The Ages

1. The Ages

2. The Ages Presentation • Great Year • Past Ages • Age of Pisces • Age of Aquarius • Present Outer Planets - Short Break - • Meditation

3. What is a Great Circle or a Great Year? It is one complete precession of the equinox. If we look up and see a star at exactly midnight on March 21st and come back to the same spot 72 years later exactly at midnight the star will seem to have "moved backwards" (1 degree). The star did not actually move backwards, it only appears to be in a different place because you have arrived "early" as far as the star is concerned! Our "Tropical Calendar" is based upon the notion that the Sun always enters the first degree of the astrological sign of Aries on the Spring (Vernal) Equinox.  Our tropical calendar is actually running a bit faster than what is actually happening in the heavens so when we take our measurements it appears that the entire visible universe is gradually shifting "backwards”.

4. In "non-geek speak"... just suppose that the Sun always rises at exactly 6 a.m. and your wrist watch is running fast by 2 seconds each day, but you are unaware of it.  So, after a year, it appears clearly evident to you that the Sun is slowing down.....you get "there", to see the sunrise (one year later) at 6 a.m. (according to your watch) and the Sun doesn't show up until about 12 minutes later and after two years the Sun is 25 minutes late!  It never occurs to you that the wristwatch that your great-grandfather made needs a cleaning and it never enters your mind that your system of measurement (wristwatch) is a bit off......the only reasonable conclusion to make is that the outer universe is wobbling because of all of the banana peels that your ancestors have left in outer space.  :-)

5. A similar result occurs in the "real world" ("Precession" or apparent backwards movement of the visible universe as viewed from Earth) because our calendar runs a bit faster than what is actually happening in the visible (Sidereal) universe......we "show up" (unaware) early to take our measurements and conclude that the entire universe is "backing up”.

6. How long is a Great Year? A good estimate would be between25,772 years and 25,858 years

7. Each Great Year can be divided into 12 Ages So an Age would be between2,147 years and 2,154 years

9. Past Ages

10. Timeframe – ca. 10,500 BC to 8000 BC. Overview – “The Golden Age” Age of Leo - ♌

11. The major event at this time was an ancient global warming to such a massive extent that it led to the deglaciation of what now constitutes much of the modern habitable world. The deglaciation ultimately caused a 300 foot (90 m) rise in the sea level. The sign Leo is a Fire sign and is traditionally ruled by the Sun in astrology, and it is entirely appropriate that in an Age ruled by the Sun, that the warmth of the Sun melted the glaciers that covered much of North America and Europe. Leo is also related to any kind of light source, and the carved stone oil lamp was invented during this time. Historical similarities

12. Timeframe – ca. 8,600 BC to 6,450 BC. Overview –“The Age of the Great Mother” Age of Cancer - ♋

14. The Neolithic Revolution,including the beginning of civilization, with domestication of farm animals including pigs, goats & even bees. Some nomadic people settled down to living in permanent dwellings. There is also evidence of massive loss of coastal regions by the rising sea level following deglaciation of many areas on Earth. This loss of land caused the forced relocation of people to higher ground. Cancer's list of archetypes always include anything to do with the home (including houses, place of residence, migration). Historical similarities

15. Widespread evidence of the mother goddess in the Near East (the ‘mother’ archetype in all shapes and forms is always related to the sign Cancer). As humans began to form tribes they became more concerned with family groupings and genealogy, another hallmark of Cancer. Women were considered the source of creation since they bore the children. Religious similarities

16. Timeframe – ca. 6,450 BC to 4,300 BC. Overview –“The Age of Communication, Trade and the Twins” Age of Gemini - ♊

17. During this age writing developed,and trade started to accelerate. This corresponds to the symbols the Gemini constellation represents. The constellation can be seen as two people holding hands (thought to be twins), believed by some to be symbolic for trade and communication of peoples. Regardless of the lore associated with the constellation of Gemini, both writing (including literature, newspapers, journals, magazines and works of fiction) and trade (including merchants) are traditional archetypes belonging to the sign in Gemini. Historical similarities

18. The wheel, although having been used earlier as potter's wheels, was used for the first time for transportation purposes around the 5th millennium BC. Most forms of local transportation (horse and cart, bicycles, suburban trains, trams, cars, motorcycles, walking, roads, freeways etc.) are archetypes associated with the sign of Gemini. Historical similarities

19. Multiple gods, such as the pantheon of gods in Ancient Greek literature, are believed to have appeared in this Gemini age probably in Sumer (Mesopotamia). (Gemini not only is associated with the archetype of ‘twins’ and ‘duality’ but also ‘multiplicity’) Religious similarities

20. Timeframe – ca. 4,300 BC to 2,150 BC. Overview –“The Age of Earth, Agriculture and the Bull” Age of Taurus - ♉

21. Bull worshiping cults began to form in Assyria, Egypt, and Crete which relates to Taurus symbolizing the bull. This age is notable for the building of the Pyramids, during the Old Kingdom of Egypt and the Middle Kingdom of Egypt. They personify structure, solidity, stability and attempts at eternity, keywords of Taurus. The completed Great Pyramid of Khufu, clad in smooth pure white limestone, must have been a sight of dazzling beauty in the sunlight. Beauty is another keyword of Taurus. Historical similarities

22. Taurus is associated with the metal copper, and bronze (an alloy of copper and tin) was for the first time smelted and worked into bronze swords during the early phase of this era. Papyrus was invented during this time, enabling improved writing techniques. It could be manufactured into very long strips that could be rolled (but not yet folded) into scrolls or rolls for efficient storage and handling. (The Taurus glyph invokes the image of the partially-unrolled scroll). Historical similarities

23. Ankh: thoracic vertebra of a bull – Egyptian symbol of life Religious similarities

24. Worship of Apis, the bull-deity, the most important of all the sacred animals in Egypt Religious similarities

25. When Moses was said to have descended from the mountain with the ten commandments (c. 17th – 13th century BC, the end of the Age of Taurus) his followers were worshipping a golden bull calf, he instructed them to kill each other in order to cleanse themselves. This represents Moses "killing" the bull and ending the Age of Taurus, and ushering in the Age of Aries, which he represented. Religious similarities

26. Timeframe – ca. 2,150 BC to 1 AD. Overview –“The Age of War, Fire and the Ram” Age of Aries - ♈

27. Aries represents a Fire symbol as well as bold actions, a lot of these behaviors can be seen during any age. However, the themes emphasized during this age relate to courage, initiative, war & adventure. Nations during this age such as the expanding empires of China, Persia, Greece, and Rome, are often cited as examples of the archetypes of Aries in action. Historical similarities

28. This was the Age of the Hero and the Warrior. The eruption of the volcano Santorini in 1680 BC destroyed the Minoan civilization and along with it their Bull cult (age of Taurus). This age was marked synchronistically by the Indo-Aryan (Aries) migration and the beginnings of cattle domestication (conquering the Bull god). Rituals of the Mithraic cult involved slaughtering of bulls, which has come down to us today as the bullfight. The gods of the Age of Aries, as in each age before them, eradicated the gods that preceded them. Historical similarities

29. Little is known about the origins of the Aryan people, but they were warriors possessing superior military technology, facilitating their takeover of much of Asia during this period. The Arien Age also witnessed the first Olympic games in Greece and the development of the Greek and Roman empire. The Hero archetype was central to the Greek and Roman cultures, with their gods who were constantly doing battle. Yahweh, the god of the Jewish people, combined characteristics of both the Warrior and the Hero. He demanded the transformation of the Hero in his disciple Abraham, and advised on military conquests. Historical similarities

30. The Aries constellation shows a ram running. This could correspond with the sacrifice of Abraham’s Ram. While the number of names containing the sound of the ram during this period is noted: Ra (Sun God), Ram, Rama, Brahman, Brahma, Abram/Abraham, Amon Ra, and Ramesses I. Historical similarities

31. According to the Roman state religion, the Roman people were the "Sons of Mars". Aries is associated with the metal iron, and iron ore was for the first time smelted and worked into iron swords in Anatolia during the early phase of this era, replacing the heavier, softer-metalled, duller-edged bronze swords of the previous Taurus Age. Historical similarities

32. The Age of Aries ushered in efforts to replace polytheism with monotheism. The earliest known attempt was by the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten, who, in about 1350 BC, decreed the Sun God Aten to be the supreme deity, apparently in reaction to his earlier lack of inclusion in religious rites by his family. After his death, however, power reverted to the original polytheistic priests, who re-established the old religion. Religious similarities

33. Speculation (including that of Freud) has it that later, during the reign of Ramesses II, Moses was influenced by rumour of Akhenaten’s revolutionary idea, and grasped the idea of a single supreme God, Who especially favored His people, as an inspirational mechanism that best suited his people held in bondage. The symbol of Aries can be seen as representing the power of multiple gods streaming down into a single god-head. Religious similarities

34. Moses (born c. 16th–13th Century BC), as early Biblical Hebrew religious leader, lawgiver, prophet, and military leader, condemns his own people upon finding them worshiping a 'golden calf' (a symbol of the previous Age of Taurus and of the worship of the bull deity) after coming down Mount Sinai. These events may have occurred during the Age of Aries. Religious similarities

35. Timeframe – ca. 1 AD to March 20, 2117 at 4:10 PM GMT. Overview –“The Age of Monotheism, Spirituality, and the Fish” Age of Pisces - i

36. One characteristic of Pisces is compassion, which has helped fuel the women’s and racial movements, and labor unions. This also encouraged the Bill of Rights and even the Magna Charta. Pisces is a water sign and much of this age has been associated with exploration and travel by ocean going ships. The Age of Pisces is also marked by the continuous research of mankind about the truth hidden behind what’s perceived by five senses. Historical similarities

37. Traits of Pisces such as being “gentle” and artistically able but at the same time “impractical” may hint to the dominance of European empires on the world. But Pisces also has the trait of escapism which has lead to the overuse of drugs and alcohol—not only in the last few hundred years, but through out much of this time period. Pisces is a romantic and thus we have had the Romantic Era. Historical similarities

38. But Pisces is easily led and many people have been lead during this Age. • Led by the Catholic Church. • Led by Stalin in Russia. • Led by the Hitler regime in Germany. • Led by Mao Tse-Tung in China. • Led by Francisco Franco in Spain. • Led by numerous religious groups. • This has been a period where people have been told by others what to believe, rather then listen to their inner voice. Historical similarities

39. The story of the life and death of Jesus the Christ and the evolution of the religion that bears his name mirrors the Piscean age perfectly. Pisces is sign of the water element, and the origin of Christianity finds Jesus being baptized in a river, symbolizing the dissolution of the personal ego into the river of faith, a ritual that continues today. The teachings of Jesus express the Piscean values of compassion, universal love and brotherhood. However, the last 2000 years have not always expressed those concepts in their highest form. Religious similarities

40. Viewed as a whole, the Piscean Age tells us that humanity was learning to relate to reality and the divine through a more emotional filter. In its constructive aspect, this brought about a newfound element of compassion and faith in key segments of society, especially within the Christian world. There was emergence of a spiritual sensibility that spoke of "turning the other cheek" rather than the smiting of enemies. It was a shift from Roma to Amor, one could say. Religious similarities

41. One of the more striking Piscean symbols found in Christianity is its central image: the crucifixion. It is sobering to consider that for nearly two thousand years Western culture has defined itself largely in terms of an image of a man nailed to a cross, tortured in a most gruesome manner. Yet viewed archetypally, this singular seed-image contains the best and worst of the Piscean legacy. Religious similarities

42. On a negative level, the crucifixion expresses dark Piscean qualities like self-pity, masochism, guilt, and martyrdom. These traits reflect the self-dissolving principle of water but directed in a more destructive, self-abnegating way. In some respects the Piscean Age might well be called the ultimate age of neurosis, this being an era when many felt that suffering and guilt were somehow synonymous with spirituality. This is precisely the sort of delusion that arises when the ego is unhealthy or ungrounded, and finds itself drawn back into the more corrosive and ego-dissolving emotions of the soul. Religious similarities

43. But the crucifixion has a more positive interpretation, too. Pisces symbolically relates to the transcendence of the ego and the surrendering of personal interests in service of a higher ideal. As the last sign in the zodiac (determined by the sun’s counter-clockwise movement), Pisces is that final stage in the soul’s evolution where the boundaries of personality have begun to dissolve and the soul now merges with the cosmic ocean of existence. This is what the crucifixion means in its highest sense: the willing capacity for sacrifice, worship, and profound devotion. This is the water element at its most refined. Religious similarities

44. Some examples of this higher aspect of Pisces would be St. Francis of Assisi, or the ideals of chivalry and courtly love, with their ethos of self-sacrifice and idealism, that arose during the medieval era. Note, too, that the word for that other major Piscean Age religion, Islam, means "surrender" when translated into English. Religious similarities

45. Whereas the Age of Aries brought an awakening of the outwardly-directed ego, the more feminine Piscean Age brought about a newfound sense of interiority or inwardness. In religious terms, this was evident in the emerging Christian emphasis on moral reflectivity, or conscience. The flip side of this development, unfortunately, was the emergence of a new mood of guilt throughout Western society. Prior to Christianity, one rarely finds a sense of conscience or “sin” as we now think of it. By way of contrast, the earlier Greeks saw their relationship to the gods in more mechanical and external terms than we do now. Religious similarities

46. In a more negative vein, this same emphasis on emotionality ushered in a spirit of dogmatism and persecution within the emerging religions. Pisces is intensely concerned with matters of faith, but taken to extremes this can lead to zealotry, self-righteousness, and the urge to establish absolute guidelines for all to follow. At its worst, the Piscean Age was an era of religious intolerance, when large populations were expected to show unquestioning allegiance to a monolithic belief system, as exhibited in much of Christianity and Islam during this time. Religious similarities

47. The call for the end of individualism and the necessity for blind belief that marks the evolution of the Piscean age has led to the more negative manifestation of Pisces: illusion and delusion. The famed Dark Ages in western civilization occurred because the ruling Roman Catholic Church wanted to suppress all knowledge and keep their adherents in the literal darkness. At that time the realm of knowledge spread to the Arab world, which is now in its own Dark Age. Although what we see today is the coming of the Aquarian energy to the Arab world. Religious similarities

48. Timeframe – March 20, 2117 at 4:10 PM GMT to ???. Overview –“The Age of Freedom, Technology, and the Water Bearer” Age of Aquarius - h

49. Whereas Pisces is traditionally associated with the element of water, Aquarius is associated with air. Exoterically, this is reflected in the startling rise of aviation technologies and space travel over the last two centuries. Humans are quite literally learning to master the air realm, not only through aviation but in the construction of ever-taller buildings that allow us to live higher up off the ground. The media also employs metaphors which reflect this elemental shift when it says that a show goes “on the air,” or when a broadcaster “takes to the airwaves.” Projected similarities:

50. Air is the medium through which we communicate our thoughts and ideas, and is associated with rationality and thinking. What this means is that the Aquarian Age will undoubtedly witness advances in humanity’s intellectual growth, no doubt at widely varying levels of sophistication. Someone living life in front of their TV set can be said to be pursuing a "mental" existence, but one quite different in quality from that of a scientist struggling to unlock the mysteries of the cosmos. Projected similarities: