AXIS MUNDI
exploring the role of transient atmospheric events
in human traditions
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aurora borealis (© Historic NWS Collection, NOAA Photo Library) |
axis mundi (© Jo Seong Hee) |
aurora borealis (© Ben-Zin 2002) |
research interests
From the second half of the 20th century, cosmologists and geophysicists have made great advances in modelling the electromagnetic environment of the earth in response to the solar wind and other external features impinging on the earth, such as Near-Earth Objects (NEOs). Our purpose is to consider how knowledge of this kind might aid our understanding of traditional ideas about cosmology and the recent history of the earth, as documented in the history of astronomy, archaeoastronomy and certain classes of mythology and ancient ritual.
Auroral phenomena, the zodiacal light and various transient atmospheric events have been recorded throughout history. In particular, recent studies indicate that the earth experienced a high-energy auroral storm towards the end of the Neolithic age, which human cultures have recorded in the form of petroglyphs, geoglyphs and other traditional media.
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scholarly publications include: |
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M. A. VanderSluijs, ‘Hll: The Lord of the Sickle’, Journal of Near Eastern Studies, in press |
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A. L. Peratt, J. McGovern, A. H. Qöyawayma, M. A. VanderSluijs & M. G. Peratt, ‘Characteristics for the Occurrence of a High-Current Z-Pinch Aurora as Recorded in Antiquity Part II: Directionality and Source’, IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, 35. 4 (2007), 778-807 |
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A. L. Peratt, M. A. VanderSluijs, J. McGovern & P. Bustamante, ‘Virtual Image Reconstruction of an Intense Z-Pinch Aurora at Earth’s Southern Axis from Archaic Petroglyphs’ (conference record, Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Pulsed Power and Plasma Science; Albuquerque: New Mexico, 2007), 623 |
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M. A. VanderSluijs & A. L. Peratt, ‘Intense Prehistoric Auroral Z-Pinch Recordings: Surveys of South Korean and Thailand Petroglyphs’ (conference record, Proceedings of the 33rd IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science; Traverse City, Michigan, 2006), 340 |
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M. A. VanderSluijs, ‘Phaethon and the Great Year’, Apeiron; A Journal for Ancient Philosophy and Science, 39. 1 (2006), 57-90 |
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A. L. Peratt, D. A. Scott, & M. A. VanderSluijs, ‘Evidence of an Influx of Interstellar Plasma from Archaic Z-pinch Recordings’, Bulletin of the American Physical Society (Tampa, Florida, 2005) |
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A. L. Peratt, D. A. Scott, & M. A. VanderSluijs, ‘Orientation of Intense Z-pinch Instabilities from an Intense Aurora as Recorded in Prehistory’, Bulletin of the American Physical Society; 46th Annual Meeting of the Division of Plasma Physics (Savannah, Georgia, 2004) |
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M. A. VanderSluijs, ‘A Possible Babylonian Precursor to the Theory of Ecpyrōsis’, Culture and Cosmos; A Journal of the History of Astrology and Cultural Astronomy, 9. 2 (2005), 1-19 |
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M. A. VanderSluijs, ‘The World Axis as an Atmospheric Phenomenon’; Cosmos; The Journal of the Traditional Cosmology Society, 21. 1 (2005), 3-52 |
with kind permission from the editors |
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scholarly publications in preparation include: |
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M. A. VanderSluijs, ‘On the Wings of Love’, under review |
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M. A. VanderSluijs, ‘The Dragon of the Eclipses – A Note’, under review |
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M. A. VanderSluijs, ‘The Ourobóros as an Auroral Phenomenon’, under review |
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P. James & M. A. VanderSluijs, ‘Ziggurats, Colours and Planets – Rawlinson Revisited’, in preparation |
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M. A. VanderSluijs, ‘Finding Atlas’, in preparation |
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M. A. VanderSluijs, ‘Reassessing the ‘Assessors of Helius’ – A Note’, in preparation |
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M. A. VanderSluijs & P. James, ‘A Catalogue of Ancient Meteorites’, in preparation |
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M. A. VanderSluijs, ‘Plato’s ‘Winding Earth’, in preparation |
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M. A. VanderSluijs, The Stairway to Heaven; A History of the Cosmic Axis with New Perspectives on the Archaic History of Astronomy, in preparation |
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M. A. VanderSluijs & A. L. Peratt, The Dragon Around the World; A Survey of Ourobóros Traditions, in preparation |
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other publications include: |
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M. A. VanderSluijs, ‘Sterren Kijken in Australië’, Frontier Magazine, 13. 2 (2007), 64-69 (Dutch) |
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M. A. VanderSluijs, ‘Korean Signs and Wonders’, Fortean Times; The World of Strange Phenomena, 223 (2007), 56-57 |
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M. A. VanderSluijs, ‘Blood (not so) Simple’, a review of B. Sykes, Blood of the Isles; Exploring the Genetic Roots of Our Tribal History (London: Bantam Press, 2006), ISBN 0-593-05652-3, in Fortean Times; The World of Strange Phenomena, 220 (2007), 63 |
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M. A. VanderSluijs, a review of N. J. Saunders, Alexander’s Tomb; the Two Thousand Year Obsession to Find the Lost Conqueror (New York: Basic Books, 2006), ISBN 978-0-465-07202-6, in Fortean Times; The World of Strange Phenomena, 219 (2007), 60-61 |
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M. A. VanderSluijs, ‘To the Finland Station …’, a review of F. Vinci, The Baltic Origins of Homer’s Epic Tales, in Fortean Times; the World of Strange Phenomena, 216 (2006), 65 |
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M. A. VanderSluijs, ‘Jezus – van Dwerg tot Reus’, Frontier Magazine, 11. 4 (2005), 40-49 (Dutch) |
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biography
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Marinus Anthony VanderSluijs received a Master’s Degree in Comparative and Historical Linguistics at Leiden University, The Netherlands (1999), specialising in the Indo-European and Semitic language families. Since then, he has combined extensive travels around the world with an intensive study of comparative mythology, archaeoastronomy and the history of astronomy.
While publishing articles on these subjects in academic journals, he is currently preparing a comprehensive textbook of worldwide traditions concerning the axis mundi and its possible origins in historical fluctuations of the earth’s electromagnetic environment. Another monograph, approaching completion, examines the widespread symbol of the ourobóros or ‘tail-biting dragon’ in the light of electromagnetic disturbances of the geomagnetic field.
contact (e-mail address): rens at axismundi.info |
credits
Thanks to the Mainwaring Archive Foundation (the MAF) for their incessant support.
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the zodiacal light (© Dominic Cantin) |
aurora borealis (© Wikimedia Commons) |
lightning (© Wikimedia Commons) |
this website has last been updated on 15th. June 2008
