Astro Cycles
Know yourself
Astrology does not predict fixed outcomes with certainty. It examines patterns in planetary cycles and correlates them with tendencies in timing and behaviour.
We track cycles in the solar system and how they appear to align with patterns in human experience.
Karma is often understood as the interaction between past patterns and present conditions, reflected symbolically in a birth chart.
What's the difference between two individuals, both born in the USA; one in 1960 and one in 1970?
Both have Pluto in Virgo. But context matters.
The older one would have been a young boy or girl watching teenagers preparing for war in Vietnam. Going to war and fighting for the USA was a symbol of pride. Afterall, those who fought in WW2, were called 'the greatest generation'. He or she would have heard the stories, seen the TV coverage as it unfolded and witnessed firsthand the return of troops, perhaps wounded, perhaps with medals, perhaps in bodybags. The call of duty, to defend the country, the flag and the constitution was the greatest honour a young man could aspire to.
However, by 1967, the national mood had turned against the war. Going to war for one's country was no longer a mark of patriotism. Fighting against politicians who were waging war in a foreign country for no good reason, was. They claimed that the Vietnam War had no purpose, and that USA had no business fighting it. Many of those called up for military service, got deferments (eg by enrolling in college) or fled to Canada.
The two enduring images of the war, that will haunt Americans forever, are Nick Ut's 1972 photo of a naked Vietnamese girl fleeing from a napalm attack, and Nik Wheeler's helicopter evacuation from Saigon in April 1975. Killing civilian children with a chemical attack and fleeing the scene after the military was defeated.
The younger child would have grown up in a very different country. The war was unpopular and then ended in defeat. The oil crisis of 1973 and structural shifts in the economy caused inflation and job losses. Confidence was low, unhappiness was high
Children saw firsthand desegregation of schools, new teaching methods and a decline in school funding. New legislation called for greater protection for disabled children while new subjects focused on interest rather than practicality. It is debatable whether social issues such as poverty and its causes is a better skill for later life than mathematics, but that was clearly the direction that was placed on children in the 1970s.
Context matters. That's why The Eras of Pluto is an invaluable tool for serious astrologers.
The Eras of Pluto
Most astrology books tell you what a chart means. This shows you why it means it. Astro Cycles is a new initiative focused on improving
how astrology is understood and interpreted. Rather than adding more fragmented interpretations, this book shows you why context matters.
If you’ve studied astrology for a while, you’ll likely recognise a familiar problem: you know the meanings of each planet but you can't put
it together in a way that it all fits.
The challenge is not lack of information. It’s knowing how to organise it within the context of your clients' lived experience. The same chart
can support multiple interpretations. So the question becomes: how do you decide what actually matters?
Astro Cycles focuses on the outer planets. These are the planets that give karmic context to charts; they describe the external events
occurring, that influence decisions and why that matters.
Instead of focusing only on what each placement means, we focuses on how meanings connect, interact, and shift depending on structure, social
events and the Overton window*.
This is the difference between interpreting astrology piece by piece and learning to interpret it with clarity.
This is not an introductory guide. It is designed for readers who already understand the basics, but feel there is a gap between knowledge
and true interpretation.
* The Overton window : named after Joseph P. Overton, the 'window' is the range of policies or ideas acceptable to the mainstream public at any
given time.
