Happy Birthday Aquarius

By DW Sutton

Elbert Benjamine first published his rectified chart for the Age of Aquarius in the 1921 Brotherhood of Light Annual. And much of this original article – A Prophecy for the Aquarian Age – was later published in 1945 as Chapter 8 of Astrological Lore of all Ages. In it he explained why Aquarius commenced in 1881 and what could be expected.

He wrote:

‘There is much astronomical and other data that might be cited to show that the equinox passed from Pisces into Aquarius in 1881. But the important thing is to show what may be expected on earth as a result of this new Aquarian Age. And during the next 2,160 years we can expect those conditions that astrologers attribute to the sign Aquarius. For instance, people born under the sign Aquarius are progressive, humanitarian, keen students of psychology, given to investigating psychic phenomena, and quickly take an interest in astrology. We may be sure, then, that following the entrance of the equinox into Aquarius the world will become more and more interested in all these things. The key-words for the influence of Pisces are ‘I believe’; those of Aquarius are “I know’. Believe and be saved sufficed for the Pisces Era, but the Aquarian Age demands Knowledge.’ The sign’s best quality is altruism – kind regard for others; and its worst is argumentation – bicker, bicker, bickering and useless debate.

So Aquarius is providing the pathway along which humanity’s political, cultural, religious and economic trends are now traveling. And on January 19, 2013 we celebrate 132 years of knowledge seeking and educational and technological achievement.

To quote Elbert Benjamine writing in 1921: ‘The key-phrase of Aquarius is “I know”, hence our young people, as never before, insist on plain facts regarding procreation. Equal opportunities for men and women in industrial lines would be unthinkable in the Piscean Age, but are fast becoming a fact in the Age of Aquarius. And we may confidently look to a new way of doing things in almost every department of life, for inventive genius is on the ascendant.’

Regarding the chart Elbert wrote: ‘This chart of the Aquarian Age for the United States should be erected for Washington DC at 3h 48m 24s pm LMT, January 19, 1881. It shows 15 degrees of Cancer rising and 26 Pisces on the MC. Saturn and Jupiter are in the tenth square Mercury in the seventh. The Moon, significator of the people, is conjunction Uranus in the third, trine Mercury. Mars is in the sixth, the Sun is in the seventh, Venus is in the ninth and Neptune is in the eleventh house. Each of these positions indicates definite events and conditions in the history of the United States during the next several hundred years. The limits of space forbid I should read this chart and tell in detail of the wonderful developments in business foreshown by the planets in the tenth; and of the great danger arising from this that will soon threaten us from a foreign foe, as shown by the planets in the house of war (seventh) square to those in the house of business. Nor will lack of this detailed delineation be much loss to any investigating mind; for all the necessary instructions to give such a reading are contained in Course 8 – Horary Astrology (and Course 13 – Mundane Astrology). And the student will gain more both in profit and satisfaction by learning to read the chart for him (or her) self.’

The Aquarian Age Chart – Washington DC, USA

We Are In The Libra Decanate Of Aquarius Symbolized By Cetus The Whale Monster

In 1921 Elbert Benjamine wrote: ‘Each sign of the zodiac is divided into three decanates, the influence of which upon life has been pictured from remotest times by corresponding constellations. The decanate of Aquarius into which the equinox passed in 1881 is the Libra decanate, pictured in the sky by a monster whale – the same that is reputed to have swallowed Jonah. Woman was in bondage prior to 1881. But no sooner did the equinox enter the Libra decanate than she began a struggle for equal rights; for Libra rules equality, partnership and marriage. And from this fact we discern the immediate future – that woman will gain equal suffrage and equal economic rights, not only in a few countries, but the world over. And as Libra is the marriage sign, man has recently been studying the laws of sex, all too long neglected. In Greek Mythology, Perseus, symbolizing the enlightened mind of man, slew this whale monster, Cetus – picturing the Libra decanate of Aquarius – and rescued fair Andromeda. Thus will the greatest evil on the face of the earth today – the loveless marriage – be eradicated, and fewer souls will be chained and hampered by the necessity of functioning through unhealthy bodies.’ (More on the Decanates can be found in CS7 Spiritual Astrology)

Later, in Astrological Lore of all Ages he explained that Cetus is the symbol of discord and that Andromeda – the collective soul of the human race – was in danger of being chained to the rock of atheistic materialism by the arrogance and pride of scholastic dictators. He claimed that: ‘In the hands of these materialistic atheists the science of the Aquarian Age is but a means to acquire new and greater implements of destruction.’ And that ‘the rock of materialism is washed by the waves of racial prejudice and jealous passions.’ In 2013 the world’s laboratories are jam-packed with scholastic dictators who are driven by a Godless, atheistic agenda.

It’s The Sun Section Of The Aquarian Age

In 1921 Elbert Benjamine explained: ‘A still lesser division of each sign, not so generally known but well recognized by the ancients, is of septenary nature. It was stated in veiled form long ago by Abbot Trithemius, mentioned later by Eliphas Levi, and made plain by TH Burgoyne. The signs are divided into seven equal periods, each period being ruled over by one of the 7 planets, in the natural order of their rotation, the Sun always ruling the first period, Venus the second etc.’

So we are now in the Sun section of the Aquarian Age and this has made politics, imperialism and powerful government the outstanding influence. It’s in the political sphere that rights are won, maintained and defended. You could say that the Aquarian age agenda is currently in the hands of the politicians. This Sun section explains why politics dominates the print and electronic media and this state of affairs will last for approximately 307 years – till around 2188.

It’s The Pluto Period And The Age Of Horrible Events

The Pluto period began when Clyde W Tombaugh discovered Pluto on February 18, 1930. And this astrological event, and the stimulus to the Lower-Pluto thought-force, instigated what can only be described as The Age of Horrible Events. Sixteen weeks earlier – on October 24, 1929 – Wall Street crashed and then came The Great Depression. It was a time of dreadful terror, when people without work, food or money struggled to survive. And then, in 1939, came the Second World War. It was won by the forces of light, but Lower-Pluto’s forces would soon be back with a vengeance.

From 1945 to 1989 the world was gripped by fear and uncertainty as the Cold War highlighted the ideological, political and economic tensions between the USSR and Eastern Europe and the USA and Western Europe. That’s when the world became divided – severely disunited – and Lower-Pluto was calling the tune. In 1953 Crick and Watson discovered the secret of life – DNA – and life became a biological creation. By now Darwin’s theory of evolution was gaining wide public acceptance. The world was charging at atheistic materialism and Lower-Pluto was writing the script.

Lower-Pluto works through coercion and inversion and they’re very widespread. Self-interest is the primary driver and coercion is its chief lieutenant. All developed countries engage in economic and military coercion and coercion is looked upon as a legitimate means to the end. Lower-Pluto through terror, dread, horror, coercion, duress, threats and intimidation is intent on the deliberate and systematic brutalization of the human soul. And these destructive states of consciousness represent threats to the soul’s psychological wellbeing. They retard the effective and purposeful evolution of the soul’s consciousness and represent an abuse of the soul’s human-rights.

So in 2013 it’s the age of terror, fear, economic uncertainty, mega-debt, genes, DNA and scientific atheism. Life has become a random genetic event with no meaning or purpose and Lower-Pluto is calling the shots. Lower-Pluto attacks your soul and stifles its progress by making you believe that when your body dies, your brain dies and you do too. Television – a Lower-Pluto creation – serves up a non-stop program of death, killing grief and misery. By keeping the soul frightened and terrorized Lower-Pluto retards its emotional growth and spiritual development. The Pluto period has been marked by division, coercion, insidious evil, atheistic materialism, crime, corruption, fear and terror. It has no time frame, seems to be gathering momentum and is having a devastating impact on the Age of Aquarius.

Aquarius Has Two Rulers – Saturn And Uranus

In September 1947 Elbert Benjamine wrote: ‘Sometime ago it was apparent to both the Brethren of Light on the inner plane and astrological students on the outer plane, that the passing, in 1881, of the equinox from Pisces back into Aquarius would bring political upheavals on the earth and a pronounced change in the religious views of the people. The Piscean Age of belief was to give way to the Aquarian Age of knowledge. It was a foregone conclusion that the religious beliefs of the world would be profoundly changed. The only question was, in which direction they would swing.

Aquarius has two rules, Saturn and Uranus. In so far as the Saturn influence became dominant would the religion of the Aquarian Age tend towards materialism. It would be based on facts, but as the influence of Saturn is to restrict and curtail, the facts considered would be limited to physical life and the material plane. And this philosophy of materialism if widely accepted would breed ruthlessness and encourage selfishness and in the end would lead to the extermination of the human race.’

So Saturn and Uranus represent the great divide – the divide between the known past and fundamentalist, rear vision thinking and the unknown future and enlightened, progressive, forward thinking. They represent the divide between materialism and the facts of astrology – the divide between self-interest, greed and selfishness and humanitarian endeavor, consideration for others and human rights. In the Sun section of the Aquarian Age politics is driving the agenda, but during the Pluto period it’s become a very murky, corrupt and secretive business. Uranus is the planet of democracy. He demands government by the people for the people. Pluto reverses this situation. He sponsors totalitarian governments and makes the state supreme. Individual liberty and human rights are made subservient to the demands of the state.

In the 1980s Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, in the Sun section of the Aquarian Age, acted to disempower government by reducing the amount of power their respective governments had. At a time when the way forward was through a political process (Sun) they gave more power to the private sector. This empowered the corporation and disempowered the electorate. It was exactly what Lower-Pluto wanted. Democratic government promotes the public interest (Uranus) and the private sector promotes self-interest (Saturn). Reagan and Thatcher decided to disempower the public sector in favour of self-interest. At the time the Lower Pluto greed and grab mentality was running hot. Both leaders were in office in the 1980’s – the greed is good decade – and that’s when the Aquarian age economic and business agenda was influenced by the most discordant Saturn cycle of the 20th-century.

The Precessional Cycle

In 1921 Elbert Benjamine wrote: ‘As the equinox passes through 12 signs in 25,920 years, it must pass through one sign in 2,160 years.’ But by 1945 these figures had changed to 25,868 years and 2,156 years. And in 2013 they’ve changed again. The latest precessional calculations put the whole cycle at between 25,765 and 25,772 years and each astrological age at around 2,147-8 years.

This precessional cycle time-frame is important as it influences the speed at which the precessional pointer backs its way through the zodiac and on January 19, 1881 it was in 29 degrees, 59 minutes, 59 seconds Aquarius. And as it moves backward through Aquarius it will form progressed aspects with all the planets in the Aquarian Age chart. Based on the latest precessional calculations its motion is approximately 50.30 seconds per year. So the precessional pointer on January 19, 2013 is at 28 degrees, 09 minutes, 22 seconds Aquarius and it has moved to form an obstacle (square) aspect with progressed Pluto in house 11. The aspect started in around April 1986 and based on the latest figures will reach its peak power and discord date in late October, 2013. In regard to the influence and interpretation of the aspect we’re in unchartered waters but the pointer’s square aspect to Pluto looks to map a particularly menacing moment for humanity.

The aspect, occurring during the Pluto period, intensifies and enhances the influence of the Lower-Pluto forces and they’re intent on curtailing the progress of the human soul and God’s Great Evolutionary Plan by a steady diet of misinformation, inversion, fear and terror. Atheistic materialism is God’s great enemy. But there are several problems when trying to gauge the aspect’s precise influence. The bad stuff is so wide spread and entrenched; much of it is too subtle to detect; and its destructive impact on individuals can’t be measured. Television – the great escape – is used by Lower-Pluto to keep the masses in the dark. It provides respite from the monotony of daily life and allows the viewing audience to keep track of the latest horrible event. And Hermetic astrology with the inner-plane facts that disprove atheism is a no-knowledge zone for most of the Earth’s 7 billion visitors.

Current Progressions In The Aquarian Age Chart

In June 2007 progressed Jupiter in house 11 moved to form a conjunction (prominence) aspect with birthchart Neptune. The aspect reached its peak power date in November 2011 and will stick around till May 2016. Jupiter stands for optimism, global growth, money markets, rising prices and banks. Neptune stands for idealism, easy money, financial schemes, deceit, fraud and illusion. The aspect invited the rich to get richer and eager wealth aspirants to resort to fraud and deception. It resulted in a GFC and a very uncertain global financial situation.

In February 2012 progressed Mars – the planet of guns and violence in house 10 (the President) and cusp ruler of house 5 (theaters and children) – moved to form a high-discord obstacle (square) aspect with birthchart ascendant – we the people. This very violent aspect has seen horrific gun violence and ignited some deep soul-searching in regard to America’s preoccupation with guns. The aspect reaches its peak power and discord date on July 3, 2013 and stays around to November 2014 so more gun violence and more soul searching can be anticipated. And with Mars in house 10 President Obama can take the initiative in the gun debate but it will be a tough and brutal fight.

In April 2012 progressed Sun – the planet of politics, political leaders and politicians in house 12 (hidden and undercover activity) – moved to form an agitation (sesquisquare) aspect with birthchart Mercury – the planet of controversy in house 7 (the international community). It marks for clandestine political agitation by a foreign power or secret enemy. The aspect reaches it peak power and discord date on April 30, 2013 and stays around to May 2014.

Then on October 18, 2012 progressed Mercury – the ruler of house 7 (the international community) – moved to form a friction (semisquare) aspect with progressed Jupiter in house 11 (Congress) and during 2013 the world’s financial markets will have the jitters due to the actions (or inactions) of the US Congress. The aspects reaches its peak power and discord date on May 27, 2013 and ends in January 2014.

On February 6, 2013 progressed Sun moves to form a growth (semisextile) aspect with birthchart Neptune and on June 21, 2013 it moves to form a growth (semisextile) aspect with progressed Jupiter. Both aspects have a two year time frame during which world leaders have a chance to find political solutions to the financial problems caused by Jupiter and Neptune’s fraudulent financial practices.

And on November 19, 2013 progressed Venus – the planet of love, peace and harmony in house 11 – moves to form a prominence (conjunction) aspect with Saturn – the planet of selfishness, greed, loss, unemployment and austerity measures. The aspect doesn’t peak to February 18, 2018 so it has a slow four and a half year build-up. Whether Venus can inject some joy into Saturn’s gloom or whether Saturn’s gloom and austerity will overwhelm the joy is the key issue. It could be a time for singing the blues – or listening to some sweet soul music.

In April 2012 progressed Moon in the US Aquarian Age chart moved to house 1. It’s a significant progression that turns the focus onto events involving the US people and the country’s domestic affairs. And a major event mapped by a major progressed aspect that’s being stimulated by the progressed Moon can occur 4 weeks either side of the Moon aspect’s peak date.

On March 22, 2013 progressed Moon forms a friction (semisquare) aspect with progressed Sun; and on March 25, 2013 progressed Moon forms a separation (opposition) aspect with birthchart Mercury in house 7. The Moon aspects stimulate the progressed Sun-birthchart Mercury sesquisquare. It signs for a political controversy with a foreign power or just a lot of power talking and bickering. The Sun’s in house 12 (backroom deals, spies and secret activity) so there’s a lot of political stuff going on in secret, but Mercury (journalists, reporters and bloggers) will have a lot to say.

On April 17 and June 8, 2013 progressed Moon moves to form sextile (opportunity) aspects with birthchart and progressed Pluto. This will add stimulation to the progressed Pluto-Precessional pointer square aspect near its peak power date. Don’t let the sextile aspect fool you. It’s unlikely that Congress will become cooperative. The aspect applies to every country so Pluto events can be anticipated around the globe. The United Nations will play a lead role as developments unfold. Cooperation is the key to success but self-interest doesn’t make a good team player.

On August 4, 2013 progressed Moon moves to form a separation (opposition) aspect with birthchart Sun in house 7 – war and the other country. This Moon aspect again adds agitation stimulation to the progressed Sun-birthchart Mercury sesquisquare.

And on December 7, 2013 progressed Moon moves to form an expansion (inconjunct) aspect with birthchart Mars in house 6. In the US Aquarian Age chart it stimulates the progressed Mars-birthchart ascendant square. And Mars stands for guns, bombs, strife, violence, brutality, fires and accidents.

The Aquarian Age Chart

The Aquarian Age chart can be called the world chart or the master chart, but there is no single chart to consult. Individual countries have their own unique version – the house positions of the planets are different – which reveals the chart’s influence on their progress and development. But, regardless of house position, the outstanding events which happen are always characteristic of the planets involved in a progressed aspect and this means the Aquarian Age chart not only reveals world trends but the influence of these trends on individual countries.

The transition from Pisces to Aquarius has been very precarious. We don’t have a roadmap, compass or political or spiritual leader to guide us and navigating by the stars is strictly for naval offices and sailors. And with all our knowledge there’s so much we just don’t know. We don’t know who we are, what we’re doing here or where we are going. So we play follow the leader unaware that our political, religious, business and scientific leaders don’t know either. We do know that planet Earth is a hostile and dangerous place and that without a roadmap it’s easy to get lost. But with all the division, bickering, uncertainty and horrible events never forget that you’re currently one of the cast in the greatest show on Earth – God’s Great Evolution Plan.

Happy birthday Aquarius.

(My thanks to David S Braumann for the latest figures and calculations on the precessional cycle and the dates of the square aspect involving the precessional pointer and progressed Pluto.)

Published 1-10-2013