The 12 Ages Leading up to Age of Aquarius
This new moon in Virgo will happen on Friday the 15th of September - it's a good time to set intentions and plants seeds about what you wish to grow in your future. Many planets have been in retrograde recently so we may have been self-reflecting, philosophising or looking inwards at things and may wish to sow some brand new intentions for ourselves moving forwards. Pluto is still retrograde in the last degrees of Capricorn (government, father and systems) and in this post I am planting some seeds about there being more awareness about astrological and cyclical existence on our planet in our systems, particularly in regard to the ages that we have already passed through.
In this post, you can see how civilisations have changed according to the influences of the Precession of the Equinoxes (astrological influences) and the varying factors which influenced civilisations as they rose and fell throughout the ages in different cycles. I have included a chronology of the twelve most recent astrological ages. The dates are estimates only - and dating could be older in some circumstances. I have listed each age, (for example the Age of Aries which spanned from 2,150 BC - 1 AD) and displayed many syncretic symbols which relate to the age for example the ram and lamb for Aries. Syncretism finds parallels in corresponding patterns of words and symbols across different cultures, which usually have common astrological ties.
Preparing for the Age of Aquarius
Some believe we are in the 'preparation stages' for the Aquarian Age starting in 2,150 AD, but others (including myself) are receiving the message that we are transitioning now into the Aquarian age - this is because the dates change slightly due to the nature of the precession meaning that the constellation sections are not all the same size - they can be roughly divided into sections of 2,150 years but some are longer and some are shorter. Through understanding these astrological cycles we can understand more about this transition we are going through collectively as we prepare for a new dawn - the Age of Aquarius.
This will mark the end astrologically of the Age of Pisces which began over 2,000 years ago with the coming of Christ as 'the fish,' (the symbol of Pisces) beginning in around 1 AD. I have therefore started this calendar using the birth of Christ as the main established and accepted point and working forwards and backwards appropriately. Although there is some contention concerning the year or date of Christ's birth, it would have been around the time of 1 AD and therefore is close enough in terms of the scale of ages we are looking at. I am using the standard BC (before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini,) rather than BP (before present) which is being used by some scholars and may add confusion. The dating system of BP does not acknowledge cyclical existence and ages and therefore I prefer not to use it.
Avoiding Collapse with Awareness
We have enough wisdom to ensure that we pass through this transition smoothly with conscious awareness and can avoid the pitfalls of the past where extreme society collapse led to the fall of whole civilisations during potent times of transition and change. Everything is consciousness and as we awaken and become more in tune with nature and the elemental forces (including the changeable weather,) we may aid in the transition process at all levels of consciousness and honour the consciousness in all, as it remembers itself in every being. It is therefore vital that we do our shadow work in these times as we evolve and grow and release corruptions and arrogance as we return to harmony with the cosmos. Arrogance we have currently witnessed has included weather manipulation, for example bioengineering, and we need to ensure our science is not hijacked by corporations and works in alignment with nature. Conversely, it's also important not to idealise any age from the past, since every age had its own unique shadow aspects.
A Great Cataclysm in c. 9,600 BC
"“To place all of this in context, it is important to understand we do have the firm and really absolutely irrefutable scientific evidence that a global cataclysm did unfold between 12,800 and 11,600 years ago. This cataclysm, which was also responsible for massive wide-scale animal extinctions… wiped almost completely from the face of the earth an advanced civilization that had existed before it.”
Although this advanced society may have been destroyed, Hancock proposes that there were survivors, and these survivors settled among the hunter-gatherer societies that also existed on the planet, transferring their knowledge and passing on their skills in an attempt to re-make the great civilization that was lost. He explains in our interview that it is entirely possible that an advanced civilization lived alongside hunter-gatherers 12,800 years ago, after all, this is still the case on the planet today: There are still highly technologically advanced cultures contrasted with hunter-gatherer tribes and nomadic peoples. The ancient knowledge from this lost civilization was passed down, integrated, and eventually woven into cultures like the Sumerians and later, the Egyptians." From the following article about Graham Hancock.
The 'Great Year' of 12 Ages
I have included the viewpoints of researchers such as Graham Hancock who believed that ancient civilisations existed in the past, (often alongside less advanced peoples) creating spiritual or advanced centres such as Atlantis, as described by the Greek philosopher Plato. This view posits a cyclical understanding of the cosmos as it goes through different cycles of advancement and cataclysm, rather than a linear model as presented which posits that man evolved from primitive ancestors (hunter-gatherers) and then steadily evolved to the highest form today. I have included a complete cycle (known as the 'Great Year' by the ancients) of the Precession of the Ages which consists of twelve ages of the twelve zodiacal signs. For the earlier ages, there is less historical remains and evidence to make the correlations.
Cyclical understanding of the climate weather on earth is already understood regarding the two main states of the ice ages and greenhouse periods. Since earth still has polar ice sheets, it is considered to be in an interglacial period and is known as the Holocene epoch which began in 9,700 BC (in the Age of Leo.) You may wish to double check my information as presented here and may find many examples of your own to add.
Age of Capricorn - 21,600-19,450 BC
The Pleistocene Ice Age (beginning c. 2.58 million years ago.)
Possibilities of advanced civilisations such as Atlantis (as described by Plato as an advanced civilisation that was lost) and lesser advanced peoples such as hunter gatherers.
Kebaran Cave Culture c. 21,000 -13,000 BC in the East Mediterranean (the Kebara cave is south of Haifa in Israel) which included tools such as the pestle and mortar as well as microliths (flints for bow and arrow.) They were thought to be nomadic and although the timing of the domestication of the dog is debated, some believe this culture may have hunted with domesticated wolves.
At around 29,000-19,000 BC, several 'Venus' carved figurines of nude women were created across France and Europe. Venus carvings from the Age of Capricorn included Venus figurines of Mal’ta from Siberia, carved from mammoth ivory and the Venus of Petřkovice from the Czech Republic.
In c. 23,000 BC, (Age of Aquarius,) a mammoth carving was made in a cave in France of a detailed female face and is known as the Venus of Brassempouy.
Capricorn is symbolised by the goat and represents the energy of the father, systems, government and work. During this time, male energy may have been stronger and tools reflect the advancement in hunting.
Artistic expression of a bird and possibly an animal found at Kebara cave, dated to around ca. 21,000-14,500 BC.
A Kebaran pestle and mortar.
Kebaran microliths (flints for arrows.)
Age of Sagittarius - 19,450 -17,300 BC
The Pleistocene Ice Age (beginning c. 2.58 million years ago.)
Advanced civilisations (Gunung Padang suggests this could be a possibility - we do not know when Atlantis began, but according to Plato it collapsed 9,000 years before he was writing in c. 360 BC.)
Deglaciation in the Northern Hemisphere.
Hunter Gatherers.
Handmade pottery found in Xianrendong Cave in China from c. 18,000 BC, considered to be the oldest in the world.
Borneo rock art changed in style around 19,000-18,000 BC and included mulberry-coloured hand stencils.
The megalithic sacred site of Gunung Padang in Indonesia has been thought by some to date as far back as 20,000 years ago, yet there is some contention around this dating with some reluctant to consider that advanced civilisations may have been existing at this time alongside hunter-gatherers.
Indigenous Australian rock art began depicting humans and animals around 18,000 BC - earlier rock art included hand stencils, lines, tracks and hand-prints.
Sagittarius is a fire sign reflecting the higher mind of higher sciences including astrology, philosophy and ethics and themes such as long distance travel and creativity. In this time we see creative innovation reflected historically. Sagittarius is symbolised by the centaur holding a bow and arrow - many horses were hunted by humans during the Pleistocene and many horse subspecies were hunted completely by humans.
Chinese pottery from Xianrendong cave, c. 18,000-17,0000 BC.
A possible family tree, found in Borneo, (c. 19,000-18,000 BC.)
Gunung Padang in Indonesia.
Age of Scorpio - 17,300-15,150 BC
The Pleistocene Ice Age (beginning c. 2.58 million years ago.)
Possibility of Advanced civilisations (e.g. Atlantis.)
Hunter Gatherers - stone tools appeared in Australia between 30,000-9,600 BC and included grinding stones to grind seeds into flour, to crack animal bones and nuts and to make pigments.
The Solutrean culture of West Europe developed advanced flint tools between 20,000-15,000 BC.
The Jomon period of Japan began in c. 14,000 BC and grew rich in tools, jewellery and pottery and the first pottery began in 14,500 BC - shards were found at the Ōdai Yamamoto I Site.
Scorpio is symbolised by the scorpion with its pincers and sharp tail - it is a powerful sign which brings death, transmutation, karma and lessons of the Autumn season in preparation for winter. We may imagine that in this time, the weapons of hunter-gatherers may have developed more keenly.
Solutrean Flint tools found in France (c. 20,000–15,000 BC.)
Age of Libra - 15,150-13,000 BC
The Pleistocene Ice Age (beginning c. 2.58 million years ago.)
Possibility of Advanced civilisations e.g. Atlantis
Hunter Gatherers.
A domesticated dog was discovered in Erralla, Spain which lived around 15,000 BC.
The kangaroo rock art of Kimberley, Western Australia has been carbon-dated to be between 17,500 and 17,100 years old.
The paleo-Indians were theorised to have been the first people to migrate on ice-free corridors which opened c. 16,500 –13,500 BC into the Americas, following the herds. They were hunter-gatherers and used stone tools.
The beginning of the Magdalenian culture in Western Europe - they were associated as being deer and reindeer hunters and they developed bone tools such as spear points, needles and hooks. The Magdalenian Lascaux Cave paintings (c. 15,000 BC) depicted many animals including horses, deer and aurochs (extinct cattle.)
Ending of the Last Glacial Maximum.
Libra is the sign of balance, justice, beauty, art and begins the reflective autumn period - it is apt that in this time, great artworks were created, such as in caves in France reflecting the beauty of nature. The deer is often seen as a symbol of Libra, with its grace and balanced poise and this animal featured heavily in the cave art at Lascaux.
A megaloceros (giant deer or Irish Elk) depicted at Lascaux caves. 12 dots follow a square which could suggest seasonal or astrological knowledge, with the box representing one year.
Antler carving from France, c. 15,000 BC.
Age of Virgo - 13,000-10,750 BC
The Pleistocene Ice Age (beginning c. 2.58 million years ago.)
13,000 BC - Temperature warms across the planet.
Possibility of Advanced civilisations e.g. Atlantis.
Meltwater Pulse 1A - creating rising sea levels and floods in c. 12,700-11,500 BC.
Sea levels rise in Australia creating the separation of Tasmania island around 12,000 BC.
Proto-Neolithic period.
Petroglyphs in Nevada.
Borneo rock art starts depicting human figures rather than just animals.
Natufian culture - rye and bread and early farming.
The Mesolithic culture in Europe begins in 13,000 BC.
Virgo is symbolised by the maiden or virgin (Virgo) holding a bundle of wheat and in Greek culture this maiden was seen as Demeter - the goddess of harvest, agriculture, fertility and grains. Virgo is associated with analysis, organisation, details, purity and healing and as a mutable sign, it holds space for the transition from summer to autumn. It is apt that evidence for early farming, (particularly the development of bread) began in this age.
Natufian grinding stones.
Petroglyphs in Nevada made between 14,800 and 13,200 years ago or between 11,300 and 10,500 years ago.
Age of Leo - 10,750-8600 BC
Younger Dryas - Glacial return 10,900 BC.
Hunter gatherers.
The oldest painted object of North America dates to around c.10,800 -10,200 BC and is the Cooper Bison Skull with a red painted zig zag - the site was used by hunters to kill bison.
Meltwater Pulse 1B - Flooding in 9,600 BC (the likely fall of Atlantis as described by Plato.)
Possible connection with the 'great flood' as described in the Bible which was sent by God to cleanse the corruption and violence.
Cataclysm on a vast scale across the world leading to mass extinctions.
End of the Last Glacial Period, the Pleistocene.
The start of the Holocene geological epoch began in 9,700 BC. Holocene came from two Greek words meaning whole and new, meaning that something completely new began.
The beginning of the Neolithic revolution in 9,700 BC with the transition from nomadic hunter gathering to settlements and agriculture.
The underground city of Derinkuyu - some believe it was built to cope with either extreme heat (or cold) by living underground. It was thought to have been built in 8,000-7,000 BC, yet some, including Graham Hancock believe it dates earlier to the time of the cataclysm in 9,600 BC and the need to survive extreme conditions.
The ancient temple in Turkey, Göbekli Tepe, is thought to date to c. 9,500 and 8,000 BC and contained elaborately decorated pillars with various animals, thought by some to depict constellations.
Sphinx - some believe that the Egyptian culture is older than we realised - this theory is known as the Sphinx water erosion hypothesis which posits that the erosion was caused by the flooding of 9,600 BC.
Leo is the sign of the lion and here we can see many lion symbols arising - it is a fire sign representing leadership, socialising, charisma and pleasure, yet its shadow can include egoism, arrogance, dominance and selfishness - it might be likely that these issues came to the fore with the collapse of civilisations in 9,600 BC.
In the following passage, Plato described the rise and fall of Atlantis in the Timaeus which was written c. 360 BC. It was described that this happened 9,000 years before his time when Egypt successfully defended itself from the encroaching people of Atlantis and after the battle, there were earthquakes and floods which sunk the large island. These dates coincide with the cataclysm of Meltwater Pulse 1B (floods) in 9,600 BC:
"Now in this island of Atlantis there was a great and wonderful empire which had rule over the whole island and several others, and over parts of the continent, and, furthermore, the men of Atlantis had subjected the parts of Libya within the columns of Heracles as far as Egypt, and of Europe as far as Tyrrhenia. This vast power, gathered into one, endeavoured to subdue at a blow our country and yours and the whole of the region within the straits; and then, Solon, your country shone forth, in the excellence of her virtue and strength, among all mankind. She was pre-eminent in courage and military skill, and was the leader of the Hellenes. And when the rest fell off from her, being compelled to stand alone, after having undergone the very extremity of danger, she defeated and triumphed over the invaders, and preserved from slavery those who were not yet subjugated, and generously liberated all the rest of us who dwell within the pillars. But afterwards there occurred violent earthquakes and floods; and in a single day and night of misfortune all your warlike men in a body sank into the earth, and the island of Atlantis in like manner disappeared in the depths of the sea. For which reason the sea in those parts is impassable and impenetrable, because there is a shoal of mud in the way; and this was caused by the subsidence of the island."
A lioness and lions are depicted at Göbekli Tepe.
Another lion at Göbekli Tepe.
The Great Sphinx of Giza, Egypt.
Map of Derinkuyu underground city with its many levels and enough space to house 20,000 people.
Age of Cancer - 8,600-6,450 BC
Neolithic period.
Pre-pottery Neolithic period in the Fertile Crescent area of the Middle-East - proto-pottery vessels were found and statues and clay plaster flooring and walls as well as stone vases.
Domestication of goats and cattle.
Jericho City wall and tower were built around 8,000 BC - it is considered the oldest town and found in Palestine.
The Çatalhöyük (Turkey) clay mother goddess c. 6,000 BC.
Cancer is the sign of the mother and the home - it is apt that in this time cows were being domesticated and brought to the home since they are associated with the mother goddess and the divine feminine and it's likely that they would have been deeply revered for their milk, since a relationship was just beginning to be cultivated between human and cow and trust was developing. Developments, walls and homes were being created suggesting that the theme of home (and the mother) was important at this time.
Many female figurines were found at Çatalhöyük in Turkey suggesting female deities or mother figures. The figure is giving birth and flanked by two lionesses (connecting with the previous age of Leo, perhaps representing the birth of a new age leading on from Leo.)
The ruins at Çatalhöyük in Turkey.
A model of the settlement at Çatalhöyük ( 7,300 BC) showing many homes.
The tower and wall of Jericho, 8,000 BC.
Age of Gemini - 6,450-4,300 BC
Temperature rises - Meltwater Pulse 1C in 6,200-5,600 BC.
Sea level rises.
Copper Age - smelting in Serbia c. 5,000 BC and copper tools discovered (axes, hammers, hooks and needles.)
Writing develops in China in 6,000 BC with Chinese Jiahu symbols found on tortoise shells.
Language develops in Romania with the Vinca symbols in 5,300 BC.
Banpo symbols on pottery develop in China from 5,000 BC.
The Dispilio wooden tablet with inscribed markings was discovered in Greece and carbon-dated to 5,202 BC.
The Gradeshnitsa tablets were clay plaques with inscribed marks found in Bulgaria and dated to around 4,000 BC.
The gudi are the oldest instruments of China and date to around 6,000 BC - they were made from bone and found at Jiahu.
Gemini, ruled by Mercury is associated with the 'lower mind' - language, words, wit, creativity, travel and trade. We can see these themes with the development of copper tools and language.
The Chinese Jiahu symbols.
Vinca symbols
Banpo pottery symbols from China, c. 5,000 BC
The Dispilio tablet of Greece, 5,202 BC.
The front of the Gradeshnitsa tablet, from Bulgaria.
Age of Taurus - 4,300-2,150 BC
Bronze Age c. 3,200 BC.
Aegean bronze trade network.
Maykop golden bull c. 3,200 BC - this was a Bronze age culture in the Caucasus region whose livestock consisted mainly of pigs and cattle and they also bred some horses.
Minoan bull rites of Crete of the Minoan civilisation (c. 3,100 – c. 1,100 BC) in which humans developed a sacred bond with the bull, of trust, and performed acrobatics. This culture was highly advanced with palaces, pottery, art and they traded their agricultural products and crafts widely.
Minotaur of Greece - according to mythology this bull-like man was placed in a labyrinth at Knossos palace of King Minos in Crete. The term Minotaur comes from Minos and taûros meaning bull. The word Taurus comes from the Greek and Roman words for bull.
Cows in Egypt - cow deities included the goddess Hathor who was often depicted as a cow and Bat who was a cow goddess and likely syncretised with Hathor.
Apis of Egypt, (whose worship began c. 2,925 BC,) was a sacred bull deity.
Mesopotamian urban life begins 4,000 to 3,100 BC. (The bull lyres of Ur from Mesopotamia date from 2,550 and 2,450 BC and are the world's oldest surviving stringed instrument. The sound of the bull-decorated lyre can be heard here - it has a deep and eerie sound which definitely seems like it's from another age.)
The Mesopotamian 'bull man' was thought to have been a form of the heroic figure Enkidu.
The Canaanite deities Ba'al and Moloch were connected with the bull and were associated with child sacrifice, something we have still been healing in modern times.
The rock art at Las Geel in Somalia is thought to be dated from 3,500-2,500 BC and contains images of humans domesticated aurochs (long-horned cattle.)
From around 4,000 BC it is believed that people in Ireland transitioned from being hunter gatherers to domesticating cattle and sheep; they also developed Neolithic culture including megalithic tombs, such as the Neolithic passage tomb of Newgrange built in 3,200 BC. The Céide Fields are considered to be the oldest known fields in the world which go back to around 3,500 BC. Cows are an important part of Irish culture - it's thought that the first cows were brought to Ireland by boat in 4,000 BC and they featured strongly in Irish myths and texts which had older oral histories before they were written down. One myth told of a beautiful maiden from the sea who brought three sacred cows to Ireland from which all cows descended and place names in Ireland are connected with this myth and these cows such as Inishbofin, meaning 'Island of the White Cow.' (In making this blog-post, I had a dream in which Ireland appeared to me with geological strata in the shape of a bull's head - the following day I researched to see if I could find any strong correlations with the Age of Taurus, which were apparent.)
In the UK, the Neolithic agricultural period began during the Age of Taurus in c. 4,300 - 2,000 BC with the domestication of cattle, pigs and sheep and the growing of crops. The Sweet Track, a boardwalk over the levels, dated to (c. 4,300 to 2,000 BC) was found near Glastonbury in Somerset and revealed pottery with remains of cow's milk. Neolithic sacred monuments were constructed such as Stonehenge - its first ditch construction was made in c. 3,100 BC and the major sarsen stones arrived between 2,600 and 2,400 BC.
A more advanced agricultural period began in Scandinavia down to Germany with the Funnelbeaker culture c. 4,000 - 2,800 BC in which many ceramics and beakers were placed in dolmen burials. They also had wheeled wagons which were drawn by cattle and they had domesticated cattle, sheep, pigs and goats.
Indus Valley Civilisation (Pakistan and India) - 2,600 BC to 1,900 BC - some believe that cattle herding began in this region and zebu humped cattle were domesticated and pottery and seals depicted cattle and bulls. One human deity had horns and a bull tail. Cows were continued to be seen as sacred for many centuries in India.
It is believed that horses were domesticated in the Eurasian Steppes, c. 3,500 BC in an area stretching from East Europe, Ukraine and Russia towards Mongolia, by nomadic pastoralists who moved with their livestock, including cattle, and it is thought that domestication of horses happened earliest in Botai in Kazakhstan.
Sea levels stabilised in Australia to their current level in around 4,500 BC and coastal societies emerged.
Taurus is symbolised by the bull and reflects themes such as self-worth, the material world, abundance, wealth, seeds, growth and fertility and during this time we saw more Neolithic development of agriculture and domestication of cattle. A lot of evidence still survives from this era and so many examples demonstrate the importance of bulls and cattle as a potent theme in this time for many civilisations across the world.
The Maykop golden bull, c. 4,000-3,000 BC.
Bull head on the Queen's lyre found in Pu-abi's grave in Ur, Southern Mesopotamia, Iraq.
Mesopotamian bowl with bull, c. 3,300–2,900 B.C.
The bull-leaping fresco from Knossos palace in Crete of the Minoan civilisation (c. 3,100 – c. 1,100 BC.)
The Egyptian bull god Apis.
The Egyptian goddess Hathor in bovine form.
Terracotta boat in the shape of a bull from Indus Valley (c. 2,800–2,600 BC.)
Mesopotamian depiction of the 'bull man' fighting a lion on an Akkadian Empire seal, c. 2,200 BC.
Rock art of domesticated long-horned cattle at Laas Geel in Somalia.
Bronze oxen from Bytyń in Poland, c.4,000 BC.
Age of Aries - 2,150 BC - 1 AD
Bronze Age until 1,200 BC.
Iron Age replaces the Bronze Age.
Old Testament of the Bible contains many fiery Aries symbols (conflicts, the ram, the lamb and the shepherd including the death of the shepherd Abel by his twin brother Cain.)
Mesopotamia - the shepherd god Dumuzid - although these Mesopotamian deities arose in an earlier era, the cult of Inanna and Dumuzid (Ishtar and Tammaz) thrived until 1,100 AD. Every year Dumuzid died and was then resurrected in his mythology.
Rise of the Old Babylonian Empire in 1,900 BC - Babylon became a major city and Southern Mesopotamia became known as Babylonia. This area was marred with prostitution, conflict and sin (the moon god was known as Sin) and the city was attacked, destroyed and rebuilt many times. The Annunaki were the deities of Mesopotamia and the Babylonians and collectively we have been clearing shadow from this era in regard to darker aspects of these deities e.g. the seductress Lilith energy was connected back with Lamashtu, a Mesopotamian demon who killed children and her name was thought to be derived from the Mesopotamian demon ki-sikil-lil-la-ke who lived in the tree of the goddess. More can be read here. The masculine dark Canaanite energy included the shadow aspects of Ba'al or Moloch which were associated with child sacrifice as mentioned.
The Roman Kingdom was established in c. 753 BC and ruled by kings until it was overthrown by the Roman Republic c. 509 – 27 BC and ruler-ship fell into the hands of aristocratic families. The Roman Empire began also in the Age of Aries in c. 27 BC with its first emperor, Octavian.
Greece also experienced many wars during this age with the Messenian Wars of Sparta, battles with Persia, conflict between Sparta and Athens and the Lelantine War. In c. 700 BC, Athens experienced a land and agrarian crisis and the chief magistrate Draco made "draconian" laws, yet failed to quell the conflict. The reforms of Solon in 594 BC brought more stability for the poor yet kept the aristocracy in firm power.
Jason and the Golden Fleece of Greek mythology c. 800 BC - connected with the ram of Aries.
The Sintashta culture of Russia grew between c. 2,200–1,750 BC and included the development of chariots for warfare since they had inter-tribal warfare and used fortified settlements.
The Aztec and Mayan Empires grew in this time, yet experienced much conflict and eventually were colonised by Spain.
The 'Terracotta Army' was buried with China's first emperor in 210–209 BC to protect him in the afterlife.
Work on the Great Wall of China began in the 7th century BC to protect China from nomadic groups in the Eurasian steppe.
The Art of War was written in the 5th century BC by the Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu.
The Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu was written during the Warring States period of the 4th-5th centuries BC when there was much warfare and the rise of Taoist philosophy gave rise to more striving towards harmonious existence.
Ram's Road in Egypt began construction during the New Kingdom era (1,600-1,100 BC) and featured many rams.
Ramesses the Great of Egypt died in 1,213 BC.
The rise of Hinduism with the Rig Veda text written c. 1,500 and 1,000 BC - the first word of this text was Agni, meaning fire - Agni was the god of fire and most of the hymns of the Rig Veda were composed to Agni (as well as Indra, the king of the gods, who has been syncretised with Jupiter.)
The fire sign of Aries is symbolised by the ram and the lamb and is ruled by Mars, the god of war and agriculture - its themes can include the self, identity, confidence, innocence and spring, yet also its powerful yang fire can create conflict and war, if it is not channelled wisely. These times reflected this fiery energy with many wars, conflicts and sacrifices, continued from the previous Age of Taurus.
The rams of Ram's Road in Egypt.
The fire god Agni of the Rig Veda, written about in the Age of Aries, depicted riding a ram.
Jason and the golden fleece on a Greek pottery krater (c. 340–330 BC.)
The 'Terracotta Army' contained over 6,000 figures protecting China's first emperor who was buried in 210–209 BC.
Age of Pisces - 1-c. 2,150 AD
New Testament and the birth of Christ who was symbolised as the ichthys fish and many fishing symbols were connected with Jesus such as the "fishers of men" quote and the story of Jesus feeding the crowd with two fishes. A new, mystical consciousness arose teaching about spirituality and the divine within.
John 6:9 "There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?"
Christ was also the 'sacrificial lamb' - his coming marked the ending of the Age of Aries.
Jesus was considered to be the penultimate prophet (and one of the greatest) and known as Isa in Islam, a religion which arose in Mecca in about 610 AD. Sufism is the mystical branch of Islam which sought to contact the divine presence within life using song and dance to access divine ecstasy - here we see the watery Piscean 'mystic' energy.
“You are not a drop in the ocean; you are the entire ocean in a drop.”
“We are the night ocean filled with glints of light. We are the space between the fish and the moon, while we sit here together.” Quotes from the 13th century Sufi mystic, Rumi.
Other mystical traditions also grew, such as Buddhism, which entered Tibet from India in the 3rd century AD, it came to China through the Silk Road in the 1st-2nd centuries AD, it entered Korea and Thailand by the 3rd century and entered Japan by the 6th century AD.
Shamanistic spirituality, cosmology and astrology flourished in the Americas with the temples and religions of the Classic Mayan civilisation starting in 250 AD and the post-classic period of the Aztecs flourishing in 1,300 to 1,521 AD, however human sacrifices were part of their rituals. Shamanism also flourished in North American indigenous religions.
Plant medicines were also used widely across the world - 'drugs' are associated with Pisces and can have blessings or shadow aspects depending on the nature of the substance and the usage.
Vesica Piscis symbol - this is seen in Glastonbury at the Chalice Well. With two whole overlapping circles it can represent healthy relationships, healing or balance of polarities.
The 'Anti-Christ' - the rising of the dogmatic church and religion, domination and control and giving power away into external dynamics. Exploitation of people, the land and the animals, as beings seen as commodities to be used - forgetfulness, ignorance and arrogance. In the past, for example, cows were revered as sacred, but in this age they were part of an abusive system of 'factory farms' and devalued.
During this time, some are addicted to meat and dairy for many reasons including addictive compounds in these foods such as casein - some may also emotionally eat to suppress uncomfortable feelings, or to comfort eat; some may also need to process past life emotions that they are carrying such as trauma from times of famine where meat was no longer available or we may have been in poverty. The author Marta Zaraska examined this subject in her book Meathooked and the reasons why the mind may resist plant-based living and why some people consume huge amounts of cheap factory meat and dairy which would have been prised and revered by our ancestors who had deeper connections with the animals. I looked at these themes in my blog here about plant-based living which is needed to access higher vibratory states of consciousness and oneness and has been spoken about in many spiritual traditions as key on the path of non-violence. It is vital in terms of the ethics and for ending systematic factory farming in particular which includes taking young away from their mothers, artificial insemination, often cramped conditions and other traumas and abuses which have been recorded - these systems also create a traumatic environment for many abattoir workers.
Pisces is symbolised by two fishes bound together with rope and can signifying transcending duality, mysticism, visions, creativity, dreams and spirituality. It is a water sign and therefore its symbols include fish and the deep sea and it reflects deeper aspects of consciousness, such as our interconnectedness. Yet its shadow aspects can include escapism through drugs, relationships and dependency or feeling bound or tied up with energy cords etc. It is a powerful sign in helping us understanding the waters of the subconscious and its symbols can aid us in transforming the shadow which is vital in terms of our transition forward into the next age.
A Roman funeral stone inscribed with ΙΧΘΥϹ ΖΩΝΤΩΝ ("fish of the living"), c. 300 AD.
The ΙΧΘΥΣ (″ichthys″) symbol on a car.
From Sidney Hall's Urania's Mirror.
Vesica Piscis symbol at Chalice Well, Glastonbury.
Age of Aquarius - c. 2,150-4,300 AD
Book of Revelations - this spoke of a cleansing time of repentance, the healing Living Waters and choosing the divine over the ego - this includes releasing darker aspects from ancient times such as from Babylon city which was personified as the "the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth" and the need to connect to the pure uncorrupted essence of everything, in its lamb-like innocence:
"And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb." Revelation 22:1
Technology - internet and computers.
The spiritual understanding of quantum reality - awakening and remembering the Self as consciousness.
Purification and de-programming - releasing ancestral patterns and limitations.
Healing - through sound, intention, thought, energy, movement and meditation.
Aquarius means the 'water-carrier' and is symbolised by a man pouring blessings of water into water, yet this sign is an air sign and therefore signifies the understanding that our thoughts carry intentions - this is the understanding of waves (e.g. radio waves or brain waves) as carriers of information.
Aquarius is symbolised by the 'cup-bearer' who pours out blessings and we see this theme in the mythology of the holy grail. Aquarius is ruled by Uranus, the husband of grandmother Gaia who is the earth.
In Tarot, Aquarius is represented as the Star Card and shows a lady purifying the waters by pouring blessed water ('living water') onto it. Aquarius represents purification, blessings, the understanding of the quantum nature of reality (frequency, intention, vibration) and is connected with social aspects such as the collective and societal themes, as well as technology.
We are seeing these themes with the rising of technology and the need to be mindful that it develops in harmony with nature. We are also understanding the need to let go of limiting beliefs, ancestral patterns, behaviours or habits that no longer serve us, as we awaken to our full potential as consciousness. We may also be remembering powerful healing gifts and abilities that we carry that we are ready to share with the world.
Quantum mechanics (energy, frequency and vibration) - the different waveform functions of an electron in hydrogen at different energy levels. Exact predictions of the location cannot be found, only probabilities, with the brightest colour showing a more likely probability of finding the electron in an area. In this era we will collectively become aware that life is not made of solid matter, but is made of waveform and energy.
'Aquarius' from Sidney Hall's Urania's Mirror.
The Star card of Tarot, associated with Aquarius.
The Virgin Of The Holy Grail, (1874,) by Dante Gabriel Rossetti.