US Presidents in the Age of Aquarius

The recent elevation of Barack Obama to the Democratic contender for the 2008 presidential elections in the USA has been linked by some commentators to the Age of Aquarius.  For many people the 1960s and 70s was the Age of Aquarius (see The Aquarian age did not begin in the 1960’s or ’70s).  I decided to have a look at the relationship between US presidents and the generational markers within the Age of Aquarius.

While most people now about the Aquarian age, and some people know that the Age of Aquarius follows the Age of Pisces, very few people realize that within the Age of Aquarius are twelve sub-ages.  These sub-ages last approximately 179 years each.  Within the sub-ages are twelve micro-ages per sub-age.  These micro-ages are approximately fifteen years each.  These fifteen years micro-ages provide the generational markers that identify one generation from the next.

As a classic example, between 1940 and 1955 was the Sagittarius micro-age.  Sagittarius is associated with archetypal themes of expansion, growth, optimism and good luck.  This Sagittarian micro-age correlates to the Baby Boomer generation.  The Baby Boomer generation is considered to apply to those people born from 1946 to the early 60s – a period slightly longer than 15 years and slightly out of phase of the Sagittarius micro-age by about six years.  Anything that booms can be related to Sagittarius unless it is the boom of a gun.

I discovered some interesting correlations when all the US presidents are examined, commencing with George Washington.  Either the voting public has preferences to specific generations or specific generations are over-represented amongst politicians that run and win the presidency (or vice presidency).  For example 42% of all presidents were born in Air generations (Gemini, Libra and Aquarius).  30% of presidents were born in Fire generations (Aries, Leo and Sagittarius) while only 16% were born in Water (Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces) and 12% in Earth (Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn).

There are an unequal number of Earth, Air Fire and Water generations available and the weighted average is 27% for each of Air, Fire and Earth while Water is 20%.  This indicates that the worse performing element is definitely Earth at 12% which is 15% below average (Water at 16% is only 4% below average).  This disparity between Air and Fire to Water and particularly Earth tentatively indicates that politicians are drawn more from Air and Fire generations and slightly less than average from Water and significantly below average for Earth.  Alternatively the voting public prefer candidates from the Air and Fire generations over the Water and especially Earth generations.

Whatever the case, Air indicates intelligence and intellect while Fire indicates dynamism, drive and leadership.  Perhaps these qualities are stamped upon presidents from these Air and Fire generations.  Water and Earth signs indicate empathy, sensitivity and compassion respectively.  These generational traits are at a low ebb in US presidents to date, especially the qualities of practicality and sensibility.

Examining the zodiacal signs associated with the generations indicates that more presidents are born in Aquarian generations than any other sign.  19% or almost one in five presidents were born in an Aquarian generation whereas from a random statistical analysis only 12.5% of presidents should be born in an Aquarian generation.

There are only two possible Aquarian generations that presidents have been born – the first is 1746-1761 and the second 1910-1925.  In the 18^th century Aquarian generation are presidents Monroe and Madison.  In the 20^th century Aquarius generation are George Bush senior, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, Richard Nixon and John Kennedy.

There may be an urban myth that Aquarius breeds a radical and rebellious nature, similar to those revolutionary times of the 1960s and 70s, but this is only one possibility associated with Aquarius.  Aquarius indicates strong civic responsibility regardless of the side of politics.  Aquarius engenders fascism as much as democracy and personal freedoms.  There are always two sides to each zodiacal sign.  Regardless of the political leanings of the politicians, somehow far more politicians born in Aquarian generations get elected president compared to the average.

This brings us to the current scenario of Barack Obama and John McCain – and to this I will add Hillary Clinton.   Hilary Clinton comes from the Baby Boomer generation ruled by Sagittarius.  Presidents born in Sagittarian generations are about average in numbers.  Sagittarian generation presidents are presidents Buren, Tyler, Taylor, Bill Clinton and George W Bush.

John McCain was born in a Capricorn generation.  Capricorn generations significantly under perform with only 7% of presidents from a Capricorn generation when the weighted average should be 12.5%.  There are only three presidents from a Capricorn generation all born in the 18^th century – John Quincy Adams, General Jackson and William Harrison.

Barack Obama was born into a Scorpio generation and is only one of two signs that have never had a president (the other sign is Virgo) but this is due to a statistical anomaly as there has not been a Scorpio micro-age available since the formation of the USA until the Scorpio micro-age 1955-1970.  Therefore no conclusion whatsoever can be drawn from Barack Obama’s birth in a Scorpio generation.

Therefore Barack Obama is the wild card in the draw.  Capricorn generational presidents appear below average and we don’t have any idea how Scorpio will perform except possibly from the fact that Scorpio is a Water sign.  Water signs do perform slightly below average but John McCain’s Earth sign is at the bottom of the totem pole.

The only other inference is that Barack Obama is born in the generation that coincided with the student revolution, anti-war and sexual revolution of the 1960s that carried over into the 1970s.  Scorpio is a sign of revolution (on a bad day) and change you can believe in on a good day.  How much of these Scorpio associations are insinuated into Barack’s Scorpio generation is anyone’s guess?

There are also finer generational markers within the micro-age generations based on decans.  Each micro-age generation of 15 years has three decans of five years.  These decan influences provide a favoring or color to the major generational influence.  For example both George W Bush and Bill Clinton (and Hillary Clinton) came from the Leo decan of the Sagittarian Baby Boomers.  Leo implies strong leadership (both good and bad) and support to mainstream values.  Leo does not like to rock the boat because Leo believes it is the boat!

John McCain’s decan influence is Capricorn – the same as his generational sign thus strengthening his Capricorn credentials.  Only one President to date has been born in both a Capricorn generation and Capricorn decan – President William Harrison (b.1773 – d.1841).  President William Harrison shares some uncanny traits with John McCain.  Harrison was ex-military, gaining distinction in fighting the American Indians and as a general in the War of 1812.

President Harrison was also the oldest president until Ronald Reagan.  Interestingly Capricorn is the sign that rules old age and the elderly.  Unfortunately for President William Harrison he died thirty-one days into his term – the briefest presidency in the history of the office.  No other US president was born in a Capricorn decan of any other generation.

Barack Obama was born in the Pisces decan of the Scorpio generation.  The only other presidents who were born in Pisces decans (but not in Scorpio generations) are Thomas Jefferson, Grover Cleveland and LBJ.  Thomas Jefferson was an intellectual and apart from his civic responsibilities he was a horticulturist, statesman, architect, archaeologist, paleontologist, author and inventor.  Pisces is a dual sign (represented by two fish swimming in opposite direction) and so when Pisces is strong the field of action is split.  Jefferson was obviously interested in more than just politics.

Grover Cleveland had an image of purity and “… possessed honesty, courage, firmness, independence, and common sense. But he possessed them to a degree other men do not.”  Cleveland was a Democrat island in a sea of Republican presidents that ruled from 1860 to 1912 – except for Cleveland.  Cleveland is the only President to serve two non-consecutive terms – perhaps this is the manifestation of Pisces duality?

LBJ won a resounding victory in 1964 on a platform extolling the “Great Society” legislation that included civil rights laws, health care for the elderly and poor, aid to education, and the “War on Poverty.”  His reputation on the political Left was significantly tarnished by escalating the war in Viet Nam.  Pisces is also the sign related to social security, charity and compassion as well as bureaucracy (big government) and self-made problems.  LBJ also demonstrated the Pisces duality with successful domestic policies and fatal foreign policies in Viet Nam.

If the Pisces influence on Barack Obama’s generation manifests and if he wins office we should expect a two edged sword associated with the dual-bodied sign of Pisces.

The only other way of understanding Barack’s Scorpio generation is to examine those presidents that were born in the opposite generation – Taurus.  Only two presidents were born in a Taurus generation – Coolidge and Hoover.  Coincidentally both were born in the Virgo decans within their Taurus generation, also directly opposite Barack Obama.  Therefore presidents Coolidge and Hoover come from diametrically opposite generations compared to Obama.

Republican Coolidge (1923-29) was anti-union, anti-big government, avoided scandals, and was very popular with the electorate when he left office.  He promoted the values of the average person and was fondly remembered by President Reagan’s administration – especially for the fact that Coolidge left the free market economy to itself.

President Coolidge was succeeded by the Republican President Hoover (1929-33).  Hoover was more interventionist than Coolidge and believed that social and economic problems could be solved by technical solutions. However Hoover was unable to provide any real solutions to the Great Depression.  Furthermore opposition to Prohibition during his presidency ensured that Hoover was only a one term president.

As a sign Taurus is conservative, unable to evolve or change, and prefers to keep things as they are rather than risk any turmoil.  Both Coolidge’s and Hoover’s presidencies support the insinuation that Taurus generations promote Taurus’ qualities.  If Taurus breeds Republicanism and passiveness it should be expected that Obama’s generation is more to the Left and pro-active in promoting change.

What is the mood of the US public?  The preference for strong leadership of Clinton and Bush junior is a continuing factor but less evident than in the last two elections.  Americans still want a strong leader, and the strong showing of Hillary Clinton’s supporters demonstrates this aptly as Clinton’s generation markers are the same as her husband and Bush junior.

However the world is in a transition stage between Leo and Cancer micro-age influences and an increasing number of Americans will be looking for a president with sensitivity and diplomacy.  Cancer is opposite John McCain’s Capricorn generational signature, and while he would profile a leader with backbone, this is not what Americans are moving towards in their favorite characteristics for the new president.  Public opinion is growing in strength to the detriment of a leader who goes against public opinion for their personal belief in what is best for the country.  Thus Obama is also favored over McCain in this respect.

Finally within the current micro-age influence, the decan influence is moving from basically Pisces in the 2004 election to Pisces/Scorpio in the 2008 election.  Under Pisces the American public is always captivated by spin, propaganda, superficiality and anything that promotes the American Dream.  Pisces remains strong, but has recently been slightly eclipsed by the incoming Scorpio decan.  The Scorpio decan must favor a president from Obama’s Scorpio generation as the new Scorpio decan demands change and evolution.

The American public does not want a revolution.  They want a leader with enough strength or leadership to maintain mainstream values, at least pay lip service to the American Dream but make some changes.  This we have Obama’s slogan “change we can believe in”.  The incoming Scorpio thrust will be much more powerful than the average micro-age decan influence as it resonates with the powerful Scorpio sub-age overflow (1970-2148).  Scorpio is always synonymous to unsettled times, revolutions, terrorism and vented pent up frustrations.  The main stage for this new Scorpio influence will stretch from 2009/10 to 2014/5.  Therefore any incoming president will have to deal with deep and intense issues over the coming few years.

The sub-periods of the Aquarian age favors Obama’s generation over McCain’s generation in the 2008 election, but this is not a prediction or pronouncement that Obama will beat McCain.

Further Reading

 US Presidents in the Age of Aquarius (Revised for 2012)

 

 

 

 

Will New Agers Rule the World?

A recent documentary on the 60s reminded me of the arrival of the hippies, counter culture, and new age movement that was precipitated in the late 1960’s.  In the early 1960s I was living in San Francisco (attending junior high school) and had direct experience of hippies’ forebears – the beatniks. Even at so tender an age I loved the beatniks – I somehow empathized with their highly individualistic and eccentric fashion sense in an age of mind-numbing suburban conformity.  While the world will focus upon the hippies, it was probably not an accident that hippies first flourished in the city of beatniks.

When anything new emerges, becomes noticeable or hits the world stage, it is usually after some lesser known developments have taken place.  Finding the seed or source of emergent developments requires a Sherlock Holmes’ approach to history.

So while hippies having love-ins at Golden Gate Park or hanging out in Haight-Ashbury was a news phenomenon, the lesser known beatniks set the magic spell in motion.  The beatniks evolved out of the Beat Generation first widely publicized by Jack Kerouac’s On the Road in 1957 and William S. Burroughs’s Naked Lunch in 1959.  However the defining moment or original magic spell for this revolutionary wave is attributed to Allen Ginsberg’s poem Howl in 1955.

Howl promoted social misfits, outcasts, drug addicts as the best minds in society – severely going against the grain of the post Second World War conservative population.  Howl introduced the anti-capitalist attitude that became so pervasive in the hippie movement.  Howl was a little known revolutionary tract that was the seed for what eventually evolved into the New Age movement.  Like the ring that binds them all, this poem allegorically cast the spell that has rippled around the world.

The New Age movement, and the spin-offs that it has produced such as the environmental movement, remains a peripheral or minority influence in mainstream society in western culture, and insignificant elsewhere.  What do normal people think when they see people sporting dreads wandering around, tribal associations, elemental fashion and all the hallmarks of New Agers?  People do what people have traditionally done and continue to do – they demonize them.

Society, cultures and sub-groups love to demonize others that are different to themselves.  Most people are genuine and sincere and therefore feel that their own approach to life, the universe and everything is relevant and reasonable, and so anyone not following this approach must be strange, untrustworthy and even evil.  The Nazis did this to the Jews in the 1930’s following a long European tradition of persecuting the Jews because basically they were slightly different.  The persecution of recreational drug users for example is just another example of the ongoing demonization of minorities and sub-groups.  We have also seen this with homosexuals, single mothers, illegal immigrants and so on.

New Agers promote different concepts, don’t value career or ambition as much as mainstream society, tend to avoid organized religions, wear funky clothes, like alternative medicine, take an anti-war and anti-violence stance and so on plus are pro-choice on just about everything.  Imagine if they ruled the world?  Would the person of the year be maintaining a small sustainable organic farm with solar power and riding an electric bicycle in place of a car?

As absurd as this all sounds, the astrology of the Age of Aquarius does support the growing influence of the amorphous New Age movement in the world over the coming one and a half centuries. The reason why is not directly due to the Age of Aquarius, but the Scorpio sub-age within the Age of Aquarius.  The Age of Aquarius has twelve sub-ages, and the Scorpio sub-age arrived in 1791, reached its culmination point in 1960s and 70s and fans out its influence to at least 2148.  This is why the 1960s and 70s was such a revolutionary period as Scorpio is a sign of revolution (see The Aquarian age did not begin in the 1960’s or ’70s)

Key developments that occur around these dates (1791, 1970 & 2148) portend long term and significant developments.  For example from 1791 onwards two significant revolutions occurred that took over a century to reach their goals.  Firstly, and quickly, women began fighting for equal voting and legal rights, and only a few decades later the downtrodden workers began fighting for better working and living conditions.

Both these revolutions were hard fought throughout the 19^th and early 20^th centuries, and it was not until the early 20^th century that Western culture generally gave women equal voting and legal rights.  By the second half of the 20^th century the working class in western culture arrived at their Mecca.  Deep cultural developments take time to arrive.

The emergence of the counter culture, hippies and New Age movement at the critical 1960s and 70s also puts a new ball in motion down a bowling alley that is over one and a half centuries long.  It is unlikely that in the middle of the 22^nd century that the President of the USA will be wearing flairs, sporting dreads, and smoking a joint in their address to the nation.  However it is very likely that the core attitudes of the New Age movement will be a major part of the mainstream political apparatus, though not necessarily dominating society.

The world is always moving into new territory and the ages with their sub-periods can foreshadow the journey ahead.  The sub-age following Scorpio is the Libra sub-age.  The Scorpio and Libra sub-ages have overlapped since 1970 and by 2148 Libra will be as triumphal as Scorpio’s revolutionary fervor was triumphal in the 1960s and 70s.  Libra promotes balance, compromise and peace.

The growth of Libra from 1970 onwards (at about the time of arrival of the Peace Movement) will accelerate significantly around 2060 onwards.  Libra the Scales is a dual sign (like Gemini the Twins and Pisces the two fish).  This suggests that society will not be a homogenous monotone mainstream with very similar values.  It suggests that two very different outlooks will coexist side-by-side at a minimum.  Based on previous examples, I predict that the current mainstream outlook upon the world will continue to evolve into one significant aspect of society while the New Age pro-environment outlook will evolve into the other bloc.

So while hippies may not rule the world in 2148, their descendants’ evolved cultural values and outlooks will significantly contribute to the world’s culture.  It is perhaps the addition of this new holistic outlook, balanced with the current consumerism outlook in the world, which may save it from the worst excesses of the environmental vandalism that has been unleashed upon the world since the Industrial Revolution.  Libra implies that these two blocks will learn how to compromise.  The penalty for not compromising in a Libra environment is fighting losing battles – just like Iraq!

For a more comprehensive examination of the above topic, see The Silent Revolution.

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Further resources from Terry MacKinnell

www.macro-astrology.com – details of purchasing the book available

The Age of Aquarius for Dummies – explains the structure and sub-periods associated with the astrological ages

Aquarian Age Economics – Examines the relationship between macro-astrology and financial cycles

At the Cutting Edge of the Aquarian Age – Cutting edge research into the astrological ages for astrologers

FaceBook – keep up to date with what is happening

Windmills Windmills Everywhere

In my last post The Astrology of Global Warming I made the claim that global warming is a red herring except for some short term symptoms the world is currently experiencing.  Global cooling is more likely to be the real culprit, but this is extremely unlikely to occur in our lifetimes. Ten years from now people will be concerned about water supplies in place of temperature, though they may be connected.  There is a much larger issue looming that may have more serious consequences then global warming.

This is where astrology comes into its own.  Scientists around the world are extrapolating the current small increase in temperatures, and predicting the dire consequences that will result if this increase in temperature continues.  Remember when men first went into outer space and the moon?  Most of us thought that we would be holidaying in space in our lifetimes.  Current developments always seem the most important, but many current developments have a short time span.

Astrology can see global warming, but it is a 15 to 30 year wonder, with most of the worst already over.  It is the new developments that cannot be easily foreseen that astrology shows its mettle.  Astrology can see around the next corner before we get there.  It can see around the corner in the climate change direction, and the issue around the corner is not temperature (in our lifetimes at least).

The much larger problem that will arrive due to pollution is deteriorating air quality.  Even from a non-astrological perspective this makes sense.  The world is pouring into the atmosphere millions of tons of carbon dioxide and other toxic chemicals at an ever increasing rate.  The contamination of the atmosphere can affect temperature resulting in global warming, the acidity of the oceans and so on, but common sense says that greatest impact will be on the air itself rather than secondary manifestations.  Astrology indicates that the degradation of the air will impact the world at least three times greater than the current impact of global warming and drought.

The reason why air quality will be a very serious issue by the end of the third decade of this century (i.e. by 2028 or 2029) is due to wheels within wheels within the Age of Aquarius.  Since the world entered the Aquarian age in c.1433, the world has passed through the Capricorn, Sagittarius and Scorpio sub-ages (each 1/12^th of the Age of Aquarius and lasting some 179 years each).  The Libra sub-age stretches from 1970 to 2148.  It has three decans, Gemini, Aquarius and Libra.  The Gemini decan covers the period 1970-2029.

Gemini is associated with everything to do with communication, transportation, cities, lung diseases of all types, the metal mercury, schools, nervous system (Attention Deficit Syndrome).  We have already experienced a revolution in communication with emails and the World Wide Web.  Transportation is commencing its revolution with the oil price explosion, and the sharp increase in hybrid and electric vehicles.  Cities have come under enormous pressure over the last three decades with mass migrations from rural areas, especially in developing countries like China

The wave-like action of ages and their sub-periods indicate that when Gemini reaches its highest strength around 2029, like a wave it will break over the succeeding 60 years or so.  The period 2029 to 2089 is when developments with Gemini credentials will be at their strongest.  On the positive side this indicates far greater efficiency and developments in electronic and digital communications taking the email revolution to another level.  Mobile telephones will also see a spectacular leap in technology.  The greatest novelists and their novels for many centuries will appear.  Massive developments in public transportation and improvements in private transportation will take place.  Wind mills generating electricity will flourish and exceed solar power.

On the problematical side under Gemini the world will see the devastating and corroding capabilities of the atmosphere full of carbon dioxide and poisons as Gemini is an Air sign.  Gemini also indicates lung diseases (asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, lung cancer, TB, pleurisy etc), nervous system problems, mercury poisoning and stunted mental development.  Lung diseases makes sense – if the air is full of contaminants, it is the lungs that have the first point of contact.  At a certain point the level of contaminants in the atmosphere will be so high this will start to affect a large number of people, especially in the Northern Hemisphere where pollution is heaviest.

Cities are already the main source of pollution in the world.  Their combined growth in population around the world is staggering.  Carbon dioxide producing cars will be drastically reduced, banned altogether, or petroleum will be in such short supply anyway that economic necessities will force non-toxic forms of local transportation. Public transportation will see its heyday.  Public transportation is the way of the future.

Mercury poisoning is already a growing reality.  Recently health experts are advising people and especially children to avoid over eating large fish.  Large fish tend to accumulate greater mercury than smaller fish.  Already cases of children with stunted mental developments are occurring and health experts attribute this problem to regularly eating large amounts of fish.

Some places in the world are already experiencing chronic pollution and the types of problems mentioned above – Chinese cities are a good example.  The World Bank has stated that 750,000 people a year are dying in China prematurely due to pollution.  This calamity will spread unless cities take control of their pollution strategies.  Some cities are already doing this.  London plans to cut its carbon footprint by 60% of its 1990 level by 2025.  Though this may seem extreme, this is what they have calculated must be done to prevent the worse case scenario occurring, similar to what some Chinese cities are already experiencing.

Gemini also indicates that another development will take place from 2029 onwards which will help to significantly lower the level of pollution.  The opposite sign to Gemini is Sagittarius.  The key sub-age involved with the Industrial Revolution and the world wide population explosion is Sagittarius – the sign of expansion.  However the appearance of Gemini at full strength in the 21^st century indicates that the expansionary phase associated with Sagittarius will come to an end or be severely curtailed.  Preliminary indications of this slowdown are already evident.

The most demonstrable slowdown in the Sagittarian related expansionary process is the population explosion.  While the worldwide population continues to expand at an apparently unstoppable rate, the population expansion rate for the typical developed country is contracting.  Evidence of the slowdown in population expansion is also now noticeable in the second tier of nations while China has been enforcing their one child policy for many years.  Each person in this world contributes their share towards pollution – therefore the lower the population the less pollution.

Unfortunately a shrinking population and lower activity undermines the capitalistic economic system.  The period 2044 – 2059 is aligned to the sign of money and finances in a Taurus sub-period (within the Gemini sub-age decan overflow).  Research indicates that Taurus periods are generally aligned to recessions and depressions (the first serious economic period in the 21^st century).  Due to the adverse economic circumstances that will arise at this time, most likely due to the effects of having to deal with over pollution, a temporary lapse in applying anti-pollution measure is likely to take place with devastating adverse results.   Conservative reactionary elements in the world are bound to put pressure on avoiding dealing with the issues of pollution at this time (and at any time) to protect their wealth.

The astrology associated with the astrological ages indicates a menu of opt

The smock mill Goliath in front of the wind farm Growind in Eemshaven in the Netherlands

 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Goliath_Poldermolen.jpg&oldid=186133698

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THE WINDMILL

by

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (and corrupted by Terry MacKinnell)

Behold! a giant am I!
Aloft here in my tower

With my watts of electricity I power

  All the appliances I desire

Without polluting this world of ours.

 

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