When a New Aeon is ushered in with a planetary alignment, its basic nature is foretold by the astrological sign or signs in which the planets appear. It should be a straightforward matter to determine this, but in the modern age even the zodiac got dualized, in the most literal sense: there are now two of them, each with a different view of the sky. This came about in a couple of steps, or celestial stumbles: first the Faustian scientists, following their half-baked formula, separated the study of the physical stars and planets from their inherent numenal component, and cast it off. They coined the word "astronomy" specifically to distinguish their new matter-only semi-science from the old complete metascience. Thus those who still tried to study the heavens holistically were left with the mere discarded half, and the word "astrology" was dualistically diminished.
Then in their turn the astrologers compounded the error. The horoscope works because it's an integral synarchy of heavenly and earthly elements: (1) the direct influence on people and events of the planets, varying according to the constellations in which they appear and their aspects to each other; and (2) the ever-recurring cycle of the seasons of the year, as marked by the equinoxes and solstices. These two components were in perfect accord when the Western astrological system coalesced, around the time of Christ, but then gradually moved out of alignment due to the precession of the equinoxes. By the time the modern age rolled in, the zodiac was seriously out of date. The astrologers' solution was modeled on the method of material science: they dualistically separated the earthly and celestial parts, and decided that the seasonal influence was more important. But instead of just discarding the other half, they declared that the positions of the planets in the signs was merely symbolic, and retained it as a reference in this manner.
The final result was a confabulation that could only make sense to the Faustian mind. They call it the Tropical Zodiac, which painstakingly charts the movement and positions of the planets, not as they actually appear in the constellations of the sky today, but as they did two thousand years ago. It may come as a shock to even the most casual followers of pop astrology that the signs and dates in the charts do not match the real sky but rather a fictional overlay, namely the Tropical Zodiac. For example, according to the Tropical Zodiac, anyone born between March 21st and April 19th has their Sun in Aries; yet the actual astronomical fact is that the Sun is in Pisces for most of that time. This is why we're approaching the Age of Aquarius: sunrise on the Vernal Equinox is slowly moving backwards through Pisces toward Aquarius. All Western astrologers hail the great event, but they don't adjust their charts to reflect it. According to the Tropical Zodiac, we're still in the Age of Aries!
Hindu astrologers, by contrast, choose to continually recalibrate their charts to compensate for precession, just as astronomers do, giving a true picture of the sky and accurate positions of the planets in the constellations. This is called the Sidereal Zodiac. This version, however, is also imperfect in that it weakens the earthly component, since the signs no longer match the seasons of the year as they did in classical times. Only a new, creative synthesis can correctly solve the problem and create an optimum zodiac. I'm currently at work on this: I call it a Synarchy Chart, a work in progress.
Meanwhile, in the great planetary alignment of May 2000, all seven planets were in Taurus according to the Tropical Zodiac; but Sidereally (and actually) six of them were in the sign of Aries ~ only Mars was in Taurus. Thus the nature of the spiritual being born in the alignment hinges on which Zodiac we validate.
With all the multilayered meanings of the signs of Aries and Taurus, certain elements stand out specifically in relation to the 5-2K (May 2000) alignment as heralding an epochal turning-point. Taurus the Bull is the most earthy of the earth signs, focused entirely on the material world. A person or entity, or even a culture, that was all Taurus with no other balancing or mitigating factors would be driven utterly by the basic urges for survival, success, money, material possessions, and the power to protect its wealth and well-being by any means necessary. Civilization would utterly fossilize itself into the deadrock values of Faustian materialism, and the last spark of the human spirit might well die out.
Aries the Ram is the most scintillating of the fire signs, the opposite contrast of earthy Taurus. One of the meanings of Aries is specifically the rebirth of the divine child, the collective soul, at the start of a new cycle. It's also quintessentially male. Although (as far as we know) 50% of Taureans (people born with their Sun in Taurus) are men, and 50% of Arians (Sun sign Aries) are women, archetypally speaking Aries is Primal Man, and Taurus is his Woman. Aries is the very Spirit that inseminates matter (Taurus) and gives birth to the rest of the zodiac.
Looking at it from this perspective, we can see that the alignment was inherently in Aries by the grand pattern of destiny that turns an aeon. But the Tropical Zodiac served to veil this Dharma from the mass of the people, so that instead of welcoming the RamaSpirit and participating in a planetary rebirth, they flock instead to the opposite pole and wallow in the last puddles of mud left by the ebbing tide of a dying aeon.
