I don’t know the velocity of the Earth as it orbits the sun, nor do I know if this velocity is increasing or decreasing – but this is not the crucial question here. I am not talking about the speed of planet Earth, but about the speed and growth of human civilisation on the crust of our planet. We take our civilisation for granted, but what we take for granted is a mere spec in the history of the earth and of human beings. Until relatively recently humans were unable to make drastic changes to our environment because there were too few of us alive at any one time.
Currently the population of the world is approaching 7 billion people. It took humans (homo sapiens) over 150,000 years to reach the first billion people around 1804. It took slightly more than a century to double this. It took another 33 years to get to the 3 billion mark in 1959. Each extra billion people took fewer years to achieve compared to the previous benchmark up to 6 billion people (achieved in 1999). Forecasts indicate however that each extra billion people from 6 billion on will take incrementally more years than the previous billion. This indicates a slow down in the rate of population growth – but population growth in the world continues like a juggernaut.[1]
This slow down in the rate of population growth does suggest something is happening to the world’s population. Basically most First World countries are experiencing negative population growths and their populations are only expanding due to immigration. Population growth is now reducing in the second tier of nations and this process is expected to spread. The greatest influence that reduces population is increased wealth and affluence. Middle class families find large families too expensive and they do not need a built in social security system provided by numerous children as the modern state is usually adequate in taking care of this function.
Despite this reduction in the rate of population growth, the world’s population keeps on ballooning. By 2040 the world’s population is expected to be 9 billion – 50% more than 1999. Earlier forecasts did not have the world’s population of 9 billion until 2054, so while the population growth rate is declining over the long term, it seems to be picking up speed in the short term.
What astrological input has created this booming world? It is not the Age of Aquarius – even though it has been around since 1433 AD. Aquarius is not noted for its expanding qualities. The sign of expansion is traditionally Sagittarius. Closer inspection of the Aquarian age reveals that Sagittarius is not only the culprit – it also has a limited time-span and therefore we can use Sagittarius to predict when the world will start slowing down. The Sagittarius in question here is the Sagittarian sub-age (1612 – 1791 AD) of the Aquarian age (each age has 12 sub-ages). Due to the Overflow Effect, Sagittarius builds up a powerful momentum in its period (1612 – 1791) then like a projectile is launched out into the world to do its businesses – until something stands in its way or it runs out of puff. The expansion of Sagittarius is absolutely demonstrated when we look at the population growth in the world from 1804 to 1999 – from 1 billion to 6 billion people in a mere 195 years.
However, since the Sagittarius sub-age the world has experienced the Scorpio sub-age (1791 – 1970), culminating in the revolutionary 1960s and 70s that most people mistake for the beginning of the Age of Aquarius. Since 1970 the Scorpio projectile has been launched and Scorpio is not expansionary – it favours contraction. In the old Biblical myth of the seven fat cows and seven emaciated cows, Scorpio is the emaciated cows. Scorpio wants a shrinking world in the same way in Lord of the Rings, the ring that rules them all wants to return to its master.
We are already seeing the first glimpse of Scorpio in the drop in the growth rate of the world’s population. Scorpio is a newer projectile than Sagittarius, so it is fresh, energised, fully equipped and ready for the fray. Even without consideration of other astrological factors, Scorpio will chip away at our expanding world for almost the next 200 years.
However another anti-Sagittarian projectile is soon to appear. Each sub-age (of around 178 years has three decans (termed sub-age decans of around 60 years) and since 1970 the world has been experiencing a Gemini sub-age decan. The Gemini sub-age decan is in its momentum-gaining stage and will not become a projectile until 2029, whereupon it will unleash its jihad over the coming 60 years at a minimum. The relevant point is that Gemini is opposite the sign Sagittarius in the zodiac so Gemini naturally opposes and undermines Sagittarius whenever it can. From 2029 Gemini will shift up a gear and therefore speed up the contraction of human civilisation. However do not expect to wake up on January 1st, 2030 to find a totally different landscape devoid of people. History dictates that major changes usually take lots of time.
Interestingly we have a precedent to refer to. Ancient Rome also experienced a Sagittarian sub-age (in the previous Pisces age) from 370 BC to 189 BC, at which date it became a projectile and provided strong expansionary influence to the Roman Empire. From the astrological perspective, the expansion of Ancient Rome and the expansion of the modern world were both due to their respective Sagittarian sub-ages and overflows. However around 53 AD the Romans experienced a Gemini sub-age decan that we are bout to experience soon. Did this slow down the Roman Empire?
Rome, at the beginning of its Sagittarian sub-age in 370 BC was already a republic (since 509 BC when they threw out their king) but they did not even rule the whole of Italian peninsula. This did not occur until the 200s BC. Once the peninsula was under control the Romans started its massive expansionary phase that continued all the way until 117 AD under Trajan[2] – the largest area Rome ever ruled. From this time onwards Ancient Rome slowly contracted. 117 AD is 64 years after 53 AD when they first experienced the full force of Gemini.
If we add 64 years to the equivalent Gemini period in our time, we arrive at the year 2093. Around this date is the highest possibility for the upper limit of our expanding world and population. After this it is downhill all the way – but not necessarily in a negative sense. The world has to contract as it is currently unsustainable on many levels, and it will grow ever more unsustainable until around 2094. The easiest way to reduce pollution is to reduce the population, the scope of human activity plus being increasingly environmentally sustainable in the process.
A world that reduces its population and slows down will create enormous strains on a multitude of levels – especially the economic level. Capitalism depends upon expanding markets for its success. This suggests that many activities currently undertaken by capitalistic measures will probably be taken over by governments in a form of socialism – but not to the exclusion of free enterprise. Capitalism is here for the long haul, but perhaps not in such a monopolistic exalted position as it is today.
The impact upon human society from a contracting world around the end of this 21st century will be very stressful for civilisation because of another extremely important astrological factor. Each age can also be broken into three decans (termed age-decans), and the world must experience the cusp of the first age-decan of the Aquarian age in 2148. My research into the cusps of age-decans clearly indicate that these creates massive changes a century either side of the actual cusp, especially 50 years either side. 50 years either side of the age-decan cusp of 2148 is 2098 to 2198. Therefore from 2098 for a century civilisation-shaking developments will be foisted upon the world.
In the past these age-cusps have broken the back of previous age-empires and temporarily upset the current age-empire. The age-decan cusp of 8 BC saw the final dissolution of Egypt’s independence after its conquest by the Roman Empire and the final collapse of Babylon after thousands of years of existence. The age-empire at the time, Ancient Rome, experienced its greatest political discontinuity when the semi-democratic Roman Republic collapsed and was replaced by the Roman Empire with a dictatorial Caesar at its head. From hereon in, whoever had the loyalty of the strongest military force was leader of the Roman Empire.
Despite massive a major changes to civilisation at the cusp of age-decans – life does go on both during it and afterwards. At one age-decan cusp in Ancient Egypt, the first evidence in the world of a workers revolted is found – and then they reversed roles – the aristocrats had to serve the workers. Most people want a roof over their head, food in the cupboard and a reasonable standard of living. For most this will remain the case as the world passes through it age-decan cusp next century, but nevertheless major political, economic, military and environmental developments will take place in a world that is contracting.
The only question is – will the world be contracting voluntarily or will it be due to such adverse environmental conditions that there is not enough food and resources for the 10 billion plus people at the second half of the 21st century? The answer is probably a combination of both. The world is moving towards greater affluence for all of its population – and affluent people have fewer children. However with the expected rise in population of the course of the 21st century, even with strong mitigating measure to limit the destructive influence of pollution and adverse effects of climate change, this will most likely prove ineffective. Something relatively drastic is on the horizon – but if the past is any guide, it is not drastic enough to be the end of the world or the end of civilisation – it may even herald in a Golden Age once all the screaming and shouting has ceased. (see How will we be judged?)
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Preview to the new book on the astrological ages AVAILABLE NOW
For the first time in well over 2,000 years a definitive guide and explanation to the astrological ages, including the Aquarian age, is available. Over 2,000 years ago the astrological ages got lost in the fog of history, and all we were left with were insufficient remnants that do not do the ages justice. For over the last 2,000 years astrologers have been trying to use these remnants, but unsatisfactorily. This new book unveils the previously hidden structure and timing of the ages and provides an exacting correspondence to any historical event over the last 12,000 years.
This new book should be published by early 2011 (based on the transits and progressions of Jupiter). An early preview is however available now.
[1] Population. (2010, July 29). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 06:31, July 31, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Population&oldid=376038798
[2] Ancient Rome. (2010, July 27). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 07:54, July 31, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ancient_Rome&oldid=375687387
Postscript April 2011
In an article Humanity’s 200-year sprint slows down[i], the opening sentence states:
“The human race is slowing down”.
The completion of the final flight of the US space shuttle in June 2011 will mark another step backwards – following in the footsteps of the Concorde passenger jet. The author, Daniel Michaels, believes that humanity may be for the first time, slowing down. Commencing in the 1700s, man could travel at around 10km (6 miles) per hour. Now, passengers in a jet can travel at 1000km (600 miles) per hour. Humanity’s speed commenced accelerating around 1815, just inside the expansionary Sagittarian sub-age overflow (1791 – 1970). The fastest jet achieved a speed of Mach 3.2 at the close of the Sagittarian sub-age overflow, but these SR-71 Blackbirds were pensioned off in the 1990s. The Concorde (which could exceed Mach 2), experienced a similar fate following a devastating crash in 2000. The average speeds of today’s jets are about the same that some of our parents flew 60 years ago.
The above is another clue to the coming slowdown expected in the world. A slowing world does not necessarily mean doom and gloom, but a shift in priorities. Another possible example of the future is Japan. For decades economic pundits have been describing Japan’s economy as a basket case – shrinking and going nowhere with a growing massive government financial deficit and associated debt. Recently its economy slipped from second place to third place in the world ranking. It also has an aging population with all the pitfalls that that will involve in the coming decades. Rather than being just a basket case, Japan may also be leading the world into the future where economic expectations must be curtailed, and in its place, a sustainable future with a static or diminishing market is envisioned. The world may have to learn some relevant lessons from the Japanese – both positive and negative.
The recent massive earthquake and tsunami in early 2011 follows a long line of disasters that have hit Japan – the last being the Second World War. Japan has always responded better to disasters than to success. This may be a preview of what the world will have to undergo in the coming 150 years as pollution and climate change devastate the world. The astrology of the world for the next 150 years indicates that we will have to kiss security goodbye, and in its place deal with one crisis after another in a shrinking or slowing world! From 2029 onwards we cease getting the preview, and dive into the deep end.
[i] Daniel Michaels, The Weekend Australian, April 9-10, 2011 Pg 21 World section, taken from The Wall Street Journal
Demystifying the Aquarian Age 