Cicero - Self Initiation into the Golden Dawn Tradition_Part 01

258 SELF-INTIlATION INTO THE GoLDEN DAWN TRADITION
For Southern latitude births, continue as prescribed below until you have the local
sidereal time at birth.)69
STAGE 1: Time Conversion
As you begin, you must convert the local birth time to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
Check carefully to determine whether one or two hours had been added to the
local standard time at the time of birth, as in the case of Daylight Savings Tune or
Summer Time. (The Book ofTime Changes will list this information.) The extra hour
or two added should be subtracted from the True Local Time (TLT) before continuing
the calculations.
West of Prime Meridian
Place of birth-Buffalo, NY
(79 0 West--43° North)
3~ 3PM
To convert to GMT,S hours must be
added-the difference between GMT
and EST(Eastern Standard TIme).
East of Prime Meridian
Place ofbirth-Athens, Greece
(24 0 East-38° North)
3~ 3PM
To convert to GMT,2 hours must
be subtracted-the difference between
GMT and local time.
3AMEST
plus 5 hours =
8AMGMT
3PMEST
plus 5 hours =
8PMGMT
3 AM Local TlUle
minus 2 hours =
1 AM GMT
3 PM Local TlUle
minus 2 hours =
1 PM GMT
STAGE 2: Finding Local Sidereal Time at Birth
After converting the birth time to Greenwich Mean Time, another conversion is
needed. You must now calculate the equivalent sidereal timeat Greenwich. Sidereal
Time refers to the actual time taken by the Earth to complete a total revolution
upon its axis, as opposed to the 24-hour divisions of the day that we use for a convenient
measure of time.
Tobegin this calculation we must refer to the Sidereal Time at Greenwich at
noon onthedate ofbirth. This can be found by looking in an Ephemeris (It is usually
described in the Ephemeris as Sid. Time. or Sn For our examples, we will assume
that the date of birth was December 16, 1954. The Ephemeris tells us that the Sidereal
Time at Greenwich at noon on that date was 17h 38m 23s, (17hours 38 minutes
23 seconds). We must now find the interval between the GMTbirth time and noon
on that same date.
(Note: If your calculations have taken you into the day following the
birth date, determine the interval between the GMT time and noon of that day,
not the actual birthday. If your calculations have led you into the day prior to
69 For individuals born in a Southern latitude, continue as follows: always add 12 hours to the local
sidereal time. InSouthern latitudes the order of the Signs mustbe reversed; therefore if the Table of
Houses gives the Ascendant as Aries 15°12' and the Midheaven as Capricorn 5°, the trueAscendant
is Libra 15°12' and the true Midheaven is Cancer 5°.