The Astrological Ages & Their Avatars:
Taurus, Aries, and Pisces
The story of Humanity: Recorded in stone and dirt;
Transformed by fire and blood;
Made whole through adaptation and compassion
Last month we looked at how the astrological ages of Virgo, Leo, Cancer and Gemini informed Human consciousness, each adding to the evolution of Humanity in specific ways proscribed by that sign. The saga continues this month as we explore our more recent history, the ages of Taurus, Aries and Pisces, from around 4000 BC to today.
The Age of Taurus (app. 4000 – 2000 BC) is dominated by images of the Bovine/Bull and the emergence of many fertility cults, dedicated to the Goddess in her various Venusian forms. It is marked by the rise of vast and well-established civilizations and city-states, such as the Sumerians, the Egyptians, and the Minoans, and the building of huge stone structures, symbolizing the need for stability, longevity, and permanence in keeping with the Taurean worldview. The major religions and ritual practices that developed revolved around fertility, and the bovine became a dominant motif in the art and spiritual practices of the day. The Egyptian cow-headed Goddess Hathor and Her Sumerian counterpart, Inanna, were primary Avatars of the age. Although male and female deities shared the throne by the end of this age, matriarchal principles, such as matrilineal inheritance of land and property, dominated for the most part. Artistic expression flourished during this age, and we have many surviving archaeological examples of the exquisite work created by the artisans of the age. Writing, the literal “setting in stone” of information, began in the latter half of the Taurean Age. The storytelling gift of the Age of Gemini was first immortalized in stone and clay tablets with the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh, a collection of myths and stories, the motifs of which later found their way into the writings of The Hebrews, Classical Greece, and The Bible. Writing served to further immortalize the traditions, laws, and belief systems of a culture, providing concrete evidence of it existence. A fascination with death and the afterlife, and the need to immortalize one’s existence (i.e. Egyptian mummification and complex burial tombs), female sensuality, and a value system that determined ownership and wealth as a basis for power, are all symbolic of Scorpio’s influence during the Taurean Age.
The Age of Aries (app. 2000 BC – 0 AD) ushered in a new perspective as the feminine Venusian influence of Taurus waned, to be literally “conquered” by the masculine aggressive Martian mindset of Aries/Mars. The concept of co-creation and fusion with the Earth is replaced with a need for individuation of the individual ego and tribal identity. Ram-headed Gods replaced the bovine representatives of the Taurean Age and the great agricultural civilizations and their Goddess avatars, archetypes of fertility and celebration of Earth’s bountiful gifts, were replaced by the archetype of the conquering warrior, mortal or semi-mortal men who wrestle themselves free from the dominating influence of The Great Mother, a theme repeated many times in the myths and stories of this age. Human beings (men) replaced the divine avatars of past ages, and conquering heroes like Gilgamesh, Alexander the Great, Moses, etc. became the inspirations of the day. The bloodbaths shifted from human and animal sacrifice in the name of fertility and protection to invasion by conquering forces in the quest for dominance and power. The concept of Monotheism, the worship of a singular masculine deity, took root in the collective consciousness to slowly replace the polytheistic religions of the previous age. By the end of the Age of Aries, the multiple Gods of previous cultures, who shared participation in the administration of Human affairs on Earth, were all but extinct. The creativity of the Iron Age (1300-900 BC) turned to the development of weapons and tools of combat to aid in the conquering of less martial civilizations, ill-equipped to resist the conquest of the Barbarian tides that swept across the known world. The Hittites, Aryans, and Israelites, to name a few, gave birth to new civilizations. The opposite sign of Libra is also evident in The Age of Aries through the formation of laws and codes of social conduct by many different cultures, such as The Ten Commandments (Moses), the Code of Hammurabi, the Greek concept of trial by jury, etc., many of which were created to mitigate the often violent and bloody “eye for an eye” concept of justice and vengeance of the age. Toward the end of this age, dramatically new philosophical teachings emerged emphasizing the need to replace baser instincts, like aggression and an ego-driven desire for power of the mighty, with reason and self-control. Teachers and philosophers, such as Confucius, The Buddha, Mithras, the great Greek philosophers, etc. became the voices of a new perspective, and laid the foundations for the Piscean Age to come.
By virtue of the fact that astrological ages move backward through the zodiac, The Age of Pisces (app. 0 – 2000 AD) can be considered the first age of a new 26,000 year cycle. The dominant image of the age in the Western world is a man hanging on a cross, crucified by Humanity, a savior who opened the gates of Heaven for those who sought redemption and forgiveness of “original sin”. The original teachings of Christianity, pre-Catholicism, and other major world religions, shifted our collective perspective from empowerment of the individual ego to development of the Divine EGO and the Human capacity and right to merge with “God”. Symbolized by the Piscean fishes of polarity, the Piscean Age introduced the collective consciousness of Humanity to the need to fuse and integrate the extreme opposites that define life and exist in reality as we know it. Good and evil co-exist, as do Heaven and Hell (symbolically), reason and irrationality, science and mysticism, etc. Philosophies and major world religions emerged to help Human Beings understand the inconsistencies and paradoxes of life and make peace with the increasingly complex reality of the human condition. Buddha taught that surrender of the Arian age ego was the path toward union with the Divine. Christ taught that sacrifice and suffering were the path toward redemption and forgiveness that would open the Kingdom of Heaven, and ultimately end one’s suffering. In true Piscean style, the insidious manipulation of the original teachings of the great world religions made the world ripe for corruption of these sacred teachings to serve the powerful. Sacrificial redeemers and the nobility of suffering and sacrifice paved the way for the socially sanctioned cultural oppression of the masses, especially women and those who represented the power of the feminine. Secret societies, created to hide and preserve the mystical origins of these teachings, abound during the Piscean Age. Many of these have been unearthed over the past few centuries to reveal very different messages and challenge the pervading mythos of the Piscean Age perspective. In preparation for the Aquarian Age to come, we can expect such revelations to continue, as the mystical teachings and records and rituals of the secret societies that protect them are uncovered. As we complete the Human experience defined by the Piscean Age, it is time to re-examine those original teachings and reinterpret those that made it into the great books. The Virgo opposition of The Age of Pisces is evident through the compartmentalization and organization of society around specialized skills and the ultimate emergence of a middle class of service providers and skilled artisans. The sacredness of the physical body and spiritual/medical practices that emphasize the mind-body-soul-spirit connection also emerged during the last few centuries of this age, encouraging humanity to balance science with mysticism, and to attempt to integrate the best of multiple philosophical systems in the search for personal ”Truth”.
Each age adds an aspect of consciousness necessary for modern Humans to evolve and grow. We are the sum total of this experience and carry the memories of the ages within our cellular memory. Simply put, in the Taurean Age we experienced the dominance of the extreme feminine side of consciousness and the instinctual side of human nature. In the Arian Age our perspective shifted toward the extreme masculine side of consciousness and the need to break free from the “herd”, emerge from the womb of The Great Mother, and develop a separate self, whose survival depended on one’s ability to access and capitalize on the skills of the warrior within. In the Piscean Age, the opportunity to merge these two polarities, and integrate all that each symbolically represents, paved the way for our next step in Human evolution: Equal access and value for both ways of being.
Today, we stand at a crossroad in current reality. As the past age principles of Pisces, and the collective perspective they created, come into question and erode, the new age principles of Aquarius find fertile ground in which to take root and grow in the collective experience.
Make no mistake, the Aquarian Age is here, and the symbols of that Truth abound… a topic to be addressed in the next issue of My Indigo Sun. Till then, please be wise, stay safe and take care of one another.
Kimberly McSherry has been a student of Astrology and a professional educator since 1970. She holds multiple degrees from Kent State University (BS in English/Education & Psychology), the State University of New York at Buffalo (MA in Humanities), and The University of Houston (M.ED PSYCH.). A certified Gestalt Therapist, with advanced studies in Jungian and Hakomi Therapeutic approaches as well, Kimberly is the co-founder and current Director of The Houston Institute of Astrology (established in 1980,) offering an intensive 2-year curriculum in the study of Astrology, based on The Mystery School tradition. Her nontraditional education includes extensive study of mythology and comparative religions, Native American Spirituality, and a vast array of physical and metaphysical healing modalities and nontraditional psychological fields. She is the published author of several essays on astrology, which have appeared in The Mountain Astrologer, and Llewellyn’s New World Astrology Series, Spiritual, Metaphysical, & New Trends in Astrology. She has also served on the faculty of most national astrological conferences. Kimberly currently writes, teaches Astrology classes via HIA, offers private astrological consultations, and practices short-term focused therapy using Astrology and a variety of therapeutic techniques. She can be reached by e-mail at hiakam@sbcglobal.net.
