dreaminginthedeepsouth:wonders-of-the-cosmos:Conjunction: Moon, Jupiter and Saturn over Alborz mount
dreaminginthedeepsouth:wonders-of-the-cosmos:Conjunction: Moon, Jupiter and Saturn over Alborz mountain, Iran Image Credit: Alireza Vafa There’s much hoopla about a “Christmas star” which, of course, isn’t a star and it isn’t Christmas. It’s the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn – the slowest and farthest away planets visible to the human eye.The two planets are actually about 403.3 million miles apart but, because Saturn’s orbit around the sun takes about 29.5 years while Jupiter makes the trip in less than 12 years, they appear to only meet up, from Earthlings’ point of view, about every 20 years for what’s called a conjunction. Notice I didn’t say every 20 years there is a Grand Conjunction. That’s different. The Grand Conjunction occurs when the planets appear to line up so closely, they seem to become one bright celestial body in the sky.Most likely, you missed the last Great Conjunction. It was a bit before most of our times (unless you remember a previous life, or you are a vampire, or an extraterrestrial hanging out on planet Earth). Specifically, it was on March 4, 1226. What’s more, those who notice astrological as well as astronomical cycles point out this is the first time in 800 years the planets in the Great Conjunction are in an air sign (Aquarius). That supposedly portends the advent of a new 800 year cycle which will move the world away from materialism, empire building and control and into more mobility, networks and spiritual vistas. Whatever.You can take all that with a grain of salt - or a pinch of hope.But what’s makes the Grand Conjunction seem a bit more magical – or ominous, depending on your point of view – is that it’s occurring on the winter solstice. And that brings my meanderings to “Alban Arthan,” Welsh for “Light of Winter”. Part of Druid traditions, it’s the marking of the winter solstice as a celebration of death and rebirth.Newgrange, is a prehistoric monument built in what is now County Meath, Ireland, around 3200 BCE - making it older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids. From an astroarchaeological – or any – point of view, it’s astounding. Some people, somehow, engineered a magnificent dome shaped structure (info below) so the sun would shine light exactly through a passage on the winter solstice.So, now we have the Grand Conjunction and the solstice and maybe, MAYBE this does portend a turning, a shifting, something moving from the darkness of 2020 into an era of light. I know I’ll look up at the sky in wonder, as I always do, and try to keep the dream of better days alive in my heart, I hope you can, too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTzPxx3SJ1YAnd for those who follow the ancient ways, and everyone else, too.. blessed be.[Thank you Sherry Baker] -- source link