A Shift of the Ages: What Does The New Paradigm Look Like?

As you’re probably well aware of by now, 2020 has us closing out a multitude of astrological cycles in the outer planets, which represent karma, paradigms, and generational transformation:

  • a 20-year cycle of Jupiter and Saturn (now moving into Aquarius)
  • a 36-year cycle of Pluto and Saturn (Now moving into Aquarius)
  • a 200-year cycle of Jupiter and Saturn in earth signs (now moving into Air signs, starting with the previous Aquarius cycle mentioned above)
  • a 502-year cycle of Pluto and Saturn specifically in Capricorn
  • and a 735-year cycle of Pluto and Saturn in Capricorn with a lunar node and Jupiter hovering nearby (though not within conjunction range)

The South Node is in the mix with the 2020 conjunction, whereas the North Node was in the mix in 1285. The karma of what we sowed over the last 735 years with regard to Capricorn-related themes (imperialism, raw ambition, competition, tradition and conservatism, and the systems and institutions we built around those values) is coming to be collected in 2020. The other big difference between the two is that in 2020, Pluto, Saturn, and Jupiter are actually forming a triple conjunction in Capricorn (meaning they are each within 5 degrees of one another), which hasn’t happened in 4,000 years, according to this astrologer.

As you can see, there’s a multitude of energetic shifts happening in the cosmos at various layers in the collective consciousness all within the same very short timeframe. We are simultaneously wrapping up karmic cycles within the micro- and the macrocosm, which collectively feels like one giant lurch forward into a fresh new energy on many levels–a seismic paradigm shift. Big deal, yeah?

The highest level, we are moving from heavy, dense earth element energy and values, and as Saturn, Jupiter, and Pluto move into Aquarius over the next four years, into lighter air element energy and values. I’ve been talking quite a bit this year about how big the astrology of 2020 is.

Last week I highlighted many of the big transits we’ve had in 2020 and the effect they’ve had on the current collective, and I’ve talked at length about the big themes that we’re going to see when we officially crash into Aquarius and start building this new paradigm. I have not, however, gone into any great detail about how this Aquarian energy will play out on the global stage on this platform. I’ve been discussing it at length these last couple of weeks in my Facebook group, so I thought I’d touch on it over here as well.

Pluto Conjunct Saturn: The “Me” Generation Gives Way to the “We” Generation

I can’t talk about where we’re going in great detail without once again touching on where we’ve been. One of the biggest changes happening right now is a power shift between generations. As of 2019, Millennials, the oldest of which were born on the cusp of the last Pluto-Saturn conjunction in 1982-1984, surpassed the Baby Boomers, the oldest of whom were born on the cusp of the previous Pluto-Saturn conjunction in 1947, as the largest adult generation.

Baby Boomers have been nicknamed the “Me” generation due to their self-involved qualities, prioritizing individualization above social responsibility. That played out in very Capricorn-esqe themes of social status, consumerism, and conservatism, valuing tradition and upholding the status quo. As a result, the policies enacted while this group was in power were mostly self-serving, and we are watching the consequences of those policies be laid bare by this year’s Pluto and Saturn conjunction.

By contrast, Millennials and Gen Z are very different generations. They are far more ethnically and culturally diverse than their predecessors, with nearly 50% of them being people of color (compared to the Baby Boomer generation, which is 70% white), and they hold far more progressive values that reflect Aquarian ideals around community and social responsibility, inclusiveness, fairness, social justice, a love of technological innovation, doing things differently, and humanitarianism.

The Indigo Generation

Several years ago in a Facebook group far far away, I posited that the entire Millennial generation were the third wave of Indigos that many new agers spoke about who were supposed to have been born in the 80s (in other words, the criticisms from the article I just linked to that “everyone thinks their child is an Indigo” is moot, because it’s the entire generation. Yes, that means every child IS an Indigo). The general idea was that this was a group of souls who incarnated on earth in three waves, the last of which came in the 80s with a specific mission to disrupt the current paradigm and help rebuild a new one.

In addition to having the same Saturn/Pluto conjunction baked into their natal charts, the first wave of Millennials born during that conjunction also have Neptune at the Galactic Center. As one of my favorite astrologers and long-time friend, Susan Grace, likes to say, this means that these individuals have a direct line to God/Source’s plan for the universe. They are intuitively connected to and in tune with spirit.

The values and consciousness of the Millennial and Gen Z generations have overtaken that of the Baby Boomer generation as the dominant energy on the planet. This is a huge shift, and as these eldest members of the Millennial generation–the ones with Saturn and Pluto conjunct in their charts and Neptune at the Galactic Center–begin to come into political power, they’re going to bring with them cultural revolution, government structures, and policies that will remake the world in this new progressive Aquarian consciousness.

What Does That Look Like In Practice?

Energetic shifts are not finite, they flow in waves. You’ll often see manifestations of new energies years before they become dominant and you’ll be able to watch them gain steam. You’ve already seen glimpses of it in the world around you today: science and technology have made exponential progress since the 80s and we see leaps in technology in relatively short periods of time. That’s an Aquarian trend, and as we’ve approached this energy shift, you’ve seen technology rapidly ramp up. We’ve also seen social changes occur in a similar fashion with social reform including civil rights movements, women’s rights movements, LGBTQ+ rights movements, etc. We are beginning to progress exponentially as a society, largely due to technological progress that enables a wider access to information and education–that’s the build-up to Aquarius.

Science And Technology Reshape The World As We Know It

I mentioned early in this post that the rapid and exponential growth of scientific and technological discovery was a harbinger of Aquarius. The progress we’ve made in the last 100 years was simply the opening act. Imagine how the main event is going to go down!

The difference we will see here, though, is that Capricorn’s influence–the pursuit of technological advancement in the name of the almighty dollar above everything else–is going to wane and instead, we’ll start to see scientific and technological advancement for the more altruistic purposes of solving society’s greatest challenges. Tech startups with mission-driven cultures instead of profit-driven cultures, will become the norm.

I already see this happening at the university where I work, in a tech entrepreneurship program where I mentor undergraduate students. The program director teaches them to think about solving global problems that they have an emotional investment in, rather than coming up with get rich quick schemes. I teach them to discover their core values and how to run their business from that set of values. Profit is never one of those values.

Communications Goes High-Tech

I think we’ll also see a greater emphasis placed on socially-responsibility for communications platforms like social media and cable news networks over the next couple of years as Saturn enters Aquarius. Under an Aquarian sky, tech companies like Facebook and YouTube and potentially even partisan news outlets such as Fox news will eventually be held accountable in some fashion for allowing misinformation, disinformation, conspiracy rhetoric, and hate speech to spread unchecked simply as an avenue to make more money. We’re already seeing the calls for accountability from the collective. When Pluto arrives in 2024, we may see these channels completely transform, from a technological perspective and/or from a mission perspective, or else fall away completely.

One of the problems we face with the rapid pace of technological progression is that many times, human cognitive abilities and social evolution can’t keep up with the pace. The “fake news” revolution of 2016 is a prime example of how technology moved more quickly than society could adjust, and many were unable to identify credible news sources on the internet from from those that were propaganda.

Technology itself may even be the answer, as many of the researchers I work with are developing AI-enabled algorithms to identify lies and misinformation on the internet, as well as social bias. As we move into Aquarius, these technologies may become widely adopted and do the critical thinking for us by identifying and eliminating propaganda so we don’t have to. Regardless, the technologically savvy Millennial and Gen Z kids who grew up in the internet age are far more equipped to spot online bullshit than their Baby Boomer predecessors, by sheer nature of earlier exposure, which is why they also heavily value transparency.

A Decentralized Workplace

One of the most obvious Aquarian themes of 2020 is the Zoom workplace. For years, CEOs and other business leaders of the Baby Boomer generation insisted that hard work only happened AT work. The concept of working from home was completely out of the question, even in the face of data from studies of the more lax work culture of Silicon Valley which suggested employees (mainly Millennials) who were allowed unlimited vacation, casual dress codes, and a flexible work schedule were happier, and thus, more productive.

Then came 2020, where the entire corporate world (with a couple of notable exceptions…#clearlyrunbyboomers) was forced to to adapt to a remote work environment…and succeeded, largely thanks to recent improvements in internet communications technology. There’s no longer a question about whether or not people can be productive from home. In many instances, companies are finding that employees are MORE productive when they aren’t being constantly interrupted in an office environment.

As communications technologies continue to improve, and Millennials take over workplace management, expect a more flexible, hybrid work environment to take hold. The daily grind of a corporate office as a predominant work culture is now a thing of the past.

Collaboration Over Competition

A couple of years ago, I got fed up with the commercialization of spirituality and I actually quit my own blog for almost a full year because I made the decision that if this is where spirituality was headed, I wanted no part of it. Just before I did that, I wrote an epic instagram rant, the most poignant snippets of which are:

“Traditional business models and marketing strategies are rooted in capitalism, greed, and manipulation tactics involving unconscious psychological triggers that drive you to make purchases based on them.

 

“Marketing and advertising  currently operate in old paradigm on a foundation of social Darwinism which is inherently at odds with spirituality at its core. It’s competition based, pitting us against one another and keeping us divided, sending us subconscious messages that there’s not enough clients, not enough money, not enough time, and the only solution is to BUY MORE programs, more tools, more workshops, more consultants, more courses, and on and on and on.

 

“Fundamentally, this model cannot survive because it is out of alignment with New Paradigm, and neither can the people who are profiting from it. For those of us who refuse to sell our souls to the business coaching gods, the message is clear: it’s time to evolve the way we promote ourselves and do business.”

 

The old, competition-based model is founded on Darwinian survival of the fittest. Out-maneuver and overpower your competition, and cleverly and subtly tell everyone how much better you are than everyone else. But here’s the thing: “best” is an illusion. There is only “different.” Especially in the realm of personal development and spirituality, “best” doesn’t exist. There is no spiritual authority. That is both the beauty and the madness of it.

 

Healing and intuition are not products or fucking marketing gimmicks. They are THE product of thousands of tears, ache, pain, and the deep soul work of burning down the illusions of many versions of ourselves. How dare anyone hijack that and use it to sell some bullshit business scheme.

 

Undeniable truth: You can only teach others, lead others, and heal others from the same depth at which you have learned, led, and healed yourself. Period.

Then 2020 came along and rocked the spiritual community, bringing to light the white-washing of spirituality, the economic inequality of the coaching hierarchy, the gate-keeping, and the spiritual bypassing, revealing the shadow of the spiritual community itself and it’s fundamental reliance on a system that capitalizes on human trauma. To be clear, I’m not saying that spiritual practitioners shouldn’t make money. I’m saying that charging $5,000 per person for an entry-level workshop when that’s more than most people make in a month and using messaging that intentionally trigger’s someone’s trauma as a way to get them to make a purchase is excessive, socially irresponsible, and more about getting rich than about helping people.

As we move into Aquarius, this elitist form of business–especially among spiritual practitioners–will no longer be viable. As I stated in my instagram post:

The new model of self-promotion barely involves self at all. It’s community-based and purpose-driven. Like-minded entrepreneurs collaborate and cross-promote to lift each other up–together. We recognize that there’s enough to go around for everyone and that by working WITH one another, we can all benefit AND make a difference for the people we help. Together we rise.

Defund the Police is an Aquarian Concept

Aquarian energy (particularly when Pluto moves in in 20204) brings with it new, innovative, and visionary transformation that upon first glance, seems “too radical” to those used to the old paradigm. The Defund the Police movement is an example of a shift from a Saturn in Capricorn energy (law, order, rules, enforcement, top-down) to a Saturn in Aquarius energy (community-based, holistic, bottom-up, innovative) that many have balked at because it is so outside the current line of thinking. How so?

The current policing model places an added emphasis on policing in high-crime communities, convictions, and prison sentences with little emphasis on rehabilitation of offenders. It doesn’t address the societal issues that are the root cause of violence and crime to begin with, it only treats the symptom, and in the course of treating that symptom, actually ends up perpetuating the problem since there’s not much emphasis on rehabilitation. In other words, it contributes to a bloated prison system where inmates are likely to be (re)traumatized and end up as repeat offenders.

The concept of defunding the police is a more trauma-informed approach about diverting excessive funding from law enforcement operations that would normally be used toward acquiring expensive, military-grade equipment and weapons and over-policing in high crime communities, and instead using that money to fund more community-focused initiatives, social workers, and other mental health professionals whose aim is to intervene within the community and prevent crime before it actually happens, thus solving the issue at its root cause: poverty and lack of resources.

Those seeking to defund the police consider defunding an initial step toward creating an entirely different model of community-led public safety. It is not about completely eradicating policing on a dime. It’s about re-investing in the community to the point that law enforcement can be scaled back simply because there’s no longer a demand. It’s also not targeted at your small town, low crime police departments. It’s aimed at mostly at large, inner-city police organizations and neighborhoods, like New York City, which has a police budget larger than the military budget of most countries (over $10 BILLION).

Can you imagine a world where police officers no longer have to experience stress and mental health trauma on a scale that they do now? Can you imagine a world where teenagers in low-income communities have places to go after school and can spend time with people who will mentor them to become better people, rather than getting involved with gangs at an early age and ending up in jail before they turn 20? Can you imagine a world where a person having a mental health crisis gets the help they need, instead of having the very real possibility of being shot because the person responding is afraid and doesn’t have the training necessary to help them?

In the long run, this holistic, community-based approach saves lives. Not only the lives of people who might end up in the criminal justice system, and the people who are killed by police when they’re not actually a danger, but also the lives of police officers who will no longer need to be frequently put in situations where they face violent offenders and fear for their lives.

The first model is one of crime and punishment based on top-down, rigid authoritarian principles (very Saturnian/Capricorn energy). The second is an Aquarian approach that focuses on the problem in a holistic, community-based, bottom-up fashion. It’s very new and visionary by comparison. Aquarian-related things are often shunned as “radical” at least initially, because they’re so forward-thinking that it’s a shock to the established order (and Capricorn is nothing if not the established order), but if you actually sit down and rationalize it, it makes logical sense. You’ll also notice that most of the resistance to this–even among the Democrats–comes from the Baby Boomer generation, while most of its proponents tend to be Millennials.

Expect community-based, holistic approaches to solving social issues like this to gain steam as we head into 2021 and beyond.

Support for the Trans Community and More Diversity

There’s also been quite a bit of attention placed on attitudes and violence toward the trans community this year, which hits some Aquarian checkboxes in a couple of ways. For one, it’s a piece of Aquarius’ humanitarian focus and support for marginalized communities. Aquarius is the sign of innovation and the community, so social justice nests here comfortably. But not only that, Aquarius represents those who might not fit neatly into an established order and often become social outcasts as a result. Anything that bucks the status quo, including themes of androgyny and gender non-conformity, are Aquarius territory.

Those who identify as nonbinary and trans receive big support from Aquarian energy, and I think we’ll see a lot more focus and discussion on social acceptance for trans individuals as well as ideas around gender identity in the next ten years, and individuals who identify as such will fight for–and win–their place in a more inclusive society. We’re already seeing this happen in 2020 as some of the first trans and nonbinary representatives were elected to state legislatures, as well as some of the first openly-gay black politicians, and record numbers of women in the GOP, record numbers of Native Americans, and my home state of Missouri elected its first Black congresswoman.

Also ruling democracy, Aquarius recognizes the more inclusive we become with our elected representation, the more inclusive of a society we will build for all of our community members, not just the straight, cisgender, white men. Expect our legislatures to become more and more diverse as Millennials begin to fill local and national posts, bringing with them the much-needed voices and perspectives of their own communities.

Reimagine Your World

Capricorn energy gravitates toward stability and upholds the status quo. Aquarius energy asks us to reimagine the way think about (and subsequently do) things. COVID reimagined the way we go to work every day. Defund the police reimagines community policing in a new way that we haven’t seen before. Nonbinary and transgender people push us to reimagine the way we think about gender and gender roles. What other facets of society might we reimagine as Pluto enters Aquarius? The answer is all of them–just as the Saturn/Pluto conjunction of 2020 has revealed to us all of society’s flaws.

As a result of the pandemic, we’re going to begin to reimagine just about everything. Our education system, our healthcare system, our election system, our unemployment system, our social safety nets, our communications systems, our housing systems–everything that COVID broke or forced an adaption to will need to be re-evaluated and reimagined, and with Aquarius involved, it’s going to look at it from the standpoint of “Does this work for everybody?” and not just “Does this work for me?”

Some of this change may feel too radical for those who fear change and feel safer inside the comfort zone of Capricorn. Aquarius is often misunderstood because it’s so forward-thinking, and in many instances the radical change it espouses has been demonized by those who might lose power because of it. No one likes uncomfortable feelings of being out of control, and the typical reaction to those feelings is to dismiss change, ridicule change, then fight change, tooth and nail. But the thing is, evolution is inevitable, and the harder you fight against it, the more painful it is. And sometimes what looks radical from where you are now is only scary because you’re so used to the pile of shit you’ve been sitting in.

“A strange new light can be just as frightening as the dark.” – Dolores, West World

In 2020, we’ve born witness to the consequences of inflexibility and clinging to the status quo. That’s the theme of Saturn (inflexibility) conjunct Pluto (change) in Capricorn (the status quo). That conjunction came in like Miley Cyrus riding a Wrecking Ball, and now, on December 21st, Jupiter is going to give it one more big push, which will continue to show us that evolution is coming, whether we like it or not.

This evolution in particular is written in the stars. Its name is Aquarius. Its motto is progress. And its mantra is “First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win.”

Thanks for being here,

Ash

 

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