JOURNAL OF STAR WISDOM

The Christian Star Calendar, renamed The Journal of Star Wisdom, has appeared every year since 1991. It is intended as a help to all people interested in the cosmic dimension of Christianity, which began with the star of the magi. The Journal comprises an ephemeris page for each month of the year computed on Astrofire and a monthly commentary by Robert Powell which relates the geocentric and heliocentric planetary movements to events in the life of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ united the levels of the earthly personality (geocentric = Earth-centered) and the higher self (heliocentric = Sun-centered) in so far as he was the most highly evolved earthly personality (Jesus) embodying the Higher Self (Christ) of all existence, the Divine "I AM." To see the life of Jesus Christ in relation to the world of stars opens the door to a profound experience of the cosmos, giving rise to new star wisdom (Astrosophy) that is the spiritual science of Cosmic Christianity.

The Journal of Star Wisdom is scientific, resting upon a solid mathematical-astronomical foundation and also upon a secure chronology of the life of Jesus Christ. At the same time, it is spiritual, aspiring to the higher dimension of existence that is expressed outwardly in the world of stars. The scientific and the spiritual come together in the sidereal zodiac that originated with the Babylonians (see below) and was used by the three magi who beheld the star of Bethlehem and came to pay homage to Jesus a few months after his birth. In the continuity of spirit with the three magi, the sidereal zodiac is the frame of reference used for the computation of the geocentric and heliocentric planetary movements which are commented upon in the light of the life of Jesus Christ in the Journal of Star Wisdom.

Thus, all zodiacal longitudes indicated in the text of the calendar are in terms of the sidereal zodiac, which has to be distinguished from the tropical zodiac in widespread use in contemporary astrology in the West. The tropical zodiac was introduced into astrology in the middle of the second century A.D. by the Greek astronomer Claudius Ptolemaeus. Prior to this, the sidereal zodiac was in use. Such was the influence of Ptolemy upon the western astrological tradition that the tropical zodiac became substituted for the sidereal zodiac used by the Babylonians, Egyptians, and early Greek astrologers. Yet the astrological tradition in India was not influenced by Ptolemy, and so the sidereal zodiac is still used to this day by Hindu astrologers.

The sidereal zodiac originated with the Babylonians in the sixth/fifth centuries B.C. and was defined by them in relation to certain bright stars. For example, Aldebaran ("the Bull's eye") is located in the middle of the sidereal sign/constellation of the Bull at 15° Taurus, and Antares ("the Scorpion's heart") is in the middle of the sidereal sign/ constellation of the Scorpion at 15° Scorpio. The sidereal signs, each thirty degrees long, coincide closely with the twelve astronomical zodiacal constellations of the same name, whereas the signs of the tropical zodiac, since they are defined in relation to the vernal point, now have little or no relationship to the corresponding zodiacal constellations. This is because of the vernal point, the zodiacal location of the sun on March 21, shifts slowly backward through the sidereal zodiac at a rate of one degree in seventy-two years ("the precession of the equinoxes").

When Ptolemy introduced the tropical zodiac into astrology, there was an almost exact coincidence between the tropical and the sidereal zodiac, as the vernal point, which is defined to be 0˚ Aries in the tropical zodiac, was at 1˚ Aries in the sidereal zodiac in the middle of the second century A.D. Thus, there was only one degree difference between the two zodiacs. So, it made hardly any difference to Ptolemy or his contemporaries to use the tropical zodiac instead of the sidereal zodiac. But now the vernal point, on account of precession, having shifted back from 1˚ Aries to 5˚ Pisces there is a 25-degree difference and so there is virtually no correspondence between the two. Without going into further detail concerning the complex issue of the zodiac, the sidereal zodiac was the zodiac used by the three magi, who were the last representatives of the true star wisdom of antiquity. For this reason, the sidereal zodiac is used throughout the Journal of Star Wisdom.

Readers interested in exploring the scientific (astronomical and chronological) foundations of Cosmic Christianity are referred to the works listed below.

The Chronicle of the Living Christ: Foundations of Cosmic Christianity is an indispensable source of reference for the Journal of Star Wisdom, as also are the four Gospels. The chronology of the life of Jesus Christ rests upon the description of his daily life by Anne Catherine Emmerich in her 4-volume work The Life of Jesus Christ.

Further details concerning the Journal of Star Wisdom and how to work with it on a daily basis are to be found in the General Introduction to the Journal of Star Wisdom. The General Introduction explains all the features of the Journal of Star Wisdom and how to work with it on a daily basis. The new edition of the General Introduction to the Journal of Star Wisdom, published 2003, includes sections on the megastars (stars of great luminosity) and on the 36 decans (10˚ subdivisions of the twelve signs of the zodiac) in relation to their planetary rulers and to the extra-zodiacal constellations, those constellations above or below the circle of the twelve constellations/signs of the zodiac. Correspondingly, beginning in 2003, the yearly editions of the  Journal of Star Wisdom include these new features. Further material on the decans, including examples of historical personalities born in the various decans, and also a wealth of other material on the signs of the sidereal zodiac, is to be found in Cosmic Dances of the Zodiac.

Click here: Bookstore if you are interested in any of the following books by Robert Powell  

 - General Introduction to the Christian Star Calendar: A Key to Understanding; new edition (Sophia Foundation: Eugene / OR, 2003)

 - Christian Star Calendar (yearly) (Sophia Foundation: Palo Alto/CA, yearly)

 - Chronicle of the Living Christ: Foundations of Cosmic Christianity (SteinerBooks: Gt. Barrington / MA, 1996)

- Lacquanna Paul & Robert Powell, Cosmic Dances of the Zodiac (Sophia Foundation: Eugene / OR, 2003)

Visit the Shop or Make a Donation

SUPPORT SOPHIA FOUNDATION

Nurture yourself with our supportive meditational study material, retreats, music and more.

Donate to support the work of the Sophia Foundation.

CONNECT TO SOPHIA

Receive Regular Updates on Our Latest Publications, Events and Workshops
Something went wrong. Please check your entries and try again.
Shopping Cart
Scroll to Top