2012 Countdown
2012 Countdown
I created this animation a year or two ago to demonstrate what was physically happening when something called “Mercury retrograde” occurred. This was created by generating a series of about 400 astrological charts for the same time on subsequent days starting in November, 2011 and ending in January, 2013 so that the sun would stay relatively still while the motion of the rest of the planets could be observed.
As you watch this notice the moon moving very quickly around the circle. Also notice Mercury moving gradually one way, then another, past the sun. When it is moving counter clockwise, it is said to be retrograde, when it moves clockwise, it is said to be “direct”.
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The vertical axis which moves right and left is called the midheaven astrology and seems to coincide with the polar shift of earth on its axis. There is quite a bit of astrological information that can be observed by watching this several times. Even if you do not “believe” in astrology, remember that it is based on “geocentric” astronomy; that is, the view of the cosmological world from the view with the earth is the center.
I do not necessarily subscribe to the world ending in December 2012 hysteria. I figured this span of time would be interesting both before and after it had occurred.