The first filterpaper 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 filterpapers and this showed a complete change in the lead rection 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 filterpapers 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 filterpaper varied. As can be seen from the first graph, there were three filterpapers 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 thn sliced off a small sliver from each paper and analysed it using an atomic absorbtion 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 semed 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-filterpapers. 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, assesing the degree of form, and measuring the metal ions present in the filterpaper 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.