There is a rule of thought that if there exists one, then there must exist another, and if there exists another then there must exist still another, and so on.  With this reasoning, scientists have always assumed that there would be thousands of planets in the universe.  It would seem that there does indeed exist other planets such as Earth and thus, there exists even more.

NASA has employed a new Kepler planet hunting telescope that today is discovering more and more planets that may be similar to Earth.  The telescope which is operational in space searches for  exoplanets that have characteristics similar to Earth.  To date there have been well over 700 exoplanets, planets located outside of our solar system, and there exist thousands that are still to be officially confirmed.

Finding proof of other planets similar to Earth in the universe has always been a dream of scientists and astronomers.  It would seem that their dreams have been fulfilled beyond their wildest dreams.  One of the newest members of confirmed planets is one named Kepler 35.  It is an amazing discovery because this planet circles not one but two stars.  Scientists have always believed that such a two star system would be much too unstable to support a system of planets.  And, again where there is one there seems to be more.

Once upon a time modern man dreamed of visiting the moon and flying through space.  Eventually mankind did realize this dream as it became a reality.  With the recent shutdown of the space shuttle program at NASA it seemed that dreams of space were being put aside and that a whole new generation of mankind would never experience the dream.  Instead, where one dream existed, another dream has replaced it.  It is a new dream for a new generation.  It is a dream of worlds so vast and different in scope.  It is a dream of possible variations of life.  It is a dream of traveling where no man has gone before.  It is a dream that will one day become a reality and then replaced by another dream.  For the rule of thought exists that if there is one and then there must be another.

Light pollution can cause a lot of problems for astronomers so taking the steps to help reduce the affects of light pollution so you can better enjoy your viewing. 

The steam is found in dark sum spots and was identified by water’s spectral signature. The water produces a stellar green house effect that influences the spots output of energy.

What makes it even more interesting is that the team had discovered the spectral absorption lines that made the discovery possible. They then found the signature in data from the sun. 

The Great Pyramid was thus, according to the holders of the inspiration theory, originally designed as a perfect and complete metrologic monument. This conclusion is thought to be supported by the great astronomical knowledge possessed by the builders, who were seemingly aware, not only of the shape and rotatory motion of the earth, its distance from the sun and moon, but also the precession of the equinoxes.

The Great Pyramid seems to have been deliberately located at the centre of the land mass of the earth. The east/west parallel that crosses the most land and the north/south meridian that crosses the most land intersect in two places on the earth, one in the ocean and the other at the Great Pyramid. It marks the Spring Equinox since it casts no shadow at noon on that day because the curvature of the earth at that latitude is mirrored in the angle of its sides.
With these and other facts, The Great Pyramid is thus seen to be an important astronomical monument, and it is no less remarkable in relation to a number of time-based facts.

It apparently demonstrates the great cycle of the precession of the equinoxes. This Precessional or Great Year, is between 25,827 and 25,868 solar years, and the sum of the two diagonals of the pyramid’s base measure just the same number of Pyramid Inches.
It is thought, moreover, that by means of this cycle the date of the erection of the pyramid can be ascertained.

II

The path of the North Celestial Pole among the stars due to precession (assuming constant speed and obliquity) of epoch JED 2000    
Image via Wikipedia

Orion is the key to understanding the 26,000 years cycle of the equinoxes through Ancient Egyptian eyes. Of all the constellations in the sky, it is among the easiest to spot with its iconic 3 star configuration of Orion’s Belt.
Orion (relative to earth’s precession), moves upward in one direction for 13,000 years and then reverses direction for the last 13,000 years. Additionally, just as the constellation Orion was used to measure the equinoctal precession, Sirius A (the Dog Star) was used to track the solar year and the all-important flooding of the Nile.

Its path across the sky progresses for 365.25 days, so the rising of the star, was the equivalent of New Year’s Day in Ancient Egypt.

The Descending Passage is said to have pointed to the pole star Alpha Draconis, circa 2170-2144 BCE. This was the North Star at that point in time and apparently no other star has aligned with the passage since then. At the same time, the Pleiades, particularly Alcyone, the centre of the group, were on the same meridian above.
The relative positions of Alpha Draconis and Alcyone was extraordinary, as it could not occur again for a whole Precessional year and because of that; it is thought to mark the date of the building of the Great Pyramid.

It should be mentioned, however, that the dates stated are not the only possible ones because of the cyclical nature of the Precession of the Equinoxes. As early as 1882, Richard A. Proctor, an astronomer, stated that the Pole-star was in the required position about 3,350 B.C., as well as in 2,170 B.C.

The next article following is Addendum: Modern Dating of the Pyramid.
The final installment in this series
Ancient Alien Fact #1 : The Great Pyramid. 

You can always catch me here… for the other stuff..

Ah the joys that the ‘comments’ section can bring.

First of all, let me lay down the fact that I am both fascinated and thrilled at the discovery made by astronomer Laurance Doyle, and team, using NASA’s $600 million Kepler telescope.  I am amazed at the depth and wonders that make up our vast and ever expanding knowledge of the universe.  I think that the discovery of a circumbinary planet such as ‘Tatooine’ is a breakthrough and am happy to see that, once again, the artistic imaginings of a mere mortal such as George Lucas have found their way out there into our reality.  One can only hope that maybe the discovery of a real life ‘Tatooine’ can help turn a few young heads toward the fields of Science in hopes of finding out just how many other Star Wars-esque planets may be in existence.  Anything to get the future generation to thinking that Math and Science are fun is a winner in my book.

But after reading through the ins and outs of this amazing planet located 200 light years away from our dear old home planet of Earth, I found my attention caught by some of the comments left behind by those who had come before.  While I am not one who cares to get entangled in the age old debate of Science vs. Religion, I found that I could not easily tear my gaze away from some of the many comments that were left by readers of the article on ‘Tatooine’s’ discovery.  So many intelligent responses were left concerning the possibilities of travel to this planet in the future, the possible existence of others like it, and the calculations of the sheer vastness that makes up our universe as a whole.  WOW!  I was honestly blown away at the amount of thought that had been put into such considerations and found myself smiling at some of the helpful answers left by certain people in order to answer questions posted by others.  Seemed to me like ‘Tatooine’ had brought about a pretty good response that kept right on educating even after the column had ended.

And then someone threw out the ‘G’-word.  It’s always strange to see just how quickly the mention of religion can turn even the most intelligent of conversations into a name-calling, venom-spewing, debate over who’s more ignorant; the Scientific community and those who seek to find their truths through cold, hard facts and evidence that can be touched and seen, or those who choose to believe in the possibilities of the unseeable and untouchable that gives them comfort and hope when even Science can’t be there to warm them.

While I myself am a firm believer in ‘your life, your beliefs, whatever makes you happy’ it seems that there are far too many out there who still seek to ridicule others just because they seek to follow a path that we ourselves don’t always understand and, as I continued to read the comments posted, I felt a little sad at how quickly people who had been posting such wonderfully intelligent and inspired ideas could turn around and begin posting comments calling others names simply because they felt or thought a little differently.  I know free speech allows us the given right to do so I still like to think that as a whole we have moved past the need to call each other “ignorant” or “lacking” simply because we prefer to look at things from another point of view. 

Science quickly spiraled into debate and while there were many who, I thought wisely, tried to veer around the entire train wreck of angry tirades and smart remarks, it seemed like, after a time, even those posters who had seemed the most sterling in their intelligence couldn’t help but to throw in a pot shot here and there.  It seemed as though there was no hope of returning to the quiet peace of intelligent question and answer that had existed before.  Kind of funny how quickly this string of comments took on a likeness to the Jedi fighting off the Sith, when I look back at it.  Only in this particular case the Jedi seemed to win the day by falling back to one of the well known, yet seldom effective in the movies, strategic plans…..If you ignore them, the ones who choose to be angry and rude will eventually go away.

It never ceases to amaze; how such a marvelous thing like the discovery of a planet like ‘Tatooine’ and her two suns can remind us of how much more work we as humans seem to need when it comes to simply learning how to get along here on Earth.

My suggestion for this one?  Parents look up ‘Tatooine’ with your kids and let them learn something really awesome about our Universe and what lies within it…but you may want to skip the comments section if you’re not ready to answer some questions about Science v. Religion.

 The Prime Minister was a careful man. From the moment he came into power, he demanded the highest level of security for himself and his family.  Everyday there would be countless members of security guarding the most important man in the UK – equipped with AR-52 Assault rifles – looking deadly serious.

 But not today.

 Today was a Bank holiday, a day when all hard-workers in London were given the opportunity to spend the day at home with their families, and enjoy not having to go to work. 

That included the guards outside 10 Downing Street.

 The Prime Minister stepped out of a dark blue Rolls Royce Phantom, his size 12 leather work-shoes gently tapping the surface of the pavement. It was much too quiet, the Prime Minister thought, as his Chauffeur eased off towards the main road revving the engine quietly. Where were all the journalists and TV Presenters? 

 Of course! Today was one of the few days when most people got a day off; Bank Holiday! This pleased the Prime Minister very much. He hated having to constantly chat with all of the stuck-up journalists, asking him all kinds of questions and always putting him on the spot. He took one look at the space where the journalists usually stood, and chuckled silently to himself. He could just go inside his own home, without being put under pressure by the press. 

 He walked pass the guard on patrol outside his door – who was wearing tinted shades even though it was gone midnight – and noted how few guards there where and was concerned; there would usually be about four outside his door but now there was only one and even he seemed a bit disinterested. The pm thought about it for a few seconds and tried to persuade himself that nothing would happen 

 The Prime Minister stepped on an under floor heated polished marble floor, with the huge diamond chandelier hanging overhead and various portraits of previous Prime Ministers on the walls. The Prime Minister closed the door, sliding the locks into place. He took off his shoes and went upstairs.

 The prime Minister had two children, aged four whom he loved very much. He had a wife who he had met at university. Right now, they where on holiday in Australia. He would have loved to join them there, but he had to stay in London when the President of Ghana turned up to attend a meeting. The meeting where the prime minister had just back come from. He looked at a picture of his family on the wall as he walked up some thickly carpeted staircase. This was taken in Malta; the four of them had gone there for three days, enjoying every second. He looked at himself. He looked younger there. There where not as many white hairs on his head than before, and his skin had a nice tan then. Now he looked old and boring, perhaps that was how all Prime Ministers were supposed to look. In the picture he looked healthy, happy. Now he just looked stressed and his age was really beginning to show. 

 A movement. 

What was that? He could have sworn he saw something out of the corner of this eye. He turned to look but everything looked normal. Could he have imagined it? Probably.

 No, there it was! This time he was certain.

‘Is anybody there?’ He didn’t sound like his normal, confident self. Instead he sounded frightened.

 No answer. 

 The prime minister was frozen, unsure of what to do. Should he go outside and alert the guard? No, he would sound weak and that’s the last thing any Prime Minister wants. He had made up his mind. He was going to forget it, there was nothing he could do. He walked up the stairs, into his room and looked around.

 Something didn’t look right.

 The king sized bed was still there, and the pictures where just the same. But something. He walked slowly into the bathroom, and switched on the lights. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust. That was when he saw it. He could just make out a figure, holding something. 

 A tranquilizer gun.

 The figure fired – with barely a whisper – into the prime ministers leg. He found himself being lifted by some one. The person was taking him somewhere. 

 He was being kidnapped. 

Chapter 2

 It was a wonderful November morning on Hyde Park Corner, with everyone rushing to work after a well-earned bank holiday Monday, even the occasional horns of angry drivers blasting through the traffic was somehow relaxing to Ralph Daniels. He was sitting in his one bedroom apartment, overlooking everyday commuters who looked like crazed ants in a mad panic to get to work on time. Ralph did this every morning, staring at the chaos below; it made him wake up and be ready for the day ahead. Ralph was good-looking for a 30-year-old; with tanned skin and medium length blond hair. Ralph worked for the MI6 Special Operations Department F, the most important and secretive department in MI6. He was a top spy, who only took on an assignment when it was critical.

 Today Ralph had a call from the Head of Department F, Joe Benton. Benton told Ralph to come to the MI6 headquarters urgently.  Benton didn’t say too much over the phone – which was built-in with a top class anti-tracker – but said it was urgent that he should make his way to ‘work’ immediately.

 He turned and looked at his small but comfortable apartment. There was a normal bed, a normal breakfast table for two and a small kitchen. Ralph smiled to himself. He liked this place. Here, he felt at home. He took his car keys, coat and wallet with him as he walked out. He made his way to the resident’s car park where his car was parked. Ralph drove a custom-built bullet and bomb proof silver Jaguar XJ6. The car was his most prized possession. 

 The car was equipped with rocket launchers and machine guns hidden in the exhaust pipe of the car. The windscreen – when the car wasn’t being driven – would turn into a computer where Ralph could contact Joe Benton at any time to inform him about anything. Not every Department F agent got these gadgets, only the most important. Now, driving along the main road, Ralph couldn’t help getting slightly anxious. What would his new assignment be? Why was it so important?  

 Ralph arrived – ten minutes later – at Department F HQ parking his car in the car park. From the outside, the HQ looked like an ordinary apartment block. However, inside it couldn’t be more different to a council block. It had the highest level of security; anyone within a two-mile radius of the building would be scanned using high technology; infra-red thermal imaging satellite cameras for weapons, just to be prepared for an attack. If it sighted a weapon on a person, it would alert the security and they would prepare for an attack.

 He walked into the HQ building through the main entrance. The floor was polished marble and there where a countless number of plants dotted around the reception area. A large chandelier hung from the ceiling. A glass reception desk stood in the centre of the room and Ralph made his way to it. A tired looking male receptionist was tapping away at his computer.  

‘Can I help you?’ He said, without looking up from the computer.

‘Yes I’m here to see Mr. Benton, apparently it is urgent…’ 

‘Agent Daniels?’ the receptionist finally looked up from his computer. ‘Proceed to the elevator, please’

‘Cheers’ Ralph walked to the elevator and pressed the ‘up’ button on the side. 

 He stepped into the elevator. It was large, and luxurious. However, Ralph knew it had a built-in weapon detector in what looked like an ordinary CCTV camera, and it would be searching him thoroughly while he stood here. Ralph always carried a gun – a Walther P99 semi-automatic handgun – just in case he ever ran into any trouble. 

 Nine floors up, Ralph stepped out of the lift onto soft carpet. Mr. Benton’s office was opposite the elevator, and in a few steps, Ralph was standing in front of one of the most important offices in Special Ops. He knocked and went inside. 

 The room was large, with a desk and computer sitting by the window, getting a great view of the BT Tower. The floor was carpeted blue and the walls where white. The office didn’t really look that special. Sitting behind the desk – typing on his keyboard – a middle-aged man with greasy, combed white hair and blue eyes. The man was short and thin and looked about 50. His expression never seemed to change; he always looked concerned, his face full of wrinkles. 

 Joe Benton. 

Benton looked up from his computer, still his expression staying the same.

‘Daniels. Take a seat’ said Benton with a thick Irish accent, as Ralph sat down.

 ’Nice to see you. There is no time to waste. I need you to go on an assignment right now. Understood?’

‘Sure’ Ralph was getting impatient. ‘But what-’

‘Just listen’ Benton commanded, taking a long, deep breath. Then he began: 

  “The Prime Minister had just returned home from a meeting with the President of Ghana. His family – two children and a wife – were on holiday in Australia. He was unable to go because he had to attend this meeting with the President of Ghana. Because it was Boxing Day, only one guard was in front of his home. MI6 asked him exactly what happened. He told us that the PM came back and went straight inside his home. After that, he saw or heard nothing until the next morning when the PM never came out to go on the daily visit to Parliament. The guards went inside and called the police immediately. The PM had been kidnapped.’

 Ralph gasped.

 ’Downing Street received a call from an anonymous man today. He told us he wanted 30 million pounds in cash in exchange for the Prime Minister. Later today, the PM will be home but the government will have lost 30 million. MI6 tracked the number down to a house and a man. Its owned by a Russian man named Boris Ivanovic. He moved to the UK about a month ago. We also know that he has been buying a whole load of weapons from dealers all over the UK. Why he wanted 30 million quid is a mystery.

 ’Earlier we sent a minor agent to have a look at the house. It’s huge. He has guards all over it. The house is fenced with electric barbed wire. Boris never seems to have any contact with the outside world, except sometimes with his guards. As far as we know, he lives alone. We have, however, found out that Boris is looking for a butler – male – to serve him around his massive house and keep things in order. That’s where you fit it. Your name will be changed to Charlie Abbas, a loyal butler who will stay at the Boris manner for however long it takes for you to see what he’s doing with the cash he now has. We just need you to see what he’s up to. So try to get into his private area and log onto his computer and do some snooping. Just in case there is something dangerous, don’t try stopping it yourself. We’ll have special armed forces on standby near your location, use your special watch to contact them, so don’t try anything stupid. 

 ’That’s about it. I trust you will live up to your high standard. Sounds easy right? But if he finds out you are a spy, he’ll kill you. If he catches you in his private office, he’ll kill you.

 Again Ralph, nothing stupid.’

Chapter 3

  Since Ralph left MI6 HQ, he had gone home, packed his clothes and got everything he needed – his memory-stick, a phone that worked as a gun by shooting real bullets out of the headphones hole and a clicky gadget pen which when you clicked it, it contacted MI6 to send the special forces to help him – hailed a cab and headed straight to Boris Ivanovic’s house.  Ralph was nervous about his new mission, and he knew it would be dangerous. But to him, danger was his friend. Ralph had always liked being involved with danger; it was his kind of thing.

 The hours in the cab dragged by, but finally he stepped out of the cab and paid the driver. Ralph then turned around and surveyed the scene. 

 He had to admit it, except for the ugly fence that surrounded it, Boris had a beautiful home. There was a massive driveway with statues, ornaments and wonderfully bright fountains. The windows where all spotless and brilliant in the sunlight and the grass was an extremely bright green. Ralph didn’t see how Boris could afford such a luxurious home such as this one. It didn’t make any sense to him. 

 He looked around when he realized he was being spoken to.

‘Oi!’ It wasn’t Boris speaking to him because this man sounded like someone who spent all their time in the pub watching football and drinking beer.  ‘Ain’t nobody allowed in, or out of those gates,’ He said. 

‘Excuse me, but I’m Mr.Ivanovic’s new butler, Charles Abbas’

‘Sir Ivanovic he’d be in ‘is private office. Through the door, keep going straight, then up the stairs and turn left, walk through the second door on the right. Dun’ forget ta knock init.’ He grunted to one of the other guards who opened the gates.

 Ralph carried on to the front door, which opened easily. 

 The inside of Boris’ huge house wasn’t so fantastic to say the least. It seemed to exert a rather revolting stale stench. The walls where stained and cracked as was also the floor and all of the furniture had been put in the wrong places, for instance a rug in a random place, or a chair sitting in the middle of the foul-smelling hall. It was no surprise that he needed a butler so badly; this place reeked. 

 Ralph followed the man’s directions and, after getting slightly lost, eventually found Boris’ private office. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

 ’Ah!’ Boris said, as Ralph walked in.  ‘You must be Charlie Abbas! My name is Boris Ivanovic, please, take a chair’

 Boris was surprisingly younger-looking than Ralph expected, since he was in his late forties. There was a solid, shiny quality to his face, with barely a hint of wrinkles. He had combed, greasy black hair, which had to be dyed. He was short, but had a good frame. From what Ralph could see, he was wearing a polo shirt and black Nike jogging pants. His office was small and cluttered with a dozen dirty cups and plates, papers and files just thrown anywhere, the room was chaos.

 ’Pleased to meet you, sir.’ Ralph sat down on an old plastic chair.

 ’I am expecting a lot from you Mr.Abbas, I really am!’ He said, ‘The agency told me some good things about you!’ He spoke perfect English with only the slightest hint of Ukrainian. ‘You will be much better than my useless old butler, Seedrick.’

 ’I'll do my best, sir .So what happened with the old man, Mr.Seedrick then?’

 ’Indeed you are very curious. But you must be quite worn out after the journey? You must get some rest and tomorrow you must familiarize yourself with the chef and start your first day of work. Your room is the second door on the third floor. Good day!’

 He stood up and shook Ralphs hand firmly; a test to see if Ralph would be as firm, and he was. He didn’t want to seem weak, and didn’t want Boris to think he was a waste of time. Ralph went out of the office and followed the instructions to go to his room. 

 That conversation left Ralph in a muddle; what did happen to the old butler? Could it have anything to do with Boris supposedly kidnapping the PM? But whatever happened to the Seedrick, would the same happen to Ralph Daniels?

Chapter 4

 ’I have the money’ Said Boris speaking into a telephone. It was midnight and he was still in his private office. ‘Now when can you get it to me?’

 ’Hey!’ The man said, with a heavy American accent ‘I can’t just drive through town with it in the trunk of an ordinary car, I need a truck.’

 ’Well get your own truck!’ Boris replied ‘I only have the money that I got from the damned PM and I that’s what I need to pay you!’

 ’I can get my own truck, kid’ He said ‘It’s just if I get pulled over by the coppers, who’s gonna take the blame’

 ’You.’ Boris slammed down the receiver. He took a couple of minutes to calm down, then made his way to his bedroom, locking his office door for the night.

*

  At eleven, Ralph snuck out of his room to have a look at the rest of the house. After almost getting caught by the chef, he had seen the gritty kitchen, dining room, library and so on. Finally he had come across the office that he had been in when he first arrived. 

 Ralph had heard the ending of Boris’ conversation, when Boris told the other man to get his own truck. Now Ralph knew that Boris kidnapped the PM and that he didn’t just want money for it, but he wanted to buy something. Ralph’s mind was racing; he couldn’t think of what it was that Boris wanted so badly that he had to get £30 million from the PM. Ralph knew that this might take some time. 

 He went back into his room and quietly phoned MI6 to update them on his arrival. Tomorrow he would have to go into Boris’ office to see if there was anything in there that might give away some clues. Also, he would have to meet the chef. Would she know anything that may help?

*

 When Ralph woke up he was in a daze. He looked at his watch, which last night he had left on the filthy bedside table, and it was eight o’clock. He got up, washed, changed and – after again getting lost – went downstairs to introduce himself to the cook, who lived in a room next to the kitchen.

 Ralph knocked twice on the wooden door before stepping back and waiting. A female voice inside called him in. The room was tiny, with just enough space for a bed and a small set of drawers. There was a suitcase where presumably the cooks’ clothes were kept. 

 The cook looked old, Ralph guessed she was in her late fifties. She had neck-long grey hair and a wrinkly face. But what struck Ralph were her incredibly piercing blue eyes, like daggers.

 ’Good morning madam. My name is R-, Charlie’ That was close for Ralph, giving away his real identity now would be lethal.

 ’Ah, pleased to meet you Mr.Abbas.’ She replied merrily. ‘I’m Waitrose’

 ’So you are the chef?’ He asked, trying to put aside his almost fatal mistake.

 ’Indeed’ Waitrose said, sadly ‘I’ve been here twenty-three filthy years, and don’t you forget it.’

 ’I take it you don’t much enjoy working for our Mr. Boris?’ Said Ralph, who was trying to lead the conversation somewhere. 

 ’No, not much. Boris is a bully. At first you think he’s kind and nice to work with, but when you get to know him you realize he just bosses you around and shouts at you.’

 ’Sorry to hear that. So how do you get your stock if nobody’s allowed in or out of the gates?’ 

 ’Oh’ Waitrose shrugged ‘There’s a truckload of goods that comes every week. We don’t eat fresh here, only canned. That’s all Boris likes, is canned. Canned peas, canned porridge, you name it.’  

 ’What day does the truck come, then?’

 ’Thursday afternoon so should be coming in tomorrow.’

 ’Fantastic’ Said Ralph, secretly disappointed when he realized that Waitrose would be no help to finding out about Boris and the PM. ‘Well, I must get going now.’

 ’Bye!’ She said as Ralph walked off. Ralph was bitterly disappointed; he didn’t seem to be going anywhere on this mission at all. 

 ’That’s it’ Ralph thought, ‘I didn’t train with MI6 for three years just to let the bad guy win.’ Ralph felt a fresh wave of anger blow over him.  Suddenly he was striding towards Ivanovic’s office so that he could report something back to MI6. It didn’t have to be something miraculous like £30 million in cash sitting on his desk, but just enough to save his reputation; a reputation of the best spy in MI6.

 Chapter 5

He would have to wait until nighttime, when everyone in the house was asleep. For now though, Ralph thought about doing some regular butler duties; checked the mangy wine cellar, cared to the dreadful garden, polished some forks and knifes and chose the food for Boris’ dinner. After which, Ralph was absolutely knackered. He walked up the stairs to his room, closed the door and collapsed onto his bed and within a minute, he was asleep.                                                                                                                  *

 He got up at 4am. Now would be his best chance to sneak inside Boris’ office and look around. If Ralph were caught, he would simply say that he’d lost his way and thought it was the bathroom. Without a torch, Ralph would have to feel his way through pitch black to get to the door. After narrowly avoiding the chest of drawers, he stepped out of his room.

 The corridor was eerily silent. Ralph had never imagined it to be this quiet, he had thought there would be at least a small amount of noise coming from outside. But there was no sound at all, which would make it difficult and time-consuming to make his way to the office without being heard. But there was an extremely dim light coming from the guardhouse, so at least now Ralph could just about see where he was going. He moved as swiftly as possible, careful to avoid the antique grandfather clock sitting in the middle of the hall. 

 Ralph got to the office without anyone noticing, so it was going to plan. But now was the hard part; Ralph would have to hope that Boris door was unlocked, otherwise Ralph would have to risk picking the lock, and Boris would hear. He counted to three and tried the door. Amazingly, it opened. Ralph walked in, careful to close the door silently behind him. 

 It took a minute for his eyes to adjust to the dark, by which time Ralph could make out Boris’ desk and the ancient computer sitting on top, which was flashing with his screen saver of a Russian flag. Ralph’s plan was to search Boris’ computer for any recent documents he had opened, and to take a look at anything which might give MI6 a clue as to what he did with the £30 million he got.

 Luckily, Boris’ computer didn’t require a password, so it was easy for Ralph to search it. He clicked on recent documents and a list of what Boris had opened came up.

1. Russian friends phone numbers

2. Cook and butler salary

3. My video plan 

 He clicked on 3. Just out of curiosity. What he saw gave him a nasty shock. It was Boris, recording himself talking. Ralph turned the volume up one bar above mute and listened carefully. 

 ’Hello ugly British people!’ Said Boris ‘ my name is Boris Ivanovic. On bank holiday Monday, I expertly abducted your weak and filthy prime minister from his luxury home in Downing Street. I demanded £30 million from your irritating government for his safe return. I know what all you scumbags are thinking! Why did Mr.Ivanovic want £30 million? I hope not to bore you with my story. 

 ’When I was young, your repulsive country invaded my innocent homeland of Russia. And for what? For oil! You killed most of my delightful village because you wanted some oil! I was out working in a factory, but my loving family was at my home in the village. A cold-blooded soldier killed my father, mother and baby brother because my father refused to give him all of his money. 

 ’Your filthy country is the reason for my loving families death, therefore I think it’s only fair that I get my revenge on you. Stay in your homes and await death, as there is nothing you can do to avoid it. Each and every person in this country will die. I shall not tell you how, though. It, will be a surprise.’

 Ralph was stunned. So stunned that he didn’t notice that he turned the volume up in the middle of the video, nor did he notice Boris open the door while Ralph was watching the video.

 ’Charles!’ Boris said when the video had ended. ‘do you like my plan?’ 

Chapter 6

 Ralph stood up and adopted a Sanchin-Dachi karate stance – his left foot forward with the toes of his right foot where in line with his left heel. ‘Just because your parents where killed?’ Ralph couldn’t think of anything else to say.

 ’Charlie, Charlie, Charlie! Your quite daft for a spy aren’t you? I’m sure you realize that I have a pleasure of making people suffer?’ 

 Ralph laughed nervously ‘Why can’t you just get over it? I know how you must feel, but you have to move on.’ 

 ’Enough!’ Boris bellowed as he pulled out a gun and beckoned him through the door. 

 They moved along the corridor and all the way up the stairs with Ralph leading the way. Boris was panting slightly, but Ralph’s fitness was amazing. He made Ralph walk into a windowless room on the top floor. This was the worst room Ralph had seen in the Boris manor. There were cobwebs everywhere, in places the plaster on the walls had peeled off and worst of all, there was a wasp’s nest hanging from the ceiling in the corner. 

 ’Enjoy your stay at the Boris Manor!’ Boris said it like he was telling a joke. He called a guard up and told him, ‘Stay outside his room but keep him alive. I want him fresh for interrogation later this evening.’ Ralph didn’t bother to resist being thrown into the room -with dead wasps all over the floor – as it would only make the guard more violent. He was just about to give up when his brain hatched an idea. He would have to wait until it was afternoon before he could try it. He didn’t have a clue what time it was, but he’d say he had about seven hours to kill.

*                                                         

 Ralph had to stay in the other side of the room, away from the wasps. Occasionally, when a wasp came close, Ralph would stay like a statue until it got bored and buzzed off. He had been counting the seconds for seven hours now, and stopped at 25, 200 seconds, and stood up. The wasps didn’t seem to notice him at all, they just kept busy doing one thing or the other. He pressed his ear onto the door to check if the guard was still there. He heard nothing at first, then a gentle snore. 

 ’GOOD LORD!’ Ralph cried ‘I THINK I’M DYING! HELP!’

 To Ralph’s relief he heard the jingling of keys and then a lock being opened. When the unsuspecting guard walked through the door, the heel of Ralph’s boot connected hard with the soft flesh of the guard’s stomach. The guard fought for air and tried to scream, but couldn’t find enough oxygen to. The first phase of Ralph’s breakout was complete. The guard could still wake up and alert Boris, so regretfully, Ralph had to finish him. 

 He lifted the guard up, took the keys and went out of the room, holding the guard inside it. On the count to three, Ralph looked away and pushed the guard into the wasp nest with all his strength, and closed the door quietly behind him. All Ralph heard was a soft thud and then billions of angry wasps attacking the intruder. Ralph didn’t want to do what he just did, but he had no choice. One guard was a small price for whatever Boris was planning. But what was Boris planning? While Ralph was in the room, other than counting he was trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together in his mind. All he had come to be that Boris was going to do something like assassinate the Queen or a celebrity. 

 Right now, in the back of his mind, Ralph knew that this was his best chance of escape. But his conscience was telling him not to report back to MI6 HQ empty handed. So for one last time, Ralph made his way to Boris’ private office.

Chapter 7

Boris didn’t seem to be around that afternoon. This made it easy for Ralph to sneak into his office and download data off his computer.

 He had just taken out the memory stick when he heard Boris approaching the room. Ralph quickly shut the computer and hid under the desk.   

Ralph’s heart was drumming madly in his chest. He looked around for something to defend himself with just in case Boris found him sitting there; a dead cricket, a huge box wrapped in bubble wrap and a few pieces of paper. Nothing useful.

 Boris seemed to be on the phone when he walked in. He slammed the door behind him and sat at his desk. Ralph held his breath.

 ’Yes, yes, I’ve received the package.’

 Ralph’s ear was inches away from Boris’ knee. His heart skipped a beat as he let out a huge breath and sucked in more air. Luckily Boris had all his attention on the man on the other end of the phone. 

 ’Don’t you worry, Mr. Ming, its in safe hands’ Boris exclaimed.

 ’…………….’

 ’Thank you, Mr. Ming, the pleasure is all mine.’ He hung up and laughed mysteriously. At that moment, the door burst open and a distressed guard bolted inside.

 ’ABBAS, ABBAS, HE’S, HE’S.’ The guard was too shocked to talk properly ‘HE’S ESCAPED!’

 ’Calm down you sod’ Boris replied calmly ‘how do you know?’

 Ralph was surprised Boris had managed to keep his cool and knew it wouldn’t last long before he – much to Ralph’s amusement – erupted once again.

 ’Henry was outside’ He replied, panting heavily, ‘the room, and when… When I went up to… To see Henry he… he…’

 ’He WHAT?’ Boris yelled so loudly that Ralph shook suddenly.

 ’He was covered in wasps.’ 

 ’And the butler?’ Asked Boris, who was stunned.

 ’No sign of… of the spy, sir.’  

 ’Don’t just stand there!’ Boris roared ‘Do something!’

 They half ran, half walked through the door and Boris shut it behind him. Ralph waited for a few minutes before standing up and patting the dust off his clothes. Ralph hadn’t noticed how much he stank. He was surprised that Boris hadn’t smelt him from under the desk. 

 Ralph knew he had to leave now or Boris might come back and shoot him. But, once again, Ralph’s curiosity got the better of him. He reached under the desk and pulled out the big box wrapped in a clear plastic sheet. He ripped the cover off hastily and opened the box.

  Ralph panicked and realized what was in the box. Something deadly. Something lethal, fatal even. Something out of this world. 

Something… Nuclear.   

*

 Ralph thought, ‘OK, just keep your cool’ the timer on the bomb said 33 minutes. Ralph was a trained bomb diffuser but 33 minutes wasn’t enough? Ralph couldn’t do it he just couldn’t.

 But he had to.

 The bomb, surprisingly, wasn’t heavy. Ralph could even carry it with one hand. He picked it up, and silently left the office while closing the door. This was the final countdown. 

 He made his way down the stairs, and down to the basement. From there he went through the back door and into the courtyard. Further on, the guards where forming a search party to look for him. The gates looked unguarded, but they still would be locked. Ralph had expected the courtyard to be empty, but there, standing in the centre, was the truck that delivers goods to the manor. It was unmanned. 

 Still holding the bomb, Ralph moved stealthily towards the vehicle. There was a tarpaulin covering it and a flap for the back door, which Ralph climbed into with the bomb still in his hand. When he had discovered the bomb, the real danger of the thing had not yet sunk in. Now, sitting with it in an empty boot of a truck, he was starting to sweat heavily. He found a sharp stick and sat down in the corner to try and disarm the bomb; he had to relax, to take deep breaths and to concentrate, but he was pouring with sweat. 

 There were only 12 minutes remaining, and he had managed to get to the red and white wires. This part was a gamble. Red, or white. Red could set off the bomb immediately, and white could do the same. But one wire was the key to unlocking the whole mission. Ralph, while trying not to think about what would happen if the wrong wire were cut, was just about to cut the white wire of the bomb. Like a shot the door to the drivers seat opened and closed, as if someone was climbing inside. 

 The engine began, Ralph could feel the truck edging closer to the gates. Would the truck be searched? Abruptly, he realized that there was now 10 minutes left on the clock. Edging closer to the gates, Ralph braced himself. 

 Absolutely dripping with sweat, he slit the red wire. 

Chapter 8

 Ralph Daniels was sitting restlessly in the back of a tarpaulin-covered truck, calming himself down after a massive anti-climax. Ralph had got himself into a panic-state; shivering and mumbling and his mind was in a mess. It wasn’t easy to disarm a bomb, especially a nuclear bomb. Ralph was just recovering when he suddenly realized that he had to get the bomb back to MI6 as quick as possible. Now he was out of the Boris Manor, it would make it easier.

 Ralph stood up slowly and walked to the end of the truck. He lifted the flap and was dazzled by bright sunlight, his eyes taking a few seconds to regain focus. The truck was moving rapidly on a smooth, lonely road. It looked as if Ralph had got away! He had done it, he had successfully infiltrated Boris Ivanovic who had kidnapped the prime minister and disarmed a nuclear bomb! It was all looking up for Ralph, he was feeling on top of the world. Ralph looked up.

 When he saw the helicopter, he froze.

For a second he thought he could hear Boris’ voice in his head saying ‘you mess with Boris Ivanovic and you get punished. Especially if you are a spy.’ The voice was very unclear, very distant. Ralph was so deep in thought; he barely noticed the truck come to a halt. When he did, he jumped off and walked on a dusty floor to the drivers seat. 

 The driver was another one of the ‘pub-bums’, like the first man Ralph had met at Boris’ manor. 

 ’What you think your doing you pleb?’ He roared, while rolling his window down. 

 Ralph threw a hard punch into the centre of the man’s face. That was all the man needed to be out cold, and he fell to the floor as Ralph opened the truck door. The key was in the ignition, and Ralph saw a glimmer of hope. Until he looked at the fuel gauge – which was close to zero – any hope he had left had drifted away. Ralph knew he would have to get out and face Boris. This is where he was going to die. 

Chapter 9

 Unwillingly, he opened the door of the truck, and jumped down. The helicopter was now hovering a few hundred feet above his head, but Boris was standing further down the road holding a Glock 18 Machine Pistol towards Ralph’s direction. Ralph guessed he was about ten feet away, so he walked straight up to him. The helicopter was making plenty of noise, so Ralph had to shout loudly.

 He said ‘You could have killed thousands, maybe millions of people if I didn’t find that bomb, you know’

 ’People, my friend’ Boris replied ‘People are a small price for revenge. Nobody deserves to live in this filthy, arrogant city. That’s why I will kidnap the Queen, the Prince and so on, to keep buying nuclear bombs from Iran.’

‘Revenge isn’t worth this man’ Ralph realised he wasn’t going to convince Boris with words. ‘Fight like a man.’

‘What?’

‘I said, fight like a man. Drop the gun and fight, you coward.’ The word seemed to wake Boris up. He threw the gun and adopted a boxing stance.

 Ralph didn’t expect Boris to be so quick, and wasn’t expecting Boris to land a heel into Ralph’s foot and immediately land a roundhouse kick to the side of Ralph’s head, knocking him sideways. Ralph was quick to get back onto his feet, and tried not to let the pain show.

 Meanwhile in the helicopter, a guard from Boris’ manor was overlooking the fight below. His name was Chris, and this was his last night before he would go home and quit this job.

 Back on the ground, Ralph Daniels was in a bad state. His nose was broken, with blood spewed over his shirt. His leg was badly bruised, and his ankle gave way every time he stood up. But it wasn’t like Ralph to give up easy. He had a plan, but it wasn’t foolproof. Now was the time to use it.

 Boris was looking smug, going on about revenge and how dear to him his family was. Boris came closer to him and suddenly Ralph had perfectly timed a low roundhouse kick. But Boris was too quick. Instead of looking angry, he simply pulled out another gun from his pocket – a revolver – and loaded it with a bullet. 

 While this was happening, Chris was coming down the rope ladder to see Boris.

 Boris was pointing the revolver at Ralph’s heart – which was sinking with disappointment – and aimed steadily.

 Bang.

Chapter 10

 Back at 10 Downing Street, Ralph Daniels was shaking hands with the PM.

 ’Thank you so much Mr. Daniels, you stopped a huge problem that would have destroyed the government, not to mention the whole of London!’

 ’Well sir, I was only doing my job’ 

 ’Anything you want’

 ’Sorry?’

 ’You name it. Anything you want; new car, new apartment, I must give you something in return for your services.’

 Ralph wasn’t surprised; it was typical of the Prime Minister to want to return the favor. But Ralph didn’t know what he wanted. He was happy with what he had. The mission wasn’t so hard; he very nearly died – twice – and he had to defuse a nuclear bomb, but that was what Ralph liked. Danger.

 ’Well sir, there is one thing…’

 ’You name it’ 

 ’Another dangerous mission’ 

                 THE END

Image via Wikipedia

The intricate dance between the Earth and other celestial bodies has always been a source of wonder and amazement, resulting in countless stories and myths throughout the world. Many of these stories still are told today.

The Earth’s ancient people cared about these natural rhythms and cycles, because their lives and their livelihood depended on them. At certain times of the year, food was plentiful years in certain regions and not so in others.

At certain moments came the rain, others may expect hot and dry. They also found that fertility was in some way linked with the cycles of the moon.

According to these various cycles of nature, people began to recognize a Cosmos of increasing complexity – repeating patterns and cycles within cycles involved even larger order. The cyclical movements of the sun, moon, planets and stars indicated a Natural Order to Reality, which our ancestors gave them the significance and certainty of continuity.

Heaven and Nature touched every aspect of their lives. Not only is his astronomical observations indicating when to plant their crops and when to harvest, but also where to locate their temples, how to design their houses and even how to orient their cities. These people occupied a smart, living universe that governed their lives.

The survival and success, then, depended on how well you could read the celestial signs.

As a brief review of the most basic of these natural cycles, we start with the rotation of the Earth on its axis. Because the Earth rotates one full revolution every 24 hours, we observed recurrent periods of the day and night.

Unfortunately, there are surprisingly large numbers of people today who still do not understand that this daily cycle is caused by the movement of the Earth, and not something the Sun is doing.

This could be explained a bit by the fact that our linguistic practices are centuries behind our scientific understanding, and continued to talk in terms of sunrise and sunsets.

Anyway, the next cycle we will see is based on the movement of the Earth but the Moon. The moon rotates around the Earth every 29.5 days, giving us the concept of the month to appear in its different phases from new moon to full moon, and once back to New Moon.

Then there is the observable cycle of the year when the Earth around the sun dances in an elliptic orbit, making it 365.25 days to complete one revolution.

As people continued to observe the celestial bodies, also began to notice that some of the bright lights in the sky moved while others remained relatively stationary. These wandering bodies that have come to know as the planets, and several people around the world showed a special interest in their cycles and movements, weaving a large number of stories, myths and legends.

These early astronomers who kept records of movement of the Sun, Moon and Planets, one of the greatest mysteries they observed was the fact that every year, they expect the sun appeared in the Spring Equinox or the Solstice Winter in a specific place on the horizon, signaling the New Year.

Over time, they were dismayed to find that the sun no longer appears in the same place as it did just 70 years earlier, but had moved a full degree (equivalent to the diameter of the sun – for two). This slow movement, called the Precession of the Equinox, the sun causes the Equinox seems slipping backwards against the backdrop of stars.

The astronomers have deduced that the Earth now is a perfect sphere. It really is a little flattened at the poles, and a bump in Ecuador. As a result, the gravitational pull of the moon and sun exert an uneven influence on Earth. Their gravitational forces try to pull the equatorial bulge to them.

Because the Earth is rotating, these forces are to be drummed the axis of the Earth, always changing very slowly. Gradually the polar axis was once aligned with a particular star, begins to change to align with another star.

Right now, the Earth’s axis to the North Pole points to Polaris – which we appropriately call the North Star. But 5,000 years ago, the celestial north pole aligned to the star called Alpha Draconis. Eight thousand years from now the pole star will be Vega.

Precessional This movement is then the same motion responsible for the relocation of the equinoxes and solstices. The ancient astronomers discovered the long-term precessional movement of the sun through the bottom of the constellations and calculated the length of this cycle to about 25.600 to 26.000 years.

This means that the Sun that marks the Spring Equinox, which now appears in front of background stars in the constellation Pisces in about 500 years will rise to the constellation of Aquarius. Continue to change the way around through the various constellations of Capricorn, Sagittarius, etc., Until about 26,000 years come back to the exact same point in Pisces.

Understanding of the Precession of the Equinox, then, gave rise to many myths and legends of the different World Ages. As the movement continued to change the Equinox Precessional a new constellation, the different cultures perceived this as a New Age or New World.

As the Spring Equinox Sun appeared to arise in the constellation Taurus, people perceived this as the Age of Toro, the Age of the Ram when he went to the constellation of Aries, the Age of Pisces Fish climbing, and so on.

At one time, many civilizations on Earth were aware of this natural cycle of Earth and incorporated it into their cosmologies and concepts of time in various ways.

Each reflecting a slightly different interpretation and meaning, but in different ways, all held Cycle Precessional as involving nothing less than the cosmic process of evolution of life, subtly influencing all forms of life on Earth to move higher levels of organization and complexity. Came to symbolize the spiritual process to Deploy Consciousness on Earth.

What is important here is that this belief was actually based on a remarkable astronomical cycle: every 72 years, the Solstice and Equinox Sun appeared to move a degree back, through the constellations – like the hand of a clock, indicating daylight hours. However, in this cosmic clock hand, or a marker in the movement is the specific location of the equinox or solstice sunrise, while the clock face is represented by relatively stationary constellations of stars.

With this in mind, then, we turn our attention now to how this cycle Precessional was incorporated in the Maya cosmology and how it relates to their long count calendar, specifically the year 2012.

Perhaps more than any ancient culture of which we are aware by now, the Maya were obsessed with astronomy. Not only were they able to project their astronomical calculations thousands of years forward and backward in time, but developed a recyclable Venus calendar that was accurate to a day in 500 years, and a table of eclipses that still functions today.

They also accurately calculated the solar year with up to four decimal places. To achieve these impressive computations, they created a sophisticated system of mathematics that uses place value and the concept of zero. And all this while Europe was still wandering in the Dark Ages.

In a complex such as the Mayan culture, and considering the lapse of a period of nearly a thousand years, it is important to remember that different belief systems arose at different times, some of which coexist in the same place. Just like if we took the demographics of, say, the modern city of New York, we find the Jews living there, as well as Muslims, Protestants and Catholics – all very entertaining in different systems of belief.

And so it is appropriate here to limit our considerations of the Mayan culture to only those beliefs that provide meaning and relevance to the auspicious date on your calendar Long Count – Dec. 21, 2012.

By focusing on this date, we found that one indicator of its probable significance is that specifically designates the Winter Solstice. As this is our starting point in our analysis, let’s take a closer look on what this might mean.

First, it is good to be aware that around the world in various cultures of the past, each designated a specific time to mark the beginning of your New Year.

In ancient Sumeria and Babylon, the New Year began with the Spring Equinox

In Israel the New Year was changed gradually in the Autumn Equinox

In Northern Europe, the New Year was celebrated at the time of Winter Solstice

We still observe the tradition of the New Year in particular, but adding a few extra days so that now our New Year begins on January 1

Then, in the context of this tradition, the Winter Solstice on December 21 was celebrated as the birthday of the Sun is the longest night of the year and therefore the shortest day of the year.

 It represented the ultimate power of the dark forces of nature: the long winter night, when things seemed to be dead and still. And out of the depths of this longest night, was born the new sun From this point on, the power light slowly grows in strength and the days begin slowly to become longer.

The Winter Solstice, then opened the birth of a new solar year. The sun seemed to return from their annual trip south and begins its slow return to the Northern Latitudes. Sunrise, 21 December, was believed to be the first sunrise, and the beginning of the New Year was, in fact, a celebration of the beginning of Time.

In this particular context in mind, we are now prepared to examine more closely the reasons why the Winter Solstice in 2012 is so important. In the Mayan calendar long count, a cycle of 5,200 years ends on this date, and also points to a rare astronomical alignment. In fact, this alignment only happens once every 26,000 years.

The auspicious year of 2012 indicated in the long count calendar illuminates the fact that the movement Precessional the Winter Solstice Sun will gradually align its position with the center of our galaxy.

For the Maya, this is like the last stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, except that in 2012 the New Year is the New Galactic Year of 26,000 solar years. The Galactic Clock will be at point zero and start a new cycle Precessional.

By now you may be wondering what is so important about the Milky Way and why the Maya were even less interested in it.

Our scientific culture has finally come to realize that our planet, the Sun, and the entire solar system had its origins in the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. We have also recently found that our galaxy is 70,000 light years in diameter, with most of its 400 billion stars concentrated in the large central bulge.

Instruments equipped with ultraviolet, X-rays and gamma rays, but infrared telescopes, most astronomers are now convinced that the center of our galaxy is a massive black hole of unimaginable size of millions of times larger than our sun.

 This is where science and mythology are real. For what the center of our Galaxy may represent in terms of energy and properties of time / space, no one has a clue.

But for the ancient Maya, the Milky Way Galaxy represented the Great Cosmic Mother from which all Life was born. They saw our Galactic Mother stretching across the night sky and somehow recognize the place from where we had all come. And the great central bulge at Her center they perceived as the Cosmic Womb.

Within the central bulge is what looks like a dark corridor, known as the crack dark (dark rift). The Mayans referred to it by many names, but the most relevant here is his reference to this area as the “passage of birth.”

Considering then the importance of the 2012 date in the Mayan calendar, it was discovered that this year specifically points to a time when the December Solstice Sun aligns with and arises out of the curtain of the dark rift, the “Canal Galactic Birth “in the central bulge. It is as if the sun really was born again of the Galactic Womb.

Mayan Cosmology was not written in a book, but in the same stars over their heads. The meaning of this story was revealed through the study of dark interpretations, but through partnerships correspondence assigned to the individual parties in history.

All we need do is recognize these original associations and the story unfolds itself. Just as in our culture, we have built partnerships between the Winter Solstice, New Year and the birth of Jesus Christ, “the Son of God” who came into this world as a savior of mankind. ”

In the Maya we have discovered another story associated with the Winter Solstice, New Year and the fate of people on Earth. The astronomical alignment Precessional Cycle Winter Solstice and the Galactic Center represents the “zero point” on the Cosmic Clock, thus marking the beginning of the New Age in our evolutionary journey in consciousness. Tells us is born a New Sun, a New Year has dawned, a New Galactic Cycle has begun, and the transformation of our world is coming.

The big secret in this particular story is that we do not need to wait for the Winter Solstice of 2012 to recognize that we are entering this period of profound transition. Since according to the latest astronomical calculations the Solstice Meridian actually is the most precisely matches the Galactic Ecuador between 1998 and 1999.

Just as the Earth Ecuador divides the world into two hemispheres of North and South, Ecuador GC is the astronomical term for the dividing line of the Milky Way galaxy separating the two halves. Similar to the time of the Equinox, when the sun appears to cross the Earth’s Ecuador and thus enters into a new hemisphere, so in 1998 the Winter Solstice Sun began to cross the Galactic Ecuador.

Considering that the Sun is so large (about one and a half degrees wide) and the movement is so slow, our Sun is not completely by Ecuador and completely in the new Galactic Hemisphere until 2018.

So we need to understand then that the Mayan date of 2012 is simply a pointer to this period of 20 years of transition – the process of birth of the New Age (or Age), and the point of beginning of new cycle of 26.000 years Precessional .

I find it almost the height of irony that the descendants of those white Europeans who came to “New World” to bring enlightenment and salvation to the indigenous population, now find themselves buried here in a remote jungle, a calendar / clock stones mark Time / time it is. A calendar or clock is not strange to their own cultural background, but one that actually incorporates and fulfills its most expansive vision of cyclical time, Cycle Precessional.

This “Great Year” was known long ago by the Sumerians, Babylonians, Egyptians and the ancient Greeks, but lacked the point where it began or ended. Somehow, through the Ages, the knowledge had been lost.

Perhaps the greatest gift the Mayan culture has given our world is the Zero Point to Precessional cycle of 26.000 years. Through the 2012 date on your calendar, they indicated the importance of Ecuador and its relevance to Galactic Precessional cycle, thus giving us the ability to point accurately now the right time in our Galactic Clock.

Over the span of 20 years of transition period when the Solstice Sun crosses the Galactic Ecuador and moved to a new hemisphere, we’ll witness, in fact, the fall of the old structures old and new birth.

For those who have eyes to see, we are actually witnessing the birth of a planetary civilization.

And the very logistics involved in this process will determine that the old values ​​of Nation States, which were mainly based on competition and exploitation, will give way in the future, a collaborative effort, where cooperation is the value social dominance.

This will emerge, not some political theory, social or economic, but of the same desire of the human species to continue to survive and be successful.

These days, the notion that we must major in subject we are passionate about has been flying high and low all across the world. Sure it makes sense, but the problem is that reality does not agree to it. In other words, there are many majors which can attract us greatly, but once we graduate they will not let us get a job easily. Which ones are those? The answer to it is below:

1. Philosophy: The first point to be noted is that in most American schools, you need a specific number of units in order to graduate.  Unfortunately, this requirement cannot be fulfilled by the philosophy major. So you might need to take either extra classes or simply declare a minor. But this is not all. Once you get you graduate, you will find yourself completely confused because direct jobs for philosophy majors do not exist. Of course, you can become its teacher, but again, for that, you will have to either enter in masters or credential program.

2. Cultural Anthropology: This major’s main concentration is on various communities. The unfortunate point is that they do not involve your local people, but the tribes residing in forests.  Do you think any company will want you to make a report on that? No, not really. This basically implies that you are not going to get a job with a degree in cultural anthropology. Yes, you can get a professor’s job. But as you know, to get to that position, you will need a doctorate degree.

3. Music: Most students who take music degree wish to be either in orchestra or become a part of a music group. The ultimate goal is to become famous. But only the lucky ones get to be in that position and not all. A music degree itself does not provide a job easily. But studying it for years can help you a teacher’s position.

4. Astronomy: NASA needs mathematicians and physicists who have PhD. That is why, just having a bachelor’s degree in Astronomy is very much useless. You are simply not going to get a job with it. However, if your passion for the sky flies high you can always enroll in the doctorate program. Yet you have to make sure that the school you choose is reputable. Otherwise, you will not see a nice crispy job coming towards your direction.

5. History: Many say that with a degree in history, you can get a job in the museum. Sure that sounds relieving! But the only problem is that a museum requires only a few employees who have this degree. So after graduation, you basically feel you have been wait listed. But again, the noble task of teaching is always there to save you. Otherwise, you can always look to other fields for help.

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Around 3000 BC construction began on one of our worlds famous monuments, Stonehenge. This was and still Is thought to be an astrological observatory. Around the same time the Egyptians were constructing their massive Pyramids In Giza. The Pyramids were constructed to align perfectly with certain stars In the heavens- Orion.

2000 years later the Maya happened to be building the same sort of thing as the Egyptians In the New World. It amazes me how two completely different civilizations separated by a vast expanse of water and time, each Ignorant of the other, and yet Independently developing their architecture In a very similar way.

Image via Wikipedia

That isn’t to say that astrology is a dead art today.  It is straight forward to discover astrology advocates in every town, promotion in the newspaper and on television trying to convince us that they can tell our fortune, our future and assistance cure our ills by exploring the mysteries of astrology.

When you are a lover of astronomy, the confusion between astronomy and astrology by those who don’t really understand the differences can get pretty annoying.  And in early civilizations, the two disciplines were not separate.  Astrology was just the religious side of the science of astronomy. 

So what changed?

The most significant change that set in motion the separation of both lines of thought started in the first century when Ptolemy wrote the very first book on astronomy known as the Tetrabiblos.  In it, he began to suggest that astronomy should be considered a separate knowledge from astrology.  It was quite a revolutionary book because it was also the first scientific document to suggest that the earth was not the centre of the universe and that astronomy should be focused strictly on the observation and recording of events in the cosmos. This is also something that my book The Secret of Anubis, The Winter Triangle, goes much further into.

Over the next 2000 years, we have come a long way.  Not only has knowledge and religion completely gone their separate ways since Ptolemy but the science of astronomy creates large strides every year that are so extraordinary, Ptolemy would be truthfully astounded.

Perhaps the biggest point of diversion between a student of astrology and astronomy is the assumption that the position of the stars has meaning over the events on our lives.  Obviously, we do know that the weather and tides and other essential aspects of our lives are affected by the stars, planets and heavenly bodies, predominantly the moon.  But these things are happening because of completely justified scientific laws in motion, not because of mystical forces at work.

What can we, as devotees of astronomy conclude about the close relationship between astrology and astronomy?  Well, obviously we want to be able to explain to anyone who’s confused by the similarity in the words what the differences are.  We do not want to see the two approaches to the stars and planets to become confused again.  But we should do all we can do keep that distinction clear without becoming sceptical or demeaning towards those that may still hold to the teachings of astrology.

It’s essential to remember that what is part of a person’s spiritual life has a level of sacred belief to the one holding it.  Furthermore it isn’t respectful to mock at such things.  If for no other reason than out of respect for the ancient origins of astronomy, we must always give courtesy who still are exploring whether astrology has any validity for them.

If we can treat each discipline with respect but maintain the separation that must exist between astrology and astronomy, there is no reason both approaches to our admiration of the galaxies cannot coexist in peace and harmony.  And for our purposes as astronomers, that harmony will allow us plenty of freedom to enjoy our quest for knowledge for many more centuries to come.  And who knows, you might still prefer to read the horoscope on Sunday morning once in a while, I know I do :0)

Image via Wikipedia

Article written by Karima Lachtane
www.windblower.dk

The History of Astrology – Blog by Karima