Dawning of the Age of Aquarius

By Rudra Shivananda

AquariusLike the song says, it is the dawning of the age of Aquarius, or is it? When do we really enter this much awaited age and what does it mean for us? Unfortunately, the only thing all experts are agreed on is that they all disagree on the timing of this new age. Some say that we are already there while others put the event several hundred years in the future. There are several factors involved that is causing this confusion. First, the exact length of a zodiac age is unsure and the other is the exact point at which a constellation is said to start a new age due.

The zodiacal age is based on the constellation which is in the skies on the spring equinox or March 21st. The zodiac wheel consists of twelve constellations making up around twenty five thousand one hundred years, with each constellation averaging around two thousand one hundred and fifty years. However, the constellations have different sizes and so the ages vary in length. The exact sizes of the constellations have only been determined less than one hundred years ago. In the past, it was estimated by eye and so an age may have started for one or two hundred years or even more before it was seen visually. Thankfully, there is considered to be an overlap of two hundred years when one age ends and another begins.

These twelve constellations have been given different characteristics by the ancient observers and we are still following their model. So each age takes on the characteristics of the constellation that it is named after. We have been or are still in the age of Pisces or the Fish constellation. This may have started over two thousand years ago and we should be at the tail-end of it. During this period, major religions have arisen because of the pull of Pisces while materialism and focus on sexuality has arisen because of the pull from its opposing sign Virgo.

What will the age of Aquarius bring? It should bring technology, worldwide organizations and more focus on humanity while the opposing sign Leo will bring about global warming and a focus on even greater individuality and global dictators. Not exactly the age of peace that the song sings about necessarily. Of course it is over two thousand years long and there could be lots of things going on.

The change into a new age also involves the coming of an avatar or messiah. The new age will bring the Kalki Avatar or Maitreya Buddha or the 2nd Coming of Christ. When this happens or whether these will be a single Being or multiple ones is not clear. This great Being does not come at the beginning of the age necessarily and will be preceded by his helpers who are either ascended Masters or even avatars or Divine incarnations in their own right.

However, it seems to me that rather than waiting for such earth-shattering events to occur, we have the means to bring about our own ideal age through our own efforts. This is what yogic spiritual practice is all about. If we can bring about our own higher consciousness, and then lead others to do so as well, then the world’s consciousness is lifted up to a certain degree which can then lead to changes in society, politics, education and so on.