The astrological age of Aries ended right around the the time of the rise of Christianity, and the beginning of the Age of Pisces. This was a very turbulent period, the early Gnostics being, I think, hold-overs from the Age of Aries, which keynoted courage and adventure--thus, they tended to reject the authoritarianism of the early church which was ruled by the Age of Pisces, and were branded as heretics by the like of Bishop Iraneus.

Now that the Age of Pisces is ending and the Age of Aquarius is beginning, we see the most religious turbulence of any time in the past 2000 years. A keynote of Pisces is "I believe"--typified by the words of the hymn "this I know, for the Bible tells me so." More authority. Now the authority of the church is breaking down--witness the ongoing scandals of the numerous priests outed as pedophiles and thieves. The thievery isn't getting much press coverage, but it is there.

The keynote of the Age of Aquarius is "I know," and a return to going inward for answers (ironically, this is exactly what Jesus was talking about when he was quoted as saying "the kingdom of God is within you.") Thousands, if not millions of people are moving in this direction--folks like Madonna taking up Kaballah; people joining up with Neale Donald Walsch and many others of his ilk--John Holland, Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, people banding together to study the Urantia Book or A Course in Miracles-- as well as thousands of others--such as my wife and myself--who are working in relative obscurity and out of the public eye.

The "downside" of this is a hardening of attitudes-as people of whatever religious or spiritual persuasion-- "know" that they are right. One can only hope that this will be tempered by a spirit of ecumenism--the idea that we are All One, and that no one religion or mindset has all the answers, or that there is any such thing as the "one true religion."

One can only hope that as a species we get it all sorted out before we manage to turn the planet into a radioactive charcoal briquet or--more likely--a huge toxic waste dump.

If all theists died the world would be a better place.

Men will not be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.

what does the position of the stars have anything to do with people finally smartening up and rejecting religion?

what does the position of the stars have anything to do with people finally smartening up and rejecting religion?

Haha I was thinking the same thing but than thats probably what most people who don't believe in astrology or the zodiac would say. In any event the fact is people are getting smarter (for the most part) and are starting to reject organized religion and looking for their own answers.

The keynote of the Age of Aquarius is "I know," and a return to going inward for answers (ironically, this is exactly what Jesus was talking about when he was quoted as saying "the kingdom of God is within you.")

Very interesting.

...I know... :)

One can only hope that this will be tempered by a spirit of ecumenism--the idea that we are All One, and that no one religion or mindset has all the answers, or that there is any such thing as the "one true religion."

I agree.

One can only hope that as a species we get it all sorted out before we manage to turn the planet into a radioactive charcoal briquet or--more likely--a huge toxic waste dump.

We can only hope.

Who knows. Maybe we'll experience different outcomes relating to our current beliefs.

If all theists died the world would be a better place.

Men will not be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.

Oh, so we would be better off governed by atheists--like Stalin, Mao, and Castro, to name but a few.

I think maybe someone has been playing too many violent video games, or reading a very limited selection of Nietszche.

Gnosticism is what the earlier Christian Pagans founded there beliefs on. Do be honest Christianity should be a mix between Gnosticism and The Teachings of Christ. I consider myself a Christian Gnostic. The belief is simple To Know Thyself and obtain Gnosis (Knowledge) however this Gnosis is not intellectual but rather intuition like... You gain this thru, meditation, prayer, contemplation, morality... etc.... However, the experience varies one person may report mystical experience another more practical or intutive "Knowing w/o actually Knowing." However, this summary is way to short and disgraceful to sum up like this... Instead I give you a Website with a large forum of other practicing gnostic's and two books worth reading:

PTG (Palm Tree Garden)-
http://www.palmtreegarden.org/forum/index.php

BOOKS-

Gnosticism: New Light on the Ancient Tradition of Inner Knowing by Stephen A Hoeller (An Postmodern Heritic Catholic Bishop)

The Gnostic Gospels by Elaine Pagels (Well respect for research in the Gnostic Community)

Oh, so we would be better off governed by atheists--like Stalin, Mao, and Castro, to name but a few...

We would be best governed by those possessing logic and reason, not those who base their opinions on bronze age superstition and myth.

Stalin, Mao, and Castro did/do not perform atrocities because of their atheism. They did/do so because they were/are seriously screwed up individuals. Claiming that one performs evil acts due to one's being an atheist is simply a bullshit assertion.

I dare say that the exact opposite would apply to the religious among us. There have been good people who have done terrible deeds in the name of their religion.

Oh, so we would be better off governed by atheists--like Stalin, Mao, and Castro, to name but a few.

exceptions do not prove rules

that religious leaders have been responsible for great evils is undeniable and they have done so in the name of their religions

atheist dictators did not do anything in the name of atheism and their lack of faith was merely an incidental detail

also

human significance attached to the alignment of the stars has no impact on what happens in the world aside from the self fulfillment arising from those who believe such nonsense

to make sweeping statements about typical characteristics of a two thousand year period and claim that there are common themes resulting from a particular age encompassing it is also idiotic

Fact of the matter is, we're better off governed by ourselves, because leaders, be they religious or not, tend to get big egos. Plato's idea of a philosopher-king is a noble ideal, but after they go through all the training Plato recommends, they're more likely to be a sociopathic wreck then a wise ruler. Of course, I wouldn't say any of the current rulers are better...

As for looking for common themes among ages, ho w is that idiotic? It's useful to look at history in ages (stone age, industrial age, etc.). Applying the Zodiac to this concept simply allows one to add another layer of meaning, and perhaps see connections that couldn't be seen with any other system. Rather than criticizing the technique, try it out for yourself and see what you find!

Oh, so we would be better off governed by atheists--like Stalin, Mao, and Castro, to name but a few.

I think maybe someone has been playing too many violent video games, or reading a very limited selection of Nietszche.

Yes we would. You named but a few, but you know that there are COUNTLESS religious figures throughout most of recorded history who have committed more heinious crimes than Stalin, Mao, and Castro combined and multiplied by 3.

Besides, truxfixr already made this point:

"Stalin, Mao, and Castro did/do not perform atrocities because of their atheism. They did/do so because they were/are seriously screwed up individuals. Claiming that one performs evil acts due to one's being an atheist is simply a bullshit assertion.

I dare say that the exact opposite would apply to the religious among us. There have been good people who have done terrible deeds in the name of their religion."

Fact is we are better off being governed by logic, and reason that we have ever been or will ever be from a theistic governing body.

As for looking for common themes among ages, how is that idiotic? It's useful to look at history in ages (stone age, industrial age, etc.). Applying the Zodiac to this concept simply allows one to add another layer of meaning, and perhaps see connections that couldn't be seen with any other system. Rather than criticizing the technique, try it out for yourself and see what you find!

I think idiotic may be strong of a word, but I do agree with them. Looking at history is ages helps us with only one thing, organization. Astrology is just like reading tarot cards, ruins, burned leaves, etc. The meanings are defined in such a way that they are to be interpreted by you anyway, so why fill it up with a false system?

Yes, it adds another layer of meaning. But does that "meaning" really tells us anything? Does it help in making decisions? If you say yes, do you honestly think it is becasue where something is located out in space?

But does that "meaning" really tells us anything? Does it help in making decisions?

Does anything?

Does anything not?

Does anything?

Does anything not?

Depends on what your referring to in my post. In your saying does anything really have meaning or not, than it only comes down to the meaning that you personally attach to it.

Does meaning help make decisions? Well I know that this green thing in my pocket is called a 20 dollar bill and it means I can buy 20 dollars worth of stuff. This helps me make decision what i can and can not buy with that 20 dollars.

How does astrology help me make decisions?

it only comes down to the meaning that you personally attach to it.

Yeah.

How does astrology help me make decisions?

I suppose it comes down to the meaning attached to it.

Yes, it adds another layer of meaning. But does that "meaning" really tells us anything? Does it help in making decisions? If you say yes, do you honestly think it is becasue where something is located out in space?

One could scientifically justify astrology by the merit that all of these celestial objects have gravitational fields which overlap with and influence our own. Our solar system is a chaotic system, and every mass within it has some influence over the whole system.

Whether one chooses to believe this interpretation or not, one cannot deny some of the synchronicities that pop up in the application of astrology to history. For example, the date of the Trinity test, the first explosion of a nuclear weapon, is July 16, 1945. If you draw up a natal chart for the atomic bomb, you'll see that it's a Cancer with Cancer rising. Of course, that's merely a coincidence, right?

How does astrology help me make decisions?

The same way any other divination system does, in whatever way works for you. In the same way it gives us a different perspective on the past, it can show us the present or future in a way we might not have otherwise thought about.

When I read newspaper horoscopes, for example, I don't stop after reading the advice for my sign, I read everybody's advice, and see what jumps out at me. This is because it's all good advice, whether or not it has any scientific basis. This kind of divination is really more akin to bibliomancy than astrology, though.

Here's one way I used astrology to make a decision. A first date told me after finding out my sign that we wouldn't get along because I was an air sign. I made the decision right there not to go out on any more dates with her if she was going to judge me by my natal chart rather than my actions and personality.

So, you see, astrology doesn't hold all the answers; it's a different way of interpreting the answers.

One could scientifically justify astrology by the merit that all of these celestial objects have gravitational fields which overlap with and influence our own. Our solar system is a chaotic system, and every mass within it has some influence over the whole system.

I can deff agree with you there, but thats only talking in respect to gravitation of something reacting with everything else in the universe. It isnt necessarily astrological.

Whether one chooses to believe this interpretation or not, one cannot deny some of the synchronicities that pop up in the application of astrology to history. For example, the date of the Trinity test, the first explosion of a nuclear weapon, is July 16, 1945. If you draw up a natal chart for the atomic bomb, you'll see that it's a Cancer with Cancer rising. Of course, that's merely a coincidence, right?.

The bible made some predictions too. Why I predicted yesterday that I wouldn't have anything to do today. I'm not saying that it has to be concidence, but surely not because of the specific position of everything in the universe.

I mean, unless you could know everything about the universe and how it will be at said time than you could say the predictions are accurate. This is like the dice scenario, if you knew every aspect of that throw of the dice you could not only predict but know where they would land.

The same way any other divination system does, in whatever way works for you. In the same way it gives us a different perspective on the past, it can show us the present or future in a way we might not have otherwise thought about.

I have to agree with you there, in any event they open you up to things you haven't thought about.

When I read newspaper horoscopes, for example, I don't stop after reading the advice for my sign, I read everybody's advice, and see what jumps out at me. This is because it's all good advice, whether or not it has any scientific basis. This kind of divination is really more akin to bibliomancy than astrology, though.

Here's one way I used astrology to make a decision. A first date told me after finding out my sign that we wouldn't get along because I was an air sign. I made the decision right there not to go out on any more dates with her if she was going to judge me by my natal chart rather than my actions and personality.

So, you see, astrology doesn't hold all the answers; it's a different way of interpreting the answers.

This is exactly what I am trying to point out though, its not really astrology, your pretty much just taking advice from whoever writes those horoscopes. I mean either you choose to say well yea that can go good in my life or it might be of some value to today or sumtime in the future.

I'm just saying that there is nothing behind astrology anymore than there is behind messages printed on a daily calendar, or something of that sort. Astrology just has a "source" for what it does (position of stars and planets, etc.) to back up what it claims.

In the end it comes down to advice.