Winter Solstice of 2012


What is so important about the winter solstice of 2012?
How were calculations made so accurately?

The Sacred Tree of the Mayans is the crossing point of the ecliptic with the band of the Milky Way. The Milky Way plays an important role in Mayan images. The Mayan site of Palenque is filled with Sacred Tree motifs and references to astronomical events. the Sacred Tree referred to the ecliptic and it is the sacred doorway to the underworld. The crossing point of Milky Way and ecliptic is this doorway and represents the sacred source and origin. A human being's entrance into life, and entrance into death as well: The tzolkin calendar is said to spring from the Sacred Tree.

To start with, however, use the exact center of the Milky Way band that one finds on star charts, known as the "Galactic Equator" (not to be confused with Galactic Center). Where the Galactic Equator crosses the ecliptic in Sagittarius just happens to be where the dark rift in the Milky Way begins. This is a dark bifurcation in the Milky Way caused by interstellar dust clouds. To observers on earth, it appears as a dark road which begins near the ecliptic and stretches along the Milky Way up towards Polaris. This celestial feature was not marginal in ancient Mayan thought. Mayan Creation Myths is that creation seems to have taken place at a celestial crossroads - the crossing point of ecliptic and Milky Way.

In addition to the detailed star maps from Norton's 2000.0 Star Atlas which pinpoints the crossing point of Galactic Equator and ecliptic. The Maya chose the winter solstice of 2012. The sun conjuncts the Sacred Tree on December 3rd in the year 755 A.D., over the centuries precession has caused the conjunction date to approach the winter solstice. So, how close are we to perfect conjunction today? Exactly when might we expect the winter solstice sun to conjunct the crossing point of Galactic Equator and ecliptic - the Mayan Sacred Tree? The Milky Way crosses the ecliptic through the constellation of Sagittarius and this area is rich in nebulae and high density objects. In fact, where the Milky Way crosses the ecliptic in Sagittarius also happens to be the direction of the Galactic Center.

Why and How December 21st, 2012 A.D.

 

A full view of the sky at noon on December 21st, 2012 A.D. The band of the Milky Way can be seen stretching
from the lower right to the upper left. The more or less vertical dotted line indicates the Galactic Equator.
The planets can be seen tracing a roughly horizontal path through the chart, indicating the ecliptic.
The sun, quite strikingly, is dead center in the Sacred Tree.


A horizon-to-horizon view to a field of 30 degrees. Part of the constellation of Sagittarius can be seen in the lower left portion of the chart. The planet in the middle-to-upper left portion of the chart is Pluto, which rarely travels directly along the ecliptic. The center square near the sun is placed on the Trifid Nebula (M20). This nebula is very close to the crossing point of Galactic Equator and ecliptic. However, a small star (4 Sgr) is even closer; it sits right on the Galactic Equator and its declination is only 00 .08' below the ecliptic.

 
The field is now reduced to a 5-degree span, within conjunction. The dot to the lower right of the sun is the star 4 Sgr. Amazingly, the Sun is right on target. December 21st, 2012 (13.0.0.0.0 in the Long Count) therefore represents an extremely close conjunction of the winter solstice sun with the crossing point of Galactic Equator and the ecliptic, The Sacred Tree. The winter solstice sun rarely conjuncts the Sacred Tree.

 

This might mean astrologically, how would this effect the "energy weather" on earth?
This celestial convergence appears to parallel the accelerating pace of human civilization.
The accuracy of the conjunction of 2012 is quite astounding, beyond anything deemed calculable
by the ancient Maya, and serves well to represent the perfect mid-point of the process.

Why: Winter Solstice Sun Conjuncts
The Sacred Tree in 2012 A.D.


Over a relatively short period of time, as an awareness of precession was emerging, this date
was seen to slowly approach winter solstice, a critical date in its own right in early Mayan cosmo-conception. At this point, precession and the rate of precession was calculated, the Long Count
was perfected and inaugurated, and the appropriate winter solstice date in 2012 A.D. was
found via the Long Count in the following way.

Long Count and Seasonal Quarters
Long Count katun beginnings will conjunct sequential seasonal quarters every 1.7.0.0.0 days (194400 days). This is an easily tracked Long Count interval. Starting with the katun beginning of 650 B.C.

Year 6.5.0.0.0 Fall 650 B.C.
7.12.0.0.0 Winter 118 B.C.
8.19.0.0.0 Spring 416 A.D.
10.6.0.0.0 Summer 948 A.D.
11.13.0.0.0 Fall 1480 A.D.
13.0.0.0.0 Winter 2012 A.D.

The last date is not only a katun beginning,
but a baktun beginning as well.
It is, indeed, the end date of 2012.

 
13 Baktun Cycle

 

 

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