We are changing constantly. As we deal with greater or lesser changes in our personal and collective worlds, we tend to lose perspective of where we were or where we're headed in relationship to where we are now. We of the West tend to break up our lives in terms of separate events, happenings, episodes. We lose sight of the larger cycle. We lose the thread that was there throughout all our permutations and changes; we don't usually, for example, perceive a teenager in terms of having been a child and becoming a man. We say, He is a teenager rather than He is passing through the changes we call adolescence.

Astrology is built upon the premise that any given moment contains within it the geometry of that which will unfold in precise and sequential periods of time. Considered as parts of a unit of activity, these periods together form a cycle. All cycles relate to wheels, to endlessly moving circles becoming spirals. The astrologer will base his/her art not only on defining and interpreting the meaning of a given cycle, but also its harmonic resonance with other cycles occurring simultaneously and inter-dimensionally.

But whether we consider a Great Kali Yuga cycle of 432,000 years or a lunar revolution of two and a half days, a life cycle of an individual or the fate of a nation, all cycles, hence all change, follows the same pattern. Every life, like a play, has a central theme, a major dramatic question, if you will, which is played out in repetitive, interrelated and yet distinctive cycles, all leading to a moment of climax, a crisis of some sort, from which springs resolution and finally transmutation.

Let us look at the unfoldment of a cycle even as we would look at the unfoldment of a play. Ideally, in any drama, the audience identifies with the characters, forgetting for the moment that they are spectators to a play. Somehow Romeo's plight becomes our plight, Othello's anguish our own. If a play is well constructed and the actors do their part, not only do we identify with their problem but we move through the sequence naturally because the play itself mimics the natural laws of change. Something that is this way today has to change into something else, but how? Aha! There's the rub! And the how if not necessarily foreseen, so the author, like the Great Dramatist of Destiny, will take us through many spins. What will happen next? In metaphysics, drama is said to be 7th ray function, native to all alchemy, the science of changing one thing into another.

Astrology interprets the meaning of cycles to help us more consciously make right decisions and, you might say, be in the right place at the right time doing the right thing or at least be the most prepared as possible for difficult times. Astrologer Dane Rudhyar once said, why should events be foretold accurately? The coefficient of inaccuracy is the coefficient of freedom! It is easier to make accurate predictions in societies where freedom of choice is greatly hampered by social mores or dictatorial governments. Even the inexorable law of karma can be offset by grace. The impact of the individual bears upon the plot of his own destiny as written in the stars! Any point of a cycle, based on a circle, will relate to every other point in the circle. Certain of these angles, called aspects, are given more weight than others when considering the prediction of events in the lives of men and women. These we will consider in this article.

CONJUNCTION 0 degrees.

Any conjunction, like a New Moon when the Moon and Sun are conjoined, represents the beginning of a cycle as a result of an ending of a previous cycle. This is the point where the serpent swallows his tail. The conjunction contains the seed potential of what will be and in the future will serve as a reference point. The activity of the cycle is determined by the nature of the planetary body in question, the length of its revolution, its interplay with other planetary bodies and signs and in the case of personal astrology, with the individual himself. The planets, like characters in a play, add through their specific vibrations and nuances to the major theme.

In a play, the conjunction is equivalent to the major dramatic question, usually in drama brought to the audience's attention through an inciting incident, often a conflict, or perhaps a new idea or opportunity, that the play will seek in stages to resolve. In Hamlet, the ghost of Hamlet's father appears, revealing to Hamlet that he was murdered and extracts from him a vow to avenge his untimely death. The rest of the play deals with Hamlet's struggle to fulfill this mission.

ALPHA SEXTILE 60 degrees

In Cycles in Practice, Astrologer Charles Harvey describes the sextile in terms of the busy bee methodically and joyously creating his hexagonal honeycomb. Here we see Hamlet feigning madness, drawing up his plans. At the end of the last century, Neptune and Pluto were conjoined in Gemini (knowledge, travel, transportation, communication). The first gasoline powered car appeared. Since 1948 on into the 90s, Neptune and Pluto have been in close sextile, marking a time of incredible opportunity for spiritual growth spanning several generations. Modern transportation, air travel, computers and other communication devices have completely transformed our way of life. We see these advances in the best of interpretations as a means to free us from bondage to materialism.

ALPHA SQUARE 90 degrees.

When we reach the square on the waxing half of our cycle, we meet the first significant resistance to what began at the time of the conjunction. Something stands in our way. Will it topple us or will we master it? Squares are usually characterized by tension. The idea is put to the test. Through resolving the challenge represented by the square, we can actually garner greater inner strength, our project is fortified by the will to continue despite difficulties, through our attention to diminish that which opposes us. In Hamlet, our hero is reluctant to take on such an onerous task. The time is out of joint, he laments. He wonders if it's worth the grief and struggle. He considers taking his own life. To be or not to be? He is reluctant to accept the burden of his destiny, but wrestle with it he must. Better to bear those ills we have, Than fly to those we know not of?

ALPHA TRINE 120 degrees.

A trine forms a 120 degree angle to our starting point but also forms a sextile to the last sextile and semi-sextile to the point of the first square. Having resolved the initial kinks, there is harmony and flow. Another time to energize, preparing to meet the next square.

OPPOSITION 180 degrees. (Alpha/Omega polarity)

The opposition completes the first half of the circle. In a play, the plot has reached a crisis. This phase corresponds to the Full Moon in the lunation cycle. The Sun and Moon are diametrically opposed. The question posed at the conjunction is dramatically brought to light. Hamlet confronts his mother. The ghost of his father reappears, this visitation/ Is but to whet thy almost blunted purpose. The ghost reminds Hamlet of his vow and take us back to the original conflict (conjunction).

That the seed potential will reach its intended manifestation, while preordained, is not necessarily a given. A regarnering of purpose, of desire, is necessary at this point to complete the cycle and avoid it being aborted prematurely. As we all know, climbing up the mountain requires a greater determination than walking down.

Oppositions are often intense, dramatic and almost always involve relationship dynamics and the necessity to harmonize opposing or conflicting viewpoints. When considering planetary oppositions, conflict is common and often extreme. Success in resolving differences will be affected by the planetary bodies in question, whether they be by nature complementary or antagonistic and in terms of the native's integration of their basic energies as seen through the natal chart. In the natural zodiac, Libra is placed at 180 degrees. The sign of the scales teaches that compromise and cooperation is essential to resolve opposing viewpoints, and achieve balance and polarity.

In mundane astrology, the astrology of nations, oppositions often relate to clashes between nations. Charles Harvey notes on the Saturn opposed Uranus/Pluto transit of 1965/1966: This marked the beginning of the rapid acceleration into bloody confrontation in Vietnam between the USA and China. The likelihood of such a confrontation was spelled out in 1963, by Andre Barbault, on the basis of this configuration. Likewise in 1966 he predicted that these two opposing ideas would probably have to fight out their conflicting ideologies until 1971/2 when Saturn would move to the 120 degrees of first Pluto and then Uranus.

At 180 degrees occurs a major shifting of gears, as the culmination of the Waxing cycle becomes the beginning (conjunction point) of the Waning phase. Knots in the Alpha cycle become apparent but more difficult to mend on the way back home. Even as a cycle energetically must reach its completion, there is often an anticipation of the following Alpha cycle during the Omega return. In a play this cycle is called the resolution and lasts until the final curtain descends.

OMEGA TRINE 120 degrees

120 degrees on the upswing is also a sextile to the opposition point and a trine to the original conjunction. Through creativity and with a mind toward the final goal, conflict brought to light during the opposition is sorted out resulting in positive results, harmonious flow, equilibrium and encouragement. Quieter than the original thrust, perhaps a confirmation that the project is worth continuing.

OMEGA SQUARE 90 degrees

A time of major challenge and tension in any cycle. In a yearly cycle this would relate to nine months, the time a baby is born. What was conceived at the conjunction enters physical manifestation. The tension up the Omega mountain is tangible and felt. Will must be exercised to reach the summit. The Cardinal points of the cycle: conjunction, square, opposition, square all relate to periods of evaluation when change and the need for change is most physically apparent. Hamlet is resolved to fulfill his untimely destiny. But he has taken too long to garner his loins. He meets crisis after crisis all reflecting the mire he got himself into by procrastinating during the earlier part of the play.

OMEGA SEMI SEXTILE 30 degrees

Like the sextile, a very busy period, a last chance opportunity before the cycle concludes. Note that the sextile is also quincunx the Omega Return point of the opposition. Quincunxes show the need for adjustments and there is often a heaviness before the final thrust.

CONJUNCTION

The end of the cycle is the beginning of a new cycle, and a point of progress and evolution, hence the spiral. In the play, the denouement presents us with the resolution of the initial conflict and its effect on the Hero and other key players. Hamlet fulfills his mission, but not only the King, but also his mother the Queen, his betrothed, two of his friends, her father and brother are dead. As he dies, he asks his loyal friend Horatio to go and tell his story. The play lives on.