Part II: The Astrological Ages & Their Avatars
“There is an ancient Indian saying that something lives
only as long as the last person who remembers it.
My people have come to trust memory over history.
Memory, like fire, is radiant and immutable,
while history serves only those who seek to control it…”
(Albert Hosteen in X-Files, Season 3, Episode 1)
The astrological ages are periods of time lasting for approximately 2000 years. These ages are based on The Precession of the Equinox, an astronomical phenomenon relating to Earth’s “wobble” around the polar axis like a spinning top. This changes the Earth’s orientation to the celestial ecliptic approximately 1 degree of the zodiac every 72 years. One complete revolution on this axis takes about 26,000 years, the length of the “Great Year”, according to the Mayans. We can not exactly delineate the time span of each age as the wobble changes speed throughout the cycle, sometimes moving faster and sometimes slower. The length of any given age can vary by 100-200 years. Furthermore, the “cusping” of an age, or the process of leaving one age behind and ushering in the new age to come, takes several hundred years. At this time in cosmic history, we are in the throes of just such a cusping event, saying farewell to The Age of Pisces and paving the way for the new global/universal perspective defined by Aquarius. As the song from the 1970’s Broadway musical, Hair, tells us: “This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius…”. Based on the astrological circumstances of 2020, I propose that this year is a “quantum leap” year in that process. This reality is becoming increasingly obvious as we rapidly approach the extremely significant conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn at 0 degrees of Aquarius in December of 2020.
The ages move backward through the zodiac, so symbolically, the Piscean Age of the past 2000 years, resetting our Gregorian calendar to 0 AD, was the first sign of a new 26,000-year cycle, and, according to the Mayan Calendar, the end of the “5th Kingdom” of Humanity, a period of 5125 years, which began in 3113 BC and ended in December of 2012. Although much speculation over the past several decades was devoted to “end of the world” scenarios symbolized by this event, it is also possible to think of The Aquarian Age as the beginning of the 6th Kingdom of Humanity, which will take us through the next 5125 years. Such a leap in the collective consciousness of Humanity requires an evolutionary “jump”, a relatively sudden rise in the vibration at which the Earth and its inhabitants resonate, the nature of which is hard to imagine. For sure, humanity is in the throes of the end of the world as we know it. We must leave the principles and collective perspective of The Piscean Age behind us in order to truly embrace those that are currently being defined by the Aquarian Age.
Each age is dominated by a collective perspective symbolized by the zodiac sign of that age, and to some extent, its opposite sign. Each age is represented by the New Age Avatars who model it, and ultimately become mythologized and “worshiped” for their efforts. We can gain some insight about how the sign of the age informed the experience of Humanity through geological and archaeological discovery, but the truth is, we have access to only a smidgeon of this knowledge. Recent finds are also challenging what little we thought we knew about human prehistory. As ancient sacred texts continue to be found, permafrost layers continue to erode, and scientific/technological advances enable us to find evidence deep into the oceans and the earth, new discoveries about the true origins of human existence occur on almost a daily basis. For example, it is likely that The Sphinx is many thousands of years older than originally thought by Egyptologists. The uncovering of sites like Turkey’s Gopekli Tepe date back 10,000 years and describe a much more advanced stage of human evolution at that time than previously believed.
It is clear that the last minor extinction event, (there have been at least 5 major extinction events), began just prior to the Age of Virgo (app. 12,000-10,000 BC), when global temperatures and earth’s polar alignment created the Ice Age, a period lasting for several thousand years. The Virgo perspective of discrimination and discernment, as well as the ability to adapt or die, were critical in this stage of human evolution. At that time, modern humans were just one of many human species co-existing on the planet and survival depended on the human capacity to adapt the brutal conditions of the natural world to our needs. Those human species that couldn’t adapt, died off or were absorbed through genetic mingling, leaving behind the most “fit” of those who could. As hunters/gatherers and nomads, unable to grow and cultivate our food, we were solely dependent on the food and shelter provided by raw nature in whatever terrain we found ourselves. Discrimination and discernment were essential to our survival so as not to consume toxic substances. Besides finely tuned physical senses, trusting in our 6th sense of intuition and learning to read/pay attention to the more subtle language of Mother Nature (Pisces) was also essential to our survival.
From the Age of Virgo, we move on to the Age of Leo (app. 10,000-8,000 BC). There is an interesting geological demarcation called The Usselo Horizon that occurs around this transition (app. 11,000 – 9700 BC). This thin worldwide global line of ash provides evidence of a sudden and huge increase in global temperatures, correlating with the melting of glaciers, which probably became the basis of The Deluge stories of ancient mythology prevalent in almost every culture. This period also speaks to the “raining of fire from the sky” attributed to massive solar flares, at least one known comet that grazed the Earth, and a shift in Earth’s tectonic plates which produced major volcanoes, or fire from within the Earth. Forests were incinerated, and human beings sought refuge in caves. Suffice it to say, the Ice Age of Libra/Virgo quickly gave way to the fires of Leo. Worship of the Sun and solar deities (avatars) emerged throughout the Age of Leo and the perspective of Humanity shifted from a passive response (adaptation) to natural forces of Virgo, to a more assertive “willing” of survival, that recognized the need for a strong virile leader to ensure survival, and grew to value leadership skills. It is likely that this age produced the first awareness that the male of the species had something to do with procreation, and the rights of paternity and the role of “The Father which art in Heaven” took on greater significance. Avatars of the age reflected the wrathful, punishing aspect of this Father, as well as protective, life sustaining Solar deities who emerged as leaders.
As we move into the Age of Cancer (app. 8,000 – 6000 BC), the great floods of the melting Ice Age recede, the fires raining down from the sky subside and the natural forces of the Earth begin to stabilize. Archetypes/Avatars of an incredibly powerful Great Mother who gives life and receives it back (from womb to tomb), replace the strong masculine tribal leaders of Leo, and worship of the Moon/Feminine (especially in her maternal aspect) supplants worship of the Sun and Solar Deities. Human beings come out of the caves and the nomadic lifestyle shifts as we begin to create small communities based on kinship and familial attachments. The importance of mutual cooperation and clan support take on much greater significance in an agricultural community, where the planting and reaping of crops is a community affair. Burial rites, the rudiments of agricultural science and domestication of animals emerge, as do many of the “feminine arts”, like weaving and pottery. It is from this period that we find many of “The Great Mother Avatars” depicted through the archaeological figurines of the female form with large breasts and midsections. It was an age of welcome stability, where Human Beings could thrive by using the many gifts of the Great Mother, rather than struggle to endure the hostile brutality of Mother Nature of previous ages.
With the Age of Gemini (app 6000 – 4000 BC), we move from a very physical and sensory-based reality into a consciousness where imagination and opportunities for mental stimulation could flourish. Towns and cities emerged, as did tremendous intellectual development. Language and communication advanced, as did travel and trade between communities. It is likely that mathematical concepts developed in order to assess the worth of goods for trade. As diverse groups mixed and mingled, the need to learn about and acknowledge differences in customs and traditions, and a rudimentary “us vs. them”, action = reaction (dualistic thinking) consciousness emerged. This diversity strengthened the gene pool as well as intellectual development. Probably one of the greatest achievements of this age was the enhancement of human imagination and the creative art of storytelling. It is likely that the many myths and stories common to most ancient teachings, and eventually texts, began during the Age of Gemini in the form of an oral tradition passed on from generation to generation. Stories about The Great Flood and many creation myths share the same motifs in spite of the fact that they come from completely different cultures separated by great distances. Storytelling devoted to the human need to understand the unknowable and explain the irrational became the basis of the first religions and the creation of rituals and traditions that served to define one’s particular culture (the influence of Sagittarius).
It is clear that 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. Prior to the Age of Taurus, we must depend on the very little knowledge available through the remnants of Human existence found thus far. This knowledge grows exponentially as we move through the more recent past of the Taurean, Arian, and Piscean ages, the topic of next month’s Star Musing. Till then, please 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.
