Post by glaucus on Apr 7, 2019 18:12:57 GMT
Fixed Star Orbs Are Relative
Fixed star orbs are relative. They depend on what the astrologer thinks works. In Astrology, there is a lot of diversity in regards to what works and what doesn't work in Astrology. Some astrologers's method is orbs depending on the planet. Some astrologers' method is to use orbs depending on the magnitude of the star. Some astrologers' method is to use orbs depending on how close to the ecliptic the star is. Some astrologers do a combination of the aforementioned orb methods. There is a a lot of disagreement about what orbs to use with stars. Some astrologers point out that most modern astrologers lean to a very small orb, mainly based on the magnitude of the star (the bigger the star, the greater the orb). Some astrologers use no more than 1 degrees for fixed stars.
Reinhold Ebertin recommended no more than 1/2 degree orb for fixed stars.
French astrologer Jean-Baptiste Morin used 6 degree orb for 1st magnitude stars, 5 degree orb for 2nd magnitude stars, 4 degree orb for 3rd magnitude stars, 3 degree orb for 4th magnitude stars, 2 degree orb for 5th magnitude stars, and 1 degree orb for 6th magnitude stars.
In his Dictionary of Astrology, James Wilson wrote that 1st magnitude stars have 7 1/2 degree orb, 2nd magnitude magnitude stars have 5 1/2 degree orb, 3rd magnitude stars have 3 1/2 degree orb, and 4th magnitude stars have 1 1/2 degree orb.
In his book The Fixed Stars & Constellations in Astrology, Vivian Robson recommended 7 1/2 degree orb for 1st magnitude star, 5 1/2 degree orb for a 2nd magnitude star, 3 degree & 40 minute orb for 3rd magnitude star, and 1 1/2 degree orb for a 4th magnitude star for both the conjunction and opposition.
Behenian Fixed Stars were 15 stars considered especially useful for magical applications in the mediæval astrology of Europe and the Arab world, and a planet conjunct within six degrees of any of those stars was thought to be particularly strong.
Rob Tillet uses an orb of 1 degree, but he allows up to 6 degree orb for Algol and various sizeable orbs for the other major stars. He generally ignores most of the smaller stars unless there is a very significant reason not to. He also gives Sun and Moon a naturally wide orb since they actually physically occupy more of the sky. astrologycom.com/fixedstars.html
Deborah Houlding uses 3 degree orb for major stars and about 1 degree orb for those less than 2nd magnitude. www.skyscript.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=49
Mark F. Dodich uses a 3 degree orb for stars after he did a research project that indicated that people felt the effects of the stars from this distance. astromark.us/fixedstar.pdf
Marina Marchione uses a 2.5 to 3 degree orb for stars close to the ecliptic and are in the zodiac constellations which she refers to as neighbors, uses 1.5 to 2 degree orb for stars that are in constellations close to the ecliptic which she refers to as foreigners, and uses 15 minute orbs for stars that are far off the ecliptic which she refers to as aliens with the exception of bright stars that she gives an orb of 30 to 55 minutes. darkstarastrology.com/constellations/
Jamie Partridge orbs for fixed stars range from 1 degree to 2 degrees & 40 minutes with the magnitude being factor in the orbs. astrologyking.com/fixed-stars/
Charlie Obert has the view that an orb of 4 degrees for a major fixed star is reasonable and that William Lilly used orbs wider. He also has the view that midpoints can be used with them too. studentofastrology.com/2016/12/jeffrey-dahmer-dignity-gone-bad/
In an interview, Diana Rosenberg told that she used no more than 1 degree orb for fixed stars. Her exceptions are If the star is on the ecliptic, is a 1st magnitude star, and also contacts the Sun, Moon, the angles, or the Moon’s node, then there is a wider orb of influence – about a 2 to 3 degree orb. (Only Spica and Regulus are 1st magnitude stars that are right on the ecliptic.) She looked at both the True node and Mean node. She found that there is a kind of a halo effect around the nodes which gives them a wider than usual orb of influence. She use Fixed Stars with the 90 Degree Dial and Uranian techniques,along with Western tropical methods. She also created a fixed star report that used a starset with a span up to 4 degrees. She worked with stars within a given span – tropically. Usually, most of the sets are about a three degree span. Occasionally, you get up to four degrees. www.ye-stars.com/ISAR_fixed_stars_DianaRosenberg.pdf www.solarfiregold.com/ObamaFixedStars.pdf
As you see, orbs for fixed stars aren't so cut and dry. Astrologers have definitely differed in the orbs that they use and in the method that they use to determine the orbs. Not all astrologers use the ecliptic longitude fixed star method. Bernadette Brady doesn't. She uses parans instead, and she uses no more than 30 minute orb. She uses no more than 1 degree orb for stars that rose,set,culminated,anti-culminated at the moment. Western Sidereal Astrologer Kenneth Bowser uses parans which he refers to as mundane aspects. He holds Right Ascension (Equatorial Longitude) to be of great importance, and it is the coordinate that astronomers use along with Declination (Equatorial Latitude) to locate and track celestial objects. He uses a maximum orb of 8 minutes of Sidereal Time which is equivalent to 2 degree orb. David Cochrane pointed out that objects that are in conjunction in Right Ascension culminate together and anti-culminate together. He also pointed out that objects in opposition in Right Ascension involves an object culminates while the other object anti-culminates.
I have the view that the widening of an orb depends on how close the star is to the ecliptic and/or if it involves the luminaries and angles. I am not sure if the Magnitude matters. What astrologers refer to as Magnitude is Apparent Magnitude which is also known as Visual Magnitude. The projected ecliptic longitude method is not Visual Astrology, and so I don't think that Apparent Magnitude factoring in orbs make any sense. There is also the Absolute Magnitude. Many stars are actually far more luminous than Sirius which is the brightest star in the night sky. Many stars that are dimmer than Sirius in the night sky are far more luminous. Bernadette Brady doesn't even put importance on how bright a star is in the night sky. She uses the same orb for all stars regardless of their magnitude. Many astrologers do the same thing with Ecliptic longitude, Right Ascension, and Declination. Furthermore, Brady finds the stars that have a significant mythology to be important. Fixed Star Astrology is indeed relative for there is much diversity in it as as there is in Astrology in general.