to any of several slow changes in an astronomical body’s rotational or orbital parameters, and especially to the Earth’s precession of the equinoxes. It isn’t a constant. The last erect precessional cross occurred exactly 180 degrees ago in the precessional cycle, but we can only estimate that to be nine thousand to thirteen thousand years ago. The rate of precession may vary over long periods of time. There are many continuously changing astronomical factors that affect the rate of precession, not to mention that the cause of the precessional of the equinoxes is not even clear.
“With The Great World Cycle, the precessional cycle is between twenty-two thousand and twenty-six thousand solar years. It’s often rounded to twenty-six thousand from approximately 25,867 years and it is slightly increasing. This is about every 71.85 years. Well, it has accelerated and we are now entering the Age of Ophiuchus.”
“I thought we were entering the Age of Aquarius.”
“No, my dear, it is in fact Ophiuchus.”
“So what does this mean? How is this important and how is it related to me and my chart?”
“The twenty-six thousand year cycle has itself been divided into twelve astrological ages of approximately two thousand years each. For the last two thousand years, the spring equinox of the Sun has, in fact, been rising against the constellation of Scorpio and will gradually begin to rise against the constellation of Ophiuchus, heralding the start of the new astrological age.”
Memphis was confused. “Is this because the signs of the zodiac used by astrologers do not correspond to the actual constellations of stars on the sky?”
“Yes, that is correct. The real star constellations have been shifting relative to the astrological signs for the last two thousand years. Because of a particular movement of the Earth’s pole, the Sun crosses the Equator at a slightly different point every year. With the passing years, this point shifts one degree approximately every seventy-two years, and shifts signs approximately every 2,156. This movement is called precession of the equinoxes. A complete cycle lasts around 25,868 years. At the end of each cycle, there is complete synchronization between each sign and each constellation.”
“I actually explained this to a friend, but I didn’t know that the difference was so much that we would skip a few ages.”
“The heavens cannot be controlled by man, but they can control man,” he said sagely.
“All right, so every 2,156 years a new age begins. From 498 AD to the year 2654, the spring equinox has not really been in the Pisces constellation.”
“No, it has not. We are technically in the Age of Scorpio. The Aquarian Age had already begun with Russia’s first space probes in the late 1950s. It is an age characterized by technical progress, by technology and spectacular inventions. And I would like for you to know that an age’s influence is strongly felt years before the exact juxtaposition of the signs and constellations. So, though we are not in the Age of Ophiuchus, we are feeling its effects. We are progressively leaving the Age of Scorpio and entering the Age of Ophiuchus. Therefore, we are in a position midway between these two astrological ages, just as you are midway to becoming a full being.”
“A full being? I’m not fully formed?” Memphis looked down at herself.
Virgil explained that he meant spiritually and then returned to the subject.
“On November 29, the Sun moves into the Real Time thirteenth sign of Ophiuchus. The Gregorian Calendar and popular zodiac magazines indicate that at this time of year, the Sun is moving through tropical Capricorn and sidereal Sagittarius. This would be true if we were still in the Aries Age, which was four thousand years ago, and the Age of Pisces, which was over two thousand years ago. However, as of 2000 AD, we are in the Age of Scorpio. Not many people have your natal chart and are born under the sign of Ophiuchus.
“The Age of Ophiuchus will bring about a new state of consciousness: galactic consciousness. Ophiuchus is the only constellation in human form that resides in the direction of the center of our Milky Way Galaxy. In galactic astrology, the center of the Galaxy is analogous to the Higher Self, or the Jungian Self. It is only by transcending the ‘wheel of twelve’ and allowing energy to spiral, resonant with the number thirteen, that we as humans can access and maintain a conscious connection to our Higher Self.”
“A full being?”
“Yes, which brings me to numbers. You will be turning twenty-four. The Great