Age of Aquarius

One of the twelve astrological ages lasting around 2000 years each caused by the precession of the vernal equinox through the sidereal zodiac (see also Platonic Year). Many people believe that we now stand on the threshold of the Age of Aquarius, although the actual moment of transition is still disputed (New Age).

The expectations regarding the Age of Aquarius are influenced by the qualities of the sign itself: breaking out of inflexible social structures, intellectual freedom, originality and an unconventional nature which eludes standard compartmentalisations. Aquarius is considered to be a free spirit full of creative and innovative energy. The hippy movement in the late 1960s considered itself as a harbinger of the coming Age of Aquarius and the musical "Hair" explicitly states as much.

The astrologer Liz Greene has pointed out the need to incorporate Leo, the sign opposite Aquarius, in order to prevent the negative aspects of Aquarius dominating: "The value of the individual and his/her right to be himself/herself is an important balance to the drive towards collectivism that we have already experienced and continue to experience in Aquarian experiments such as Communism, the growth of large industries and other manifestations of supposedly unimpeachable organisations which have developed to the detriment of individual freedom."