On December 21st, 2020, there is a remarkable coincidence of astrological events that symbolise the beginning of a new world era.
The hype in some circles is that we have reached a moment in history that ends a 2,000-year chapter, turns a page, and moves forward into the Age of Aquarius.
Is this really the dawning of the Age of Aquarius, and what the heck does that mean anyway?
Let’s find out.
First, let’s explore what happens in the sky on this special day.
And then, in my next blog, we’ll discover more about the Age of Aquarius, when it might begin, and what the sages say.
December 21st, 2020
Many of you know that this day is the solstice. To be exact, it’s the summer solstice in the southern hemisphere, and the winter solstice in the north.
The word ‘Solstice’ in Latin means ‘the sun stands still’, and every year on this date the Sun reaches the furthest point on its southerly journey, before returning north.
In the northern hemisphere, December 21st has been celebrated since ancient times, because it is the longest night and the birth of the new solar year. When your survival revolves around the seasons this is a crucial turning point.
But why so special in 2020?
The answer lies in what else is happening as the Sun reaches its solstice point.
The Great Chronocrator
Approximately every 20 years, Jupiter and Saturn meet at the same point in the zodiac as they journey around the Sun. This is called ‘Jupiter conjunct Saturn’.
The Jupiter/Saturn conjunction, which classical astrologers call the Great Chronocrator, meaning the Time-Lord, marks the start of a new and powerful cycle in world affairs.
The meaning of this conjunction is always special, signifying as it does the end of one generation and the beginning of the next. And to ancient peoples, it was a key signifier of important events.
But in 2020, it is especially potent. For in a symbolically blessed way, it falls on the day of the Solstice.
Jupiter conjunct Saturn
All year, Jupiter and Saturn have danced with Pluto in the sign of Capricorn, bringing both a harsh reality check to our life on earth (see Reality Bites) and empowering, in the rubble of our distress, visions of a better future (see Jupiter in 2020).
On December 21st, on the same day that the Sun stands still, Jupiter and Saturn at last come together, just the once, before all 3 planets begin to move apart.
What does this mean?
For astrologers, Jupiter conjunct Saturn is the last piece of the jigsaw in a tumultuous year. It is the turning point we have been waiting for.
Coming now, at the tail end of a testing year which shined a light into some very dark corners indeed, we may begin to glimpse some concrete answers, to edgy questions like these:
- What lessons have we learned from these hard times?
- What fresh strategies and new mindsets have come of these struggles?
- Can we lay down the groundwork for an important new beginning, while the challenges of Saturn/Pluto are in their final throes?
A Time to Start Over
The Great Chronocrator signals a time to lay first bricks in the foundations of a new era. In your own life and in the world.
My first blog of the new year, The Astrology of 2021, will tell the Jupiter/Saturn story, honour their archetypes, and suggest positive ways to surf this wave of incoming energy.
But for now, let’s continue to explore how the next Great Chronocrator, happening as the Sun stands still, suggests the dawn of an era much longer than the next 20 years. Could this be the dawning of the Age of Aquarius?
The Great Mutation in Aquarius
There is an extra ‘wow’ factor to the next Jupiter/Saturn conjunction. And not just because it falls on the Solstice.
It’s a bit technical but let me explain.
The 2020 Jupiter/Saturn conjunction takes place in the ‘first degree of Aquarius’. This tells us that the energy of this new beginning has Aquarian colours or flavours.
Aquarius, along with Gemini and Libra, is an Air sign of the zodiac. And for approximately the next 200 years the Great Chronocrator will continue to fall in Air signs.
This is a radical departure from the past because Jupiter/Saturn conjunctions have occurred in Earth signs since 1802 (bar once), and the last one was in Taurus in June 2000.
When a series of Jupiter/Saturn conjunctions changes like this, with a shift of focus from one element to another, astrologers call it the Great Mutation.
So, the next Great Chronocrator is also a Great Mutation, and signals the birth of a brand-new 200 year era that will emphasize the qualities of Air signs instead of Earth.
The Earth Era
The last Great Mutation in 1802, into the Earth signs, focused our energies upon the practical side of life. Like money and jobs and careers. Humans worked to survive and to then accrue material comforts. We have grown and multiplied in every corner of the globe, by taking over the resources of the Earth for our use.
The Industrial Revolution and global economics are examples of how we’ve achieved this.
This emphasis upon the material has helped parts of humanity to achieve a comfortable old age unimaginable to their ancestors. But our materialistic mindset seems to have hit a use by date.
The way we are living causes many people to remain disadvantaged and to suffer from great inequality of wealth and opportunity. We have become destroyers of resources and species, in a way that threatens our own survival.
Perhaps the traumas of 2020 are the final wakeup call we need to make change. 2020 may be our tipping point. Out of control firestorms and worldwide pandemics help us see very clearly that such a single-minded materialistic vision of our world and its resources has led to a terrible imbalance.
These harsh facts demand a new priority. Can the Air signs draw our attention to what this might be?
The Air Era – begins with Aquarius
The next Great Mutation, into the Air signs, will focus our energies upon the life of the mind.
Our answers will come from our ability to become curious, to think, to communicate, to balance, to learn, to observe, to analyse, to reason objectively and offer perspective.
Ideas and knowledge are especially at the heart of Aquarius.
So are ideals. The new Aquarian cycle triggered by the Grand Chronocrator on December 21st, also favours a humanitarian zeal for social equality. We as a world is what matters to Aquarius, over-riding a need to put more money in your back pocket.
Expect movements of people power, and because Aquarius is future focused expect movement away from conservative tradition and toward progressive social values.
Also expect the next era to light up with lightning speed developments in science and technology and communications. And in strategies for personal development and self-awareness too.
At it’s best, that is. For we must honour the fact that every energy has a shadow potential.
As we move forward into the age of Air, it may take some years to notice big change. And there is likely to be some early resistance. These are themes to be explored further in my new year blog ‘The Astrology of 2021’.
The Age of Aquarius
Does the incoming stream of Aquarius energy and the 200-year Air cycle add up to what many have called the Dawning of the Age of Aquarius?
The archetype of Aquarius has a very, very long history. And its Age has been expected for a long time too. But in our modern era, as launched into popular Western culture by the musical Hair in the 1960’s, the Age of Aquarius is usually associated with the hippie and New Age movements. I suppose you might call it the ‘peace and love and understanding’ model.
But the real story is more profound. For a deeper understanding of the spiritual, psychological and cultural riches of the Age of Aquarius, particularly as it differs from the outgoing Age of Pisces, look forward to my next blog. Coming soon!
Lastly, to answer the question with which I began, ‘is this the dawning of the Age of Aquarius?’ The Great Mutation of December 21st will surely usher into the world a new surge of Aquarian energy.
The beginning of a new age is, however, not a simple black and white matter. There is much for us to discover next time.
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