The Cold Dark Hand of Capricorn

The military styled executions at the offices of the French publication Charlie Hebdo on 7 January 2015 was kind of expected but a shock nevertheless.  A very significant astrological change occurred around December 2014 with the end of an almost 15 years Cancer micro-age[1] and the arrival of a 15 years Gemini micro-age.  I published On the Threshold of Aquarius on 4 January 2015 but the article was focused mainly upon the arrival of the Aquarius micro-age decan (December 2014 – December 2019) of the incoming Gemini micro-age.  Certainly the execution-styled murder of people associated with Charlie Hebdo was ‘in the stars’ because Aquarius breeds not only freedom loving revolutionaries but also reactionary (ultra-conservative) revolutionaries as well.  This is an uncomfortable fact either glossed over or ignored by many who think that the Age of Aquarius is somehow good whereas no zodiacal sign is only good but a mixture of positive, negative and neutral archetypes.  The attack on Charlie Hebdo had all the hallmarks of Aquarius – it was sudden, unexpected and carried out by fringe radical revolutionaries.

Note: If you are unfamiliar with the sub-period structure of the astrological ages, see The Age of Aquarius for Dummies

If we examine all the key signs associated with this event is becomes even clearer.  Firstly, the world is in the Scorpio sub-age overflow (1970-2148) where Scorpio archetypes such as terrorism and revolutionaries are promoted.  Scorpio also indicates a time of great change, and very often this change is resisted because culture is conservative and always tries to maintain the status quo (culture is ruled by the 2^nd house and relates to Taurus, the sign opposite Scorpio, and Taurus is the sign most resistant to change).  When western Christian nations went through their slow evolutionary separation of church and state, there was no ‘advanced’ nation or nations egging them on or disciplining them for being slow.  For non-western countries, the arrival of the global world reality in the 20^th century with western values is doubly troubling because instead of a slow evolutionary change stretching over centuries, western values have been forced upon them over mere decades.  Cultures are conservative, and faced with what appears to be outside demonic forces trying to undermine their culture, many societies or groups within these societies will react badly but from their perspective, they are merely doing the right thing and protecting their culture from outside negative influences.  You must remember that only a few centuries ago Protestants and Roman Catholics were virtually killing each other on sight!

The worldwide cultural disintegration is not a one way trip into a black hole but a rebirth, but for societies faced with what appears to be the destruction of their historic cultural and religious values, it all looks like doom and gloom rather than a phoenix.  To add insult to injury, western nations have been riding roughshod over Islamic nations since relatively early in the 20^th century, mainly in the quest for oil, and in the process western nations have supported anti-democratic governments throughout the Middle East and actively overthrown democratic Middle Eastern governments perceived as threats to the supply of oil through the capitalistic financial system (never get between the pig and the trough).  It is not a pretty picture, as western media, politicians and societies refuse to acknowledge their culpability in the ongoing desecration of Third World societies, many of whom are Islamic societies.  This is common as people are usually blind to the atrocities of their own society and hypersensitive to the actions of other cultures that are contrary to their own social values.

The invasion of Iraq and deaths of over a million Iraqis[2] demonstrated to Muslim populations the callousness of the West. Terrorists do not exist in a vacuum – there is much discontent amongst Muslims around the world against the West for one or a number of very valid reasons, and while most will merely accept or ignore this discontent, the extremists on the fringe will not. It is these extremists that are associated with Aquarius.

The world is currently at the apex of Cancer in the Cancer micro-age and overflow (2000-Dec 2014- 2019) similar to being at the peak of the bell-curve.  Cancer is the sign that is around the top of the totem pole for Islam and the Middle East.  Very quickly upon the arrival of the Cancer micro-age in 2000 the 9/11 attack established the new playing field with Muslims and the Middle East key players (China’s Cancer association also makes it a key player including Russia to a certain extent).  One political commentator noted that if it had not been Al-Quada attacking the USA in 2001 it was only a matter of time before someone from a range of disgruntled groups with valid grievances would have done something similar due to the underhanded and malicious treatment meted out to the world by the USA and its allies over the previous decades.  However, people put patriotism to their culture ahead of concerns for maltreated people in other lands and live in a fog of unreality which is reinforced by their fellow citizens so that such a fog is considered proper and normal.  If it also appears that your own society is ‘advanced’ other societies can be written off as backward.  Pisces is still the strongest influence in the world.

Adding Cancer to Scorpio and mix some salt and we see the volatile combination of difficult social, religious and political transition in many regions or the world; a focus upon Middle Eastern and Islamic nations; and terrorism by those who see no other avenue of addressing their grievances.  To this must be added the arrival of the Gemini micro-age around December 2014 which indicates a rise in religious tensions as Gemini is opposite Sagittarius and Sagittarius is the standard ruler of religions.  Gemini invokes the 7^th house confrontation mode for religions, so while many ‘advanced’ societies will continue to push religion away from the center under Gemini, traditional religious adherents will increase their desire to fight back.  It was under the previous Gemini micro-age (1851-66) that the Americans had their Civil War, and as one historian stated, the American Civil war was the first modern war of religion as both sides went to war over their different perspectives on how God viewed slavery.  There is nothing that the Muslim religious extremists are doing that western culture with its Christianity has not previously experienced in sinking to the depths of depravity in the name of God.

The arrival of the Gemini micro-age around December 2014 also brought with it the sign Aquarius – the first micro-age decan encountered in the Gemini micro-age (see On the Threshold of Aquarius).  Details about this Aquarius micro-age decan and overflow (2014-2019-2024) indicate an increase in intensity, sudden and unexpected events and the growth of revolutionary and reactionary forces in societies.  Under Aquarius, mainstream society (ruled by Aquarius opposite sign Leo) is always under its greatest threat as fringe elements can have far greater effect on societies than the norm. This was why the fringe Nazi’s were able to dominate Germany in the last Aquarius micro-age overflow (1925 – 1940).[3] The revolutionary spirit of Aquarius is also a volatile mix with the revolutionary spirit of Scorpio, sitting in the background for almost the next 150 years.  We are not entering a time of peace yet, nor are we entering a time of war, but we are in a time of deep societal change and terrorism!  The attack on Charlie Hebdo in Paris is astrologically poignant as Paris is the City of Light, and light is Leo.  In an Aquarius time, the energy wants to turn off the lights!

The plot really deepens when we drop down two levels below micro-age decans.  The first decan of the Gemini micro-age is Aquarius, but the first nano-age is Taurus (December 2014 – March 2016).  This Taurus nano-age also has three nano-age decans, and the first nano-age decan is a Capricorn nano-age decan (Dec 2014 – May 2015) followed by the Capricorn nano-age decan overflow (May – Oct 2015) with the peak of this small Capricorn bell-curve (Mar to August 2015) which technically is called the Capricorn quasi nano-age.  Capricorn is a dark sign associated with the dead hand of Satan (on the archetypal level only).  Capricorn demands obedience to authority and to tradition.  Capricorn was the dominant sign at the time of the Spanish Inquisition and the Catholic Church behaved as if Satan was on its throne.

A quick examination of previous Capricorn nano-age decans and overflows may shed some light upon the situation.  The last Capricorn nano-age decan was the middle decan of a Virgo nano-age (April 2011 to July 2012) with the Capricorn nano-age decan and overflow (Sep 2011-Feb 2012-Jul 2012).

• September 2011 – India and Bangladesh sign a pact to end their 40-year border demarcation dispute. (India is traditionally linked to Capricorn).
• September 2011 – The European Union announces an agreement to tackle the European sovereign debt crisis which includes a write-down of 50% of Greek bonds. (This is a typical dour note associated with Capricorn).
• December 2011 – Samoa and Tokelau move from east to west of the International Date Line, thereby skipping December 30. (Time is always ruled by Capricorn).
• January 2012 – The European Union adopts an embargo against Iran in protest of that nation’s continued effort to enrich uranium. (Dealing with typical Capricorn bad news.)
• February 2012 – Eurozone finance ministers reach an agreement on a second, €130-billion Greek bailout. (Ongoing bad financial news appropriate for Capricorn)
• July 2012 – In the worst power outage in world history, the 2012 India blackouts leave 620 million people without power. (Another focus upon Capricorn India plus ‘loss’ or ‘shortage’)
• September 2012 – A series of terrorist attacks are directed against US diplomatic missions worldwide and some European allies. In the US, opinions are divided over whether the attacks are a reaction to a YouTube trailer for the film Innocence of Muslims. In Libya, among the dead is US ambassador. (The USA is associated with Capricorn and the Middle East with its opposite sign Cancer.)[4]

I will skip an examination of the Capricorn nano-age and overflow (Apr 2006 – Jul 2007 – Oct 2008) as this is too powerful compared to a Capricorn nano-age decan.  The next Capricorn nano-age decan is found as the first decan of the Taurus nano-age (May to August 2001) with the Capricorn nano-age decan and overflow (May – Oct 2001 – Mar 2002).  Nano-age decans will equally color an event associated with a different zodiacal sign as much as provide an event directly associated with the nano-age decan.  This is the case with the 9/11 attack on the USA.  The major theme here is the Cancer micro-age (Feb 2000-Dec 2014) which placed Muslim, Middle East and Chinese issues at the top of the totem pole.  The Gemini nano-age overflow May 2001 to August 2002 provided the archetypal relationship to Gemini specifically the attack on the ‘twin towers’.  In addition, Gemini sits at the 12^th house position to Cancer, the sign associated with Islam and the Middle East.  The 12^th house brings problems, especially ‘self-made’ problems, and the Muslim world has suffered, one way or another, ever since.  Certainly the 9/11 attack brought a serious somber mood to the world and the beginning of what could be called an extender downer period with the Afghan and nonsensical Iraq invasions soon to follow.

• May 2001 – In Bosnia and Herzegovina, an attempt is made to reconstruct the Ferhadija mosque but in a mass riots by Serb nationalists, 300 elderly Bosnian Muslims are beaten and stoned. (Capricorn opposing Cancer Islam)
• May 2001 – Sherpa Temba Tsheri, 16, becomes the youngest person to summit Mount Everest. (Capricorn rules mountains)
• June 2001 – Crown Prince Dipendra of Nepal kills his father, the king, his mother and other members of the royal family with an assault rifle and then shoots himself in the Nepalese royal massacre. (Capricorn upper class and assault)
• June 2001 – George W. Bush signs the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, the first tax cut of a series now known as the Bush tax cuts. (Distinctly favoring the Capricorn upper class in the USA)
• July 2001 – The 27th G8 summit takes place in Genoa, Italy. Massive demonstrations are held against the meeting by anti-globalization groups. One demonstrator is shot dead and several others are badly injured during a police attack on a school used by the protesters as their headquarters. (General oppression by Satanic forces)
• September 11 – 2,997 people are killed in the September 11 attacks at the World Trade Center in New York City, The Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia and in rural Shanksville, Pennsylvania
• October 2001 – The United States invades Afghanistan, with participation from other nations.
• October 2001 – SIEV X sinks en route to Christmas Island, killing 353 people (Cancer is ruler of boats)
• October 2001 – U.S. President George W. Bush signs the Patriot Act into law (Typical oppressive dark laws associated with top-down control of such dubious nature that many provisions were later deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court)
• December 2001 – Enron files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection – the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history to that time. (Typical Capricorn loss and bad news)
• December 2001 – During economic crisis in Argentina government effectively froze all bank accounts for twelve months which led to riots.
• December 2001 – The Parliament of India is attacked; 12 are killed. This brings India and Pakistan to the brink of war. (Capricorn is always associated with India)
• December 2001 – U.S. President George W. Bush announces the US withdrawal from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. (The forces of darkness again on the rise)
• December 2001 – The People’s Republic of China is granted permanent normal trade status with the United States (Cancer China and Capricorn US)
• February 2002 – Godhra train burning: 59 Hindu pilgrims die aboard the Sabarmati Express train burned by Muslim extremists at Godhra in the Indian state of Gujarat, starting the 2002 Gujarat violence. (Capricorn India again with Cancer Muslims in 7^th house aggressive mode)

Taking both Capricorn nano-age decan periods into account, we should expect one or more notable events associated with India, some bad financial news, perhaps a change involving time or calendars, incidents involving major mountains, oppressive laws that curtail democratic freedoms, favoritism towards the rich elite (i.e. reduction in tax paid by corporations and the rich), aggression towards and by Islamic associated groups, major shipping  accidents, suppression and oppression of the (Cancer) general public and the general public is in a bad mood or feeling insecure.

There have been numerous random attacks recently by disaffected Muslims but these have been undertaken by lone wolves usually with mental disorders (also ruled by Cancer).  The arrival of the Aquarius micro-age decan introduced a new angle, one that does not require mental instability even though there are sure to be more atrocities carried out by mentally disoriented and disgruntled fringe dwellers taking their revenge upon the Great Satan of western society. In the current scenario, the dark conservative forces have been unleashed, allegorically like unleashing the kraken. The darkest part will not last long, but it could get worse before it gets better later in 2015 (i.e. post March 2015).  We should expect dour and somber development until around October 2015.  Like the first Capricorn nano-age decan encountered in the new Cancer micro-age (2000-14), the current Capricorn nano-age decan sits at the beginning of the new Gemini micro-age (2014-29) so we should definitely see some major change introducing a different twist associated with Gemini, and not necessarily associated with the Capricorn period (analysis of possible Gemini developments requires a separate post).  The Capricorn nano-age decan resides in the Taurus nano-age, which is overall, a placid and peaceful sign.  After some possible copycat terrorist events over the next few months, relative calm should return until the arrival of the following Aries nano-age around March 2016.  Aries is never a calm time!  In the last Aries nano-age (Aug 2002 – Nov 2003) the Coalition of the Stupid invaded Iraq on 19 March 2003! The West is paying for this ongoing stupidity now while their populations behave like ostriches pushing their heads deeper in their delusionary hole of ‘innocence’.  This is the real recipe for disaster.

Democratic nations may be democratic within their own borders, but outside of their borders, democracies can unleash all forms of barbarism.  Michael Leunig, one of Australia’s most famous cartoonists, classically described this situation in a cartoon showing a number of bombers dropping masses of bombs with the countless falling bombs spelling out “the terrorism of the privileged and powerful”[5] with the landscape below being bombed to smithereens.  Until the democratic West respects other regions of the world (Capricorn), it can expect terrorists in their midst.

In summary, the terrorist attack is associated with an archetypal war between Capricorn and Aquarius which is strong all the way through to about October 2015.  In this archetypal war, western culture is primarily relating to the Aquarius’ democracy and free speech archetype and extremist Islamic terrorists are primarily relating to the Capricorn archetype of respect as while the West sees free speech as a right and a societal bedrock, this is not a strong reality in most of the world, and in the absence of democracy, respect is the glue that holds or controls society. Over the long run, the Aquarius archetypes will win, but not within our lifetimes.

References:

[1] Each astrological age of some 2,160 years has 12 sub-ages of around 179 years each.  Each sub-age has 12 micro-ages (of some 15 years each).  Each micro-age has 12 nano-ages (of some 15 months each).  Each age, sub-age, micro-age and nano-age can be divided into three decans.  The smallest period identified to date with clear associations to developments in the world are 5 month nano-age decans, referred to in the above.

[2] Iraq War. Wikipedia, Retrieved 08:16, January 9, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Iraq_War&oldid=641270532

[3] Overflow Effect – the momentum of any age or sub-period of an age period will carry over into the following period, but the effects of the new period will not occur in advance. As a consequence any astrological age is like a wave that breaks at its end. At the end of any age or sub–period its momentum peaks and washes over the next period. Therefore in the current Aquarian Age the influence from the previous Pisces age peaked at 1433 AD, and this influence washes over the Aquarian Age while Aquarius is building up its own momentum. The Overflow Effect is particularly strong in the first half of the following period

[4] All these events are directly taken from Wikipedia entries for 2011 and 2012

[5] Michael Leunig, “The Essential Leunig”, Viking, p 141