Archaeo-Astrology: Decolonize Your Horoscope

Free Astro E-Book by Taboo Tarot Reader 

aka @Astrology4Divination on Youtube, Bluesky, & Instagram

Summary

Archaeo-astrology ~ inspired by Archaeo-astronomy ~ seeks to uncover what was Astrology's authentic function in its original cultural context.

This thought piece weaves together a cross-comparison analysis exploring:

• Mesoamerican (Maya) Calendar Cosmology
  

• The I Ching "Book of Changes" and Daoist Cosmology
  

• Vedic Astrology & the Dasha System of Prediction
  

• Ancient Egyptian Cosmology
  

• Metaphysics, Time, & Divination
  

• Matriarchal (Matrilineal) Consciousness

Table of Contents

1. Preface: Astrology is Political

2. Introduction: Serpent Mound, Turtle Island

3. Part One: As Above, So Below

4. Part Two: As Within, So Without

5. Conclusion: Decolonize Your Horoscope

Preface: Astrology is Political

"De*col*o*nize" (verb): refers to the process of freeing a country or region from colonial rule, or the reexamination and change of a subject field or tradition to counter the belief that the culture of a colonizing power is superior. Decolonization can involve Indigenous peoples reclaiming their culture, language, and history, which may have been suppressed or erased during colonization. Decolonization can also involve critically examining and challenging Eurocentric or colonial perspectives in education, research, and other fields.

Despite its ancient origins, Astrology has been labeled “New Age”. Why is Astrology so quickly thrown into the same intellectual trash bin as aliens, UFOs, & flat Earth conspiracy theories? Why do so many skeptics belittle Astrology’s value - without any personal inquiry - when Astronomy was seemingly sacred to our ancient ancestors? Why is Astrology limited to the spiritual sphere of religion and belief? Electional (Historical) Astrology, Astro-Cartography, Medical Astrology, Astro-Palmistry, & Astro-Herbalism all suggest that there is much more depth to this discipline worthy of intellectual inquiry beyond blind faith. The Dominant Culture in the Global North has systemically denied, distorted, & suppressed evidence proving that the indigenous ancestors of colonized cultures had advanced astronomical wisdom which influenced their architecture, agriculture, & spirituality. Especially in the U.S.A. (aka Turtle Island) there is considerable political motivation by White Christian Nationalists to deny the advanced astronomy of North American indigenous monuments and sacred sites in order to avoid accountability for land theft and cultural genocide. Everything is political, and Astronomy / Astrology is no exception.

Introduction: Serpent Mound, Turtle Island

Serpent Mound in Ohio, U.S.A. (Turtle Island) is an earthwork mound - or effigy - which survived settler colonialism and exhibits advanced astronomy.

Scientific debate swirls around this stunning site despite Serpent Mound's clear astronomical features marking the Solstices / Equinoxes, solar alignments, & circumpolar star alignments:

The earthwork is aligned exactingly to the north. Numerous other features show that its builders oriented it to astronomical phenomena in a startlingly rich and detailed fashion and built it in accord with precise principles of geometry and arithmetic. Many other prehistoric earthworks and stonework also show astronomical and mathematical connections, but it is one of the aims of this book to demonstrate how the Great Serpent Mound is unique in the sheer number and complexity of these connections. In this regard it exceeds even the Great Pyramid of ancient Egypt or the Parthenon of Greece. Truly, it is a wonder of the prehistoric world...

The mystery of the Serpent Mound boils down to the questions of who designed it, who constructed it, and why. It is probably beyond our capacities to determine exactly what our Serpent was signifying. In the opinion of some, it is a"manitou," a Native American term for"spiritual entity.”I would take this notion a step further, being now convinced that our Serpent is"Gitche Manitou," which is to say, the"Great Spirit"And ancestral guardian of the ancient people. Yet while the Great Serpent has long been believed to be a treasure indigenous to North America, there are undeniable connections in its design to distant regions of the ancient world...

via "The Mystery of the Serpent Mound: In Search of the Alphabet of the Gods" Ross Mamilton, Frog Books, (May 3, 2001), xiii-xvi

It has been a long road to even achieve scientific speculation about the "possible or likely" astronomical alignments of ancient sites like Serpent Mound.

Largely the Dominant Culture of traditional Academia resists fully integrating this new information into their paradigm as "scientific fact" perhaps due to:

1) lingering patronizing perceptions that astronomy has no value in archaeology (i.e. compartmentalization) &

2) long-standing racist beliefs about indigenous people's capabilities rooted in the White Savior Complex of Colonizer (un)Consciousness.

This racism is often cloaked in a veil of "objective scientific skepticism" to maintain the ridiculous claim that any astronomical alignments at Serpent Mound are an "unintentional coincidence". This patriarchal perception paints indigenous people as infantile and "primitive"; like lost children who need to follow the all-knowing Sky Daddy of White Mediocre Men. Healthy skepticism rooted in discernment is very different from the outright denial, gaslighting, & suppression of research which still plagues the conversation surrounding the mystery of Serpent Mound. Few people understand Serpent Mound's implied connection with the Adena-Hopewell Earth Works (aka Star Maps) of the Ohio & Mississippi Valleys: many of these Earth Works were documented by the Smithsonian Institution but destroyed by settler colonialism. Curiously, Serpent Mound was also constructed within an ancient impact crater of a comet crash!

New research in Archaeo-astronomy now suggests that Serpent Mound - and the extensive Ohio River Valley mounds - were Star Maps recreating the Precession of the Equinoxes:

Did the ancients have something of great importance in mind to have made such an extensive earthwork? Recall that our basic inquiry began when Steve Burdic asked us late in 2014 by email whether the petroglyphic Judaculla Rock in North Carolina (near Cherokee, Cullowhee and Sylva) could be ancient astronomy in some form. After examining many nearby petroglyphic sites and establishing them to be astronomy, we noticed that Judaculla Rock, and even closer, the important Cowee Mound, was nearly directly south of the Great Serpent Mound in Ohio. Was that significant? That question led to a far more complicated investigation than initially imagined, with unexpected results.

As we prove in the images and discussion below, the Great Serpent Mound marked stars of Draco, and its nearby mounds and earthworks were used to calculate precession. See the graphic image below of what the mounds and earthworks mean in an astronomical context. However, the key earthworks at the Serpent Mound are the smaller mounds and earthworks that identify various stars and groups of stars in the heavens and mark the North Celestial Pole ca. 800 A.D. (could also be ca. 1000 A.D. to fit current mainstream estimates of the age of the Serpent Mound).

The stars near the North Celestial Pole in the era ca. 1000 A.D. are of minor importance -- except as they mark the North Celestial Pole in that era. The stars above Thuban are similarly of minor importance, except that they mark the triangulation line to be taken to the North Ecliptic Pole, and then, bonanza (!), when one connects Thuban, the North Ecliptic Pole, the North Celestial Pole, and then draws a middle line through Kochab from the North Ecliptic Pole, then one has a superb triangulation of precession.

The Great Serpent Mound in our opinion thus marks the successful calculation of precession in Native America by the astronomers of that era, whoever they were, and it has been done in a magnificent triangulation. See the graphic image below. It was surely a momentous achievement and arguably immortalized in the Great Serpent Mound as a great advance in knowledge. The Great Serpent Mound was used to calculate a passage of 50 degrees or precession in principle, which is a period of 3600 years, or perhaps at this location they calculated only 25 degrees, which is a period of 1800 years.

There is yet another, rather unexpected explanation for the heavenly serpent having a ball-type of figure or a cosmic egg of some kind that it is chasing. It is the path of the Sun through the Milky Way, i.e. our galaxy. The position of the North Celestial Pole ca. 11750 BC near the large star Vega in Lyra is also near the so-called "Solar Apex" or "Apex of the Sun's Way", whose anti-pole ("Antapex") is near Sirius on the other side of the heavens. Our solar system is moving toward Vega and away from Sirius. EarthSky.org writes at http://earthsky.org/earthsky-a-clear-voice-for-science:

"Our sun’s direction of motion (and thus our Earth’s corresponding motion) toward Vega has a special name. It’s called the apex of the sun’s way. Vega – the solar apex star – can be found in the eastern sky during the dawn and predawn hours throughout the winter season. Bottom line: Our sun moves toward the star Vega as it revolves around the center of the Milky Way galaxy. One circuit takes about 230 million years, or one “cosmic year.”"

via Andis Kaulins of https://ancientworldblog.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-great-serpent-mound-in-ohio-marks.html

It seems that Science of the Global North is not immune to political agendas, ideologies, nor deeply rooted racism.

"Objective" Scientists manifested Toxic Petro-Masculinity, the Technology Broligarchy of Silicon Incels, oppressive Algorithms, the Atom Bomb, Biological Weapons, Eugenics, Race, & White Supremacy. This ruse of skeptical scientific objectivity - which doubts Serpent Mound's multidimensional meaning - is delusional. According to Mr. Albert Einstein the observer influences the outcome, so it’s not possible to separate subjective biases from objective perception. Scientists are human beings too whom can exhibit confirmation bias i.e. a scientist's ego can affect the outcome of an experiment, or their perceptions can limit their capacity to understand the true nature of what the data suggests ... especially when exploring subjects which Bible Belt Bootlicker Fascism has turned taboo (like Astrology). Colonizer (un)Consciousness is willfully blind to the evidence suggesting Serpent Mound is a profound astronomical achievement measuring Precession, with many more secrets to share (i.e. the fallen obelisk destroyed by barbaric settlers which previously stood in the center of the "cosmic egg" at the Serpent's mouth).

The Dominant Culture may resist acknowledging the significance of Serpent Mound because it disrupts the political mythology of Manifest Destiny, White Supremacy, & the neocolonial paradigm of "history". To acknowledge that an ancient indigenous culture of North America was aware of Precession is deeply threatening to the fragile egos of social darwinists whom believe in the "Myth of Progress" (i.e. that modern Patriarchy is the most advanced civilization of all time). Ultimately the delegitimization of Cosmology, Astrology, & Astronomy of the ancients is a direct byproduct of the Global North's patriarchal agenda to erase any evidence undermining its perceived dominance. With this systemic oppression acknowledged, perhaps the reader can now see how deeply political Astrology is. In this thought piece, we will explore multiple ancient astrological wisdom systems to decolonize any preconceived patriarchal beliefs which have distorted our understanding of Astrology’s true significance.

My intention with writing this astrological analysis is to identify possible points of intersectionality between ancient wisdom systems. By looking for correspondence in multiple ancient astrological sources, Archaeo-astrology can triangulate information searching for patterns of resonance. This intention is fueled by my never-ending curiosity regarding how antediluvian Matriarchal cultures developed, functioned, and perceived the Cosmos. Throughout the evolution of Patriarchy over thousands of years of war & colonization, much cultural wisdom has been lost. Then add on to that the cataclysm of the Younger Dryas at the end of the last Ice Age 12,000+ years ago - a moment which all ancient civilizations mythologized as the Great Flood - and you may realize that our perspective of the antediluvian Matriarchal world is clouded by Patriarchal amnesia. In order to even begin the process of reconstructing the Prototype, curious students of authentic Astrology in modern times must be open to studying Astrology from the past. This metaphysical pursuit perhaps requires acknowledging how linear (mundane) time has blocked humanity's psychic potential to perceive the cyclical nature of Sacred Time.

Part One: As Above, So Below

The ancients whom developed Astrology weren't all that concerned with Sun Signs, Birth Chart compatibility, or casting Love Horoscopes on Instagram.

Dr. Carmen Boulter was a Canadian researcher of Matriarchal cultures who revolutionized our understanding of the Dendera Zodiacs at the Temple of Hathor in Egypt. Whilst Dr. Boulter had some problematic beliefs about "ancient aliens" which I personally do not subscribe to, her work on the Dendera Zodiacs remains invaluable. Dr. Boulter & Dr. Svetlana Pavlova (a Russian physicist) both convincingly argued that the Ancient Egyptians tracked Precession of the Equinoxes at Dendera, and that the entire temple is a monument documenting a "Calendar of Catastrophes". Dendera is full of astronomical & archetypal symbols enshrining Feminine (Right Brain) Consciousness. Without a doubt the Great Mother principle as symbolized by Hathor (the only deity with her own pillar) is central to the Ancient Egyptian Cosmology and worldview. Matriarchal cultures perceived of the creative force as inherently feminine and interactive: the Cosmos is the womb of the Mother Goddess where stars are born. Ultimately Dr. Boulter's work illustrates that the Dendera temple's art symbolizes the polarity of Sacred Biology (i.e. how we arrive on Earth) and Sacred Cosmology (i.e. how we leave Earth). This reverence for the cycles of Birth & Reincarnation deeply informed the evolution of Astrology in Matriarchal societies of prehistory.

The average person in the post-Internet era may misunderstand Astrology’s deep roots, and therefore, what it truly is.

Just like Yoga or Reiki or Meditation, Astrology has been:

1) appropriated and extracted from its original cultural context

2) distorted by McMindfulness “Spiritual” Capitalism and

3) simplified for mass market consumption

Hyper-individual Astrology centering around the birth chart - aka Natal Astrology - now dominates the field. An individual's exact moment of birth is perceived as the cosmic imprint which determines their fate & destiny (aka Astrological Determinism). The depths of the birth chart are marketed as a tool for personal development, yet most online horoscopes only work with Sun Sign placements centered around solar and lunar transits. Casting accurate astrological forecasts solely using the Sun Sign is like attempting to predict who will win a baseball game after just the first inning: the Sun Sign is not the only major player in the chart. Never mind either the relationships between the planets, benefics vs. malefics, nor exaltation vs. debilitation …

To be a successful online astrologer in the algorithm, it seems one must cater to the generalized audience’s desires for a pretty face delivering good news. Many egos casually consume half-truth horoscopes for daily inspiration, a motivational message, or predictions promising “positive energetic shifts”, “twin flame” soul mates, and “abundance” (i.e. more money). I guarantee you that the majority of “Love & Light” Instagram Astrologers rarely open an astronomy app to double-check if the Tropical Zodiac is accurate or not. Social Media superficiality has delegitimized Astrology; transforming it from a legitimate intellectual discipline into an online religion for poor unfortunate souls lacking discernment. Authentic Astrology is not a religion, but Astrology can inspire spirituality. Ancient wisdom systems like Astrology were often labeled “star religions” by conquering cultures whom ascribe religious meaning to science they do not understand. When a colonizing culture severs a colonized people from intact lineage, the old wisdom systems fragment. This process of fragmentation usually exhibits two historical paths: 1) The old wisdom system is immediately discarded and denounced by the Colonizers, destined to be misunderstood over time (e.g. the Spanish conquest of the Americas) or b) The old wisdom system is extracted, distorted, and re-absorbed by the conquering culture (e.g. the Roman gods were reinterpretations of the absorbed Greek pantheon).

Through this process of colonization, the convoluted cultural roots of Astrology have been simplified to “make sense” for a modern audience largely ignorant of Astrology’s original purpose and function.

Agricultural cycle markers & Astro-herbalism are foundational to Astrology's function in its original cultural context. Awareness of the Precession of the Equinoxes and planetary cycles was foundational to Astrology's purpose in its original cultural context; each Zodiac sign simultaneously represents an age of Precession. In modern times we tend to perceive Astrology as a purely intellectual and psycho-spiritual pursuit. However for the ancients who tracked the sacred calendars, Astrology had very tangible value for their culture's survival and day-to-day fortunes. The ancient master builders manifested megalithic monuments aligned with the stars - like the pyramids - perhaps because they were receiving something valuable in return for all that precision and effort: subtle energy. The planets each have their own energetic sphere of influence - aka subtle energies - which our human psyches can tune into and perceive through various yogic techniques. In my humble opinion, Archaeo-astrology proves without a doubt that Astronomy & Geomancy were revered in ancient cultures' Cosmology because ancients were exploring the metaphysical realms of the Cosmos through altered states of consciousness. There are many taboo subjects regarding what the ancients were actually using Astrology for; like channeling to communicate with ancestors and dream-walking with sacred plant medicines. With this awareness in mind, it's maybe easy to now see how silly all those horoscopes for your Sun Sign were.

Inevitably the oversimplification of the Zodiac Ages into 12 personality ego constructs has lead to mass misinformation and misunderstandings. Just look at any cult leader guru over the past 50 years who falsely claimed that it’s now the Age of Aquarius … If you were aware of the precessional cycle foundational to authentic astrology in its original cultural context, then you could discern we are still in the astronomical Age of Pisces until the true North Star (currently Polaris) retrogrades into Aquarius. The legacy of Western Tropical Astrology has been largely stripped of culture (and therefore, also its authenticity), as if Astrology were created in a space/time vacuum by all-knowing Facebook “Starseeds”. Hellenistic (Greek) Astrology is the foundation of Western Tropical Astrology, yet Greek Men certainly did not invent Astrology ... Patriarchy has a tendency to take credit for women's wisdom, discoveries, & labor. How many contributions from women of color have been erased from the deep "Herstory" of Astrology's evolution?

What do Astrolabes, Parapegmatas, & the Antikytheria Mechanism all have in common? These analog "computers" or astronomical calculators all have been attributed by Eurocentric scholars as being inventions of Ancient Greek Men from at least 2200 years ago. Despite adhering to the Hellenistic system, few modern Western Astrologers understand how the Ancient Greeks were actually using Astrology to navigate. It's important to state that no one knows the true age or orgins of these analog computers. Contrary to patriarchal gaslighting, ancient cultures were not isolated in their cultural evolution, but clearly interacting & exchanging information with each other. Parapegmatas & the Antikytheria Mechanism could be Vedic or Egyptian in origin, while Astrolabes could be Arabic or Babylonian. Muslim scholarship illustrates that Astrolabes were refined during the Islamic Golden Age (8th-13th centuries CE), attributed to a female Muslim scholar named Mariam Al Astrulabi of 10th Century Syria! Therefore this patriarchal retelling of "Herstory" begs the question: are these analog astronomical computers actually Greek in invention? Or an anomalous artifact from a more distant time period simply inherited and refined by the Greeks? Stone & metal are not carbon dateable material, so like many anomalous artifacts, the true age remains a mystery.

The mystery of the Antikytheria Mechanism is interesting because it's an anomalous astronomical device theorized to calculate the risings & settings of the stars in the annual cycle. Its interior has 30 complex epicyclic gears - similar to the cogs of a watch - which ingeniously move faster as they get closer and slow down as they pull away. Some researchers have theorized that one of the main intact gears had 127 teeth, which is a large prime factor and half of 254, the same number of Sidereal lunar cycles and roughly similar to the 260 days of the Mesoamerican Tzolkin. Ergo it’s also been theorized that the Mechanism is a sidereal planetarium which maps the 5 planets Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupiter, & Saturn. We now know it's most likely that this analog computer was a sidereal astronomical calculator which uses planetary cycles as the software interface to accurately forecast time. The Sidereal connection begs the question: did the Greeks inherit this wisdom during the occupation of Vedic Civilization in India? Or did they inherit this wisdom via Ancient Egyptians / Phoenicians whom likely seeded Greek Civilization?

The latest research also now suggests that the analog computer named the Antikytheria Mechanism predicted eclipses using the Babylonian Saros cycle (now famous after being culturally appropriated by Flat-Earthers); a unique contribution from Babylonian Astronomy. Either way, the Antikytheria Mechanism suggests the Ancient Greeks were most likely refining ancient astronomical wisdom absorbed from other cultures. Few Western Tropical Astrologers may care to unpack the implications of the Antikytheria Mechanism suggesting that ancient cultures were exchanging (or "borrowing") astronomical & astrological ideas with one another. Without a doubt the Patriarchal Ancient Greeks "borrowed" intellectual and religious ideas from Egyptian, Vedic & Babylonian Civilizations. Thus I am personally hard-pressed to believe that the Greeks invented the accumulated wisdom behind the Antikytheria Mechanism, even though the physical device & design could be a unique contribution from the Greeks.

Point being: it's important to critically think about the implications of the Antikytheria Mechanism since many modern Astrologers don't know these ancient astronomical calculators' even exist! No shade towards Ancient Greeks, whom certainly were a capable civilization in many regards. However in my humble opinion ... it's undeniable modern Western cultures glorify & center ancient Greco-Roman Civilization as peak Patriarchy. Is Patriarchal propaganda glorifying Greco-Roman perceptions a fanboy fantasy in dissonance with the reality of those times? Perhaps modern ignorance is a reflection of patriarchal blind spots inherent in colonizing cultures - like the Ancient Greeks - whom have most influenced Western Tropical Astrology, perhaps to the point of misguidance ... For example when you question the dominant belief that Venus is the planet of the “Divine Feminine” (or of gendered planets in general), it seems like one is questioning personal beliefs rooted in Heteronormativity rather than collective observations rooted in Astrology. Is it possible that there are also masculine and/or androgynous aspects to Venusian energy rather than only feminine aspects?

Authentic Astrologers should be able to clearly explain the theoretical framework through which a planetary or archetypal correspondence is established. The ancients corresponded various planets & qualities to the Zodiac Signs by observing what earth events manifested in that Zodiac Age during the Precession of the Equinoxes. This is the main bone I have to pick with colonized Astrology on social media: it is heavy on subjective beliefs (i.e. “This is true because I say so”), and low on objective theoretical frameworks (i.e. “Let me explain the methodology I used to arrive at my interpretations”). This is why for many skeptics, Astrology is a narcissistic New Age "pseudoscience" rooted in predatory pop psychology and 12 ego-constructs symbolizing the Tropical Zodiac's Sun Signs. Whilst I am obviously not a skeptic of Astrology, I do feel it’s important to acknowledge and atone for the “whitewashing” which manifested Western Tropical Astrology. We must name the problem - Patriarchy, Colonization, & White Supremacy Culture - in order to legitimize Astrology’s function in its original cultural context. In my humble opinion as an Astrologer whom utilizes Vedic Sidereal Zodiacs: the majority of online generalized horoscopes targeting Tropical Zodiac Sun Signs are pure fantasy; toxic positive “spells” offering zero astrological nor astronomical information about the current transits.

Western Tropical Astrology is only scratching the superficial surface of Astrology's significance:

If the information given in Vedic Astrology is true (and we are convinced it is) then all horoscopes created by Western astrologers are at least 23 degrees inaccurate to the true stars positions. This means that the entire world of Western Astrology and all horoscopes are wrong in what has to be the most colossal astrological blunder in history ... Western Astrology has its roots in the Greek (Hellenistic) period that dates back 1,850 years. At that time and for the previous 2,160 years, the Sun was in Aries on March 21, but it has not been so for 1,850 years. Currently, Western Astrology is almost 24 degrees off from the true star positions. Quite simply, that means all Western horoscopes are incorrect in their calculations of the chart by 24 degrees, almost a whole sign. Vedic astrology did not make this mistake in calculation, because Indian astronomers have been tracking the wobble of the Earth (Nutation) for over 10,000 years. They and all other ancient systems of astrology observed this motion of the precession of the equinoxes and adjusted their calculation of the chart accordingly.

Via the "Vedic Astrology Guidebook" by Jeffrey Armstrong

Awareness of Precession of the Equinoxes shows how - contrary to New Age belief - that we're still collectively in the Age of Pisces.

Ergo the astronomical Age of Aquarius has not yet even begun, despite what your favorite Instagram Astrologer may claim:

This is definitely not the dawning of the Age of Aquarius, no matter what the song proclaims or opportunistic astrologers may say. Scientifically and historically speaking, the Aquarian Age will commence in the year 2376 A.D [using Fagan-Bradley ayanamsha]. In my calculations with this ayanamsha, the Sun on March 20, 2376 at the equinox is at 00:00 Pisces which could indicate the beginning of the Age of Aquarius. At vernal equinox of 2377, the Sun is at 29:59 Aquarius, so we are in range from 2376-2377. However, most sidereal astrologers agree that the Age of Aquarius will commence sometime between 2117 and 2600 A.D. If we use Lahiri ayanamsha and calculate for the vernal equinox in the same way that Bradley did, then the equinox (vernal point) changed from Aries to Pisces in the years 285/286 CE (at the vernal equinox of 285, it was 00:00 Aries, and in 286 it was 29:59 Pisces). Going forward to the equinox of 2438-2439, the same thing happens, as the vernal point slips from 00:00 Pisces to 29:59 Aquarius.

So the answer for when the Age of Aquarius begins using Lahiri ayanamsha is from 2438-2439. Though we are not technically in the Age of Aquarius yet, the fact that there are no separating edges between the constellations indicates that we are in the process of moving toward Aquarius, as the vernal equinox Sun is now within a six-degree orb of Aquarius. Thus, we are slowly beginning to receive the influx of Aquarian energies that relate to democracy, scientific breakthroughs, technological innovation, and the awakening of consciousness. Aquarius is the sign of the Water Bearer who carries the kundalini shakti(spiritual essence of truth), which we hope can awaken humanity from its “ancient slumber.” Aquarius is forward thinking and inventive, known to be interested in science, healing, occult wisdom, higher knowledge, and humanitarianism.

We may want to be in the Age of Aquarius now because we presume this era will bring humanity into a Golden Age of peace and oneness. However, according to my calculations based on the teachings of Swami Sri Yukteswar’s alternate 24,000-year yuga system, the Golden Age of Truth and Enlightenment in which all beings will live in total harmony, known as Sat/Satya Yuga, is still over 5000 years away; it’s estimated to occur from 7699 to 12,4999 AD. Sat Yuga will occur during the Age of Sagittarius after the completion of the Age of Aquarius and Age of Capricorn. For now, we are still in the Age of Pisces, an epoch that has seen the gradual growth of compassion and humanitarianism linked with both positive and negative religious influences.

via Juliana of astralharmony.com https://astralharmony.com/blog/not-even-close-dawning-age-aquarius/

For the ancients, Astrology was as much objective "science" as it was a seeming subjective "religion": science & spirituality were not separate. Archaeo-astrology is a relatively new intellectual pursuit stemming out of the sister science of Archaeo-astronomy. By integrating the archetypal wisdom of Cosmology (aka "Mythology" or the study of the Universe in its totality) with the practical observations of Astronomy, we can uncover the authentic version of Astrology in alignment with its ancient application. I deduce that only by synthesizing information from modern derivatives of ancient wisdom systems can we possibly discern:

1) how the prototype system functioned

2) how the elevated ancient ancestors truly perceived the Cosmos

3) how matriarchal societies authentically used Astrology, Astronomy & Divination in their civilizations

4) how "Time" as a force truly functions in the Universe

Many New Age con-spiritualists may say “Time isn’t real, time is an illusion”.

This claim refers to the concept of mundane & linear time in the Gregorian administrative & fiscal calendar. The Gregorian Calendar indeed is not based on any organic cycles as reflected in nature or the cosmos. So while this saying “Time isn’t real, time is an illusion” may be true in the context of discussing the soulless Gregorian Calendar, it does not resonate with the ancients’ perceptions of multidimensional cycles. For example: the Mesoamerican Tzolkin 260 day calendar with 13 day "weeks" is not measuring mundane time of the solar calendar (Haab), but rather "Sacred Time" as a reflection of cosmic Law & Order (via "Jaguar Wisdom" by Kenneth Johnson). Think of mundane time as a reflection of the day-to-day human activities, whilst Sacred Time is a reflection of the Cosmos' greater cycles. If understanding the flow of Sacred Time - not mundane time - was of seeming utmost significance to ancient civilizations who developed Astronomy & Astrology ... then maybe it's "high time" to rethink our conditioned notions about time?

What is the true nature of the phenomenon we call "Time"? Is the Gregorian Calendar perhaps the biggest blunder in the history of time-keeping? How does patriarchal left-brain thinking limit our perceptions? Perhaps the one thing we can all agree upon in this wretched world of Late-stage Dystopian Capitalism is that "Time keeps on slipping into the future", never-ending. Measuring time itself was the prototype religion and science. The observation of time birthed Astronomy, Mathematics, and Sacred Geometry. Time is the greatest mystery of the human experience. Measuring time was perhaps the first curious human inquiry into what is the true nature of reality. Therefore Archaeo-astrology could be defined as an inquiry into the very mystery of "Time" itself. Archetypal Cosmology was of apparent utmost importance to all ancient civilizations who developed Divination, Time-keeping, & Mathematics. As a practicing Astrologer & Reader, I advocate that all Divination is rooted in ancient astrological traditions beyond modern Hellenistic (Western) Astrology’s Gregorian calendar & the Tropical Zodiac.

Astrology & Astronomy are in essence a study of Sacred Time through the medium of the cosmos. Your perception of time is the axis mundi around which your life orbits or revolves. Therefore, whichever calendar you use ultimately controls your perceptions (for better or worse). Did you know that the Ancient Egyptians had three 10 day weeks in their monthly calendar instead of four 7 day weeks? Did you know that the Ancient Chinese also followed a 10 day week? If you center a different calendar system in your life, you are literally "shifting timelines" or realigning your biorhythms. For the Ancients, Astrology's implied meaning is inseparable from the astronomical rhythms of the stars & planets throughout their orbits. In its original context, Astrology & Astronomy were not separate from each other. Modern Astronomers in the industrialized Global North often are the first to denounce Astrology in order to legitimize Astronomy. This desire to compartmentalize & divide Astronomy from Astrology - as if they are opposing ideologies, rather than Sister Sciences - is rooted in patriarchal perceptions. Denial of Astrology's significance is in fact a shadow power dynamic to divide & conquer, blocking many from connecting the cosmic dots. The holistic union of Astrology & Astronomy forms the sacred Cosmology of the Ancients. Like the Yin to the Yang, Astrology & Astronomy complement & reinforce one another rather than strictly oppose. Humanity can expand our perceptions of the greater mysteries of the Cosmos only when the Yin & Yang forces are at equilibrium.

In ancient China, we can find one of the greatest intellectual achievements of spiritual science.

The I Ching "Book of Changes" is perhaps a prototypical periodic table of Sacred Time. The I Ching wisdom system was used for thousands of years in Imperial China for statecraft divination, and has its origins in Paleolithic shamanism. The most well-known ways of divination with the I Ching are the traditional 50 yarrow stalks method and 3 coin toss method (famous in Chinese "street fortunetelling"). However there is so much more to the I Ching's mystery beyond fortunetelling for tourists. Terrence McKenna's writings about the I Ching in relation to his "Time Wave Zero" Theory invoke intriguing insights regarding the I Ching's 64 hexagrams correspondence with the 64 codons of human DNA and shifting genetic processes. This "coincidence" implies on a deeper level that human beings are a microcosm reflecting the quantum phenomenon of the macrocosm. Taiwanese practicioner Benebell Wen's updated translation of the Book of Changes - a truly phenomenal masterpiece of spiritual scholarship - reveals further insights:

"The last century witnessed an increasing interest in the intersection of the I Ching and science, but first, let's return to the eighteenth century ... (Joachim) Bouvet and (Gottfried Wilhelm von) Leibniz are convinced that there is a metaphysical foundation to calculus and that the I Ching might offer insight into that foundation. Leibniz becomes convinced that the trigrams follow an arithmetical progression and are an operation of Boolean algebra. Likewise, Bouvet is insistent that there is a Pythagorean wisdom to the I Ching, where the diagrams represent the perfected state of science, math, music, astronomy, medicine, and physics ... Then, in Leibniz's 1703 "Explication de l'arithmetique binaire" published in Memories de l'Academie des sciences, he presents dyadic or binary mathematics as double geometrical progression following the progression of trigrams in exactly the manner Bouvet had described in his letters to Leibniz.

The correspondence between the binary code of computer processor instructions (bit strings of zeroes and ones) and the base components of DNA has lead to comparisons of the two. Both a computer hard drive and the DNA complex serve dual purposes of (1) being a centralized information storage system and (2) being a processing system, with functional equivalents. DNA ... is like the software program that runs the body's hardware. That functional comparison provides a new framework for considering DNA as a dynamic - a changing - system of biological information ...

In 1991, polymer scientist Dr. Johnson F. Yan publishes groundbreaking literature on the intersection of interpreting the I Ching and interpreting DNA protein sequences. He proposes that adenine and thymine (or uracil in RNA) correspond with "elder yin" and "younger yin" respectively, while cytosine and guanine correspond with "younger yang" and "elder yang". When either yin or yang forms a pairing with itself, creating two yin lines or two yang lines, the resulting pairs are described as elder. When yin pairs with yang as permutations of opposites, the pairs are described as younger ... The binary and quarternary code that the DNA molecule is based on generates a system of sixty-four triplet combinations. Likewise, the I Ching diagrams are based on a binary (yin and yang) and quarternary code (the elder and younger yin and yang combinations) that generates a system of sixty-four hexagrams. Hexagrams are but triplet paired combinations of yin and yang lines. Both DNA codons and the I Ching hexagrams are groupings of six-hexagrams are groupings of six lines, while DNA codons are groupings of six amino acids.

The mathematical process for both DNA and the I Ching operates from four to eight to sixteen to sixty-four ... Just as DNA processes are at their essence processes of change, the I Ching at its essence is about processes of change ... Perhaps, likewise, the sequence of codes produced by the hexagrams of the I Ching make this universe what it is, and make us who we are; therefore, the more we understand the Oracle as a science of mind, the more we'll come to know ourselves. Dr. Yan muses that perhaps divination is "the main connection of the I Ching to combinatorial and probabilistic mathematics".

via "I Ching the Oracle: A Practical Guide to the Book of Changes" by Benebell Wen, pg. 74-82

If humans are quantum reflections of the Cosmos, then the curious case of the Book of Changes reveals that the impulse to seek answers about future probabilities, possibilities, & patterns via Divination may be coded into our very DNA. Maybe this is why humanity has always had an innate curiosity about the nature of Sacred Time itself. Terrence McKenna said it's important to clarify that the ancient ancestors who cultivated the I Ching were perhaps not as concerned with answering the question,"What is going to happen?" but rather more, "Why do things happen the way they happen?" Why do things change the way they do or don't through the shifting sands of time? The mystery of why does human DNA correspond with the I Ching invokes the very nature of Divination itself as an inquiry into the spiritual meaning of life. The oldest form of pictographic writing in China discovered are oracle bones from the Shang Dynasty which were clearly used in Divination: "Oracle bone divination is a clear forerunner of the I Ching, as many bones were found with three-line trigrams and six-line hexagrams" (I Ching the Oracle by Bennebell Wen). The 8 trigrams & 64 hexagrams of the I Ching are perhaps the most ancient Divination system known to modern humans.

Hexagram #50 The Cauldron simultaneously also forms a pictogram depicting a stove pot atop a fire.

As a student of Mesoamerican (Mayan) Calendar Astrology, Vedic Astrology, & the I Ching Oracle I couldn’t help but notice some key similarities between all three of these ancient civilizations.

Is their Sacred Wisdom a result of divergent evolution from a shared source or convergent evolution from different developmental streams? For the sake of triangulating information, in this cross-comparison analysis, we will focus first on synthesizing the similarities - before detailing the differences - of Vedic, Mesoamerican, & Chinese Cosmology. These 3 ancient astrological systems have all survived by some miracle despite the horrors of occupation, war, & colonization. Furthermore they are still in use by modern astrologers of the contemporary cultures; making them our perfect case study for triangulating information. In Logic one compares information from at least 3 sources in order to discern possible patterns of resonance. I also will weave in corroborating information from ancient Egyptian Cosmology for good measure. Let’s start first with what seem to be foundational similarities in thought or spiritual synergies.

The most intriguing connections between the 3 ancient civilizations of India, China, & Mesoamerica can be found in their core cosmological lore.

The sanctity of Cosmology in the ancient world is indisputable: countless cultures believed that the celestial motions of the heavens dictate earth events. Yet, the majority of patriarchal academics in the Global North rarely take what the ancients had to say about Cosmology seriously (excluding open-mind Quantum Physicists like matriarch Dr. Vandana Shiva!). In the priestly & patriarchal cult of "Western Science", Cosmology of the ancients is something that has been decreed a "myth". Hence the ancient Cosmology's only perceived value lies in the realms of historians, anthropologists, or archaeologists digging in the dirt for lost cultures. Often in our modern material sciences, humans are focused on finding physical artifacts to prove the tangible existence of an advanced civilization from the past. However, intangible ideas via ancient cultures (especially spiritual wisdom) were often transferred orally for millennia before being documented on any type of physical artifact. Thus it’s safe to say that the wisdom recorded on any physical artifact of high cultural value often has a long legacy of evolution which precedes the cultural context in which the artifact is created.

By studying ancient Ideology, Cosmology, & Linguistics we see clear evidence of a diffusion of similar spiritual ideals & ideas.

Linguistics offers intriguing insights into the cultural evolution of our ancient past. For example: did you know that all European languages - including English - are descended from a single prehistoric language of the Indian subcontinent? This mother language has been linguistically reconstructed as Proto-Indo-European, spoken sometime during the Neolithic or early Bronze Age c. 3300 – c. 1200 BC (via Wikipedia). This highly suggests that Vedic Civilization (in particular the Indus River Valley culture) is the primordial Mother Culture of later "pagan" (aka indigenous) Europeans like the Finns, Slavs, Celts, & Germanic peoples. What's even more interesting is that a shared linguistic influence can also be observed between the ancient Maya language and Sanskrit. What the Vedic Yogis call “Kundalini” (aka the serpent fire energy), the Mesoamerican Daykeepers would have called “K’ulthanlilni” or “Koyopa” (aka the “electricity of the blood” aka the path of Quetzalcoatl aka K’uk’ulkan, the feathered serpent), which the Chinese Qigong masters would perhaps call “Shen” (spirit-heart energy). What the Chinese Daoists call “Qi”, the Vedas would call “Prana”, which the Kiche Mayans most likely would call “Iq/Ik”.  Furthermore the Chinese dragon is very similar iconography to a Mesoamerican feathered serpent & the Vedic Nagas. Perhaps all three of these ancient civilizations were describing the same mysterious phenomenon of metaphysical subtle energies, but simply in different terms, often coded in spiritual stories (aka “myth”).

These three cosmological wisdom systems also all document subtle energy centers  in the human body, albeit with their own interpretation or flavor. The Vedic “Chakras” of Yogic Science are similar to what the Kiche Maya call “Chaklas”, and what the Chinese call the “Dantians”. "Yoga" is a very similar word to the Mayan word "Yok’ha". Whilst this topic is controversial for modern Indians, without a doubt we know the ancient Mesoamericans & Egyptians also practiced Yoga given various works of art found depicting well known yoga poses. Many of these works of art are in fact from the more ancient Olmec civilization which preceded the Maya & Aztecs, suggesting the Olmecs were the source of this spiritual wisdom. Finally all three systems acknowledge polarity or duality as a fundamental key principle of the Cosmos (Shiva/Shakti, Yin/Yang, Day Sign/Number or Tz’aqol B’itol). On a deeper level this means that Archetypes are inherently dualistic in nature I.e. any Archetype has both a Yin & Yang polarity expression. In Chinese Cosmology: a planet’s Yin aspects are judged by triangulating its positioning to the moon and its Yang aspects by triangulating the planet’s positioning to the Sun.

The "Third Party Hypothesis" is a new branch of archaeological thought stemming from the revolutionary studies of Archaeo-astronomy.

Archaeo-astronomy as an evolving discipline re-discovered how sacred sites - pyramids, megalithic temples, mounds, & earth works - are aligned with various constellations and/or electromagnetic ley lines of the Earth. E.g. Dr. Robert Bauval has proven that the main 3 pyramids on the Giza plateau are an indisputable recreation of Orion’s belt given these stars importance in the corresponding Osiris origin lore. By using computer software, we can also now recreate the ancient skies of the past to arrive at an exact “time stamp” of when these megalithic structures were in perfect alignment with its corresponding celestial constellation. This has completely re-dated many ancient megalithic structures' timelines, suggesting that the “Western mind” must expand our chronology of ancient civilizations way back before the Ice Age & Younger Dryas Catastrophe.

There has obviously been great resistance to the re-dating of ancient sites by educational institutions in the USA & Global North whom do not wish to acknowledge the true antiquity of non-European civilization. Regardless of your beliefs about the the true age of ancient sites like the Pyramids of Giza, it is undeniable that the idea “the constellation of Orion is spiritually important” most likely is much more ancient than the pyramids themselves. Orion's belt is an important constellation in many, many ancient cultures. For example: the three hearth stones in Mayan ritual ceremonies & the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan:

The Pyramid of the Sun, or  Pirámide del Sol, is the largest pyramid at Teotihuacan and was by far the largest building in the New World when it was completed in the 2nd century. It is thought to have taken over 100 years to construct and contains over 1.1million cubic-metres of adobe mud bricks at its core. Its scruffy exterior is the result protruding brickwork designed to support over 60,000 square-metres of stucco – which was once painted and decorated with murals.  At its base, the Pyramid of the Sun measures 223.5m and its peak reaches 71.2 metres tall. Some deviations from its original form were caused by the aggressive archaeology carried out by Leopoldo Batres in the early 20th century – this most noticeably a resulted in a fifth layer being added close to the peak.

The Pyramid of the Sun’s size is such, that it immediately draws parallels to the Great Pyramid of Khufu in Egypt. In fact, almost unbelievably, the base of the Pyramid of the Sun is virtually identical in size to that of the Great Pyramid of Giza (which measures 230m). And it isn’t just the size of the Pyramid of the Sun that strikes accord, for it also sits amidst a trio pyramids that appear identically aligned to those of the Giza Plateaux. At Teotihuacan, these pyramids are known as the Pyramid of the Moon (furthest north), the Pyramid of the Sun (central) and the Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl. Furthermore, the alignment at both sites clearly reflects the alignment of the three stars of Orion’s Belt. This has brought about some notable theories on ancient trans-oceanic contact and the plausible existence of an ancient super-race who spread knowledge of geometry and astrology across the globe. These super-humans are thought to be recorded in pre-historic artwork using animal forms to describe their origins and their wisdom. This, it is argued, explains the many strange and often similar anthropomorphic gods that are found throughout the Americas, Egypt, Mesopotamia, India and the Far East.

The likenesses between the Pyramids of Teotihuacan and those of Giza are undeniable, but they are not identical. The Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl is not the large square that it is visible on satellite images (as outlined in fig. W1-0011). This large square is a plaza known as the Ciudadela, and whilst the Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl is located within the Ciudadela, it measures a diminutive 60m across its base. However, the Ciudadela measures 233m across the front, equalling that of the Great Pyramid, and the Pyramid of the Sun originally measured 215m, which is identical to the Pyramid of Khafre. Of course, these identical results aren’t necessarily the result of contact, and it is far more plausible that both sites were using the same symbolic calculations. To provide an example, if you divide the radius of the earth (6,371km) by the length of a lunar cycle (29.53 days) then you get 215.74km. Using similar techniques, researchers have decoded a number of links between the structures at Teotihuacan, celestial objects, geometry and time (there are many books on this subject).

It isn’t just the size of the Pyramid of the Sun that appears to encode knowledge, but also its alignment at 15.25 north of true-east, which meant it faced the sunset on the 11th August and the 29th April (of the following year). There are 260 days separating these two sunsets, which equals the number of days in the Sacred-Calendar. The sun then continues north to the Tropic of Cancer and returns 105 days later, and W1-0010: Aerial View, demonstrating the odd alignment of the Adosado platform it is possible that the Adosada Platform at the front of the Pyramid was designed to point at the solstitial event, because it is considerably skewed at an angle of around 21º north of east. These sacred alignments and measurements are found not just within the Pyramid of the Sun, but also within its relationship with other structures. For example, during the 3rd century the Pyramid of the Moon measured 87.15m, which was approximately 40% the size of the Pyramid of the Sun. Between the 29th April and the 11th August there are 105 days, which is 40% of 260. So the Pyramid of the Sun represented the ritual calendar of 260 days and the sun’s slow death towards the winter solstice and its resurrection back to Teotihuacan, whilst the Pyramid of the Moon represented the sun’s transit north, to the summer solstice. Because the relationship was made through the pyramids’ dimensions (i.e. 87.5m = 105d and 215.8 = 260d), we are also able to calculate a standard length by day, which is 83cm (215.8 ÷ 260). This, it is believed, is the standard unit length used by the Teotihuacano people to build there monuments and was based on the length between the heart and the fingertips of the average Teotihuacano man. With this measurement in mind, the Pyramid of the Suns original height of 60m would have equalled 72 Teotihuacano standard units, which may relate to  the precession of the equinoxes, whereby the earth’s axis moves by one degree every 72 years.

The 260 day ritual calendar was used throughout Mesoamerica, but where the concept came from and why it was 260 days is not known. It wasn’t simply a ritual calendar, but an ingenious cog that locked together with the 365 day solar calendar to produce a 52 year cycle. before realigning itself back at day one. This system meant that lengthy celestial cycles could be tracked and simply expressed – which was vital for the Teotihuacano as they had no known form of writing. The Maya, who did have writing, created an enormous third cog to produce the “Long Count” that offered a cycle of 5125 solar years. This immense cycle of time was known as a “Sun”, and two stelae at the Mayan city of Quirigua record the Fourth Sun as beginning on the 11th August 3114BC when a God called Itzamna placed three hearth-stones to create a home for humanity (click here to read the full article). These three stones are associated with the stars of Orion and the date, the 11th August, is one of the two dates that the Pyramid of the Sun faces the sunset to create the 260-day period. This presents the possibility that Teotihuacan was perceived to be the place where Itzamna placed the three-stones of creation and that the three pyramids are symbolic of these three stones. This would also explain why the pyramids are aligned with Orion and also, why the Pyramid of the Sun  locked in on to the 11th August 3114BC.

Curiously, the First Dynasty of Egypt also began in around 3114BC, with the legendary King Menes combining the crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt. In the same way that the measurements of the pyramids equal one another, it is also possible that an global or celestial event of enormous significance occurred on this date, which was subsequently locked into the creation myths of both civilisations – and represented by Orion.

via TEOTIHUACAN: PYRAMID OF THE SUN & THE ORION MYSTERY by Robin Heyworth of uncoveredhistory.com

It is very curious indeed how the beginning of the Maya Long Count Calendar corresponds with the exact emergence of Patriarchal Pharaonic (Dynastic) Egypt.

The three stars of the Orion's belt were undoubtedly important in the ancient Mesoamerican creation Cosmology of the Popul Vuh, just like the Ancient Egyptian resurrection epic of Osiris (which represents Orion). This constellation in other Native American cultures has also been symbolized as a hand. The same Orion's belt alignment can be found in the Nabta Playa stone circle site in the deep deserts of ancient Nubia. This site undoubtedly is very, very old since it features a number of artifacts discovered in the deep sediments such as an ancient cow cult stone and base megalithic platform (via "The Pyramid Code" by Dr. Carmen Boulter). Cow Cults pre-date the ancient Egyptian civilization by millennia in the Nile Valley, and are associated with the cosmic Mother Goddess Hathor. Archaeo-astronomers have theorized that the subterranean cow stone at Nabta Playa could symbolize a transition point from an Age of Gemini into an Age of Taurus since it was found in an astronomical complex. Does Nabta Playa suggest that Nubia was the mother culture of Egyptian cosmology? Or did Ancient Nubia & Ancient Egypt share a common Mother Culture and origins cosmology?

Ideas exist in the Collective Psyche of humanity amidst the immaterial realms of Archetypes, and the immaterial manifests the physical. This self-evident truth implies that the evidence of an advanced ancient civilization's existence isn’t always going to be something material like ruins or artifacts. Much of the evidence Archaeo-astrology is looking for to legitimize Astrology as an ancient, Sacred Science can be found in the intellectual inheritance of ideas which travel throughout time/space. By studying the Cosmology of the ancients, we can see ample evidence of cultural diffusionism from a proposed third party source. Let's come back to the concepts of subtle energy centers in the human body, popularly know as Chakras in the New Age world as appropriated from the Vedic Sciences. Whilst some ancient cultures varied in the number of energy centers, their exact location in the body, & correspondences, the core concept or idea remains the same: humans have a subtle meridian network of electromagnetic life force energy. This idea clearly has traveled and taken root throughout multiple cultures, implying its inherent validity. Where did this shared knowledge truly come from?

What is the connection between these ancient legacy civilizations’ sacred wisdom systems? A lost Mother Culture?

I first started studying Vedic Astrology in 2019 during my Yoga teacher training in Rishikesh, India and personal Astro-palmistry studies. I learned that Yoga, Ayurveda, Astrology & Astro-Palmistry (aka Jyotish translated from the Sanskrit as the “Science of Light” or Divination) are Sister Sciences weaving together one holistic tapestry. Vedic Astrology is complex and convoluted, but paradoxically rooted in a simple 9 planet system called "Sidereal" which excludes the trans-Saturnian planets of Modern Western Tropical Astrology: i.e. the system works with The Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Rahu (North Node of the Moon), & Ketu (South Node of the Moon). Interestingly enough Taoist Chinese Cosmology also uses the same Sidereal system of 9 planets corresponding to the 9 aspects of the Lo Shu Magic Square: a foundational horoscope mapping the I Ching's 8 elemental trigrams (via Bennebell Wen).

Furthermore we know that in the Tang Dynasty of Imperial China the royal astrologer Li Xu Zhong institutionalized the 10 Heavenly Stems & 12 Branches (aka Animal Archetypes) Cosmology system which features 28 Lunar Mansions (via Berna Lee). There are 27 Lunar Mansions aka Nakshatras in Vedic Astrology, with a rumored long lost 28th Nakshatra mentioned in ancient texts: "The Nakshatras are the central axes around which Hindu Astrology revolves. Their origin is unknown. Even the Vedas give exhaustive references to them ... At one time there were twenty-eight Nakshatras forming the circle of 360 degrees; but at some historical epoch of which we know but little, one of them was omitted" (via Bepin Behari "Fundamentals of Vedic Astrology"). Rather than cause further argument about whether ancient China or India developed Astrology first, I would rather suggest that these connections further support the 3rd Party Hypothesis aka long lost Mother Culture theory of divergent evolution from shared inherited wisdom of the Paleolithic era (in which the I Ching was likely developed).

The Wu Xian Five Star Divination system was documented circa 246 BCE specifically corresponding the 5 Phases of Change (Fire, Water, Metal, Wood, & Earth) with Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupiter, & Saturn. Furthermore the fact that both ancient Vedic & Chinese astrologers worked with the Lunar Nodes is very significant. Vedic Astrology symbolizes the shadow "planets" of Karmic Law - Rahu & Ketu - as a dragon's head (North Node) circling around to eat its tail (South Node), which is commonly known as the Ouroboros symbol. Meanwhile Chinese Cosmology features famous dragon iconography. I find a lot of Ketu vague mysticism in the Chinese cosmological concept of, "Riding the dragon", implying the initiate must ride the ever-changing wave of time like a dragon, seeking your moment of chance opportunity to enact free will in response to the untamable force of fate (via Berna Lee). Are these direct similarities in Cosmology a result of divergent or convergent evolution? Ultimately Vedic Astrology has the most overlap with Hellenistic Astrology since the Ancient Greeks probably learned a lot of what they know during the process of occupying the Indian subcontinent, just like how Plato learned about the Atlantis legends from Egyptian priests during the Ptolemaic occupation of Ancient Egypt. It is important to state that the Vedic, Mesoamerican, & Chinese civilizations most likely developed Astrology throughout multiple precessional cycles of Earth, whilst the Hellenistic Greeks developed their derivation of Astrology during roughly one to two Zodiacal Aeons in Plato’s “Great Year” cycle.

Advanced knowledge of Earth's precessional cycle appears to be a shared foundational principle of ancient astrology in its original cultural context.

The Vedic Yugas, Pralayas, Kalpas, & Manvantaras are vast cosmic cycles of the ancient Puranas text theorizing (some would say documenting) the formation of our solar system. These vast cosmic cycles resemble the classic Maya “Long Count Calendar” and its projected interlocking time cycles. In the Long Count (aka "Choltun") Calendar there are exactly 73 rotations of the lunar Tzolkin gear & 52 rotations of the solar Haab gear before a unique day & number combination (aka "date") repeats. It's important to clarify that the Long Count “Choltun" Calendar is an ancient relic which most modern Yucatec & K'iche Maya Daykeepers do not work with due to Catholic colonization. There are multiple stelas from Tres Zapotes, Mexico with written Long Count dates from the Olmec period of precisely 31 BCE in an archaic Epi-Olmec script. Plus there's an Olmec megalithic site at Chiapa de Corzo with a Long Count date of 900 BCE proving without a doubt that the mysterious Olmecs had the Long Count, Tzolkin, & Numbers system before the Maya. The holistic evidence is suggesting that the Olmecs were the potential source of this sacred wisdom in Mesoamerica. 

Ergo the Long Count “Choltun" Calendar - more like a precise metaphysical & mathematical matrix of Sacred Time - has been attributed by Eurocentric scholars to have been a unique cultural creation of the Classic Maya period. This colonial perception no longer resonates with the expanded awareness hindsight provides and Archaeo-astronomy's re-dating of megalithic sites. Upon reinterpreting the multidisciplinary data of mind-bending megaliths attributed to the Maya, we now can likely re-attribute these architectural & mathematical feats to the Olmecs of earlier eras. The 260 day sacred Tzolkin cycle, Haab (year) 365 day solar cycle, 9 day Lords of the Night lunar cycle, & 52 year Calendar Round (“Bundle of Years”) cycle are all shared by Mesoamerican cultures. Perhaps the most logical deduction is that the sophisticated Olmecs are the best candidate for a long lost Mother Culture in Mesoamerica.

Whilst skeptics doubt that the Long Count "Choltun" Calendar encodes knowledge of Earth’s precessional cycle, it seems that the ancient Mesoamericans were tuning into even vaster cosmic cycles which transcend the Earth’s 26,000 year journey through the Zodiac. In the paper "The Auric Time Scale & the Mayan Factor" Sergey Smelyakov & Yuri Karpenko argue that the Mayan Long Count, Short Count, Solar, Lunar, Venus, Jupiter, & Saturn calendars all exhibit numerical resonance via the Fibonacci Sequence. It seems that parallel planetary cycles are interconnected via the phenomenon of precession. Most casual scholars of the Long Count are familiar that 13 Baqtuns (a Baqtun is roughly 400 years) equal 5,200 years or 1/5 of the precessional cycle. 13 Baqtuns equal roughly 1 Oxlakatun. Therefore 1 precessional cycle equals 5 Oxlakatuns. This number 5 is mirrored in the I Ching’s 5 Phases of Change and the Ancient Egyptian 5 Phases of Precession. However the Choltun Long Count also works with cycles of 20, not just 13. Ergo 20 Baqtuns equals 1 Piqtun which roughly equals 8,000 years. Next 20 Piqtuns equals 1 Kalabtun which equals 160,000 years; this is very close to 6 Precessional Cycles of Earth which equal 156,000 years. Why did the ancient Mesoamericans measure 1 Kalabtun which is roughly 6 precessional cycles? Is there an even deeper aspect of the precessional cycle beyond the number 5? If you can believe it the ancient Mesoamericans measured even vaster cosmic cycles related to the number 20. Next 20 Kalabtuns equals 1 Kinchiltun which equals 3,200,000 years roughly. Finally 20 Kinchiltuns equals 1 Alautun which equals 64,000,000 years roughly!

To recapitulate: it has been assumed by Eurocentric scholars of the Global North that the Long Count was not inherited wisdom, but a unique creation of the Classic Maya period (200-900 AD). Are we really supposed to believe that the Long Count Calendar - which measures vast cycles within cycles of Sacred Time - is less than a thousand years old? There is considerable political motivation to dismiss the possibility that Mesoamerican civilization stems from the mysterious Olmecs - a seemingly mixed race civilization of people with Black, Asian, & Polynesian features - as this challenges Euro-hegemony's narratives about the origins of human civilization and peopling of the Americas. Were the Olmecs the source of the impressively accurate Long Count Calendar? It would be wise to not assume anything about what the ancient ancestors of modern indigenous peoples did not know given what little evidence has survived European colonization. The fanatical Spanish Empire in particular destroyed countless Maya books, records, & artifacts believing it was “Devil worship”. So much sacred wisdom lineages were systematically severed and lost. We must remember that Eurocentric Academia has been gaslighting us for centuries regarding indigenous cultures with patriarchal projections of Settler Colonialism's own moral depravity & violence onto conquered cultures e.g. "The Mesoamericans were savages who committed the sin of human sacrifice" is a narcissistic smear campaign and deceptive distortion of the truth.

What many New Age Granola Grifters referred to as the “Mayan Calendar Prophecy” during the 2012 scam is the perfect example of how misunderstandings lead to mass misinformation in the Dominant Culture. The Classic Maya did record many prophecies related to their cycle of 13 Katuns (a unit of time measurement; 1 Katun = 20 Tuns or 7200 days), as documented in the Spanish colonial era books of Chilambilam. The date 12/21/2012 was important to the Maya, as it marked the end of one cycle of the Long Count Calendar, which is exactly 1/5 of the 26,000 year cycle of precession corresponding with a larger cycle of 13 Baqtuns (1 Baqtun = 20 Katuns or 144,000 days). 2012 clearly was not the end of the entire Calendar - and hence the end of Time itself - because the Long Count is cyclical in nature, not linear. For example on a wall at a temple in Palenque, it is well documented that the Maya projected a date far beyond 2012 by 2,000 years in which a King would restore the Maya to their former glory. Despite this truth, many white people with no connections to the Maya fearmongered and profited off of Apocalyptic Spiritual Ascension narratives surrounding 2012.

In hindsight, these 2012 Doomsday Apocalypse "Prophets" were clear grifters whom did not respect how ancient Mesoamericans perceived time:

“While it is reasonable to assume that the end of the 5,125-year cycle in 2012 was intended to indicate a major change in cycles of history, it is silly to assume that it was ever meant to be an ‘end date.’ The Maya recognized cycles within cycles, some of them infinitely longer than the one that extends from 3114 BC to 2012 CE. That span of years is made up of 13 bak’tuns, a unit of time which is comprised of 20 k’atuns. The prophetic k’atun cycle weaves in and out of the larger cycle of bak’tuns but is separate from it. There is every reason to believe that the Maya believed that humanity would still be here and that the prophetic cycle of 13 k’atuns would still be rolling through its courses at the end of the 20-bak’tun cycle in 4772 CE.” (Kenneth Johnson, The Mayan Prophecies Part I, www.maya-portal.net).

The Long Count certainly did not predict catastrophe in 2012, and there are multiple dates which the Maya reference far into the future beyond 2012. 2012 was simply a transition point into a new 1/5th Age of the larger Precessional cycle. It is interesting that the Maya speak of 5 Great Aeons in the Precessional cycle, while the Ancient Egyptian god Thoth of the Emerald Tablets was said to have witnessed 5 magnetic pole shifts on the Earth. In Egyptian Cosmology, there are also 5 ages of precession which correspond to the 5 phases of the Sun: Kheper (Dawn/Awakening), Ra (Late Morning/Maturing), Oon (Noon/Balance), Aten (Late Afternoon/Full Enlightenment), & Amen (Dusk/Darkness) (via Abdel Hakim Awyan & Patricia Awyan of Khemit School of Ancient Mysticism). These are not the only similarities between the ancient Maya & Egyptians ... With this correspondence in mind ... it's not out of the realm of possibility that the Maya Long Count is an example of inherited sacred wisdom which was safeguarded by the priestly secret societies of ancient Mesoamerica, passed down from generation to generation. The secrets of the ancients often were only revealed to privileged people who were initiated into that wisdom in order to protect its power from misuse. Knowledge of precession and grand cycles of time often was not necessary for the uninitiated working class to understand in Shamanic or animistic matriarchal cultures. Hence in shamanic civilizations like the Maya - whom also utilized plant medicines in spiritual initiations to cultivate altered states of consciousness - it is a logical deduction to suspect that the Long Count Calendar would have only been shared with initiated priestesses & priests after many years of training.

If indigenous cultures practiced “gatekeeping” - or safeguarding sacred wisdom in this context - within their own social strata pre-colonization, then the priestly castes most likely would have also safeguarded that sacred wisdom from the invading Conquistadores. There is a lot of colonial lore that Mesoamericans believed the Spanish were returning Gods, and willingly allowed Conquistadores into their societies upon first contact. However this is a distortion of actual complex events which paints indigenous Mesoamericans as naive religious zealots, fond of human sacrifice, in order to downplay the violence of European colonization. The secrets of the elevated ancient ancestors were not meant for the uninitiated in shamanic cultures which inherited the legacy of advanced astronomical wisdom systems. It is deeply naive for Eurocentric anthropologists to assume otherwise. Why would a colonized culture labeled “primitive” willingly divulge all of its sacred wisdom to their oppressors? Especially when the power dynamic of colonization centers & favors the colonizer’s world view? It is highly likely that when the colonizers arrived, many artifacts which may show evidence that the Long Count was inherited wisdom were hidden in secret hideaways by the priestly castes. There are countless legends & tales of such places from the ancient world; lost “libraries” or “halls of records” full of ancient artifacts, often hidden in remote caves difficult to access.

Regardless of what you believe about ancient civilizations’ capabilities, in modern times, we must acknowledge that we are only working with a few pieces of evidence in a much larger puzzle. So much evidence has been lost to the sands of time and destruction of man. Thus any claims made by people whom are not initiated Daykeepers about the Mesoamerican calendar should always be met with discernment. According to initiated K'iche Maya Daykeeper & Vedic Astrologer Kenneth Johnson: the ancient Mesoamerican & ancient Vedic civilizations share a parallel perception of Sacred Time as overlapping cosmic cycles measured by precession of the equinoxes. Very few other civilizations which we have access to measured such vast spans of time, let alone observed planetary phenomenon over multiple precessional cycles of the Earth. Without a doubt the ancient North Americans - like the Hopi and Moundbuilders - understood precession. The Chinese shared the wisdom of precession as encapsulated in the I Ching. The Dendera Zodiacs at the Temple of Hathor also prove how the ancient Egyptians understood precession.

Part Two: As Within, So Without

Despite sharing knowledge of vast cosmic cycles; Chinese, Vedic, & Mayan astrology exhibit unique divergence.

For example, Mesoamerican Astrology perceives Venus as a masculine Malefic whilst Vedic & Hellenistic Astrology perceive Venus as a Feminine Benefic. For the ancient Mesoamericans, Venus corresponded with the God Quetzalcoatl's warrior aspects. Vedic is in fact the most similar system to Western Tropical (Hellenistic) Astrology here out of the three ancient systems we are exploring. However, my research reveals that the resonance between the various perceptions of Venus is instinctual sexuality. The classic Maya also ascribed the most importance to Venus after the Sun & Moon, and calculated Venus’ exact 584 day synodic cycle. The Maya used the 4 phases of the Venus star point cycle for forecasting rain in agricultural cycles and statecraft Divination. The Classic Maya Dresden Codex features the day sign Lamat to signify Venus and calculations of the 4 Venus phases, arguably more accurate observations than Arabic astrologers of the same era. Observing Venus was important to the Maya's ancestors because the Venus star cycle was used to foresee potential omens of war and to organize agricultural cycles.

Statecraft divination observing the Venus Star Cycle was perhaps of the utmost importance to ancient Mesoamerican Daykeepers who counseled Empires. Ancient cultures whom relied upon divinatory counsel to make strategic decisions of state speak to an awareness of deeper quantum phenomenon. If humans ignore the cosmic counsel of the fates, then catastrophe surely looms. Did Matriarchal civilizations understand that subtle influence is the absolute authority, not direct force or control? Perhaps yes, considering that there's always the element of unexpected surprise in the future. No one human has the foresight capable to predict future events with 100% accuracy. For the Universe ultimately is in a constant state of change or evolution, and the catalysts of change often are short-burst surprises of novelty, disrupting our patterns of human habit. Centuries of careful planning can be upended in a moment of inconvenient emotion. Aeons of evolution can be altered in a moment by unexpected cataclysm, creating an impact so devastating that the instantaneous changes it cause would have required millennia of peaceful evolution. Geology teaches us that cosmic catastrophes or cataclysmic earth events often mark the points of important shifts which forever alter the paths of life's evolution

Excerpt via "Astrology For Divination: Guidebook" about Gobekli Tepe, Turkey

In Divination the ancients practiced for statecraft - which surely utilized astrology - one must always acknowledge human blind spots.

There are cosmic forces beyond human control or perception in day-to-day left brain consciousness. Humans cannot visually perceive the dark side of the Moon. Modern Metaphysics has taught us that the Convoluted Universe is a tapestry of wonderfully weird, mind-bending phenomenon. Therefore ancient civilizations whom relied upon statecraft divination were seemingly aware that one cannot prevent nor control the flux & flow of change. One must embrace the process by surrendering the ego's concept of control. One cannot control the Dao / Tao, only adapt to it via a conscious response to your best possible advantage. The last thing any High Priestess would have advised to the Emperor during oracular counsel would have been was an impulsive reaction to control or suppress the change. The wise who sought longevity may realize one can only at best manage change in order to mitigate its inevitable effects. This implies that randomness or the impulse for novelty - which is paradoxically meaningful - is the key to understanding how possible & probable events unfold. Meaningful randomness underlies acausal (synchronistic) patterns of change in the cosmos. This is the backbone of authentic astrology in its original cultural context and understanding why divination "works".

On an even deeper level: the ancient Mesoamericans tracked the 4 phases of the Venus Star Point Cycle because it was meaningful in their Cosmology. The Venus Star is central in the Maya creation story as being a source of light during the dawning of the 4th World which guided the 4 Jaguar Grandfathers & 4 Grandmothers (aka the 8 B’alameb’) out of primordial darkness. 8 is a very important number in Mesoamerican Calendar Cosmology: "If 1 and 7 are the beginning and the end, then 1 + 7 = 8, making Eight the number of completion or wholeness, much like the number Four. This is why there is some sort of ritual for almost every Eight day, and why some extremely traditional (Kiche Maya) communities like Momostenango (Guatemala) have a special local shrine dedicated to the number Eight. Of course 4 + 4 = 8, so the wholeness implied in the number 4 is doubled here, as if the wholeness of the fourfold universe were seen from the viewpoint of both polarities: night and day, light and darkness, sun and moon, yin and yang" (via "Mayan Calendar Astrology: Mapping Your Inner Cosmos" by Kenneth Johnson).

How does the number 8 further correlate with Venus? Venus retrograde - a period of about 40 days - occurs approximately every 18 months and repeats in the same zodiac signs every 8 years. Venus also corresponds to a version of the Archetype Quetzalcoatl in another Maya story of alchemy. In this context Quetzalcoatl is a Mayan prince whom was slain by the Gods for the sins of drunkenness & incest, before being purified and reborn as the Venus star. Kenneth Johnson also states the Hero Twins of the Popul Vuh's epic journey into the Underworld to conquer the Lords of Death can symbolize the invisible phase of Venus' star point cycle. To understand this association of Venus with resurrection and limitations of the human condition, one must understand how Mesoamerican cultures perceived Venus as a manifestation of their creator deity Quetzalcoatl. For the Maya Daykeepers, Venus transits had little to do with romance nor "Twin Flame" toxic codependency between the "Divine Feminine" & "Divine Masculine". Venusian energy was revered by the Mesoamerican civilizations not out of love, but out of fear.

The Dresden Codex's inscriptions about the Venus Star Point Cycle helped Western scholars crack the code of Mesoamerican calendar cosmology

Venus transits - especially the Superior & Inferior Conjunction phases - were likely observed by Maya Daykeepers in past cycles to correspond with political violence, omens, & sexual vice (via "How to Practice Mayan Astrology" by Scofield & Orr). The Classic Maya probably also observed how the general populace behaved during Venus transits to monitor potential misdeeds, perhaps implying that Venus triggers instinctual and amoral aspects of the human condition. Some astrologers - like Dane Rudhyar, Bruce Scofield & Barry C. Orr - have even argued that the 4 phases of Venus could influence the individual personality imprint: I.e. rather than looking to the specific Star constellation Venus is transiting through at the time of birth, more implied meaning can be found in which of the 4 star point phases Venus is in (i.e. the morning star, evening star, inferior conjunction, & superior conjunction phases). Whilst differences on the surface seem contradictory in nature, they are merely superficial variations of interpretation of a Cosmic Archetype. All ancient cultures had their own frameworks for discerning correspondence between planetary transits and earth events. At their core, the Mayan & Vedic perceptions of Venus are not in complete dissonance just because the gender script is flipped.

Serendipitously in my travels as an ESL & Yoga teacher, I lived in Peru for a year and Mexico for 2.5 years. After exploring countless ancient archaeological sites, my personal interest in the Mesoamerican wisdom systems piqued. I began looking into the deeper workings of the Long Count, the Tzolkin Calendar, 20 day signs, & 13 numbers out of curiosity.  I discovered that in Mesoamerican Calendars, Astrology is but one aspect. The numerology & cosmology (mythology) is just as important if not more: it is likely the ancient Mesoamericans did not utilize the sacred calendars for Natal Astrology. We now can theorize with high probability that the Maya inherited their wisdom system from the earlier Olmecs considering how all the other great Mesoamerican civilizations - the Toltecs, Mexica (Aztecs), & Zapotecs - share the 260 day Tzolkin calendar, 20 day signs, 13 numbers, & 9 Lords of the Night. We may be witnessing in Mesoamerica an archetypal lesson revealing how inherited wisdom trickles down in a spiral pattern through time as it diffuses into various cultures.

The fact that the 260 day Tzolkin corresponds with roughly 9 lunar cycles and the human gestation period suggests it's a wisdom system developed by a Matriarchal culture from deep antiquity, not a more recent Patriarchal culture. "According to a myth in the Book of Chilam Balam of Chumayel, four women began the first counting of the days by measuring the footsteps (Oc) of a primal traveler upon the Road of Life (Eb). This traveler, it turns out, is none other than Time himself, for the ancient Maya conceived of the spirit of time as a man walking down an eternal road. The women fall in step with Time and begin walking down the Road of Life. Together, in the spirit of communion with distinctly sexual overtones, they all generate the twenty day signs together" ( via Kenneth Johnson). Discovering the deeper mysteries of the Mesoamerican Daykeepers felt like a full circle moment in my personal studies (all puns intended).

The Mesoamerican directional symbolism is also very similar to the I Ching's 4 faces of Yin / Yang. The Mayan cosmology lore of the 4 Jaguar Grandfathers & 4 Grandmothers (aka the 8 B'alam'eb) whom gave birth to the 4th world (our current era) are an interesting possible numerological link to the fundamental 8 trigrams (Bagua) & their associated Ascended Masters (or deities) of the I Ching.  In the I Ching we find a parallel perception to Mesoamerica of a fourfold reality. The two I Ching broken (yin) & unbroken (yang) lines - on a fundamental level - when combined form the 4 “faces of God” (i.e. Elder Yin, Younger Yin, Elder Yang, & Younger Yang). The number 4 to the ancient Mesoamericans also was associated with the Sun having 4 phases, Venus having 4 phases, the sky’s 4 quadrants, & even the Milky Way having 4 quadrants (hence the perception of the fourfold reality of the Cosmos). Interestingly enough German psychologist Carl Jung described the human psyche as having 4 aspects as well. Jung probably then perceived 4 as the authentic ancient number of wholeness. Jung seemingly did not subscribe to the Christian trinity concept, and resonated with the ancient lore of the 4 directions.

Via "I Ching the Oracle: A Practical Guide to the Book of Changes" by Benebell Wen

Coming back full circle to the I Ching Oracle: some students may not understand why the Book of Changes is an equally impressive astrological wisdom system in its own right.

The I Ching's mathematical sequence seemingly encodes advanced astronomical wisdom. Terrence McKenna's Time Wave Zero Theory reveals that the I Ching sequence of 64 hexagrams - aka the King Wen Sequence - is an inverted mirror fractal i.e. a repeating mathematical module, such as a curve or geometric figure, in which each unit has the same statistical character as the whole. Someone definitely spent many long nights calculating, experimenting, & thinking about how to codify this sequence. Ergo the King Wen sequence is not random, but based on subtle rules of the Tao / Dao shifting from habit into novelty. McKenna theorizes that the King Wen sequence's structural numerology naturally reveals the foundational flux of the Universe's ebb & flow throughout time. For example: 6 lines multiplied by 64 Hexagrams is 384 lines. 6 x 64 = 384 days is roughly 13 Lunar cycles. 384 x 6 = 2304 years is roughly one zodiacal aeon of precession. 384 x 64 = 24,576 years is roughly one cycle of the Precession of the Equinox. McKenna proposes that the I Ching's sequence of 64 hexagrams naturally enmesh with the Lunar, Sun Spot, & Precessional cycles foundational to Astrology in its original cultural context. This number 13 is fascinating because Vedic lore speaks of 13 Lokas or spheres / dimensions of consciousness, while Mesoamerica features the prophetic cycle of 13 Katuns utilized in statecraft divination.

Many Orientalist academics of the Global North may still misunderstand the I Ching as a one-dimensional Confucian philosophical work of Taoism, or mere “fortune telling”. Orientalism has programmed many people in the Global North to underestimate and not recognize the scientific achievements of non-European civilizations; often diminishing these achievements by labeling them as "religion" or "occult mysticism" simply because they do not make sense to the uninitiated. It is also interesting to note that many of the core 8 elemental trigrams & 5 phases of change within the I Ching have longstanding astrological correspondences with the Chinese Zodiac, planets, directions, & equinoxes/solstices. The Chinese Zodiac is the well known 12 year lunar cycle which has no signs associated with Star constellations, but rather Spirit Animals whom rule each year. This system is from the Fu Xi school of 10 Heavenly Stems & 12 Branches utilized for statecraft divination in Imperial China. Each Chinese zodiac animal archetype - and corresponding element - has deep implied meaning as the force of change called the Dao / Tao shifts through the fundamental Yin (Moon)/Yang (Sun) polarity.

I have also spent time living in Taiwan as a former ESL teacher. My interest in ancient Traditional Chinese Medicine led me to also pursue a Yin Yoga teacher certification which began a nearly decade long journey of discovering Qigong Tai Chi. As a Tarot Reader, I eventually stumbled upon the I Ching Oracle during my studies. The 64 hexagrams of the I Ching were my first introduction to Chinese Cosmology of the Dao and the ancient Book of Changes. Astrology & Astronomy are inherent in Divination utilizing the I Ching hexagrams. There has been thousands of years of lively debate and various ancient schools of thought surrounding the 64 hexagrams e.g. the Plum Blossom Method - a derivation of the rationalist Image & Number Method - vs. the more traditional Meaning & Principle Method. Although the I Ching is not an explicitly overt astrological system or zodiac as we would recognize it in Hellenistic Western Astrology, deeper study reveals how the 8 trigrams & 64 hexagrams are rooted in cosmological lore corresponding with the more famous Chinese Zodiac animal totems, Deities of the 8 Bagua, planets, elemental phases of time/seasons, & the equinoxes/solstices. Ancient China, Vietnam, Korea, & Japan also observed a longer Sexagenary 60 year lunar calendar based on the 10 “Heavenly Stems” cycle, 12 “Earthly Branches” cycle corresponding with the 12 zodiac signs, & 5 phases of change. The entire Plum Blossom method of using the I Ching for Divination is rooted in this 60 year cycle.

Via "I Ching the Oracle: A Practical Guide to the Book of Changes" by Benebell Wen

At its mathematical level the I Ching is describing molecular dynamics of the quantum field driving the forces which create the phenomenon we call “change” aka the Dao / Tao. Desert dunes have a curious way of invoking the shifting sensation of sacred Time. In the English language the common phrase “the sands of time” invoke this core correspondence of sand with the phenomenon of change. Desert sands are formed when dry, arid super winds destroy old mountains grain by grain over millennia. Therefore what is "wind" truly? What is the meaning behind the phenomenon we call “wind”? Wind is a pressure variant phenomenon that fluctuates over time. Dunes almost look like wind densities because they are shaped by strong desert winds. Therefore in a way - according to Terrence McKenna - dunes are like a “lower dimensional slice” or temporal imprint of the wind itself. Dunes give us information in a snapshot about the duration & speed of the winds which formed the great configurations of sand. Dunes therefore are a metaphor for the ebb & flow of Sacred Time as expressed by the Tao / Dao in the I Ching.

This metaphor implies the I Ching is a profound scientific technology rather than an obscure occult book of “Chinese Mysticism”. Such skeptical dismissals of the I Ching by devout rationalists - without deeper inquiry into the mathematics and correspondences of the 64 Hexagram King Wen sequence - reveal the internalized Superiority complex of White Supremacy Culture underlying Orientalism. It's not a coincidence that the 64 hexagrams correspond with the 64 codons of human DNA considering how the hexagrams binary code can recreate all the DNA’s protein processes. To dismiss the I Ching as a meaningless ancient cultural artifact of a “superstitious primitive” people is a projection of Western insecurities & desire to dominate. The I Ching is a Sacred Science equal to and more refined than our modern Western material sciences. String Theorists and Quantum Physics perhaps could learn a thing or two about the true nature of time from the I Ching. Material Reductionists foolishly perceive time as linear & causal rather than cyclical & acausal, which both the I Ching & modern Quantum Physics now confirm.

Acausality (Synchronicity) of time implies that when an event takes place in time will influence the outcome just as much as where and by whom. Furthermore there are unknown synchronicities which perhaps coalesce or converge seemingly random events from different timelines. Your perception, as they say, is a "product of the times" in which you live. Western rationalist science has mistakenly relied on the Greco-Roman perception that time is a changeless factor. This means that the Scientific Method - whilst noble in its pursuit - is built on a house of sand. The Scientific Method relies on the assumption that if an experiment can be repeated with the same results multiple times, then that means its proposed theory is true. This methodology assumes that the moment in time is irrelevant to the outcome, and could not possibly influence the experiment enough to be something worthy of inquiry. However just as Einstein discerned that the observer affects the outcome of an experiment, so too seemingly does the moment in time in which events take place. This is what the ancients seemingly very much understood whom received the sacred wisdom coded in the Book of Changes. Therefore the I Ching is a multidimensional “book” with implied meanings about the subtle influence of unique temporal factors which can be observed.

To recapitulate: at its mathematical level the I Ching is describing permutations of the quantum field driving the temporal forces which create the phenomenon we call “change” aka the Dao / Tao. The I Ching is endlessly fascinating in its disruptive implications for Western Material Science. I would venture to say that Chinese Cosmology shares more in common with Vedic Astrology, however, Chinese Cosmology & Mesoamerican Calendar Cosmology both stress the importance of Year Lords. In modern derivatives of Natal Astrology practiced by the Chinese & Kiche Maya, it is not necessary to factor an individual’s exact time of birth to cast an accurate horoscope. Rather both Mesoamerican & Chinese Cosmology give a core archetypal meaning or overall energy signatures to the day & year one is born into. Yes, this implies all individuals born under the same year are imprinted with similar core archetypal patterns which manifest in unique individuals ways. E.g. in Mesoamerican calendars there are 4 day signs assigned as the 4 Year Lords, and each year is assigned a day sign denoting its overall energy signature in the individual’s horoscope.

Ultimately the emphasis on years speaks to a completely different perception of Self in relation to the group, given that an individual’s time of birth seemingly exerts less influence over personality vs. the day & year of birth. This is a challenging concept for Eurocentric minds to grasp as Modern Tropical Natal Astrology is dependent on marketing hyper-individual horoscopes centered around the idea that an individual’s exact time & place of birth pre-determines their unique cosmic imprint. Natal Astrology which works primarily with the day & year of the individual may make Hellenistic Western Astrologers jump to quick conclusions that Chinese & Mesoamerican Astrology are too “simplistic” or “primitive” to be accurate systems of Divination. However we must remember that Astrology in ancient times was not necessarily hyper-fixated on individual Natal Astrology, but rather Electional / Horary astrology which would affect the Collective. Plus there is room for deeper complexity within modern Mesoamerican Natal Astrology e.g. the Conception & Destiny Signs of the Mayan Cross Horoscope (via Kenneth Johnson). For the ancient Mesoamerican & Chinese, perhaps their civilizations simply valued collectivism over individualism? Hence the downplaying of an individual’s exact millisecond of birth in a horoscope.

Astrology is only one aspect of the I Ching, just like how Astronomy is only one aspect of the Long Count Calendar comprising cycles within cycles of Time, intermeshing like cogs in a clock. The Numerology, Mathematics, Geometry, Geomancy, & Spirituality are just as important aspects which also need to be considered in tandem rather than compartmentalized. For example: the 20 Tzolkin day signs also correspond to various animal & nature totems, similar to the Chinese system of associating 12 different spirit animals with the years. The Naguales or eternal spirit totems of the Tzolkin have multidimensional meanings which help us perceive the energies of the 20 Day Signs, not meant to be interpreted literally. Furthermore remember how the Kiche Maya say the Tzolkin is 9 lunar cycles, centering a lunar rhythm just like the Chinese. Perhaps these connections illustrate how both civilizations had their roots in shamanism or animism. It is important to always acknowledge each cosmological wisdom system is a holistic cultural & intellectual invention, uniquely evolving along on its own heavenly branch or path, perhaps from a proposed common origin. Whether that process was divergent or convergent evolution is the million dollar question.

Whilst it is fun to speculate and research about the similarities, we (repeat) must honor cultural diversity and acknowledge unique achievements in intellectual refinement.

Cosmology wisdom systems of the ancient Chinese, Maya, Vedic, & Egyptian civilizations are certainly not the exact same. It is highly likely that the increasingly popular Ascendant / Rising Sign is a unique contribution from Vedic Astrology, which Mesoamerican Calendar Cosmology does not work with. The Maya perceive Venus as a Masculine Malefic, whilst other systems perceive Venus as a Feminine Benefic. The Ancient Egyptians perceived the Sun as Feminine and the Moon as Masculine, while the ancient Chinese perceived the Sun as Masculine & the Moon as Feminine. There are always interpretive differences, and this fact is inherent in Astrology as a discipline. If you subscribe to Einstein's Theory of Relativity, then diversity of interpretation does not translate to contradiction in authentic Astrology. For example: many ancient cultures observed the Circumpolar stars to establish True North in navigation, like the Big Dipper (Ursa Major). The True north star changes across Zodiacal Eras during the Precession of the Equinoxes. Currently in the Age of Pisces the True North Star is Polaris, but in past ages it has been Draco & Thuban. For ancient cultures these stars would have been meaningful in ways that our current time period would not find relevant, hence, it's important to remember that in Cosmology the Universe is in a constant state of change.

The Big Dipper is a fundamental constellation in Daoist Cosmology and corresponds with the Lo Shu Magic Square. The Ancient Chinese sanctified this constellation in a highly ritualized 9 step pacing ceremony still practiced in Daoist & Buddhist temples today. The Big Dipper is perceived as a liminal gateway to the heavens which corresponds with North, Winter, Water, Darkness, Mysteries, & the "Dragon Turtle" Archetype (via Bennebel Wen). Also this constellation was considered a spiritual guide as the Chinese Shamans (Wu) determined the 4 seasons by observing the Big Dipper's position as it rotates throughout its cycle. The Big Dipper constellation aka Ursa Major (Latin: Greater Bear) has been interpreted over the aeons as a bear, a wagon, or a ladle. The "bear" tradition is Indo-European (appearing in Greek, as well as in Vedic India), but apparently the "bear" correspondence has parallels in Siberian or North American traditions. Skeptics of Astrology may say this variation is proof how Astrology is inherently subjective, and therefore, not an objective science. However this small-minded critique is focusing on the various correspondences - which are symbolic -rather than the implied meaning or significance of the constellation itself. Why did so many cultures call attention to this cluster of stars? Interestingly enough the ancient Egyptian Temple of Karnak at Luxor - the holiest of holy temples during Dynastic Egypt - is aligned principally to the Big Dipper. Thus even though there have been various interpretations of implied meaning, the core archetypal idea remains the same: "The Big Dipper is a spiritually significant constellation to orient one's direction in space/time".

Studying Cosmology - in my humble opinion - requires the ability to process variation in interpretation and seeming paradoxes in the Mind.

Contradiction is abundant in the Cosmos. The Convoluted Universe is full of quantum paradoxes which baffle any & all attempts of rational logic. For example: an atom can simultaneously exhibit both particle and wave-like behavior, which according to rational thought, is an inherent contradiction (via "The Tao of Physics" by Fritjof Capra). Point being: as we explore unique differences in ancient astrological wisdom systems, it's important to deconstruct patriarchal perceptions stemming from "divide & conquer" tactics of colonization. Skeptics tend to hone in on the differences of various astrological wisdom systems - often taken out of cultural context - in order to "debunk" Astrology as a whole. It's clear these skeptics already believe Astrology is not worthy of study, so their surface-level analyses of astrological variation across eras are insincere and patronizing.

Skeptics also rely on the problematic principle of Universalism rather than Relativity when "debunking" Astrology i.e. something can only be true if a majority universally arrives at the same deduction. Universalism in this context is reminiscent of "Black & White Thinking" stemming from Fascist ideologies (like Universal Womanhood/Manhood of Biological Determinism), which limits our perceptions of ancient cultures' unique contributions to the ancient study of Astrology. Vedic Astrology uses a system with a Solar Zodiac of 12 day signs (identical to Hellenistic) & the Lunar Nakshatra Zodiac of 27 moon signs. Meanwhile Mesoamerican Astrology uses a system with repeating 20 solar day signs & 13 lunar numbers (trecenas). Unlike Vedic Astrology, the Maya did not seemingly recognize the individual importance of the Ascendent or Rising Sign when determining someone’s personality imprint. It seems that the Tzolkin day sign can function both as the Sun & Rising sign.

Mesoamerican Astrologers also incorporate an individual’s Lord of the Night with their number (trecena) to function as a Moon sign. The 9 Lords of the Night are a unique aspect of Mesoamerican Calendar Cosmology. These Lords represent a smaller cycle of 9 repeating nights - which intermesh with the Tzolkin & Haab cycles - each ruled by a different Mesoamerican deity which challenge humans to evolve. These Lords of the Night are documented as the rulers of the Underworld in the Sacred Popul Vuh text of the classic Maya. An individual’s Lord of the Night may govern subconscious, primal impulses & desires. The Mesoamerican Cosmology also reverses the implied archetypal meanings of Yin & Yang (via Kenneth Johnson). Mayan Daykeepers ascribe Yang to the changeless (passive) & inner archetypes of the 20 day signs, while Yin is associated with the active & fluid 13 numbers which modify the day signs, manifesting outer personality. Even though the implied meanings are reversed, the core concept of duality remains invoked, albeit with its own cultural flavor. Therefore while Mesoamerican Calendars are not a parallel system to Vedic Astrology nor the I Ching, their perceived differences are mainly superficial. What they share in common could be a result of divergent evolution from a shared Mother Culture, or convergent evolution from different streams of cultural development.

When we dive deep into each astrological wisdom system discussed so far, moving beyond initial superficial differences, it’s clear ancient cultures share a cyclical (rather than linear) perception of time. This perception perhaps was less like an individual circle representing time, and more like elliptical & concentric circles (i.e. the Cosmic Egg symbol at Serpent Mound) implying intersecting spirals of time. This perception is rooted in the sacred mirror principle as reflected in the Sky(Cosmic Current)/Ground (Telluric Current) correlation. This common correlation of the sky with the ground can be encapsulated in the well known mantra “As above, so below, as within, so without”. Were the ancients aware of electromagnetism? Were the ancients experimenting with and manipulating subtle energies at megalithic sites aligned to the stars & ley lines (aka "dragon line"s in China)? Is it just a coincidence of convergent evolution that impressive ancient megalithic ruins can be found all over modern Mexico, China, & India? There are pyramids in China's Anlong Province just as big as the pyramids in Egypt or Mexico, while the Yangshan Quarry megaliths are some of the largest and most impressive on Earth. The Barabar Caves in Bihar, India are perhaps the most mind-blowing megalithic architecture ever discovered rivaling the Giza Pyramids' phenomenonal precision. The holistic evidence suggests that our current timeline isn't the only human timeline to advance this far.

The Barabar Caves in India are mind-bending in execution and precision, encoding advanced knowledge similar to the Pyramids of Giza.

The latest research done by stone masons and architects (not historians or archaeologists) highly suggests these "Caves" exhibit evidence of ancient lost technology. Just like the false narrative surrounding the Giza pyramids being Pharaohs' tombs - seeded by Greek historian Herodotus as propaganda during the Ptolemaic occupation of Ancient Egypt - colonizing European Men's biases have clouded our understanding of the Barabar "Caves" true purpose, function, & chronology. British Colonialists laughably concluded that these caves were simply "rain shelters" gifted to Buddhists Monks by the famous warrior-turned-Buddhist patron Emperor Ashoka roughly 2,300 years ago. This lazy "arm chair anthropology" explanation was based on crude inscriptions carved onto various chambers at Barabar which clearly are anachronistic to the chambers' mind-blowing precision (suggesting the inscriptions were not made in the same eras as the original construction). Why are we still repeating 20th century patriarchal academic assumptions attributing anomalous megalithic sites to violent warrior-kings like Ashoka, Rameses, & Khufu rather than considering the alternative perspective of knowledgeable 21st century stone masons? French architectural company AGP used modern 3D scanning technology to survey the Barabar "caves", showing the simple "rain shelter" explanation of the 20th century is likely 100% false.

The Barabar “Caves” are 7 chambers - 5 finished, 2 unfinished - carved into hard granite, one of the most difficult stones to cut. The 3D scans show the builders intentionally incorporated sacred geometry, mathematical knowledge of the phi, the golden ratio, interrelated volumes, & perfect proportions. These “caves” are astonishingly symmetrical in design: i.e. when divided in two, each half is a "copy & paste" mirror reflection of the other. The walls and ceilings are curved creating 5D spheres, while the horizontal floors feature perfect right angles and squares. The walls are also smooth & flat; an incredible feat of engineering considering the curved ceilings. The polish on the granite walls is so fine it has a mirror-like reflective quality resembling the Serapeum 22 granite boxes in Saqqara, Egypt. Just like the Pyramids at Giza, there are no inside decorations (except for the crude inscriptions which were probably propaganda from later cultures). This minimalism suggests these “Caves” were not religious in nature, but rather functional. Curiously the trapezoidal doors are the same design as seen in the oldest Egyptian ruins and Andean architecture in Peru & Bolivia.

There is also a noticeable echo effect which vibrates against the walls of the Barabar "Caves". I intuit these structures were designed to nullify any and all outside energetic influences in order to create a different frequency of energy via the interaction of sound (most likely chanting) with sacred geometry. I.e. acoustic tests inside the Barabar "Caves" have revealed there is a combination of resonance with reverberation. Maybe these “Caves” are actually resonance chambers which amplify sound to create subtle fields of healing harmonics, entraining with the chakra system. The chambers inside the Giza Pyramids are also made with granite just like the Barabar “Caves”, which is a radioactive stone with a low absorption rate enhancing the acoustics. The otherworldly acoustics inside these chambers acutely focuses & concentrates sound in particular places (hence the curved vaulted ceilings), making speech inaudible unless you are next to the source. This means the original architects most likely did not design these chambers to go in and have a casual chat during a rain storm. There was most likely no talking done inside these chambers given the acoustic effects, implying these were sacred spaces. Interestingly inside the larger chambers, acoustic tests further indicate the focal point of sound is maximized when in a seated position. Everything about the design shows intentionality, interconnectivity, and mind-blowing mastery. The master builders were clearly aware that the geometry would optimize the sound frequencies. Imagine chanting Aum inside a giant Tibetan singing bowl?

If the Pyramids of Giza are our main reference point for understanding the enigmatic Barabar “Caves”, and if the Pyramids are astronomically aligned, are there astronomical aspects encoded at Barabar?

In a way, yes, there is knowledge being invoked about Astronomy! These “Caves” also encode the meter & "Barabar yard" units of measurement, enshrining the builders’ awareness of the Four Directions and the Circumference of the Earth. The encoded Four Directions now brings the Barabar "Caves" into the realm of Archaeo-astronomy. This suggests that there could be deeper astronomical significance to the Barabar “Caves” that we are not yet conscious of, perhaps related to its geology. You don’t have to be a geologist to notice the unusual shape of the “whaleback" rock at Barabar. “Whaleback" in geology refers to a streamlined, symmetrical rock knob or landform, often found in areas with deep ice streams, where ice abrasion and embedded sediment smooth and carve the bedrock. When I saw aerial photos of the Barabar "Caves", I immediately thought the Master Builders could have chosen this unique bed rock to symbolize something astrological. Did the Master Builders choose this site because of the natural symmetry of the geology to mirror the symmetry of the chambers' geometry? Are certain well-known constellations in Ancient Astrology symmetrical & geometrical? Do the Barabar "Caves" invoke the sacred Mirror Principle's sky / ground correlation? Perhaps some of the most famous stars in Ancient Egyptian Cosmology - Sirius (Isis) & her consort Orion (Osiris), Cygnus, and Leo - exhibit fascinating symmetrical geometry:

Many constellations display some pretty unique geometrical shapes and asterisms. The connecting lines of stars in the constellation Cassiopeia the Queen resembles a giant W in the heavens. The right side of the constellation Leo the Lion outlines a backward question mark. The constellation Auriga the Chariot Driver looks like a lopsided pentagon. One of the best constellations is made up of the seven stars that form the rear end and tail of Ursa Major the Big Bear. You see that every clear night as the Big Dipper.

There are much larger asterisms in the sky that use stars from several adjoining constellations. These can be great tools in learning constellations. One of these is known as the Summer Triangle, made up of the brightest stars from three separate constellations. At the corners are: Vega, the brightest star in the constellation Lyra, Deneb in the constellation Cygnus the Swan, and Altair in the Aquila the Eagle. Each one of these stars is the brightest shiner in their home constellation. The Summer Triangle is so easy to see at a glance in the summer and autumn sky, and can be a very good tool in helping you find your way around that part of the celestial theater.

The very best asterism of the night sky in my opinion is the Winter Triangle, now on display in the southeastern early evening sky. It’s a perfect equilateral triangle made up of three bright stars from three separate constellations. As you can see in the diagram it’s made up of Betelgeuse from the constellation Orion the Hunter; Procyon, the brightest star in the small constellation Canis Minor the Little Dog; and Sirius, the brightest star in Canis Major the Big Dog. Unless you’re viewing from a lit up shopping mall parking lot, you should have no trouble spotting the perfect Winter Triangle because of the brilliancy of its member stars. In fact Sirius, at the bottom of the triad, is the brightest star available in the night sky.

Sirius and Procyon are almost twice the diameter of our sun and are more luminous than our home star, but the main reason they’re so bright in our heavenly dome is that they’re relatively close to the Earth. Procyon is 11 light years away and Sirius is just over 8 light years in distance. With one light year equaling just under six trillion miles, it would still take much more than a long weekend to journey to those shiners! In fact, if you flew to Sirius in a jet airliner averaging 500 miles per hour it would take you more than 11 million years to get there! The third star of the perfect triangle, Betelgeuse, is a huge star almost 650 light years away. This super red giant star is almost a billion miles in diameter, and sooner or later will burst in a colossal supernova explosion, maybe within the next million years if you feeling like waiting up for it. Until then you can see the upper right hand member of the Winter Triangle shining brightly and sporting an easily seen reddish hue. It’s just amazing to me that these three stars that make up the perfectly proportioned Winter Triangle just happen to be positioned the way they are in the winter sky. Coincidence? Or not?

("Starwatch: Symmetry in the Sky!" by Mike Lynch of lifepostbulletin.com via AP News)

The north-south symmetry of the stars making up the constellation of Orion is a mind-bender. Whether viewed from the Northern Hemisphere looking south (left), or from the Southern Hemisphere looking north (right), the constellation still appears similar. Perhaps this directional symmetry is another deeper layer of implied meaning as to why Orion’s Belt was such an important constellation in so many ancient cultures. The geometrical symmetry of the Barabar "Caves" in India may not have been designed with star symmetries in mind, however, it is an intriguing connection which may help us understand why the Master Builders chose this site with symmetrical geology. Geology often is an important reference point for understanding the significance of a sacred site's location; e.g. are there aquifers &/or deep water wells beneath the site? The granite "whaleback" rock certainly was not a random location, but like everything revealed by 3D scans about the Barabar "Caves", intentional. Perhaps further research could reveal more insights, but for now, the Archaeo-astrology of Barabar remains shrouded in mystery.

My intuition invites me to hypothesize that the "whaleback" rock may symbolize a Wormhole, which the Ancient Egyptians symbolized as solar boats at the Temple of Hathor in Dendera (via Dr. Carmen Boulter). If the "caves" were in fact harmonic resonance chambers designed for spiritual work, this invokes astral journeying and "traveling" through a portal of the Mind into the metaphysical realms. Or the unique geology could invoke the Great Mother principle of cosmic womb symbolism i.e. entering a cave invokes entering the womb of the Earth, while leaving invokes a rebirth. It is common archaeological knowledge that in ancient animistic cultures, shamans were often initiated in sacred caves. Obviously this is all speculation, but why else would the Master Builders encode such symmetry & sacred geometry into megalithic structures? Ultimately what we do know is that the Barabar “Caves” - just like the Giza Pyramids, the Serapeum of Saqqara, The Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan, & the Yangshan Quarry Megaliths - are anomalous artifacts which disrupt the traditional chronology of Patriarchy. These sophisticated sites speak a thousand words for those willing to actively listen. I can think of no better example of tangible evidence supporting the 3rd Party Hypothesis than the Barabar "Caves", and many signs point to Vedic Civilization as being that potential source.

India's sacred texts - like the Vedas & Mahabharata - propose that human beings have devolved from a Golden Age (Sat Yuga), rather than evolved from "primitive" hunter-gatherers (via "Forbidden Archaeology" by Michael Cremo). Human Devolution - rather than Evolution - could be the conceptual framework which helps us understand why the mysterious Barabar "Caves" exist. The master builders manifested sacred sites with constraint after constraint, anomaly after anomaly, and no room for error, perhaps because they intended to leave a legacy embodying their wisdom. Whoever constructed the Barabar "Caves" left no prototype showing stages of experimentation in construction. Some researchers therefore have theorized that certain crude aspects of the smaller chambers suggest later cultures were attempting to emulate the precision & execution of the larger chambers, but failed. This means that there is further evidence implying the Barabar "Caves" were discovered and updated during Ashoka's time period, inherited probably through the royal bloodlines, disrupting the linear "myth of progress" paradigm. Regardless, it's intellectually dishonest to continue claiming that "rain shelters" would require such precision, effort, & resources. The Barabar "Caves" - when compared to other famous megalithic sites in India like Ellora & Ajanta Temples - exhibit greater precision & execution. Both of those temples are stunning feats of megalithic architecture in their own right, which just goes to show how anomalous Barabar truly is. Megalithic structures are an indisputable testament to the ancient ancestors' mastery of mathematics, geometry, & numbers. 

Can we observe a foundational legacy of the potential 3rd Party Mother Culture in the Numerology underlying Astrology?

Numbers are the primordial vestiges of archaic ideas. Numerology (known before the 20th century as arithmancy) is the belief in a divine relationship between a number and one or more coinciding events. It is also the study of the numerical value, via an alphanumeric system, of the letters in words and names. Remember how many ancient cultures ascribed importance to the sacred number 4 as the number of cosmic completion and balance (the 4 directions, the 4 equinoxes / solstices, the 4 faces of Yin & Yang, the 4 quadrants of the Milky Way, etc.) Next recall how 4 is further doubled into the important number 8: the Mesoamerican 8 B'alam'eb (4 Grandfathers & 4 Grandmothers) may parallel the 8 trigrams (Bagua) of the I Ching. Whilst each wisdom system exhibits fundamental differences in interpretation, these numerological similarities could be remnants of Archetypal ideas stemming from a 3rd Party Mother Culture. For example, the number 13 is very important in the Chinese, Mesoamerican & Vedic Astrology’s lunar cycles.

Remember that the I Ching's 384 lines of the 64 hexagrams correspond with 13 Lunar Cycles. There are cycles of 13 Katuns, 13 Baqtuns, & 13 Lunar numbers (Trecenas) in Mesoamerican Calendar Cosmology. Meanwhile in Vedic Astrology there are 13 Lokas (dimensional spheres) & 27 Nakshatras each measuring 13 degrees of the ecliptic in Vedic Astrology. These numerical connections are perhaps foundational in nature, relating to the natural measurement of time, and thus a result of convergent evolution. Or these numerical connections could be a "transfer of knowledge" inheritance which diverged from a shared Mother Culture. Many practitioners of Vedic Astrology often interpret the 27 Nakshatras (aka the “Lunar Mansions” or subtle Moon Signs) primarily by the Nakshatra’s ruling planet. However, this is a compartmentalized approach which has not fully integrated cyclical consciousness; blocked by linear perceptions of mundane time. Let’s consider how a Nakshatra represents both 13 degrees of the Zodiac - an increment or measurement of time/space - and a covert lunar rhythm which interplays with the overt solar rhythm.

One of Vedic Astrology's many unique contributions to Astrology are the Dashas. When we set the intention to forecast how a Nakshatra energetically will interplay with Solar transits in a given period, the overall energy signature is also subtly influenced by which Dasha (longer proportional time cycles) is at play according to the Vimshottari Dasha System in Vedic Astrology. Dasha in Sanskrit literally means the number 10, invoking endings & beginnings (on a deeper level note now the  Vedic symbolism of the ten fingers & 2 hands which encode the birth chart mirror the Mesoamerican hand symbolism). The Dasha’s overall long-term influence can shift the ruling planet lord of a Nakshatra - essentially altering the dominant subtle energy signature of the lunar mansion - depending on:

1) the intermeshing cycles at play in current timelines and

2) the way the Dasha’s ruling planet interplays with the Nakshatra’s ruling planet.

The Dashas of Vedic Astrology could also be described as subjective inner time cycles which entrain objective outer reality.

The Dashas invoke a refined perception of time as intermeshing cosmic cycles of various sizes - like gears in a clock - which transcend mundane time. Whilst the Dashas are a unique predictive technique of Vedic Astrology attributed to Parashara, the underlying perception of time is very similar to Mesoamerican perceptions as encapsulated in the Long Count calendar. Even though the Vedic Solar & Lunar Zodiacs look nothing like the Mesoamerican Day Signs & Trecenas, and many skeptics have argued this means the two civilizations can't possibly be connected, there remains a shared primordial world-view. I would argue that the main differences in thought relate to short-term measurements of time, while there are clear similarities between the Vedic & Mayan grand cycles of long-term time which describe descending & ascending golden ages of precession. I intuit that differences in short-term measurements of time, contrasting similarities in long-term measurements, further support the 3rd Party Hypothesis proposing a lost Mother Culture is the source of advanced knowledge encoding Precession. The Vedic, Mesoamerican, Chinese, & Egyptian wisdom systems all very much understood the Earth’s 26,000 year precessional cycle, incorporating it into their calculations. All of the evidence begs the question: is awareness of Precession convergent evolution or inherited wisdom which diverged from a shared source?

Awareness of the Dashas' long-term influence adds a deeper layer of interpretation to the Nakshatras' short-term influence. Ergo the Dashas as a metaphysical concept can aide Western Hellenistic Astrologers to shift our linear perceptions of time in order to cast more accurate astrological forecasts. In an Astrology Podcast interview with Vedic astrologer Freedom Cole about the Vimshottari Dasha system (a 120 year cycle), they discuss how this complex divination system is the standard predictive timing technique used in modern Vedic astrology:

“The dasha systems divide a person's life up into different periods and subperiods that are ruled by different planets, in order to study various increments of time. The Vimshottari Dasha system is the most common Dasha technique used by Vedic astrologers today, and it was first introduced in the text of Parashara. Freedom is the author of two books on Indian astrology, titled Science of Light, volumes 1 and 2”.

Let's now explore how the Vimshottari Dasha system showcases the need to take into account seemingly "random" factors to forecast accurate probabilities.

According to Vedic Astrologer Freedom Cole:

Determine the nakshatra the Moon is located in at birth. The nakshatras are 27 lunar mansions, with 13°20′ degrees each. Note that these positions are sidereal. Each nakshatra is associated with a specific planet. Each planet rules a certain number of years:

- Ketu (south node) is 7 years

- Venus is 20 years

- Sun is 6 years

- Moon is 10 years

- Mars is 7 years

- Rahu (north node) is 18 years

- Jupiter is 16 years

- Saturn is 19 years

- Mercury is 17 years

Whatever nakshatra the Moon is in, the ruling planet establishes the first chapter of life. When that chapter is up, it moves to the ruler of the next nakshatra, in zodiacal order. Note that you must subtract a number of years proportional to how far through the first nakshatra the Moon is from the first period. This establishes the general periods, but there are also subperiods. General periods are called dashas, subperiods called bhuktis (or sometimes also called mahadashas and antra-dashas).

Once the planetary rulers are activated, how do we interpret them? Assuming we have a readout of our dashas and bhuktis, what do they mean? The condition of the planet in the natal chart is key.

Quote from Parashara in Freedom’s book: “The dasha gives two particular types of results; that based on the planet’s intrinsic nature, and that based on the place of residence. Know the results of the dasha to manifest according to the nature of the planet’s strength."

What is the nature of the planet? What types of things does that planet normally signify? The natural characteristics of the planet will be more prevalent during its dasha. Careful though: people sometimes get stuck on / focus too much on intrinsic nature. How is the planet situated in the chart? What house is it placed in? The significations of the planet will be channeled through the house it is in. The strength or condition of the lord will indicate favorable or unfavorable results. Is the planet auspiciously placed in the chart or inauspiciously placed?

Some basic criteria for determining planetary condition in Vedic astrology:

- Being in its own sign versus being in an enemy’s sign.

- Being exalted versus being in its fall.

- Aspected by benefics vs. aspected by malefics.

- Being combust versus being free from the rays of the Sun.

- Being in a favorable house (esp. 1, 5, and 9) versus being in the 6th, 8th or 12th.

Yogas are Special rules for how malefics interact with benefics. The houses the dasha lord rules bring those topics into play. Relationship between general and subperiod lord placement: general period lord and subperiod lord treated as if in conjunction. Interaction of these two planets will flavor the results. Dasha will either support a transit or the opposite (via theastrologypodcast.com episode 193)

There's a reason the Vimshottari Dasha system is the most popular method in Vedic Astrology for casting accurate forecasts. This is perhaps due to the fact that the system is in alignment with the cyclical reality of the cosmos. Let's now dive deeper into the Lunar Mansions for insights regarding how - like the I Ching - Vedic Astrology may feature inherent numerological structures invoking the flux of change. For example according to Freedom Cole: the 9 planet lords repeat 3 times - a sequence of 9 x 3 -  in the 27 Nakshatras cycle. This rulership cycle begins again on a fire sign: Aries, Leo, & Sagittarius. These points also represent when the Sun & Moon signs are in energetic alignment. This also is invoking the Vedic concept of the Spiritual Triangle symbolizing the flow of Kundalini through the chart. At the Aries/Pisces, Cancer/Leo, & Scorpio/Sagittarius cusps the Nakshatra Moon signs are in alignment with the Sun signs and the 9  x 3 planet sequence begins again. On a deeper level perhaps this  invokes the sacred duality of fire & water. Anywhere where the Moon Signs are “breaking” away from the Sun signs, those are considered “dangerous degrees” in the Vedic system because these are points of sharp energetic transition or disruption. So the fire & water sign alignment points/cusps are considered more auspicious interfaces to navigate change. To recapitulate: a good metaphor for the Dashas are the cogs of a watch to describe being a qualitative field of time in your life (or “inner time” periods).

Authentic Astrology shows that the planetary cycles & relationships with the other planets are just as important as Zodiac sign placements when predicting possibilities & probabilities. Without the metaphor of the cogs in a watch, it would likely be difficult to understand the complex interplay of subtle energies in any ancient astrological discipline. To understand how events may manifest, the Dashas are a great example showcasing the convoluted complexity of the Universe. It seems that "Time" is rarely a straightforward, linear progression of causal events. Rather, the phenomenon of "Time" more probably resembles an acausal tapestry of concentric cycles interpenetrating one another at various points in the space/time continuum. With this expanded awareness, how silly do predictions in online horoscopes based solely on the Sun Sign now seem? Archaeo-astrology as a discipline can help guide Astrologers back to Astrology's original intended function as developed by the Elevated Ancient Ancestors. By understanding the ancients perceptions of time, we can free ourselves from the shackles of linear thinking and the psychic prison of modern life.

Conclusion: Decolonize Your Horoscope

Despite systemic differences in ancient Astrology, I observed patterns of similarities triangulating key metaphysical concepts like:

• Duality/Polarity
  

• Kundalini Energy
  

• Subtle Energy centers (Chakras) in the human body
  

• Knowledge of Precession of the Equinoxes
  

• Cyclical nature of Sacred Time is like intermeshing cogs in a watch
  

• Multidimensionality
  

• Acausality or Synchronicity of space/time
  

• Sacred Mathematics & Numerology
  

• The Mirror Principle: i.e.Geomancy mirrors Cosmology & the Biological Microcosm mirrors the Celestial Macrocosm

The implications of shared spiritual synergies in ancient thought imply intriguing insights about the true origins of human civilization in deep antiquity. We may never know how old Astrology & Astronomy truly are, nor whether its path of cultural development was Divergent or Convergent Evolution. What is life without a little mystery? Sometimes a mystery is fun to explore just because it's a mystery, calling us into the great unknown. However it is indisputable that knowledge of Precession existed in the extremely distant past. The implications of Archaeo-astrology are deeply humbling, and may make one feel very tiny and insignificant, like a speck of dust floating through the Universe, a mere momentary flash. Awareness of Precession can cause a profound shift in human consciousness, and for this reason, was considered sacred by our ancient ancestors. This is why one had to be initiated to gain access to this wisdom in order to protect its power from misuse. Knowledge is power, just to know. Unfortunately it seems that to be conscious in a Patriarchal world which values unconsciousness is dangerous. Perhaps this is why so many modern humans are quick to deflect, devalue, & discard the Cosmology of the ancient Matriarchal world.

Why does Archaeo-astrology ultimately matter or mean anything worthy of study?

Archaeo-astrology is a means to decolonize Astrology. Social Media Sun Sign-based Astrology utilizing the Gregorian Calendar is a distorted delusional fantasy. Moneylust has delegitimized the ancient art of Astrology, severed it from original cultural context, and repackaged it as something that it’s not. In order to legitimize Astrology, we must reconnect with its roots in meaningful ways which challenge our critical thinking skills to develop discernment. Nobody or no one culture owns Astrology, and people will engage with it however their level of understanding permits. However some cultures have been refining Astrology for aeons in divergent ways which must be acknowledged as unique contributions from that lineage. When we acknowledge that Astrology was sacred to our ancient ancestors, then this awareness naturally engenders a different approach rooted in truth, respect, & reverence. If any Astrologer is triggered by the call-in to decolonize Astrology, then they are not someone who frankly is concerned with truth, and probably haven’t read this far anyway. There is nothing sacred about the hordes of mediocre narcissists claiming online to be “Astrologers” whom have co-opted Astrology, the Tarot, Numerology, etc. to gain power, money, & a constant energetic supply in the algorithm.

Whilst Astrology seemingly is more popular than ever on social media, this popularity is a double-edged sword. Popularity has not translated to more people having a deeper understanding of Astrology, but instead more people having a shallow misunderstanding. The paradox of illusions is that if the illusion did not exist, then the seeker would not be able to recognize authenticity. Therefore even though the Love & Gaslight McMindfulness New C-age crowd have had long-term detrimental effects on Astrology’s reputation, it is still necessary to acknowledge all humans have the birthright to study Astrology. The way modern humans use or misuse ancient sacred wisdom always creates impartial Karma. The Karma of turning any ancient cultural wisdom system not from your lineage - like Astrology, Yoga, Reiki, etc. - into your personal “spiritual business” venture in Late-Stage Dystopian Capitalism is frankly heavy. Spiritual Grifters cannot hide for long behind feel-good buzzwords and sexy thumbnail photos: inevitably the Karma of cultural appropriation will catch up with the frauds.

There is a lot of Karma to unpack when deconstructing colonization which inevitably boils down to racism, narcissism, & energy vampirism. If you live in the Global North like me, I acknowledge that our entire way of living is based on a system of exploitation and harm which has colonized the Global South. I believe that by decolonizing the conditioned mind, we set an intention to come into right relationship with the ancient ancestors whom gifted us the wisdom systems which have enlightened our souls with curiosity. For those who come from severed lineages (i.e. White People), the lack of authentic spiritual sustenance as children can quickly transform us as adults from humble seekers into entitled “Spiritual Capitalists”. We must recognize that we only have access to sacred wisdom systems from other cultures because of our privilege and whiteness: if you profit off another lineage’s wisdom system without acknowledgement of the imbalanced power dynamic, then you are complicit in the past & present colonization of those cultures.

Obviously, many cis heteronormative white folk would defensively debate me on this topic in order to D.A.R.V.O. their way out of accountability. Deflection of accountability requires thinking like, “It’s not productive to focus on the past, I choose to live in the eternal now, I am not responsible for what my ancestors did, it’s all love & light”. However there is no authentic Light Work without the uncomfortable Shadow Work. Light Work not balanced by Shadow Work can quickly become delusion (case in point: MAGA Yogis). Whilst I did not create modern systems of oppression nor chose to be born into them, I still am a recipient of the privilege & power of these systems designed by cis heterosexual white men. Ergo I am complicit in the harm these systems cause, and have a choice in everything I do to confront this complicity and decenter my own emotions in order to perceive the reality of living in a colonized world. How do we acknowledge and atone for current systems of oppression which we benefit from? How do we shift our perceptions? How do we perceive the true nature of Sacred Time, and realign our lives with the natural cycles of the Cosmos?

Archaeo-astrology has been the medium through which I personally decolonized my Astrological work. Through this intellectual journey I shifted from using the inaccurate Tropical Zodiac to the Sidereal Lahiri Zodiac. Through this journey I discovered that the cultural taboo surrounding Astrology is a byproduct of White Supremacy Culture. Anyone who delegitimizes Astrology without self inquiry is belittling the capabilities of the elevated Ancient Ancestors. It is possible that the ancients knew things of value that our civilization currently does not understand. Only a modern egomaniac stuck in colonizer consciousness would claim that we have nothing of value to learn from the achievements of advanced civilizations like China, India, & Mesoamerica. With deep humility: I acknowledge that authentic Astrology in its original cultural context was - most likely ... -developed by B.I.P.O.C. (Black & Indigenous People of Color) of the Global South majority.