Categorie: Aquarian Age

44. (Eng.) Outlook for 2023

~ Maj Ridder ~ Plaats een reactie

If you are open to the idea that what happens on Earth is related to the positions of the sun, moon and planets, read on. As you know, I try to understand and “translate” insights from astrologers.

They expect this year 2023 to hold very different potentials to previous years. However, to make those potential changes a reality, our decisiveness should contribute to the developments we desire.

In recent years, well-intentioned people have been quite challenged: it has been difficult to keep a cool head and stay positive. This year, it becomes easier to do so, as the planets create better energetic conditions, so to speak.

The potentials lie in a shift from the dominant patterns of “power over”, control, greed and polarization to a situation of more sincere, balanced patterns of cooperation, openness and mutual respect. These changes may well occur faster than we think is possible.

However, I would advise you not to expect that all the heaviness that still burdens the world will be gone by the end of this year.

Still, at an individual level, you will have the chance to let go of outdated patterns of thought and behavior. You can expect enlightening insights as you attune to the renewing energies offered to us Earthlings from the Cosmos.

Everything within us may be touched: our body and our psyche, as well as our spiritual consciousness. Negative beliefs and feelings need no longer dominate us. Our ego becomes a powerful tool that enables us to operate meaningfully on Earth.

Picture Wim

Behind the scenes, opportunities for improvements are beginning to announce themselves. One major opportunity is that the aspect of tension between “form planet Saturn” and “freedom planet Uranus,” will come to an end in early March. I described this square aspect in blog 40. (Eng.) Saturn and Uranus in 2022.
For three years, this constellation has had an imprint on many problem areas in the world: first it was Covid, then the war in Ukraine, followed by numerous abrasive issues between people and institutions.
Opportunity: from ‘thinking in dualities’ to ‘seeking commonalities’.

Then, towards the end of March, we might start seeing the first glimmers of the Aquarian Age, when the “transformation planet Pluto” enters the sign of Aquarius, temporarily for a few months. In this period seeds can be ‘planted’, as it were, for desired transitions in all kinds of areas, seedlings that may come to maturity in the coming years.
Opportunity: from feelings of ‘separation’ to awareness of ‘connection’.

A clear aspect of the Aquarian Age will be the search for balance between the (currently predominant) masculine and the (suppressed) feminine in all its facets. The planetary positions will foster this, starting in the month of May.

Softer, feminine forces will manifest, which will make more and more people truly concerned about the precarious condition of continents and oceans. The protection of biodiversity, soil and nature will be better addressed. All of this is essential for our survival.

To make this possible, it is important that people like you and me reflect on that necessary shift from masculine to feminine values. So, we participate in the ‘indigenization’ of those values into the collective field.
Opportunity: from ‘thinking of dominance’ to ‘being active from compassion’.

I encourage you to make space in your mind, to be able to receive the new energies and to allow your mind to be charged up with them. It is a matter of tuning in. This works better when you first “clear” your own energy, by spending time in nature, taking time to rest, meditate and come into your core.

Finally, enjoy the good sides of life as the days grow longer and we receive more and more visible light — as well as ‘invisible’ light. What is that invisible light? The higher frequencies of energy, vibrations that – if we are open to them – will help us take a step forward.

If you want to learn more, you could view the Astrological Overview of 2023 as given by Heather Ensworth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wNMDl1plUE, or Themes for 2023 as given by Pam Gregory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SEP8w_AX1s.
Or let yourself be inspired by Heather’s conversation with Pam Gregory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnSsqrKXZM8.

43. (Eng.) The Aquarian Age and Symbiotic Living

~ Maj Ridder ~ Plaats een reactie

What can we look forward to when the Aquarian Age arrives?

Not only astrologers are expecting great changes in the foreseeable future, but also scientists, designers and philosophers.

Recently, I came across the ideas of environmental philosopher Glenn Albrecht. His ideas about the future are already being picked up here and there. According to this Australian scientist, we are heading for the Symbiocene. This new era is dawning after the (quasi-geological) era of the Anthropocene, in which man (anthropos) had – and still has – a strong, often negative impact on the natural environment of our planet Earth.

In the Symbiocene, man will cooperate with nature (instead of thwarting it) and feel himself as part of it. We will become aware of all the symbiotic relationships that exist between living beings, and within living beings.

What is symbiosis? On the Internet, I found this definition:

“In symbiosis, two organisms of different species living together for a long time. This is beneficial or even necessary for at least one of the two.”

Living together “in symbiosis” is needed and even necessary on a large scale. We should accept its consequences at all levels of living together. It will do us good, for we’ll become stronger physically, socially and emotionally.

During his working life, Glenn A. Albrecht was a professor of environmental science. From 2014, he devoted himself to a search for deeper connections.

He observed that many emotions can be imagined according to the negative effects they may have on, or the positive solutions they may bring to, the enormous problems affecting our environment and our climate – emotions for which no words even exist.

Thus, he decided to invent new words, in order to describe the feelings people have when they are angry or sad about yet another human action that has caused damage to the natural balance of soil, air or water. He also gave names to what makes people feel happy when they experience what it’s like to be in true nature.

Albrecht wrote the book: Earth Emotions : New Words for a New World, 2019. Examples:
Solastalgia: nostalgia for the way things were, the sadness over the deterioration of our natural environment.
Symbioment: the recognition of the whole ensemble of coherent living systems, which we ourselves are part of (when we see ‘the environment’ as something outside and around us).
Eutierria: feeling of oneness with the Earth and all her life forces.

As an emeritus professor of environmental science, Albrecht pinpoints where and why concepts such as sustainability, sustainable development and resilience have been eroded. He says these words have brought too few changes for the better. The terms are being hijacked, as it were, by corporations that pursue their own gain under the cover of positive goals.

Picture Wim

Symbiotic living should be and will become the norm, is Albrecht’s conviction: understanding and being aware that we are part of all life on Earth and acting accordingly, for the benefit of Earth and humanity.

In his book, he discusses the vast knowledge, accumulated over the last 50 years about symbiotic living. Maintaining and restoring ecosystems does not happen outside of us. Instead, we are part of it and it is essential for our survival.

Albrecht also tells us that we, as humans, can only exist because numerous bacteria in our gut flora do work that is vital for our well-being, along with fungi and viruses. They basically all work together with our body, as an organism.

Thus, you can look at humans as organisms, but also as groups of humans: social organisms. We should let go of the idea that we are separate living beings, affirming instead, that we are interdependent. We need to become aware that this is not a disadvantage, but rather, an advantage for everyone, provided we live up to this principle consciously.

He then looks even deeper and says: this mutual dependence may also be called life force, a force that comes close to love, “love as an invisible, indivisible unity”. He cites thinkers, such as Erich Fromm, Carl Jung, and Rudolf Steiner, who refer to this hidden force in nature.
While Albrecht gets excited at the word “spirit,” he envisions what he calls a worldly form of spirituality.

Lately I have come across quite a few initiatives and actions in newspapers and on TV by people who have been, as it were, apprenticed to Glenn Albrecht. Do they anticipate the expected transition to the Aquarian Age?

Want to know more? Read Albrecht’s book. Or watch one of the many YouTube videos, for instance his TED Talk in 2010.

42. (Eng.) The Greater Perspective

~ Maj Ridder ~ 1 reactie

Let’s imagine a larger time perspective here on our planet Earth, a timespan of tens of thousands of years. What might that bring us? If we assume that the Earth is going through a continuous process of evolution, then individual humans must also experience such a process – in fact, so must humanity as a whole. When we are aware of this, we can live our present lives – amidst current world events.

I have already covered the larger perspective of developments on Earth in Blog 31. (Eng.) Astrological Perspective I. The developments on Earth comply with the character of the successive epochs of about 2100 years.

As we know, we are now in the Age of Pisces, which has been in effect since the beginning of our era. In the foreseeable future we will be entering the Aquarian Age (there is no agreement on exactly when). Each age is colored by the characteristics of a sign of the zodiac.

Imagine the Earth, in one long cycle, passing through all 12 zodiac signs before returning to the point of exit. This happens over a span of 24,000 to 26,000 years (the ‘precession cycle’). Think of an ellipse that has a ‘route out’ and a ‘route back’. And see before you how the Earth moves very slowly from one end of the ellipse to the other, and returns again very slowly.

What is so special now: in our current age – and I am talking about centuries – the Earth has begun that retreat. According to several ancient sources, that recent reversal says something about the spiritual evolution of humanity. Since that turning point, sometime in the 19th century, the level of consciousness among humans is supposedly on the rise again, after having declined for about 12,500 years.

Now, after that ‘downwards’ period that led to a purely materialistic way of thinking, a sense of the spiritual reality behind that material reality is gradually returning. Humanity can begin to draw on spiritual sources, which became largely unknown for a long time.

This is an exciting perspective which we can all lean on. Because it means that we are now living in extraordinarily difficult times for a reason, as we move into a whole new era that will bring changes of unprecedented significance. Change is breaking through thanks to the crises we are suffering.

So have faith in the outcomes of this tumultuous process, for we – in my opinion – are being guided by higher, energetic forces that we cannot name, but which are certainly there.

Image Wim Ridder

I hereby encourage you to attune to those forces. I suggest you decide to consciously devote your lifetime to this new perspective, and to pursue spiritual initiation and transformation.

It is important to engage in such spiritual processes, as we human souls ‘grow’ through our lives on Earth. We experience new lives again and again, as our soul spark reincarnates many times in a body on Earth. We then begin a new course of life with very different challenges, at a very different time. In terms of talents, etc., we start where we left off in the previous body.

When you become aware of this, you realize that you have participated in history on Earth in very different eras. And you may also look forward to the lives hereafter with positive expectation. For future eras will again look very different from the present one. There will undoubtedly be more use of technology, but in addition people will possess qualities that only a few are endowed with today.

What does it mean for your present life? I would say: anticipate that future and at the same time make the most of your opportunities and possibilities at present – to serve the Earth, society and yourself. However, if you are not in balance, you cannot serve society. So be aware and take care of your well-being, in body, mind and spirit.

This is not an easy choice. Of course, we are constantly faced with that field of tension between ‘clinging to the old’ and ‘being open to new’. It takes courage to face this challenge … but the reward can be great!

35. (Eng.) The Future is Now

~ Maj Ridder ~ Plaats een reactie

This time it’s about our way of dealing with the future. Let’s stop thinking that a new future is something that will arrive later one, when all things related to Corona have passed. No! I say the future begins now, with all its possibilities!

‘Back to normal’ is no longer an option. Things will definitely be different and new norms will evolve. A big change is at hand, with an uncertain outcome, in an uncertain period of time.

I note this from an astrological point of view. At the moment, planetary positions are still occurring that enhance chaos, polarization and an unyielding atmosphere, while there are also planetary constellations that make people vulnerable, (over)sensitive and dreamy. You may have noticed that life today feels quite different from how it used to feel. This is not only because of the corona crisis, but also because it is ‘in the air’. (See also blogs 31 and 32 in English.)

As I have mentioned in some of my earlier posts, astrologer Heather Ensworth emphasizes that we are living a time of transition and transformation (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqtelqAl_Zs&feature=youtu.be). Several other spiritual teachers are also of the same opinion.
They argue that we are currently exposed to a profound transformation, that leads to a rising in consciousnesses. So, let’s start getting rid of the old. We can only experience and embrace the new when we are able to say goodbye to many things we once took for granted.

Some of these things in the realm of consciousness coincide with the transition into the Aquarian Age. One thing you hear and read very often these days is that it is time to live more from the heart, from love and from trust. While this can be quite a challenge, it is worth taking on. It implies that it is not enough just to apply your intellect — you must also make use of your subtle feelings and intuition in everything you do.

This can also be explained from the perspective from the brain. We have grown used to using our left-brain hemisphere more than our right one. The left half of the brain is the seat of rationality, thinking, speaking and language, while the right half involves intuition, musicality, sensing all kinds of things, etc. The aim is to give the right hemisphere its rightful place and to seek a balance in the functioning of both hemispheres.

Photo by Wim

It is also said that in the inner lives of men and women – and in society –, we need to move from an emphasis on masculine qualities to an emphasis on feminine qualities. Less hardness, more softness. Less aggression, more empathy. Less analysis, more synthesis. Less calculation, more flexibility. Less arrogance, more compassion.

If we do this, we may anticipate much less fear and much more joy among the inhabitants of our planet. However, at the moment there still is so much anxiety, anger and polarization, that it is often difficult to take the step forward to grasp those shifts. Therefore, we would be wiser to first take a step back, in order to observe what is happening in the world, and what is going on in our subconscious.

Inevitably, old issues will rise from our subconscious to the surface. These need to be resolved in order to create space in our soul. Unexpected problems pop up, from unexpected angles. Although it makes us insecure, as said earlier, it is in the air. What does not help is to blame others for matters that may arise from our own unprocessed depths.

We should instead investigate where our unrest comes from. Such causes need to be cleared, to make room for the new things coming to us. Stay aware of your discomforts and uncertainties, get to know them and surrender to a process of clarification.

If you wish to explore the mental and emotional details of this process, you might choose to read the book “From Trauma to Freedom : One Woman’s Journey and a Holistic Guide for Healing,” by Kristina Lea and Heather Ensworth, published March 2020, and presented April 29, 2021. (https://transformingtraumatofreedom.com/)

Every pain point you pierce allows your energy to flow better. Now is the time to take the path of purification, and simultaneously, expand your consciousness. You will enjoy new facets and possibilities in your life and contribute to the general shift ‘from head to heart’!

31. (Eng.) Astrological Perspective I

~ Maj Ridder ~ Plaats een reactie

Imagine – history takes place in great cycles of over 2100 years. We are currently in a time of transition from the last era to the next one. Isn’t that something special to witness and experience? So should it be any surprise to us that the world is upset and that people are feeling uncertain…?

Lately, I’ve been wondering if a connection can be made between the events of 2020 from an astrological perspective. Can the turbulence we are experiencing in these Corona times also be observed in the current position of the planets? And what about the sequence of those eras? In my interpretation here, I have been inspired by American astrologer and writer Heather Ensworth.

In a video she made towards the end of May, she told a.o. that we are at the beginning of the Aquarian Age and that we are now going through the contractions of that new era. This transition is characterized by all the turmoil, uncertainty, fear, resistance, rebellion, violence, denial and discord we are now experiencing — collectively, but often also within ourselves. At the same time, there are positive developments and new opportunities!

Image Wim Ridder

According to astrologers, the era type in question lasts 2160 years. The age that is now coming to an end, named after the sign of Pisces, started around the beginning of our era. Christianity, among other things, has been of crucial importance during this period. While the Age of Pisces will only come to a close sometime in the next century, the dawn of the Aquarian Age can already be felt.

The determination of such a period has to do with Earth’s orbit around the sun –  in other words, with the position of the sun on the firmament on the 21st March in a certain sign of the zodiac. The spot shifts very slowly, in a ‘backward’ direction, through a certain zodiac sign (now Pisces), until it reaches the next sign (Aquarius).
Astrologers are not sure when exactly that will be the case. The Age of Pisces followed the Age of Aries (about 2100 B.C. – the year zero), which, in turn, came after the Age of Taurus (about 4200 B.C. – 2100 B.C.), and so on.

The schematic drawing below represents part of the zodiac. In addition to the shift of the vernal equinox in a ‘backward direction’, it is visible that the sun, the moon and the planets are moving in a ‘forward direction’. We see the ‘slow’ planets, Jupiter and Saturn, and the ‘very slow’ planet Pluto at the end of Capricorn.
It is mainly the position of slow planets that influence what happens on Earth over longer periods of time. In a way, they determine the Zeitgeist.

Here we are looking at Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto. All three of them have been positioned at the end of Capricorn for months now and that will remain so for the time being. Only on December 19st of this year, Jupiter and Saturn will enter Aquarius on the same day (which is something very special). Pluto will follow in November 2024.

Pluto is the planet of transformation and of great revolutions. Because of its current position in Capricorn, we are going through an intense period of planetary transformation now, after which we will probably reach calmer waters in 2024 and 2025.
While the Pisces Age is mainly characterized by paternalism, competition, duality and materialism, in the Aquarius Age we may expect other qualities, such as community spirit, a sense of justice, idealism and cooperation.

The Pluto-Saturn combination, particularly in a sign like Capricorn, allows plenty of room for distress, illness, sorrow and economic malaise, such as we experienced it through the Covid-19 pandemic – which is not over yet! Under the surface, there is so much more brewing in the world …
However, Jupiter brings a breath of fresh air into this Pluto–Saturn constellation, reminding us that there is also room for joy and enthusiasm, and that we should keep in mind our human destiny: spiritual growth and expansion.

Before December 19st arrives – when Saturn and Jupiter enter Aquarius – we will see a lot of turmoil and agitation in the world. ‘Keep your head cool and your heart warm’ and stay centered, or descend even deeper into yourself, in order to reap the inner benefits of this special time.

The next blog will discuss the workings of planet Pluto in more detail.

The video of Heather Ensworth can be found at:
https://www.risingmoonhealingcenter.com/healing-and-rebirth-guided-by-pluto-jupiter-and-saturn/
(What I discovered: you can bring up her words on the screen simultaneously by clicking on a square: the left of the three icons at the bottom right).