year (B.C.)

1 Ashwini 1900
2 Bharni 3300
3 Kritika 3000
4 Rohini 2103
5 Mriga 2700
6 Ardra 4000
7 Punarvasu 7100
8 Pushya 7300
9 Ashlesha 6800
10 Magha 8800
11 Purva Phalguni 12200
12 Uttra Phalguni 12800
13 Hasta 9800
14 Chitra 12300
15 Swati -
16 Vishaka 13200

This is a research‐based article is written for the instilling a scientific temperament and information on
the Fixed Stars.At the same time it is a tribute to my teachers at the Jyotisha Bharati, Bharatiya Vidya
Bhavan, Mumbai. Prof. Anthony Writer
 MESSAGES FROM THE WONDROUS CANOPY OF THE HEAVENS
(PART II)
17 Anuradha 15100
18 Jayestha 15300
19 Mool 14601
20 Purva Ashada -
21 Uttra Ashada -
22 Shravana 13000 and 2000
23 Dhanista 14000 and 3000
16. According to the Vedic sages it was the Kritikas that occupy the first place in the
list of stars.
17. The Vedic sages observed that the nakshatras were a cluster of stars resembling
the parts of the human body or those of the beast, like Mriga the deer or
antelope, Hasta, the fingerprints of the hand, etc. The original names given by
these sages have changed today.
18. They also observed the constellations which also had different shapes of animals,
objects, vehicles, reptiles, etc.
19. Each nakshatra had a particular deity and symbols and remedial measures were
taken recourse to for various measures.
20. From time immemorial myths and mysteries have been created around the
nakshatras.

Apollonius Tyanaeus, a Greek thinker and traveler of the 1st Century A.D. wrote that in
India the first references to astronomy are to be found in the Rig Veda which is dated
around 2000 B.C. Vedic Aryans in fact deified the Sun, Stars, Planets and Comets.
Astronomy was then interwoven with astrology and since ancient times Indians have
involved the planets (called Grahas) with the determination of human fortunes.

From the above it has been noted that the ancient Aryans, from whom we have inherited
this vast legacy of the stars, have contributed and enriched the knowledge of the fixed
stars, which were observed in their collective form as nakshatras or asterisms. Fixed stars
are the brightest stars observed from the nakshatras and constellations.

Richard Hinckley Allen’s book 'Star names - Their lore and meaning' was originally
published in 1899. It provides proper names of stars from many cultures over the period of
recorded history. The book studies the names of stars, constellation by constellation in an
alphabetical order. In each constellation, the proper names of stars from various cultures
are discussed. It includes the then contemporary astronomical identity of stars as
Flamsteed numbers and Bayer identities. The book covers all the constellations. The period
of the book was before formalization of the constellation definitions to 88 by International
Astronomical Union in 1930. The pattern followed in the book is to identify all visible stars
in each constellation through their Bayer identities and then address their historical
European names (Greek and other nationalistic cultures), followed by the Arabic names,
the Chinese names and ‘Hindu names`. This has been systematically carried out to cover all

This is a research‐based article is written for the instilling a scientific temperament and information on
the Fixed Stars.At the same time it is a tribute to my teachers at the Jyotisha Bharati, Bharatiya Vidya
Bhavan, Mumbai. Prof. Anthony Writer
 MESSAGES FROM THE WONDROUS CANOPY OF THE HEAVENS
(PART II)
the constellations. In each case, anecdotal data is provided using local folklore, historical
documents and other cultural documents. An analysis is provided with suggestions as to
possible influence of one culture on the other, in arriving at the proper names for stars.

S. Balakrishna's 'Names of Stars from period of Vedas' of 1999, writes :

A number of stars in the sky were given proper names by people of India, i.e, Bharata,
during the Vedic period (2000-4000 BC). Amongst them the twenty-eight names were given
to stars over 360 degrees of the moon path along the ecliptic. Among these, use of one of
these names, Abhijit as a daily star has been discontinued in modern times. Ancient
astrology of this culture, called Jyotishya Shasthra, has its origins during that period and
has been gradually modified. This astrological system uses a moon-pointer daily star
definition, based on the 27 daily stars, with Sanskrit proper names, corresponding to 13.20
degree steps along the ecliptic in the moon path. Efforts have been made to associate and
identify these Sanskrit proper names to explicit star or groups of stars along the ecliptic,
and determine their modern astronomical names.

In the Vedic literature, Bharateeya's have the oldest continuing culture running for
thousands of years. Pre-vedic culture understood the motions of the bodies in skies and
evolved a moon pointer calendar, moon pointing to daily stars in the skies. Various stars in
the moon path and a few others were given proper names many thousand years ago. Some
notable proper names from veda's assigned to stars are the 27 or 28 daily stars Ashwini to
Revati, the saptarishis (Ursamajor for Rishis Marichi, Vasishta, Angirasa, Atri, Puslastya,
Pulaha, Karatu or Gautama, Bhardwaja, Vishvamitra, Kashyapa, Jamdagni, Vasishtha
and Atri), Dhruva (Polaris) and Arundhati. Chandramana or Moon pointer almanac has
been extensively used during and since Vedic period. The thousands of year old lunar
almanac system is an integral part of traditional Bharateeya’s, who probably have a birth
horoscope where in an important parameter is the birth Nakshatra and birth Rashi.

Comparison of Nakshathra identities by R. H. Allen and Balakrishna

Nakshathra R. H. Allen Popular Name Balakrishna Popular Name

Ashwini 13α−aries Hamal 13α−Αries Hamal

6β−Aries Also 6β−Αριεσ

Equuleus

Bharani 41-Aries 41−Aries

33-aries 39−Aries

35 Aries 35 Aries

This is a research‐based article is written for the instilling a scientific temperament and information on
the Fixed Stars.At the same time it is a tribute to my teachers at the Jyotisha Bharati, Bharatiya Vidya
Bhavan, Mumbai. Prof. Anthony Writer
 MESSAGES FROM THE WONDROUS CANOPY OF THE HEAVENS
(PART II)

Krittika 25η−Aries Pleiades 25η−Aries Pleiades

plus five plus five others

others

Rohini 87α−Tau Al Debaran 87α−Tau Aldebaran

Also plus four others

21α−Scorpio

Mrigashira 50ζ−Ori Al Nitak 112β−Tau El Nath

46ξ−Ori Al Nilam plus two others

34δ−Οri Mintaka

Aardhra 58α−Ori Betelguese 24γ-Gemini Al Hena

Punarvasu 66α−Gem Castor 78β−Gemini Pollux

66α−Gem Castor

Pushya 47δ−Cnc 17β−Cnc plus two Al Tarf

Aaslesha Not defined 16α−Cnc Asselus

Astrelis

Magha 32α−Leo Regulus 32α−Leo Regulus

30ε−Leo 30ε−Leo

41γ1−Leo 41γ1−Leo

Poorva 68δ−Leo Zosma 70θ−Leo Chort

Phalguni
70θ−Leo Chort 68δ−Leo Zosma

Uttara 94β−Leo Denebola 32α−Leo Zavijava

Phalguni
5β−Virgo Zavijava 30ε−Leo Denebola

41γ1−Leo

This is a research‐based article is written for the instilling a scientific temperament and information on
the Fixed Stars.At the same time it is a tribute to my teachers at the Jyotisha Bharati, Bharatiya Vidya
Bhavan, Mumbai. Prof. Anthony Writer
 MESSAGES FROM THE WONDROUS CANOPY OF THE HEAVENS
(PART II)

Hasta α−Corvi Alchiba 29γ−Vir Porrima

β−Corvi Gienah 43δ−Vir

δ−Corvi 47ε−Vir

ε−Corvi

Chithra 67α−Virgo Spica 67α−Virgo Spica

Swati α−Bootes Arcturus 99ι−Virgo

Vishaka 9α2−Libra ZubenelGenubi 9α2−Libra ZubenelGenubi

27β−Libra Zubenelschemi 27β−Libra Zubenelschemi

li li

Anuradha 8β1−Sco Graffias 7δ−Sco Dschubba

7δ−Sco Dschubba 8β1−Sco Graffias

Jyesta 21α−Sco Antares 21α−Sco Antares

Moola 35λ−Sco Shaula 42θ−Oph

34ν−Sco Alniyat

Poorva Not defined 34α−Sag Nunki

Ashada
Sagittarius 38ζ−Sag

UttaraAshada Not defined 34α−Sag Geidi

(Abijit) Sagittarius Vega 38ζ−Sag

Shravana α−Aquila Al Sham δ−cap Deneb Al Geidi

β−Aquila Al Tair

γ−Aquila Tarazed

Dhanishta 6β−Delphinus 55ζ, 48γ, 52π−Aqr

This is a research‐based article is written for the instilling a scientific temperament and information on
the Fixed Stars.At the same time it is a tribute to my teachers at the Jyotisha Bharati, Bharatiya Vidya
Bhavan, Mumbai. Prof. Anthony Writer
 MESSAGES FROM THE WONDROUS CANOPY OF THE HEAVENS
(PART II)

Shatabhishaj 73λ-Aquarius 90φ−Aqr

a

Poorva α-Pegasi Apharetz 28ω−Psc

Bhadra
β-Pegasi Scheat 18λ− Psc

γ-Pegasi AlGenib

Mankab

Uttara Bhadra -------"----- 63δ -Psc

71ε-Psc

Revati 86ζ-Psc 99η-Psc

(to be continued)

This is a research‐based article is written for the instilling a scientific temperament and information on
the Fixed Stars.At the same time it is a tribute to my teachers at the Jyotisha Bharati, Bharatiya Vidya
Bhavan, Mumbai. Prof. Anthony Writer