Like most planets in our solar system, the Earth has its own magnetic field. Thanks to its largely molten core, our planet is in fact a bit like a bar magnet. It has a north and south magnetic pole, separate from the geographic poles, with a field connecting the two. This field protects our planet from radiation and is responsible for creating the northern and southern lights – spectacular events that are only visible near the magnetic poles.
According to a recent report on Earth Sky News by Nathan Case, a Senior Research Associate in Space and Planetary Physics at Lancaster University, however, the magnetic north pole has started moving swiftly at 50km (31 miles) per year – and may soon be over Siberia. This magnetic field has many advantages. For over 2,000 years, travellers have been able to use it to navigate across the globe. Some animals even seem to be able to find their way thanks to the magnetic field. While since the time of the ancient Egyptians the North has been recognised as the ‘the Place of Power’ from a magical energy perspective.
Earth’s magnetic field extends hundreds of thousands of kilometres out from the centre of our planet – stretching right out into interplanetary space, forming what scientists call a ‘magnetosphere’.This magnetosphere helps to deflect solar radiation and cosmic rays, preventing the destruction of our atmosphere. This protective magnetic bubble isn’t perfect though, and some solar matter and energy can transfer into our magnetosphere. As it is then funnelled into the poles by the field, it results in the spectacular displays of the Northern Lights.
Since Earth’s magnetic field is created by its moving, molten iron core, its poles aren’t stationary and they wander independently of one another. In fact, since its first formal discovery in 1831, the north magnetic pole has travelled over 1,240 miles (2,000 km) from has generally been quite slow, around 9km (6 mi) a year, allowing scientists to easily keep track of its position. But since the turn of the century, this speed has increased to 30 miles (50 km) a year.The south magnetic pole is also moving, though at a much slower rate (6-9 miles, or 10-15 km a year).the Boothia Peninsula in the far north of Canada to high in the Arctic Sea.
Already this rapid wandering of the north magnetic pole has caused some problems for scientists and navigators alike. Computer models of where the north magnetic pole might be in the future have become seriously outdated, making accurate compass-based navigation difficult. And here we have to ask ourselves whether there will be any drastic magical anomalies caused by all this moving around since from a magical point of view, a miss is as good as a mile. The magnetic poles are the points on the Earth’s surface where a compass needle points downwards or upwards, vertically. They aren’t necessarily connected and drawing a line between these points, through the Earth, would not necessarily cross its center.
We already know that the magnetic pole moves. Both poles have wandered ever since the Earth existed. In fact, the poles even flip over, with north becoming south and south becoming north. These magnetic reversals have occurred throughout history, every 450,000 years or so on average. The last reversal occurred 780,000 years ago meaning we could be due for a reversal soon which would play havoc with all our magical workings, methods and theories!
Starchild I & II by Melusine Draco is published by Ignotus Press UK : ISBN: 9781786976499 : Type: Paperback : Pages: 244 : Published: 21 January 2017 : Price: €7.95 https://www.feedaread.com/books/STARCHILD-I-II-9781786976499.aspx
Melusine Draco 