Metal-Planet Correspondences

Article Source No longer available.
Here is the archived article source:
https://web.archive.org/web/20020422233307/http://www.anth.org.uk/Science/kolisko/

‘I believe that the work of Lilly Kolisko has provided for us a foundation stone upon which future alchemical experimentation can be built … I hope that her work can be continued and extended as I can see that upon its foundations a qualitative science of the etheric forces can be built, a new alchemy and Etheric Science.’
– Adam McLean, Hermetic Journal 1980
www.levity.com/alchemy/kolisko.html

Lilly Kolisko’s work links together the planets and their metals, Heaven and Earth. The meetings of the planets were recorded by chemical process. She employed the age-old alchemical notion of specific correspondences whereby a particular metal ‘belonged’ to a planet; and got it to work by a chemical procedure using the metallic reagents in solution. The metals traced pictures on the papers, pictures having form. That form, typically, faded away during the celestial event, then came back afterwards. Thus the experiments told her when and for how long the celestial influence worked.

Kolisko trained as a nurse and then came to dedicate herself to scientific work within the anthroposophical movement pioneered by Rudolf Steiner, at Stuttgart. She did important work on the effect of homeopathic highly-diluted solutions, and also on how lunar cycles were important in agriculture, but these things don’t concern us here. In 1926, a year after Steiner’s death, she first witnessed ‘the working of the stars on Earthly substance’ as she later called it. She was rising solutions of silver, iron and lead in filter papers, during a conjunction of Saturn and the Sun. The normal pattern changed:

‘An invisible hand had blotted out the working of the lead in my solution. The Sun had stood before the planet Saturn and here below on Earth the lead could not manifest its activity. When the Stars speak man must stand still in silent awe.’

Such a phenomenon can only be explained, with traditional alchemical logic. This website looks at experiments which I have published, as I have attempted to replicate ‘the Kolisko effect’.

Gold is the Sun-metal. This doesn’t mean that the Sun contains gold. It means that the essential being of gold is solar. A wedding-ring has to be gold, because other metals wouldn’t have the heart-significance and also the sense of permanence which the sun-metal has. You may know that silver is shiny and used for films and photos. This is because its lunar-nature is sensitive, receptive and impressionable. But, you may object, that’s astrology. Yes, it is: the Moon is connected with dreams and fantasy as in the phrase, ‘just mooning around’ So silver has these qualities. All chemistry using silver has to be done in darkness because of its lunar nature. This is something to reflect upon…

Gold in contrast needs bright sunlight, and Kolisko’s gold-experiments need bright daylight to develop the gold-picture. Every schoolchild should rise a gold-solution filterpaper picture — seeing its golden hue develop in response to the sunlight — and thereby sense the glory that is expressed by this metal. Kolisko’s work gives us a new opportunity to appreciate the qualitative being of the metals, to replace the grey abstractions of modern chemistry with vivid, archetypal images. Seven metals in particular have intertwined through human history, and we can now appreciate them anew using the Hermetic maxim, ‘as above, so below’.

The rather 3-D looking forms grow as the solutions rise up the paper. The seeds or nuclei appear first, then the precipitate rays out from
these. This takes about fifteen minutes to develop. It needs a fairly dark room, as light affects silver. Silver is the Moon-metal, and is
therefore receptive, sensitive and image-forming by nature.

‘ In the case of pictures of silver we find that the wealth of forms is so great that it is impossible to present one picture only of silver … In the case of gold, the colours are so rich that many pictures must be observed before we can realise the nature and character of the metal. The colours that make their appearance vary between pure yellow and dark violet.’ L.Kolisko

Gold and the Sun:
When gold chloride solution is used, one needs bright daylight to develop the colours of gold. Here some tin solution is also present, as it helps the purple hue to appear. Gold gives radiant colours, whereas silver gives form-images. Gold needs the light, silver needs the dark.Gold is the Sun-metal.

‘So long as substances are in a solid state they are subject to the forces of the earth, but as soon as they enter the liquid state, planetary forces come into play.’ Rudolf Steiner

Books published:
There is an important ‘main sequence’ of books written on the subject after Kolisko, each emphasizing a different aspect of the topic.

1966, The Nature of Substance – Rudolf Hauschka, trans. from German.

1973 The Secrets of Metals – Wilhelm Pelikan, Anthroposophic Press, trans. from German.

1980 Metal Magic The esoteric properties and uses of Metals – Mellie
Uyldert , Turnstone, translated from Dutch.

1984 Astrochemistry A Study of Metal-planet Affinities N.Kollerstrom

1991 Metal Power The Soul life of the Planets Alison Davidson, Borderland Sci. CA.

For the purpose of reactivating the Western alchemical tradition, Kolisko published eight books on the subject. These were:

1928 Working of the Stars in Earthly substance – this described the Sun-conjunct-Saturn experiment she did on 21.11.26, with iron, silver and lead (15 plates).

1928 The Solar Eclipse 29.6.27 (23 plates, 3 coloured, of gold).

1929 Das Silber und der Mond (Stuttgart) – this followed the difference between Full and New moons over several years, using silver-nitrate steigbild.

1932 Jupiter and Tin, Working of the Stars in Earthly substance (30 plates, 4 coloured).

1936 Gold and the Sun – Total Eclipse of 19.6.36 (43 illustrations of gold & silver steigbild)

1947 Gold and the Sun – Total Eclipse of 20.5.47 (44 illustrations)

1948 Spirit in matter – silver and gold steigbild, this described day-night differences

1952 Saturn und Blei, Sternwerken in Erdenstoffen – published in Stroud, but printed in Germany. This described quite a large number of silver, iron and lead experiments from 1926 to 1951, using both steigbild and crystallization methods. Mars-conjunct-Saturn experiments were described, as were a series of adjacent conjunctions and oppositions of the Moon and Saturn.

1961 Die totale Sonnenfinsternis vom 15.2.61 in a German Jnl, English trans. Published in 1978 as ‘The Sun Eclipse’, by Andrew Clunies-Ross as ‘Kolisko Archive’.

Confirmations of the Kolisko effect have been published by:

I. Theodore Schwenk (in Pelikan 1973), and

II. Karl Voss (Neue Aspekte 5 1965, Hamburg, summarised by Brigadier R. Firebrace, ‘Confirmation of the Kolisko Experiments’ Spica, 4, 1965) in Germany,

III. Fyfe in Switzerland (‘Uber die Variabilitat von Silber-Eisen Steigbilden’, Elemente der Naturwissenschaft 6 1967),

IV. Andre Faussurier in France (Conscience Ecologique et Creativite Humaine, Lyon 1975 – I believe Faussurier published some more but I never found it);

V. Geoffrey Dean in 1977 (Recent Advances in Natal Astrology A Critical Review 1900-1976, p230 (a Moon-conjunct-Mars experiment in which Dean, myself and others participated, on 30.8.75, at the UK’s Astrological Association annual conference at Brighton).

VI. Michael Drummond in ‘Cosmological Influences in Chemistry’ The Mercury Star Journal Autumn 1977 (A Mars-Saturn conjunction, square, trine and sextile of 1976)

VII. Michael Theroux, Lunar Influence on the Electrochemical production of Colloidal Silver’ Borderlands Journal CA over the lunar eclipse of 23.3.97 colloidal silver generators showed a significant, several-fold decrease in the amount of colloidal silver generated during and just before the eclipse, returning to normal afterwards; discusses Kolisko’s work.

My reports on these experiments (shown on this website) were published in 1976, ’77 and ’82 in The Astrological Journal, reprinted in the 1984 Astrochemistry.

As well as these diverse replications, several articles were published by Agnes Fyfe (working at the Lukas Klinic at Arlesheim, Germany) in The British Homeopathic Journal, of her Steigbild experiments using plant sap, and how they responded to celestial events: ‘The Signature of the Planet Mercury in Plants’ (1974, 64) [which used a salt of mercury] and ‘Die Signatur der Venus im Pflanzenreich’ (Stuttgart 1978) [ this used copper salts]. I reckon these confirm Kolisko’s basic thesis, but using different metal-planet links, viz. Mercury-quicksilver and Copper-Venus, and within a more medical context.

Negative results were reported (but not described) by Charles Hammerton on behalf of the Faculty of Astrological Studies, London, reported as ‘Repetition of Experiment made by Kolisko in Relation to Observable Effects in Salts of Metals Corresponding to the Planets’, Astrology (UK) 28 1954, p46-9.

Baker & Maby reported to the British Astronomical Association of their own failure to replicate these effects. (J.Maby & E.Baker, ‘An Experimental test of Astrological claims’, Jnl. of the British Astronomical Association 1935 45 165-6; J.Maby, Confessions of a Sensitive 1966 p.154.

Biochemist Dr Frank McGillian in The Opening Eye 1980 described first the positive result obtained on the 30.8.75 experiment (V above) then how he ‘did not get a conclusive result’ in an experiment he conducted over the 1978 Mars-conjunct Saturn.

Experimental Procedure

“The Sun produces gold; the Moon silver; Saturn lead; and Mars iron.”
-Proklos of Byzantium, 5th century A.D.

Some more practical details may not come amiss, for readers who wish to get their hands on some equipment.

The paper: cut out a couple of dozen rectangles of the size required – 15 cm wide will fit snugly into the dishes – holding them at one end, their ‘top’ end – then roll them all together into a cylindrical shape. Take them out as required and clip them with paper clips, standing them upside down until the solutions are ready. A general purpose grade filter paper (‘Whatman’s number one’) is suitable.

The dishes: petri dishes can be used, or get special ‘steigbild’ dishes (manufactured by the Lukas Klinic, Arlesheim, Switzerland), designed so that all the solution rises up the filter paper. Also, cylinders of filter paper stand up better in them.

The chemicals: obtaining the chemicals for a private citizen is far from easy, and your best bet may be to find a school chemistry teacher who will let you have some. The pure ‘Analar’ grade ferrous sulphate is necessary, which is a pale green colour and not brown. While you’re at it, if you can borrow a digital Ph-meter (which is not expensive) this will conveniently show any hydrolysis of the ferrous sulphate during the course of the experiment.

Mixing: ordinary pipettes can be used to suck up the required amounts of the solutions which are then mixed in the dish. However, an adjustable pipette which will suck up and deliver the required amount is easier; or, better still, automatic pipettes fitted to a flask, so that as the top is depressed the required amount is delivered. Such automation standardises the mixing procedure. If a lead solution is required, then the silver nitrate and lead nitrate can be placed together in a flask adjusted to deliver 3 ml (or whatever) each time.

Timing: as the solutions are allowed to rise up the filter papers in a dim light, I suggest noting when the first black speck of silver appears on your filterpaper, which becomes the nucleus or seed from which a ‘form’ grows. This will normally be a few minutes for the iron/silver mixture, but will be quite a bit longer if lead is also present. If a black precipitate of silver forms at the base of the paper around the dish within a minute or so, discard as it means that the dish is dirty.

The pictures: Try the procedure a day or two before you wish to begin, to see if the forms are turning up properly. Sometimes they just don’t come, which is a problem. In this situation one can vary the concentrations of the chemicals used, for example more iron will make the silver precipitate more quickly. If the forms still don’t appear, give up. There’s no point going through an experiment if the proper (slightly three-dimensional-looking) forms are not manifesting at the start. The phenomenon is a bit like the clouds in the sky: they change in shape from day to day, and I don’t know why. Perhaps after all, as Kolisko said, this reflects changing conditions in some etheric-force ambience.

Photography: photographing the papers is optimal using reflected and transmitted light. So, put the pictures onto glass inside the house, with a black paper surround, and photograph while illuminated both from behind and in front. Dry filter papers using ‘silica gel’ crystals.

The Astronomy

‘Sol gold is, and Luna silver we declare; Mars yron, Mercurie is Quyksilver;
Saturnus leed, and Jubiter is tyn, And Venus coper, by my fathers kyn.’
– Chaucer, Canterbury Tales

Once a month, the Moon meets each of the planets. When it reaches the same celestial longitude as a planet it is said to be in ‘conjunction.’ This event last over hours, if we say that the ‘orb’ of the event has several degrees. The Moon moves about thirteen degrees across the sky every day. The main event of these experiments may happen within half an hour or so of the event, i.e. the conjunction. The slower Mars-Saturn conjunctions happen over days, because they move much more slowly.

If the two spheres also have the same latitude, then an occultation will take place. In a Moon-Mars occultation, Mars goes literally behind the Moon for an hour or so.

Two weeks after a lunar conjunction, an opposition will happen. Then the two spheres are 180° apart in longitude. We may compare the opposition to Full Moon and the conjunction to New Moon. I did a Moon- opposition Saturn experiment, and found the effect to be rather opposite to that of the conjunction.

A square happens when two spheres form a right-angle in celestial longitude. Traditionally astrologers view this as a stressful but firm aspect. Mike Drummond did a Mars-square Saturn experiment which is here reproduced.

All these angles are measured on the plane of the ecliptic. This is the plane in which the Earth orbits around the Sun. The Moon swings from side to side of this and so can move five degrees away. We might expect conjunctions to be stronger when the two spheres are close in celestial latitude. Latitude is the angular distance away from the ecliptic. Most planets will be within a degree or so of the ecliptic.

Times of the conjunctions each year are given in ‘Raphael’s ephemeris.

A Chemical Theatre

‘A type of symbolism which can be traced back to sources much more ancient than
any we have for alchemy is the association of metals with the planets.’
– F.Sherwood Taylor, Origins of Greek alchemy, Ambix I p.46.

Experiments with metal salts in solution can show the effect of the planets that ‘correspond’ with the metals. The basic procedure for these experiments was developed by Kolisko in the 1930s, following some indications from Rudolf Steiner. They are chromatographic, in that a precipitation reaction takes place slowly as solutions rise up a filter paper. It was Kolisko’s genius to realise that the ionic reaction between solutions of silver nitrate and ferrous sulphate is slow, so that colloidal silver is gradually precipitated over say three to ten minutes. These metals correspond to, respectively, the Moon and Mars.

Gradually, precipitation-patterns fan out on the filter paper, which can be somewhat three-dimensional looking. Next, Kolisko showed that the pattern formed by the precipitations varied depending on when it was performed, and specifically over conjunctions in the sky of the Moon and Mars, which happens once a month. Thereby she initiated the idea of a time-experiment. Contrary to the fundamental axiom of modern science, that a chemical reaction can be repeated at any time and will be the same, she showed over years of these experiments that what she called the ‘formative force’ gave differing pictures.

One could say that this is the Moon-nature of silver, to be receptive, sensitive and impressionable. She also added some lead nitrate, which gave more heavy-looking pictures. These took longer to form. Lead is the Saturn-metal. The pictures shown here are mainly using lead-added, and therefore performed over Saturn-conjunctions: just with the Moon, as happens once a month, or with Mars, as happens once every two years.

The best series of experiments was performed by Mike Drummond, who followed the Mars-Saturn conjunction of 1976, and then the trine, square and sextile! One does these experiments before, during and after, and one set a day for the two-planet meetings. For a Moon-event, which is much more fast-moving one does a set every half-hour or hour. (We used the modification of the method by Agnes Fyfe, who worked at the Lukas Klinic at Arlesheim. This just used smaller quantities, 1% solutions, and the special convenient petri-dishes they make. You will often hear these filter paper-pictures referred to as ‘steigbild’ which is the German word for it.

I was able to get these Mars-Saturn experiment filter papers analysed using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer! This showed conclusively that the lead was behaving differently over the days of the Saturn-conjunction in the heavens. Normally, during a celestial event, the typical ‘forms’ will disappear from the filter paper, will be in some way washed out, and will then gradually reappear again.

Various persons have reported results from an experiment over a Mars-Saturn conjunction: firstly Kolisko in her Saturn und Blei of 1952, then Dr Karl Voss in 1964 (in his Neue Aspekte journal), then Rudolf Hauschka in 1949 (reported in Pelikan’s The Secrets of Metals 1973). I obtained some dramatic results from the Mars-Saturn conjunction of 1971, but was not well able to photograph the results (The filter papers will spoil if exposed to undue light and moisture, as silver is so light-sensitive). Then Drummond followed with the 1976 experiment.

The aim of this website, is to try and show what the filter paper pictures look like, during the celestial events. So we invite anyone with such data, to send them in and we’ll put them on display. It is only fair to add that, several persons involved in these experiments have concluded that they have not worked so well in recent decades, presumably due to the untense mantle of man-made radiations now enmeshing the planet. To quote what I wrote on them back in 1976:

A sequence of identical experiments, performed before, during and after the event, will therefore mirror the changes undergone by the planetary influences. The sequence of experiments then functions as a kind of microcosmic theatre, enabling the progress of a celestial event to be followed.

Mixing the two solutions.

REFERENCES

For a review of the literature, see John T. Burns, Cosmic Influences on Humans, Animals and Plants Magill 1997 (US).

N.Kollerstrom, Astrochemistry, A Study of Metal-Planet Affinities, 1984, Ascella, Notts.

The ‘Kolisko Archives’ at Stroud are inoperative, ie none of Koliso’s books are available (eg, Silver und der Mond 1929, Gold and the Sun 1947, Saturn und Blei 1952)

N.Kollerstrom, Chemical Effects of a Mars-Saturn Conjunction, The Asrological Journal Summer 1997.

Michael Drummond, Cosmological Influences in Chemistry, Mercury Star Journal Autumn 1977.

Firebrace, R.C. Confirmation of the Kolisko Experiments, Spica 1965 ,4,4-8.

Fyfe, Agnes Uber die Variabilitat von silber-Eisen Srteigbilden, Elemente der Naturwissenshaft, Stuttgart, Easter 1976,6,35-43.

Moon Mars Experiments

‘He who knows what iron is, knows the attributes of Mars. He who knows Mars, knows the qualities of iron.’
– Paracelsus

A conjunction is a meeting in the sky, and happens when two heavenly bodies have the same celestial longitude. The Moon meets up with Mars every 29 days.

21 November 1975

This shows a sample of form-pictures from an experiment done for a BBC ‘Horizon’ program in 1975, with myself, the late Charles Harvey and Frank Hyde doing the experiment. It shows a ‘grading’ of the filterpapers, from the heaviest forms to the lightest.

To quote from Astrochemistry, ‘most impressive forms turned up for the occasion, being replaced by a marvellously delicate pattern, identical on all three filter papers, shortly after the conjunction.’ The conjunction was in the daytime, 4.30 p.m., and the experiment was done outside London (I specified that it had to be out of London) in a school chemistry lab. The BBC decided not to show the film, and alas I failed to ask for their film before they destroyed it.

This experiment was part of an initiative by Britain’s Astrological Association to check out the ‘Kolisko effect’ after I gave a presentation at their conference in 1975. The AA President Charles Harvey promoted this endeavour.

It helps to show a graph of the ‘form grading’ of the filter papers, to summarise the data. We used five stages of grading, where 5 = strongest forms and 1 = the weakest.

14 Jan 1976 Moon-conjunct-Mars

Results for filter paper pictures obtained with the Kolisko method but using only 1 ml of silver and iron solutions.

This was a follow-up to the BBC experiment of the previous year, and was done by myself and Frank Hyde in his flat in West Hampstead, through the night. It was also witnessed by a Dr. Benbow, who belonged to a chemistry department of the City University. He was asked by the BBC to witness the experiment and comment upon it. (This connection came in very useful as regards chemical analysis of the filter papers at his lab, which he allowed.)

There are about sixty filter paper-pictures in this experiment, with three set to rise each time, done every twenty minutes or so. I did it over quite a few hours to compare the effect of a Moon-Neptune conjunction with that between the Moon and Mars. The former happened just before midnight, the latter at 3.40 a.m. I specified that the event had to be in the early morning hours, when London was asleep and so there would be less perturbation of the ‘ethers.’ The theory of correspondences would predict that there should be no effect over the meeting with Neptune, but that there should be one at its meeting with Mars. The reason for this, is that iron is Mars’ metal. I reckoned that it did show this.

The top graph shows the result of a timing, where the time for each filter paper to develop its first ‘seed’ of silver precipitate was noted. The graph shows the mean of three readings. If there is a trace of dirt in the dish then its precipitate will start quite soon after mixing, and these need to be discarded.

The lower graph shows a ‘form grading’ as done by two different persons. All the filter papers are spread out (with the time-information written on their tops face down, i.e. unseen) and then sorted into five groups. This is an arbitrary number. They are scored by this grading and thereby the graph drawn. It clearly shows minimum form within the half- hour period after the conjunction, just as the timing graph shows a slowing-down of reaction time then.

7th April 1976 Moon-conjunct-Mars

This experiment was done by R.M. in Barnet, north London in the early morning hours. The graphs show firstly the reaction time, as slowed down to over twenty minutes during the conjunction, and secondly the ‘form grading’ of all the filter papers. Two persons perform the grading, as shown on the graph. The graph shows that a minimum of form appeared for about forty minutes following the conjunction.

12 June 1977

This experiment was done over an ‘occultation’ of Mars by the Moon, exact at 12.31 pm. The Moon covered Mars for a while, as all form disappeared from the filter paper.

The forms were present half an hour before this event and then returned half an hour later.

11 July 1977

This experiment by the author corroborates the one carried out approximately one month previously. The Moon-Mars conjunction in this case was 13.33 hours BST. The six pictures were prepared at 12.20, 12.42, 13.06, 13.33, 14.08 and 15.10 hours respectively (reading top row left to right, then bottom row left to right). Again a loss of form appeared round the conjunction.

Graphs from A Metal Planet Relationship — A Study of Celestial Influence by Nick Kollerstrom, Borderland Sciences Research Foundation, 1973.

Mars Saturn Experiments

‘Kolisko has shown us the way to a new chemistry, a chemistry full of life, because it is in reality the forces of life which reach right down into the mineral world, creating there a realm of inner music in tune with the harmony of the spheres above.’
– Michael Drummond (in Mercury Star journal, 1977)

Experiments using the three solutions, of iron, silver and lead.

This type of metal-planet experiments has been done more frequently than others, because the metals corresponding to Mars and Saturn (iron and lead) work well in the filter paper experiments which Kolisko devised. As well as her Saturn und Blei of 1952, experiments were also described by Dr Karl Voss in 1964, reported in the journal Neue Aspekte and by Rudolf Hauschka in 1973, in Pelikan’s The Secrets of Metals.

Michael Drummond’s Mars-Saturn experiments, that I participated in, were described in 1977 in the UK’s Astrological Journal, as Chemical Effects of a Mars-Saturn Conjunction. We used the method as modified by Agnes Fyfe, with the convenient small dishes made by the Lukas Klinik in Arlesheim, Basel, for the filter papers.

30 November 1949

Here are some old photos of an experiment performed by Theodor Schwenk in the research laboratories of Weleda Company. He was using Kolisko’s method to follow the Mars-Saturn conjunction of 30th November, 1949. The photos were reproduced in Wilhelm Pelikan’s book, ‘The Secrets of Metals’. Pelikan described the effect obtained by Schwenk during the conjunction as follows: ‘The broad, heavy ‘lead formations’ become pointed and narrow and are reduced in number: a strong blackening of the background occurs.’

The first filter paper was allowed to rise, with 1% solutions of lead nitrate, iron sulphate and silver nitrate, and this gives a normal-looking precipitate. These steigbilds were all done at the same time of day, 4 p.m. The next on the 29th, the day before the conjunction, shows a fading-away of forms, and instead a heavy darkness appears. Although it is just silver precipitating, the darkness looks as if lead-Saturn were doing it. On the 30th the day of the conjunction only small forms appear, swamped by the darkness, and likewise for the next day. Lastly on 6th of December a week later the forms have returned to normal.

15 March 1970

This was one of my first Mars-Saturn experiments and alas the photographs are very faded. They show the fading away of usual form during the conjunction and also some colour effects with reddish hues appearing at midnight.

12.50 and 13.38

Parallel experiments at 12.50, 13.38 and 18.30.

12th May 1976 Mars conjunct Saturn

This was the classic series performed by chemist Michael Drummond, daily for one month. If anyone wants concrete, conclusive proof, here it is. Three sets were risen each day, and graphs were plotted of reaction time and degree of form. Later on I was able to perform a chemical analysis of the filter papers and this showed a complete change in the lead reaction over the event (see graphs below). During the conjunction and for days afterwards complete darkness-without-form appeared on the papers.

The first two images show precipitation on days prior to the event. Then the conjunction happened at 3.46 p.m. on 12th May, when a swamping of forms is evident. The next three images show the gradual darkening up to May 19th i.e. over a 7-day period. Then suddenly on May 20th strong forms reappeared. One set of three filter papers was risen each day at about 7 p.m.

These graphs show how each day from May 5th to June 5th reaction rate for silver precipitation and lead and silver present in the filter paper varied. As can be seen from the first graph, there were three filter papers set up per day. The first graph also indicates the concept of ‘orb’ for a conjunction, as extending one degree before the event and four or five degrees after. The first graph also shows a ‘control’ experiment as was performed with only silver and iron solution, as showed no change: it needed the lead to key into the Saturn-event.

Normally, 99% or so of the lead will precipitate in the dish when the solutions are mixed, as insoluble lead sulphate. We had no suspicion that things were otherwise until well after Drummond had completed the experiment. I thin sliced off a small sliver from each paper and analysed it using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. This measures element-composition quite quickly using light, in a flame. This became available because a chemist Dr Benbow of the City University had been asked by the BBC horizon team to checkup on this research-endeavour by the UK’s Astrological Association, see previous section. He allowed me to do this in his ‘combustion-research laboratory’ as seemed quite appropriate considering its martial context. For the record, I did the analysis during my Saturn-return at 29 years and with a Sun-Saturn conjunction in the sky. Huge amounts of excess lead were present in the conjunction-filter papers. I had the test-tubes all randomised and R.M. then at the Government Chemist was helping me over the protocol.

Summarising, I developed a threefold approach to monitoring the ‘Kolisko effect’ during this celestial event: recording reaction time, assessing the degree of form, and measuring the metal ions present in the filter paper pictures after the event. This approach clearly demonstrated the working of specific metal-planet correspondences, both in picture-building and chemical reactions, over an orb of five of six degrees.

Dates of above pictures:
10, 11 & 12 May
12, 12 & 15 May
19, 20 & 20 May

1st November 1976 Mars Square Saturn

Drummond did three more of the Mars-Saturn aspects, viz. a square, trine and sextile. Lovely purplish hues appeared, and the darkness- without form did reappear but less and less heavily, his sextile-aspect experiment being quite a light affair. I provided him with the chemicals, and in particular with ampoules of ferrous sulphate as he kept frozen in his fridge, because it didn’t keep (it becomes hydrated and soon goes off with a brown colour).

The graph shows my measurement of the lead present in his filter papers. This time there was a much smaller percentage of the lead as did not react (like it should have done) but climbed up into the filter paper.

As a square is a weaker event than a conjunction, this is what one would expect. The sequence of photographs does well delineate the progress of this celestial event, showing the marvelous purple hues as appeared during it. The purple and red hues were produced solely by the metallic silver. Such rather special effects during the event, are the reward which the operator receives for conducting the experiment.

1 November 1976 09.00

1 November 1976 18.00

2 November 1976 (one day after the event)

8 November 1976 (7 days after the event)

Graph from A Metal Planet Relationship — A Study of Celestial Influence by Nick Kollerstrom, Borderland Sciences Research Foundation, 1973, Page 39.

Images and text by Nick Kollerstrom.

Moon Saturn Experiments

‘All the seven planets have opened their metal gates’
– Goethe, West-Ostlicher Divan

3 June 1970 Conjunction

This experiment followed a conjunction between the Moon and Saturn, which happened at 1.32 am on June 3rd, 1970. These old pictures show filter paper-pictures leading up to the event.

Four pictures at half-hourly intervals: 00.08, 00.40, 1.06 & 1.32 hours. A red brown colour appeared during the event. 1.5 ml of 1% solutions of ferrous sulphate, lead nitrate and silver nitrate were used.

21 June 1974 Conjunction

This experiment followed a conjunction between the Moon and Saturn at 5 am of 21st June, 1974, using the same experimental procedure as before.

Graph from Graph from Astrochemistry by NK, 1984.

9 August 1976 Conjunction

This experiment looked at an opposition between Saturn and the Moon, at 7.16 am of August 9th, 1976, and was performed by Zach Matthews, astrologer and retired civil engineer, in Worplesdon, Surrey.