The Age of Aquarius

We hear that term bandied about a lot. “The Age of Aquarius." So, what does it mean when people say, “We are entering the Age of Aquarius?” Other than a hit song for the Fifth Dimension in 1969, what does it mean? Most of ya’ll are too young to remember that song.

Depending on how you calculate it or who you talk to we are either in the Age of Aquarius or it is coming soon. The truth, not yet. But we are in the throes of transitioning!

The Age of Aquarius is what is considered an “Astrological Age”, part of a “Great Age”. Astrological Ages last about 2,200 years and a Great Age lasts about 26,000 years. They are a product of the earth’s slow precessional rotation. Each Great Age is represented by one of the constellations that we slowly precess through. Ironically, they go in the opposite direction of what we are used to thinking.

There are various methods of calculating the boundaries of an Astrological Age. In sun-sun sign astrology the signs go in the following order: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. Astrological Ages go in the opposite direction. It has to do with the earthly perspective and our point of view here on earth.

Alrighty then, what is a Precession?

A precession is a change in the orientation of the rotational axis of a rotating body. Astrological ages are taken to be associated with the precession of the equinoxes. Okay, explain that, Julie.

Precession of the Equinoxes

There is a vast nearly 26,000-year cycle (noted above) which caused by the real motion of Earth known as a “precession of the equinoxes.” This covers all of the separate “Astrological Ages” from Aries through Pisces. Divide 26,000 by 12 and you get 2,166 which, give or take is the length of an Astrological Age. Think of the Earth as a spinning top that wobbles a little as it orbits around the Sun. Sometimes the top of Earth’s axis, the geographic North Pole, points to the star Polaris and, over time, it may point to a different star, such as Vega. Each full “wobble” (or about 25,772 years) is one full cycle of precession.

This 26,000-year cycle of precession is further broken down into the 12 zodiacal signs or 12 “Astrological Ages.” This means that every couple of thousands of years, there is a new sign, a new Astrological Age. When we’ve passed through all 12 Astrological Ages, we’ve passed through a full cycle. Astrologers refer to this full cycle as the Great Age through which we are passing. Again, when we pass through all 12 Astrological Ages – Aries through Pisces, this completion is considered a Great Age.

Specifically, the Astrological Age is identified by the Zodiac sign that the March equinox (first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere) is in. (The March equinox occurs when the Sun, moving northward on the ecliptic, intersects with the plane of the celestial equator. When the Zodiac was first named in ancient times, the backdrop of the March equinox point was Aries. Even though it is currently in Pisces, the March equinox point is still sometimes called the “first point of Aries.”) Every couple of thousands of years, there is a new sign on the equinox. If you look at the Sun’s location on the date of the March equinox over vast periods of time, the Sun is moving westward. (Note that this apparent motion is opposite to the yearly apparent motion of the Sun along the ecliptic.)

What is an Astrological Age? And how is it Calculated?

Something that most people don’t know is that the position of the planets in the Zodiac signs are different astrologically than they are astronomically. If one were to look through a telescope at the celestial bodies, they would not be traversing the actual constellations the way that astrologers say they are.

How Astrologers View the Skies

Before this makes you crazy, astrologers look at the skies through an earth perspective or point of view, not a solar perspective. They look at how the movements of the planets affect us here on the earth. Similar to how the moon affects water tide, these movements of the planets affect us on earth. We are biologically primarily water, so it is no wonder that we are affected here on earth. It is primarily about perspective and how that perspective affects us. Perspective is powerful, folks. And it does affect us.

No, astrologers aren’t stupid, and are very aware that the earth and planets revolve around the Sun, but from an astrological standpoint, we look at the rotations and movement from an earth perspective; how it “looks” here on earth because how it “looks” is how it affects us. This is where “science” likes to mock astrology.

Keep in mind, retrogrades are also all about point of view from the earth’s perspective, and we all know the fun that happens during mercury retrograde.

A Few Terms t0 Understand Astrologically…

Celestial sphere: When an astrologer talks about a celestial sphere, they are talking about an illusionary sphere projected into space that represents the entire sky, with an observer on Earth at its center. Again, point of view and perspective. Picture yourself as standing at the center inside a clear ball, with the Sun, Moon, stars, planets, and other celestial objects projected overhead onto the dome which is the upper half of the sphere. (The upper and lower halves of the sphere are divided by the horizon.)

Ecliptic: There is a path that the Sun appears to take around this celestial sphere. Again, perspective… We call this the “ecliptic” or “ecliptic plane.” This plane and the path is not straight around but tilted, tipped 23.44 degrees from that of the celestial equator (which is Earth’s equator projected out onto the celestial sphere). If we were to calculate the Sun’s position at the same local time each day, we would discover that the Sun’s position against the background of stars is moving eastward, by just under 1 degree per day. (This is different from the east-to-west apparent motion of the Sun across the sky each day, which is due to Earth’s rotation.) Over the course of a year, the Sun would return to its original position, having completed a circle. All of those daily positions combine to form a line through the celestial sphere that defines the ecliptic—the Sun’s apparent annual path against the fixed stars, which is caused by Earth’s orbit around the Sun changing our perspective. This is where early astronomers got it wrong, thinking the sun revolved around the earth. Astrologers view the stars from an earth centric point of view.

Zodiac: There are 12 constellations on the Sun’s ecliptic path which are collectively called the Zodiac and extend a few degrees above and below the ecliptic line. In tropical astrology, the ecliptic is divided into 12 30-degree segments of longitude (which totals 360 degrees, or a complete circle). These 30-degree segments which were named for the Zodiac constellations were prominently positioned within those areas of the ecliptic plane at the time of naming, which was more than 2,000 years ago. Those segment names are still used today by many astrologers, but the positions of the actual constellations (from our view) have shifted and may no longer align with the 30-degree segments that were named after them. In other words, the Zodiac signs and astronomical constellations may no longer refer to the same positions. (I may have opened up a can of worms here.)

So, why have the constellations shifted away from the original Zodiac positions? Everything in the cosmos is moving and this particular differential is due to the precession of the equinoxes.

So, when is the Age of Aquarius?

An Astrological Age, as mentioned above, is associated with the position of the March equinox. In 2023, the location of the Sun on the March equinox is in the constellation of Pisces but also on the border of Aquarius. So, we are slowly moving into a new age, from Pisces to Aquarius. But we are currently in the Age of Pisces. Some astrologers like to argue that, but I’m taking the science stance here.

However, we do start to feel these changes before things actually shift.

Most astrologers believe that the Age of Pisces began roughly around the year 200 BC. This means that the Age of Aquarius begins in the new few hundred years, though there are some differences of opinions. We’re in the transition period from the Age of Pisces to the Age of Aquarius.

What is the Age of Aquarius?

You may recall the popular song from the musical “Hair” with its opening lyrics:

”When the Moon is in the Seventh House

And Jupiter aligns with Mars

Then peace will guide the planets

And love will steer the stars

This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius.“

–by American band, “The Fifth Dimension.” (click here)

Of course, the Age of Aquarius is not some leftover from the “hippie” movement of the 1960’s. Astrologically, this Astrological Age will accompany a couple thousand years of harmony, egalitarianism, and understanding. The Age of Aquarius is culturally more intellectual, networked, and integrated around the globe. I like to call it the Age of Accountability.

What Does the Age of Aquarius Mean?

Each Age has a tussle between the attributes of its sign and the qualities of its opposite sign. For Pisces, the opposite is Virgo.

First, let’s take a look back at the Age of Pisces to see the major challenges that have been a part of our reality for the past 2,000 years. We have been largely considering the values of faith, belief, religion, intuition (Pisces) versus science, proof, logic, hierarchy (Virgo). Heck, Christianity uses the symbol of the “fish”! What could be more Piscean?

We can look back to the end of the Age of Aries when the Roman Empire was in power.

And the people of India made the cow sacred during the Age of Taurus (the bull).

Now we are shifting into Aquarius. Aquarius has to do with the good of the group, personal detachment, and concerns for the eclectic “whole.” Accountability…

However, its opposite, Leo, believes in individual sovereignty, passionate feelings, and the ability to decide for oneself the appropriate course of action.

We are definitely seeing this dichotomy beginning to play out in our current reality.

The trick is to acknowledge both sides and avoid an all-out battle between them. After all, the most complete example of ignoring individual sovereignty is Communism. Yet the absolute ability to do whatever you wish results in folks like Vlad the Impaler.

More About the Aquarius Sign

Aquarius, the sign, has two rulers, Saturn, and Uranus.

Uranus shatters the status quo and overcomes old concepts and things that have outlived their usefulness. This can be greatly rewarding but only if the news is fully understood and prepared for. Forward movement always brings change yet many traditions and/or social customs have their roots in age-tested patterns that should not be overlooked.

Saturn represents the way that we structure our world. It is always best to build on a foundation of rock rather than sand. Keep in touch with our roots and make sure that we are on track with our mission and goals. Revisions may be necessary. Yet, let’s be clear about where we are headed.

Leo energy needs to come from the heart. A willingness to see the sunny side of life should not be confused with a Pollyanna vision of “everything is fine.” Individual rights are an important part of being human and we should not let ourselves be bullied or coerced into giving them up. Our forefathers drafted the Constitution to remind us that our government works for us and not the other way around.

So, get ready for an exciting ride. Not often do we get to incarnate during a transition time such as this. We are drifting into an exciting New Age! Remember, balance is the key. We can find a way to care for the Earth and all of its inhabitants without sacrificing personal liberties. Be wary of those who espouse that one solution fits all. And always ask, “who benefits?”

For a little fun here is a timeline of other Great Ages. At some point, I will go more into what they represented in another article.

• The Age of Leo – The Leonian Age, The Golden Age… [Prehistoric Period]

C. 10,006 BC to c. 8006 BC or c. 10,500 BC to 8000 BC

• The Age of Cancer – The Cancerian Age, The Age Of The Great Mother… [Stone Age, Palaeolithic]

C. 8600 BC and ended c. 6450 BC or c. 8006 BC to c. 6006 BC

• The Age of Gemini – The Geminian Age, The Age of Commerce… [Stone Age, Mesolithic]

C. 6450 BC and ended c. 4300 B or c. 6006 BC and ended c. 4006 BC

• The Age of Taurus – The Taurean Age, The Age Of The Agriculture… [Stone Age, Neolithic]

C. 4300 BC to c. 2150 BC, c. 4006 BC to c. 2006 BC, or c. 4525 BC to c. 1875 BC

• The Age of Aries – The Arian Age, The Age Of War And Battles… [Bronze Age, Iron Age]

C. 2150 BC to c. 1 AD or c. 2006 BC to c. 6 BC or c. 1875 BC to c. 90/100 BC

• The Age of Pisces – The Piscean Age, The Age Of Spiritualism…

C. AD 1 to c. AD 2150, or c. AD 498 to c. AD 2654, c. 6 BC to c. AD 1994, or c. 100/90 BC to c. AD 2680

• The Age of Aquarius – The Aquarian Age, The Age Of Technology…

C. AD 2600, c. 2595, c 2062, c. AD 1994 c. AD 2680, c. AD 2595, c. AD 2720. or AD 2150.

- Julie O'Hara 2023

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