Astrological Interpretation of History

The attempt to interpret the connection between celestial patterns and historical events in the human sphere. An overarching division is the Platonic Year of 25727 (according to some sources 25771) solar cycles. This is the time taken for the Vernal Equinox to traverse the zodiac once. This in turn means that the vernal equinox takes 2144 years to traverse a single sign of the zodiac (a so-called platonic month) which is seen as defining the character of that particular period. However, this remains a rather vague method of interpreting historical events which is exacerbated by the fact that astrologers disagree on the exact timing of the passage of the equinox from one sign to the next. Their estimates vary by up to several hundred years making it difficult to make any concrete assertions. One approach used in order to solve this problem is to divide each platonic month into segments of an inch (= 2.5°) which results in epochs of 179 years that can be referred to when investigating the historical developments during these periods.

More tangible are the conjunctions of the transpersonal planets Uranus, Neptune and Pluto which can be calculated with great accuracy. However, the influence of these aspects is not restricted to the short period of time when they are exact but can also affect the years and possibly decades preceding and following an exact aspect.

The cycle that begins with the triple conjunction of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto encompasses a period of 4500 years. The last time this occurred was at 9 degrees Taurus between 578 and 576 BCE (before the Common Era). This triple conjunction stood in opposition to Saturn in Scorpio. Greek culture, which has defined much of the Western culture that followed, originates from this time. Presocratics, among them Pythagoras and Heraclitus, developed many of the philosophical and scientific principles which lie at the heart of what we term modern civilisation. The teachings of Buddah, Confucius and Zarathustra in Asia, which also originated during this time, continue to exert a powerful influence on large sections of humanity.

The conjunctions of Neptune and Pluto, which occur roughly every 500 years, constitute a further subdivision of the larger cycle initiated by the triple conjunction. There have been five such conjunctions during the present cycle and they are always indicators of distinctive historical epochs:

• The Roman Empire had developed into a dominating world power by 82 BCE (before Common Era).

• 412 CE (Common Era) marks the end of classical antiquity. Large-scale migration was dramatically altering the character of Europe. The classical epoch was also characterised by a cultural blossoming of the Gupta Dynasty.

• The period around 905 CE marked the zenith of the so-called Middle Ages. In Europe the first Germanic Kingdom was established and the conquest of Manchuria marked the rise of the Mongols in Asia.

• Around 1399 the system of values which had been dominant during the Middle Ages began to crumble. The first reformers John Wycliff and Johannes Hus appeared on the scene. The Turks were on the verge of conquering Constantinople and this was only delayed by the advance of the Mongols from the East.

• By 1891 the Industrial Revolution had led to dramatic changes in the daily lives of people in many Western countries. Urbanisation and increasing individualisation led to the destruction of stable structures that had existed for hundreds of years. This time also marked the beginnings of large scale colonialism in Africa together with the rapid growth of Socialist and Feminist movements.

The larger cycle beginning with the triple conjunction can be further divided into regular periods of 172 years marked by conjunctions of Neptune and Uranus, which allows for a more differential understanding of historical epochs.

The ingress of the slower moving planets Uranus, Neptune and Pluto into a new sign of the Zodiac, together with the appearance of comets, eclipses and Saros Cycles are also referred to when interpreting historical phenomena.