Throughout our lifetime the axis of the summer and winter solstices are aligned with the galactic equator. This is the culmination of a 26,000 year cycle. It is the astronomical event that many serious scholars believe the Mayan's anticipated and intentionally used as the "end" point of their calendar in 2012. But, if we look for the exact time when this alignment will be most precise using the tools of modern astronomy, it turns out that it is most exact now, or perhaps a year or so ago. It turns out that the alignment of the solstices with the galactic equator was in fact most exact precisely at the turn of the millennium!

This is not to detract from the Mayan calendar, remember we are talking about a difference of twelve years in 26,000! The last time something of similar importance happened was 6,500 years ago at the dawn of civilization when the axis of the equinoxes aligned with the Milky Way, which is the way we see the edge, and thus the equator, of our own galaxy. The solstice point only moves one degree every 72 years by precession, so throughout our lifetime this configuration actually remains aligned within about a degree. One could think of this as akin to the hour hand being at midnight on a 26,000 year clock for several decades. Then, each year, really twice a year, on the summer and winter solstices, the Sun is also aligned with that point. One could think of this as the minute hand joining the hour hand. But only in certain years, which are only possible about every ten years when the Moon's Nodes are aligned, the Moon can also join this configuration as well.This happened on the Winter Solstice in 1999, and happens again this year on the Summer Solstice. It will also happen once more on the Winter Solstice in 2010.

In 2001 there will be a solar eclipse (new moon) on the Summer Solstice, during the period when the solstice point is most precisely aligned with the Galactic Equator. Thus, this year the Sun, the Moon, the Earth and the Galactic Equator will be in a straight line forming a solar eclipse in the middle of "Year One" of the new millennium.

The exceptionally bright full moon at perigee fell on the winter solstice, nine days before Y2K—the date that all of human consciousness had converged upon as the symbol of the turn of the millennium—could be seen as the beginning of a liminal period, a period of transition into the new millennium. The event this year, marked by a solar eclipse, and thus a New Moon, on the Summer Solstice, can be seen as the conclusion of that liminal period of transition into the future. We are now officially in the future. We are in the middle of the first year, "Year One", of the new millennium.

Thus, perhaps it is now time that all of the pent up subconscious expectation that things should change can come to the fore and be liberated into manifestation. Let us hasten to sweep aside the stupid and backward looking thinking that still characterizes so much of our public discourse and get on with the radical changes that must characterize this new millennium if humanity and the planet are to prosper and live up to the promise of our full potential.