Libra micro-age decan and overflow (August 1582 – July 1592)

This Libra MAD&OF sits within the Aquarius micro-age (Aug 1582 – Jul 1597) and therefore mimics the Libra MAD&OF (December 1910 – October 1920) associated with the First World War (1914/17 – 18) and Spanish flu.  The next major level up to greatly influence this period was the Taurus-Capricorn sub-age decan (1552 – 1612).  Taurus is beneficial to England (see The UK Astrological Signature) which was certainly on display in this Libra period.

Again, major conflicts occur under Libra’s watch commencing with the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604) which included the famous Spanish Armada (1588) with 130 ships and 30,000 men when Catholic Spain planned to invade Protestant England and dispose Queen Elizabeth 1 but failed miserably at the hands of what constituted the British navy and adverse weather.  The English countered with two armadas against Spain which both failed, and Spain sent a second armada against England which also failed due to bad weather.  This is where Sir Francis Drake became famous.  At this time Spain was the world’s superpower.  The victory was acclaimed by the English as their greatest since Agincourt, and the memory of the victory over the Armada was evoked during the Napoleonic Wars in a later Libra period when again England found itself threatened by another invasion. From the standpoint of Libra, Queen Elizabeth’s legend persisted and grew long after her death due to the successful repulsion of the Spanish Armadas.[1] Queen Elizabeth is one of the most notable females that stood near the beginning of the Libra age-decan (1433 – 2149).

George Gower’s Armada Portrait of Elizabeth I (1588?) at Woburn Abbey. The portrait was made to commemorate the defeat of the Spanish Armada (depicted in the background).

This Libra period sits within the Elizabethan era (1558 – 1603) and is taken as England’s golden age attributed a renaissance that inspired national pride through classical ideals, international expansion, and naval triumph over Spain[2] with the naval triumph over Spain exclusively associated with this Libra period.  This golden age commenced in the Taurus sub-age decan (1537 – 1612) and Taurus figures strongly in the English astrological signature.[3] 

Again, war was highly prevalent as is the case for the last 5,000 years and only some major ones will be mentioned.  The War of the Three Henrys (1587-89) was one of a series of French civil wars under the umbrella of the French Wars of Religion (1562 – 98) The war was instigated by Spain to keep France from interfering with the Spanish army in the Netherlands and the Spanish invasion of England – there were so many wars that they had wars within wars!

The Eighty Years’ War commencing in 1568 (before this Libra period) was basically a Protestant revolt of what are today the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg against the superpower of Catholic Spain but by 1587 the newly formed Dutch Republic entered a period of more than two centuries of relative political stability and strongly increased its trade and wealth from this time onward, with Amsterdam replacing Antwerp as the main port of north-west Europe.  The republic was more tolerant of different religions and ideas than its contemporary states were, allowing freedom of thought to its residents. Artists flourished under this regime, including painters such as Rembrandt and Johannes Vermeer leading to the Dutch Golden Age lasting until 1672.[4]  Libra may have placed its stamp on the Dutch Golden Age but the influence of both the Capricorn sub-age (1433 – 1612) and Taurus sub-age decan overflow (1552 – 1612) suggests that these signs appear in the Dutch astrological signature?

In the Far East the first Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592 was really the beginning of a proxy war between Japan and China with Korea the stepping stone from Japan to China. The conflict ended in 1598 after Japan’s second unsuccessful invasion followed by the withdrawal of the Japanese forces from the Korean Peninsula after a military stalemate (appropriate for Libra).  This war resulted in an imbalance of power within Japan with the Toyotomi clan’s power significantly weakened due to the exhaustion of its  armed forces for the failed Korean conflict and the opposing Tokugawa clan, who had abstained from the war, and with their armed forces in tack, were able to eventually triumphed (post this Libra period) against the Toyotomi clan. Libra seems to prefer two major opposing forces. Libra is considered a key sign for the whole of the Far East including China. 

Highly notable females again mark this Libra period and a good example is the classic feud between Queen Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots ending with the beheading of Mary, Queen of Scots in 1587 at the hands of her cousin Queen Elizabeth after Mary was implicated in a plot to murder Elizabeth.

With the growing strength of Capricorn the accusations of witchcraft against women grew to a crescendo in this period. From 1581 to 1593 the Witch Trials of Trier in Germany were perhaps the biggest witch trials in European history. They formed one of the four largest witch trials in Germany. The persecutions started around Trier in 1581 and reached the city itself in 1587, where it was to lead to the death of about 368 people, and it may have been the biggest mass execution in Europe in peace time.[5]

Not to be outdone by the Germans, in 1590, Agnes Sampson was questioned by King James VI of Scotland, and confessed to practicing witchcraft.  This was apparently part of the North Berwick witch trials of a number of people from East Lothian, Scotland which ran for two years and implicated over seventy people. The “witches” allegedly held their covens on the Auld Kirk Green, part of the modern-day North Berwick Harbour area. The confessions were extracted by torture.[6] 

Prosecutions for the crime of witchcraft reached a highpoint commencing 1580 (in this Libra period) to 1630 during the Counter-Reformation and the European wars of religion when an estimated 50,000 people were burned at the stake, of which roughly 80% were women, and most often over the age of 40.  This 50 year period correlates to the peak strength of Capricorn associated with the end of the Capricorn sub-age in (1433 -1612) when Capricorn was peaking.  Stern autocratic male Capricorn historically orientated towards the subjugation of women – especially older intelligent women with knowledge and wisdom.

However, the Aquarian tide of rationalism started to gain traction with the publication in 1584 of The Discoverie of Witchcraft by Reginald Scot, which undermined the common belief that witches existed.  Scot expressed the view that “it is neither a witch, nor devil, but glorious God that maketh the thunder…God maketh the blustering tempests and whirlwinds…”.[7]

North America continued to be a focus under Libra and in 1583, Newfoundland was formally claimed as a colony of England but not successfully settled at this time.  Also very interesting in relation to the future USA, in 1584 Walter Raleigh sent an expedition to explore the Outer Banks of Virginia (now North Carolina), with a view to establishing an English colony, and they located Roanoke Island.[8]  In the following year, the first group of colonists was sent by Sir Walter Raleigh but only lasted until June 1586, but was followed by a second attempt in 1587.[9] The second attempt was futile, and by the time the British returned in 1590, the colonialists had disappeared and it became known as the Lost Colony.

Interestingly, Sir Walter Raleigh (1552/4 – 1618) was born in a Taurus-Taurus generation, and this may explain why Raleigh strongest focus in his life was in searching for El Dorado (City of Gold) and he made two expeditions to the Americas in search of this gold – and ultimately was executed for his over zealousness by attacking a Spanish outpost in his quest.[10]

Notable theatrical developments took place in this Libra period commencing in 1583 when the Queen Elizabeth’s Men troupe of actors was founded in England and became the dominant acting company for the rest of the 1580s. Queen Elizabeth’s Men was the first large company of actors in English Renaissance theatre, twice the size of its predecessors. The size of the new company enabled it to act a new kind of historical play, built on a larger scale than ever before including Shakespeare’s histories. These new plays were equivalent to “Hollywood spectaculars” of their era.[11]  In 1587 the Rose (theatre) was founded in London beginning a trend for theatres to be situated at arm’s length from the authorities in an area outside the jurisdiction of the City of London where bear/bull-baitings, gaming dens and brothels were surreptitiously operating.  It was the first purpose-built playhouse to ever stage a production of any of Shakespeare’s plays.  Christopher Marlowe became the theatre’s main playwright.  While the theatre thrived, at the very end of this Libra period, an outbreak of the Plague thwarted all theatres[12] (with no Libra available to support them).

Shakespeare, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s greatest dramatist.  Somewhere in this Libra period (probably the mid-1580s) Shakespeare was able to have his plays performed and by 1592, he was sufficiently known in London to be attacked by other playwrights such as Robert Greene in his Groats-Worth of Wit:

“… there is an upstart Crow, beautified with our feathers, that with his Tiger’s heart wrapped in a Player’s hide, supposes he is as well able to bombast out a blank verse as the best of you: and being an absolute Johannes factotum, is in his own conceit the only Shake-scene in a country.”

Shakespeare was accused of reaching above his ‘lowly’ rank in trying to match such university-educated writers as Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Nashe, and Greene himself (the so-called “University Wits”).[13]  The main sign that drove Shakespeare was from Pisces, and the rise of Shakespeare in this Libra period coincided with the Pisces sting-in-the-tail of the Pisces sub-age and overflow (1254 – 1433 – 1612) with the Pisces sting-in-the-tail the Pisces micro-age and overflow (1567 – 1582 – 1597) with this period arguably representing the peak of Pisces in the 26,000 years cycle of the astrological ages. Shakespeare was born in an Aries-Aries generation (second half of the Aries micro-age (1552 – 1567) indicating that he came from a generation with drive!

Christopher Marlowe was of the same Aries-Aries generation and was the leading Elizabethan playwright and strongly influenced Shakespeare who succeeded him following Marlowe’s untimely death at the age of 29 in 1593.

On the artistic front, El Greco (1541 – 1614) was a Greek painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance and he is regarded as a precursor of both Expressionism and Cubism and his works were considered as “strange”, “queer”, “original”, “eccentric” and “odd. However, much of his works were undertaken within the eccentric Aquarius micro-age and overflow (1582 – 1597 – 1612).  In 1586 he obtained the commission for The Burial of the Count of Orgaz, now his best-known work. Painters from the beginning of the 20th century rediscovered El Greco – his expressiveness and colors influenced Eugène Delacroix, Édouard Manet and Paul Cézanne[14] and one commentator stated that “Cézanne and El Greco are spiritual brothers despite the centuries which separate them”.[15]  It should be noted that Cubism appeared as an avant-garde artistic movement during the 1910s[16] associated with the Libra micro-age decan and overflow (Dec 1910 – Nov 1915 – Oct 1920).

The famous Italian painter Caravaggio (1571 – 1610) had a formative influence on Baroque painting and influenced the later works of Peter Paul Rubens, Jusepe de Ribera, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and Rembrandt.  His style fell out of favor until the 20th century but he was labeled “What begins in the work of Caravaggio is, quite simply, modern painting.”[17]  Caravaggio’s apprenticeship occurred in this Libra period and in the last year he left Milan and went to Rome as a destitute hack-work artist.  One of his earliest works in 1589 was Caravaggio’s Young Sick Bacchus, supposedly a self-portrait done during convalescence from a serious illness (with Capricorn overtones).  Caravaggio’s innovation was a radical naturalism that contrasted light and dark with little intermediate value.[18]  This “darkness” can be attributed to the strength of Capricorn with the Capricorn sub-age approaching its peak strength in 1612.

Finally, on the sweet side of Libra, the first known commercial importation of chocolate to Europe in 1585, from Mexico to Spain, but the Spanish adopted the addition of (Libra) sugar to sweeten chocolate, whereas the indigenous American had only mixed chocolate with spices – but it required an acquired taste.  The new Spanish sugar variety took off with a vengeance, and for some time, chocolate drinks were far more popular in Spain than coffee.[19] It was quickly followed by the publication of Chocolate: or, An Indian Drinke in 1631.

Again, we see with Libra some major conflicts – the Spanish Armada where England was nearly invaded and pirates like Sir Francis Drake became a national hero.  The conflict between the Dutch and Spain was resolved with creation of the Dutch Republic leading to more than two centuries of relative political stability called the Dutch Golden Age.  China was under threat from Japan with Japan invading Korea for the very first time, but failed to move on to the conquest of China. In North America, Newfoundland was formally claimed as a colony of England and some unsuccessful attempts were made to colonize Roanoke Island (North Carolina).  At a minimum, this is the beginning of the Libra connection to the USA. 

The power play between two highly notable women – Queen Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots led to the execution of Mary while the other major female focus of the times was arguably the biggest mass execution of witches in Europe. By 1630 an estimated about 40,000 women had been burnt at the stake.  But the rationality of Aquarius did show signs of life with the argument against the existence of witchcraft by the publication of The Discoverie of Witchcraft.

Libra obviously promoted the theatre with the creation of Queen Elizabeth’s Men troupe of actors and the construction of the Rose theatre in a destitute part of London and by the end of this Libra period, Shakespeare was in full swing.  The other famous playwright of the times died only one year past the end of this Libra period making the Libra period the full extent of Marlowe’s theatrical output.  The father of modern painting also appeared with El Greco and Caravaggio was mainly in his apprentice period but commence producing artwork before this Libra period ended.  Sugar and chocolate naturally are attracted to Libra with its first commercial importation to Europe.

Libra-associated events will occur at any time in history, and for example, in every 15 years micro-age, there is a 29 to 30 month Libra nano-age and overflow.  However, again with this Libra MAD&OF (1582 – 1592), highly notable and remarkable historical events that can be associated with a Libra archetype indicate a stronger presence of Libra than is normal.  The brightness of Libra was not quenched by the dark side of the Capricorn sub-age and overflow (1433 – 1612 – 1791). 

References

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[1]Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604), Wikipedia, Retrieved 04:25, January 22, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Anglo-Spanish_War_(1585%E2%80%931604)&oldid=1000121904

[2] Elizabethan era, Wikipedia, Retrieved 00:50, February 23, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elizabethan_era&oldid=1005608209

[3] The UK Astrological Signature, https://macroastro.wordpress.com/2019/01/18/the-uk-astrological-signature/

[4] Dutch Republic, Wikipedia, Retrieved 05:01, January 22, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dutch_Republic&oldid=999742782

[5] Trier witch trials, Wikipedia, Retrieved 05:36, January 22, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Trier_witch_trials&oldid=993312124

[6] North Berwick witch trials, Wikipedia, Retrieved 05:47, January 22, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=North_Berwick_witch_trials&oldid=994221672

[7] Scot, Reginald (1584). Discoverie of Witchcraft p. 2.

[8] Grun, Bernard (1991). The Timetables of History, (3rd ed.). New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 259. ISBN 0-671-74919-6.

[9] Palmer, Alan; Veronica (1992), The Chronology of British History, London: Century Ltd. pp. 160–162. ISBN 0-7126-5616-2.

[10] Walter Raleigh, Wikipedia, Retrieved 00:27, February 23, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Walter_Raleigh&oldid=1007402650

[11] McMillin; MacLean (1998), pp. 5, 11–12.

[12] The Rose (theatre), Wikipedia,Retrieved 07:03, January 25, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Rose_(theatre)&oldid=999109684

[13] William Shakespeare, Wikipedia, Retrieved 23:23, February 22, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_Shakespeare&oldid=1007731515

[14] El Greco, Wikipedia, Retrieved 02:39, February 22, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=El_Greco&oldid=1007494780

[15] J. Brown, El Greco of Toledo, p28

[16] Cubism, Wikipedia, Retrieved 02:42, February 22, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cubism&oldid=1007041592

[17] Quoted in Gilles Lambert, “Caravaggio”, p.8.

[18] Caravaggio, Wikipedia, Retrieved 02:56, February 22, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Caravaggio&oldid=1007107802

[19] History of chocolate in Spain, Wikipedia, Retrieved 07:15, January 25, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=History_of_chocolate_in_Spain&oldid=998684132

Libra micro-age decan and overflow (December 1527 – December 1532 – November 1537)

This Libra MAD&OF sits within the Gemini micro-age (Dec 1522 – Nov 1537) and therefore mimics to a certain extent the current Libra MAD&OF (Dec 2019 – Nov 2029) within the Gemini micro-age (Dec 2014 – Nov 2029). However, this early experience of the Libra micro-age decan in the Age of Aquarius continues to be heavily influenced by Pisces, but this period is more influenced by Capricorn due to the Capricorn quasi sub-age (1522 – 1701).[1]  The Taurus sub-age decan (1493 – 1552) also needs to be taken into account. There was no evading the many wars and conflict that afflicted the world in the 16^th century, as with most centuries over the last 5,000 years, but Libra aligned conflict is marked by opposing powers of similar magnitude rather than a singular marauding army plundering wherever it can such as Genghis Khan (c.1158 – 1227) under the auspices of the Aries sub-age (1075 – 1254).

This major polarization which is strongly associated with Libra was clearly evident in this period which was so instrumental in creating the major schism between England and the Roman Catholic Church over another Libran archetype – marriage.  In this case, King Henry VIII of England wanted to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, as she was unable to provide a male heir and future king of England.  In 1529 under pressure from the king the English Reformation Parliament passed the necessary legislation ‘divorcing’ England from Rome and established the Church of England in its place.  In 1533 King Henry VIII’s marriage with Catherine of Aragon was declared annulled by an English Archbishop but this was not authorized by the pope, nor recognized by Catherine.  Later in the same year, Anne Boleyn married Henry VIII and was crowned as queen consort of England, and Henry VIII was subsequently excommunicated by the pope.  Anne Boleyn gave birth to Princess Elizabeth, the future Elizabeth I of England.

1536 was an extremely busy year for King Henry VIII commencing with his first queen, Catherine of Aragon, dying while banished. A few months later, Anne Boleyn, was arrested on the trumped up grounds of incest, adultery and treason and the English church fell in line and nullified Henry and Anne’s marriage. This was followed by the execution of five men accused of adultery with Anne Boleyn, including her own brother and Anne was executed shortly afterwards while Henry VIII married Jane Seymour.

This major rift between England and the Roman Catholic Church was reinforced in 1529 when a group of German rulers and independent cities protested against the reinstatement of the Edict of Worms, which had declared Martin Luther a wanted heretic, and thus beginning the Protestant movement in earnest.  This is where the Taurus sub-age decan (1493 – 1552) makes its influence felt as the top sign of Christianity is Scorpio – Taurus’ opposite side and therefore Scorpio Christianity is in ‘detriment’ under Taurus.

Another major treaty was enacted between two European early seafaring nations, Spain and Portugal, when in 1529 the Treaty of Zaragoza divided the Far East between the Spanish and Portuguese empires.  Under the treaty, Portugal gained control of all of Asia and its neighboring islands that had been discovered at the time, leaving Spain with most of the Pacific Ocean. The world was divided into two under the control of two superpowers to pillage as they wanted.  Also in 1529 the failed siege of Vienna, Austria by Ottoman (Turkish) forces marked the beginning of 150 years of bitter military tension between the Habsburgs and Ottomans, punctuated by reciprocal attacks, and culminating in a second siege of Vienna in 1683.  Another major polarity established under Libra’s watch.

Libra aligned China was having a hard time, and in 1528 to 1530 in Henan province, an enormous drought coupled with a gigantic swarm of locusts deprived the region of harvests for the next two years, killing off half the people in some communities, due to starvation and cannibalism.

The Americas saw a lot of interest under this Libra period and in 1532 the Portuguese began colonizing Brazil, which is the largest country in both South America and Latin America, and in 1532, sugarcane was first cultivated by the settlers (the scourge of sugar is ruled by Libra). Buenos Aires (Argentina) was first founded by the Spanish in 1536 and an expedition did set off to discover a route to Peru.  The first two of three voyages by Jacques Cartier (1491 – 1587) was the first European to map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the shores of the Saint Lawrence River, which he named “The Country of Canadas” after the Iroquois names for the two big nearby settlements.

References to important females has already been made such as Catherine of Aragon and the birth of Elizabeth 1, and in 1529 the polymath Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa published Declamation on the Nobility and Preeminence of the Female Sex, a book that pronounced the theological and moral superiority of women with Libra smiling in the wings.[2]  Our Lady of Guadalupe, (also known as the Virgin of Guadalupe) is associated with a series of five Marian apparitions in 1531, and a venerated image on a cloak enshrined within the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. Supposedly, the Virgin Mary appeared four times in Mexico City to Juan Diego and once more to his uncle. The basilica is the most-visited Catholic shrine in the world, and the world’s third most-visited sacred site – dedicated to a female apparition.  In 1531 on the other side of the ledger, a witch-hunt was conducted in the town of Schiltach, Germany following the burning of the town – the convicted witch was executed.

The 1529 Treaty of Cambrai, also known as the Ladies’ Peace, is appropriate for mention as it was orchestrated by the mother of Francis I Louise of Savoy and the aunt of the emperor Margaret of Austria. They represented both monarchs in negotiations, helping them not to lose face in one of the numerous conflicts of the times.  Interestingly, women were also allowed to appear on Italian stages for the first time in this same year.[3]

From 1533 to 34, the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent made Roxelana, his Ruthenian (Ukrainian) harem girl and former slave his legal wife and she became one of the most powerful and influential women in Ottoman (Turkish) history. She eventually achieved power, influencing the politics of the Ottoman Empire and through her husband, she played an active role in affairs of the state.  She has inspired paintings, musical works (including Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 63), an opera, a ballet, plays, and several novels.  She commenced the era known as the Sultanate of Women – a period of extraordinary political influence exerted by wives and mothers of the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire lasting until 1656. At this time, the influence of Capricorn from the Capricorn sub-age (1433 – 1612) was extremely strong, and the Islamic Ottomans were naturally aligned to Cancer – with Cancer and Capricorn opposite signs.  The 7^th house invokes partners and this perhaps explains why the Ottomans, when at the top of their game, deferred to their wives and gave them power under Capricorn.  The waning of female influence in 1656 is aligned to the growth in strength of the (male) Leo sub-age decan (1612 – 1672).

Vasari wrote that Titian once painted “portrait of Roxelana”.This painting was attributed as probable copy of that portrait executed in Titian’s workshop

Titian, born in the previous Libra MA&OF was in his mature stage for this Libra period and in 1530 he developed the style introduced by his dramatic Death of St. Peter Martyr.  Also appropriately, Michelangelo, who also born in the previous Libra period, commenced painting The Last Judgment at the end of this Libra period in 1536 – it was a fresco covering the whole altar wall of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City depicting the Second Coming of Christ and the final and eternal (Libra) judgment by God and Jesus of all humanity.  Almost immediately after completing the Last Judgment, Michelangelo’s final paintings begun in 1542 – but adopting a major change in style, away from (Libra) grace and aesthetics to an exclusive concern with illustrating the narrative, with no regard for (Libra) beauty.[4] This change of style occurred in the following Taurus micro-age (1537 – 1552) close to the peak of the Capricorn micro-age decan in 1542.

The influence and strength of this much smaller Libra period nevertheless continues to express strong Libran themes. This period witnessed the divorce of England from the Roman Catholic Church over the issues of multiple (Libra) marriages by King Henry VIII.  This breakup was followed by the beginning the Protestant movement and greatest schism in western Christianity spearheaded by Martin Luther in Germany. Spain and Portugal were dividing the world in two and the Austrian and Turks commenced a bitter 150 years of conflict.  China took a dent with two years of drought followed by a gigantic swarm of locusts.  Famous women of this period include Catherine of Aragon, birth of Elizabeth I, ex-slave girl Roxelana and the Virgin of Guadalupe supported by Agrippa’s Declamation on the Nobility and Preeminence of the Female Sex. A witch-hunt in Germany unfortunately balanced the ledger.  All the above have a strong archetypal connection to Libra.

Despite its size, archetypal Libra shines through nevertheless and indicates that micro-age decans also have a significant impact. With this Libra period under the influence of the Cancer micro-age overflow (1522 – 1537), Cancer indicates a time when (Capricorn) leadership is imperiled – which is exactly what occurred in the Roman Catholic Church as the pope’s authority was successfully repudiated by King Henry VIII and antipope Protestants were streaming out of Germany with this new heresy.  One in every three Libra periods will have a strong Cancer influence to contend with, and the same surge of breaking down established authority is always markedly in attendance such as under the current Cancer micro-age overflow (2014 – 2029).

References

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[1] A quasi period captures the upper half of the bell curve of any period plus its overflow and is calculated as the second half of the initial period and first half of the overflow period.

[2] Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, Wikipedia, Retrieved 08:03, January 26, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Heinrich_Cornelius_Agrippa&oldid=1000819691

[3] “The Timetables of History”, p236

[4]The Last Judgment (Michelangelo), Wikipedia, Retrieved 02:32, February 14, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Last_Judgment_(Michelangelo)&oldid=1004536903

The Baptism of the Libra age-decan (1433 – 2149)

Libra micro-age and overflow (March 1463 – March 1478 – March 1493)

This Libra micro-age and overflow (1463 – 1478 – 1493) represents the very first Libra period of note within the new Libra age-decan (1433 – 2149) of the Age of Aquarius (1433 – 3581).  Its senior influence is from Pisces due to the:

• Pisces sub-age decan overflow (1433 – 1493)
• Pisces sub-age overflow (1433 – 1612)
• Pisces age-decan overflow (1433 – 2149)
• Pisces age overflow (1433 – 3581) 

Pisces was at its penultimate strength within the 26,000 years cycle of the astrological ages for this initial Libra period.  This is the earliest Libra baptism that can be applied to the Libra age-decan of Age of Aquarius – the first vertebra of the Libra age-decan.

Libra’s association with marriage, partnerships and opposing blocs meant that political marriages were the order of the times and very quickly inside this period in 1464, in the depths of the War of the Roses, King Edward IV of England secretly married Elizabeth Woodville.  This was an unpopular marriage as Elizabeth Woodville’s deceased husband had been a supporter of the opposite side to the king. However, despite this entrenched conflict within England, the two warring sides had a sort of compromise with this marriage as an attempt to heal the wounds as is Libra’s nature – though this was unsuccessful at this point.  Edward was the first king of England since the Norman Conquest to marry one of his subjects instead of a noble. 

After the death of Edward in 1483, Elizabeth remained politically influential with one of her sons briefly proclaimed King Edward V of England before being deposed and murdered by her brother-in-law, Richard III. Elizabeth subsequently helped with the rise of Henry VII in 1485 by arranging the political marriage of her daughter Elizabeth of York to the king, ending the Wars of the Roses, and establishing the Tudor dynasty – again representing Libra’s quest for peace between opposing elements – and this time relatively successful.

The War of the Roses commenced before this Libran period but was mainly resolved within this Libra period.  Through her daughter, Elizabeth Woodville was the grandmother of the future Henry VIII and great grandmother of Elizabeth I. Elizabeth Woodville is England’s initial notable contribution towards the advancement of powerful women within the Libra age-decan.

The War of the Roses marked the end of the medieval period in England only a few decades inside the age of Aquarius or modernity!  Following the war, the large standing baronial armies that had helped fuel the War of the Roses were suppressed and the king removed the rights of barons to maintain armies so that they could not make war on each other or the king. The military power of individual barons declined, and the Tudor court became a place where baronial squabbles were decided with the influence of the monarch.[1]  This is a very Libra anti-war outcome for the War of the Roses taking into account that the political marriage between the two major Houses ‘united’ the nobles.  It is also relevant that the winning side did not go out and extinguish the losing barons and instead, both sides continued to exist but under a new (Libra) balance of power which was focused upon avoiding (Aries) conflict.

This Libra period probably exacerbated tensions in England more so than most countries due to the strong placement of Aries in its astrological signature.[2] If this assessment is correct, England and the UK are always in difficult situations under Libra, which coincidentally is the sign that applied to the UK when it actually left the European Union in 2021.  Libra does rule divorce?

Another major political marriage of the times was between Ferdinand II and Isabella I of Castile in 1469 which led to the first modern unification of Spain effective from 1479. The marriage included a clear prenuptial agreement on sharing power, and under the joint motto “as much as the one is worth, so too is the other.” Taking into account that Spain quickly turned into the world superpower of those times, this was a highly significant marriage attributable to Libra. 

By 1482 Ferdinand and Isabella started the Granada War (Reconquista) to expel their significant multi-centuries opponents in Spain – the Islamic Moors back to Africa. The Reconquista was successfully brought to an end by Spain in 1491 (near the end of this Libra period in early 1493). Another political rivalry was temporarily settled with the Treaty of Alcaçovas in 1479 when Spain and Portugal agreed to the division into two zones of influence the newly discovered territories in the Atlantic Ocean and overseas territories [3] which was also an issue to be further resolved in the next Libra period (the Libra micro-age decan and overflow December 1527 – November 1537).

Ferdinand and Isabella also established the Spanish Inquisition in 1478 which in reality was a new court of justice – with justice and law courts ruled by Libra. The inquisitors were usually jurists (and by 1608 all inquisitors needed to have a background in law and most had a university education). The tribunals were called courts and their structure was similar to modern trials and extremely advanced for the time but the lack of (modern) separation of powers promoted corrupt practices.  At the time, torture was common in all civil and religious trials in Europe but the Spanish Inquisition, despite the bad press, actually relied far less on torture than was common at the time. It is believed that sentences of death were employed 40% of the time before 1530.  Recent studies showed there was an initial burst of activity against former Jews, who had embraced Christianity under duress and were called conversos, but were suspected of relapsing into Judaism – but the Inquisition served principally as a means for Spaniards to occasionally humiliate and punish people they did not like such as blasphemers, bigamists, foreigners, homosexuals, and horse smugglers.

A lessor known marriage in this Libra period but with major consequences occurred in 1479 when Christopher Columbus, who was already an experienced mariner in the expatriate Genoese community in Portugal, married and received as dowry his late father in law’s nautical maps and papers which included sea charts around the Madeira Islands, and other Portuguese oceanic possessions.  This obviously furthered Columbus’ interest in maritime adventures leading to his 1492 discovery of the Americas on behalf of Spain at the very end of this Libra period (1463 -93) – which strongly insinuates that Libra has a critical role in the Americas as a whole.  At a minimum, this weds Libra to the Americas – but not as the major sign which is Pisces.  The European discovery of the Americas occurred in the strongest century for Pisces in around 26,000 years – with Pisces the ruler of oceans!  The Capricorn sub-age (1433 – 1612) provided another sign for the astrological signature of the Americas in general which is placed higher up the totem pole than Libra.

The Libra focus upon women, unfortunately, promoted the persecution of witches.  For example, commencing in 1470 for the next 230 years 8,888 witches were tried in the Swiss Confederation with the majority executed. In 1484 Pope Innocent VIII issued a bull authorizing two German monks to investigate accusations of witchcraft as heresy, and threatening those who interfered with their work. The bull was written in response to the request by a Dominican Inquisitor for explicit authority to prosecute witchcraft in Germany after he was refused assistance by the local church authorities. It gave approval for the Inquisition to proceed “correcting, imprisoning, punishing and chastising” such persons “according to their deserts”. This followed a belief that an outbreak of witchcraft and heresy had occurred in the Rhine River valley.[4]

With Libra’s rulership of art, in 1472, Leonardo da Vinci was listed as a master in Florence’s Company of Artists. This Libra period saw the rise of Leonardo to being acknowledged as one of the most diversely talented individuals ever to have lived.  His collective works composed a contribution to later generations of artists rivaled only by that of his contemporary Michelangelo.  One of Leonardo’s possible earliest extant work, The Annunciation, is believed to have been painted between 1472 and 1476 in the lead up to the peak of this Libra period in 1478, with most of his painting completed in the overflow period (1478 – 1493)and beyond.  Michelangelo only completed his apprenticeship in 1492 and therefore flourished after this Libra period.

However, Michelangelo (1475 – 1564) was born in the second half of the Libra MA (March 1463 – March 1478) which means he was born in a Libra-Libra generation[5] where Libra is at its highest potential. This was certainly realized in his life.  Michelangelo, born in Florence, was a sculptor, painter, architect and poet, who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art. Michelangelo is considered the greatest artist of his age and even the greatest artist of all time.[6]  Even the duality between Michelangelo and Leonardo invokes Libra the Balance.

As another example of the Libra-Libra generation was Titian (c.1488/90 – 1576), who is considered the founder and most important member of the 16th-century Venetian School of Italian Renaissance painting. His paintings exercised a profound influence not only on his contemporary painters but also on future generations of Western art.[7] Generations as defined by macro-astrology, provide a hidden characteristic not available from other forms of astrology and I am looking forward to researching the generations associated with famous people.  Only Libra micro-ages, such as the current one, include a Libra-Libra generation, as these generations are derived from micro-ages.  Libra micro-age decans alone do not produce Libran generations as they exist either in a Gemini or Aquarius micro-ages which produce Gemini and Aquarius generations respectively.

Another famous artist associated with this Libra period was Botticelli (1445 -1510) who painted a wide range of religious subjects (including dozens of renditions of the Madonna and Child). His best-known works are The Birth of Venus and Primavera taking into account Venus is the planetary ruler of Libra, Botticelli virtually anointed the Libra age-decan (1433 – 2149) with The Birth of Venus. Botticelli lived all his life in Florence apart from the months he spent painting in Pisa in 1474 and the Sistine Chapel in Rome in 1481–82. His reputation soared for all the 1470s with the 1480s his most successful decade, the one in which his large (Pisces) mythological paintings were completed along with many of his most famous (Libra) Madonnas. His reputation languished for centuries but was eventually ‘rediscovered’ and in 2021, his Portrait of a Young Man Holding a Roundel was sold at Sotheby’s for $US92 million.[8]

It is also fitting that this Libra period saw one of the greatest benefactors of the arts in the Renaissance – Lorenzo the Magnificent.  Also known as Lorenzo de’ Medici (1449 – 1492), he was an Italian statesman, de facto ruler of the Florentine Republic, and the most powerful and enthusiastic patron of Renaissance culture in Italy. He was a magnate, diplomat, politician, and patron of scholars, artists, and poets. As a patron, he is best known for his sponsorship of artists such as Botticelli and Michelangelo. He held the (Libra) balance of power within the Italic League, an alliance of states that stabilized political conditions on the Italian peninsula for decades, and his life coincided with the mature phase of the Italian Renaissance and the Golden Age of Florence. The Peace of Lodi of 1454 that he helped maintain among the various Italian states collapsed with his death near the very end of this Libra period.

In conclusion, this late 15^th century Libra micro-age and overflow, which baptized the massive Libra age-decan and overflow (1433 – 2149 – 2865), already showed distinct signs of modernity and the beginning of the modern world especially with the European discovery of the Americas.  Its Libran focus is readily seen in the attempted unification of the Houses of York and Lancaster in England with the marriage of Elizabeth Woodville to King Edward IV and finally resolved by the marriage of Henry VII to Elizabeth Woodville’s daughter, Elizabeth of York.  The political marriage of Ferdinand II to Isabella I of Castile also united and created modern Spain and instigated the first European world power in the Age of Aquarius due to the discovery of the Americas – which therefore inherits Libra into its astrological signature.   The creation of the court known as the Spanish Inquisition is also appropriate for the judicial side of Libra as is the unfortunate rise in the prosecution of mainly women as witches.  The appearance of some of the world’s most famous artists – Leonardo da Vinci and Botticelli and the birth of Michelangelo and Titian as the major players in the first of the great modern artists is also appropriate for Libra along with the famous patron of the arts – Lorenzo the Magnificent. Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus Botticelli represented the Neoplatonic idea of ‘divine love’ in the form of a nude Venus is virtually dedicated to the Libra. This Libra period provides the first backbone for the evolving Libra age-decan (1433 – 2149).

 

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References

[1] Wars of the Roses, Wikipedia, Retrieved 00:23, February 7, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wars_of_the_Roses&oldid=1005250575

[2] The UK Astrological Signature, 2019, http://ow.ly/dXEc30nmg5w

[3] Treaty of Alcáçovas, Wikipedia, Retrieved 07:03, January 27, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Treaty_of_Alc%C3%A1%C3%A7ovas&oldid=999009761

[4] Summis desiderantes affectibus, Wikipedia, Retrieved 00:54, February 7, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Summis_desiderantes_affectibus&oldid=997479637

[5] Terry MacKinnell, Introduction to Generational Astrology, http://wp.me/p8BBNM-A

[6] Michelangelo, Wikipedia, Retrieved 02:28, February 7, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michelangelo&oldid=1003534434

[7] Fossi, Gloria, Italian Art: Painting, Sculpture, Architecture from the Origins to the Present Day, p. 194. Giunti, 2000. ISBN 88-09-01771-4

[8] Sandro Botticelli, Wikipedia, Retrieved 01:59, February 7, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sandro_Botticelli&oldid=1005126924

Sandro Botticelli, The Birth of Venus (c. 1484–1486).  Uffizi, Florence – The birth of Venus, is a revolutionary painting for presenting a nude not justified by the Christian religion, is related to the idealized concept of love, where the figure of Venus symbolizes spiritual love and material love.

The Backbone of the Libra Age-Decan (1433 – 2149)

Why the sudden interest in the Libra Age-Decan (1433 – 2149)? This is because the much smaller Libra micro-age decan and overflow (December 2019 – November 2024 – November 2029) first appeared to an unsuspecting world in late 2019.  There have already been some early manifestations of Libra aligned events, and I suspect we are on the threshold of some further major developments soon.  A new micro-age decan appears roughly every five years, but some resonate with larger and more powerful periods such as the current Libra micro-age decan and overflow. This is because the first age-decan of the Age of Aquarius is the Libra age-decan (1433 – 2149) and therefore the current Libra micro-age decan resonates with the massive Libra age decan. Resonance adds strength.

To understand what the world can expect in the rest of the small Libra MAD&OF leading to November 2029, it is prudent to first examine what occurred in previous similar periods since the arrival of the Age of Aquarius in 1433.  The current Libra period is a decan (third) of the Gemini micro-age (Dec 2014 – Nov 2029), but this Gemini micro-age, is one of 12 micro-ages within the Libra sub-age (1970 – 2149).  The current Libra MAD&OF is the first Libra period of note inside the Libra sub-age, and as such, this Libra period is the baptism for the whole Libra sub-age – but not for the much larger Libra age-decan (1433 – 2149)! This makes the Libra MAD (2019 – 2129) a much bigger deal than just another MAD. 

Of course, every micro-age of about five years contains 12 nano-ages of some 15 months each, but nano-ages just do not have the same impact as their elder relative – micro-age decans and micro-ages.  This baptism of fire for the Libra sub-age should provide some concrete indications as where the world is heading on a mega scale, because the world is definitely heading towards Libra.  Libra is going to provide the context for many centuries to come.  We merely get to see a preview of centuries of possibilities in the years leading to 2029 but reinforced by the review of many previous Libra MA and MAD since the arrival of the Age of Aquarius.  We can treat the current Libra MAD&OF as a wormhole to the centuries of Libra influence coming to our world.

The examination of previous Libra periods was a real eye-opener and provided me with one of a number of epiphanies.  Libra does not conform to the common expectations of Libra revolving solely around the aesthetic and easy going side of life –its strongest association appears to be with conflict. This has some precedents, and even over two thousand years ago, the planet Venus (ruler of Libra), was a sign for war if it appeared in the night sky. 

“In the evening sky, Dilbat (Venus) was thought to be a male war god. In the Babylonian omen catalog we read, “If Venus enters Jupiter, then the king of Akkad will die, the dynasty will change …”  Unless Babylonian astronomers had a good reason to think otherwise, the famous conjunction in the evening sky would have signaled a male war god striking the king (symbolized by the king planet MUL.BABBAR/ Jupiter) and overturning his rule.”[1]

Other notable associations to Libra are the advances of women in politics and society and a quest for justice – with the Black Lives matter the most recent example. In addition, the obesity epidemic and diabetes plus the inability of most western nations to effectively manage COVID-19 can be attributed to inactive Libra because Libra’s opposite sign Aries is the sign that rolls up its sleeves and gets on with the work that needs to be done in any situation – Libra lacks this “can-do” quality.

It may seem confusing that both Aries and Libra are associated with greater levels of warfare and conflict, but there are differences.  Aries war does not depend upon a strong and vibrant opponent, and so Genghis Khan was able to go marauding around the Eurasian landmass mainly picking off small countries and cities at will with his massive armies and created the largest empire the world has known to date – though everything did not always go his way!  In Libra conflicts, there tends to be an opponent with stature or power at around the same level of magnitude. Furthermore, Libra usually sees some remediation or mending between opponents following the conflict creating a new balance of power of one sort or another – and balance of power is a Libra archetype.  The American Civil War is a good example of two opposing major power bases but while the Confederates lost the war – they were not wiped off the map.  However they did have to adapt to a new internal balance of power in the USA that did not involve slavery – as (Libra) justice was central in this major conflict.

The major epiphany I experienced with this Libra research was almost two epiphanies in one – as it was a major insight that I had never before experienced despite the fact that I have been extensively researching the astrological ages for over 30 years.  The world is currently in the Libra age –decan (1433 – 2149) and I have frequently written about it including in my book “The Dawning” plus extensively on many other age-decans that extend back over thousands of years.  However, my major epiphany with this Libra age-decan (1433 – 2149) was due to my examination of only the relatively small Libra micro-ages and micro-age decans since the arrival of the Libra age-decan in 1433.

What I discovered was that these nine small Libra periods provided the backbone for the whole Libra age-decan (1433 – 2149) to date.  It’s as if these nine small Libra periods are the backbone of a Libran dinosaur in a museum and these small Libra periods capture the real essence of the much larger Libra age-decan – even though Libran events in the large age-decan are not limited to Libra micro-ages and decans.  What this means is that if I want to examine any age, age decan or even sub-age, I can quickly find their backbones which will provide me with the core developments without examining all dates covered by the larger period.

By Uploader: User:DrKay; based on selection at File:Various dinosaurs2.pngUser:CaptmondoTadek KurpaskiHectonichusAgsftwPerry QuanKabacchi – Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39663853

One major conjecture I am researching is the hypothetical strong association of the USA with Libra.  I use the word hypothetical because it is certainly not so obvious to date.  Who would think that (Aries) gun-toting Americans are linked to Libra?  However, based on Ancient Rome, the previous age-empire of the Aries-Pisces age (715 BC – 1433 AD), the importance of the first age-decan in the previous age, the Scorpio age-decan and overflow (715BC – 1AD – 717AD), appeared to provide the critical third sign for both the Roman Republic and Western Roman Empire.

The Scorpio association with Ancient Rome is not limited to gladiatorial contests, as Scorpio is also the sign of tyrants, upheaval and lack of stability with all these three endemic in Ancient Rome.  The greatest political saga to affect Ancient Rome was the fall of the Roman Republic and its replacement with the Roman Empire led by a series of dynastically-inclined emperors.  This major political transformation occurred in the decades surrounding the peak of the Scorpio age decan and overflow (715BC – 1AD – 717AD) in 1AD.  By extrapolation, the current Libra age-decan and overflow should take the same role with our current age-empire – the USA.  The Libra association to the USA should be more evident in the Libra age-decan overflow (2149 – 2865) but the seeds for this influence should be identifiable and will also be a focus on the examination of all significant Libra periods since the beginning of the Age of Aquarius in 1433 AD.

“The greatest connection between Scorpio and ancient Rome is the death cult of gladiatorial contests and public executions at the circuses which occurred from the third century BCE to the fifth century CE. The peak period in gladiatorial contests was the first and second centuries CE,[2] just after the Scorpio age-decan cusp. The general public’s fascination with the killing of human beings as a spectator sport shows how cultural preferences on a grand scale can be grossly distorted. Scorpio always has a fondness toward death cults, and ancient Rome was certainly not alone in this regard at this period. This apparent barbaric behavior by the citizens of ancient Rome has its modern pale reflection in the preference of Hollywood and computer gamers for virtual violence, death, and destruction.”[3]

Libra is a major sign in China’s astrological signature as Libra is associated with the whole of the Far East and can be expressed with yin-yang.  Some attention will also be focused upon China as a guide to its future path and role in the world and relationship with the USA. Famous women and notable marriages also strongly figure in the Libra backbone, as do music and the arts in general. 

By Gregory Maxwell – From File:Yin yang.png, converted to SVG by Gregory Maxwell., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=364239

The following Libra micro-ages and decans, plus their respective overflows, will be examined, and each one is associated with one or more major conflicts, and so it will be necessary to deduce if some serious conflict which is either military, cyber warfare or otherwise is due in the current decade associated with the Libra MAD&OF (Dec 19 – Nov 24 – Nov 29) and what this portends for the rest of the millennium.  On average, every third Libra period is a micro-age correlating to around 30 years of influence (taking into accounts the overflow) whereas micro-age decans and overflow account for 10 years:

Previous Libra micro-ages and decans in the Age of Aquarius

Libra micro-age decan and overflow (Dec 1910 – Oct 1920)

Libra micro-age decan and overflow (May 1856 – Apr 1866)

Libra micro-age and overflow (Jun 1791 – Mar 1821)

Libra Micro-Age Decan & Overflow (Sep 1746 – Aug 1756)

Libra Micro-Age decan & overflow (Jan 1692 – Dec 1701)

Libra micro-age and overflow (Apr 1627 – Apr 1657)

Libra micro-age decan and overflow (Aug 1582 – Jul 1592)

Libra micro-age decan and overflow (Dec 1527 – Nov 1537)

Libra micro-age and overflow (Mar 1463 – Mar 1493)

References

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[1] Dwight R Hutchison, “Matthew’s Magi Never Visually Followed a Star Anywhere, But …”, https://www.academia.edu/40253433/Matthew_s_Magi_Never_Visually_Followed_a_Star_Anywhere_But_?

[2] “Gladiator,” Wikipedia, Retrieved 02:38, 27 February 2009, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gladiator&oldid=273564285

[3] Terry MacKinnell, “The Dawning – Shedding New Light on the Astrological Ages”