I was wondering what opinions others might have on this concept of the 13th sign for western astrology.

I have seen this referred to as Ophiuchus, the sign of the Serpent Bearer, is the 10th sign of the Real Solar Zodiac

What some refer to as

Real                            and            Conventional

Pisces  12-Mar to the 18-Apr            19-Feb to the 20-Mar
Aries 19-Apr to the 13-May              21-Mar to the 19-Apr
Taurus  14-May to the 19-Jun           20-Apr to the 20-May
Gemini  20-Jun to the 20-Jul             21-May to the 20-Jun
Cancer  21-Jul to the 9-Aug             21-Jun to the 22-Jul
Leo 10-Aug to the 15-Sep               23-Jul to the 22-Aug
Virgo  16-Sep to the 30-Oct              23-Aug to the 22-Sep
Libra 31-Oct to the 22-Nov                 23-Sep to the 22-Oct
Scorpius  23-Nov to the 29-Nov          23-Oct to the 21-Nov
Ophiuchus 30-Nov to the 17-Dec
Sagittarius 18-Dec to the 18-Jan         22-Nov to the 21-Dec
Capricornus  19-Jan to the 15-Feb      22-Dec to the 19-Jan
Aquarius 16-Feb to the 11-Mar           20-Jan to the 18-Feb


Any ideas and opinions on this topic?

There has been some discussion about this on the forum before.  My personal opinion is that as new things are discovered, they can be incorporated into our understanding of astrology.  For example, in the 1970's the asteroid Chiron was seen...until then accurate readings were given, and continue to be given.  Yet, with Chiron, it gives an additional piece of information that is often crucial to understanding the person so that I never read a chart now without Chiron!  

I think it is the same with Ophiuchus.  The biggest problem I've seen so far is a lack of agreement about what a person could expect with this placement, or transits through this area.  Will it become like the via combusta area?  Will it give us added understanding of personalities and transits through this area?  I assume it will.  But, until there is enough understanding of this placement, we can only observe and hope to add to the knowledge base of it.

Personally, I've been watching for charts with this placement, because I have a theory that it gives a kind of ruthless disregard for the welfare of others, a greed at all costs.  Yet, this is only a theory, and I do not have enough information, experience, or feedback from others to give any kind of reading of it yet.  I think other astrologers are having the same difficulty.

Thanks for the information, and your theory, I have yet to find information on theorys as to what this might do to affect the charts, as you have said so far I find that it is either some thing that someone is saying should be part of the chart, and added to the signs, making 13 signs, or saying it is not a sun sign but an aspect, or that shouldn't be included,

I am interested in the views of open minded astrologers who do not immediately dismiss or accept it either, way but have views as to its possibilities.

Sounds like you fit that catagory, I do not claim to be an astrology I do not feel I have enough knowledge on the subject just what I keep learing and reading about. And for me it is always good to get a variety of views and see what resonates with me.

I didn't realize that Chiron was osmething had only been considered for such a relatively short period of time, but then what has always been around for me has not always been included in Astrology such as Pluto,

thanks for the info

dessa

I am thinking it is going to end up being a version of another "via combusta."  This is an area of the zodiac similar to Ophiuchus.  Via combusta affects parts of Libra and Scorpio, sans Libra 23-24 degrees.  Everything that passes through this region is debilitated in some way, except something like mars that is exalted, but too much so.   With Ophiuchus falling within what is normally thought to be Scorpio, in a debilitated condition, would cause all those nasty kind of Scorpio traits.  Adding in a debilitated Sag, part of the Ophiuchus area, would be like a "devil may care" attitude coupled with the Scorpio ruthlessness.

I am assuming a debilitated area of the Zodiac simply from the observations of other astrologers who have written about Ophiuchus.  None are giving it any exalted traits or conditions.  

There's obviously something there, but whether or not it justifies an entire new sun sign is still yet to be seen.  These newer astonomical observations, from better and better telescopes will continue to bring new things to astrology.  If someone wants to live at the time of Copernicus and never again look up into the heavens, I think they will find that their accuracy suffers greatly.  For those who refuse to consider new things, one has to start to wonder why they ever accepted Neptune or Pluto (relatively new planets)!

But, eventually, I think it will end up being like via combusta, instead of a "new" sun sign.  Yet, I've read no other astrologer with this "reading" of Ophiuchus.

It is an interesting idea, and it seems it is just one of those things that not enough is known for there to be any real idea on what it will mean, I do feel like it should likely have some kind of meaning just not sure why I think that way just a feeling I suppose. But I am in kind of wait and see, try to find out what I can and learn, though I don't really get the whole point you were trying to say on this, I am not familiar with the via combusta, nor the concept of dibilitating, when it comes to this kind of influence, so now I have more things to try to find information about, ... but then that is what the learning process is about.

Thanks for the input it is appreciated.

I just can't see how it fits into the sun sign so I just see it as a "new" sun sign,

I do agree that we should learn grow and adapt and finding new things in the universe is part of that, however at this point in time I don't see how it fits as a sun sign,

Though I do not dismiss the possibility, but it is not something that can be settled at this time. to much still needs to be learned.