Political Astrology in the Age of Aquarius

Why it is inevitable that we will be paying more attention to political astrology in the Age of Aquarius.

A new year, a new annual horoscope to review and obsess over. If you’re anything like me, you will be spending January reading through them with interest, cross-checking from multiple sources, analysing what they mean and what events – possible or actual – they are referring to. Most horoscopes tend to be personal and self-reflective in nature – think careers, relationships, travel, beliefs, emotional and physical wellbeing. But what if horoscopes centred around the astrology of politics and society – the communal and the collective – became more mainstream? What lessons would we learn and what actions would we take in response?

Because the point and purpose of The Breakout Room is to explore, follow and nurture my curiosity, it seems right – and extremely timely – to bring together two subjects which interest me: politics and astrology. 2023 was the year I became more serious about understanding political astrology because of the synchronicity of planetary shifts and the serious political and economic events which unfolded (which I will discuss later on). And I’m not the only one taking astrology more seriously.

Google trends highlights that online interest in horoscopes in the UK has doubled since 2010. A recent search on TikTok also reveals that #Astrology has 73.4 billion views. A curiosity to connect to the Cosmos – whether that be through flying to space, living by the moon cycle or observing astrology – is a strong theme of the times we are living through. And as we enter the Age of Aquarius on 20 January 2024, which will last until 2044, themes involving invention (I see Apple’s new mixed-reality Vision Pro headset is coming out in February), innovation, space travel and aerodynamics will become much more pronounced across the world. I wonder what things and events we will bear witness to, the lessons we will learn?

Awakening to astrology

This growing and collective interest in astrology is unsurprising considering the current state of permacrisis in the world where we are impacted by surprise events such as the COVID pandemic, wars and inflation. When brilliant (or even sensible or logical) solutions and answers to these political issues aren’t necessarily being provided by politicians and political institutions who are the responsible guardians for such matters, it’s perhaps no wonder that more people are turning to astrology – a practice which is deeply intertwined and associated with the natural world with the twelve zodiac signs grouped by the four elements of earth, wind, fire and water – for explanations and analysis, and to also gain a stronger sense of trust, intuition and learning from the challenges which arise.  

Astrology particularly resonates with Millennials and Gen Z, not only because of the reasons outlined above, but because they are the first generations to grow up in a world where human interaction is dominated by technology. In contrast, the essence of astrology is about nature, the sun, moon and the planets. Perhaps this interest in astrology is also a subconscious need to connect with the natural world, a very plausible concept in our age of heightened awareness around climate change. I know mine is.

It’s worth highlighting that Gen Z is the Sagittarius generation (born between 1995 and 2008) whose focus is on power and transformations in ethical and philosophical questions. This may explain why this generation, aka “the activist generation”, has a strong moral code and sense of idealism around social issues such as climate change, equality, social justice, and redistribution of power. They are also redefining what success is, and how this is reflected in their personal relationships and career choices. This is something that all generations can learn from.

My generation, the Scorpio generation (born between 1983 and 1995), is a generation shaped by the process of transfiguration, of becoming more self-reliant, self-determined and self-empowered to change how we live our personal lives for the better. Alongside this the Scorpio generation is called to discover hidden truths and facts and to use them to create a new and improved social paradigm for the structures and systems that underpin the world. This can be reflected in light of the 2008 financial crisis and new social and power dynamics initiated and created by social media which has dominated the Millennial generation’s lives since the launch of Twitter in 2006 and Instagram in 2010.

As a spiritual person astrology is a subject which has long piqued my interest because it involves taking the time to reflect and ponder on my life – something which seems rather radical in the attention economy age despite it being an inherent aspect of being human. Yet throughout history astrology has attracted both intense intrigue and scepticism alike. But contrary to its vague and abstract perception, the practice of astrology is not a question of faith or belief.

As noted by astrologer Francesa Oddie in response to the question “do you believe in astrology?”, her response is that it “doesn’t require a leap of faith: you either understand it, or you don’t”. Rather than it being a subject which is considered “woo woo” (which is essentially another way of saying “fear of the unknown”), astrology has the same logical approach as subjects such as law, medicine or engineering whilst also combining spirituality and divination. Or as Tali Edut puts it, astrology is where “math meets myth.”

As an academic, it’s interesting to observe how astrology was considered an academic discipline across much of Eurasia up until the 17^th century, and was commonly accepted and relied on across politics, culture and religion. Even the birth of Jesus involved astrology, with the Gospel of Matthew stating that the three wise men (otherwise known as Magi astrologers) travelled to meet Jesus by following a star from the East to Bethlehem.

Whilst astrology may not be for everyone, it is clearly one of the few topics that the world consistently and collectively pays attention to. It also belongs to a unique category of topics that is always there and never goes away, even if it is subject to criticism or mockery. This suggests that humanity has either benefited from astrology for a long time, or that as a species we are perpetually captivated by an energy and source that we can’t quite quantify, unlike the tangible qualities of science, technology and biology.

Because astrology gives language to events and provides meaning to different points in time, this is why applying astrology to political and societal changes can be a helpful tool which benefits everyone. Astrology also aligns with the collective conscience; a topic which many people have been thinking deeply about since the COVID pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests, amongst other events, which has emphasised just how interconnected we all are.

With recent news headlines highlighting that growing income inequality is driving public mistrust, AI is to hit 40% of jobs and worsen inequality and that the global economy is on track for the worst half-decade of growth in 30 years, it’s worth contemplating what the big political themes are of the period we are living through. What actions do we need to take on an individual and collective level to address these concerns? What do we need to do to create the change we wish to see in the world? Who is worthy of our attention and power? What words and thoughts am I telling myself, and how do they either empower me or deflate me and the energy I give to the world? Astrology taps into these questions.

These are all fundamental questions which we have either asked, or will be asking more of, as we enter into the Age of Aquarius. And this is where astrology’s self-awareness can aid understanding of the times we are living in and the conversations we are having around the significant societal shifts that we are undergoing and will witness more of over the next few years and decades. 

This song (The Age of Aquarius by The 5th Dimension) is such a vibe, whether you like astrology or not.

Astrology in 2023 & 2024

To emphasise: I am not an astrologer. But I am someone who has kept track of the wide-ranging political events of the last few years through my work, and I follow expert astrologers who know more about the subject than I do. To be clear, I am not advocating for politics to be conducted by astrology (although I see that astrologers in Turkey were being consulted on the election result in 2023). Nor am I suggesting that we should formulate policy based on planetary placements (as much as I like big ideas, I like the microdetails of details). Am I suggesting that every government across the world needs a residential astrologer to guide them? Absolutely not, although it’s interesting to observe that former US President Ronald Regan saw an astrologer, Joan Quigley, whilst he was in the White House.

What I am suggesting, however, is that political decision-making would benefit from looking at the big, underlying themes of astrology and respecting them. By doing this, politicians would be able to connect more with the collective spirit, soul and conscious of our times and take aligned action – a move which benefits everyone. It would also encourage politicians to participate more in deep-thinking and aligned action, as opposed to rushed thinking and knee-jerk responses to serious and significant issues which impact our lives. Similarly, it would improve discernment, hone shared goals and make politics more mindful, meaningful and soulful. Do any of these sound-like bad ideas? Nope. If astrology can be used as a beneficial practice for our own personal reflections, why not pay more attention to astrology in a political and collective context?

The striking thing about astrology is just how accurate it is, at least for me anyway. And based on the big world events of the last few years – including the COVID pandemic, of which astrology predicted – political astrology is a subject that I could not not pay attention to. So what is currently the big, underlying themes of astrology? And how has political and economic events coincided with astrological activity?

Since 2008 – a year which saw the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression – Pluto has been in Capricorn, the sign that represents laws, government, authority, rules, power, influence and control. As Pluto represents transformation, destruction, death and rebirth, its cycle through Capricorn has revealed hidden truths about these issues, exposing corruption about big corporations, capitalism, political parties, institutions, unjust laws and people in power.

All of us can think of events which reflect this – from the 2009 UK parliamentary expenses scandal, to the many scandals of the Donald Trump US Presidency, excessive COVID restrictions and myriad laws across the world to the growth of extreme income disparity between workers and CEOs and the backsliding of climate change policies which led 2023 to be the hottest year in at least 125,000 years. Pluto’s position in Capricorn has thus been a distinctively political affair, one that has been breaking down the structures of power, highlighting its flaws, and emphasising that these systems and the unethical people controlling them is not sustainable if we want a better future.

More than anything else, it has forced us to question what authority, power and responsibility means to the collective. How can they be reshaped in the years ahead? Having this period grouped under the Age of Capricorn (and previous/future astrological ages) are helpful for our own awareness of when and what these big political themes and lessons are. It’s also interesting to observe them through the lens of history which makes it more distinct in the memory of the public imagination. How helpful would it be if more of us looked back and thought “Oh yes, that event in the Age of Capricorn meant X and our lessons from that is Y”? Rather than it just being an age in astrology, they could reflect pinnacle political moments which we can actively learn from and apply in the present astrological age.

So what do we know so far about the Age of Aquarius?

As is normal when Pluto changes planets, it briefly dipped into Aquarius between 23 March 2023 and 11 June 2023 – the first time in 245 years – and whilst this was only a short period, it provided a snippet of the themes and social shifts we can expect to see more of once Pluto moves into Aquarius on 20 January 2024. The historical collapse of start-up lender Silicon Valley Bank in March 2023 signified the largest bank failure in the US since the 2008 financial crisis. In April 2023 Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News network agreed to pay a defamation settlement worth almost $800 million for lies spread about election fraud following former US President Donald Trump’s defeat.

In the UK, the government quickly brought in new ID requirements for voters in the English local elections which lead to criticism that it didn’t adequately prepare as some groups were unable to vote, a concern that has been raised again for the 2024 UK general election. With experts fearing that AI-powered disinformation will impact half of the world’s adult population who have the opportunity to vote in local and national elections in 2024, election results could be a big theme in the Age of Aquarius.

Alongside the scientific breakthroughs mentioned earlier, the Age of Aquarius will focus on themes associated with humanitarianism, progressive ideas, social fairness, equality and uprising. The last time Pluto was in Aquarius was between 1778 to 1798, a period which witnessed the French, Haitian, American and Industrial Revolutions. For these reasons, astrologers are predicting revolution, the dismantling of social hierarchies and a reset on capitalism worldwide, with Pluto’s influence and impact often associated with a phoenix rising from the ashes. With ideas such as a Universal Basic Income already gaining traction, it’s clear that the years ahead will place more importance on economic and social equality – very Aquarius traits with Aquarius being the sign of social fairness that sees all humans as equal.

I’m curious to see how Millennials and Gen Z will respond to the learnings, challenges and changes in the Age of Aquarius as they will be the ones instigating and navigating the big events of the next two decades. I will also be intrigued to observe my own response and journey in this new astrological age, and what information I can use from the Capricorn age to advance progress. Whilst the idea of political astrology may seem radical to some, I have a feeling that these generations in the progressive Age of Aquarius will be curious enough to think about it, explore it and apply it for everyone’s advantage.