Mainstream Astrology is Outdated, and Here Is Why

Feb 8

Photo credit: Guillermo Ferla (Unsplash)

Since I use Astrology as a tool in my mom coaching, I feel it’s time for me to share how my view of Astrology has changed in the last years and why I believe that mainstream Astrology is outdated.

There’s a debate between Western or Tropical Astrology, and Vedic or Sidereal Astrology. But I want to talk about True Sideral Astrology, a system that evolves following the Earth’s axis.

If you’re already confused by what you’re reading, let me backtrack a little bit. First of all, I am someone who has followed mainstream or Western Astrology for more than 30 years, so hear me out. I’m not here to criticize or condemn. I want to share my awakening with you, hoping that it will prompt you to ask yourself questions and consider looking for your own truth.

Not long ago, every time I met someone I asked them what their star sign was to have a glimpse into their personality. I’m sure I’m not the only one, but let’s be real: When it comes to personality, what we really want to know is in which “box” to put the person we meet. “Is he Leo? Oh well, then probably totally self-centered.” We tend to look at the “negative” and use astrology to judge each other or to get fast answers about how the future may look like.

But what if astrology, in its purest form, was a way to liberate ourselves from the personality box and reveal our highest potential?

This is an invitation for you to reflect and find what resonates with you. Stay open as you read this blog post and see if something is calling you. And if you feel the calling, you’ll find all the resources you need here to dig deeper.

Astrology was born during Babylonian times when the ancients looked up at the sky and followed the movement of the celestial bodies. Astronomy and Astrology walked hand in hand, in harmony, then. You can see this in ancient buildings where specific features follow the path of constellations. I highly recommend the documentary “Ancient Apocalypse” on Netflix if you want to know more about this.

That being said, at some point in ancient Greece, Astrology became a fixed system and the natal chart was divided into 12 equal slices. When I say fixed, I mean that the system was created mathematically, following the seasonal passage of the sun through the ecliptic. The signs kept the names of the constellations, but Astrology stopped following the path of celestial bodies and the movement of the Earth’s axis, a cosmic phenomenon called precession of the equinoxes, which has changed the sky above us.

When I discovered this, not long ago, I was shocked. “Wait a minute? Isn’t ASTRO logy a way to connect with the cosmic energy and understand how celestial bodies influence earthly matters?” Once I learned about the precession of the equinoxes, something for me crumbled. Astrology had been with me for so long, and I started to have so many doubts…

Through the discovery of the precession of the equinoxes, it became clear that yearly zodiac forecasts or moon energy readings blasted monthly by Western Astrology are not connected with the sky above. Download any apps that look at the sky, like SkyView Lite, and you’ll see that when mainstream astrology says the moon, for example, is in Capricorn, it’s actually in Sagittarius (the Earth’s axis moved backward). These are two VERY different energies. By the way, on my IG @chiarabtownley, I post monthly collective full moon energy readings (true placement in the sky) for mamas. Check them out!

The yearly path of the Sun through the constellations of the ecliptic is a magical journey of contraction and expansion. If you work with the opposite energy, you’re not in tune with the cosmic energy. You can still find some useful information in Western Astrology natal charts, but when it comes to forecasts and energy readings, they truly don’t make any sense anymore…

My Sagittarius Moon and Sun in the 9th House (in True Sidereal Astrology) then prompted me to seek my truth.

I found teachers who are pioneers in this field and have been working to reunite Astronomy and Astrology. I’ll briefly tell you a bit about why I love what they do. My Virgo MC (in True Sidereal) makes me gifted in researching and synthesizing information. I built my coaching practice and the way I integrated astrology into it by researching and bringing a fractured system together in a way that makes sense to me.

Chalice Grove - GALA & True Sidereal Astrology

Krista of Chalice Grove has taught me to look at Astrology with new eyes as a tool for the liberation of the soul. She’s a brilliant teacher who created a brand new type of Astrology with evolved archetypes for every planet and constellation designed to connect us with our highest potential. Her system is called Golden Age Leadership Astrology. I took both courses: GALA I and GALA II (GALA III is coming for those who did at least GALA I). They’re incredible. Krista is not a beginner teacher. Her way of weaving together poetic words and wisdom and introducing new concepts is truly unique and not for everybody. These teachings are designed to activate something in your soul (maybe not your conscious mind right away) as you receive them and shape your path and practice in a unique way that is unique to you (of course, respecting this proprietary system).

What I love about Chalice Grove:

It’s not about the personality box. It’s focused on the soul blueprint and purpose through evolved archetypes.
The constellations and the passage of the Sun through them are seen as initiations.
The houses are seen as dimensions going counterclockwise from birth (1st house).
The natal chart is seen as a cosmic human body: vertical line = spine & middle line = heart.
There’s no negative influence (no, Saturn and Pluto are not terrible) but only opportunities for liberation and initiation.

Mastering The Zodiac - True Sidereal Astrology

These guys created a software that allows you to look at a screenshot of the sky the moment you were born, which, like Krista taught me, leaves an imprint of the cosmic energies present the day of your birth. These shape your soul path.

What I love about MTZ:

True natal chart that shows the position and real size of the constellations.
They include the 13th constellation: Ophiuchus (the Sun passes through the feet of this constellation yearly).
Weekly energy forecast that looks at the sky above that you can watch on their YouTube or IG.

Rudolf Steiner - Book “Astronomy & Astrology”

Rudolf Steiner was an Austrian esoteric teacher who lived between the last part of the 1800s and the beginning of 1900. He worked to find a synthesis between spirituality and science. He’s considered a controversial figure, and I don’t follow all his teachings. I always only take what resonates. Going back to Astrology, his book “Astronomy & Astrology” is a series of lectures dedicated to finding a relationship to the cosmos reuniting Astronomy and Astrology.

What I love about Steiner:

The theory of the soul journeying through the different planets and dimensions in between lives.
The constellations are seen as stages from physical incarnation to the development of human trade.

These are the teachers and resources that have shaped my new belief system about Astrology. Check them out! When it comes to my mom coaching, True Sideral Astrology and GALA are part of the tools I use. Looking at your natal chart allows me to see the big picture and how planets and signs mirror what I read in your energetic field. I bring all of this together in a unique way in a comprehensive reading and healing plan for you. To know more, check out my services.

Chiara Townley