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This article was written in the early spring of 2007 a part of a power point presentation developed for the long range weather forecasting service ClimaTrends. It has proved to be accurate in describing the timing and placement of the current and sudden rash of hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico. The images in this series are based on the geodetic projection of retrograde motions of the planets during each hurricane season since 1998. We find the coincidence of the rhythms of direct and retrograde motion across the Atlantic at these times a compelling example of the effectiveness of using planetary motion in arc events as tools for the formation of long range weather forecasts. All of the storms cited in this article were major hurricane intensity storms. Tropical depressions and tropical storms in these years were not cited.
This first chart shows the positions of the major hurricanes during the year 1998. Danielle and Bonnie are classic Cape Verde storms. The classis Cape Verde storm like Danielle starts as a wave near the islands and travels westward on the easterly winds (east to west) until the storm approaches the east coast of the US and turns to the north. Immense, regular waves of air propagate westward every ten days off of Africa (bottom right) and form the potentials for hurricanes in the longitude of the Cape Verde Islands. The waves then move westward pushed by the easterly (east to west) winds of the tropics. On this chart we can see that coincidentally to the enhanced east to west flow, Jupiter and Saturn were retrograde (east to west) during July and August of 1998 off of the coast of Africa.
This chart shows the major hurricanes for Aug / Sept of 1999. Once again the classic Cape Verde pattern is evident. However, except for Floyd, the re-curves of the storms to the north are more centrally placed in the Atlantic. The whole field has shifted to the east. Coincidentally, Jupiter has moved east and is now against the coast of Africa and Saturn has also moved east and is over the Sahara. However these two influential planets were still in retrograde (east to west) motion over the eastern Atlantic during the important months when the easterlies support the east to west motion of the storms across the Atlantic.
In August and September of 2000 both Jupiter and Saturn had moved even further east and were now over eastern Africa and out of the range of the Cape Verde area. Coincidentally, Alberto, Florence and Gordon have a strangely confused look to their tracks. The easterlies that were driving the storms against North America in previous years were not well organized in the Atlantic basin in 2000. An addition of note in this chart is the appearance of Uranus moving retrograde in the central Gulf of Mexico in the longitude of the looping Gordon. We have observed that planets in that area tend to focalize storms in that area rather than across the Atlantic basin as a generic whole.
In 2001 the major hurricanes were once again mostly confined to the middle of the Atlantic. Once again there is the hesitating signature to the tracks of Felix and Erin similar to 2000. In the western Atlantic, Uranus had moved over Cuba during its period retrograde motion. Compare the track of Iris with Felix and a clear picture of retrograde influence can be pondered. In this chart Mars entered the western Gulf of Mexico late in October. With rapid west to east motion Mars can sometimes be a strong element in the inability of storms to build up to hurricane strength. West to east winds shear off the tops of thunderstorms that are needed to build into strong hurricane strength storms. We have observed that the west to east transit of Mars during hurricane season tends to produce such shearing winds. As a result we can see in this chart the west to east transit of Mars that accompanied a weakening of the easterlies in the longitude of the transit.
The 2002 chart of major hurricanes is thought provoking. The only strong storms that year were in the exact longitude of the retrograde motion of Uranus during September. Uranus had moved to the longitude of the Dominican Republic. Mars was not a factor in that year since Mars has a two year orbital period. That means that generally every second year, Mars will be on the other side of the Earth during hurricane season. Neptune, not shown on this chart was just about to enter the western Gulf of Mexico where its presence would begin to support Uranus.
During hurricane season 2003 the western Atlantic was a crowded place in terms of planetary placement. Uranus had moved towards the Antilles and Neptune had entered the western Gulf of Mexico. Only one storm, Fabian achieved major status and that was confined to the middle Atlantic once again. The interesting element in this chart is that even though Uranus was in good position to support east to west flow in the Bahamas, Mars had returned and was crossing the Gulf of Mexico in August and September. This transit was coincident with a lack of intensity in the storms that year due to increased shear in the western Atlantic. It is interesting to note that the arising of Fabian was during a time when Mars and Uranus were both retrograde supporting the necessary east to west wind vector. The track of Fabian was a classic Cape Verde bow that turned north just as the storm reached the position of Uranus.
The 2004 hurricane season was a memorable one for the western Atlantic. Four major hurricanes making landfalls in central Florida made the record books. Uranus had moved out into the Atlantic closer to the Antilles and Neptune was in the longitude of Yucatan Peninsula during their retrograde periods. This was coincident with strong east to west flow in the tropical Atlantic. The storms traveled between the positions of the two planets. No Mars influence was present since Mars was in the far side of its two year orbit.
2005 was another year in which a remarkable confluence of storms in the Gulf of Mexico in August and September of 2005 was also bracketed by Uranus and Neptune in retrograde motion. Neptune was over western Cuba and Uranus was over the Antilles and headed for open water. The early season was very calm both in the Gulf of Mexico, western Atlantic and the eastern Atlantic. In the Gulf of Mexico and western Atlantic Neptune and Uranus were moving direct (west to east/shear) until June. These direct motions were supported by Mars as it passed the focal point of these energies in April and May and by June and July was coincident with strong shear forces in the Cape Verde area as it crossed the coast of Africa. It is when Uranus and Neptune went retrograde (east to west) in the western Atlantic and Mars had passed to the east with its shear forces that there was a sudden flush of hurricane energies. It is also significant that the most devastating storms were not Cape Verde storms that year but short track storms that were highly turbulent like the devastating Katrina. The focus of the storm energies was once again in the area between the two retrograde planets at the time of their retrograde (east to west) motion.
Contrary to what we might, by now, expect the 2006 hurricane season was not a repeat of 2005. Two major storms Gordon and Helene turned north in the mid Atlantic, with no landfalls of major storms in the Gulf of Mexico. What happened to all of the turbulence? Uranus was still active and now Neptune had moved east to a position that was over Cuba. The system in use for these predictions depends upon the position in longitude of a planet and its period of retrograde motion. It is a curious fact of astronomy that an outer planet in a particular longitude will go into retrograde motion at a particular time. Any outer planet in that longitude will also go into retrograde motion in the specific time frame. This means that there is a fixed relationship to longitude and patterns of retrograde and direct motion of outer planets. Due to this factor the to orbital rhythms of Uranus had progressed the planet far enough eastward in longitude that is was now shifting out of retrograde (west to east) motion in June. Neptune was shifting to retrograde motion in late May. This would support storm buildup late in the year.
However, the inner planets also go into retrograde and direct motion and their influences in a particular longitude are independent of the longitude / retrograde period link just described. In 2006 the orbital period of Venus brought it across the Atlantic from May to July. This orbit can vary considerably from year to year depending upon where the retrograde loop for Venus takes place. The passage of Venus from west to east across the Atlantic during the middle of hurricane season meant that even though Neptune and Uranus could provide support for late storms, early storms would encounter shear patterns until late July as Venus made the transit
Looking forward a bit. What will 2007 look like in the western Atlantic? Neptune will still be retrograde over Cuba. But Uranus has moved to the position where it is moving west to east at the critical buildup time for early hurricanes. Not only that Mars and Venus will cross the Atlantic between April and July of 2007. Based on what we have just seen what would your prognosis be for major Cape Verde hurricanes into the US between May and July? What about the Gulf of Mexico late in the year when Venus and Mars are over Africa and Uranus and Neptune are both retrograde in the western Atlantic?
This article was written in the early spring of 2007. The hurricane season has pretty closely followed this indication that the early season would be flat with hurricanes forming in the Gulf of Mexico and western Atlantic late in the season.