Why Mongolian Shamanic Cosmology Says the Stars — Not Earth — Govern Our Time

Most of us accept the standard explanation of time without question. Earth rotates on its own axis — that gives us a day. Earth orbits the Sun — that gives us a year. The Moon orbits Earth — that gives us a month.

It is a tidy, mechanical model. And it is, according to Tengri cosmological wisdom, incomplete.

In Mongolian shamanic tradition, time does not arise from planets moving through empty space. Time arises from living relationships between celestial bodies — relationships governed by specific stars, each responsible for specific cycles. Earth does not rotate itself. The Moon does not orbit on its own. Each movement is initiated and sustained by a governing star or planet acting through a physical relay point on Earth.

This teaching is documented in the Tenger Academy archives. What follows is a direct presentation of this cosmological map, with notes on where it intersects with what Western astronomy has independently observed.

The Daily Cycle: The North Star Rotates the Earth

In standard science, Earth rotates on its own axis once every 24 hours due to angular momentum from its formation.

In Tengri cosmology, this is not the full picture. The North Star (Altangadas — meaning "Golden Stake") rotates Earth's core once per day, channelling this movement through the Altai Mountain range.

The Altai Mountains are understood in this tradition as the physical axis point — the place where the North Star's governing energy contacts Earth's interior and sets it turning.

This is why the North Star is called Altangadas — the Golden Stake. It is the fixed point around which everything else turns, not just as a navigational reference, but as a literal governing force.

Western astronomy note: The North Star (Polaris) is notable for appearing fixed in the sky while all other stars appear to rotate around it. This is because Earth's rotational axis points almost directly at Polaris. The Altai Mountains sit very close to Earth's geographical centre of landmass — a detail that takes on different meaning in this cosmological framework.

The Monthly Cycle: Uranus Guides the Moon

The standard model: the Moon orbits Earth approximately every 27–29 days due to gravitational dynamics.

The Tengri teaching: Uranus (Tengerin Van Garig — the Heavenly King Planet) completes one full rotation on its own axis every 30 days, and in doing so guides the Moon through its monthly circuit around the solar system. The Moon's own self-rotation — one cycle every 28 days — is driven by Earth and Earth's oceans.

One Mongolian unit of time (tsag) equals two standard hours — a difference in how the cycle is divided rather than the length of the cycle itself.

Western astronomy note: Uranus has a rotation period of approximately 17 hours — meaning it completes roughly 1.4 rotations per Earth day, or about 42 rotations per month. Uranus is also unusual for its extreme axial tilt of 98 degrees, which means it essentially rotates on its side. The relationship between Uranus's rotation and the Moon's orbit is not part of standard Western astronomical models, but Uranus's gravitational influence on the outer solar system is well-documented.

The Annual Cycle: Cassiopeia Rotates Earth Around the Sun

The standard model: Earth orbits the Sun once per year due to gravity and orbital mechanics.

The Tengri teaching: The Five Human Stars — Cassiopeia (Khün Tavan Od) — rotate Earth around the Sun annually. Earth is guided through the axis of its Five Elements (fire, water, earth, wood, metal), and through this rotation, the five continents receive the life force and vital energy coming from the Sun each year.

In other words, the Sun does not simply radiate energy passively. Earth is actively guided toward it in a specific way, allowing each continent to receive what it needs to sustain life.

Western astronomy note: Cassiopeia is one of the most prominent constellations in the Northern Hemisphere and has been recognised as significant across many cultures. It sits in the Milky Way's galactic plane. The Tengri assignment of Cassiopeia as governing Earth's annual orbit adds a layer not present in standard models.

The 12-Year Cycle: Sirius Governs Jupiter and the Animal Years

The standard model: Jupiter completes one orbit of the Sun approximately every 11.86 years. The 12-year animal calendar is a human cultural system based on this cycle.

The Tengri teaching: Jupiter (Barhaasbad) is created and sustained by Sirius A and B (Khökhdöi Mergen A and B), stars within the Canis Major constellation (Börtö Chono — the Grey Wolf star home). Sirius A and B rotate Jupiter around the solar system, creating the 12-year cycle.

The 12 animal year guardians — Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig — are each said to journey from Sirius to visit the 99 Tengers, protecting the planetary realms and the animal kingdoms.

Western astronomy note: Sirius is the brightest star in Earth's night sky. It was the most sacred star in ancient Egyptian cosmology, associated with Isis and used to calculate the Egyptian calendar. The Dogon people of West Africa described Sirius as a binary star system centuries before Western telescopes could confirm it. That Mongolian shamanic tradition also identifies Sirius as a governing star — and specifically as a binary system — is a point of intersection worth noting.

The 60-Year Cycle: Orion Sustains the Five Elements

The standard model: The 60-year cycle is a cultural calendar used in East Asian traditions, combining the 12-year Jupiter cycle with a 5-element cycle.

The Tengri teaching: The Five Human Stars (Cassiopeia) complete one full orbit around Earth in 60 years — the origin of the 60-year calendar. Cassiopeia is rotated on its axis by the core star of the Orion constellation (Khoo Maral — the Deer constellation). The masters of the 60-year cycle belong to Orion's core star. They restore the five continents every 12 years and perpetuate life on Mother Earth.

The 60-year cycle is therefore not simply a human cultural invention. It reflects an actual cosmic relationship between Orion, Cassiopeia, Jupiter, Sirius, Earth, and the Sun — each governing a different time scale within the same interlocking system.

Western astronomy note: Orion is one of the most recognised constellations globally and has been treated as sacred in Egyptian, Mayan, Indigenous North American, and many other traditions. The three pyramids of Giza align precisely with Orion's Belt. That Mongolian shamanic cosmology independently assigns Orion a governing cosmic role — specifically related to the 60-year cycle — is consistent with the cross-cultural pattern of Orion's significance.

The Complete Tenger Time Map

Cycle	Duration	Governing Star/Planet	Western Identity
Daily	24 hours	Altangadas	North Star (Polaris)
Monthly	30 days	Tengerin Van Garig	Uranus
Annual	1 year	Khün Tavan Od	Cassiopeia
12-year	12 years	Khökhdöi Mergen A & B	Sirius A & B
60-year	60 years	Khoo Maral (core star)	Orion

2026: The Year of the Fire Horse

This cosmological framework is not purely theoretical. It has direct implications for how specific years are understood.

2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse. In Tengri cosmology, this is not just a name. The Fire Horse year marks a time when the great masters of the Golden Lineage descend from the North Star, bringing blessings to the golden life of the golden Earth.

The Mongolian people are understood in this tradition as the guardians of the golden Earth — living at the heart of the Earth's landmass, within the domain of the Altai Mountains, directly connected to the North Star's governing energy. 2026 is therefore described as a year of particular blessings for the Mongolian people and, through them, for the Earth.

A significant 60-year Jaran ceremony — aligning astrological, annual, monthly, and daily corrections — was held on February 15, 2026 at Songino Khairkhan, organised by Khökh Tormos Centre.

A Note on Astrological Systems

Bayasgalan adds an observation worth considering:

"There appear to be many ways of counting time and astrology. We humans living on Earth would do well to follow Earth's own timekeeping. Those living on the Sun might follow the Sun's core time; those on the Moon would naturally follow the Moon's cycle. There are also continental astrological systems — the astrology of the Arctic, the astrology of Asia, the astrology of peoples in eternal snow regions.

We Mongolians live at the very heart of the Earth, in the domain of the Altai Mountains. Therefore, we must live by the astrology of the North Star — the astrology that takes the Golden Earth itself as its centre."

This is not a claim that one system is superior to all others. It is a claim that coherence matters — that the astrological system you use should correspond to where you actually live, and what celestial bodies actually govern the region you inhabit.

For those in the Northern Hemisphere, and particularly those connected to Central Asian or Mongolian heritage, the North Star-centred cosmology is the one that applies.

Why This Matters

The Tengri cosmological system is not a collection of metaphors. It is a map — one that assigns specific governing relationships between specific stars, planets, and time cycles, and describes physical relay points through which these relationships operate.

The fact that several of these assignments — Sirius as a binary system governing the 12-year cycle, Orion as cosmologically significant, the North Star as a fixed governing point — correspond to what other ancient traditions and modern astronomy have independently documented does not prove the system. But it does suggest it deserves serious engagement rather than dismissal.

At Tenger Academy, this cosmology forms the foundation of how we understand ceremony timing, retreat design, and the significance of specific years for specific kinds of work. It is why we conduct ceremonies at particular times. It is why 2026 matters.

It is also why this teaching is being made available now.

Ogtorhiin Altan Zurhaiich (Celestial Astrologer)

Bayasgalan S.

Master Mörgun of Tenger Academy February 14, 2026