scorpio rising

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Scorpio Rising - Ascendant Tweet More Sharing Services7 Rising Sign Characteristics for Scorpio Keywords: Observant, Direct, Reserved but friendly, Unafraid, Curious, Good cook A Scorpio Ascendant indicates individuals who are likely to have strong physiques and tremendous physical stamina. They are often far more stubborn than they seem on the surface, and assiduously stick to their goals as long as they feel there is a chance they will be successful. It is difficult to convince them to change their minds once their decisions are made. They are emotionally oriented, but their emotional vulnerability is apt to be hidden unless their natal sun or moon happens to be in Cancer or Pisces. They are are friendly and while some are rather quiet, many of them also have far more gregarious personalities and don't mind being in the spotlight. Rarely do these individuals possess the sinister or mysterious personalities that popular literature tends to associate with the sign of Scorpio. They are keen observers and shrewd speculators. Scorpio is ruled by Pluto and, secondarily, by this sign's ancient ruler, the planet Mars. Both planetary influences may be seen in the personalities of these individuals. They are ambitious, energetic, and seek activities that are economically rewarding, as well as mentally or physically challenging. The jealousy associated with Mars and Pluto is minimal unless other factors in their individual personalities support such a trait. Many of them possess the cleverness and mechanical ability associated with Mars, as well as the innate resourcefulness associated with Pluto. They are attracted to others with strong, magnetic personalities. They are oriented toward gathering resources of all kinds. For example, many of these individuals consciously or subconsciously tend to establish relationships with strong or powerful people in the belief such contacts may prove useful to them in some way. They can be quite secretive about personal affairs, a trait that often escapes the attention of most people they meet. They are often so accommodating and pleasant that, unless others make serious attempts to probe beneath their surface, their real personalities and activities stay hidden indefinitely.

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Page 1: Scorpio Rising

Scorpio Rising - AscendantTweetMore Sharing Services7

Rising Sign Characteristics for Scorpio

Keywords: Observant, Direct, Reserved but friendly, Unafraid, Curious, Good

cook

A Scorpio Ascendant indicates individuals who are likely to have strong physiques and

tremendous physical stamina. They are often far more stubborn than they seem on the

surface, and assiduously stick to their goals as long as they feel there is a chance they

will be successful. It is difficult to convince them to change their minds once their

decisions are made.

They are emotionally oriented, but their emotional vulnerability is apt to be hidden

unless their natal sun or moon happens to be in Cancer or Pisces. They are are friendly

and while some are rather quiet, many of them also have far more gregarious

personalities and don't mind being in the spotlight. Rarely do these individuals possess

the sinister or mysterious personalities that popular literature tends to associate with

the sign of Scorpio. They are keen observers and shrewd speculators.

Scorpio is ruled by Pluto and, secondarily, by this sign's ancient ruler, the planet Mars.

Both planetary influences may be seen in the personalities of these individuals. They

are ambitious, energetic, and seek activities that are economically rewarding, as well as

mentally or physically challenging. The jealousy associated with Mars and Pluto is

minimal unless other factors in their individual personalities support such a trait. Many

of them possess the cleverness and mechanical ability associated with Mars, as well as

the innate resourcefulness associated with Pluto.

They are attracted to others with strong, magnetic personalities. They are oriented

toward gathering resources of all kinds. For example, many of these individuals

consciously or subconsciously tend to establish relationships with strong or powerful

people in the belief such contacts may prove useful to them in some way. They can be

quite secretive about personal affairs, a trait that often escapes the attention of most

people they meet. They are often so accommodating and pleasant that, unless others

make serious attempts to probe beneath their surface, their real personalities and

activities stay hidden indefinitely.

They have remarkable recuperative powers that allow them to recover from physical,

mental or economic adversities that would destroy many others. When properly

focused, their energy is formidable and they quietly keep going long after everyone else

runs out of steam. A Scorpio Ascendant indicates potential for afflictions to the head

and face as well as illnesses affecting the reproductive organs.

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ScorpioScorpio rising produces a personality that is deeply reserved, secretive and determined. The power of the personality emerging from a Scorpio Ascendant is so intense, magnetic, and charismatic, that it is often somewhat overwhelming. Symbolized by the scorpion, you have an external "coat of armor" that protects and lets you survive in hostile situations. You are not the sort of person who ever knuckles under, even when pressures and circumstances would defeat lesser souls. When cornered, the famous "deadly scorpion sting" may be brought into play. With Scorpio on the rise your personality is very powerful. People find you hard to understand, to know what you are thinking at any particular time. There is a hidden depth to your persona that is nearly impossible for others to comprehend. Much of the time you may feel as though you are misunderstood. You are very willful and self-reliant, appearing calm and in control on the surface. Yet there are strong emotions at work inwardly. Scorpio is a water sign, and it is a fixed sign. This means that you are an emotional person. These emotions are very controlled (fixed), giving you the determination and the strength to overcome just about any opponent. Resentment and jealousy can be intense with you. You always pursue your goals with intensity. You can stand under heavy strain, and be relied upon to stay cool, even in the most serious emergency. You're inclined to be very suspicious or skeptical, and occasionally you can be "stingingly " sarcastic. Every sign has a positive and negative expression, but with the Scorpio the range of possibilities is extreme. Everything is black or white. There are no shades of gray with Scorpio on the rise. Your penetrating stare can look right through a person or a situation. You can make an instant diagnosis and it is usually the right one. The Scorpio personality is often maligned as over-sexed, a bit on the evil side, and often bent on revenge. This is not completely true, but Scorpio does get what it wants, when it wants it, most of the time. It is not a personality to be trifled with.

More on Scorpio Ascendant, Scorpio Rising Sign

On this page:

Scorpio Ascendant (Rising Sign) description Scorpio Ascendant (Rising Sign) with ruling planet, Mars, in the signs. Alternate descriptions of Scorpio Rising Famous People with Scorpio Rising

 

Scorpio Ascendant people have a lot of presence. There is something about them that tells the world that they are not to be pushed around. Their manner commands respect, and in some cases, fear. Scorpio rising people can be quiet or loud, but they always seem powerful and determined. 

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You either love or hate Scorpio rising people— they are rarely people who go through life unnoticed. In fact, some of them are confused when faced with the fact that they get such strong reactions from others. They seem to look right through people, seeing through superficiality. This can be quite intimidating to some, and intriguing to others. Scorpio rising people, in their dealings with others, look for answers by reading between the lines. Surface details are discarded when they are getting a feel for people and situations around them. 

Scorpio rising people value their privacy so much, it can border on paranoia. They have a strong need to control their environment and are experts at strategy. Rarely people who will blow their chances with impatience, they plan out their moves carefully and deliberately, relying on their awesome ability to feel out others and situations.

Scorpio rising natives are drawn to down-to-earth, natural partners. Reliability in their partner is very important. They generally look for complete commitment and have little patience with flighty partners.

The Ascendant (or rising sign) is often considered the mask one wears when meeting others. Perhaps it is most aptly thought of as the automatic responses to one's environment. The Ascendant shows our natural defenses and how we cope with day-to-day issues. The energies of the sign and condition of the Ascendant are most overt and obvious to others. The Ascendant shows an individual's first, natural reaction to new people and situations.

The characteristics of Scorpio Ascendant described above are modified by planets conjunct the Ascendant, planets that aspect the Ascendant, and the position of the ruling planet of the sign on the Ascendant. For example, a person with a Scorpio Ascendant with its ruling planet, Mars, in Sagittarius will respond to the environment a little differently than another person, also with a Scorpio Ascendant, but whose Mars is in Capricorn. (Note that Scorpio has two rulers, the other being Pluto, which is very slow-moving). Similarly, a person with a Scorpio Ascendant who also has Saturn conjunct it will "behave" differently than someone with a Scorpio Ascendant who does not have that aspect in their natal charts.

Scorpio Rising with Mars (Traditional Ruler of Scorpio) in the Signs

The following interpretations incorporate the position, by sign, of Mars, the ruling planet of Scorpio. Note that Pluto also rules Scorpio, and interpretations for Scorpio rising with Pluto in the signs follow the Mars interpretations. The sign position of Mars modifies your Scorpio Ascendant characteristics. These interpretations are from the Karmic Insight Report, and are written from an esoteric viewpoint.

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The point that was on the eastern horizon at the moment of your birth is called the ASCENDANT, or rising sign. While the Sun describes your conscious direction and current life focus, and the Moon your subconscious predisposition and past, the Ascendant indicates a way of being that transcends and embraces past, present, and future. It describes the way you engage and merge with the outer world and how you bring through into life the energies depicted by the Sun, the Moon, and the rest of your birth chart. Everything is filtered through the Ascendant from an esoteric point of view. It indicates your soul's function and thus a key part of your destiny.

Scorpio Rising - General

You have keen animal instincts, a deeply instinctual and passionate nature, and access to forces that can be used for healing and regeneration - of yourself, other individuals, or society. Strong-willed and powerful in a quiet understated sort of way, you are always a force with which to be reckoned. You know intuitively where another's pain or weakness lies, and can thus be a natural healer - or a terrible enemy, if your energies are directed toward conflict. Learning to trust and follow your instincts, and to focus your will upon positive intents, are keys to fulfilling your highest destiny. Your ruling planets are Mars and Pluto.

Scorpio Rising and Mars in Aries 

Your Mars is in the courageous, independent and self-motivated sign of Aries. Your function is to be a leader and a pioneer, bringing forth something unprecedented and original. Boldness, valor, and originality are your keynotes. You are a fierce competitor or warrior, and have a "killer instinct" which, even when used in defense of good principles, needs to be tempered with kindness. The shadow side of this is that you can be ruthless, selfish, and you tend to overuse force.

Scorpio Rising and Mars in Taurus 

Your Mars is in the highly sensual, productive and fertile sign of Taurus. Appetites, desires and craving for sensual life tend to rule you. Tasting and taking great pleasure in the feast of life, without being dominated by your cravings or habitually overindulging, is a key to happiness for you. You also have a determined and steady will force and great stamina to bring your goals and dreams to fruition. You are highly fertile on every level. Obstinacy and not knowing when to let go or change course can create problems for you, however.

Scorpio Rising and Mars in Gemini

Your Mars is in the clever, dexterous, skillful sign of Gemini, indicating that the use of your hands, your quick reflexes, and/or your facility with language plays an important role in your life and fate. On the shadowy side of this energy, you can be very crafty, scheming, shrewd and self-serving. Used positively, the gift and power of words can be used as a healing force.

Scorpio Rising and Mars in Cancer 

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Your Mars is in the soulful and emotional sign of Cancer: you have deep sensitivity and protective feelings toward children, animals, and for all life. Your capacity to commune or merge emotionally with your surroundings gives your great empathy. You are strongly sensuous and passionate. You may have difficulty articulating, understanding, or communicating your feelings in a rational or intellectual way. Music is a good language for you.

Scorpio Rising and Mars in Leo

Your Mars is in the proud, confident, radiant sign of Leo. You have a strong will-to-power, and are intended to be a leader and/or to influence many people through your magnetism. Combining your strong vital force with your ability to hold a steady, constant focus, you can accomplish a great deal. Great responsibility attaches itself to the use of personal power, of course, and the shadow side of this energy could turn you into a dominating tyrant.

Scorpio Rising and Mars in Virgo 

Your Mars is in Virgo, suggesting service through specialized skills, knowledge, or technical expertise; also an interest in biology, chemistry, the medical or health sciences. You have keen powers of observation and analysis, and you work thoroughly and efficiently (some might say obsessively). When out of balance you can worry excessively and be a bitter critic of the world and/or yourself.

You often function as the power behind the throne or as a shrewd advisor to others.

Scorpio Rising and Mars in Libra 

Your Mars is in Libra, suggesting that your urge to relate, to gain with, and to form cooperative alliances with others is an important part of your function and your fate. You are to work in tandem, as part of a team or close partnership, balancing your needs and your will with those of your partner. Your desire for harmony, beauty, and connection underlies your actions. Beware, however, of submerging your own desires and ability to act decisively on your own behalf, which can lead to concealed anger, corrosive conflict, and "hidden enemies" (in the world or in your own inner life). Be aboveboard and honest in all your dealings, also. Trying to achieve your aims covertly or through the efforts of other people is apt to backfire. Instead use your energy to bring people together, to mediate, negotiate, or create fairness in your world.

Scorpio Rising and Mars in Scorpio  

Your Mars is in Scorpio as well emphasizing your attunement to deep primal forces in nature, and your need to stay connected with the forces of life in a wild, raw, uncivilized state. You express the energies of both birth and death, creativity and destructiveness, and understand the need for both. You have tremendous physical presence, vitality, and passion to use for good or ill intents. Power will always be an issue in your life - you must learn to acknowledge your

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power and the ramifications of using it. The power of nature is a source of your own strength and healing. Intensity of experience is more important than permanence.

Scorpio Rising and Mars in Sagittarius 

Your Mars is in the spirited, expansive, adventurous sign of Sagittarius: you are drawn to risky, future-oriented, ventures and challenging, even dangerous, pursuits. Idealistic and philosophical, your instincts are guided (and perhaps held in check) by your sense of fair play and your convictions. Zeal and passion are your keynotes. When out of balance you can be excessively zealous, self-righteous, and reckless in your enthusiasm. At best, though, you function as an explorer and as an inspiring example to others. The joy of adventure and exploration is what you are meant to express.

Scorpio Rising and Mars in Capricorn

Your Mars is in the earthy, practical, ambitious and serious sign of Capricorn, suggesting that tangible material accomplishments and goals are important to you. You know how the world operates and are meant to take a well-planned, calculated, ordered route to your destination. Work and self-discipline -not to mention considerable self-sacrifice- are keys. Work may become an addiction; professional ambition certainly is paramount. You are to function as an authority in some manner.

Scorpio Rising and Mars in Aquarius

Your Mars in the unconventional, collective-oriented, free-thinking sign of Aquarius, suggesting that the regeneration of society is a major interest and focus of your attention. Your perceptiveness regarding its underlying, core problems, along with your ability to invent or co-create unusual and innovative solutions, is the key to fulfilling your destiny. Your function is that of a reformer, dissident, or group leader.

Scorpio Rising and Mars in Pisces

Your Mars is in the imaginative, dreamy, visionary, spiritually-open sign of Pisces, suggesting your ability to access altered states of consciousness or dream-time quite readily. The use of images through visualization or art, for instance, is a primary source of healing for you. Water, baptism, birth, cleansing rituals are key elements. Intoxicants of any kind (especially alcohol) can be your downfall, leading to a feeling of confusion and aimlessness or powerlessness. You have pronounced psychic sensitivities which can be developed and used to evolve your own life as well as others'.

 

Scorpio Rising with Pluto (Ruler of Scorpio) in the Signs

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The following interpretations incorporate the position, by sign, of Pluto, the ruling planet of Scorpio. The sign position of Pluto further modifies your Scorpio Ascendant characteristics. These interpretations are from the Karmic Insight Report, and are written from an esoteric viewpoint.

Scorpio Rising and Pluto in Aries 

Your Pluto in Aries reveals a passion for freedom, daring, heroic individualism. Bold action and/or arrogant confidence which can lead to your downfall, are indicated and play a key role in your destiny.

Scorpio Rising and Pluto in Taurus 

Your Pluto in Taurus reveals a deeply willful, stubborn, and inflexible nature which needs to become more yielding. Money, wealth, economics could be your obsession, and in any case play a key role in your life and destiny.

Scorpio Rising and Pluto in Gemini 

Your Pluto in Gemini reveals a compelling need to understand. You prize intellect and education and have a drive to use your mind. These are important keys to fulfilling your destiny.

Scorpio Rising and Pluto in Cancer 

Your Pluto in Cancer reveals a need to release old conditioning, familiar patterns, and the security and/or burdens of the "old world" in order to regenerate yourself and access your powers.

Scorpio Rising and Pluto in Leo 

Your Pluto in Leo reveals a need to release your tendency to worship power or powerful charismatic personalities. Excessive self-will, self-glorification, or an obsessive focus on your personal self and desires are shadowy aspects of your being, and will need to be confronted on your path to fulfilling your soul purpose.

Scorpio Rising and Pluto in Virgo 

Your Pluto in Virgo reveals a drive for perfection or self-purification that can become compulsive. Guilt over real or imagined wrongs needs to be shed. Also, you have a capacity for in-depth analysis, technical expertise or perfection, and exacting precision in your work.

Scorpio Rising and Pluto in Libra 

Your Pluto in Libra reveals a drive for justice, fairness, equality, and bringing the scales back

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into balance. You tend to see the injustices and corruption, and part of your function is indeed to bring wrongs to light. The balance of power in personal relationships is also a key concern of yours.

Scorpio Rising and Pluto in Scorpio 

Your Pluto is in Scorpio as well, revealing a capacity for entering into the darkest places in order to bring consciousness, light, and healing. If you are drawn to use your powers and abilities selfishly, you will often feel isolated and will be your own worst enemy. You are attuned to depth, rapture, and what some would consider horrible or taboo. You could be a profound healer, Shaman, or medicine man/woman if your motives are clear.

Scorpio Rising and Pluto in Sagittarius 

Your Pluto is in Sagittarius, revealing a need to cleanse, revise, and expand your beliefs about the nature of life. Dogmatism and zealous, one-sided convictions need to be shed in order for you to fulfill your highest purpose.

Scorpio Rising and Pluto in Capricorn 

Your Pluto in Capricorn reveals a destiny of both destroying and reforming societal structures and forms - government, established business or financial practices, or other conventions. Corruption, hypocrisy, and greed are to be cleansed and released, and you are one of many intended for this work. You also have a strong will-to-power which needs to be tempered with humility and care.

A Spiritual Interpretation of Scorpio Rising

The following interpretation of Scorpio Rising is from Your Spiritual Path Report.

"You have already taken a few steps on the spiritual path, and you have dedicated your life to your spiritual nature to some degree. The intense desire nature within you continues, however, to pull you toward the physical expression. You constantly find yourself at a turning point between pursuing a material desire and following a more spiritual inclination.

You have the capacity for major changes in your life. Others may find your decisions remarkable, as you can take a 180 degree turn with relative ease. Each of these major shifts brings you closer to understanding the unfolding plan of your spiritual life. At this time you may appear to be motivated only by material desires, but each turning takes you further on the spiritual path. If you look back, you can see that your decisions have all blended into one direction. You see the logical unfolding of spirit woven into seemingly disjointed actions and decisions.

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First you test your physical appetites with food, sexual desire and physical comfort. These may become rather boring. Ambition and the desire for power increase the emotional thrill and the momentary pay-off. At the third stage you tackle mental challenges of spiritual pride. If you can transcend all three levels, you then function from a more spiritual base. You cease to seek physical emotional and mental thrills for their own sake, and use your personal power to transform your own life and to help others.

You face a tall order if you are to make spiritual progress. You need to remember your own beginnings as you seek success in any of your endeavors, spiritual or otherwise."

Scorpio Ascendant from the Cosmo Natal Report:

"You are very strong-willed and proud, but intensely private and not easy to know well. Behind your quiet exterior lies a great deal of emotional depth, sensitivity, complexity, and also fierce determination. When you want something you go after it rather quietly but insistently and wholeheartedly - and you usually get it.

You are not a person who lives lightly or superficially. You want to live passionately and intensely and are not averse to challenge, danger, or to facing the darker side of life - human pain and struggle. You function well in crisis situations and often seek them out, for you enjoy the feeling of living at full capacity.

You are very intuitive about other people and especially about their unspoken feelings and hidden motives. You usually have strong, immediate gut reactions, either positive or negative, which prove to be correct. You approach life very instinctively and are not always fully conscious of why you feel or act as you do. You also have a very strong affinity with animals - an acute sensitivity and a nonverbal kind of rapport with them.

In relation to others, you are rather cautious, sometimes even suspicious, until you get to know and trust them - and trust doesn't come easily to you. When you commit yourself emotionally to someone, be it friend or lover, you are intensely loyal and devoted to them and you also expect the same kind of unwavering, undying loyalty in return. If you are ever betrayed by someone you care deeply for, you are capable of hating and retaliating with as much fervor as you once loved. Nothing is done halfway. In fact, you are intensely involved and often jealously attached to whatever you care about, be it person, idea, or cause. There is definitely a streak of emotional fanaticism in you.

Because of your natural reserve, others may see you as something of an enigma. You are quite self-protective and often defensive. You are also very magnetic, especially to members of the opposite sex."

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Famous People with Scorpio Rising:

Tori Amos (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Libra)Melissa Anderson (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Cancer)Ed Asner (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Scorpio)Hugo Black (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Virgo)Beau Bridges (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Aries)James Caan (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Taurus)Johnny Carson (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Libra)Paul Cezanne (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Virgo)Dick Clark (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Sagittarius)Jeffrey Conaway (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Sagittarius)Susan Dey (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Aquarius)Christian Dior (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Scorpio)Michael Douglas (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Libra)Clint Eastwood (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Aries) Chris Evert (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Pisces)Fabio (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Gemini)John Fogerty (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Aries)Aretha Franklin (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Gemini)Sigmund Freud (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Libra)Graham Greene (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Virgo)Mark Harmon (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Leo)Ed Harris (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Capricorn)Katharine Hepburn (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Capricorn)Victor Hugo (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Aquarius)Diane Keaton (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Cancer)Kris Kristofferson (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Gemini)Vicki Lawrence (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Aries)Janet Leigh (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Leo)Charles Lindbergh (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Aquarius)Patty Loveless (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Aries)David Lynch (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Cancer)Cheech Marin (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Virgo)Penny Marshall (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Gemini)Mata Hari (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Leo)Jack Nicklaus (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Aries)Bernadette Peters (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Leo)River Phoenix (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Leo)Prince (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Aries)Yves Rocher (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Pisces)Diana Ross (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Gemini)Gloria Steinem (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Aries)Martha Stewart (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Aries)Oliver Stone (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Libra)

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Loretta Swit (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Capricorn)Bob Uecker (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Aquarius)Gore Vidal (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Libra)Robert Wagner (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Aquarius)Robin Williams (Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Cancer) 

Precession of the Equinoxes

In astronomy, axial precession is a gravity-induced, slow and continuous change in the orientation of an astronomical body's rotational axis. In particular, it refers to the gradual shift in the orientation of Earth's axis of rotation, which, like a wobbling top, traces out a pair of cones joined at their apices in a cycle of approximately 26,000 years (called a Great or Platonic Year in astrology). The term "precession" typically refers only to this largest secular motion; other changes in the alignment of Earth's axis - nutation and polar motion - are much smaller in magnitude.

Earth's precession was historically called precession of the equinoxes because the equinoxes moved westward along the ecliptic relative to the fixed stars, opposite to the motion of the Sun along the ecliptic. This term is still used in non-technical discussions, that is, when detailed mathematics are absent. Historically,

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Hipparchus is credited with discovering precession of the equinoxes. The exact dates of his life are not known, but astronomical observations attributed to him by Ptolemy date from 147 BC to 127 BC.

With improvements in the ability to calculate the gravitational force between planets during the first half of the 19th century, it was recognized that the ecliptic itself moved slightly, which was named planetary precession as early as 1863, while the dominant component was named lunisolar precession.

Their combination was named general precession instead of precession of the equinoxes. Lunisolar precession is caused by the gravitational forces of the Moon and Sun on Earth's equatorial bulge, causing Earth's axis to move with respect to inertial space. Planetary precession (actually an advance) is due to the small angle between the gravitational force of the other planets on Earth and its orbital plane (the ecliptic), causing the plane of the ecliptic to shift slightly relative to inertial space. Lunisolar precession is about 500 times larger than planetary precession.

In addition to the Moon and Sun, the other planets also cause a small movement of Earth's axis in inertial space, making the contrast in the terms lunisolar versus planetary misleading, so in 2006 the International Astronomical Union recommended that the dominant component be renamed the precession of the equator and the minor component be renamed precession of the ecliptic, but their combination is still named general precession.

Causes

The precession of the equinoxes is caused by the gravitational forces of the Sun and the Moon, and to a lesser extent other bodies, on the Earth. It was first explained by Sir Isaac Newton.

Axial precession is similar to the precession of a spinning top. In both cases, the applied force is due to gravity. For a spinning top, this force tends to be almost parallel to the rotation axis. For the Earth, however, the applied forces of the Sun and the Moon are nearly perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

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The Earth is not a perfect sphere but an oblate spheroid, with an equatorial diameter about 43 kilometers larger than its polar diameter. Because of the Earth's axial tilt, during most of the year the half of this bulge that is closest to the Sun is off-center, either to the north or to the south, and the far half is off-center on the opposite side. The gravitational pull on the closer half is stronger, since gravity decreases with distance, so this creates a small torque on the Earth as the Sun pulls harder on one side of the Earth than the other. The axis of this torque is roughly perpendicular to the axis of the Earth's rotation so the axis of rotation precesses. If the Earth were a perfect sphere, there would be no precession.

This average torque is perpendicular to the direction in which the rotation axis is tilted away from the ecliptic pole, so that it does not change the axial tilt itself. The magnitude of the torque from the sun (or the moon) varies with the gravitational object's alignment with the Earth's spin axis and approaches zero when it is orthogonal.

Although the above explanation involved the Sun, the same explanation holds true for any object moving around the Earth, along or close to the ecliptic, notably, the Moon. The combined action of the Sun and the Moon is called the lunisolar precession. In addition to the steady progressive motion (resulting in a full circle in about 25,700 years) the Sun and Moon also cause small periodic variations, due to their changing positions. These oscillations, in both precessional speed and axial tilt, are known as the nutation. The most important term has a period of 18.6 years and an amplitude of less than 20 seconds of arc.

In addition to lunisolar precession, the actions of the other planets of the solar system cause the whole ecliptic to rotate slowly around an axis which has an ecliptic longitude of about 174¡ measured on the instantaneous ecliptic. This so-called planetary precession shift amounts to a rotation of the ecliptic plane of 0.47 seconds of arc per year (more than a hundred times smaller than lunisolar precession). The sum of the two precessions is known as the general precession.

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Effects

The precession of the Earth's axis has a number of observable effects. First, the positions of the south and north celestial poles appear to move in circles against the space-fixed backdrop of stars, completing one circuit in 25,772 Julian years (2000 rate). Thus, while today the star Polaris lies approximately at the north celestial pole, this will change over time, and other stars will become the "north star". The south celestial pole currently lacks a bright star to mark its position, but over time precession will also cause bright stars to become south stars. As the celestial poles shift, there is a corresponding gradual shift in the apparent orientation of the whole star field, as viewed from a particular position on Earth.

Secondly, the position of the Earth in its orbit around the Sun at the solstices, equinoxes, or other time defined relative to the seasons, slowly changes. For example, suppose that the Earth's orbital position is marked at the summer solstice, when the Earth's axial tilt is pointing directly towards the Sun. One full orbit later, when the Sun has returned to the same apparent position relative to the background stars, the Earth's axial tilt is not now directly towards the Sun: because of the effects of precession, it is a little way "beyond" this. In other words, the solstice occurred a little earlier in the orbit.

Thus, the tropical year, measuring the cycle of seasons (for example, the time from solstice to solstice, or equinox to equinox), is about 20 minutes shorter than the sidereal year, which is measured by the Sun's apparent position relative to the stars. Note that 20 minutes per year is approximately equivalent to one year per 25,772 years, so after one full cycle of 25,772 years the positions of the seasons relative to the orbit are "back where they started". (In actuality, other effects also slowly change the shape and orientation of the Earth's orbit, and these, in combination with precession, create various cycles of differing periods; see also Milankovitch cycles. The magnitude of the Earth's tilt, as opposed to merely its orientation, also changes slowly over time, but this effect is not attributed directly to precession.)

For identical reasons, the apparent position of the Sun relative to the backdrop of the stars at some seasonally fixed time, say the vernal equinox, slowly regresses a full 360¡ through all twelve traditional constellations of the zodiac, at the rate of about 50.3 seconds of arc per year (approximately 360 degrees divided by 25,772), or 1 degree every 71.6 years.

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Age of Aquarius

We are allegedly in the Age of Aquarius. According to astrological mysticism, there will be unusual harmony and understanding in the world. Those who follow that belief system see it as a turning point in human consciousness in which balance is restored by consciously moving beyond the physical body.

 The Aquarius symbol is metaphoric in content - meaning 'closure in water'. Water represents the collective unconsciousness or consciousness hologram which creates the grid programs of our physical reality. Many connect the Age of Aquarius with the return of the goddess, priestess, or feminine energies - those that vibrate above/faster than physical frequency. This is the return to higher consciousness, the awakening of higher mind and thought in the alchemy of time.

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The Age of Aquarius is the polar opposite of the Age of Leo - in the bipolar reality in which we experience the physical experiment of time and illusion through the consciousness projection of the eye or All Seeing Eye.

Age of Leo -> approximately 13,000 years later -> Age of Aquarius

History

Hellenistic World

Hipparchus

Though there is still-controversial evidence that Aristarchus of Samos possessed distinct values for the sidereal and tropical years as early as c. 280 BC, the discovery of precession is usually attributed to Hipparchus (190-120 BC) of Rhodes or Nicaea, a Greek astronomer. According to Ptolemy's Almagest, Hipparchus measured the longitude of Spica and other bright stars. Comparing his measurements with data from his predecessors, Timocharis (320-260 BC) and Aristillus (~280 BC), he concluded that Spica had moved 2° relative to the

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autumnal equinox. He also compared the lengths of the tropical year (the time it takes the Sun to return to an equinox) and the sidereal year (the time it takes the Sun to return to a fixed star), and found a slight discrepancy. Hipparchus concluded that the equinoxes were moving ("precessing") through the zodiac, and that the rate of precession was not less than 1° in a century, in other words completing a full cycle in no more than 36000 years.

Virtually all Hipparchus' writings are lost, including his work on precession. They are mentioned by Ptolemy, who explains precession as the rotation of the celestial sphere around a motionless Earth. It is reasonable to assume that Hipparchus, like Ptolemy, thought of precession in geocentric terms as a motion of the heavens.

Ptolemy

The first astronomer known to have continued Hipparchus' work on precession is Ptolemy in the 2nd century. Ptolemy measured the longitudes of Regulus, Spica, and other bright stars with a variation of Hipparchus' lunar method that did not require eclipses. Before sunset, he measured the longitudinal arc separating the Moon from the Sun. Then, after sunset, he measured the arc from the Moon to the star. He used Hipparchus' model to calculate the Sun's longitude, and made corrections for the Moon's motion and its parallax (Evans 1998, pp. 251-255). Ptolemy compared his own observations with those made by Hipparchus, Menelaus of Alexandria, Timocharis, and Agrippa. He found that between Hipparchus' time and his own (about 265 years), the stars had moved 2°40', or 1° in 100 years (36" per year; the rate accepted today is about 50" per year or 1° in 72 years). He also confirmed that precession affected all fixed stars, not just those near the ecliptic, and his cycle had same period of 36000 years as found by Hipparchus.

Other Authors

Most ancient authors did not mention precession and perhaps did not know of it. Besides Ptolemy, the list includes Proclus, who rejected precession, and Theon of Alexandria, a commentator on Ptolemy in the 4th century, who accepted Ptolemy's explanation. Theon also reports an alternate theory:

According to certain opinions ancient astrologers believe that from a certain epoch the solstitial signs have a motion of 8° in the order of the signs, after which they go back the same amount. . . . (Dreyer 1958, p. 204) Instead of proceeding through the entire sequence of the zodiac, the equinoxes "trepidated" back and

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forth over an arc of 8°. The theory of trepidation is presented by Theon as an alternative to precession.

Alternative Theories

Babylonians

Various assertions have been made that other cultures discovered precession independent of Hipparchus. At one point it was suggested that the Babylonians may have known about precession. According to Al-Battani, the Chaldean astronomers had distinguished the tropical and sidereal year (the value of precession is equivalent to the difference between the tropical and sidereal years). He stated that they had, around 330 BC, an estimation for the length of the sidereal year to be SK = 365 days 6 hours 11 min (= 365.258 days) with an error of (about) 2 min. It was claimed by P. Schnabel in 1923 that Kidinnu theorized about precession in 315 BC. Otto Neugebauer's work on this issue in the 1950s superseded Schnabel's (and earlier, Kugler's) theory of a Babylonian discoverer of precession.

In recent decades, the hypothesis was revived and amplified in de Santillana and von Dechend's Hamlet's Mill (Harvard University Press, 1969). In an application of extreme Panbabylonism to archaeoastronomy, they proposed that a Babylonian mythological account of the precession gave rise via diffusion to similar myths around the world, even as far away as China, Polynesia, and North America. While their theory has not been widely accepted in academia, it anticipated the recent popular revival of interest in precessional archeoastronomy.

Ancient Egyptians

Similar claims have been made that precession was known in Ancient Egypt prior to the time of Hipparchus, but these remain controversial. Some buildings in the Karnak temple complex, for instance, were allegedly oriented towards the point on the horizon where certain stars rose or set at key times of the year. A few centuries later, when precession made the orientations obsolete, the temples would be rebuilt.

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However, the observation that a stellar alignment has grown wrong does not mean that the Egyptians understood that the stars moved across the sky at the rate of about one degree per 72 years. Nonetheless, they kept accurate calendars and if they recorded the date of the temple reconstructions it would be a fairly simple matter to plot the rough precession rate. The Dendera Zodiac, a star-map from the Hathor temple at Dendera from a late (Ptolemaic) age, supposedly records precession of the equinoxes (Tompkins 1971). In any case, if the ancient Egyptians knew of precession, their knowledge is not recorded in surviving astronomical texts.

Michael Rice wrote in his Egypt's Legacy, "Whether or not the ancients knew of the mechanics of the Precession before its definition by Hipparchos the Bithynian in the second century BC is uncertain, but as dedicated watchers of the night sky they could not fail to be aware of its effects." (p. 128) Rice believes that "the Precession is fundamental to an understanding of what powered the development of Egypt" (p. 10), to the extent that "in a sense Egypt as a nation-state and the king of Egypt as a living god are the products of the realization by the Egyptians of the astronomical changes effected by the immense apparent movement of the heavenly bodies which the Precession implies." (p. 56)

Following Carl Jung, Rice says that "the evidence that the most refined astronomical observation was practiced in Egypt in the third millennium BC (and probably even before that date) is clear from the precision with which the Pyramids at Giza are aligned to the cardinal points, a precision which could only have been achieved by their alignment with the stars. This fact alone makes Jung's belief in the Egyptians' knowledge of the Precession a good deal less speculative than once it seemed." (p. 31) The Egyptians also, says Rice, were "to alter the orientation of a temple when the star on whose position it had originally been set moved its position as a consequence of the Precession, something which seems to have happened several times during the New Kingdom." (p. 170)

The notion that an ancient Egyptian priestly elite tracked the precessional cycle over many thousands of years plays a central role in the theories expounded by Robert Bauval and Graham Hancock in their 1996 book "Keeper of Genesis.' The authors claim that the ancient Egyptians' monumental building projects functioned as a map of the heavens, and that associated rituals were an elaborate earthly acting-out of celestial events. In particular, the rituals symbolized the "turning back" of the precessional cycle to a remote ancestral time known as Zep Tepi ("first time") which, the authors calculate, dates to around 10,500 BC.

Mayans

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There has been speculation that the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar is somehow calibrated against the precession, but this view is not held by professional scholars of Mayan civilization.

Hindu

A 12th century text by Bhaskara II says: "sampan revolves negatively 30000 times in a Kalpa of 4320 million years according to Suryasiddhanta, while Munjala and others say ayana moves forward 199669 in a Kalpa, and one should combine the two, before ascertaining declension, ascensional difference, etc." Lancelot Wilkinson translated the last of these three verses in a too concise manner to convey the full meaning, and skipped the portion combine the two which the modern Hindi commentary has brought to the fore. According to the Hindi commentary, the final value of period of precession should be obtained by combining +199669 revolutions of ayana with -30000 revolutions of sampaat to get +169669 per Kalpa, i.e. one revolution in 25461 years, which is near the modern value of 25771 years.

Moreover, Munjala's value gives a period of 21636 years for ayana's motion, which is the modern value of precession when anomalistic precession is also taken into account. The latter has a period of 136000 years now, but Bhaskar-II gives its value at 144000 years (30000 in a Kalpa), calling it sampan. Bhaskar-II did not give any name of the final term after combining the negative sampan with the positive ayana. But the value he gave indicates that by ayana he meant precession on account of the combined influence of orbital and anomalistic precessions, and by sampan he meant the anomalistic period, but defined it as equinox.

His language is a bit confused, which he clarified in his own Vasanabhashya commentary Siddhanta Shiromani]by saying that Suryasiddhanta was not available and he was writing on the basis of hearsay. Bhaskar-II did not give his own opinion, he merely cited Suryasiddhanta, Munjala and unnamed "others".

Yu Xi

Yu Xi (4th century CE) was the first Chinese astronomer to mention precession. He estimated the rate of precession as 1° in 50 years (Pannekoek 1961, p. 92).

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Middle Ages and Renaissance

In medieval Islamic astronomy, the Zij-i Ilkhani compiled at the Maragheh observatory set the precession of the equinoxes at 51 arc seconds per annum, which is very close to the modern value of 50.2 arc seconds.

In the Middle Ages, Islamic and Latin Christian astronomers treated "trepidation" as a motion of the fixed stars to be added to precession. This theory is commonly attributed to the Arab astronomer Thabit ibn Qurra, but the attribution has been contested in modern times. Nicolaus Copernicus published a different account of trepidation in De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (1543). This work makes the first definite reference to precession as the result of a motion of the Earth's axis. Copernicus characterized precession as the third motion of the earth.

Modern Day

Over a century later precession was explained in Isaac Newton's Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (1687) to be a consequence of gravitation (Evans 1998, p. 246). However, Newton's original precession equations did not work and were revised considerably by Jean le Rond d'Alembert and subsequent scientists.

Hipparchus' Discovery

Hipparchus gave an account of his discovery in On the Displacement of the Solsticial and Equinoctial Points (described in Almagest III.1 and VII.2). He measured the ecliptic longitude of the star Spica during lunar eclipses and found that it was about 6° west of the autumnal equinox. By comparing his own

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measurements with those of Timocharis of Alexandria (a contemporary of Euclid who worked with Aristillus early in the 3rd century BC), he found that Spica's longitude had decreased by about 2° in about 150 years. He also noticed this motion in other stars. He speculated that only the stars near the zodiac shifted over time. Ptolemy called this his "first hypothesis" (Almagest VII.1), but did not report any later hypothesis Hipparchus might have devised. Hipparchus apparently limited his speculations because he had only a few older observations, which were not very reliable.

Why did Hipparchus need a lunar eclipse to measure the position of a star? The equinoctial points are not marked in the sky, so he needed the Moon as a reference point. Hipparchus had already developed a way to calculate the longitude of the Sun at any moment. A lunar eclipse happens during Full moon, when the Moon is in opposition. At the midpoint of the eclipse, the Moon is precisely 180° from the Sun. Hipparchus is thought to have measured the longitudinal arc separating Spica from the Moon. To this value, he added the calculated longitude of the Sun, plus 180° for the longitude of the Moon. He did the same procedure with Timocharis' data (Evans 1998, p. 251). Observations like these eclipses, incidentally, are the main source of data about when Hipparchus worked, since other biographical information about him is minimal. The lunar eclipses he observed, for instance, took place on April 21, 146 BC, and March 21, 135 BC (Toomer 1984, p. 135 n. 14).

Hipparchus also studied precession in On the Length of the Year. Two kinds of year are relevant to understanding his work. The tropical year is the length of time that the Sun, as viewed from the Earth, takes to return to the same position along the ecliptic (its path among the stars on the celestial sphere).

The sidereal year is the length of time that the Sun takes to return to the same position with respect to the stars of the celestial sphere. Precession causes the stars to change their longitude slightly each year, so the sidereal year is longer than the tropical year. Using observations of the equinoxes and solstices, Hipparchus found that the length of the tropical year was 365+1/4-1/300 days, or 365.24667 days (Evans 1998, p. 209). Comparing this with the length of the sidereal year, he calculated that the rate of precession was not less than 1° in a century. From this information, it is possible to calculate that his value for the sidereal year was 365+1/4+1/144 days (Toomer 1978, p. 218). By giving a minimum rate he may have been allowing for errors in observation.

To approximate his tropical year Hipparchus created his own lunisolar calendar by modifying those of Meton and Callippus in On Intercalary Months and Days (now lost), as described by Ptolemy in the Almagest III.1 (Toomer 1984, p. 139).

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The Babylonian calendar used a cycle of 235 lunar months in 19 years since 499 BC (with only three exceptions before 380 BC), but it did not use a specified number of days.

The Metonic cycle (432 BC) assigned 6,940 days to these 19 years producing an average year of 365+1/4+1/76 or 365.26316 days. The Callippic cycle (330 BC) dropped one day from four Metonic cycles (76 years) for an average year of 365+1/4 or 365.25 days. Hipparchus dropped one more day from four Callipic cycles (304 years), creating the Hipparchic cycle with an average year of 365+1/4-1/304 or 365.24671 days, which was close to his tropical year of 365+1/4-1/300 or 365.24667 days. The three Greek cycles were never used to regulate any civil calendar - they only appear in the Almagest in an astronomical context.

We find Hipparchus' mathematical signatures in the Antikythera Mechanism, an ancient astronomical computer of the 2nd century BC. The mechanism is based on a solar year, the Metonic Cycle, which is the period the Moon reappears in the same star in the sky with the same phase (full Moon appears at the same position in the sky approximately in 19 years), the Callipic cycle (which is four Metonic cycles and more accurate), the Saros cycle and the Exeligmos cycles (three Saros cycles for the accurate eclipse prediction).

The study of the Antikythera Mechanism proves that the ancients have been using very accurate calendars based on all the aspects of solar and lunar motion in the sky. In fact the Lunar Mechanism which is part of the Antikythera Mechanism depicts the motion of the Moon and its phase, for a given time, using a train of four gears with a pin and slot device which gives a variable lunar

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velocity that is very close to the second law of Kepler, i.e. it takes into account the fast motion of the Moon at perigee and slower motion at apogee. This discovery proves that Hipparchus mathematics were much more advanced than Ptolemy describes in his books, as it is evident that he developed a good approximation of Kepler's second law.

Mithraism

Mithraism was a mystery religion or school based on the worship of the god Mithras. Many underground temples were built in the Roman Empire from about the 1st century BC to the 5th century AD.

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Understanding Mithraism has been made difficult by the near-total lack of written descriptions or scripture; the teachings must be reconstructed from iconography found in mithraea (a mithraeum was a cave or underground meeting place that often contained bas reliefs of Mithras, the zodiac and associated symbols). Until the 1970s most scholars followed Franz Cumont in identifying Mithras with the Persian god Mithra. Cumont's thesis was re-examined in 1971, and Mithras is now believed to be a syncretic deity only slightly influenced by Persian religion.

Mithraism is recognized as having pronounced astrological elements, but the details are debated. One scholar of Mithraism, David Ulansey, has interpreted Mithras (Mithras Sol Invictus - the unconquerable sun) as a second sun or star that is responsible for precession. He suggests the cult may have been inspired by Hipparchus' discovery of precession. Part of his analysis is based on the tauroctony, an image of Mithras sacrificing a bull, found in most of the temples. According to Ulansey, the tauroctony is a star chart.

Mithras is a second sun or hyper-cosmic sun and/or the constellation Perseus, and the bull is Taurus, a constellation of the zodiac. In an earlier astrological age, the vernal equinox had taken place when the Sun was in Taurus. The tauroctony, by this reasoning, commemorated Mithras-Perseus ending the "Age of Taurus" (about 2000 BC based on the Vernal Equinox Ð or about 11,500 BC based on the Autumnal Equinox).

The iconography also contains two torch bearing boys (Cautes and Cautopates) on each side of the zodiac. Ulansey, and Walter Cruttenden in his book Lost Star of Myth and Time, interpret these to mean ages of growth and decay, or enlightenment and darkness; primal elements of the cosmic progression. Thus Mithraism is thought to have something to do with the changing ages within the precession cycle or Great Year (Plato's term for one complete precession of the equinox).

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Changing Pole Stars

Precession of Earth's axis around the north ecliptical pole

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Precession of Earth's axis around the south ecliptical pole

A consequence of the precession is a changing pole star. Currently Polaris is extremely well-suited to mark the position of the north celestial pole, as it is about a half degree away from it and it is a moderately bright star (visual magnitude is 2.1 (variable)).

On the other hand Thuban in the constellation Draco, which was the pole star in 3000 BC is much less conspicuous at magnitude 3.67 (one-fifth as bright as Polaris); today it is all but invisible in light-polluted urban skies.

The brilliant Vega in the constellation Lyra is often touted as the best Northstar, when it fulfilled that role around 12000 BC and will do so again around the year AD 14000.

In reality it never comes closer than 5¡ to the pole.

When Polaris will be the north star again around 27800 AD, due to its proper motion it will be farther away from the pole then than it is now, while in 23600 BC it came closer to the pole.

To find the south celestial pole in the sky at this moment, one is less lucky, as that area is a particularly bland portion of the sky, and the nominal south pole star is Sigma Octantis, which with magnitude 5.5 is barely visible even under a properly

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dark sky. However that will change in the 80th to 90th century, when the south celestial pole travels through the False cross.

It is also seen from the starmap that the south pole, nicely pointed to by the Southern cross for the last 2000 years or so, is moving towards that constellation. By consequence it is now no longer visible from subtropical northern latitudes as it was in the time of the ancient Greeks.

Still pictures like these, found in many astronomy books, are only first approximations as they do not take into account the variable speed of the precession, the variable obliquity of the ecliptic, the planetary precession (which makes not the ecliptic pole the centre, but a circle about 6¡ away from it) and the proper motions of the stars.

Polar Shift and Equinoxes Shift

Precessional movement as seen from 'outside' the celestial sphere.

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The rotation axis of the Earth describes over a period of about 25800 years a small circle (blue) among the stars, centred around the ecliptic northpole (blue E) and with an angular radius of about 23.4¡: the angle known as the obliquity of the ecliptic. The orange axis was the Earth's rotation axis 5000 years ago when it pointed to the star Thuban. The yellow axis, pointing to Polaris is the situation now. Note that when the celestial sphere is seen from outside constellations appear in mirror image. Also note that the daily rotation of the Earth around its axis is opposite to the precessional rotation. When the polar axis precesses from one direction to another, then the equatorial plane of the Earth (indicated with the circular grid around the equator) and the associated celestial equator will move too. Where the celestial equator intersects the ecliptic (red line) there are the equinoxes. As seen from the drawing, the orange grid, 5000 years ago one intersection of equator and ecliptic, the vernal equinox was close to the star Aldebaran of Taurus. By now (the yellow grid) it has shifted (red arrow) to somewhere in the constellation of Pisces. Note that this is an astronomical description of the precessional movement and the vernal equinox position in a given constellation may not imply the astrological meaning of an Age carrying the same name, as they (ages and constellations) only have an exact alignment in the "first point of Aries", meaning once in each ca. 25800 (Great Sidereal Year).

Same picture as above but now from (near) Earth perspective

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It might not be directly clear to the non-astronomer what the shift of the equinoxes has to do with the precession of the rotation axis of the Earth. The figures to the right try to explain that.

The rotation axis of the Earth describes over a period of 25700 years a small circle (blue) among the stars, centred around the ecliptic northpole (blue E) and with an angular radius of about 23.4¡: the angle known as the obliquity of the ecliptic.

The orange axis was the Earth's rotation axis 5000 years ago when it pointed to the star Thuban. The yellow axis, pointing to Polaris is the situation now. Note that when the celestial sphere is seen from outside (as in the first drawing, an impossibilty of course) constellations appear in mirror image. Also note that the daily rotation of the Earth around its axis is opposite to the precessional rotation.

Of course when the polar axis precesses from one direction to another, then the equatorial plane of the Earth (indicated with the circular grid around the equator) and the associated celestial equator will move too. Where the celestial equator intersects the ecliptic (red line) there are the equinoxes. As seen from the drawing, the orange grid, 5000 years ago one intersection of equator and ecliptic, the vernal equinox was close to the star Aldebaran of Taurus. By now (the yellow grid) it has shifted (red arrow) to somewhere in the constellation of Pisces.

This is why the equinoctial shift is a consequence of the precession of the rotation axis of the Earth and the other way around. The second drawing shows the perspective from a near Earth position as seen through a very wide angle lens (from which the apparent distortion).

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Explanation

The precession as a consequence of the torque exerted on Earth by differential gravitation.

The precession of the equinoxes is caused by the differential gravitation forces of Sun and Moon on Earth.

In popular science books one often finds this explained with the analogy of the precession of a spinning top. Indeed it is the same physical effect, however, some crucial details differ. In a spinning top it is gravity which causes the top to wobble which in its turn causes precession. The applied force is thus in the first instance parallel to the rotation axis. But for the Earth the applied forces of the Sun and Moon are in the first instance perpendicular to it. So how then can they cause it?

The answer is that the forces do not work on the rotation axis. Instead they work on the equatorial bulge; due to its own rotation, the Earth is not a perfect sphere but an oblate spheroid, the equatorial diameter about 43 km larger than the polar. If the Earth were a perfect sphere, there would be no precession.

The figure explains how this works. The Earth is given as a perfect sphere (so that all gravitational forces working on it can be taken equal as one force working on its center), and the bulge is approximated to be a torus of mass (blue) around its equator.

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Green arrows indicate the gravitational forces from the Sun on some extreme points. These forces are not parallel as they all point towards the centre of the Sun. Therefore the forces working on the northernmost and southernmost parts of the equatorial bulge have a component perpendicular on the ecliptical plane and directed towards it.

We find them (small cyan arrows) when the average gravitation force on the centre of the Earth is substracted (because this force will be used as the centripetal force for the Earth in its orbit around the Sun).

In all cases in addition to these tangential components there will be also radial components, but they are not shown as they do not contribute to the precession (they contribute to the tides). It is now clear how these tangential forces create a torque (orange), and this torque added to the rotation (magenta) shifts the rotation axis slightly to a new position (yellow).

Repeat this again and again, and one sees how the axis precesses along the white circle, which is centred around the ecliptic pole.

It is important to note that the torque is always in the same direction, perpendicular onto the direction in which the rotation axis is tilted away from the ecliptic pole, so that it does not change the axial tilt itself. It is also important to note that the torque is everywhere the same, whatever position of the Earth is in its orbit around the Sun. The precession is thus always steadily progressing and does not change with the seasons.

Although the above explanation involved the Sun, the same story holds true for any object moving around the Earth along (or close to) the ecliptic, i.e. the Moon. The combined action of the Sun and the Moon is called the lunisolar precession. In addition to the steady progressive motion (resulting in a full circle in 25700 years) the Sun and Moon also cause small periodic variations, due to their changing positions. These oscillations, in both precessional speed and axial tilt are known as the nutation. The most important term has a period of 18.6 years and an amplitude of less than 20 arcseconds.

In addition to lunisolar precession, the actions of the other planets of the solar system cause the whole ecliptic to slowly rotate around an axis which has an ecliptic longitude of about 174¡ measured on the instantaneous ecliptic. This planetary precession shift is only 0.47 arcseconds per year (more than a hundred times smaller than lunisolar precession), and takes place along the instantaneous equator.

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The sum of the two precessions is known as the general precession.

Effects of Axial Precession on the Seasons

This figure illustrates the effects of axial precession on the seasons, relative to perihelion and aphelion. The precession of the equinoxes can cause periodic climate change (see Milankovitch cycles), because the hemisphere that experiences summer at perihelion and winter at aphelion (as the southern hemisphere does presently) is in principle prone to more severe seasons than the opposite hemisphere.

Hipparchus estimated Earth's precession around 130 BC, adding his own observations to those of Babylonian and Chaldean astronomers in the preceding centuries.

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In particular they measured the distance of the stars like Spica to the Moon and Sun at the time of lunar eclipses, and because he could compute the distance of the Moon and Sun from the equinox at these moments, he noticed that Spica and other stars appeared to have moved over the centuries.

Precession causes the cycle of seasons (tropical year) to be about 20.4 minutes less than the period for the earth to return to the same position with respect to the stars as one year previously (sidereal year). This results in a slow change (one day per 71 calendar years) in the position of the sun with respect to the stars at an equinox. It is significant for calendars and their leap year rules.

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If you were born with Scorpio ascending, you put the whole force of your personality behind everything

you do. You are not a halfway person. Rising-Scorpios have an intensity, a dynamism that seethes and

roils under the surface. Your willpower and determination are formidable.

Though you are sometimes viewed as a lone wolf, you do have the ability to work with people -

actually, to lead people. You are strongly persuasive and zealously pursue your goals, and in addition

have the power to make others pursue the same goals.

Clever, creative, and resourceful, your fertile mind seems to be an inexhaustible source of ideas and

suggestions. Your brain behind your cool facade is always ticking away. One of the things you must do

is find out how something works, to dissect it, study it, and put is back together so that it works better.

This is also true in artistic terms; you can do great visionary work if you have Scorpio rising in your

chart.

As a Scorpio Ascendant you are happiest when you can control from behind the scenes. You tend to be

secretive and reserved, and shun the spotlight because you can't work there unnoticed. If you are

domineering, it is a subtle dominance, a kind of mind control. Some people claim that they are

hypnotized by Scorpio Ascendants; it's true that you have a way of knowing what others are thinking.

Much of this comes from your acute powers of observation. You are a charming, witty,

conversationalist, but the acute observer will soon notice that it is the other person who is doing most

of the talking. You are usually quietly watching, waiting, observing - filing away information that will be

useful later on.

Rising-Scorpios have a reputation for a sharp temper; the reputation is deserved. When crossed, you

can be cruel and biting. You tend to use any weapon at your disposal - from ridicule to playing on a

person's fears. In the heat of the moment. Rising-Scorpio must be the victor. Later, you are remorseful

for having dealt wounds, though it is extremely hard for you to say so.

Scorpio is the astrological sign of hidden passion; Scorpio Ascendants tend to have a secret love affair

at least one time in their lives, and usually marry more than once. Astrologers have observed a

strange pattern in which Rising-Scorpios often lose their first spouse to death. They seem to suffer

more financial setbacks and disappointments than other rising signs; but no other sign is more

victorious in the end.

As a Scorpio Ascendant you tend to have sharp features, a prominent nose, and large, hypnotic eyes.

Sometimes your brows are thick and dark. Your body is agile and moves decisively.

The planet Pluto, which rules Scorpio, is very prominent in your horoscope. The influence of Pluto

bestows powerful feelings and emotions, a sense of purpose, persistence, determination, plus the

imagination and ability to make a successful start in a new direction. This planet's influence also favors

secrecy, suspicion, jealousy, and cruelty.

Royal Arch and the Precession of the Equinoxes 

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Ancient Egyptians and the Constellations: Part 5

* * *         The reason Precession occurs is that the Earth not only rotates on its axis … otherwise known as the Axis Munde or World Pillar … it also wobbles. This wobble effect is a phenomenon caused by forces exerted by the Sun on the bulges of the Earth at the Equator.          The wobble effect is best explained in terms of a spinning top. As the top begins to lose momentum it begins to wobble. It is this same kind of circular movement, or wobble, of the Earth, which moving at a constant speed over long periods of Time alters the direction of the Polar Axis. One revolution is completed every 25,920 years. The central point of revolution is called the "pole of the ecliptic".

The visible effect of Precession on the Pole Star. The wobble effect is best explained in terms of a spinning top. 

As the top begins to lose momentum it begins to wobble.

         The apparent cycle of the Pole Stars over a period of 25,920 years is not the only effect of Precession as viewed from Planet Earth. Another effect with which most of us will be familiar is the apparent movement of the Signs of the Zodiac across the sky on an annual basis. It is reasonable to suspect that most of you reading this will be familiar with the Sign of the Zodiac under which you were born, and many of you will read your starsin newspapers and magazines everyday. You might be an Aries or a Libra. Or perhaps like me you are a Scorpio.         The apparent movement of the Signs of the Zodiac across the sky does not only take place on an annual basis however. The cycle also occurs over a period of 25,920 years, often referred to as Plato's Great Year.         The following diagram can be interpreted on both of these levels, but the main emphasis is on the Great Year … the Four Seasons, the Twelve Ages and the Precession of the Equinoxes. The twelve markers indicating the timing of the Sun entering a New Age and / or Season of the Zodiac are like "flags" denoting the

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boundaries. In fact they could be considered as "flagships" heralding in each of the New Ages and / or Seasons.         The ensigns of the twelve Zodiacal Constellations, representing the Twelve Ages in the Precession of the Equinoxes, appear to arch their way across the sky as if in royal procession. The beginning of a new Zodiacal Season is marked by the standards of the Lion, the Bull, the Man and the Eagle … sometimes equated with the Four Cardinal Directions. The Fifth Cardinal Direction is the central point of revolution, the pole of the ecliptic.

The Royal Arch of the Ages of the Zodiac.The ensigns of the twelve Zodiacal Constellations, representing 

the Twelve Ages in the Precession of the Equinoxes, appear to arch their way across the sky as if in royal procession.

The beginning of a new Zodiacal Season is marked bythe standards of the Lion, the Bull, the Man and the Eagle.

         The blue dot within the circle is Planet Earth around which the Constellations of the Zodiac appear to revolve. The "Cross" which is formed by the four quarters of the circle takes 25,920 years to complete one revolution. The completion of one revolution is referred to as a Great Year.          Within this Great Year are four Seasons, which are defined by the Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter Equinoxes. For this reason the Great Year is also referred to as thePrecession of the Equinoxes. Within each Season are three Ages. For example, within the Zodiacal Season of Taurus there are the three Ages of Taurus (the Bull), Aries (the Ram) and Pisces (the Fish). Within the Zodiacal Season of Aquarius there are the three Ages of Aquarius (Man), Capricorn (the Sea Goat) and Sagittarius (the Archer). Each Zodiacal Season comprises a 90-degree right-

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angle … like a set-square. Each Zodiacal Season is a one fourth part of a circle. Each Zodiacal Season is standing on the square.          The tools used by the remote ancient Egyptians to help them better understand the Concept of Precession were the Square and Compasses … and lest the value of these tools be overlooked or forgotten, they were engineered into the constellations of the Northern Winter sky by the Great Architect. (German astronomer, Jakob Bartsch, also lays claim to the honour.) The Constellation of Monoceros, the Unicorn, forms the Square and Compasses. The Square is at 90 degrees and the Compasses at 55 degrees.          The symbolism of the Lion and the Unicorn, which are readily evident on the cover of a British passport as part of the Arms of Dominion, can now be appreciated in terms of astronomy and the Precession of the Equinoxes. The Arms of Dominion encode the Lost Secrets of the remote Ancient Egyptians.         The reader will also observe that Canis Minor is a Plumb Rule! In Ancient Egypt the Plumb Rule was called a Merkhet. The Merkhet was used in conjunction with a Plumb Line to measure the positions of stars and their corresponding positions on the ground in Egypt.

The Lion and the UnicornThe Square and Compasses were engineered into the constellations

of the Northern Winter sky by the Great Architect.

The Constellation of Monoceros forms the Square and Compasses.The Square is at 90 degrees and the Compasses at 55 degrees.

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Canis Minor is a Plumb Rule!

         Referring back to the Royal Arch of the Ages of the Zodiac diagram: as the Sun heralds in the Dawn on December 21st 2012 we shall be entering a new Zodiacal Season: Aquarius … a phenomenon which last occurred almost 25,920 years ago! When the Sun is risen we will be celebrating the Resurrection of the Age of Aquarius. (This subject is covered in greater detail in a later paper.)         From this same diagram it becomes clear that the "Cross" and / or the "Cross within a circle" and / or the "Cross and a circle" are the symbols of the Precession of the Equinoxes.          When the Great architect mapped the heavens before 14000 BCE he included the "Cross", the Symbol of the Precession of the Equinoxes, as part of the "Hall of Records" in the night sky. Knowledge carved in stone is temporal. The progenitors of the Ancient Egyptians carved their knowledge in the stars so that it would never be desecrated, worn away or lost. Their knowledge would be eternal. The progenitors of the Ancient Egyptians were the Masons of the Heavens.         The Constellation of Grus, (the Crane) which is in the shape of a cross, lies directly to the west of the Constellation of Phoenix. Perhaps not surprisingly, the pictogram for astronomers in Ancient Egypt was the crane. 

Sky view from the Giza Plateau around 11:57pm onJuly 3rd 14000BCE. The Cross is a symbol of the 

Precession of the Equinoxes. The Constellation of Grus,(the Crane) which is in the shape of a cross, 

lies directly to the west of the Constellation of Phoenix.(The computer software I used to access this skychart is:

Haney, M.A. Skyglobe 3.5A Shareware Product of KlassM Software, 1992)

         The symbol of the "Cross" and / or the "Cross within a circle" and / or the "Cross and a circle", indicating the secret knowledge of the Precession of the Equinoxes, has been handed down to us in a multitude of forms. These include for example: the Ankh, the Shen, Stone Henge, the Sun Wheel, Stone Circles, Standing Stones, the Celtic Cross, the Christian Cross, the Knights Templar Cross, the Market Cross, the Union Jack, the Hot Cross Bun, and even the Direction Indicator on a Map. Readers will no doubt add hundreds more to this list! 

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Hot Cross Bun Shen Direction Indicator

         Today we live in an Age of Science in which Precession is regarded as just another phenomenon. No great deal is attached to it. However when the remote Ancient Egyptians first recognized the effects of Precession more than sixteen thousand years ago it would have caused a crisis situation. The visible effect of Precession for the remote Ancient Egyptians was that their Celestial Sphinx was gradually slipping southwards. 

 

At the Giza Plateau around 11:57pm on July 3rd 13750 BCEthe Celestial Sphinx could no longer be visible in its entirety from Giza.

(The computer software I used to access this skychart is:Haney, M.A. Skyglobe 3.5

A Shareware Product of KlassM Software, 1992)

         Their Celestial Sphinx, Hu, was falling out of the sky! Over the centuries, it was gradually shifting its position southwards in the night sky to a point where it would begin to disappear below the horizon at Giza forever. It would seem to them that their Dreamtime, their explanation of Creation built around the Celestial Sphinx, was coming to an end … that their world was coming to an end. By 13750 BCE (using the Gregorian Calendar) their worst fears would be realized; the Celestial Sphinx would no longer be visible in its entirety from Giza. 

 

At the Giza Plateau around 11:57pm on July 3rd 13000 BCEthe Celestial Sphinx was disappearing further below the horizon at Giza.

(The computer software I used to access this skychart is: Haney, M.A. Skyglobe 3.5 

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A Shareware Product of KlassM Software, 1992)

          In celebration of their Dreamtime, the remote Ancient Egyptians exactly reproduced their Celestial Sphinx, Hu, at Giza in readiness for the July 3rd and 4th 14000 BCE Festival. Prophetically the Fall of Hu heralded the decline of the remote Ancient Egyptians and their entry into the Dark Ages. During this time only the intellectual elite would have been allowed to be initiated into, and share, a secret of such magnitude … The Secret of Precession.          Until now the purpose of the Sphinx at Giza has been shrouded in mystery. It guarded its secret well, lying in proud majesty in the desert sands commemorating the end of an era. The Lost Secret having now been rediscovered and made known, it is like Darkness visible. 

Footnote … subtle references to Freemasonry are intentional.

Copyright Audrey Fletcher 1999All rights reserved Adelaide, South Australia