Astrological Ages: The Archetypal Power of History
History is what we leave behind as we collectively live our lives in seemingly random and chaotic times. It is a roadmap to our connection with the dimension of time. It tells us how we live, and where we are going. So, where are we going? Historians really can't tell us. And, things are getting crazy these days. Now, if we study our history from an astrological perspective, history becomes something more than just history. What we find is that there is a definite and meaningful direction to history. This is revealed in astrological ages, and these ages can tell us where we are going, as well as something of who we are.
The earth's axis wobbles as it spins, completing one wobble in 25,920 years. This wobble is called the Precession of the Equinoxes. Within this wobble, the earth's axis precesses backward through the twelve astrological constellations that are associated with ages. Each age is 2160 years long, and they impart powerful qualities and direction to history. In addition, there are twelve eras within each age, 180 years each. The existence of these eras creates a situation where history begins to transition from one age to the next over the course of the last 720 years of the age.
The Age of Cancer dates from 8640 to 6480 BCE. Cancer rules agriculture and farming, houses and home, community, domestication, and the mother. The Neolithic Revolution, 9000 to 6000 BCE, was a revolution in stone tools marking the invention of agriculture and the creation of permanent settled communities around the world from China and Southeast Asia, to the Middle East, to South America. In terms of dates, this is a perfect fit.
The Age of Gemini, 6480 to 4320 BCE, changed directions. Gemini rules hand eye coordination, travel, intellect, language, and trade. Around 6500 BCE scores of crafts industries popped up across the Near East as people sought to do more with their minds and their hands. Pottery was invented during this time in the Near East, Eastern Europe and China. Abstract symbolism replaced representational art, and new languages were invented to help people talk to others beyond local boundaries. The Proto-Indo-European language was created by 5000 BCE and the roots of the Chinese language by 4800 BCE. Travel took people beyond their Cancer Age boundaries, and huge trading networks that spread across thousands of miles tied the Near East and the Mediterranean Basin to central Russia. The same was created in North America.
The Age of Taurus, 4320 to 2160 BCE, was an age of wealth. Taurus rules wealth, banking, refinement, megalithic building, permanence and peace. After 4500 BCE, the U'baid people moved down to the Tigris and Euphrates River valley in Mesopotamia. They invented money and banking, and became very wealthy. They remade their villages into market towns. The sole indicator of advancement during this age was the incremental increases in collected wealth found at archaeological sites. As wealth increased so did refinements to culture culminating with the creation of civilization. Temples were rebuilt over older structures, each time becoming larger until the time of the Sumerians and their huge man-made mountains known as ziggurats. Megalithic stone tombs were built across Europe from 4000 BCE on. Egyptian pyramids were built after 2700 BCE, as were megalithic pyramid complexes in Peru. The Scorpio opposite Taurus energy of death shows up in the use of these megalithic pyramids as tombs for various kings and their elaborate funeral rites. Similar rites have been found in the Archaic Culture in North America from 2700 BCE.
The Age of Aries, 2160 to 0 BCE, saw the invention of war. Aries rules war, fighting, and overcoming challenges. Sargon of Akkad created the first military empire in history around 2300 BCE in Mesopotamia. After that, war increased in frequency and intensity, and a long list of military empires followed. Religious focus turned to new myths of warrior heroes like the Mesopotamian warrior god Marduk defeating the older serpentine Mother Goddess Tiamat and establishing a new order in heaven. Warrior cultures invented new military machinery and tactics, and rode across the older settled cultures, replacing older matriarchal cultures with newer warrior patriarchal cultures. The Christian Old Testament presents us with a jealous warrior God leading his Chosen army of people in conquest of the Promised Land. Samson slew the Philistines, and David slew the monolithic Taurus Age Goliath. The Shang Dynasty in China established their first military dynasty around 1800 BCE. The Shang Dynasty was defeated by the Chou Dynasty in 1122 BCE with the creation of an even larger military empire. In the New World temples built during this age show scenes of war and fighting on their walls in honor of the sacred path of war.
The Age of Pisces, 0 BCE to 2160 CE, witnessed the rise of great universal religions focused on transcendence and heaven. Pisces rules transcendence, religion and spirituality. Remember that there is a 720-year transition period leading into the emergence of a new age. The Jewish Prophetic Revolution began the process of change from a local Semitic religion into a great world religion during the 7th century BCE. Taoism did the same in China around 500 BCE. The Buddha radically changed religious thought in India at this same time. Since the dawn of the Age of Pisces the Christian religion and Islam have been the focus of history in the West while Buddhism has powerfully affected the East. These religions have become the world's first multinational groups, spreading out to touch the entire globe.
Today we are approaching the Age of Aquarius, and we already feel this incoming energy. We can see this best by looking at the 180-year eras. The signs Sagittarius, Capricorn, and Aquarius comprise an historical three-era high point that begins with a Renaissance, continues with a classical era, and then a scientific era. Old Kingdom Egypt was a period of classical achievement in building and mathematical applications. Their achievements would not be equaled until the time of Classical Greece, some 2160 years later. Classical Europe, following the Renaissance, would again touch this level of cultural achievement, another 2160 years later.
The Renaissance initiated a birth of something new in the areas of science and humanism, both Aquarius concerns. The Industrial Revolution and the Twentieth Century, the creation of a truly modern scientific culture, came with the scientific Aquarius Era of our Age of Pisces, 1800 to 1980. So, where are we today? We are in the Pisces Era of the Age of Pisces, 1980 to 2160 CE.
Since the end of the Aquarius Era, things have gotten progressively worse. Industrial and nuclear pollution, ozone depletion, devastating climate changes, and global warming are only a few of the trends that are changing the way that we look at our world now. In addition, there has been a massive epidemic rise in depression and suicide over the last few decades. This indicates a new historical energy that we must learn to live with. The beauty of astrological ages and eras is that we can see what types of historical possibilities lie ahead, and how best to embrace this time for positive expression. If the world seems like it is getting more confusing, more irrational and fearful, it is.
What this indicates is that history will now have a Pisces color to it. Religion has already been experiencing a resurgence in power, even in the political arena. Spirituality is seeping back into science. The confusion and illusions common to Pisces will become stronger in our personal as well as public lives. Pisces fear will increase creating potential misunderstanding and havoc in all areas of our lives. The answer to this would be a return to a Pisces spiritual approach to life to balance our rational reliance on science. Meditation and prayer can help the Pisces mind find balance and peace in this new historical environment.
History shows that all of these various astrological time periods have evolutionary meaning. They give direction to history. And in this process they show us who we are.
Robert FitzGerald has researched astrological ages for 30 years. For more information regarding ages and where we fit today go to http://www.signsofthetimeshistory.com/
