Are We In The Age of Aquarius?

by Robert Wilkinson

Today I'll offer you a new look at an article I did a while ago on the coming Age of Aquarius. We are currently at the cusp of the end of the Age of Pisces and the beginning of the Age of Aquarius, though we still have a few decades to go before we'll see the new era solidly manifest. So for your consideration, here's my take on the coming Age, and some things to look for as we approach the threshold of this hopeful time.

This article arises from a fragment of a comment stream where I stated "Neptune is now embedding into collective consciousness what was awakened when Uranus transited those points (in Aquarius). When Pluto eventually crosses those same points, it will awaken the seeds of the Aquarian era. It'll look much different than most 20th century thinkers suspect. Thank God for time." We have had momentous activity in Aquarius as a prelude to the next Great Age of 2100+ years, with more to come.

This will not be an exhaustive study of the implications of "the Age of Aquarius," since the subject and dialogue would easily take up the rest of our lives. That said, we will be discussing the end of this era and the advent of the next one from time to time. I suppose we should start by remembering that a Great Age, being 2100+ years, yields about 72 years per degree in a Great Age, so our sense of time, and how fast/slow things develop, must be kept in mind. To understand a Great Age requires a much larger perspective than we are accustomed to, and may necessitate more patience with the larger process than what is usually demanded of us.

I know it is very human to want to believe "the Age of Aquarius will begin on December 12, 2012, and from then on it's all good" or some variation of that. The problem is that life usually does not proceed like a Hollywood movie, with everything occurring in definite measurable steps and a point where the hero wins the day and the evil-doers are vanquished. The evolution of an Age is more like the movement of a glacier, with very gradual shifts that may not be noticed for decades. Of course, using that metaphor is fraught with potential implications right now, given the rapid melting of glacier ice in both North and South polar regions. Things are shifting rapidly on our Earth, which we are told is a portent of larger shifts in the human condition.

Shifts in a Great Age also correspond with shifts in worldly power structures, economies, and belief systems. However, as prelude to any new forms presenting themselves and being widely accepted, there must first be relative chaos and the dis-integration of old forms, since an old order is never open to a new order that can supercede it. We also are told that humanity must have reached a state of tension, of yearning for something new that will satisfy basic human needs that are not being addressed by the old systems. It is fairly easy to see that we are rapidly approaching that state in the world today.

I believe we are still at the end of the old Age of Pisces, which means that we are somewhere in the first part of that sign, since the precession moves backwards through the signs from 30 degrees to 1 degree before moving into the next sign. If we conservatively estimate that the first 5 degrees of a sign and the last 5 degrees of the preceding sign represent a transition period, then if each degree equals approximately 72 years, then we're looking at a transition period of about 720 years. Even if we shorten the transition to 2 1/2 degrees exiting and entering signs, we're still looking at about 360 years of transition.

I also believe we began to move into the transition zone leading us out of the Age of Pisces about 220 years ago, around the time of Uranus' discovery, the American and French Revolutions, and the end of the "divine right" of kings, queens, and the priesthood that allowed them to believe they were better than the rest of humanity. And yes, we are still dealing with that to some extent. To me that just shows we have not yet left the Piscean era with its ghosts of "belief versus doubt," and the need for the mass of people to follow rather than cooperate as Aquarian equals.

If my own computations are correct, we will be slipping into the Age of Aquarius sometime in the third quarter of this century. That does not mean there will not be signs up to then; in fact, everything that we confront in the near and distant future will aid the coming of the next era, and will show us the transitional forms that will be the preliminary building blocks for life in the next era. So how can we take advantage of what is, and is yet to come, so that we move into our higher possibilities both individually and collectively?

This is where "past is prologue" to the future. Uranus transited Aquarius between April 1995 and December 2003. Uranus awakened the Aquarius in us all in that span, and each had their opportunities to individuate and find their unique talents and place in the worldly drama we call life. Any planets we have in Aquarius were revolutionized and individualized in that span, and no doubt if it happened to you, you're living a radically different life in that area than you were before 1995. It was a time of many opportunities to practice the Aquarian ideal, to ground Spirit in matter in our own unique way so we can do it more perfectly in the future.

Since Aquarius exteriorizes through Leo, its polar opposite, this period would have offered many opportunities to demonstrate a sense of purposeful creativity and genuine, spontaneous sincere engaged Love in every life approach, these being Leo qualities. We all had the Aquarian ideal awakened in some way, and collectively, it is easy to see we are in a completely unique "unknown zone" as a human race.

As an aside, with Saturn in Leo, and Saturn symbolizing our "Great Work," we are now seeing new forms and structures resulting from what was awakened when Uranus transitted Aquarius. In that sense, what dominion you can see and exercise in your life is showing how you rose to the challenge of individuation in those years, and what oppresses you is showing you what disciplines of Aquarian realization you are still learning to live.

I'll comment more about the Neptune and Pluto transits in Aquarius tomorrow, and how we are holographically molding the collective future even as we dream.

© Copyright 2007 Robert Wilkinson

(Originally published 17 April 2006)

Comments

[abacus]

alas i will be long gone by then and maybe take on a new avatar, what shall i be, a piggy ?

[Patricia H.]

Hi Robert,

What a sigh of relief! I was not looking forward to the Aquarius Age, since I lean towards the water and earth signs myself.

My fear of the Aquarian Age is that it will be cold and unfeeling like a well-oiled machine. That music will all be electronica, and say good bye to ancient music traditions with spiritual components (which is part of my research). That all projects will be group-mind projects. Say good bye to mavericks such as myself.

And that people will be crammed into large cities like sardines, where everyone is supposably a brother and sister, with everyone getting along. The part about getting along is ideal.

I have never believed that Aquarians are great humanitarians like a lot of astrologers mention in books and what not. Some are, but there are humanitarians in all the signs, with many in Pisces, Libra and Capricorn.

Many of the Aquarians that I have known were struggling with their Leo polarity. I found many of them distant, into their own thing with a selfish agenda. Or they bought into this idea that they have to be wild, different and revolutionary because astrologers ascribe those traits to Aquarians. When in actuality they are attracted to conservative type careers, only so that they can stand out as the one who is different. Former President, Ronald Reagan was an Aquarius...

But if you want otherworldly, then I think Pisceans fit that bill. If you want revolutionary, think Capricorn, think Martin Luther King, Jr. Joan of Arc, who were both Capricorn.

(Some Aquarians are involved with grassroots efforts, labor unions and social causes).

So my questions are: What will happen to the film industry, the music arena and even the healing arts or spiritual practices when humanity enters the Aquarian Age? And if it is so far from now, won't astrology be antiquated along with cinema, traditional music and some of the Piscean things that we now take for granted?

I ask these questions during this transition period because the above scenarios that I mentioned are already taking place. Those changes are causing me a lot of tension and sadness because I am hardly a person to toss out the old because parts of it don't work.

I do not have anything per se against Aquarians, or the Aquarius Age since I won't be around for it. However, I think that the whole concept has been overly romanticized, thanks to movies and plays such as "Hair," (great song by the way--"Age of Aquarius").

I hope humanity never loses touch with Pisceans traits of compassion, empathy, dreams, mysticism, spirituality, cinema, music and yes, even illusions because illusions can create good art. Illusions are part of the magic we weave. It's part of storytelling and other artforms.

It would be wonderful to say good bye to addictions, escapism, delusional or paranoid thinking, the martyr complex, victimhood, depression and other mental illnesses or at least come to grips with all of that and understand its wisdom on a soul's journey.

blessings,

Patricia H.

[Robert]

Hi abacus - Certainly not a piggy, since transmigration is a virtual impossibility due to evolutionary laws. I'm sure you'll reincarnate as a metaphysician, wanderer, and all-around great friend.

Hi Patricia - It could be cold and machine like, but isn't that an accurate description of our era from the perspective of our grandparents? As for electronica, there will be that, but also an overall synthesis of all the world's music, so I doubt that the ancient forms will be lost, given the re-emergence of (for example) the digeridu, dumbek, and other ancient instruments. I would think that original thinking would be valued in the coming Age, and bless the "mavericks" rather than suppress them, as we've done this Age of Pisces. I doubt people will be crammed into cities, since Aquarius represents the synthesis of what works synergistically. Plus this dystopian reality we've created on the wreckage of obsolete separatist 20th century thinking will vanish like dust in the wind due to necessities of time, space, evolution, and sustainability. It may not be that everyone gets along, as much as everyone's individuality will find its place in the greater whole.

Aquarians are NOT necessarily humanitarians. They are visionaries, and open to innovative and unusual views. They are of the world for all time, value individualism, and are very detached and impersonal in their view of everything (when they are attached or personal, it's other planets at work.) They can be into their own thing with a selfish agenda, but that's other planets. Aquarius is willful, can be contrary, grumpy, and very stubborn when feeling like they're out of their "time zone" so to speak.

Each sign contributes its revolutionaries, so that's really beyond the scope of this comment stream. Gandhi, Lennon, and Groucho were Libra; Brando was an Aries. Hitler was a Taurus (he certainly qualifies as a "revolutionary,") and others were Scorpio or Capricorn or even Pisces (Einstein and Luther Burbank). However, Lincoln and FDR were definitely revolutionaries, and both were Aquarians. For that matter, so was Napoleon (Leo) and Tesla (Cancer). Some would even consider me a revolutionary, so that quality exists in all signs.

As to your last question, I would think that the film and media industries will become more thoughtful and visionary in what they offer to the masses, rather than exploiting lurid haunting imagery (Pisces). Music should return to its sacred function of uplifting people to a higher sensibility rather than the hectic, scattered, or disconnected commercial offerings of our day. Astrology will never be antiquated, since the study of patterns and cycles of larger fields will never be obsolete, and the science/art may even be restored to its rightful place in the pantheon of learning. There are times when the old has been "forgotten," only to be revived in different contemporary forms at later dates when sufficient appreciation for what's good has been cultivated. We've glamorized an idea of what the coming age is about, but that may not have much to do with what's actually evolving.

No Age can ever lose touch with what preceded it, since life and evolution are a continuity. Aquarius doesn't lose touch with illusions, but tends to see each within a higher broader perspective. Aquarius motivates Pisces. Pisces is the resource that Aquarius draws on. We will learn to value positive imagery rather than haunted nightmares of things past, things that never were, or things we really don't want to see made manifest. Things should be much more intelligent and work much better than it has for a long time, with greater miracles and wonder to come not that many centuries down the road.

[Mary]

Robert,
I wonder if the transitions caused by Aquarius will be faster in coming due to how speeded up things have become even since the 50's with going from the Jet age, to the Rocket age. Phones, computers and all other speed devices. Could all this speeded up activity actually have the rotation of the earth speeded up as well and causing the ice bergs to be melting giving off the home made ice cream effect? Could it be that in humans' self centered way, that we are taking credit for melting the ice when it is the new age coming on? That would put quite a kink in the politcal armor of the future if no one could blame one political party or the other for the world conditions!!

[Patricia H.]

Hi Robert,

I don't equate the violent and lurid images in cinema with Pisces. Cinema yes, violence and nightmares, no. I equate Pluto and Mars with nightmares and when I actually have nightmares those planets are often involved . Neptune only plays a small role.

As a former film journalist for several years, mostly covering foreign films, I saw a lot of thoughtful and even gorgeous cinema. Of course, being what film is, something that works its way into one's subconscious, can be psychological and all of that, can be addicting.

I had watched a lot of classics from other countries, classics from this country and contemporary world cinema. A lot of it whimsical, miraculous in some cases, and spiritual. Have you seen Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire or Quebecois filmmaker Denys Arcand, Jesus of Montreal?

Have you seen "Brother Sun, Sister Moon"? Piscean in many ways, spiritual and yes, Christian. I do my best to be open to the various spiritual and religious practices and philosophies. I think that Buddhist, pagans, Muslims, Christians, Hindus... can all get along and respect each others' traditions.

I also fancy myself a filmmaker, shaman, musician and a writer of magic realism, which all fall under Pisces.

Yes, there is violence in films, and too much of it. Yes, Hollywood can manipulate people's minds, if they let Hollywood manipulate their minds. But Hollywood is more Leo than Piscean.

Also with Hollywood producers, if a certain type of film no longer makes money, meaning if people of a certain age group stop buying tickets to violent and nightmarish movies, Hollywood producers will stop making those films. For them it is about money.

As someone with a Pisces moon and Neptune on my Midheaven, I can safely say that I am not into glamour, not into Hollywood's lure, celebrities, and all of that. And I am very much aware of the power of fantasy and perfectionism sold by the media, realizing that is my choice to believe in that or seek something higher, to transcend, ascend, which is also Piscean.

Finally, I am not fond of musicians taking ancient traditions, especially shamanic ones and fusing it with electronica and modern trappings. I am an old fashion Cancerian when it comes to music. Some people tell me that the younger generation will not be interested if it does not have drum machines and synths plastered to it. So be it.

I am not concerned with what the younger generation wants. When I listen to music, I want to hear those ancient instruments playing what we think might be ancient music, without the modern trappings. And why do people pander to the younger generations as if their own tastes don't matter?

But that is just me. Opinionated, but with a cause. Passionate about preserving what I think is beautiful, and of value.

blessings,

Patricia H.

[DianatheHuntress]

Hey Robert....you are ONE COOL CAT!!! Wow..... how you are keeping it together darling, is an amazing thang, let me tell ya......... :-) Hope you can see the the wild alpine strawberries on Shadow Mountain' one of these fine dayz.........

With Love, Diana } ------*

[Robert]

Hi Mary - The field has sped up these decades, through geophysical phenomena as well as the perceptual field itself. Transfer of information literally has sped things up for a huge number of beings on this planet, less so those who use water buffalo for transportation (though they too are affected by the greater field, whether they realize it or not.)

We are on the path of return - and like the rose that takes so long to grow before it can even put out buds, we are at the point of the bud bursting into bloom, from an evolutionary standpoint. When certain information disrupts the comfortable mass consciousness, then everything changes on the basis of new realizations.

The iceburgs are melting due to human ignorance and greed. We are polluting the planet (and ourselves, and all the creatures) into a threshold state of poisoning beyond belief. When we hit fail safe, then we will remember that we must clean this place up if we are to live and prosper as a human race interconnected with all the other life forms in our field, both visible and invisible. That said, there has also been a shift in the rate of movement between the core, mantle, and crust of our Earth due to our messing with the hydraulics of the planet through things like underground nuke tests, pumping massive amounts of oil and minerals out of the Earth disrupting the electromagnetic and chemical balances of Nature. Right now I would attribute responsibility for this mess to ALL political parties that put selfish interest ahead of the common good.

Hi Patricia - Well, Pisces is the repository for all images, lurid and violent, compassionate and lovingly moving. It is the place where all images lurk, and eventually die over time and experience. It is the very dreamscape of our reality. Mars and Pluto do have associations with violence, but then when younger I had quite a few Lunar, Venusian, Jupiterian, Saturnine, Uranian, etc. nightmares as well as Martian. Mars has been my friend and protector throughout my life, so I've not had many bad "Martian" hallucinations, except the battles I didn't initiate and really didn't want to fight.

Neptune specifically rules film in the vaster sense of the medium. After living in LA for years and having dozens if not over a hundred clients from "da biz," every one has had strong Neptune. Not necessarily Pisces, but Neptune. Yes, I saw Wings of Desire when it first came out; loved Peter Falk! I may have seen Jesus of Montreal a while ago, but don't really remember much about it, so I suppose I should check it out again. Brother Sun Sister Moon was a formative movie when dating my first wife. Very Piscean due to Christianity. And of course, Kundun, Il Postino, Ciao Professiore, and other more modern movies are still opening our hearts to our divinity and humanity. I consider any movie that appeals to opening the heart as a spiritual movie, including two of my favorites, Defending Your Life and Groundhog Day, both of which convey great truths.

Yes, the dream machine is all about money; and as long as the young and ignorant want to behold violent imagery to achieve vicarious sensation, then they'll make the trash. Eventually, though, things will change, that which had power will exhaust their potential, and we'll move on to other images en vogue. That's why those who participate in the Eternal Culture contribute to Peace on Earth, since we perpetuate the positive despite the overwhelming kama-manasic nature of our marketing machinery that does not value much of Culture.

The Priest, Priestess, Shaman, and Healer are all the archetypes of the axis of Virgo-Pisces. Anyone who practices these activates that axis, to whatever intended or unintended end is achieved. The Aquarian Age is the Era of Amalgamation, so all prior forms will be subsumed into the Synthetic Whole that is Aquarius. Those of us who practice traditional arts and sciences will be the specialists within larger fields.

The younger gen will follow us, so we do need to care however we can to offer what we can to purify and clarify what is at times immature understanding. Of course, there are also many "adults" who need the same consideration. And here I am reminded of my younger years, when my "elders" were fossils who didn't understand much of the Pistis Sophia or healthy lifestyles, meditation, the power of play and "spiritual theater," and other such things. Many so-called "Indigo Children" don't care what we think either, so we must find our "tone" and sound it for those who are interested in such things. That require preserving the best and purest art, science, and philosophy of what form our Dharma takes.

Hi Diana - Well, it's better to be cool than uncool! ;-) Barely able to stay balanced on the wave, but it's a great ride so far, with major new swells coming in waves over the next five weeks that will require rearranging what I do here for a short while. Will try to compose something when I finally get connectivity at my new digs. Will make it north, but need to go west, then east, then east, then west, then north, then west before I can do that. It's Road Warrior Time!

[GC]

i have read articles that mention that the
' end of the world ' will preceed the Aquarian age .... . A kind of wipe out of the corrupt and evil forces before the transition . your comments please ..

[Robert]

Hi GC - The end of an old era always precedes a new one. But life is also a vast continuum, so it's usually a series of incremental changes that gather momentum until the old has exhausted its potential while the seeds of new growth continue their externalization. I doubt "evil" as we now it will die any time soon (from a human perspective) but it will die out not that far from now due to humanity as a whole being on the "Path of Return."