THE SEVEN SPIRITS BEFORE THE THRONE 9
The inclination of the axis of the Sun to the plane of the ecliptic is about 7½ degrees.
The above inclinations of the axes do not in all cases coincide with the figures given by physical science, neither do we endorse their view that these inclinations remain practically unchanged, save for a slight vibratory movement called nutation. There is an exceedingly slow third movement of the planets whereby that which is now the North Pole of the earth will in the future, as it has in the past, point directly towards the Sun. Later it will be in the position where now the South Pole is, and in due time it will reach again its present place. Thus tropical climate and glacial epochs succeed each other on all points of each planet.
In addition to this gradual movement of about 50 seconds of space per century, whereby a whole revolution of the earth’s axis is completed in about two and one-half million years, there have also been sudden changes at a time when that which is now the North Pole pointed directly towards the Sun. The southern hemisphere was then continually in darkness and cold.
Resulting conditions caused a sudden overtopping of our globe the last time. Since that time, however, the Spirit which previously guided the earth from without has drawn into the sphere and such a happening will be impossible in the future.
