Studying history with the aid of interplanetary cycles improves evenly our view of the past as well as our faculty of astrological knowledge. By pinpointing certain times of major astrological conformations we acquire deeper perceptiveness of the landmarks in human evolution. The cycles of outermost planets Neptune and Pluto, spanning 495 years approximately, seem to consist a key combination, adding together the change-inducing power of Pluto with the belief-oriented influence of Neptune. They can be considered as basic stages of human culture and civilization. In a previous post I incidentally characterized Pluto as "super banker" having in mind the planet's ascendancy over large financial institutions and the attribution of anonymous masses to Neptune. What was a simple remark became a certainty some months later when I fell upon Palden Jenkins's "Historical Ephemeris". According to the author " the ephemeris sets out to provide essential data for any astrologer, historian or modern natural philosopher who is investigating cyclical change in long term history". It is an exceptional work, of both historical and astrological merit, which compiles events and periods of written history in companion with the configurations of the slower planets. After the study of this data, my initial vague impression of Pluto and Neptune as pillars of the human economy turned into foregone conclusion, because throughout the whole period from 600 BC to the present day I did not find, except for some rare instances, an economic event of greater importance which was not in line with the classical aspects of the two planets.
The word " economic " is used here in its broader sense, comprising not only the strict fiscal (coinage, taxation etc) but also the peak or fathom of prosperous periods, social changes and scientific inventions with evident economic implications and so on. Examples, in the author's wording: (1) In 1565-1568 there was a major grand cross, involving Uranus opposing Neptune, squared by Saturn opposing Pluto. In Europe, these were times of religious wars and persecution, overseas expansion and accelerating prosperity and social change. (2)The 80-year waning trine, 1704-39 (Aries-Leo to Cancer-Scorpio) and 1777-85 (Libra-Aquarius). The modern world clearly emerged: financial markets, banks and the first multinational corporations appeared, with cabinet politics, a growing sense of social rights, and a profusion of scientific, agricultural and technological discoveries. The first modern industrial factories and cities were built...(3) 1816-1821 - Uranus conjunct Neptune (Sag/Capricorn) squared by Pluto (Pisces/Aries): ... Industrial Revolution in England, global colonialism, start of the railways (4) 1891-1910 - Neptune conjunct Pluto (Gemini), then Uranus (Sagittarius) opposition Pluto (Gemini), then Uranus (Capricorn) opposition Neptune (Cancer): beginning of the global age, the rise to power of socialism, multiple technological and scientific breakthroughs...(5) On the Neptune-Pluto conjunction of 1892, the car and the aeroplane were being developed - yet this was happening in isolated workshops, and most people did not hear of it at the time. Cars and planes make their effect later, when they impact on people's lives, yet the time of invention represents a key historic moment when potentiality turned into actuality, and the process of impacting on society was begun. In this sense, it is important to look just only at events occurring during a configuration, but also at the processes which are set in motion, which do not subside when the configuration passes - they develop therefrom, over decades and centuries.
Yet, clear-cut events and dates consist the majority of the instances in the table that will follow.
Therefore, in the present and the following posts, I shall concentrate on the significance of the two planets' interaction for the human economy as a whole. Accordingly, the following lines are not an intuitive panorama from the viewpoint of centuries. They are an exposition of examples, out-sourced from the work mentioned above or added by personal probe. Before entering the main part of this work, I think that a brief exposition of the two planets' mutual relations is necessary. Their orbital movements are operating in unison: Neptune's movement is two-thirds that of Pluto's. In one conjunction to conjunction cycle approximating 495 years, Pluto travels the zodiac twice, while Neptune does it three times. In 248 years, Pluto moves one turn of the zodiac, and Neptune one-and-a-half turns. Sequential conjunctions occur close to the same zodiacal position, with a small longitudinal movement of a few degrees in each cycle. Oppositions take place when Pluto is in the sign of the conjunction and Neptune in the opposite sign. Although the same aspects are repeated in the waxing and waning phases of this cycle, they work quite differently from each other. For a further explanation of these configurations see P.Jenkins' original work.
While planets vibrate strongest when they are within one degree of orb, in the case of conjunctions, squares and oppositions, effects can be detectable when planets are even five degrees out of aspect. Generally , around three degrees is an acceptable orb of influence. Consequently, the concrete results of a major aspect can take 5-10 years to develop. The signs which a configuration connects greatly affect the results. If Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter or Chiron, which work more in the realm of the concrete, enter the picture, they can produce particular and distinguishable outcomes.
