Romulus Augustulus Surrenders to Odoacer, 19th century engraving

Two significant events within the history of the Roman Empire occurred in the years 306AD and 476AD. In 306, Emperor Constantine ascended the throne, and soon after converted to Christianity and issued the Edict of Milan that declared tolerance of Christianity within the Empire. More than a century and a half later, the Western Roman Empire was permanently dissolved when the barbarian king Odoacer deposed Emperor Romulus Augustulus in 476.

Both events were inflection points that dramatically impacted the course of world history. Constantine's conversion to Christianity and subsequent efforts to develop the religion within the Empire laid the foundation for Christianity's eventual dominance over Europe. The Fall of Rome created a massive power vacuum that was filled by various important historical figures leading up to the Middle Ages. In both cases, the world, as it was, was swept away by shifts in power that demanded new political, cultural, and spiritual visions.

The Age of Pisces, initiated by the political powers of Julius Caesar and the spiritual powers of Jesus Christ, has given form to a vision of civilization, like of heaven, as organized hierarchically and headed by a man at the top, whether an Emperor or God. Arguably, both J.C.s' legacies were carried forward, if reshaped and even distorted, by the events of 306 and 476. As a result of those time periods, the zeitgeist of the Pisces Age — exemplified in its characteristics of institutional rule, monotheism, and an absolute theological split of good from evil — became more deeply established in the collective consciousness of the West.

The years 306 and 476 also featured a rare planetary alignment of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, an alignment that is beginning to form again today and will last until 2030. As I've mentioned on this blog before, this alignment indicates a profound transformation of civilization throughout this decade. I stated that the second half of the 2020s would bring radical changes to the world that would be at least as astonishing as the first half. I think we can already say, in the first months of 2025, that that has become a true statement, and more surprises are in store before the decade is out. Furthermore, like the exemplifications of the burgeoning Pisces Age during the early centuries AD, the transformations of this decade will exemplify the overlapping stress between the Age of Pisces and Age of Aquarius.

Kamala Harris and Joe Biden, 4th of July Celebration, image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Over a year ago, I published an article suggesting that Joe Biden would drop out of the presidential race in 2024 and hand the mantle over to Kamala Harris. At the time, I was speculating based on astrological indicators favoring Harris as a contender to Trump far more so than Biden. But one of the more striking factors is that on the evening of the election Venus will shine brightly as an evening star while forming a prominent alignment with Harris's natal full moon, also making a fateful conjunction to her South Node and Descendant. Venus's bright presence just after sunset is a potent astrological symbol for what could be America's first woman president.

I had thought the handoff might happen nearer to the total solar eclipse in April. However, major events associated with eclipses tend to occur within about a 6 month window on either side, and I certainly see the themes of that eclipse, a bookend to the eclipse that aligned with Trump's ascendency, at play here. But the more timely alignment, and more personal to Harris, was the full moon on Sunday July 21st, the day Biden announced the end of his campaign. That full moon filled out an almost exact grand cross (a set of 90º alignments creating a perfect square formation) with Kamala Harris's natal full moon. It's as if the full moon of that day triggered the power of the full moon within her, thrusting her into the spotlight, ready or not (and she is obviously quite ready).

Joe Biden may have made an excellent president in a second term, but given the ongoing square of Pluto to his Moon, if he had stuck with his campaign he would have imperiled it, along with the chance for a younger generation to rise, and the chance for a woman of color to lead. The astrological forecast favors a progressive moment, and Biden's instincts are good. His natal chart demonstrates the wisdom of his choice: With Sun, Venus, and Mars all in Scorpio in his 12th house, he was destined to sacrifice; but would he sacrifice himself for the greater good, or the greater good for himself? These same symbols also point to the profound loss and grief he has endured through his life, the kind of loss that either transforms a person into greater soulfulness, or deforms them into vindictiveness. It is a great testament to Biden's character that he chose the former path, and at the right moment put his personal ambition aside.

What we see "out there" in the greater sphere of collective awareness is always a reflection of what is stirring deeply "in here", within all of us. Everything that is visible is driven by something invisible, and we can read these unconscious stirrings through the symbols of astrology. We have recently entered a period of history I've named the Radical Era, a cultural and political inflection point that will radically change how we perceive and structure civilization. It won't happen overnight, but it may happen far faster than we expect. To wit, who could have seen coming the radical events of the past four and a half years just five years ago? And yet, the astrological markers have been clear, and the astonishing changes of this decade have only just begun.