The Russell – McPherron Phenomenon: The Likely Science behind the Ingresses of Mundane Astrology

Lately, I have stumbled upon an article and it piqued my interest as it discussed the Russell-McPherron (R-M) effect of which suggests the scientific validity of using the Aries and Libra ingress in predicting mundane affairs. With the astrological new year fast approaching, those of us into astrology wonder why the ancients esteem the ingresses, and the answer may lie in this phenomenon.

What is the Russell-McPherron (R-M) Phenomenon?

The best physical manifestation of the Russell – McPherron effect is the Auroras. The scientific community named the phenomenon after Professor Christopher T. Russell and Professor Emeritus Robert L. McPherron from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) [1]. Aurora’s appear because of the particle bombardment of the magnetosphere. Whenever the accelerating solar wind comes in contact with the earth’s magnetic field and enters the poles, the particles interact with the atmosphere gases, thus we see the discharges as curtains of lights. Now, the Russell – McPherron phenomenon suggests an increase in geomagnetic activity or disturbance during the equinoxes because the Earth’s magnetic field in the poles momentarily cracks open [2].

Earth is Electromagnetic Sensitive

There are a multitude of research showing the effects of space weather in our health [3], climate [4] and seismic activities [5]. With the Earth and all the living organisms made up of water, it is no wonder we are susceptible to electromagnetic and cosmic influences.

How does this correlate with Mundane Astrology?

Ancient astrologers place value on the predictive capacity of the Sun’s ingress in Aries during the spring equinox of the northern hemisphere (autumn equinox of the southern hemisphere), thus they ascribe the Sun’s entry in Aries as the world’s new year. As per astrological texts, it is from this period that the Sun gains power as day grows longer and the nights shorter. It is from the Sun’s ingress in Aries astrologers erect a chart to forecast the year’s mundane events. In relation to the RM Phenomenon, below is a diagram of the frequency of the geomagnetic activity per month from 1932 to 2007 [6] showing the probable mechanism of how the equinoctial ingresses influence us here on Earth.

Figure 1. Bar Graph on Geomagnetic Disturbance from 1932 to 2007.

From the graph, we see March-April frequently experiencing geomagnetic disturbances. We also see that September-October as having a high frequency of geomagnetic activity. From an astrological standpoint, the conclusion we can draw from the Russell – McPherron phenomenon is to cast charts for both the Aries Ingress and Libra Ingress, as these periods are geomagnetically active. The month-long geomagnetic disturbance suggests of how and why these ingresses are influential for a period. As mentioned, during the equinoxes, the magnetic field cracks open, thus we are not only susceptible to the electric influence of the Sun but also of other planets and probably the universe.

Notes & References

[1]. ’tis the Season for Auroras. (2001, October 26). NASA. https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2001/ast26oct_1
[2]. Zhao, H., & Zong, Q.-G. (2012). Seasonal and diurnal variation of geomagnetic activity: Russell-McPherron effect during different IMF polarity and/or extreme solar wind conditions. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 117 (A11), n/a. https://doi.org/10.1029/2012ja017845
[3]. Dimitrova, S. (2008). Different geomagnetic indices as an indicator for geo-effective solar storms and human physiological state. Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, 70(2–4), 420–427. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jastp.2007.08.050
[4]. Wendler, J. (2004). External forcing of the geomagnetic field? Implications for the cosmic ray flux—climate variability. Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, 66(13–14), 1195–1203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jastp.2004.05.003
[5]. Marchitelli, V., Harabaglia, P., Troise, C. et al. On the correlation between solar activity and large earthquakes worldwide. Sci Rep 10, 11495 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-67860-3
[6]. The Watchmen’s Earth and Space Connection. (2021, March 1). Did you know that month of March are the most geomagnetically active event of the year? [Facebook Status Update]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/okiethewatchman/posts/732696883945405