The Anthropocentric Universe

Right Where You Are Now

Somebody once observed to the eminent philosopher Wittgenstein how stupid medieval Europeans living before the time of Copernicus must have been that they could have looked at the sky and thought that the sun was circling the earth. Surely a modicum of astronomical good sense would have told them that the reverse was true. Wittgenstein is said to have replied: “I agree. But I wonder what it would have looked like if the sun had been circling the earth.” —James Burke, The Day the Universe Changed

It is common in certain scientific and philosophical discussions to reference how ignorant people were prior to the Copernican Revolution, to actually think that we live in the center of this amazing Creation.. er, I mean universe.

Of course there are grounds for considering the heliocentric model.

Galileo’s discovery of the major moons of Jupiter, and the phases of Venus indicated a more expansive approach to considering the cosmic reality. The periodic retrograde motions of the planets, when reduced mathematically provide the elliptical orbits around the Sun. It seemed obvious to the materialistic consciousness being birthed at that time.

Parallax is the apparent shift in the position of an object due to the change in the observer’s position. The heliocentric model predicts that the stars should exhibit parallax as Earth moves in space around the Sun, but the geocentric model does not allow this. In the early 19th century, Friedrich Bessel was able to measure the parallax of the star 61 Cygni, providing strong evidence for the heliocentric model. Parallax is an effect that requires magnification and precision measurements of the positions and motion of stars.

The latest stellar parallax readings are from the Gaia satellite. Some of the latest findings are:

• Our Milky Way galaxy is much larger than previously thought.

• The Milky Way is not a smooth disk, but it has a lumpy, irregular structure.

• The Milky Way is surrounded by a vast halo of stars.

• The Milky Way is interacting with other galaxies, such as the Andromeda Galaxy.

Gaia satellite map of the cosmos in optical wavelengths

We can conceive our Milky Way galaxy like following picture, knowing that the “dark-matter halo” mentioned is nonsense imagination, but the element distribution of main and satellite dwarf galaxies is worthy to acknowledge. One can see the “halo” spherical distribution of stars surrounding the galactic spiral body.

Galactic Connection

There are some fantastic experiments verifying Earth’s orbit around the Sun, and subsequent orientation to the center of our galaxy.

Professor Giorgio Piccardi, “The Chemist of the Sun,” for many years plotted the chemical reactions of the rate of precipitate from a bismuth chloride solution plotted against solar & geomagnetic activity.

Piccardi quantified correlations between variations of the rate of precipitation and fluctuations of solar and geomagnetic activity.

Correlation between chemical tests and solar activity (Wolf numbers = sunspot counts)

Piccardi performed concomitant blood coagulation tests, showing a direct correlation with the chemical tests. What this indicates, is that our blood, our life-supporting circulating colloidal matrix, is directly affected by solar and geomagnetic activity. We are energetically wired into the cosmos.

OK, far out.. but it get’s even more interesting. When performing statistical analysis on nine years of data, an anomalous drop appears in the data, correlated to neither solar nor geomagnetic data!

So what could it be? Piccardi considered our relationship with the galaxy. He developed an instrument for studying this relationship.

What he discovered is, that the minima in reaction data occurs on March 21st, the Northern Hemisphere Spring Equinox. At this point in time, Earth is moving directly towards the galactic center in it’s orbit.

Solar System, from direction of galactic center

So not only are we immersed in and reacting to the solar and geomagnetic fields, we are also directly connected to the galactic center, in ways we haven’t even begun to fathom in the scientific realm.

What if something greater is being missed in all this?

The shift of consciousness brought on during Copernican revolution, the search for reproducible physical answers outside of human sensation, led to the enforced perspective that only that which could be weighed or measured was allowed into scientific thought. Our innate anthropic sense is not allowed into a science based on materialism and uncertainties about life and consciousness. Yet to deny such denies the very basis of our sensual, soul-enriching relationship with the manifest world.

Ether Drift

The Michelson-Morley experiment, seeking the effect of the ether on light transmission, moving in different directions, in relationship to Earth’s expected solar orbit.

It is orthodox gospel that the failure of the famous Michelson-Morely experiment to measure the ether led to the logical conclusion of Relativity. However, upon examination we find that there actually was an ether measured, just not the magnitude expected, and more for the reasons of the apparatus than the reality of the ether:

“…we find the aether drift to be probably less than 1/6 the orbital velocity of the earth and perhaps as high as 1/4 the orbital velocity of the earth.  An aether drift of 1/6 the orbital velocity of the earth would be about 5.7 kilometres per second, which is well within the 4-40kps predictions of the time. Obviously a velocity of 1/4 the orbital velocity of the earth would be even faster.”  —Michelson and Morley

“The indicated effect was not zero; the sensitivity of the apparatus was such that the conclusions, published in 1887, stated that the observed relative motion of the earth and ether did not exceed one fourth of the earth’s orbital velocity. This is quite different from a null effect now so frequently imputed to this experiment by writers on relativity.” —Dayton C Miller, 1933

Dayton Miller went on to produce further experiments, finally, through evolved understanding and refined apparatus, attaining significant measurements of the ether:

“Miller concluded that the Earth was drifting at a speed of 208 km/sec. towards an apex in the Southern Celestial Hemisphere, towards Dorado, the swordfish, in the middle of the Great Magellanic Cloud and 7° from the southern pole of the ecliptic.” —Dr. James DeMeo

So then we must consider this statement of Einstein and its implications to the orthodox paradigm:

“My opinion about Miller’s experiments is the following… Should the positive result be confirmed, then the special theory of relativity and with it the general theory, in its current form, would be invalid.” —Einstein

Using a modified apparatus, the Michelson-Gale experiment (proposed by Michelson in 1904, performed in 1925) measured Earth’s rotation to an accuracy of 2% of the angular velocity as measured by astronomy.

Georges Sagnac performed similar interferometry experiments in 1913 where he was able to measure earth’s rotation through change of movement of his light table apparatus via shifts of cross-referencing light beams. This effect, known as the Sagnac Effect, now used in fiber optic gyroscopes to measure of Earth’s rotation.

And again we find a curious statement to ponder, how could Einstein say this in evidence of the experimental record?

“I have come to believe that the motion of the Earth cannot be detected by any optical experiment…” —Einstein

Summing this up, we find that Earth’s motion through the galaxy and it’s rotation can be measured with optical equipment, thus invalidating relativity, by Einstein's own words.

The heliocentric reality exists, even if we can’t experience it directly. In effect, though verifiable through various experiments and measurements, the heliocentrism is an abstract concept to our experiential reality.

Cosmic Crystallization Studies

Ancient philosophers, in their wisdom, possessed knowledge of the alchemical planet-metal relationships. The visible planets — wandering stars — were seen as powerful celestial bodies exerting an influence over all aspects of life on Earth. Each planet has a unique character and qualities, and each is associated with a specific metal that embodies those qualities.

In the early 1920’s, Lili Kolisko, inspired by the spiritual scientist Rudolf Steiner, set out to verify if there is any truth to the ancient alchemical conception of the connections between metals and planets: Sun-gold, Moon-silver, Venus-copper, Mars-iron, Jupiter-tin, Saturn-lead.

Kolisko verified these alchemical connections, not through quantitative analysis, but through the qualitative approach, as both scientist and artist, with her Metal-Planet Relationship Experiments.

‘So long as substances are in a solid state they are subject to the forces of the earth, but as soon as they enter the liquid state, planetary forces come into play.’ —Rudolf Steiner

The Kolisko Method of Crystallization

An aqueous solution of one or more metallic salts is placed in a shallow glass vessel in which is positioned a vertical cylinder, ≈30cm high, of filter paper — rounded and closed upon itself. The solution is allowed to rise up the filter paper until it is all absorbed and dries. This forms a crystallized image, a chromatogram

This contra-gravity motion upward into the downpouring cosmic influences thus reveals the workings of the cosmic and etheric forces into earthly substances when in a fluid state

While Kolisko performed decades of metal-planet experiments, the easiest to comprehend are those of gold and the Sun. During a solar eclipse, when the moon is in front of the Sun, gold loses its general crystallization characteristic patterns.

It takes a while to comprehend this, and start discerning the patterns. My documentary on Kolisko’s lead-Saturn experiments will assist in comprehension.

I have covered some of Kolisko’s work in more detail in a previous article:

Cosmological Botany

In my previous article on Seeing the Whole of the Plant I introduced the concept of cosmological botany, planetary influences upon plant morphology.

Anthropocentricity

“The ancient world-concept of a concentric, geocentric universe seems utterly foolish to a man who views everything spatially and materially; but to men more conscious of their inner life than of their outer material surroundings, it was a concept that spoke of a true and deep experience.” —A.P. Shepherd, in Rudolf Steiner, Scientist of the Invisible

The import of Kolisko’s experiments and cosmological botany is that there is a higher order energetic structure surrounding Earth, as though we are in the center.

This is not an argument of heliocentrism vs geocentrism, rather an acknowledgment of being able to comprehend higher worlds interwoven in functional reality.

In Guenther Wachsmuth’s Etheric Formative Forces In Cosmos Earth and Man there is a diagram showing both the geocentric and heliocentric models interwoven, in an explanation of the influence of planetary spheres on Earth life.

“In considering the action of the planets upon terrestrial occurrences, it will be necessary in future to take a much broader view if we are desirous of reaching a comprehensive grasp of the group of facts under consideration. The wise men of past centuries, especially those of the Chaldeans and the Egyptians, possessed a knowledge of these things which, unfortunately, is entirely lost in essential points to our own age, so extraordinarily proud of its scientific achievements. It is fortunate that it has occurred to some of the most advanced investigators to bring the action of the planets under consideration in exact fashion in relationship with the earth, although we are only at the beginning of this inquiry.” —Guenther Wachsmuth

Think of it like this, the heliocentric model is basic extensible “3D” space as presently conceived by the status quo paradigm, it is like our skeleton, deep within our being. We don't experience it directly. The geocentric, or more properly anthropocentric, model is like our living flesh on top, this magical, sensual interface with manifestation. All biological life relates as though Earth is in the center, the key to why Steiner termed his work Anthroposophy.

In effect the apparent geocentric structure is a “virtual reality” program running on the physical circuitry of the heliocentric model. Think of the heliocentric model as inert space, the gravity bound paradigm. Then consider the Anthropocentric model as alert space, the realm of levity and life. They function together as an irreducible wholeness.

So this is not a question of “either-or”, “heliocentric or geocentric”, but rather a question of awareness of interwoven spaces comprising living manifestations.

We exist in both of these worlds, and more, but knowing these two is the foundation of gaining knowledge of those higher. Humans have been thinking far too long that one world view is true and the other isn’t, when the evidence indicates both heliocentric and geocentric are functional realities, working together.

Giovanni Riccioli’s worlds in the balance. Copernican model on the left. He picked the Tychonic / geocentric (right) as the most weight. Ptolemy’s world is discarded at the bottom.

The Heliocentric Universe

• Universe of Measurement – with linear extension to infinity

• Adrift in Space – Acentric

• Lowest Common Denominator – complex celestial motions reduced to simple ellipses

• Abstract - removal from Direct Experience

• Situs of the Chronarchy

The Geocentric Universe

• Universe of Sight & Perspective

• Direct Experience 

• Complex Motion of Celestial Bodies — formative forces

• Cosmological Botany

• Planet - Metal Reactions

• Sundials – Archeoastronomic Alignments

• Organic Time

The Anthropocentric Universe

• Alchemy of Space

• Power of Will & Intent

• Imagination as Tool of Knowledge

• Ideations act as Cognitive Organs

• Geocentric/Heliocentric matrix

• Both Heliocentric & Geocentric Universes valid, but only together – imbalance of present world view

• Transcension of the Subjective-Objective apparency

• Gateway to Higher Spheres

These ideas are foundational to Rudolf Steiner’s conception of the Anthropocentric Universe. Though I openly admit these are my interpretations and extensions thereof.

Have a play, theplanetstoday.com .. You can switch between heliocentric and geocentric perspectives, for present, past or future times

The Anthropic Cosmological Principle

“The properties of matter and the course of cosmic evolution are now seen to be intimately related to the structure of the living being and to its activities; they become, therefore, far more important in biology than has previously been suspected. For the whole evolutionary process, both cosmic and organic, is one, and the biologist may now rightly regard the Universe in its very essence as biocentric.”  —Lawrence J. Henderson

An emasculated, soulless version of anthropocentricity exists at the fringes of the orthodox scientific world, physicists who comprehend innately that life and consciousness are essential, though they are still locked in their limited paradigm.

The anthropic cosmological principle states that the universe must be the way it is because we are here to observe it. In other words, if the universe were not fine-tuned for life, we would not be here to observe it, and so we would not know that it was fine-tuned.

So there is some hope in that field, if they can break the shackles of the thralldom which roots them to the subsensible realm—that of particle physics and quantum theory—as a basis of knowledge. For without life and consciousness there is no search for anything, let alone wisdom.

What is it?

I struggle with the most appropriate name for this thesis:

• Anthropocentric – Human-centric

• Biocentric – Life-centric

• Cognicentric – Consciousness-centric

I’ve chosen Anthropocentric, as it has been the natural scientific work growing out of Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy that has guided me in this direction. All these names are apropos as aspects, when considered in proper perspective.

“According to the universal laws, the magician will form his own point of view about the universe, which henceforth will be his true religion.”  —Franz Bardon, Initiation into Hermetics

I will be giving a presentation on The Anthropocentric Universe for the online Magical Egypt Beyond Summit in September 2023.

Click here for more information: Magical Egypt Beyond Summit