Aquarius

by Elikozoe

Aquarius, or “Water bearer” is the eleventh sign of the zodiac. A probable origin of the constellation’s symbol comes from ancient Babylon, as the sun was in this sign during the month of heavy rains.

Interestingly, popular New Age beliefs of the Age of Aquarius see it in a more favourable light. Astronomically speaking, the definitions of the “ages” take their origin in a cycle called “precession of the equinox”.

The Earth is in constant motion in space, turning around the sun and around itself. But due to the pull of the Moon combined with the Sun’s, the Earth’s spin is similar to that of a wobbling ball, and the Earth’s axis of rotation changes its orientation during time, tracing a conical shape taking roughly 26,000 years to complete (the Platonic year).

This cycle has an interesting repercussion on our perception of the starry sky, because it gives the impression that the stars are shifting their position over time, not being still and permanent as one may think of, if we see it from our human life-span.

That may be one of the many bones of contention between astronomers and astrologers, since (tropical) astrologers still refer to constellations which are shifting 1 degree every 72 years. When astrology was codified by the Babylonians and the Ancient Greeks the sun was actually in the constellation Aries at the vernal (spring) equinox (whereas it now is in Pisces). Technically, when one is said to be an Aquarius today, the Sun was in fact in the Capricornus constellation (the sidereal sign) at the time of the birth.

While it may give headaches to some, it offers us the interesting notion of Ages, corresponding to 2,150 years, one twelfth of the complete cycle.

The only issue left is to determine “where does this cycle start?”, given that the span of the constellations isn’t equal, some overlap others etc. Only one thing is sure, the point which is the moving cursor pointing at this continuous shift is now at the beginning of the Pisces constellation (returning to Aries in a retrograde motion).

When does the Age of Aquarius start? Does it mean anything? It is safe to say it is up to one’s own interpretation, which isn’t such a bad thing after all.