I think it's fair to say that conferences on the subject of 'Planet X' are a rare event.  I was honoured to be asked to speak at this conference in Rome, but I was also a little sceptical about how many delegates would attend.  I have several pages on the Dark Star website already translated into Italian, thanks to my friend Mattia.  Even so, would that be sufficient to fill a conference hall full of people whose language I did not even share?

I need not have worried.  At least about that, anyway.  What I did need to worry about was the absolutely atrocious winter weather we suffered in England the day Mrs DarkStar and I were scheduled to travel.  We have been experiencing a harsh winter this year, with unusual quantities of snow, and the morning of our journey brought several inches of snow in the form of an intense blizzard.  The county council had run out of gritting salt for the roads, and the result was exceedingly treacherous driving conditions as we embarked upon the 100 mile drive to Heathrow airport. 

If we were late for the plane, we didn't fly, it was as simple as that.  We would miss the conference.  All across the county, roads were blocked by jack-knifed lorries and car crashes.  It took us ninety minutes to get through to the other side of Cheltenham.  On the radio, the police were urging commuters to stay at home for the day. But we needed to catch a plane, so we slowly drove through the blizzard along the A40 to Oxford in a convoy of vehicles. 

The main road was like a frozen farm track, and there was one occasion when our car slid right across the carriageway. It was terrifying!  But, thanks to the driving skills of Mrs DarkStar, we made it, and caught the plane for Italy with about fifteen minutes to spare.

Saturday

We stayed at a different hotel in Rome than the one the conference was held in.  The Pineta Palace was a nice enough hotel, but its location was a problem if we wanted to see some of the sights. So we stayed in central Rome, and commuted out to the conference the next day.  We got a bit lost, and arrived late for the first day.  The organiser, Massimo, was delighted to see us when we arrived.  The last communication he had received from me was saying that we might not make it - a message he had passed on to the 200+ delegates.  I had an unexpectedly enthusiastic cheer from the conference when my arrival was announced. And I quickly realised why - the two American speakers, Marshall Masters and Jason Martell, had not turned up.  I'm sure they had good reasons for not coming, but if I had not arrived either then the top three international speakers would all have been 'no-shows'. 

As it was, Marshall's shoes were filled by his co-author Jacco van der Worp, who had travelled from Holland.  Jacco discussed the fears of an in-coming Planet X body, and how people should prepare themselves for an impending catastrophe associated with its perihelion passage.  The 'Planet X Forecast and 2012 Survival Guide' has been translated into Italian, and his book was very popular at the conference.  His talk created a lot of discussion, and Jacco spent the rest of the day fielding questions.

That morning also featured an excellent presentation by Stefano Silvestri, which introduced the general subject of Planet X, laying the foundation for the rest of the conference.  His talk was translated for me by one of the other speakers, Maurizio Baiata, an editor of the Italian 'X Times', who gave a talk about alien contact later in the afternoon.

My Saturday talk included a PowerPoint presentation in English with Italian 'google' translation.  I don't speak Italian, and, like Jacco, my talk was translated for the audience as I went along.  My translator, Selene, was wonderful, and handled the technical aspects of my talk very well.  But I did find it difficult to get into my stride - because usually I speak quite quickly, and at some length! 

On this occasion I had to break the talk down into smaller bites.  Nevertheless, the audience seemed to enjoy my intense little presentation on the Dark Star Theory.  I bombarded them with the scientific evidence for the existence of a sub-brown dwarf located beyond the Kuiper Belt.  We looked at the many anomalies suggestive of the presence of such a body.

In the afternoon, there was also another excellent presentation given by Pablo Ayo, whose technical prowess with computers enabled me to show the set of short videos I had brought along with me for the Sunday talk. Good man!  Pablo publishes a website called 'Strange Days', and he put forward a new theory about 'Nibiru', which unfortunately I didn't understand a lot of.  But the slides looked good.

Sunday

I will admit that Mrs DarkStar and I bunked off for the Sunday morning.  We wanted to visit the Vatican, and it seemed a very apt time to do so.  There was a little demo going on there, just before the Pope gave his address, but I got the feeling that the demo was on a 'pro-life' theme, which was unlikely to generate much controversy among the faithful.  Even so, it made the Italian TV news at lunchtime.  More controversial, certainly, was the content of the Planet X conference, located just a few kilometres away. 

The morning's talks had featured Prof. Vittorio Marchi, and Victor Hurukan, who had travelled from Romania. There was also a Romanian journalist in the audience who was covering the event, and recorded interviews with several of us.  There was a slightly more religious, or at least spiritual, emphasis to Sunday morning's subject matter.  Which was apt, I suppose.

In the afternoon, the conference organiser, Massimo Fratini, gave an impassioned speech about the cover-up of Planet X and its connection to 2012. Massimo is the editor of 'Segni dal Cielo', and I suspect is  the driving force behind the popularity of the subject in Italy.  He was a tough act to follow for my second talk.  I knew this would be a difficult talk for me, because I don't actually believe that 2012 and Planet X are connected. So I needed to put across the various scenarios about Nibiru - what it was and when it would appear - without stepping out of line too much with the rest of the tone of the event. 

I set out six scenarios for the timing of Nibiru - two of them related to Zecharia Sitchin's original work, two of them related to my research, and the other two about 2003 and 2012.  I tried to stick to the facts as much as possible, and stay neutral.  I hope I achieved that, but I can't imagine that the talk was easy listening for the many delegates who were already convinced that the world will end in 3 years time.  Still, that's what conferences are all about - to bring together an eclectic mix of opinions and research.  It would be easy for me to go along with the current morbid interest in 2012 with a confirmatory nod - I'm sure my book sales and media exposure would climb as a result!  But, at the end of the day, I don't think that the 2012 'event' will be catastrophic.  At least, I don't think there is enough evidence to suggest this scenario.

I've put a lot of my thinking on this issue into my novel 'Ezekiel One'

The afternoon was rounded off by Jacco van der Worp, who discussed innate psychic and prophetic abilities.  I didn't catch all of it, because I was by then having discussions with various delegates who wanted to talk with me after my own talk.  Some of the chats were very fruitful.  I was given a fascinating little book about Hercolubus from two very deep and serious Italian fellows; and a music CD from an American delegate.  (Thanks, Anthony, it's really good!  Hope we meet up again some time.)

It was the first time that Mrs DarkStar has attended a conference of this sort, and she was a bit freaked out by it, to be honest.  Fortunately, she got on really well with our translator, Selene, which helped them both through the weirdness.  

But I really enjoyed the whole experience.  I was very impressed by how well organised the conference was:  Our hosts were superb, and the delegates attentive and involved.  I've never seen as many books bought during a conference.  It is clear that the Italians love to read, which is a breath of fresh air, certainly compared to Blighty. 

I'm hoping that my books will find an Italian publisher, to help break through the language barrier.  There may be a possibility of this happening as a result of this conference.  We'll see.

Rome, naturally, was delightful.  Mrs DarkStar took in the sights (well, the shops mostly, let's be honest), and the food was, frankly, outstanding.  We found a couple of excellent restaurants and spent way more than we should of on these culinary delights. Our trip was marred by just two things - getting fleeced by a taxi driver when we first arrived (we won't let THAT happen again!), and forgetting to put our olive oil purchases into our main luggage for the way home. Whoops - the whole lot had to go down the sink at the airport, much to my irritation.  But these are the mad times we live in. 

Finally for those of you who believe in signs...one of the wall lights in our hotel bedroom was a Winged Disc!  Now, that's surely got to be some amazing coincidence.  I had the opportunity during my second talk to offer an explanation for the shape of the winged disc symbol - it's the shape of the aurorae in the bow-shock of the Dark Star's magnetic field as it interacts with the Solar Wind during perihelion.  That one's easier to show in pictures than words!

I was delighted and greatly honoured to be asked along to the conference in Rome, and I would like to offer my thanks to Massio, Alessandra, Maurizio and Selene.  I also owe a great debt of thanks to Mrs DarkStar, whose expert driving enabled us to get there in one piece.  If I'd have been driving, we'd have ended up in a ditch somewhere between Cheltenham and Oxford.

Written by Andy Lloyd, author of 'The Dark Star' (2005)

Published by Timeless Voyager Press

11th February 2009

http://www.segnidalcielo.it/PlanetXConference.html

Planet X Nibiru Conference

Rome, 29th January 2012

Andy Lloyd was the keynote speaker at the "Planet X Nibiru Conference" in Rome, on Sunday 29th January 2012 - organised by Massimo Fratini.  Devoted to the subject of Planet X Nibiru and 2012, Andy had been invited to return to Rome to discuss the very latest news about the hunt for Planet X, as well as whether the end of the Mayan Calendar will bring forth catastrophe from the sky.  Other speakers included Massimo Fratini, Enrico Baccarini, Mauro Biglino and Ivan Ceci.  Here's Andy's review:

Having already spoken at the 2009 conference in Rome, I knew better what to expect on my return this year.  Everything went very smoothly - the hallmark of a well organised event.  Even though the financial crisis remains a very real problem in Europe at the moment, the conference was well-attended.  UFOlogists in Rome are very fortunate to have Signore Fratini.  He has a real passion for the subject and, globally, I know of no other conference organiser who devotes such attention purely to the subject of Planet X.  I was honoured to be invited back to speak once again, and gave two presentations which were ably translated by Mario.

It was an absolute pleasure to attend this conference in Rome, although regrettably Mrs Darkstar had to remain at home this time to deal with that perennial scourge of the accounting class: month-end.  She missed what was a fabulous social gathering.  It is clear that many of the delegates at the conference have got to know each other well over the years, and it often felt like I was at a large family event.  That sense was enhanced by Massimo's gracious hospitality.

As my translator Mario pointed out, Italians are by their very nature very sociable people.  This seemed particularly true during the lunch, which was a very communal and convivial affair over pasta and a fine buffet.  It was almost like I was a distant cousin invited to a large wedding - I was warmly received, and made a fuss of, and I felt immediately at home. The conference  also provided me with a tremendous opportunity to improve my rather limited Italian, which I think is a beautiful language to learn.

The conference began with Ivan Ceci who, midway along his personal journey of discovery, provided an impassioned talk about the need for a new spirituality to combat the darkness consuming the West at the moment.  He rejected the dualism of the dominant religions, instead espousing a new unity centred on love. He then described a 15th century account, written in Latin, which seemed to describe a Contactee encounter with silk-clad men of great longevity, whose purpose appeared to be to watch over humanity.  He compared this to modern Contactee cases. Ivan pointed out that the gift of love seems to be a common theme. He then indicated the importance of the 6-pointed star symbolism, and the heart chakra, as a means to focus on what is important and cut through the overwhelming amount of rubbish our minds are generally consumed by.

Mauro Biglino then provided a scholarly exploration of the wording of ancient texts, particularly from the Old Testament.  Bringing to bear an expert knowledge of philology, Mauro focussed upon the real meaning of words like Elohim, Malachim and Adam. He discussed the various races, or groups, highlighted in the early Bible (like the Nephilim), and argued that the links between them have become confused.  He argued that the gods were very real, and altered human DNA.  This, he argues, is clearly spelt out by the Bible when you realise the true meanings of these words.  Why, is it, he asked, that a billion people believe in Christ on the word of four men, but when the ancient texts speak clearly of a plurality of gods coming from beyond Earth no one believes it? He then described the origin of RU.A in Sumerian, along with the accompanying icon of a circle and crescent motif above water - seemingly an early Winged Disk.  If I picked up the sense of what Mauro was saying correctly, RU.A is often translated as 'Word of Glory' but he argued that it more correctly denoted a 'heavy object'.  He then took us through a rather alternative form of Bible-study as we pondered the true relationship between God and Moses, and the priestly class that followed in Moses' wake.

I then described my Dark Star Theory, in the context of the wider desire to solve some of the mysteries of Ufology. I highlighted the growing list of anomalies in the solar system that indicate the presence of a massive Planet X body between the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud, including new findings from the last couple of years which build on the case. 

In the afternoon, Enrico Baccarini provided a comparative study of various ancient texts and the descriptions therein of visiting gods.  He described how Mount Kailash in Tibet was thought to have been the landing place of the gods, in particular the Hindu god Shiva who arrived there to meditate at that location for 1000 years.  The Vimanas used by the ancient gods to travel through the sky are clear descriptions of aeroforms, and were first considered in this way in Italy in 1962.  Enrico found a common theme among ancient traditions of seven wise men - notably in Japanese Buddhism, the "Apkallu" of Akkad and the Sumerian "Abgal".  These entities were equivalent to the Babylonian Oannes, which brought knowledge and civilisation to humanity.  All these common threads seem to point in the same direction - a benevolent race of flesh-and-blood gods who bestowed gifts of knowledge upon the early peoples of our planet.

Massimo Fratini, the conference organiser, then provided us with an overview of the Planet X debate.  Massimo is to Italy what the late Graham Birdsall was to British Ufology - a passionate advocate of UFO reality who works really hard to get the message out there.  It is evident that Massimo has a keen interest in Planet X, and the Dark Star Theory in particular.   It is immensely gratifying that he is so supportive of this particular branch of research.  In his presentation, he showed us composite images of Jupiter-sized candidate Planet X bodies.  He explained how he has received information that 80% of the funding for the infra-red survey WISE is derived from the Vatican.  He analysed crop circles that show a Planet X body entering the solar system at the end of 2012. And he argued that the current crisis creates a fear within the population that facilitates state control, paving the way for future crisis management on a much greater scale.

To finish the conference, I gave my second presentation.  Indicating that it does seem as if the world at the moment is in some kind of End Times scenario, I cast my eye over various images and YouTube videos purporting to claim just that - at the hand of a Second Sun.  Delving into various mysteries, I turned my attention to the Mayan Calendar and debunked the blanket denial by most mainstream commentators that there is no apocalyptic sense to the Mayan belief in Ages, or cycles.  Discussing the various forms of 'The Nine that are One', I provided a number of possible scenarios to explain the Mayan 'Bolon Yokte K’uh'.  Finally, I highlighted some strong candidates for the Dark Star that have emerged from scientific data. 

The audience reaction to all the day's presentations was warm and enthusiastic, and a short question and answer session brought the event to a close.  Many thanks to Massimo, Mario, the wonderfully talented Nausicaa de Strobel, and all the people who worked so hard to make this such a memorable event.

On the Monday following, I wanted to use the spare time I had before my flight back to England to see some of the sights in Rome that I had not managed to see last time with Mrs Darkstar (who, naturally, favours bustling up-market boutiques to bust-up Roman ruins).  I braved the Roman metro and bus system, complete with my suitcase and baggage, to capture some fine photographs in the light of the low winter sun (Nota Bene: 'sun' in the singular, not plural!).  Below is a selection of images taken on what was a glorious winter's day in Rome, as well as more pictures from the conference:

Written by Andy Lloyd, author of 'The Dark Star' (2005)

31st January 2012

http://www.segnidalcielo.it/index.php/seminari/435-2012-planet-x-nibiru-conference-in-rome

The Return of Planet X Nibiru Conference

Rome, 29th May 2016

I met with my good friend and author Massimo Fratini, as well as Adriano Forgione, editor of two Italian-language magazine publications, 'XTimes' and 'FeniX', whilst visiting Rome earlier this month.

We had a long talk about all the recent research developments involving the announcement of Planet Nine, and various other Planet X news, as well as the wider impact of the latest scientific discoveries.  I plan to head back to Rome for Massimo's latest Planet X conference, to be held on Sunday 29th May.  The conference is to be held at the Hotel dei Congressi (http://www.hoteldeicongressiroma.com/en), which is handily situated close to the end Metro stations of Rome's underground Line B, to the south of the city.

This will be my third appearance at Planet X conferences at Rome, organised by Massimo's popular magazine 'Segnidalcielo' (http://www.segnidalcielo.it/).  You might wonder how I managed to become so involved with these guys from Italy, when my appearances at conferences in the UK and USA are rare, to say the least!

I was first invited by Massimo to speak in Rome back in 2009.  I didn't realise this at the time, but the suggestion to write to me was actually made by the late Zecharia Sitchin, whom Massimo had first approached.  Sadly, Zecharia was not well enough to travel to Rome by then.  Perhaps he suggested that Massimo ask me instead because I live in Europe, but Massimo was already in the process of inviting other speakers from the US for the conference.  So, perhaps this was also something of an endorsement by Zecharia himself, who was well aware of my Dark Star ideas through correspondence between ourselves, and had written about the nature of the Planet X body with that in mind in his final book.

Either way, I have Zecharia Sitchin to thank for putting Massimo in contact with me, which has resulted in a great friendship between us.  I'm looking forward to catching up with some familiar faces in Rome this May, many of whom I have featured in my conference reviews:

So, this year, Massimo is presenting his new book "The Return Of Planet X" to the conference, and I will be one of a supporting cast of researchers presenting new work alongside him.  I, like him, have a lot to talk about, with the exciting developments in this field of late, as well as my latest theory to explain some of the difficulties which still remain unresolved.  It should be a very special event indeed!

For further information about the 2016 Rome Planet X conference, visit:  http://segnidalcieloevent.wix.com/planetxevent

Written by Andy Lloyd, author of 'The Dark Star' (2005)

18th February 2016

  Several Dark Star pages are available in Italian, having been translated by my astronomer friend Mattia:    

Dark Star Italia

http://www.paranoidsonline.com/