Generational Patterns Using Astrology

distribution.

Introduction

Brief Introduction to Astrology

There are four parts to an astrology chart: signs, planets, aspects, and houses. These form the basis of the chart.

There are 12 signs (Aries, Taurus, etc.) that are arranged along the circle of the zodiac. Each sign is exactly one-twelfth of the 360 degrees of the whole zodiac – therefore each sign is 30 degrees. The Sun, Moon, and planets all move along this zodiacal circle (in astrology, the Sun and Moon are also called ‘planets’). As they move, each planet ‘transits’ the signs.

So, at the spring equinox, the Sun moves into the sign Aries, a month later the Sun is in Taurus, and a month after that it is in Gemini, etc. Likewise the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto move through the signs. Whereas the Sun takes a month per sign and a year to circle the zodiac, the Moon takes two and a half days per sign and a month to circle the whole zodiac. The slowest-moving planet, Pluto, takes 246 years to circle the zodiac and averages 21 years per sign.

As the planets move through the zodiac, they form angular relationships, called ‘aspects’, to each other. When two planets are at the same part of the zodiac (when they are right next to each other in the sky), they are said to be ‘conjunct’. At the new Moon, the Sun and Moon are conjunct. When they are at opposite sides of the zodiac, 180 degrees apart, they are said to be ‘in opposition’. At the Full Moon, the Sun and Moon are in opposition; when the Sun sets at the western horizon, the Moon is rising in the east. Another way of saying this is that ‘the Sun opposes the Moon’.

Conjuncts merge the energy of the two planets and start a cycle. The cycle completes when the faster-moving planet comes back around to conjunct the slower-moving planet. On a clock, the hour and minute hand are conjunct at noon. They conjunct again at about 1:06 pm when the faster-moving minute hand catches up to the slower-moving hour hand. At around 12:33 pm the hands are in opposition.

The longest cycle is that of Neptune and Pluto. This cycle takes 493 years (two cycles of Pluto and three of Neptune). For more information, see the Aspects section below.

The houses are in individual people’s charts – there are 12 houses, which start with the ascendent or eastern horizon. These are areas of life. Each house is numbered, starting with the first house and ending with the twelfth house. So, for example, the fourth house, like the fourth sign of Cancer, is the area of the home and family.

Each planet is both in a sign and in a house. For example, you may have Pluto in Leo in the tenth house.

To have your chart – your natal horoscope – drawn for you, go to any chart calculation service or a friend with a computer and an astrology program.

Historical Cycles

Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.

    George Santayana

Are there cycles in history? Of course there are. These cycles can help you to understand the generation into which you and those close to you were born. The ability to predict what people will be like in the future is based on the cycles repeating. Just as a weather forecaster can see a storm approaching and compares it to other, similar storms, so we can see what each cycle has meant in the past and use it to predict the future.

The cycles used in this book are based on astrology, specifically the cycles of the outer planets: Jupiter through Pluto. The outer planets of each person are in a specific pattern of sign and aspect at birth, but after that, the planets continue their movements – the ‘transits’ – and go to other signs and form different aspects.

This book focuses on the cycles of the outer planets in the signs and how the generations born with them will act. This is the ‘nature’ of each person – his or her birth or ‘natal’ pattern. But you are also shaped by how you fit into the cycles of your country, so there is a section on the generational patterns of the United States and Europe.

Before we examine the cycles, we need to understand the outer planets and the signs of the zodiac. We will focus here on the broader meaning of the outer planets and the broader, impersonal qualities of the signs.

The Planets

Astrology has slower-moving planets that define broad social change and generational patterns, and inner planets that rule more individual qualities. For our purposes, the following planets are useful for viewing long-term social change:

Jupiter – one year per sign or 12 years for the zodiac

Saturn – two and a half years per sign or 29 years for the zodiac

Uranus – seven years per sign or 84 years for the zodiac

Neptune – 14 years per sign or 164 years for the zodiac

Pluto – 12 to 32 years per sign (it has an erratic orbit); average of 21 years per sign with 246 years for the zodiac

The planets can be thought of as an onion. The slowest-moving planets form the deepest layers and have the broadest effects. The outer planets fall into two camps. Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto fall into one camp of transcendental planets, while Jupiter and Saturn fall into the other camp of planets with broad social, political, and material stability.

The transcendental planets in the sky rule change and transformation. They break out of the limits of ‘normalcy’ characterized by Saturn and Jupiter. However, in an individual’s chart, they define that person’s (often unquestioned) wisdom, faith, and reality.

Each person is born with a planet in a sign and house, which becomes part of who he or she ‘is’ and of that individual’s generational footprint. Then throughout the person’s lifetime, each planet visits other signs and houses.

As an example, if you have Jupiter in Aries, for you Jupiter would always represent the need to kick open doors, to plan aggressively, etc. As Jupiter spends a year in each sign, this aggressive Jupiter would find itself in different circumstances. When Jupiter goes through Pisces, you would need to be more compassionate and helpful to the downtrodden, but your tendency would be to try to help by angrily telling them to better themselves!

Jupiter

Jupiter takes one year per sign. When you were in school, most of your classmates were in the same Jupiter sign. This explains why each different grade in school has a different quality.

Jupiter is your sense of humor, your optimism, your need for growth, how you expand into new possibilities, and your plans. Images for Jupiter are a rotund politician or jovial businessman. Jupiterians, due to their magnetism, tend to be lucky, and oftentimes wealthy. Each generation of Jupiterians has a different sense of humor and different plans to improve their lives. This is the rational and reasonable planet.

Sometimes Jupiter can be rational and reasonable when the situation calls for immediate change or action. Jupiter can smooth over what really needs to be addressed. For example, if you discover you have been underpaid and overworked relative to your co-workers, and you have turned down better offers, a reasonable and rational explanation from your smiling boss really won’t cut it.

Jupiter’s downfall is greed, over-reaching, and snobbishness. These are the classic sins of hubris.

Each Jupiter generation’s particular sense of superiority or inferiority is based on Jupiter. The generation with Jupiter in Scorpio feels superior because they are more intense, while the generation with Jupiter in Virgo feels superior because they know more facts, are neater, and are more efficient.

Saturn

Saturn is, in many ways, the opposite of Jupiter. Jupiter is humorous; Saturn is serious. Jupiter is expansive; Saturn contractive. Jupiter is optimistic; Saturn is pessimistic. Jupiter is limitless; Saturn limits. Jupiter is liberal; Saturn is conservative. Jupiter looks forward to the future; Saturn looks back to the past. Jupiter can be greedy and superior; Saturn can be just the opposite: miserly and inferior. Yet they are both social planets.

Jupiter bonds people through a common goal, while Saturn bonds people through organization, especially hierarchical organization.

Saturn is where you feel you must ‘get it together’. All your fears and your sense of inadequacy come up in the natal sign of Saturn, and you sense you must accomplish something lasting within that realm.

The way people view authority and the types of leaders they follow tend to be a function of Saturn. For example, Saturn in Gemini represents intellectual authority, Saturn in Sagittarius represents political and religious authority, and so on.

While Jupiter is middle age, Saturn is old age. The sign where Saturn is placed in your chart indicates where you are conservative and serious.

In political astrology, Saturn represents the infrastructure, the government, the corporations, and the ‘establishment’. When people talk about ‘going through channels’, they are talking about Saturn. The best tactic with Saturn is delay – stretch it out for years until all the fire and immediacy have left the issue. Saturn is time. ‘One step at a time’ is the Saturn mantra.

Aspects to Saturn involve the relationship to government and to those in established positions of control. In a natal chart, Saturn represents how you view authority – either your own authority, or, if projected, another’s authority.

Jupiter is liberal and optimistic; Saturn is conservative and pessimistic. Jupiter believes people are basically good, that they need to be given the means to be productive and they will improve the situation. Saturn believes just the opposite; it believes people will take advantage of others, are basically evil and, given the chance, will rob others blind. Jupiter, therefore, believes in giving more to the poor, and Saturn believes in giving less to the ‘thieving’ poor. Jupiter believes in being caring and nurturing, like a mother or a caring father, while Saturn believes in blind ‘justice’ and stern father figures. Negative Saturn is the scrooge archetype.

Saturn is the planet of fear and difficulties. What you fear and how you handle fear come from Saturn. How you approach difficult situations can be predicted by your Saturn placement.

Uranus

Uranus is the start of the outer planet trio of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. Saturn is the last ‘traditional’ planet and the capstone on ‘normal’ reality. The outer planets break you out of normal routine and awaken you to alternative ways of living.

Uranus is like a brief jolt that breaks you out of your normal life. Uranus is electrical excitement, the flash of recognition, the winds of change and revolution, and the wisdom that pierces through blocks. Uranus is unfettered joy and flashes of inventiveness. Uranus can also be weird, eccentric, and unsettling.

What excites each generation is Uranus. The Uranus-in-Gemini generation gets excited about books and ideas. Uranus in Cancer feels the joy of cooking and the excitement of home and family. In Leo, Uranus gets excited and joyful through drama and romance.

People try to become free of the sign in which Uranus was when they were born – they rebel. With Uranus in Gemini, people try to free themselves of the mind; with Uranus in Cancer, they try to free themselves from their family and from having a family dependent on them.

Uranus is the planet of freedom. People find freedom through the sign Uranus occupies. People with Uranus in Leo find freedom through fun and games. People with Uranus in Gemini get their freedom through curiosity, thought, and writing.

But Uranus also rules people’s ideals – the goals toward which they strive and what they ‘hope’ will happen. For example, people with Uranus in Cancer try to rebel against their upbringing while simultaneously striving for their ideal home life and family. Uranus in Cancer hopes people will be more caring; Uranus in Libra hopes for greater harmony and justice between people.

How people deal with their causes or ideals is Uranus. Uranus in Aries fights for ideals; Uranus in Gemini talks about ideals; and Uranus in Cancer cares about ideals.

Uranus is like the ascendant of the generation. Uranus is the way people perceive the world and the way the generation comes across (i.e. the equivalent of viewpoint and personality ruled by the ascendant in a person’s chart). For example, Uranus in Aries views life as the survival of the fittest; Uranus in Gemini sees life as a mental challenge; and Uranus in Scorpio sees life as sexual, magnetic, and intensely intriguing.

Each generation tries to come across as the sign its Uranus occupies. Uranus in Aries tries to come across as forceful and commanding; Uranus in Scorpio tries to come across as intense, magnetic, and sexy; Uranus in Cancer tries to come across as caring; and Uranus in Gemini tries to come across as intellectual.

Among the primary spiritual qualities of joy, love, and peace, Uranus is the aspect of joy.

Neptune

Neptune is your image. Each generation’s image is filtered through the sign in which Neptune was at their birth. This image pervades the TV programs, advertising, movies, novels, and general culture of the time. What each generation dreams about, what confuses them, where their illusions are, and what appearances they maintain are all Neptune. People’s compassion and faith come through this planet. Neptune takes 14 years to transit a sign.

For example, the Neptune-in-Virgo generation, which came of age in the 1950s, tries to maintain the illusion of being clean-cut, polite, organized, and of service to others. However, because image is everything, they may actually have all the clutter hidden in a closet. The Neptune-in-Libra generation, which came of age in the 1960s, idealizes relationships, music, and art. This generation wants to appear harmonious. This is the ‘flower child’ generation. The Neptune-in-Scorpio generation that followed is into Kiss, Black Sabbath, piercings, and punk.

Neptune is like the Moon of a person’s chart, only for each generation. It’s the emotionality, the glamour, and the comfortable images of each generation.

But the most important aspect of Neptune is faith – not just religious faith, but faith in self, faith in society, faith in government, faith in the economy, and even faith in science. When faith in institutions or self is disrupted, major consequences follow.

Whereas Uranus is joy, Neptune is love or compassion. Neptune is the glue that holds people together and also the grease that allows hard situations to be tolerated. When Pluto shows an unpleasant reality, Neptune covers it over with an illusion or tries to escape it.

The downfalls of Neptune are guilt, hypocrisy, illusions, false glamour, and disenchantment. On a broad scale, when the faith and image of a whole society are being transformed, as during a Neptune-Pluto conjunct or opposition, the times will be trying. Those with Neptune conjunct Pluto in their chart will live in trying times.

The spirit of the times is Neptune. Another word for this spirit is ‘culture’ – the cultural milieu is Neptunian. Each generation’s culture comes through Neptune. Neptune in Libra has a culture of music and art; Neptune in Scorpio has a culture of cynicism and sexuality.

Here also are drugs and dreams. How each generation relates to their dreams and what they use drugs to achieve, or to escape from, is through Neptune. Neptune in Libra uses drugs and dreams to relate to others – communal drugs and dream circles are part of this generation’s legacy. Neptune in Scorpio use drugs for sexual enhancement (Viagra) and to improve their sense of power. Neptune in Sagittarius use drugs to expand their awareness and to travel to other realms.

Pluto

This planet uncovers the depths. Pluto exposes the underlying reality and power issues. Whereas Neptune veils, Pluto unveils. Pluto is the planet of revelation. What each generation assumes to be ‘real’ is Pluto. The destiny, or fate, of each generation is Pluto; people feel they must do Plutonian things. Each generation’s ‘all or nothing’ is Pluto. It reveals their primal dualities. For example, the Pluto-in-Virgo generation has both people who are ‘slackers’ and others who are workaholics; in other words, they are all or nothing about work. The Pluto-in-Leo generation includes people who must have fun, who must follow life paths with that have ‘heart’, and must be creative, and it also includes others who can be totally self-centered egotists (the ‘me’ generation) and against all bosses (ruled by Leo).

Pluto rules whoever has the power, and how that is decided for each generation. With Pluto in Virgo, for example, the most technical people, the ones in command of the most facts, and the best workers, have the power within that generation. With Pluto in Leo, the best performers and the people with the most heart have the power – but so do those who operate the best in risky situations (gambling is Leo).

Pluto takes between 12 and 32 years to transit a sign. Pluto has the most erratic orbit of all the planets. When it is near Scorpio, it takes 12 years; when it is near Taurus, it takes 32 years. So the Pluto-in-Scorpio generation takes place over less than half the time of the Pluto-in-Taurus generation – many of the Pluto-in-Taurus generation had parents with the same Pluto; none of the Pluto-in-Scorpio generation have parents with Pluto in that sign.

In fact, for a while when near Scorpio, Pluto actually goes inside the orbit of Neptune. People of this generation can be less grounded in reality because they live more on faith or image. In the most recent generation, they spend more time playing computer simulations (Neptune) than actually going out into the ‘real’ world.

Pluto is like the Sun of each generation. The core reality, the bedrock stability, of people is their Pluto. Just as the Sun is people’s fundamental way of acting, so Pluto is a generation’s reality that forms the basis of their actions.

Your sense of survival is tied up with Pluto, also. It is life or death, psychically, when Pluto is involved. Sometimes it is death and then life – in other words, rebirth. When Pluto transits, something dies, but something else may be born. When Pluto transited Scorpio, sex (ruled by Scorpio) became a life-and-death issue due to AIDS. Children are often born with Pluto making strong aspects to the parents’ charts, which means the child will awaken the parents to whatever is indicated by Pluto as the child grows up.

When the veil of illusion of Neptune is drawn back, you get the revelation of Pluto. At that point, there is no denying what is going on; there is no vagueness. So, the sign of Pluto is how each generation is brought face-to-face with reality.

Pluto can be the peacefulness of the depths or the violent agitation of the surface. Pluto also represents the quiet before the storm or the eye of the hurricane.

People in undifferentiated masses are represented by Pluto. For example, the Saturn-Pluto cycle involves the masses versus the establishment (Saturn). How each generation bonds into a social mass is through Pluto. For example, Pluto in Leo bonds through fun and entertainment, while Pluto in Virgo bonds through technology, work, and service.

In transit, Pluto is wherever power lies. As Pluto goes from Cancer to Capricorn, power becomes based in committees and legislatures. As it goes from Capricorn to Cancer, power becomes focused on individuals. When Pluto is on the bottom of the chart, power is in individuals or families; that is, power is personal. When Pluto is on the top half, power is impersonal.

Often, that power associated with Pluto is perceived as alien or alienating. Compulsions are forces that seem to come from outside you, that are alien. Any action you are forced to do under compulsion, either from another or from yourself, is Plutonian. Each generation’s compulsions are through their Pluto.

Aspects

Aspects are relationships between planets. The more important aspects are based on the planets being a set number of signs apart.

If two planets are conjunct, they are within eight degrees of each other. When two planets are in the same sign of the zodiac, the effects are like a conjunct, but weaker. When planets are conjunct, their energies merge and amplify each other. As with all aspects, each planet’s energy modifies or acts on the other planet.

In a cycle of aspects, a conjunct represents the start and end of the cycle. So the results of the old cycle are completed and a new birth of energy is initiated.

For example, when Saturn is conjunct Pluto, the Saturnine need to limit acts on Pluto, the planet of power, in order to limit power. By contrast, Pluto, which represents the breakthrough of reality, tries to blast any limits not based on reality. Working together, the Saturn-Pluto conjunct tries to focus and institutionalize power. Because Pluto is the mass of the people and Saturn is the government and institutions, when these two are conjunct the government tends to be close to and aligned with the masses. The conjuncts of outer planets, and their ability to define generations, are explored in the Conjunct Generations chapter.

An opposition is when two planets are six signs, or 180 degrees, apart on the zodiac. They oppose each other, and their signs reflect the quality of the opposition. Each planet sees the other as distant, as different, which can cause conflict or separation between the energies. Psychologically, this can result in what is called ‘projection’; each planet sees the other as like it, but opposing it, even when there is no true similarity and often no real opposition at the root.

In a cycle of aspects, the opposition is the peak of the cycle. The faster-moving planet holds sway between the conjunct and opposition, the period known as the ‘waxing’, while the slower-moving planet has sway from the opposition to the conjunct, known as the ‘waning’.

Going back to Saturn and Pluto, when these planets are in opposition, the government and institutions (i.e. the establishment) are far from the masses of the people and the destiny and reality (also Pluto) of the country. This often creates ignorance of the real needs of the masses in the political