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Signs of the Times
Unlocking the Symbolic Language of World Events
By RAY GRASSE Hampton Roads Publishing Company, Inc.
Copyright © 2002 Ray Grasse
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-57174-309-1
CHAPTER 1
The Wheel of History: Tracking the Spirit of the Age
He who cannot see himself within the context of at least a 2,000-year expanse of history is all his life shackled to days and weeks.
—Rainer Maria Rilke
Imagine the world as it might appear from the perspective of an ant wandering onstage briefly during a performance of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. All around you there unfolds a great and colorful drama, replete with exotic colors, sounds, and dynamic actions; characters step onto and off of the stage, and mysterious transformations unfold before your eyes. Yet for all of that wondrous spectacle, the great meaning of it all escapes you; due to your limited perspective, you cannot comprehend the multilayered significance of what lies before you, nor see how these diverse elements fit into a greater unfolding narrative. Perhaps if you could see the larger story being played out over the course of several acts, you might begin to recognize how these transitory developments actually comprise integral facets of a larger pattern of meaning.
In a way, our predicament is like that. We find ourselves meandering across a great "stage"—history. To the casual eye, the events transpiring around us may seem at times like little more than a chaotic jumble of random occurrences: a rocket explodes in midair; a world leader finds himself embroiled in a scandal with a young woman; a new computer technology suddenly takes the world by storm. At first glance, there is little to suggest that such things might harbor some deeper meaning or possess subtle interconnectedness. Yet as with the ant, our problem may be one of proximity—we are too close to the action to grasp what is going on. If our perspective were broad enough, perhaps we would see that these isolated events are part of a larger unfolding narrative.
For the esotericist, understanding that larger story resides in a concept known as the Great Ages. At the present moment, humanity finds itself "between acts," as it were—slowly leaving the Piscean Age and about to enter the Aquarian Age. Like vast tectonic plates shifting deep within the collective unconscious, this epochal transition has already begun manifesting as a series of historic changes in our world, as the symbols of an older order make way for those of a radically new one, and our attention is transfixed by a different set of issues and values.
In the pages that follow, I will explore how this great age-shift has already begun and is affecting our world. By grasping the larger story underlying our time, we stand to gain a better sense of orientation regarding where we are and where we may be heading in the millennia before us. What can we expect during the next Great Age? As we will see, the early clues are already right before our eyes, only in "seed" form. Just as the distinguishing features of the adult are already present in childhood, so the archetypal themes of the next Great Age may already be taking shape across our world for those who have eyes to see. But before we begin our exploration of this subject, let's first take a moment to consider the workings of these Great Ages.
Understanding How the Great Ages Work
The concept of the Great Ages is based on a phenomenon astronomers call the precession of the equinoxes. On the first day of spring each year, referred to by astronomers as the vernal equinox, day and night are equally balanced. For astrologers, this yearly occurrence has long held great importance as a time of balance and of new beginnings, when the proverbial "crack between worlds" has opened and humanity is more receptive to the inflow of cosmic energies from the universe (see figure 1-1).
Each time this occurs, the sun is superimposed against a particular constellation within the band of stars located along its path through the year, what astronomers call the ecliptic. While the brightness of the sun makes it impossible to see what specific constellation lies behind this point, it is easy for astronomers to determine this. To the astrologically minded, this point of the sky is regarded as an important marker that holds key clues into the values, dreams, and motives of humanity.
Because of the slow wobble of the Earth's axis over time, this vernal point is gradually shifting in its position through the sky, moving through the constellations at the slow rate of one degree roughly every seventy-two years. On average, it takes a little over 2100 years for this vernal point to traverse a single constellation, a period that comprises a single Great Age. Over the course of nearly 26,000 years, it completes a full circuit of the sky, giving rise to what is called a Great Year (see figure 1-2).
How can an astronomical phenomenon like this possibly affect the lives of men and women down here on Earth? To explain this, we need to first understand something of the basic mechanism that underlies astrology.
At its core, astrology is based upon a way of thinking about our world that is both symbolic and synchronistic in nature. One way to explain this dual nature is through an analogy. For thousands of years, indigenous tribes across the Americas paid great attention to the seemingly "chance" events in the environment surrounding the birth of a child. If a deer was seen running by the moment a child came into the world, that child might be named "Running Deer" in the belief that this occurrence represented an important significator for that child's destiny and character. Its power as an image lay not within hidden energies or "rays" emanating from the deer to the child, but in the appropriateness of its symbolism to that moment in time, as indicative of a thread in the larger web of meaning encompassing the child and its environment at that time.
Astrology rests upon a similar presumption. For example, when calculating a horoscope, an astrologer incorporates several kinds of data, including the positions of the planets in the signs at the moment of birth, the geometric relationship between these bodies (what astrologers call "aspects"), and the exact areas of the sky these bodies inhabit at that moment (the "houses"). Like a seed-blueprint for that individual's destiny, the horoscope provides the astrologer with insight into the potentials of that person's life and character. In turn, by examining the way these birth configurations are affected by the ongoing movements of the planets through the sky throughout that person's life, the astrologer can also predict general trends about that person's inner and outer experiences in many areas.
None of this happens because of some energy or force that emanates down to Earth from the stars (which isn't to deny that there may be energies involved on some level). Rather, astrology works because of the inherent symbolism of these celestial patterns. Exactly as the deer's appearance at the child's birth was a sign reflecting that child's destiny, so the configurations at one's moment of birth offer a mirror into the individual's destiny, but written in the language of symbols.
"As above, so below," an ancient axiom declares. We are a reflection of the cosmos at the moment we are born, and in that sense are synchronous with the greater world around us. A person born with Jupiter in a harmonious relationship with Venus may feel lucky in love or when dealing with money; yet that planetary signature doesn't produce this archetypal quality in their life so much as symbolize and mirror it.
In an even broader way, astrology suggests that this sense of interlocking harmony includes all phenomena; the stars and planets are but threads in a universal web of affinities that embraces everything within the outer and inner worlds. As the Neoplatonic philosopher Plotinus argued, the stars are meaningful in our lives just as everything in our world is meaningful, such as birds sailing through the sky, sounds emanating around us, even the people we unexpectedly encounter in our comings and goings. Ours is a fundamentally synchronistic universe, in which everything interlocks in tight accord. Like an elaborately written play, all events dovetail to form an intricate web of significance, each element linking to the other in a precise and complementary fashion. For the individual with an eye for symbolism, these patterns can be discerned and subtle connections duly interpreted.
The "mechanism" of the Great Ages can be understood in the same manner. The shifting of the vernal point into a new constellation doesn't cause changes on Earth so much as it mirrors them. The "effect" or "mechanism" involved is therefore one of synchronicity, or meaningful coincidence. These are the terms Carl Jung used to define seemingly separate phenomenon that appear to arise hand-in-hand, as though parts of a larger framework of meaning. As noted astrologer Robert Hand states:
The constellation of Pisces does not signify events because of "radiation" from the fixed stars that constitute it. Instead, the constellation of Pisces takes on the form that it has because consciousness is ready to project upon it a particular drama. The drama occurs within the psyche of each person alive at the time of its occurrence. The effect of this in every person operates cumulatively to produce a cultural effect.... No causation is involved, yet the form of the physical universe evolves in a way that is parallel to the form of the psychic universe within us. We create our universe, which in turn recreates us in its image of our image (Hand 1982).
For the esotericist, each of the twelve Great Ages represents a universal, archetypal principle of consciousness, each with its own unique qualities and sets of correspondences. With the emergence of a new Great Age, different impulses surface within the collective psyche, and a host of related themes and symbols synchronistically constellate themselves throughout the culture.
During the Age of Aries, for example, we saw the rise of a more assertive and ego-oriented impulse in our world, and with this came the rise of many great empires and military leaders, as well as an emphasis on ram symbolism (this being the animal associated with Aries). During the Age of Pisces, a more emotional approach to the world occurred, one result of which was the emergence of a world-religion with significant fish symbolism. In both cases this occurred because of an interlocking harmony between Heaven and Earth. As astrologer Robert Hand wrote, "the form of the physical universe evolves in a way that is parallel to the form of the psychic universe within us." The archetypes that arise during each Age are elements within a mutually arising matrix of meaning that encompasses the universe and ourselves as we progress through various stages of consciousness.
But precisely because human consciousness is part of this equation, the Great Ages are not eternally fixed in their meanings or manifestations from one round to the next. The Ages are cosmic triggers that activate the latent potentials of humanity at whatever level we are, and these potentials can radically change over time. To use a simple analogy, how a season like autumn will be experienced by a freshly planted apple seed will differ radically from how it will be experienced by a twenty-five-year-old apple tree! Though the seasonal cycle is in both cases essentially the same, the response differs depending on the maturity of the life form experiencing it, especially in terms of whether fruit will result or not.
In this way, the Aquarian Age has a range of archetypal meanings which dispose us to think or act in certain ways, but it's useful to recall that there have been at least two hundred Aquarian Ages over the last five million years. It would be foolish to think that the Aquarian Age experienced by Neanderthals is exactly the same as it will be for us now. An Age bears whatever "fruit" is appropriate to the level of consciousness rising to meet it. The point here is that the Ages do not cause us act in particular ways, but only serve to synchronize with the unfoldment of our latent potentials.
Our goal then is to understand these broad patterns during the millennia ahead, and their range of possible expressions in our future. In this book, I suggest there are three skeleton keys that offer insight into the archetypal dynamics of the Aquarian Age, and which will serve as leitmotifs throughout our study. These are:
* The elemental symbolism of the zodiacal signs
* The Leo/Aquarius polarity
* The sign of Aquarius in the esoteric system of the chakras
To begin with, let us turn our attention to the four "elements" and their relationship to the unfolding Great Ages.
The Elemental Symbolism of the Zodiacal Signs
Astrological philosophy holds that the twelve signs of the zodiac break down to four primary elements, or seed qualities—earth, water, air, and fire. As symbols, these relate to the four primary states of consciousness that underlie human experience (see figure 1-3). For example, the element of earth (including the signs Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn) relates to the quality of groundedness in daily life in terms of a person's capacity for practical thought and action. When we say someone is earthy or down-to-earth, we are acknowledging their attunement to manifest realities. Were we to choose a profession that best symbolizes this principle, it would be a farmer or a sculptor, both of whom reflect a talent for working with tangible materials and resources.
In contrast with the more reserved, conservative qualities of earth, the element of fire (the signs Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius) relates to a sense of dynamic enthusiasm and assertiveness. Like a young child charging out into the world saying, "Here I am!" fire reflects the emergence of a primal self-awareness that thrives on the rush of pure, impulsive action. When we say someone has a fiery temperament, we are picking up on this elemental quality in their personality A profession that symbolizes this principle would be an athlete or a show-business performer, since these express similar qualities of dynamic action along with a capacity for self-confident assertion within the world.
The element of water (the signs Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces) relates to emotions and a person's capacity to experience emotion in their dealings with others. How are you feeling right now? How well do you empathize with those around you? Your ability to notice such factors depends on your attunement to the water element. When a highly sentimental movie hits the theaters, we talk about how people "water up" at key scenes. Here an appropriate figure to symbolize this elemental energy might be a mother cooking for a large family; this expresses the nurturing qualities associated with water. A musician absorbed in his music also symbolizes the quality of pure feeling expressed by this element.
Fourth is the mental element of air (the signs Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius). This is the astrological energy relating to rationality, our ability to communicate with others. When someone is caught up in their thoughts or ideals, we say they have "their head in the clouds" or that they have become an "airhead." An appropriate symbol for this energy is a news reporter or a writer, because of this element's great concern with information and communication.
Astrologers have long believed there is a close correspondence between the symbolism of the Great Ages and the historical developments associated with them. To illustrate this, let us briefly review the last several ages and some possible illustrations of this correspondence using the elemental meaning of the zodiacal signs as a starting point.
The Age of Taurus: The Earth Element (4200 to 2100 B.C.)
As a period governed by the element of earth, this was an unparalleled time of monumental earthworks and constructions, as perhaps best exemplified by the pyramids of Egypt. In Egyptian history, this is a period commonly called the Old Kingdom (2686 to 2181 B.C), considered by many to represent the height of Egyptian culture in both beauty and refinement. During the Age of Taurus, artisans achieved a mastery of matter that still astonishes in terms of their ability to work with some of the hardest stone available. It is difficult to look at achievements like this and not be struck by what these ancient sculptors were able to accomplish supposedly using only crude implements. Just as impressive, though, is the sense of timeless calm conveyed by many of these artifacts and monuments, a quality that reflects the aesthetic side of the sign Taurus.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Signs of the Times by RAY GRASSE. Copyright © 2002 Ray Grasse. Excerpted by permission of Hampton Roads Publishing Company, Inc..
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