Prince William's Star Charts [Ophiuchus Ascendant]

Definition: [Prince William Horoscope] Prince William's rising sign is the 10th constellation of the real solar zodiac, Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer, not the standard tropical zodiac sign of Sagittarius.

Prince William's Standard Horoscope Chart. This uses the Tropical Zodiac and the Placidus House method. It gives William's rising sign as Sagittarius. This is placed in the 9 o'clock position and marks the start of the First House.

The night sky over London looking south east at the moment of Prince William's birth. The blue line is the Ecliptic. Three zodiac constellations are rising above the horizon. From left to right, Sagittarius, Ophiuchus and Scorpius. However, the ecliptic touches the horizon in Ophiuchus giving this as William's rising sign. [Uranus can be seen against the constellation Libra to the right of Sagittarius, and Neptune, on the horizon, against the constellation Ophiuchus.]

What Did Classical Astrology Tell Us About Ophiuchus Rising: In about 10 -20 AD, the poet-astrologer Marcus Manilius wrote the first account we have of Ophiuchus rising. The verses sound rather foreboding though, it has to be said, the meaning of them is rather unclear:

When Ophiuchus mounts and joyns the Goat
Those that are born shall live an Antidote
The frightful Serpent, and the Venom'd Snake
Into their Bosom: Whilst the Monster's Cling
About their Bodies kills their fiercest Sting.

Astronomicon, Book V Chapter 22, Verse 1, Marcus Manilius c 10 - 20 AD. Thomas Creech Translation 1697 AD.

Further Information: Why does the standard chart show Sagittarius as William's rising sign, but a real star chart show that Ophiuchus is Prince William's ascendant?

If you look at both charts you can see that Neptune is almost exactly on the ascendant [i.e. where the ecliptic touches the horizon] in both the standard chart and the star map. Therefore, the difference between the two charts does not lie in differences between the positions of the ecliptic or the planets, it lies in the different definitions of the zodiac used.

The standard Western chart uses the tropical zodiac. This is a description of the heavens which assumes all the zodiac signs are of equal length and that their positions roughly correspond to the positions of the constellations about two thousand years ago, when the roots of modern astrology were established. The star chart is an accurate depiction of the reality of the heavens at William's birth. The constellations do not correspond to the same positions as seen from Earth, relative to the vernal equinox, as they did two millennia ago. Furthermore, they are all of different shapes and sizes, not of equal length. Finally, there is a thirteenth constellation Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer which lies along the ecliptic but is not included in the standard zodiac wheel. In the particular case of William's birth chart it is this constellation which is seen where the ecliptic hits the horizon. It is therefore his ascendant.

Prince William's Zodiac Charts:

Prince William's Web Horoscopes:

© Dr Shepherd Simpson, Galactic Astrologer

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