Further information on perturbations

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Hi Martin and Jo?o

The following is from Jeff Mayo's The Astrologer's Astronomical Handbook (1976, 3rd ed.): "We can see gravity as a controlling force, keeping planets and satellites in their orbits with regard to a central body, yet it is also a disturbing influence. If it were not for the gravitational attraction of the other planets, the Earth would constantly describe the same orbit round the Sun. We call the continual disturbing effects of the other planets perturbations of the Earth's orbit." (p. 76)

This is a classic little volume that is very helpful with many astronomical concepts relevant to astrology.

The following, from wikipedia, is of course very suggestive from an astrological point of view: "On-going mutual perturbations of the planets cause long-term quasi-periodic variations in their orbital elements, most apparent when two planets' orbital periods are nearly in sync. For instance, five orbits of Jupiter (59.31 years) is nearly equal to two of Saturn (58.91 years). This causes large perturbations of both, with a period of 918 years, the time required for the small difference in their positions at conjunction to make one complete circle, first discovered by Laplace."

You can review the full paragraph at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perturbat ... tronomy%29.

One wonders about this concept of perturbations in terms of astrological 'effects': is there a system within the human body sensitive enough to register the impact of planetary perturbations on the Earth. It has seemed to me for some time that it is one of the most likely explanations for a human attunement to the solar system. Perhaps it is some part of the limbic system.

Ed
"...the motions that are akin to the divine in us are the thoughts and revolutions of the universe."

Plato, Timaeus, 90.