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 Newsweek just published an article asking the question, is it the "End of Christian America?" (a post-christian era). Evidently, the number of self-professed christians has been on the downswing, while the number of people self-declaring as "spiritual" has been on the upswing, and this worries evangelicals, particularly those who, for the past couple decades, have tried to create a christian American through political means.
Naturally, this article stimulated all kinds of questions and comparisons in my mind, quite apart from its actual content. First and foremost, it reminded me of the 1960s and 70s, which predicted the beginning of the "age of aquarius" and John Lennon's song, "Imagine" where he dreamed of a world without division, including the divisions caused by religion.
Since time immortal, humans have watched the stars. At some point, they began see relationships between the stars/constellations and significant human events. Stars could portend wars, peace, natural disasters and the birth of messiahs. Therein lays the direction of this article. Human history does seem to coincide with the change in constellations that occurs approximately every 2160 years, but does that correlation imply cause and effect or simply coincidence? Does the cosmic labryinth direct our steps or has humanity altered its path to better follow the labyrinth in the skies?
Being the pragmatistic that I am, I consider the above queries nothing but hooey (and yet another excuse to claim irresponsibility for human bloodshed), but I do wonder at the similiarities/correlations between the predominant constellation and human behavior.
I would suppose, by way of rationale, that people's fascination with the stars led humanity into changing its behaviors to match the stars. Indeed, consider the Jesus myth. It was preceeded by a star--a heavenly symbol--and, depending upon the astrologer, roughly coincided with the age of Pisces. And who calls upon the babe in the manger? Three astrologers (the wise men). And what symbol does Christianity use to associate with their messiah? The fish. I don't see random chance, but a deliberate aligning of beliefs with the stars.
And now, we're near the age of Aquarius (according to some), or will see the dawning of aquarius within the next 600 years (according to others). In either case, I suspect that our very eagerness for the balance, equality, and peace within diversity that is associated with that constellation will significantly impact the reality of the time. Consider, for example, a technological example. How many devices were designed for Star Trek that seemed an impossibility, that we now use? Why? Because people wanted those things, so scientists and designers found a way to make these far-out devices a reality. I suggest the same is true with the constellations. We want what Aquarius offers us, so we will find a way to make it come true.
The world is growing weary with the violence associated with religions. Theocracies have jusitified genocide against other nations and religions. Religious fanaticism has spawned crusades against non-Catholics, Jews, and Muslims and jihad against Jews, Christians, Arabs and every other religion. Alternatively, government-enforced atheism has resulted in massacres against all religions. Natzism inspired hatred against non-white protestants created a holocaust of suffering. It is time for it to stop. It is time for every "true" religion to realize it's own guilt...and find our way to Aquarius.
I have long believed that we are in the transition years between eras--between the age of the fish (Pisces) and the age of balance (Aquarius). Since I'm not into the techno mumbo jumbo, rather than explain each era for myself, I've chopped and amended the pertinent aspects from Wikipedia. (See Astrological age for a more complete discussion.)
NOTE: The "timeframes" mentioned below represent only one astrologer's dating scheme, and it differs with others by as much as 600 years.
The Age of Leo
Timeframes
The Golden Age @ 10,500-8100 BCE when the globe was warming and glaciers melting. Leo is associated with fire (as in the Sun) and light.
Religious Similarities
Some researchers believe that the Great Sphinx was constructed in the Age of Leo. (See #New, alternative, and fringe theories.)
The Age of Cancer
Timeframes
The Age of the Great Mother @ 8100 to 5900 BCE. The Moon rules Cancer, and cancer is associated with home and homelife. It was during this time that society started forming permanent cities and domesticating animals.
Religious similarities
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).
The Age of Gemini
Timeframes
- The Age of Communication, Trade and the Twins @ 5900 to 3800 BCE reflects an era of "handholding," symbolic of trade, swapping stories/mythos, and cooperation.
Religious similarities
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')
The Age of Taurus
Timeframes
Age of Earth, Agriculture, and the Bull @ 3800-1650 BCE was an era where the Bull became the favorite religious symbol.
Religious similarities
The Age of Aries
Timeframes
The Age of War, Fire, and the Ram @ 1658 BCE to 498 CE corresponds to the time of Abraham's sacrifice of the ram..
Religious similarities
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. 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 favoured 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.
Moses (born circa 16th–13th Century BC; 7 Adar 2368 - 7 Adar 2488 in the Hebrew calendar), an 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 (see also Dating the Exodus overview).
See also:
The Age of Pisces
Timeframes
The Age of Monotheism, Spirituality, and the Fish @ 500 to 2600 CE is considered, technically, to be the modern age, but the beginning and ending points differ by as much as 600 years either direction.
Religious Similiarities
The Age of Pisces is characterized by the rise of many religions such as Christianity, Islam and Buddhism due to "spiritual" nature of Pisces and its ability to go beyond the boundaries of the physical world. The Age of Pisces is mainly marked by the continuous research of mankind about the truth hidden behind what's perceived by five senses. The New Age Movement "celebrating" The Age of Aquarius is claimed by some to be a characteristic of The Age of Pisces.
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.
The Age of Aquarius
Timeframes
The Age of Freedom, Techology, and Water @ 2654 CE carries with it an expectation of group consciousness.[34] Marcia Moore and Mark Douglas claim that the lighting up of the earth artificially by electricity is a sign of the Age of Aquarius.[35] Furthermore they see the appearance of dictators, self expression and the rising influence of the entertainment industry are linked to the Aquarian age by its opposite sign Leo.
Current/Projected Religious Similiarity
Traits of Aquarius such as being 'humanitarian' but at the same time 'unemotional' may indicate to the emergence of active intergovernmental organisations and global solidarity movements. |
