The Future of Capitalism in the Age of Aquarius

The crash of share indexes[1]  leading to a lack of confidence in the world’s financial systems is at a very low point.  Some people say that this is the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.  Some forecasters are having a field day enunciating with virtual glee the prospect of economic recession and other predictions of doom and gloom.  However, from the perspective of the Aquarian age, this is all so humdrum.

The development of corporations, growth in free enterprise and international trade and finally globalism are perfectly in line with the arrival of the Aquarian age in the 15th century.  Sure it took a few centuries to get its momentum going but the fact that the economic system of the modern world arrived in time with the Age of Aquarius indicates that capitalism is not going to be extinguished in the near future (i.e. the next century or two).

Capitalism is aligned to the (Aquarian) free spirit desiring to undertake some profitable venture.  Personal gain from your own efforts is an extremely strong motivating factor.  However, capitalism is not the only economic approach aligned to Aquarius – socialism is also incorporated into the stable of Aquarius archetypes.  Aquarius is the sign of friends and groups of people combining their energies to undertake some joint task for the mutual benefits of all.  A classic example of Aquarian socialism is NASA and the various space agencies around the world including the International Space Station.

The neo-cons and extreme capitalists throw their hands up in horror at the thought of socialism.  To these extremists, socialism is akin to communism and therefore socialism needs to be beaten on its head whenever it dares to show itself in public.  The recent bail-out of banks around the world and the virtual nationalizing of many banks at the brink of collapse has opened the Pandora’s box of socialism in the heart of capitalism – much to the anguish of die-hard conservatives.  Socializing space stations is one thing, socializing banks is a massive insult at the heart of capitalism.

The Aquarian age will continue to strongly foster capitalism for thousands of years but it will also foster socialism.  Though socialism has been reviled, discredited and ostracized there are signs that it has been making a surreptitious return to the world stage apart from the recent nationalization of banks.  In a recent Time magazine [October 27 2008] Joshua Kurlantzick makes the case in his article Central Command – The financial crisis spotlights the benefits of government-guided capitalism – like China’s that many countries are looking at the gains that China, Russia and some Persian Gulf states have made in recent years by a hybrid capitalism and state control.  State control means socialism.  For example, these state control economies usually foster key industries such as oil or automobile production but then let them compete on the international market in a free trade platform from the strength of economy of scale.

The collapse of the former communist block left the world basically in the hands of the capitalists.  This is an extreme situation and therefore can only last so long.  The middle path indicates that capitalism and socialism must coexist.  China, Russia and some Persian Gulf states may adopt a hybrid capitalism-socialism model, while other countries will probably revert to a partnership of capitalism and socialism.  Has the privatization of electricity benefited us? Does the privatization of virtual monopolies promote free enterprise?

The reason why socialism will return as an economic reality on the world stage is not limited to its association with the Age of Aquarius but also due to the first decan of the Age of Aquarius.  Each age has three age-decans and the first age-decan of the Age of Aquarius is the Libra age-decan.  Libra is the balance.  As the world trundles along towards the Libra age-decan high point around 2148 the pressing need for balance and the middle path (between extremes) increases at an exponential rate.

The balance that Libra brings is of course not limited to the economy – it also applies to the sexes, the environment and opposing political ideologies amongst numerous other fields.  The neo-cons cannot accept the place that socialism has within an economic system as they believe that capitalism is perfect.  If that is the case then we have just had the perfect capitalist crisis.  Only last week Alan Greenspan said he made a mistake in assuming that capitalism worked best if left alone – a basic extremist capitalist viewpoint.  Furthermore, if Eastern mystics have any credibility they state that perfection does not exist in this world. The problem with holding up capitalism as the perfect economic system is that its basic underlying premise is seriously flawed.   There is no perfect person, nor perfect country or perfect president or political leader.

There is also another critical problem with capitalism overlooked by most commentators.  Capitalism requires an expanding market and we have witnessed this phenomenon over the last three centuries to the point that the world will choke and drown in its own pollution if some serious remedial action is not taken over the coming decades.  Pollution is the direct consequence of consumption powered by capitalism.  An environmentally sustainable world needs a lower population with people who on average are all consuming less – this is in basic conflict with capitalism.  Can capitalism and an environmentally sustainable world coexist?

Apart from the age-decans there are also smaller divisions of the ages into sub-ages.  The sub-ages indicate that we are at the tail end of the strong influence of the Sagittarius sub-age – the sign of expansion.  Astrology always includes a balancing mechanism and the opposite sign to Sagittarius is Gemini – which is now growing in strength.[2]  Gemini will reach its full potential around 2029 but the exponential curve commenced in 1970.  It stepped up a gear in 2000, and another step will be attained around 2015. Additional steps are indicated between 2015 and 2029.  So while the arrival of Gemini in 1970 had little influence (apart from reducing populations in First World countries), it will progressively reign in Sagittarius.

The world economic situation is not solely due to Aquarius, Libra, Sagittarius and Gemini – Scorpio is also taking a key role.  The Scorpio sub-age (1791 – 1970) has gone into its powerful overflow mode since 1970 [see Scorpio – the Sign of the Times].  Scorpio prefers minimalism and contraction.  Scorpio wants the world to shrink.  It wants the population lowered, consumption reduced and therefore it promotes downsizing.  Its ability to get its way increases as the power of Sagittarius wanes.

Downsize now and avoid the rush!  This may be too melodramatic as history shows that most fundamental changes in the world take a long time to flow through to their conclusions.  It will take until the middle of the next century at least for the world to wind down to the level required for a sustainable environment.  What we will experience in the meantime is numerous incremental adjustments that most of the time are not too great, but accumulate to exact a great change over the next one and a half centuries.  In addition, there is the three-steps-forward-and-two-steps back rule which indicates that some short term reversals of the long-time contraction will occur.

Nevertheless in the short term over the next decade we can expect that contraction and instability will be the order of the day, and the instability is not limited to economics.  The world hit a Scorpio hotspot in 2005 which then saw its first exponential increase in 2007 around the first stirrings of the sub-prime crisis.  Another significant Scorpio increase occurs around 2010 (possibly 2009) and between 2010 and 2015 some serious unsettled times are due but definitely nowhere near the proportion of the Great Depression.  In fact, very few people alive will witness anything of the same magnitude as the Great Depression as the astrological circumstances associated with the Great Depression will not return until around the year 2089.

Despite this prediction for unsettled times, it is extremely unlikely that the doom and gloom currently disseminating around the world will be evident one year from now (or even by Christmas 2008).  The current doom and gloom outlook is associated with a very small part of the Aquarian age that lasts for only around 15 months.  A short digression into the bowels of the Age of Aquarius will show where the world is in relation to the roadmap through the Age of Aquarius.

Ages are around 2160 years long while age-decans exist for about 720 years.  Sub-ages are about 179 years and these can be divided into 12 micro-ages of approximately 15 years each.  Currently, we are in a Cancer micro-age (c.2000 – 2015).  Cancer equals real estate.  Cancer dramatically increased its strength at its halfway point in 2007 coinciding with the first widespread reaction to the US sub-prime debacle.

Drilling down into the Cancer micro-age are three micro-age decans – and the Scorpio micro-age decan sits from c.2005 to 2010.  Scorpio equals debt (and derivatives).  Scorpio is also opposite Taurus – the sign that rules banks.  Not only are banks on the wrong foot in a Scorpio period, but they are also bound to be experiencing even more serious opposition in the period from 2010 to 2015.  Scorpio introduces the debt and derivative aspect of the present crisis and the role played by banks.

This is not the end of the story.  Within micro-ages are also 12 nano-ages of some 15 months each.  Due to the overflow effect, the 15 months immediately following any nano-age is the most powerful manifestation of the nano-age.  Currently, the world is experiencing the effects of a Capricorn nano-age overflow.  When the world experienced the Great Depression the world was in the Capricorn micro-age (1925 – 1940).  Capricorn periods nearly always bring difficult times plus doom and gloom.  The current difficult economic situation, however, is only 1/12th the strength of the Great Depression.  So while the world is experiencing a wee little Capricorn nano-age it may feel like the roof is falling in (if you are an investor or employed in the financial world) and people may hark back to comparisons with the Great Depression of the 1930s.  However, this is a relatively short-lived situation.

On the nano-age level, there will shortly be a reversal when the overflow of the Sagittarius nano-age pushes Capricorn aside for slightly more than a year.  This will temporarily push some optimism and exuberance back into the spotlight, but with a broken arm and bandages.  Capitalism will not recover its former glory after this current financial mess.  2009 may see a sucker’s rally as the short term optimism and exuberance will not be sustained past 2009 or 2010.

Capitalism may be down but it is not out.  For as long as the Aquarian age exists or has influence capitalism will exist.   In the same way that the worst extremes of socialism manifested as communism in the 20th century, the worst excesses of capitalism have now also seen its day.  The world is looking for the middle path.  It is no longer the time for extremist capitalism or socialism – but rather somewhere in the middle.  This is what the sub-periods of the Aquarian age indicate.   And finally, the 21st century will be the most dynamic progressive century seen in the world for over 7,000 years – judging by the condition of the world at present it has its work cut out!

References:

[1] Referring to 2008

[2] The Gemini influence comes from the first sub-age decan of the Libra sub-age (c.1970 – 2148).

Further References

Aquarian Age Economics

Further resources from Terry MacKinnell

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

Demystifying the Aquarian Age – General introduction to the astrological ages

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

This Time Last Age

Very few people realize that sitting here in the modern world in 2008 that we exist within the Age of Aquarius, the sub-age of Libra (there are twelve sub-ages in every age), and eight years within the Cancer micro-age (there are twelve micro-ages in every sub-age – think of wheels within wheels within wheels). If we go back to the last age, the Pisces age, and also search for its sub-age of Libra, and eight years within its Cancer micro-age – we arrive at the year 27 AD.  What was happening around 27 AD?

From the top down this was only three years before the execution of the Christian Messiah – Jesus Christ.  But this must be put into perspective.  The death of Jesus at the time had no impact upon the world outside of his family, very small band of followers and agitated opponents in Jerusalem – an unimportant distant outpost in the Roman Empire.  Think of some local in modern Croatia, Bulgaria or Outer Mongolia being killed by a small mob of angry townsfolk – it would not even appear as a blip on the radar screen of modern media.

Therefore if ages regurgitated events along a similar timescale as previous ages, anyone in the world today fulfilling the role of Jesus would be unknown, out of the public eye, and their death would go as unnoticed as did the death of Jesus in the year 30.  Nevertheless at the time of Jesus’ death, akin to our year 2011, a very specific astrological signature was present.  This signature is based on the signs Scorpio and Pisces.

Since the late 1960s, Scorpio has been the key sign within the Age of Aquarius, and will remain in this powerful position until midway through the next century when Libra takes over.  Whenever a smaller Scorpio period arrives within this major Scorpio period the results are magnified.  At the same period in the last age, the most powerful time for Scorpio was 29 – 34 AD while in this age a similar status exists from 2010 to 2015.

How is Scorpio related to Jesus?  Most astrologers relate the sign Pisces to Christianity and Jesus due to the symbol of fish used by early Christians and various analogies to fish in the stories, parables and life of Jesus.  However very little in astrology is the preserve of only one zodiacal sign despite the confidence trick played onto the general public by sun-sign astrological columns in newspapers and magazines.  Scorpio takes rulership of death, rebirth, regeneration and inner experiences.  All these Scorpio trademarks are closely associated with Jesus.  Jesus and Christianity at the early stage was an amalgam of Pisces and Scorpio.

The critical issue at the death of Jesus from a predictive astrological context is the conflict and discord that was created in this small Jewish settlement by the new Christian/Jewish cult.  One of the key signs associated with Jews is the sign Taurus.  Coincidentally the signs Taurus and Scorpio are opposite.  What this means for Jews is that a Scorpio period created dissension within and without.  Enemies are at their throats (i.e. the Roman Empire) and dissension exists within with new cults (i.e. Christianity among others).

Taking a leaf out of the Scorpio period 29 – 34 AD the same stress and pressures should be expected by Jews and Israel in the period 2010 to 2015 (even 2009).  Jewish interests around the world and Israel in particular can expect to have to deal with the enemy without, and possibly dissension within.  The last time Israel encountered a powerful Scorpio time was from 1962 to 1978 – the peak of Scorpio power from the end of the Scorpio sub-age.  During this time Israel had to deal with the 1967 Six-Day War, the 1972 Munich Olympic Games hostages and deaths, and the 1973 Yom Kippur War amongst a medley of attacks by the PLO and related groups.  Another potent Scorpio time is on the way for Israel.

Will Israel attack Iran, or will Iran attack Israel?  Will Hamas deal a mighty blow against Israel or will Israel drive Hamas out of Gaza?  The details are uncertain, but what is sure from the astrological age’s standpoint, the aggressor is not favored (see Will There be Peace in the Age of Aquarius?).  Alternatively or additionally it is possible that the hawks and doves within Israel may be at odds with each other and that internal dissension is the order of the day.

Another interesting development occurred in Rome in the former Scorpio period when in the year 33 the Roman Emperor Tiberius founded a credit bank offering interest-free loans to offset a severe financial crisis. Real estate values plummeted, and interest rates increased leading to a crisis of confidence severely affecting the upper classes and wealthy.  Many wealthy Roman families were ruined by this credit crunch.  Sounds familiar?

The year 33 is akin to our 2014.  Scorpio is rarely a good sign for banks, money, wealth and the wealthy as they are ruled by Taurus – Scorpio’s opposite sign.

The recent sub-prime and banking crisis originating in the USA may be the preview for a more serious banking and financial crises that may hit between 2010 and 2015.  The Roman experience supports this.

One final note on this time last age.  The current Cancer micro-age affects 2000 – 2019 while the former Cancer micro-age one age ago affected the years 19 to 49 AD.  This period covered the Roman Emperors Tiberius (reign 14-37) and Caligula (reign 37-41).  Tiberius was depressed, reserved and “the gloomiest of men”.   Caligula was considered an insane tyrant who was cruel, extravagant and sexually perverse.  The next insane Roman emperor was Nero but he came later.  The relationship between these mentally troubled Roman emperors and Cancer is that Cancer is one of the key signs that indicate insanity, lunacy and depression.

It is extremely possible and probable that in our modern Cancer period covering 2000 – 2019 that some significant world leader or leaders will also be insane or severely depressed.  Time magazine recently reported that huge numbers of US soldiers in Iraq are being given anti-depressants – the seeds of Cancer are being sown!  This reflects the massive number of people in Western societies taking anti-depressants.    Certainly there has been a spate of shootings by mentally troubled people in recent times.  However the world has not even arrived at the strong point for Cancer yet.

The likelihood of adverse mental health issues affecting the world today is far greater than in the last age because Aquarius is another sign that indicates mental problems.  Aquarius plus Cancer equals a double whammy.  The worst time in the period 2000 -29 for mental health issues to negatively affect the world is the period 2015 – 20 but the tempo is quickening every year from 2007 to 2015.  Hopefully one of these depressed or mentally deranged people will not have their finger on the big button.  The mad Roman Emperors could murder and create havoc but they did not have access to atomic weapons that can create so much misery.

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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