The idea of the “Ages” provides a surprise in the study of the Ballet. Because of the popular song from the musical Hair, we know that we are soon to enter “the Age of Aquarius.” But that raises the question: what is the age that we will be leaving? It is startling to discover that we are currently in “the Age of Pisces, the Fish,” which is preceded by “the Age of Aries, the Ram.” Why would these be meaningful?
It is indeed a curious “coincidence” that the present age is “Pisces.” In the early Church, a simple outline of a fish made by two intersecting opposite arcs is their way to identify fellow believers, especially during the persecutions. This is adopted because the Greek word for fish, ixthus, forms an anagram for (i) Jesus (x) Christ, (th) God’s (u) Son, (s) Savior – it is a succinct confession of basic faith. As well, the constellation has long been seen as two bound together into one – just as Jesus is two natures bound together in one Person, as well as two Covenants are bound together in Him. It is therefore most interesting that “the Christian Era” would coincide with “the Age of Pisces.”
It is equally curious that Aries the Ram/Lamb, the constellation of Israel, should immediately precede Pisces. A Ram/Lamb has a significant role in the sacrificial system of Israel as the vehicle of atonement, and in the Passover, it is the Blood of a Lamb that provides a literal doorway to life. As well, the Tent of Meeting in the wilderness is covered by ram skins dyed “bloody red” – the place where God meets man is a “tent” covered by “Blood,” an image of fellowship that culminates as Jehovah Himself comes to Bethlehem: “The Word became flesh and ‘tented’ among us” [John 1:14], and which will reach exquisite fulfillment on the Last Day: “I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the ‘tent’ of God is with men, and He will dwell with them…” [Revelation 21:3].
The sign of an “Age” is determined by the axis of the earth pointing in the direction of the slice of the sky dominated by a particular Zodiac constellation. Like a spinning top, there is a wobble to the axis and therefore it goes through a slow movement around the Zodiac in a direction opposite to what the Sun follows (therefore it is called a “precession”). Since there are no physical boundaries in the sky, and the pointing of the earth’s axis is not the easiest to determine, knowing when one “Age” transitions to another is not precise. However, it is fascinating that the change from “Aries” to “Pisces” occurs roughly at the time of Jesus – and Jesus is the Bridge connecting the two concepts presented by these constellations.
An “Age,” or “Great Month,” is thought to be about 2,160 years long. Of course, we have no idea what may have happened to the wobble over the centuries, as through the extra day of Gideon, the backwards time of Hezekiah, and even the physical events that precipitate Noah’s flood. There is a lot of evidence that the earth is victim of celestial intrusions, for example, the massive impact crater that can be found in the Gulf of Mexico, or the series of impact craters that are clustered in the US Southwest, all of which could have significant effect on the axis orientation. And what caused the Sun to be totally eclipsed when Jesus died? The Moon was on the opposite side of the earth about to be eclipsed itself. If it was indeed a celestial body as, for instance, an asteroid, it would have had to be at least the size of the moon and very close to have blocked the Sun so efficiently, and may have precipitated the earthquakes recorded at that time.
Even so, working with an age about 2,000-2,100 years before the time of Jesus, “the Age of Aries” would have begun roughly about the time of Abraham – in other words, this “Age” coincides with “the Era of Israel,” the time of the special People of God in the Old Testament, just as “the Age of Pisces” coincides with “the Christian Era.” But there is more than simply a static icon in the sky – there is a story to be told. Francis Rolleston [Mazzaroth or The Constellations (London: Rivingtons, Waterloo Place, 1862)] speaks of the band that connects the two fish of Pisces is held by the forefeet of Aries, so that there is a strong indication that the Ram/Lamb that figures so prominently in the sacrifices, “the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world!” [John 1:29], would have two natures.
St Paul refers to “Ages” in his letters [I Corinthians 2:7;10:11; Ephesians 2:7; 3:5, 9; Colossians 1:26; Hebrews 9:26]. Although I doubt that he is specifically looking at the Zodiac as his reference point, yet the heavens and its ages do reflect what the Lord is doing on the earth. That again identifies the key to “Godly” astrology: the story in the heavens is not about us, where we expect astrology to tell us what to do or be or anything like that. Instead, the story is about God as He is going about His plan of the ages. Godly astrology is to lead to the glory of Jehovah, not to the glory of the stars in and of themselves, nor even to the glory of man. What Aries and Pisces are to do is to keep us mindful of what God is doing as He is accomplishing His plan from before the beginning of creation.
(more on the “ages” in the next posts)