| Transits |
 |
Age of Aquarius
You've all probably heard the song, Age of Aquarius, the one about the time when Jupiter aligns with Mars. Well, there's really more to it than that, as Jupiter and Mars align relatively often. What's really remarkable about this epoch is the powerful change that will sweep through our world, the shift in mood, action and intention that is already palpable. The estimated start date is thought to be sometime around the millennium, but, though its exact start date is contested among astrologers, astronomers, theologians and others, the effects of the Age of Aquarius have already been felt.
To understand the nature of an age's influence, it's helpful to think about someone with that particular Sun Sign -- in the case of the last age, Pisces (the Ages move backward through the Zodiac) -- and which of their qualities most stand out to you. Over the last 2000 years or so, we searched for meaning in the skies and in our hearts and, like those with Sun in Pisces, our innocence was sometimes exploited but our hearts were also often filled with Piscean hope and trust that things would get better. Naïve, spiritually-seeking, the Piscean Age was about hope, faith and fear, and humanity was preoccupied with feeling cowed by a force larger than ourselves. The Piscean Age focused much energy and concern on the unknown, on the mysteries of faith and the fear of not knowing.
The key phrase for Aquarius is "I Know," but that knowledge is not a righteous, superior or exclusionary knowledge. It's a sort of wisdom that draws people together, for Aquarians are, above all else, social animals. They crave interaction with large groups of people, thriving in humanitarian and social causes and in any situation where collective thought, innovation and cooperation are required. They tend to be eccentric and disdainful of tradition and -- while they love magic and believe in the esoteric arts -- prefer to discover knowledge through scientific experimentation and exploration.
Technology is like a hobby for the Water Bearer. Aquarians stockpile all the new gadgets on the market and are at ease in front of a computer or connected to a cell phone. Sure, they're trendy -- they need to be at the forefront, in the midst of the social action, up on the hottest fads -- but they also truly love other people and believe strongly in the independent spirit.
Sociable, open-minded, innovative, eschewing of tradition, scientific and technologically driven. If we extract these qualities from the individual and apply them to the world, we can see what the Aquarian Age is all about. We will loosen the ties of tradition and forge ahead in a cooperative effort to improve human relations and also the relations between ourselves and our world. We will be respectful yet also playfully, intelligently rebellious. We will admire and encourage individuality and embrace differences rather than fear them.
There's no way to know where the Age of Aquarius will lead us all. Who knows what the world will be like in the year 4000? As science proves that we are all one race -- that no matter our color or origin, we are all essentially the same beneath our skin -- we will also grow, change and learn to adapt to one another's cultural and individual differences. We have an opportunity to apply the most positive qualities of Aquarius -- intellectual openness, humanitarianism and compassion for the environment -- to making our world a more considerate, benevolent and accepting place.
|
