Sidereal versus tropical astrology

Sidereal and tropical astrology are two different systems of dividing the zodiac. Sidereal astrology is based based on the positions of the stars, whereas tropical astrology is based on the seasons (pictured below).

By default, the Nephilim rules use tropical astrology to determine the boundaries between zodiac months. But GMs are free to pick which to use. If you want to explain why magic is measured by tropical astrology, then you could contrive some magibabble about how the Earth's Grail shifts the positions of the Rays compared the stars alone, that the way spells are designed based on this system is responsible, etc.

The image below compares the two systems:

Source

Two other systems exist as well, but rarely used: the actual widths of the constellations, and mapping each sign to a month of the Gregorian calendar (pictured below).

Pearson Scott Foresman, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Lastly, synoptical astrology compares the sidereal, tropical, and constellation positions side-by-side.

There's also the southern hemisphere and... well, it gets complicated fast. The signs are the same in the southern hemisphere, but the seasons are reversed! Leo sits in the middle of Winter, while Aquarius sits in the middle of Summer!

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