Walter Berg
Encyclopedia
Walter Berg is a British astrologer
, known for his system of a 13-sign sidereal astrology
(13星座), "a sidereal system that uses the actual star constellations of the true zodiac
".
He has published several best selling books on horoscopy and divination
in Japan
and has appeared regularly on Fuji Television
.
, Lancashire
, England
on October 28, 1947.
Between 1988 and 1994 he wrote extensively for electronic repair manuals and produced course material for science education
.
In 1980, while studying and practicing astrology Berg became acquainted with astrologer Jeff Mayo
and collaborated with him on several projects while developing 13-sign astrology.
In 1989 he began writing "The Evening Sky", a monthly New Age
and amateur astronomy
feature syndicated to local newspapers, schools, colleges, universities, and released onto the Packet Switched Radio Network.
A monthly guest on BBC Eastern Counties and Three Counties Radio, independent Horizon and Chiltern Radio was the ‘expert spokesperson’ on numerous national radio and television networks. He received a COPUS award from the Royal Society
in 1993 for work Promoting the Public Understanding of Science.
Berg published The 13 Signs of the Zodiac in 1995, which sold well in the UK.
The 13 Signs of the Zodiac was published in Japan in 1996 in a translation by radio host Mizui Kumi (水井久美), and the first edition sold out within days. Throughout 1996 Berg appeared each Monday on Fuji Television’s ‘Big Today’ programme networked nationally to an audience of nine million. During 1996-97 Berg wrote for major Japanese magazines and produced a weekly column in the broadsheet newspaper San Kei that he continues to write.
Berg has constructed 13-sign profiles for many ‘A’ list Japanese celebrities and politicians.
The introduction of a 13 sign zodiac by Berg explains the appearance of Ophiuchus in Japanese pop culture, especially in the Final Fantasy series (Ophiuchus is the final Stellazzio coin collected by Queen Stella.)
In 1995 Berg proposed a symbol for Ophiuchus which has come into comparatively widespread use in Japan. The symbol looks like a letter U with a superimposed tilde. In 2009, it was suggested for inclusion in the Unicode standard as part of an emoji
extension. The symbol has been added to the Unicode Miscellaneous Symbols codepage (U+26CE ⛎) as of version 6.0 (October 2010).
In 2008, he published (under Barry Parkinson, his birth name) a book combining traditional 12-sign horoscopy with the concept of blood group based personality types popularized in Japan in the 1970s by Masahiko Nomi
, resulting in a system of 48 personality types.
He currently practices from Mayfair
, London
, UK and Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
, Japan.
the astrological signs remain attached to the constellations, while the vernal equinox has moved away from Aries
over time.
Sidereal astrology has traditionally only been practiced in Indian Jyotisha
, but it has been introduced in western astrology by Cyril Fagan
in 1944.
A small minority of western astrologers have since followed Fagan and used a sidereal system as in Indian tradition.
Berg in his 13-sign astrology combines sidereal astrology with the official constellation boundaries defined in 1930. This results in astrological signs that correspond directly to the time the Sun spends in their eponymous constellations. For example, the Sun spends forty-five days in Virgo
while only six days in Scorpio
. The 13th sign is Ophiuchus
, where the Sun passes during the first two weeks of December.
Berg argues that the movement of star
s, planets, comets and asteroids through space
affects the solar magnetic field; this in turn affects the geomagnetic field influencing collective and individual electro/chemical/ biological systems.
Human bio-resonant systems are able to tune into particular astro-resonant cycles. When constructing charts he uses dimension z in addition to the x and y coordinates which form the geometric patterns. The z coordinate is allocated an energy value of varying strength.
Astrologer
An astrologer practices one or more forms of astrology. Typically an astrologer draws a horoscope for the time of an event, such as a person's birth, and interprets celestial points and their placements at the time of the event to better understand someone, determine the auspiciousness of an...
, known for his system of a 13-sign sidereal astrology
Sidereal astrology
Sidereal and tropical are astronomical terms used to describe two different definitions of a "year". They are also used as terms for two systems of ecliptic coordinates used in astrology....
(13星座), "a sidereal system that uses the actual star constellations of the true zodiac
Zodiac
In astronomy, the zodiac is a circle of twelve 30° divisions of celestial longitude which are centred upon the ecliptic: the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year...
".
He has published several best selling books on horoscopy and divination
Divination
Divination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic standardized process or ritual...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and has appeared regularly on Fuji Television
Fuji Television
is a Japanese television station based in Daiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, also known as or CX, based on the station's callsign "JOCX-DTV". It is the flagship station of the Fuji News Network and the ....
.
Biography
Berg was born Barry Parkinson in ChorleyChorley
Chorley is a market town in Lancashire, in North West England. It is the largest settlement in the Borough of Chorley. The town's wealth came principally from the cotton industry...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on October 28, 1947.
Between 1988 and 1994 he wrote extensively for electronic repair manuals and produced course material for science education
Science education
Science education is the field concerned with sharing science content and process with individuals not traditionally considered part of the scientific community. The target individuals may be children, college students, or adults within the general public. The field of science education comprises...
.
In 1980, while studying and practicing astrology Berg became acquainted with astrologer Jeff Mayo
Jeff Mayo
Jeff Mayo was an English astrologer, astrology teacher, and astrology writer....
and collaborated with him on several projects while developing 13-sign astrology.
In 1989 he began writing "The Evening Sky", a monthly New Age
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
and amateur astronomy
Amateur astronomy
Amateur astronomy, also called backyard astronomy and stargazing, is a hobby whose participants enjoy watching the night sky , and the plethora of objects found in it, mainly with portable telescopes and binoculars...
feature syndicated to local newspapers, schools, colleges, universities, and released onto the Packet Switched Radio Network.
A monthly guest on BBC Eastern Counties and Three Counties Radio, independent Horizon and Chiltern Radio was the ‘expert spokesperson’ on numerous national radio and television networks. He received a COPUS award from the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
in 1993 for work Promoting the Public Understanding of Science.
Berg published The 13 Signs of the Zodiac in 1995, which sold well in the UK.
The 13 Signs of the Zodiac was published in Japan in 1996 in a translation by radio host Mizui Kumi (水井久美), and the first edition sold out within days. Throughout 1996 Berg appeared each Monday on Fuji Television’s ‘Big Today’ programme networked nationally to an audience of nine million. During 1996-97 Berg wrote for major Japanese magazines and produced a weekly column in the broadsheet newspaper San Kei that he continues to write.
Berg has constructed 13-sign profiles for many ‘A’ list Japanese celebrities and politicians.
The introduction of a 13 sign zodiac by Berg explains the appearance of Ophiuchus in Japanese pop culture, especially in the Final Fantasy series (Ophiuchus is the final Stellazzio coin collected by Queen Stella.)
In 1995 Berg proposed a symbol for Ophiuchus which has come into comparatively widespread use in Japan. The symbol looks like a letter U with a superimposed tilde. In 2009, it was suggested for inclusion in the Unicode standard as part of an emoji
Emoji
is the Japanese term for the picture characters or emoticons used in Japanese electronic messages and webpages. Originally meaning pictograph, the word literally means e "picture" + moji "letter". The characters are used much like emoticons elsewhere, but a wider range is provided, and the icons...
extension. The symbol has been added to the Unicode Miscellaneous Symbols codepage (U+26CE ⛎) as of version 6.0 (October 2010).
In 2008, he published (under Barry Parkinson, his birth name) a book combining traditional 12-sign horoscopy with the concept of blood group based personality types popularized in Japan in the 1970s by Masahiko Nomi
Masahiko Nomi
Masahiko Nomi was a Japanese journalist who advocated Takeji Furukawa's idea of an influence of blood type on personality. He was also known as a sumo essayist....
, resulting in a system of 48 personality types.
He currently practices from Mayfair
Mayfair
Mayfair is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster.-History:Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, UK and Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan.
13-sign astrology
Western tropical astrology has long been detached from the constellations eponymous of the signs, due to the axial precession of the equinoxes over the centuries since the introduction of the zodiac by the Chaldeans. By contrast, in sidereal astrologySidereal astrology
Sidereal and tropical are astronomical terms used to describe two different definitions of a "year". They are also used as terms for two systems of ecliptic coordinates used in astrology....
the astrological signs remain attached to the constellations, while the vernal equinox has moved away from Aries
Aries
The Arieș is a tributary of Mureș River in Transylvania, Romania.Most probably "Arieș" means "Gold River" in Dalmatian which is thought to be very similar to the Dacian language. It is concluded that the Romanian name most probably derives from the Dacian name of the river...
over time.
Sidereal astrology has traditionally only been practiced in Indian Jyotisha
Jyotisha
Hindu astrology , also Jyotish or Jyotisha, from Sanskrit , from "light, heavenly body") is the ancient Indian system of astronomy and astrology...
, but it has been introduced in western astrology by Cyril Fagan
Cyril Fagan
Cyril Fagan was an astrologer, who claimed historical use of sidereal astrology in the west and established it as a separate field from tropical astrology....
in 1944.
A small minority of western astrologers have since followed Fagan and used a sidereal system as in Indian tradition.
| Sign | Traditional (tropical Sidereal and tropical astrology Sidereal and tropical are astronomical terms used to describe two different definitions of a "year". They are also used as terms for two systems of ecliptic coordinates used in astrology.... ) dates |
Dates based on the ecliptic Ecliptic The ecliptic is the plane of the earth's orbit around the sun. In more accurate terms, it is the intersection of the celestial sphere with the ecliptic plane, which is the geometric plane containing the mean orbit of the Earth around the Sun... (as of 2011) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Aries Aries (astrology) Aries is the first astrological sign in the Zodiac, which spans the zodiac between the zero degree and the 29th degree of celestial longitude. The Sun enters Aries when it reaches the northern vernal equinox, which is usually on March 21 each year, and remains in this sign until around April 20... |
(The Ram) | March 21 to April 20 | April 18 to May 13 |
 |
Taurus Taurus (astrology) Taurus is the second astrological sign in the Zodiac, which spans the zodiac between the 30th and 59th degree of celestial longitude. Generally, the Sun transits this area of the zodiac between April 21 to May 21 each year... |
(The Bull) | April 21 to May 20 | May 13 to June 21 |
 |
Gemini Gemini (astrology) Gemini is the third astrological sign in the Zodiac, which spans the Zodiac between the 60th and 89th degree of celestial longitude. Generally, the Sun transits this area of the zodiac between May 21 to June 20 each year... |
(The Twins) | May 21 to June 21 | June 21 to July 20 |
 |
Cancer Cancer (astrology) Cancer is the fourth astrological sign in the Zodiac. It is considered a water sign and one of four cardinal signs. Cancer is ruled by the Moon. Individuals born when the Sun is in this sign are considered Cancerian individuals... |
(The Crab) | June 22 to July 22 | July 20 to August 10 |
 |
Leo Leo (astrology) Leo is the fifth astrological sign of the Zodiac, originating from the constellation of Leo. In astrology, Leo is considered to be a "masculine", positive sign. It is also considered a fire sign and is one of four fixed signs ruled by the Sun.Individuals born when the Sun is in this sign are... |
(The Lion) | July 23 to August 22 | August 10 to September 16 |
 |
Virgo Virgo (astrology) Virgo is the sixth astrological sign in the Zodiac, which spans the zodiac between the 150th and 179th degree of celestial longitude. Generally, the Sun transits this area of the zodiac between August 23 to September 22 each year... |
(The Virgin) | August 23 to September 22 | September 16 to October 30 |
 |
Libra Libra (astrology) Libra is the seventh astrological sign in the Zodiac, originating from the constellation of Libra. In astrology, Libra is considered a "masculine", positive sign. It is also considered an air sign and is one of four cardinal signs... |
(The Scales) | September 23 to October 22 | October 30 to November 23 |
 |
Scorpio Scorpio (astrology) |Infobox align="right" style="border:3px solid white;"||style="text-align: center;"|Scorpio is the eighth astrological sign in the Zodiac, which spans the zodiac between the 210th and 239th degree of celestial longitude. Generally, the Sun transits this area of the zodiac between 24 October and... |
(The Scorpion) | October 23 to November 22 | November 23 to November 29 |
| Ophiuchus Ophiuchus (astrology) Ophiuchus has sometimes been used in sidereal astrology as a thirteenth sign in addition to the twelve signs of the tropical Zodiac, because the eponymous constellation Ophiuchus as defined by the 1930 IAU constellation boundaries is situated behind the sun between November 29 and December 18.The... |
(The Serpent Bearer) | November 29 to December 18 | ||
 |
Sagittarius Sagittarius (astrology) Sagittarius is the ninth astrological sign in the Zodiac, which spans the zodiac between the 240th and 269th degree of celestial longitude... |
(The Archer / Centaur) | November 23 to December 21 | December 18 to January 20 |
 |
Capricorn | (The Sea-goat) | December 22 to January 20 | January 20 to February 16 |
 |
Aquarius | (The Water Bearer) | January 21 to February 18 | February 16 to March 11 |
 |
Pisces | (The Fish) | February 19 to March 20 | March 11 to April 18 |
Berg in his 13-sign astrology combines sidereal astrology with the official constellation boundaries defined in 1930. This results in astrological signs that correspond directly to the time the Sun spends in their eponymous constellations. For example, the Sun spends forty-five days in Virgo
Virgo (constellation)
Virgo is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for virgin, and its symbol is . Lying between Leo to the west and Libra to the east, it is the second largest constellation in the sky...
while only six days in Scorpio
Scorpius
Scorpius, sometimes known as Scorpio, is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for scorpion, and its symbol is . It lies between Libra to the west and Sagittarius to the east...
. The 13th sign is Ophiuchus
Ophiuchus (astrology)
Ophiuchus has sometimes been used in sidereal astrology as a thirteenth sign in addition to the twelve signs of the tropical Zodiac, because the eponymous constellation Ophiuchus as defined by the 1930 IAU constellation boundaries is situated behind the sun between November 29 and December 18.The...
, where the Sun passes during the first two weeks of December.
Berg argues that the movement of star
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
s, planets, comets and asteroids through space
Space
Space is the boundless, three-dimensional extent in which objects and events occur and have relative position and direction. Physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless four-dimensional continuum...
affects the solar magnetic field; this in turn affects the geomagnetic field influencing collective and individual electro/chemical/ biological systems.
Human bio-resonant systems are able to tune into particular astro-resonant cycles. When constructing charts he uses dimension z in addition to the x and y coordinates which form the geometric patterns. The z coordinate is allocated an energy value of varying strength.
United Kingdom
- The 13 Signs of the Zodiac, HarperCollins (1995) ISBN 0-7225-3254-7
- Your Brilliant Guide to the 1999 Total Solar Eclipse, Sigma Press (1999) ISBN 1-85058-676-4
- Your Universe and You: Your Brilliant Guide to the Night Sky, Sigma Press (2000) ISBN 1-85058-731-0
- Under Starry Skies: Tracing Our Cosmic Heritage, uvshift (2001) ISBN 0-9540211-0-X
Japan
- 13星座の星占い (The 13 Signs of the Zodiac), Shodensha Co. Ltd (1996) ISBN 4-396-10374-3
- 13星座で本当の自分がわかる (13 Zodiac: Personality), Fusosha 扶桑社文庫 (1996) ISBN 4-594-02029-1
- 13星座・恋愛占い (13 Zodiac: Love), Fusosha (1996) ISBN 4-594-02092-5
- 天空の企て (Voice of the Heavens), Fusosha (1997) ISBN 4-594-02276-6
- 円卓の騎士占い (Knights of the Round Table: Fortune), Fusosha (2003) ISBN 4-594-04118-3
- キング・アーサーと円卓の騎士占い (King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table: Fortune), Fusosha (2004), ISBN 978-4594046545.
- (as Barry Parkinson バリー・パーキンソン) 「血液型×星座占い」 48ランキングで本当の自分が分かる! Blood Type × Horoscopes: 48 True Rankings, Understand Yourself!, Fusosha (2008) ISBN 4-594-05806-7.