Tropical versus Sidereal Zodiac

I have studied Vedic astrology, however in my practice I only use the Tropical zodiac. The main reason for this is that the Tropical zodiac is clearly defined by Earth's journey around the Sun, portraying the changing seasons.

We have to consider that despite identical names, zodiacal signs and constellations are two totally different worlds, as disparate as any two things can be. The Tropical zodiac mirrors Earth's changing relationship with our star, whereas constellations show human attempts to bring order to the chaotic distribution of stars for the purpose of navigation.

Having to survive through extreme seasonal changes, cultures choosing to live in temperate climate zones had to figure out the Sun's turning points, it was a matter of life and death. Even in Egypt we find pyramids with light shafts, the Mayans built observatories and the Celts erected stone circles like Stonehenge. The one main reason for these structures was determining the exact moments when the Sun's path would cross Earth's equator. Equinoxes and solstices are the cornerstones of every calendar.  Further segmentation into four seasons of three Lunar months each comes as a natural, thus generating the framework of twelve distinct signs.

The Sidereal zodiac on the other hand is not based on natural laws, it's a man-made construct, projecting an extension of the twelve seasonal stages out into the surrounding cosmos. And there's no clear distinction of where a constellation should begin or end. To make things more complicated, there are 88 constellations in total, 13 of them lying within the Sun's yearly path.

In tropical regions civilizations are surrounded by year-round natural abundance hence they could afford not paying too much attention to seasonal changes. Such luxury would allow for their minds to wander off, to contemplate on the other-worldly and the eternal.

Vedic astrology developed its own unique visions and is based on an entirely different perception. It applies different rules and comes to its own unique conclusions. Not that any of the two systems would be better, they're so different that they're not comparable.