The Galactic Nucleus
The Galactic Nucleus
by Michael Erlewine
The Galactic Nucleus or Center of the
Galaxy is located at Celestial or Zodiac
Longitude 266deg 07min 53sec and
latitude -05 deg 31m 48s (or in other
words, about 26 degrees Sagittarius).
Here is the center about which our Sun
gravitates and revolves --.our Sun's
Sun.. As can be seen in the diagram,
the area around the Galactic Nucleus
and along the Galactic Equator or plane
is crowded with radiating material. The
visual objects pictured here are not
simple single stars but in many cases
represent intense clusters of thousands
of stars each. Each year, several days
before the Summer Solstice, the
Earth/Sun axis or line is conjunct the
direction of the center of our Galaxy. A
few days later, the earth crosses the
equatorial plane of the Galaxy and is in
line with the plane of the Galaxy. The
exact nodal points are 269 deg 19m 15s
and 89 deg 19m 15s on the ecliptic and
the earth crosses the second point near
the Winter Solstice.
It is clear from this diagram, as well as
the other illustrations in this article, that
almost the entire Zodiac Sign Sagittarius
and most of Capricorn occur in the
region of the Galactic Nucleus and in
the opposite direction, that of the Anti-
Center of the Galaxy located at 26deg
07m 53s Gemini. Most of Gemini and
part of the sign Cancer represents this
same direction -- the Galactic Plane, as
it exists beyond the other side of the
earth.
In other words, the Plane of the Galaxy
intersects the Zodiac almost exactly at
the 0-degree points of the Cardinal
signs, Capricorn, and Cancer. The plane
of the Galaxy is inclined, or tilted, to the
zodiac by an angle of about 60degress,
a sextile aspect. As astrologers, we
should note the location of this great
Center and the Anti-Center and check
these points out in the natal charts of
individuals, events, by transit, and so
forth to determine their value in our
work. Research underway by
astrologers in many countries shows the
Galactic Center (G.C.) to be a point of
special significance -- literally the lifeline
to our Sun. The sign Sagittarius has
been long connected to the idea of truth
and God or religion. Perhaps here is
factual confirmation of what we have
long known through our intuitive
resources: that the direction of
Sagittarius and Capricorn is indeed
somehow connected with truth or
Center.
The Sun protects most of the planets in
our system with a kind of aura called the
Solar Wind, that effectively pushes back
particles such as cosmic rays coming
from "outer space" or the center of the
galaxy. It is scientific fact that at the low
points in the sunspot cycle when the sun
has the weakest aura, cosmic rays
penetrate toward the center of the solar
 The Galactic Nucleus
system and to the earth at a significantly
higher rate than at the peak of sunspot
activity when the solar wind pushes
these particles back. During sunspot
lows, perhaps the seed or Cosmic
Message will impregnate us. Many of
the most startling discoveries in modern
astrophysical research such as pulsars,
black holes etc. occurred in the late
l960's - a sunspot minimum.
The Metagalaxy
Our Milky Way Galaxy is a member of a
yet larger structure containing many
tens of thousands of galaxies that
cluster together to form a large, rotating,
flattened, disc-shaped meta- or Super
Galaxy. Our galaxy is located towards
the extreme edge of this Super Galaxy
and therefore the greatest number of
external galaxies that make up our
Super Galaxy are all in the same
general direction in space with their
center at 1 deg 05m 28s Libra in Zodiac
Longitude and +l4 deg 54m 03s in
latitude. The equator or plane of the
Super Galaxy is inclined to our Zodiac
by an an angle of about 52 deg (a
septile), with the intersection or Line of
Nodes to the Ecliptic at l6 deg 21m 06s
Aries/Libra (northern node in Aries).
In the illustration, a section of the Zodiac
through Virgo and early Libra is shown,
where the Super Galactic Plane
intersects the Zodiac and some attempt
has been made to present the mass of
external galaxies in this region, although
in fact, there are literally ten of
thousands in this area. The greatest
concentration of galaxies increases
through the sign Virgo, reaching the
Super Galactic Center at about 0 Libra,
crossing the Ecliptic in the middle of
Libra, after which there is a gradual
decrease in concentration.
We shall now present one of the most
fascinating aspects of the study of
cosmic structure that this author has
encountered: the center of the Super
Galaxy at 1 deg. Libra is almost exactly
at a 90 degree angle from the center of
the Galaxy at 26 deg Sagittarius.
Furthermore, the equatorial planes of
the Galaxy and the Super Galaxy are
inclined to each other by an angle of
about 84 degrees, again, almost a right
angle! As previously mentioned, the
Galaxy is inclined to the Earth's orbit,
the Ecliptic or Zodiac by a sextile, and to
the Super Galaxy by a septile, and to
each other by a square! In other words,
the Cardinal Sign axes are in line with
the two greatest superstructures we
know.
These superstructures are literally
perpendicular to each other with their
centers at the zero points of the
Cardinal signs. Here is great food for
thought in understanding the traditional
meaning of the zodiac. Each year the
Earth passes through the plane of the
Super Galaxy at the Equinoxes and the
plane of our Galaxy around the
Solstices. The midpoint between these
two great planes and centers occurs in
Scorpio/Taurus, and it is in these signs
that the earth/sun axis moves out-of-line
with one great center and begins to form
an alignment with the other. This is
perhaps added confirmation as to the
significance of the Scorpio/Taurus axis
in astrology.
Transit Tables
As pointed out previously, the equators
of the Galaxy and Super Galaxy are
inclined one to another by about a 90
degree angle. A practical result of this is
that when one of these planes is directly
above us by Meridian transit, the other
plane is roughly on the East Point or
 The Galactic Nucleus

what is sometimes called the Equatorial Midheaven is 0 degrees Libra, I can

Ascendant (a point 90 degrees from the know that I have the plane of the Super
RAMC or Sidereal Time.) Included in Galaxy overhead, and that my place of
this article are tables for all North birth is oriented or inclined to this plane.
Latitudes from 0-60 degrees of Meridian Another valuable technique is to
transit of the central planes of both the determine the time of these daily transits
Galaxy and Super Galaxy listed by the and what kind of time you have. This will
Midheaven (M.C.) or l0th house cusp of course depend upon your affinity/non-
that indicates the point of transit. We list affinity for the given plane (whether you
the M.C. rather than the Sidereal Time happened to be inclined or disinclined to
(RAMC) since most astrologers are it) but in general, orientation the Galactic
more familiar with the location and use plane will find one very active and
of the Zodiac than they are with the moving (driving across town to get
Equatorial Coordinates, altlhough it something, for instance) and the
must be understood that calculation of influence of the Super Galactic plane
these points is to be done on the seems to bring reverie and especially
Celestial Equator rather than the Zodiac clear thoughts and ideas. A simple look
or Ecliptic. at one's friends and associates can be
very revealing in terms of their
It is traditional to associate the qualities
orientation or affinity to one or the other
of Sagittarius (the direction of the
of these two great planes.
Galactic center) with Integrity, truth, and
religion. The qualities of the Super Note: For all latitudes the plane of the
Galactic Center (associated with galaxy is on the East Point when the
Virgo/Libra) such as service care, M.C. is either 13 deg 18m 53s Aries or
reflection, and responsibility are not Libra and for SGC 12 deg 14m 57s
generally regarded as the defining Cancer or Capricorn.
qualities of religion, but are considered Michael@Erlewine.net
to be secondary or accompanying
virtues -- the "handmaidens" of
Religion.
For each of the equators, that of the
Galaxy and Super Galaxy, there are two
transits per day -- one in the direction of
the Center and one each of the Anti-
Center direction. All four points are
listed. To use these tables simply look
through your collection of natal or event
charts for those having Midheavens (for
the latitude of birth) on or near the listed
values. You may comfortably use a wide
orb (at least 5-6 degrees either side of
the listed value) and the values in the
table are for the exact intersection of the
various planes with that particular
latitude. For example, if I am born at 40
degrees latitude North, and my