By this reckoning, the Age of Aquarius started in 2012. Presuming equal-sized constellations in antiquity, that places the border of the constellations Pisces and Aquarius at 150 degrees west of Regulus, or at the March equinox point. This star moved to within 30 degrees of the September equinox point in 2012, meaning that Regulus left the sign Leo to enter the sign Virgo in that year. That’s because they believe the star Regulus in the constellation Leo the Lion marked the ancient border between the constellations Leo and Cancer. Some astrologers say the Age of Aquarius actually began in 2012. Image via Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps / Wikimedia Commons. In the dark sky, the “water” pouring from the Water Jar of Aquarius is the most noticeable part of this constellation. Fortin’s Atlas Celeste de Flamsteed, published 1776, showing Capricornus and Aquarius. in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology at the University of Wales, Lampeter. Campion, by the way, is director of the Sophia Centre and Course Director of the M.A. The 24th century is in second place (12 claims). He said that most writers claim the Age of Aquarius arrived in the 20th century (29 claims). Campion also reviewed published material on the subject from astrological sources. In The Book of World Horoscopes, Nicholas Campion suggests that approximated dates for entering the Age of Aquarius range from 1447 A.D. And so there is no consensus as to when the Age of Aquarius begins. Apparently, there’s no firm consensus among astrologers as to when the Age of Pisces began, either.
So that’s one big difference between the way astronomers and astrologers look at the constellations.Īlso, you need to consider when the Age of Pisces started to be able to know when the Age of Aquarius begins. But astrologers often like to divide the zodiac into 12 equal sections. The constellations as defined by the IAU are different sizes. Once again, these are the astronomical dates, based on IAU constellation boundaries established in 1930. Looking ahead, again according to Meeus, the March equinox will cross over into the constellation Aquarius in 2597. According to his computations, the sun at the March equinox passed from being in front of the constellation Aries to being in front of the constellation Pisces in 68 B.C. But astrologers or New Age practitioners might or might not choose to use these same boundaries.įamed Belgian astronomer and mathematical wizard Jean Meeus is one who adheres to the IAU’s definitions. So astronomers would tend to mark the beginning of the Age of Aquarius, based upon IAU constellation boundaries. The IAU created “official” constellation boundaries in 1930. In the 20th century, the International Astronomical Union (or IAU) assumed the duty of officially naming and defining all things astronomical. Let’s consider the answer from the point of view of astronomy. Various interpretations give different answers to this often-asked question. When will the sun be in front of Aquarius at the time of the very equinox? When will the Age of Aquarius begin?īut there are no clearcut answers. There should be a clearcut answer as to when that will happen. The Age of Aquarius is said to begin when the vernal equinox point moves from in front of the constellation Pisces to in front of the constellation Aquarius. The location on the sun in the sky at the vernal equinox is called the vernal equinox point or sometimes the March or spring equinox point. A new age might be said to begin at that point. So, roughly every 2,150 years, the sun’s location in front of the background stars – at the time of the vernal equinox – moves in front of a new zodiacal constellation. And there are 12 constellations of the zodiac. The cycle of precession lasts 25,800 years. Precession causes the identity of the Pole Star to change over time.
It’s an astrological age, which occurs because of a real motion of Earth known as precession. The Age of Aquarius isn’t part of astronomy. Da Vinci created this drawing circa 1487.
A common Age of Aquarius symbol: Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Vitruvian Man.
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