(Untitled)

Mar 22, 2006 22:11

By any chance, would a certain small planet happen to be in retrograde?

It would explain so much.

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: ] You are quite the brilliante :] solemn_druid March 22 2006, 19:19:57 UTC
On March 2, 2006, Mercury, the cosmic magician, turns retrograde in Pisces, the sign of the Fishes, sending communications, travel, appointments, mail and the www into a general snarlup! This awkward period begins a few days before the actual turning point (as Mercury slows) and lasts for three weeks or so, until March 25, when the Winged Messenger reaches his direct station. At this time he halts and begins his return to direct motion through the zodiac.

Everything finally straightens out on April 14, 2006, as he passes the point where he first turned retrograde. Mercury turns retrograde three times a year, as a rule, but the effects of each period differ, according to the sign in which it happens (see box for Retrograde Periods in 2006).

A planet is described as retrograde when it appears to be moving backwards through the zodiac. This traditional concept arises in the illusory planetary motion created by the orbital rotation of the earth, with relation to other planets in our solar system. Planets are never actually retrograde or stationary, they just seem that way, due to this optical illusion.

Retrograde periods, although often problematic for us earthlings, are not particularly uncommon. Each planet retrogrades, except the Sun and Moon.

Or so I think :]

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Re: : ] You are quite the brilliante :] romandruid March 23 2006, 15:48:09 UTC
It's funny, I keep having this conversation about, "Oh no, they say Mercury's in retrograde again" conversation with a consultant where I work, and he keeps telling me, "Yeah, if you use 600-year old star charts." I don't know enough about either astrology OR astronomy to come back.

*shrug*

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Re: : ] You are quite the brilliante :] solemn_druid March 23 2006, 19:59:05 UTC
o.O weirdness.....ask him if he believes the universe is open, closed, or fixed

*chuckles slyly*

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Re: : ] You are quite the brilliante :] chirael March 26 2006, 16:32:27 UTC
He's probably referring to geocentric, versus heliocentric, astronomy.

In other words, when you put yourself at the actual center of the solar system, the Sun (heliocentric), there is no retrograde motion.

But from the point of view of the Earth we live on (geocentric), planets do indeed seem to move backwards occasionally (hence the ancient "five wanderers" thing).

Yes, modern astrologers do know that the Sun is the center of the solar system, but since we live on the Earth they consciously look at how the planets appear from our perspective (and thus how they affect our lives).

He might be (but probably not) intrigued to know that one of the many obscure branches of astrology is called heliocentric astrology. I don't know much about it, but I do remember the fact that there are no retrograde planets in heliocentric astrology :)

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