Cycles in Astrology

New Moon in Gemini, Monday 6th June 2005.

This month, hot on the heels of a new cycle of the Moon, I’d like to share with you some information about a few other cycles which Astrologers examine. Although in the West we tend to look at life in a rather linear way, it really is a complex series of cycles. Expressed in its most basic form, the cycle of life is birth, growth to maturity, followed eventually by death. This makes it sound like a pretty cut and dried process! But as each of us dies there are new generations within our families or communities being born to carry on the eternal cycle of birth, life and death, ad infinitum. The point at which we are born sees the beginning of many personal cycles which will affect how we develop as individuals, as well as more universal cycles which affect us as a collective.

In the first edition of this newsletter, I described a fundamental cycle, that of the Moon. Every 28 or so days there is a New Moon, which symbolises a new beginning. By using the energy of the New Moon we can plant seeds (in other words, begin new projects) which we hope will grow during that month and in successive lunar cycles. If we use the reverse analogy, when we want to bring something to a end, appropriate action should be taken in the latter half of the lunar cycle, after the Full Moon and before the next New Moon. In doing this we respect one of the cycles which has most influence on our day to day lives. The Moon has the power to affect the tides, and we’re made up of 75% water, so it stands to reason its movements will affect us in some way! Thus, our emotional ebb and flow corresponds with the passage of the Moon through the signs of the zodiac each month. In the last edition, I outlined some of the effects of the 29 (or so) year Saturn Cycle using the example of David Beckham’s chart. When Saturn returns to its original position in a birth chart, when we are around 29 years old, this represents a coming of age. (If you’d like to recap on these cycles please visit www.star-maps.co.uk/horoscopes and click on the articles link to see previous editions of New Moon Messenger.)

A far longer but nonetheless key cycle is one I describe as our personal “seasonal” cycle. This lasts around 29-30 years, and is an important background energy in our lives. It means that every 7.5 years or so we shift into a different gear, which can be likened to a season of the year. If we’re in winter, we should be preparing the ground ready for a new planting period when the spring comes around. We’re conditioned by society to keep our lives full, but we may find that in our personal winter our outer life “dies back” to an extent, making room for new people and experiences to come into our lives once spring begins. In autumn, we should be enjoying the rewards of the efforts we’ve been putting in through spring and summer, rather than trying to carry on the planting part of the cycle – this is the time to reap not to sow!. The spring of each cycle is an exciting time of fresh opportunity and new directions, a key part of our development as maturing adults. If we ignore our instincts to take on new growth in life during this part of the cycle, opportunities may pass us by later on.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is one famous face who seems to be in tune with his seasonal cycle. Following a highly successful film career, Arnie came into the early spring of his seasonal cycle in 1994. This was the point at which new ideas and thoughts on the direction of his life from that point on would have been “bubbling under”, but not yet necessarily visible to the outside world. He is currently still in the growth part of his cycle, coming into early summer, following on from his appointment as governor of California in 2003. As he comes into the peak of his seasonal cycle and then through into autumn, we can expect to see Arnie reaping the benefits of the work he’s put in during the growth period of this cycle. This does not necessarily mean an entirely positive experience, as we should all expect to reap what we sow. It’s important to remember that positive intentions and actions bear positive fruit, but the reverse is also true! For UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, the peak of his cycle has culminated in his being re-elected as leader of the country in May of this year. He too will move on to reap the rewards of the work he’s put in up to now; whether this is a fulfilling or experience for him or not remains to be seen.

Conversely, actress Angelina Jolie is about to move into the winter of her seasonal cycle, a point at which she should be looking to her inner needs. This is not to say that she won’t carry on in her glamorous Hollywood career. But at this time she needs to examine what direction she wants her life to move in during the next seasonal cycle, and concentrate on doing some ground work by examining her deepest drives and desires. What habits and attitudes from the past are still relevant to her life, and which are outmoded and need replacing? In preparing the ground now, she will be in the best position to take full advantage of any exciting new opportunities which come her way when her next seasonal cycle begins, in around 2009.

The planet Jupiter, whose cycle lasts around 12 years, has just reached an important turning point. It has started to move forwards in the sky from an earth-centred point of view, after backtracking for around 4 months. Jupiter and the joint cycle it makes with the planet Saturn is very much associated with financial and economic ups and downs. Financial astrology looks at economic cycles in conjunction with planetary ones, and is used extensively by high flyers in the money markets and business world (though not many care to admit it!). As the very wealthy American Banker J.P. Morgan famously said, “Millionaires don’t use astrology – Billionaires do!” For those who understand the intricacies of the financial world, astrology is an additional tool giving them the inside track, which can prove very lucrative indeed. On a personal level, Jupiter represents growth, prosperity, optimism and opportunity. Let’s hope that its change of direction in the sky brings some positive influences into all of our lives. For me personally, its turn around has coincided with the successful sale of my car after several frustrating weeks of waiting for the right offer to come along. A positive turnaround indeed!

For further information on how the cycles of Mercury, Venus and Mars can affect our lives, please visit www.star-maps.co.uk/horoscopes and click on the articles link.

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