Discover When the Age of Aquarius Starts

The Age of Aquarius is supposed to start soon.slippage that has taken place since the Sun's
Indeed some people say that it has alreadyequinoctial position first moved into Pisces. In
started. They point to humanity's elevatedastrological jargon, this measure is called 'the
consciousness, as well as to a generalayanamsa'.
dissatisfaction with traditional approaches toOne ayanamsa that's popular amongst Western
spirituality. However if you look at the facts, it'sastrologers is the Fagan-Bradley ayanamsa. On
quite clear that the Age of Aquarius doesn't startJanuary 1 2010 the Fagan-Bradley ayanamsa
for centuries.gives the slippage as 24 degrees and 53 minutes.
Unfortunately, the key facts relate to astronomyWhen we convert this to time, we discover that
rather than astrology, but I'll nonetheless try tothe Age of Pisces started at the beginning of the
keep things simple.Third Century AD - I make it around AD 228.
There is a phenomenon known as 'the precessionThis means that the Age of Aquarius doesn't
of the equinoxes'. At the exact time of the Springstart until AD 2376, which isn't for another 366
Equinox, which is in late March in the Northernyears.
Hemisphere, you can map the position of the Sun,So the start of the Age of Pisces coincided with
from the Earth's point of view, onto thethe rapid growth of Christianity, and it heralded
background of the stars.that key historical event, the conversion of the
Every year, against this background, the Sun'sRoman Emperor Constantine to Christianity, at
position will show some slippage, that amounts tothe beginning of the Fourth Century AD.
one degree every seventy-two years. TheAs we look at the Age of Pisces unfolding,
slippage adds up, and after 25,771 years, it willChristianity goes from strength to strength,
have slipped back a full circle, of 360 degrees.though its advance is eventually checked by the
The Sun's Spring Equinox position is broadlyrise of Islam. And of course both Christianity and
speaking related to the constellations, and it willIslam put a high premium on martyrdom. That's a
take 2148 years to go through each of thevery Piscean concept, sacrificing one's life for the
twelve signs of the Zodiac. Yet this is somethingsake of a high purpose.
of an approximation, because the constellationsYet some people would say that Christianity is
are of unequal length.running out of steam, at least in North America
This means, if one is a purist, that theand Western Europe. Isn't this a sign that the Age
Pisces-Aquarius changeover won't happen untilof Pisces is coming to an end, that the Age of
close on AD 3000. This is because theAquarius is just round the corner?
constellation of Pisces is huge, and right now, atHowever if you look at some of the 'new age'
the time of the Spring Equinox, the Sun is in thereplacements for Christianity, they embody many
middle of this constellation. It won't start leavingof the features of the sign Pisces. Fuzzy and
Pisces, and moving into Aquarius, for anotherchaotic thinking, and the embracing of new and
eight hundred years. In other words, the Age ofold fads without asking too many questions.
Aquarius won't start until at least AD 2800.Crystal healing, channelling, dancing with nature, it's
However I think the purist approach is tooall part of the Age of Pisces experience.
extreme. The astrological ages should be of equalIt should also be said that the new age
length, even if this means having a certainmovement has got very little to do with the sign
disconnect with the real constellations. We canAquarius. After all, Aquarius is a tough sign, that's
therefore say that every 2148 years we'll moveruled by Saturn. It's also a sign that's rational, that
from one age to another.puts the head before the heart. And in many
Our next task is to work out what date the Agecases, the sign Aquarius has a tyrannical streak.
of Pisces, which we're still in, actually started.But not to worry. By the time the Age of
To do this, we need a precise measure of theAquarius starts, all of us will be long dead.