Ponderous, or Ponderable planets. v. Planets.
Posited. The position actually occupied by a body, in the heavens or in the signs and houses
of a geocentric map.
Positive sign. An odd-numbered sign. v. Signs, Positive.
Practical Natures. Referring to a balance between idealism and the ability to enjoy realities
and actualities, and to do whatever has to be done, that is shared in common by those born
with the Sun in Capricorn, Taurus and Virgo - respectively the Initiative, Executive and
Deductive types of the Practical group.
Precession of Equinox and Pole. The shape of the Earth is that of an ellipsoid: flattened at
the poles and bulging at the Equator. The gravitational pull of the Moon, and to a lesser
extent of the Sun, on this equatorial bulge is said to create a precessional "couple," which
causes the Earth's poles of rotation to gyrate or slightly nod in a conical manner. The periods
of these Nutations are diurnal, monthly and annual, in addition to the chief one, of the same
period as the precessional motion of the Moon's orbit, as noted by its receding Nodes. These
slight periodic perturbations of the Earth's polar axis leave residues which accumulate slowly
to cause the Soli-Lunar Precession - a more extensive motion and longer in period, hence a
Secular perturbation. Stockwell, taking into account all the changes in the orbits of the Earth
and Moon due to the action of the planets, has shown that the mean period of this Soli-Lunar
Precession is 25,694.8 years. This is the period of that steady precession of the Poles which
causes it to point at different stars. Thus in 2102 A.D. the North Pole will point nearly direct
at Polaris. As exactly as we can tell, the North Pole pointed as nearly to Vega as it ever does -
6° away - just one-half of the cycle of Precession before the Mission of Christ. Thus the bulk
of evidence of an astronomical character, mentioned under Invariable Plane (q.v.), indicates
that a new cycle of Polar Precession started around 25 to 28 A.D.
If we measure the backward motion of the line of intersection of the Equator and the Ecliptic
on a hypothetical Fixed Ecliptic plane, its motion would be a steady one of the same period as
the Pole. This line of intersection is the Equinox, 0° Aries-Libra, which forms the start and
midpoint of our Moving Zodiac. It moves backward because the Equator is shifting its
position in space, due to the slow gyration or nodding motion of the Precessing Polar Axis.
However, the Ecliptic plane is not fixed. The precessing of the Ecliptic with respect to the
Invariable Plane, is analogous to the motion of the Earth's Equator with respect to the