The Astrological Ages
Dec. 27th, 2021 12:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
causticusThe Astrological Ages, aka the Precession of the Equinoxes
Age of Taurus (Earth element, governed by Venus) approx. 4000 - 2420 BCE -- Religion across the world mostly consists of hyperlocal fertility cults and elaborate funerary customs, with a ton of bull and snake symbolism. Practices are very nature/earth oriented. Compared to the two Ages to follow, some degree of gender equality is the norm, though most of the major cultures are at least some patriarchal, due to the tendencies of monarchy and the increases in fixed property ownership as societies become more agrarian and sedentary. The cultures which grow and develop technological complexity end up funneling much of their collective resources into earthworks, engineering projects, and monumental buildings. In these cultures the institutions of sacralized monarchy, legalism, and organized priesthoods become established and more complex and ossified as time moves on.
Age of Aries (Fire element, governed by Mars) approx. 2420 - 260 BCE -- War, conquest, militarism, fire sacrifices, and a martial heroic ethos, and masculinity in general. are the hallmarks of this age. Thundering sky and war gods play a leading role in the cultures which rose to prominence in this age; these “leading edge” cultures are extremely patriarchal and socially-stratified, sometimes marked by fixed caste systems. Aries commences with the warlike Semitic Akkadians conquering the Sumerian civilization. At the same time, the Indo-European steppe tribes spread all over Eurasia and conquer and assimilate many different local farming cultures. The symbolism of the bull being sacrificed is marks the transition from Taurus to Aries, and this lives on in many traditions including Judaism (Exodus) and Mithraism (its key motif). The mythos of the classical Greek culture is thoroughly infused with Aries symbolism and this is most exemplified by Homer's epics, the Iliad and Odyssey. (The Hebrew Bible as well) The older cultures on the fringes of civilization still retain quite a bit of their Tauran elements far into this age however, only to eventually find Arian cultures banging at their doorstep (see: the Mycenaean conquest of the Aegean, and the ‘Hyksos’ invasion and conquest of Egypt, as prime examples).
Age of Pisces (Water element, governed by Jupiter and Dionysus; Vishnu and Shiva in the Indic traditions) approx. 260 BCE - 1900 CE -- This is the age we just emerged from and the one that is by far most familiar to those of us living today. The old martial and fiery essence of Aries gave way to the self-sacrificing Saint motif, once Pisces was in full swing. Religion mostly shifted from being praxis-oriented to being centered around affirmed belief in abstract doctrines, i.e. professed faith. In many corners of the Earth, the old "pagan" religions of the prior ages quickly gave way to these now belief-based sectarian movements. The hyper-patriarchy of Aries stuck around and blended into the Piscean paradigm. The primary themes of this Age were unity/oneness, ideological brotherhood, frenzy, mass hysteria, secrecy, utopianism, political skulduggery, "humanity" as a universal ideal, the blending of politics and religion, salvationist doctrines, doomsday cults, hyper-focus on the afterlife at the detriment of worldly life (and other eschatological obsessions). The general trend was the consolidation of religions into top-down, toltalizing systems which dominate every aspect of the followers ordinary lives. Wanton religious intolerance, ideological crusades and inquisitions quickly became the "new normal" by late antiquity and persisted all throughout the middle ages and up into the modern era.
Age of Aquarius (Air element, governed by Saturn and Prometheus) approx. 1900 - 4660 CE -- This is the Age we very recently crossed into, though it will be at least several centuries before the Piscean currents become diminished to the point where they no longer govern religion and ideology around the world. How this age will unfold is a huge unknown, especially given the "weirdness" of Aquarian nature. By that, everything that follows should be seen as wild speculation and probably taken with a grain of salt; on top of that, Aquarius is bound to hurl at least a few curveballs in our general direction. One thing we can say however is that it will be nothing at all like the drug-addled fantasies of 1960s and 70s hippies, who were largely projecting Piscean-utopian fantasies onto the future. Instead of a homogeneous "one brotherhood of humanity" we might a reverse in course toward more independence, idiosyncrasy, and differentiation among peoples. Secession and independence movements could very well dominate politics. If this happens, then it’s going to be an age of "people going their own way" and various permutations of that pattern. Homogeneity of thought across groups will become less and less of a thing as this age comes into full swing, though whether groupthink will dominate within particular groups is anyone’s best guess. At any rate, there will be a lot of different ones!
Religion will once again become more praxis-oriented and less obsessed with shared beliefs and ham-fisted enforcement of doctrinal compliance. Religious convictions will become a personal matter and not so much a communal concern. Religious/Spiritual specialists (clergy, gurus, seers) will become something more akin to guides and helpers, rather than ideological enforcers of yesteryear. The Piscean religions will be forced to adapt or die in this Age. For groups on the leading edge of Aquarian currents, the dispassionate investigation of reality (i.e. science in its true form) and intellectual pursuits will be emphasized over blind faith. Immersive spirituality might become centered around the training of the mind and the connection of an individual to their Genius.
Due to the Saturnine element, the peoples of this ages will struggle greatly with sinking into the all-too-familiar pit of materialism; though the Promethean influence might be a mitigating factor (or a destructive nuisance!), as people will seek out novel means of escaping the materialist ideological straitjacket. We can easily observe today that many forms of high weirdness are on the up-and-up and that the thundering destruction of age-old ways of doing things is even now becoming "the new normal." Idiosyncratic “subcultures” may become a new type of tribalism, and if this comes to be, then the idea that everyone should dress and act the same will be a quaint relic of the distant past. Few will mourn the loss of the Western business suit, which is perhaps the most stifling, conformist, and uncomfortable formal garment ever to see the light of day.
At first there will be much resistance to these new currents, and as long as the techno-industrial systems remain scalable, we may very well see what were once polite “democratic” societies morph into totalitarian police states; we are already beginning to see technology turned against the people and used as a means of mass-enslavement. The global technological superstructure may very well collapse due to a steadily-shrinking supply of energy resources. If this happens it will only further hasten the now-natural urge to break off into splinter groups and differentiate. The old limits of geographical distance and other barriers will come back into play and help provide natural barriers between the new subculture-tribes.
Now in terms of social structures and mores, we can observe that right as Aquarius started coming to play, we started to see the beginnings of the old hyper-patriarchy of Aries finally beginning to wane in cultures science had already taken precedence over faith-based religion. By the late 19th century, we suddenly saw the proliferation of female spiritual leaders and intellectuals, which was something quite foreign to pretty much most cultures for a very long time. Expect female contributions and leadership in religion and spirituality to be something here to stay in this Age. However, the so-called "gender equality" movements of recent history have been plagued with Piscean ways of thinking, as they've been ideological crusades which embraced the opposite extreme of the old norm. As with anything, we could say that the wise way is the Middle Way. As these destructive ideological movements lose their sway over the popular imagination, we should begin to see ideas which promote a healthier balance when it comes to sex/gender issues. Sexual puritanism (a Piscean trait due to the fear/hatred of the body found in many of its religions) may also become a thing of the past, and like above we might see a more balanced approach to this issue, rather than the present-day trend of running head-first into the opposite extreme of sexual licentiousness.
Once again, the above predictions should not be taken too seriously. These are rough guesses at how general patterns and trends might unfold, as opposed to being a concrete speculative timeline of how the future will come to be.
Age of Taurus (Earth element, governed by Venus) approx. 4000 - 2420 BCE -- Religion across the world mostly consists of hyperlocal fertility cults and elaborate funerary customs, with a ton of bull and snake symbolism. Practices are very nature/earth oriented. Compared to the two Ages to follow, some degree of gender equality is the norm, though most of the major cultures are at least some patriarchal, due to the tendencies of monarchy and the increases in fixed property ownership as societies become more agrarian and sedentary. The cultures which grow and develop technological complexity end up funneling much of their collective resources into earthworks, engineering projects, and monumental buildings. In these cultures the institutions of sacralized monarchy, legalism, and organized priesthoods become established and more complex and ossified as time moves on.
Age of Aries (Fire element, governed by Mars) approx. 2420 - 260 BCE -- War, conquest, militarism, fire sacrifices, and a martial heroic ethos, and masculinity in general. are the hallmarks of this age. Thundering sky and war gods play a leading role in the cultures which rose to prominence in this age; these “leading edge” cultures are extremely patriarchal and socially-stratified, sometimes marked by fixed caste systems. Aries commences with the warlike Semitic Akkadians conquering the Sumerian civilization. At the same time, the Indo-European steppe tribes spread all over Eurasia and conquer and assimilate many different local farming cultures. The symbolism of the bull being sacrificed is marks the transition from Taurus to Aries, and this lives on in many traditions including Judaism (Exodus) and Mithraism (its key motif). The mythos of the classical Greek culture is thoroughly infused with Aries symbolism and this is most exemplified by Homer's epics, the Iliad and Odyssey. (The Hebrew Bible as well) The older cultures on the fringes of civilization still retain quite a bit of their Tauran elements far into this age however, only to eventually find Arian cultures banging at their doorstep (see: the Mycenaean conquest of the Aegean, and the ‘Hyksos’ invasion and conquest of Egypt, as prime examples).
Age of Pisces (Water element, governed by Jupiter and Dionysus; Vishnu and Shiva in the Indic traditions) approx. 260 BCE - 1900 CE -- This is the age we just emerged from and the one that is by far most familiar to those of us living today. The old martial and fiery essence of Aries gave way to the self-sacrificing Saint motif, once Pisces was in full swing. Religion mostly shifted from being praxis-oriented to being centered around affirmed belief in abstract doctrines, i.e. professed faith. In many corners of the Earth, the old "pagan" religions of the prior ages quickly gave way to these now belief-based sectarian movements. The hyper-patriarchy of Aries stuck around and blended into the Piscean paradigm. The primary themes of this Age were unity/oneness, ideological brotherhood, frenzy, mass hysteria, secrecy, utopianism, political skulduggery, "humanity" as a universal ideal, the blending of politics and religion, salvationist doctrines, doomsday cults, hyper-focus on the afterlife at the detriment of worldly life (and other eschatological obsessions). The general trend was the consolidation of religions into top-down, toltalizing systems which dominate every aspect of the followers ordinary lives. Wanton religious intolerance, ideological crusades and inquisitions quickly became the "new normal" by late antiquity and persisted all throughout the middle ages and up into the modern era.
Age of Aquarius (Air element, governed by Saturn and Prometheus) approx. 1900 - 4660 CE -- This is the Age we very recently crossed into, though it will be at least several centuries before the Piscean currents become diminished to the point where they no longer govern religion and ideology around the world. How this age will unfold is a huge unknown, especially given the "weirdness" of Aquarian nature. By that, everything that follows should be seen as wild speculation and probably taken with a grain of salt; on top of that, Aquarius is bound to hurl at least a few curveballs in our general direction. One thing we can say however is that it will be nothing at all like the drug-addled fantasies of 1960s and 70s hippies, who were largely projecting Piscean-utopian fantasies onto the future. Instead of a homogeneous "one brotherhood of humanity" we might a reverse in course toward more independence, idiosyncrasy, and differentiation among peoples. Secession and independence movements could very well dominate politics. If this happens, then it’s going to be an age of "people going their own way" and various permutations of that pattern. Homogeneity of thought across groups will become less and less of a thing as this age comes into full swing, though whether groupthink will dominate within particular groups is anyone’s best guess. At any rate, there will be a lot of different ones!
Religion will once again become more praxis-oriented and less obsessed with shared beliefs and ham-fisted enforcement of doctrinal compliance. Religious convictions will become a personal matter and not so much a communal concern. Religious/Spiritual specialists (clergy, gurus, seers) will become something more akin to guides and helpers, rather than ideological enforcers of yesteryear. The Piscean religions will be forced to adapt or die in this Age. For groups on the leading edge of Aquarian currents, the dispassionate investigation of reality (i.e. science in its true form) and intellectual pursuits will be emphasized over blind faith. Immersive spirituality might become centered around the training of the mind and the connection of an individual to their Genius.
Due to the Saturnine element, the peoples of this ages will struggle greatly with sinking into the all-too-familiar pit of materialism; though the Promethean influence might be a mitigating factor (or a destructive nuisance!), as people will seek out novel means of escaping the materialist ideological straitjacket. We can easily observe today that many forms of high weirdness are on the up-and-up and that the thundering destruction of age-old ways of doing things is even now becoming "the new normal." Idiosyncratic “subcultures” may become a new type of tribalism, and if this comes to be, then the idea that everyone should dress and act the same will be a quaint relic of the distant past. Few will mourn the loss of the Western business suit, which is perhaps the most stifling, conformist, and uncomfortable formal garment ever to see the light of day.
At first there will be much resistance to these new currents, and as long as the techno-industrial systems remain scalable, we may very well see what were once polite “democratic” societies morph into totalitarian police states; we are already beginning to see technology turned against the people and used as a means of mass-enslavement. The global technological superstructure may very well collapse due to a steadily-shrinking supply of energy resources. If this happens it will only further hasten the now-natural urge to break off into splinter groups and differentiate. The old limits of geographical distance and other barriers will come back into play and help provide natural barriers between the new subculture-tribes.
Now in terms of social structures and mores, we can observe that right as Aquarius started coming to play, we started to see the beginnings of the old hyper-patriarchy of Aries finally beginning to wane in cultures science had already taken precedence over faith-based religion. By the late 19th century, we suddenly saw the proliferation of female spiritual leaders and intellectuals, which was something quite foreign to pretty much most cultures for a very long time. Expect female contributions and leadership in religion and spirituality to be something here to stay in this Age. However, the so-called "gender equality" movements of recent history have been plagued with Piscean ways of thinking, as they've been ideological crusades which embraced the opposite extreme of the old norm. As with anything, we could say that the wise way is the Middle Way. As these destructive ideological movements lose their sway over the popular imagination, we should begin to see ideas which promote a healthier balance when it comes to sex/gender issues. Sexual puritanism (a Piscean trait due to the fear/hatred of the body found in many of its religions) may also become a thing of the past, and like above we might see a more balanced approach to this issue, rather than the present-day trend of running head-first into the opposite extreme of sexual licentiousness.
Once again, the above predictions should not be taken too seriously. These are rough guesses at how general patterns and trends might unfold, as opposed to being a concrete speculative timeline of how the future will come to be.
(no subject)
Date: 2021-12-27 06:37 pm (UTC)Perhaps it is a holdover from the Taurean age ;)
If you haven't run across him before, the guy who writes the Old European Culture blog has some fascinating writing on animal symbolism in the ancient world (well, in Europe anyway), calendar markers, etc. and you might like his site: https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/
(no subject)
Date: 2021-12-27 07:13 pm (UTC)Thanks for the link btw! Looks fascinating.
(no subject)
Date: 2021-12-28 08:33 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2021-12-30 03:15 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2022-02-15 02:51 am (UTC)And let's not forget the Age of Gemini, in which proto-writing emerged and developed!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-02-15 03:57 am (UTC)