Creating the Future with Astrology

Human beings have looked to the skies for answers since the beginning of time. Early astrologers created the first calendars, necessary to the development of stable agricultural societies. The Sun, Moon, planets and stars served as guides to measure the seasons and choose the times to plant and to sow. The calendar also enabled the regular practice of religious rituals and festivals for our ancestors around the globe. It is logical, then, that people still look to astrology to assess the future.

For thousands of years astrologers have been providing answers to life's most essential questions. Those who worked for powerful leaders had to be correct often enough to avoid punishment, even execution. While today's astrologer isn't under the same pressure, most feel the need to be right in their predictions. This is, after all, what the client is paying for. But, human consciousness has changed. The last 30 years has brought forth a psychological, social and spiritual blossoming that places each of us at the center of our lives. While affected by the world around us, we have never known as much freedom and power to control our own destiny. Fate, it now appears, is not something that happens to us, but something we co-create.

Surely, none of us has the power to stop the Sun in its apparent movement, nor to go without breath for more than a couple of minutes. Our power is not unlimited. Such are the constraints of the physical world. But, while we may not escape the laws of gravity, we do have enormous capacity to think for ourselves and choose our actions. Equally important, we can alter our reactions, the powerful emotional responses that govern so much of our experience.

As we approach the second Millennium, our vision of the future is more important than ever before. We know we are about to cross a threshold. Our collective belief makes it so. The possibilities for computer based problems (Y2K) compels our attention, perhaps even heightening fear. This great leap into the future is a time for change, and it is for us to create, rather than react to it. Empowerment, after all, is about making conscious choices, rather than waiting for events to determine our course. We can overcome fear through action. Hope is seeded by minds that create, that recognize the power of human beings to make this planet heaven or hell.

Toward that end, astrology can offer us some ideas of what is possible and appropriate in the near future. Predictive astrology describes tomorrow in terms of what is likely to happen. But, creating the future with astrology is about using planetary cycles to produce desired results. The astrological symbols are viewed as a matrix of opportunity upon which to design our dreams. This, however, is not about fanciful illusion or playing. It is about using our understanding of the cosmos to participate willfully, consciously and helpfully for ourselves and humanity.

The following information applies to collective cycles. As individuals, we each will react differently. Astrology can be applied more specifically when used with your own birth chart, calculated for your time, date and place of birth. Nevertheless, it is we who make up the collective, we who influence the future of humanity on this planet. It is not particularly useful to assume that others have control. Conspiracy theories, even when true, rob us of the power to make our own choices. Even the weakest among us has power. Let us use it wisely.

Astrological cycles are primarily measured by observing the movement of the slower planets. Pluto, the slowest of all, takes about 244 years to orbit the Sun. When projected on the Zodiac (the Sun's apparent path around the Earth), it spends an average of 20 years in each sign. Mythology, a useful aid to astrological understanding, tells us that Pluto was the Lord of the Underworld. He was the kidnapper and rapist of Persephone, as well as the god of wealth. Pluto represents the need to descend into our personal underworld, what Jung called the "shadow." This place of our secrets and fears is, indeed, powerful. What it contains can feel terribly threatening, which is why it's stored away in the unconscious.

However, it is Pluto which represents the possibility of transformation, turning darkness into light, winter into spring. By going to our depths we recover memory, power and passion, all keys to gaining control of our lives.

In 1995 Pluto entered the sign of Sagittarius where it will remain until 2008. Sagittarius is associated with religion, philosophy, higher education and long distance travel. A common negative interpretation of Pluto in Sagittarius refers to religious wars, invaders from outer space or loss of meaning in our lives. Certainly, all of these things are possible. But, these are many other ways to tell this tale.

Pluto, transformation, can help purge old beliefs which inhibit our future development. What beliefs do you hold that no longer serve you well? This is a time to examine your truths and prepare to alter them, if necessary. The power of Pluto is to destroy that which is no longer needed. When we move with the tides we can choose our path in the currents, we participate in the flow. Pluto's cycle reminds us to strip away beliefs that are rooted in the past, but do not support the future. When we empty ourselves we do not become less, we are filled with potential. What a relief it can be to not have the answers, but to move through life with a mind open to new possibilities.

What role did your religious education have in forming your identity? Are there any old pieces left that hold you back? Pluto's here to help you dig into the past and purge the last remnants of ideas that no longer support you. What emerges afterward will leave you clearer, more powerful, a better teacher and a better student.

What you do on a personal level resonates on a collective level. If you are able to strip away the rigid limits of your own truth, the world, too, can move towards a philosophy of the future. We can expect changes in religious and political beliefs. Rather than religious warfare, there may be religious transformation. Leaders who believe in peace can ascend to positions of respect and authority. Truth lies at the heart of all the great religions. It is only antiquated prejudice and fear that keep it from flourishing. If you are willing to strip away the layers of your own fear, you help open the way to hope for all of us.

The next two slowest moving planets are Neptune and Uranus, both now in the sign of Aquarius. Uranus entered its home sign in 1995 and will stay until 2003. Neptune just arrived in 1998 and will rest in Aquarius until 2012. Aquarius is a rather complex sign. Even though it's called the Water Bearer, it is not a water sign. Water signs (Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces) are about emotion. Aquarius, though, is an air sign, a sign of the mind like Libra and Gemini. In Aquarius the water or emotions are elevated by intellect.

This is also the Age of Aquarius. The ages are cycles of about 26,000 years based on movement of the Earth's axis (called "nutation"). This gives rise to 12 ages per cycle, each about 2160 years long. These ages define an essential characteristic of the age. Each one reflects another aspect of human development.

One of the difficulties is in exactly measuring these ages. Each begins when the Vernal Equinox (first day of spring) enters a new constellation. But, there is wide disagreement on the exact limits of the constellations. Opinions on the beginning of the Age of Aquarius range from about 1700 to 2500 AD. In any case, with aviation, electricity and digital communication, the signs of the Aquarian Age are with us. We are seeking an intellectual comprehension of ourselves and our relationship with spirituality. Understanding must accompany faith now.

Uranus is the planet of revolution and freedom. In fact, it was discovered between the American and French revolutions in the latter part of the 18th century. Uranus rotates on its side, perpendicular to the plane of its orbit around the Sun. It is literally eccentric. Astrologers consider Uranus the ruling planet of the sign Aquarius, describing a natural affinity between the two. While Uranus is in Aquarius we can expect the rate of technological change to accelerate. Just as we familiarize ourselves with one new form, another follows as quickly as a lightning flash. Our nervous systems can be overwhelmed by the rate of change and the massive dosages of electrical radiation that permeate our lives. Frazzled and fragmented we stumble towards tomorrow.

But, of course, there is another side to this story. Uranus in Aquarius is here to remind us that we are part of the planetary nervous system, that humanity is not about fragmented pieces, but one great whole. There is no individual freedom when we are imprisoned by distrust of strangers. The key is to make contact with the stranger within us, to get to know and accept those parts of ourselves that don't fit into the social norm. Tolerance begins yourself.

If you accept your own eccentricity you make space for the originality in everyone. It's risky to face the potential "craziness" inside ourselves. Few are encouraged to break the social rules. But, this is not about rebellion against the external oppressor. It is, rather, the discovery of our own genius. This genius needs nurturing. Give yourself room to invent, discover, to break your own rules. Brilliance grows in a tolerant environment. New responses emerge through an open-hearted and open-minded attitude of discovery. Neptune is a planet of spirituality. It dissolves the boundaries and barriers that appear to separate us. Old alliances, teams, borders and communities are falling apart. Attempts to maintain them drain our resources. Neptune's in Aquarius to show us new ways to connect with others. Networks of faith, dreams and ideals bind us, while those of country drift away. The spirit of humanity is the new family. Take notice of those with whom you have this kind of connection. Allow your idealism to help you develop new forms of service. There is no real separation from you and the person living in the street. We are served when we serve others. There is no hierarchy that places you closer to God than anyone else.

Saturn is the beautiful ringed planet. It represents necessity, order and structure. Saturn is primarily in earthy Taurus from March 1999 until the spring of 2001. A negative interpretation might describe economic crisis marked by shortages of food and fuel. But, it is also a time when we can redefine our material values. For those committed to change, Saturn in Taurus can be a financially rewarding time. It can be used to build a stable base of resources that provide a continuity of sustenance for the rest of your life. The essential point is that you work at what you value. Investing time and energy into something that nurtures your soul will feed your wallet. Work that connects purpose and pleasure will be most profitable. Redefine your economy to reflect this possibility. It helps us all learn that one of the great gifts of this time is that we can create work that supports us spiritually and materially.

This short article only contains a handful of key ideas about the future and your role in it. There are innumerable levels of interpretation and understanding that can open other doors in each of us. The essence, though, is that these are new times, times when human choice is at its highest level. We know that even the tiny atom has its gravitational pull on the Sun. Even the smallest idea or action sends a ripple out into the world. What you choose to do and think makes all the difference in your life….and in mine. There is enough power and place for each of us. Fill your lungs, fill your mind, fill your heart and meet me in the tomorrow of our own creation.