Aquarius, Age of

An era of transformation when, it is alleged, humanity will come under the influence of a new sign of the Zodiac.
The notion that the Earth passes through astrological phases is a product of its oscillation. Because of this, the stars go through a gradual change of position in the sky, about one degree every seventy-two years. It has been asserted that history falls into equal periods, each ruled by whichever sign of the Zodiac the Sun is in at the spring equinox. A complete revolution of the heavens takes 25,920 years (360 × 72); therefore, since there are twelve signs, the Sun is in any given one at the equinox for one-twelfth of this period, that is, 2,160 years. It then passes into another sign, and it will be that one’s turn to exert a dominant influence.
At present the Age of Pisces, the Fishes, is said to have lasted for more than 2,000 years. Since the fish is an ancient Christian symbol, the Age of Pisces is understood to encompass the Christian era. The Age of Pisces will presently be left behind, and Christianity with it. According to different exponents of this theory, the world is moving—or has moved—or is on the verge of moving—into the Age of Aquarius, with the Sun in that sign in spring. While it is not clear whether the shift has happened yet, it is certainly not far off.
The “dawning of the Age of Aquarius” was proclaimed by pop culture in the 1960s. By the 1980s, belief in it was a virtual orthodoxy in some quarters, and there was talk of an “Aquarian conspiracy,” meaning a network of individuals absorbing and propagating the new influences and sowing the seeds of a transformation of human consciousness. The Age of Aquarius is to be a time of increasing harmony, understanding, and spiritual growth. It appears that spiritual growth will cover a vast range of “fringe” ideas and activities.