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/

Astrology has been regarded as one of the most searched topics in various search engines. There are various critics of this spiritual study which is commemorated with a subtle combination of ancient astrological history, planetary scrutiny, earliest horoscope and astrological movements. At the same time, there are aficionados of this particular concept as well.

In astrology, planetary observations are measured and analyzed with the help of stone circles which appeared in Europe. Afterward, there were more stone circles found across the Middle East regions in countries like Syria, Egypt and Israel. Stone circles look as means to calculate the time with summer/winter solstice's analyses. In addition, they also give a picturesque representation of priests and farmer's years. All the planetary movements in the galaxy are observed as per the position of Earth and moon in space. There are twelve visible constellations in the night sky which are called zodiacs in astrology.

History of astrology is quite ancient as various eclipses and planets movements were observed from the high temples in Babylon before 3000BC. During 5th and 6th BC, Greek civilizations renamed planetary movements as zodiacs. Various cultures such as Mesopotamian, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Sumerians and the Chaldeans seem inclined towards planetary movements. They kept sun and some other stars along with moon as datum points for measurements.

Every study needs some way to represent its ideas and concepts. This led to the generation of horoscopes that are the diagrammatic representations of planetary relationships and used to forecast somebody's future and personality traits. The earliest horoscope was used to predict the fortune of a new born infant. Formerly, ancient predictions forecasted wars and natural calamities which were later used to tell the fortune of national leaders too. Later on, various countries like Egypt, China, India and Greece got inclined towards astrology. Americans and Europeans also developed their types of astronomy and astrology with the help of latest techniques. Mayans of Mexico is one of the famous astrological forecasting methodologies.

Greeks represented their Gods as planets and Romans recognized astrological forecasting as a way for divination. There were more techniques associated with the development of astrology such as Days' rulers association, 10° portions of the dacans(signs) and planets' weeks. Slowly, astrology was accepted by various other fields such as religion, medicine and philosophy. The basic idea of Macrocosm plus Macrocosm which is more popularly known with "as above as below" was also under the influence of astrology only. Nowadays, astrological forecasts come every day on every other newspaper as daily forecasts.

One of the more enlightening aspects of Norse astrology is studying how the planets affect human history. We see this most vividly in the slow-moving planets. The Norns, who are represented by the planet Neptune, defined the two world wars of the 20th century.

As Neptune lies at the outer edge of our solar system, so do the Norns represent the limits imposed on our lives. The Norns signify the role of inexorable fate. They are the boundary beyond which we cannot pass, a past or burden that we cannot abandon. They represent those aspects of our environment which we cannot control.

The Norse Norns and Greco-Roman Neptune share the attributes of darkness, withdrawal, and mystery. But they differ in several respects. Neptune is the planet of illusion, of living in a fantasy world. The Norns tolerate no illusions. Rather, they unveil the reality of our lives. Neptune represents the dissolution of boundaries, whereas the Norns emphasize and reinforce those boundaries. With Neptune, we lose our sense of self, while the Norns enhance and sharpen this sense.

World War I (WW1) was defined by the presence of the Norns in Uruz, the rune of untamed might, unconscious forces of life, and the will to live. WW1 started upon their entry into this rune, and ended upon their exit. Millions of soldiers and civilians lost lives and property in WW1. After the war, Europe no longer dominated world affairs, and European colonial empires began to break apart. The political map of Europe was redrawn to benefit repressed nationalities. Forces that had been suppressed for decades, even centuries, finally broke loose when the primal powers of Uruz were released upon the world. Mere human institutions were unable to contain the transcendent vitality inherent in Uruz. WW1, like Uruz, demonstrated that the veneer of civilization is thinner than we believe.

The rune Uruz straddles the end of the Greco-Roman sign Cancer, and the beginning of Leo. A Greco-Roman forecast of Neptune's passage through these signs would have been a pinnacle of culture, peace, and aristocracy. Artistic Neptune is exalted in pacifist Cancer, and solar Leo emphasizes monarchy and unified empire. The reality was just the opposite - elitist societies overthrown by war.

World War 2 (WW2) was defined by the Norns in Kenaz. Unlike WW1, WW2 was a clash of ideologies, and conflicting visions regarding the nature of humanity itself. It augmented the power of government, and raised the specter of humanity's annihilation. Kenaz is the rune of the forge, by which we remake ourselves between the anvil and hammer. Kenaz is the rune of the underground grave mound, yet also of the torch of enlightenment. The world order, as humankind itself, was transformed through the trials of his rune.

The rune Kenaz overlaps the end of Virgo, and the beginning of Libra. Virgo and Libra are perhaps the most refined, delicate, and civilized of the Greco-Roman signs. A traditional forecast for humanity would have been a flourishing of art, culture, and learning, and a turning away from the horror and brutality of war. Neptune in its Virgo detriment emphasizes pragmatism over unrealistic dogma, and Venusian Libra indicates the triumph of diplomacy. Few would describe WW2 as practical or cooperative.

But what of the future? As of today, the Norns are in Sowilo, the rune of indomitable will and victory. This is a weak position for them, and it is harder for them hinder humankind's progress. But their next rune is martial and authoritarian Tyr, and we may expect difficulty when they depart Sowilo.

Copyright (c) 2011 Alt Horoscopes, LLC

Franz Josef Stern has studied Greco-Roman astrology for over 30 years, and the Norse mythos for over 15 years. He offers Norse astrology for individuals seeking psychological and spiritual knowledge from a Northern European perspective. Through Alt Horoscopes, LLC, Franz Josef Stern offers alternatives for those dissatisfied with conventional astrological disciplines.

Learn more about Norse Astrology!

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By studying the movements of the slow-moving planets, Norse astrology brings perspective and insight to human history. Norse astrology allows us to analyze the rise and fall of communism in Europe, and, more vividly, the fate of the Berlin Wall. The Berlin Wall divided East and West Berlin for over 25 years, and was perhaps the most striking example of the how antagonistic ideologies prevented the free movement of people during the 20th century Cold War.

The Norns (Neptune) represent the limits imposed on our lives. The Norns signify the role of inexorable fate. They are the boundary beyond which we cannot pass, a past or burden that we cannot abandon. They represent those aspects of our environment which we cannot control.

Tyr (Saturn) represents our sense of law and order, of how society should be structured. He signifies the demands society makes of us, and what we, in return, demand from society. Tyr indicates the necessary rules that we follow, and expect others to follow. When conflict arises, or when we confront challenges, it is Tyr who assumes responsibility. Tyr is our sense of impersonal justice, holding all men and women to the same standard. As stern as this may appear, Tyr also presides over teamwork and self-sacrifice.

When the Berlin Wall was raised in August 1961, the Norns were entering Hagalaz, the rune that they are most closely associated with. Everything about the Norns is emphasized here - restriction, implacable fate, hard, unyielding structure, impersonal hostility to life. The restrictive power of the Norns crystallized into the Wall, which became both a symbol of government tyranny and defiance against that tyranny.

The Berlin Wall fell (November 1989) when the Norns left Jera to enter Eihwaz. The slow organic growth of Jera led to the Wall's annihilation in Eihwaz. Eihwaz, rune of death and mystery, brought the Wall to an end, uniting the West and East as Ygdrassil unites Asgard and Midgard. At its fall, there was no ceremony, and no forethought. Just a celebration that a hated prison had suddenly disappeared.

Other planets also exhibited their power during German reunification. Tyr was in conjunction with the Norns in Eihwaz, and contributed to the orderly civil process by which two nations merged into one country. Though the two peoples had been at cold war for generations, under Tyr, they immediately merged into one, with well-defined roles and duties. This allowed a united Germany to achieve internal order and prosperity, and the assimilation of East with West.

The conjunction of the Norns and Tyr moving from Jera to Eihwaz also heralded the wider movement of communism's fall in Eastern Europe during 1989. Pressure in the social order had been building for decades (Jera). Then, upon the joint Tyr/Norns entry into Eihwaz, external barriers dissolved, and the inherent civility of the peoples involved allow them to create new countries in bloodless revolutions.

We see the roles of Norns/Neptune and Tyr/Saturn in 20th century European history. But Greco-Roman astrology would be hard-pressed to explain their pivotal position. Jera overlaps the end of Sagittarius and the beginning of Capricorn. Eihwaz is in the middle of Capricorn. Capricorn, of all Greco-Roman signs, represents the power of governmental authority. Saturn is at his greatest strength in Capricorn. Its position should have indicated an entrenchment of state power. But Eihwaz reflected the reality. As the Norns and Tyr moved into the rune of dissolution, the oppressive control of government collapsed. The Norse perspective was the better perspective.

Copyright (c) 2011 Alt Horoscopes, LLC

Franz Josef Stern has studied Greco-Roman astrology for over 30 years, and the Norse mythos for over 15 years. He offers Norse astrology for individuals seeking psychological and spiritual knowledge from a Northern European perspective. Through Alt Horoscopes, LLC, Franz Josef Stern offers alternatives for those dissatisfied with conventional astrological disciplines.

Learn more about Norse Astrology!

Get your own Personal Norse Horoscope!