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THE ASTROLOGY
OF AMERICA'S DESTINY

A Birth-Chart for the USA
by Dane Rudhyar, 1974





THE ASTROLOGY
OF AMERICA'S DESTINY


Table of Contents







CHAPTER THREE:
America's Place in the Cosmic Process
- 3

In dealing with large historical cycles we should not consider only the pattern provided by the development of the twelve precessional Ages. The Earth is part of the solar system, and this system, or heliocosm, constitutes an organized cosmic whole the development of which presents a definite structure with a cyclic character. We do not as yet know much concerning this structure, but it evidently affects the entire Earth. Planets. move within this highly charged electromagnetic heliocosmic field, and astrology interprets, their interaction in relation to our Earth. The planets constitute the several hands of a large clock that can be used to measure geological and historical time.
      Planetary cycles are defined by the successive conjunctions of pairs of planets. These cycles are short when we consider fast-moving planets like Mercury, Venus and Mars. The cycles outlined by the — successive conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn were widely used by astrologers until the planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto were discovered. They dealt with the development of local social units having a definite geographical and cultural-religious character-tribes, kingdoms, nation-states, governments. With the emergence of global interrelationships between such limited sociopolitical wholes and the spread of communications and travel fostering the development of a consciousness encompassing the whole of mankind, cycles correlating the movements of the trans-Satumian planets have acquired major importance. They have always been operative in terms of vast planetary developments, but they were outside of the field of human consciousness.
      The most important of these cycles is that established by the successive conjunctions of Neptune and Pluto approximately every 492 years. In the past these conjunctions have always occurred at very significant times. There was one in 574 B.C. around the already mentioned historical turning point of the sixth century. The next one occurred around 81 B.C., when Julius Caesar was coming of age — a time very close to the date I have given for the beginning of the Piscean Age, and presumably of an entire precessional cycle of nearly 26,000 years. Another took place around 413 A.D., when Rome was being destroyed by Germanic invaders. Still another occurred at the beginning of the tenth century, when the Romanesque style developed and the culture that has come to be identified with the Middle Ages was taking shape. Next came the conjunction of 1399, which marked the beginning of the Humanistic reaction against medievalism; and finally the conjunction of 1891-92 occurred in early Gemini as the first stage of the electronic revolution developed with the discovery of X-rays and radium, the great theories of Planck and Einstein, and at the psychological level, Freudian psychoanalysis.(2)
      The 1890's from this point of view represents a significant turning point in the process of civilization, especially insofar as Western society is concerned. This metamorphic society of ours responds in a focalized manner to what the trans-Saturnian planets represent: the possibility of transcending the limitations that characterize the realm between the Sun and Saturn. It was during the last decade of the nineteenth century that the United States began to warm up to its potential role as a world power within the community of nations, leading to its decisive position during and after the two World Wars.
      The Neptune-Pluto cycle is unique due to the unusual elongation of Pluto's orbit, and the fact that one Pluto revolution around the zodiac almost equals two Neptune revolutions. Because of this peculiarly shaped orbit, when Pluto comes closest to the Sun (its perihelion) it is actually inside Neptune's orbit and moving slightly faster than Neptune. This penetration — I have also called it "fecundation" of Neptune's orbit by Pluto — occurs about every 248 years (the length of Pluto's revolution) and lasts about twenty years. It has coincided with some important developments in the process of civilization, at least in terms of recent history: Columbus' "discovery" of America, during the middle of the eighteenth century "Enlightenment," and earlier during the crisis of the year 1,000 when most people expected the end of the world. It also occurred during the reign of Charlemagne, and during the life of the historical Jesus.
      Before, during and after this period of Plutonian penetration into Neptune's orbit, the two Planets move around the Sun with nearly the same speed. As a result, they maintain nearly the same angular relationship for a long time (around ninety years). In other words, they remain in the same astrological "aspect." After their opposition in 1645, Neptune and Pluto formed a "long trine" aspect which for all practical purposes remained uninterrupted from about 1700 to 1789. Following their conjunction in 1891-92, they are now forming a "long sextile" which began when Neptune entered Libra in 1942-43 while Pluto was moving through early degrees of Leo. As Pluto begins to move a little faster than Neptune, Pluto overtakes Neptune; then after Pluto reaches its perihelion it begins to slow down. A new set of exact sextile aspects is made as Neptune catches up and finally moves farther from Pluto than the "orb" allowable to constitute a sextile aspect (a distance of 60 degrees). The entire period lasts about ninety years, and will be concluded around 2030 A.D.


2. According to Hindu computations the end of the nineteenth century closes a 5,000-year period which began with the start of the Kali Yuga (Greek Iron Age) in February of 3102 B.C. This period is the second half of a 10,000-year cycle originating at the time of the catastrophic submergence of Poseidonis, the last island of the very ancient continent of Atlantis, in 8102 B.C. This 10,000-year cycle seems to have something to do with the development of mental powers in mankind, and particularly with the Buddha. If this is so, we should be in the very early stage of the descent (involutionary half of the cycle) of new mental, or perhaps supermental energies. The second half of the 10,000 year cycle has an evolutionary character. it marks mankind's response to the preceding downflow of spiritual-mental forces.  Return




By permission of Leyla Rudhyar Hill
Copyright © 1974 by Dane Rudhyar
and Copyright © 2001 by Leyla Rudhyar Hill
All Rights Reserved.



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