The Great World Religions and the Age of Pisces - Richard Smoley

[Olcott Library]

The Great World Religions and the Age of Pisces - Richard Smoley

Download handout

Age of Pisces

Discussion questions

1- Refer to the handout where Charles Jayne demonstrates that every 600 years, a new religion is born; and at each of those times Uranus is either aligned with or opposing Neptune. Discuss your reaction to this astrological revelation. (The dates are, of course hard to pinpoint exactly, but there IS general consensus that a basic pattern does emerge at least similar to Jayne’s.)

2- It has been said that the end of animal sacrifice meant an essential characteristic change in major religions.

2a- How would you describe that change?

2b- There is less religious ritualistic animal sacrifice in the present age but certainly there is organized ritual-less slaughter of animals on a scale unprecedented in history. What does that tell us about the present age?

3- After reviewing the handout with different takes on the age of Pisces, what is your reaction about the art of using Astrological analysis to understand the past or predict the future?

4- Richard Smoley asks, “As the Age of Pisces passes, will the age of religion pass as well?” What do you think?

5- Examine the quotes about individual Pisceans from Excerpts from The Astrologer’s Handbook by Frances Sakoian & Louis S. Acker at the beginning of the handout.

5a- How can you apply those quotes about individuals to the age of Pisces generally?

5b- How can you apply those quotes about individuals to the developments in organized religion during the age of Pisces?

Proposed activities

If Internet connected laptops and/or PCs are available for your class using the Internet would be fine for the following exercise, but if not, the group facilitator(s) could make sure that there are some basic book introduction/summaries of Islam, Christianity, and Buddhism available. Huston Smith’s work in this area is highly recommended, and skimming one of his summaries would work well for this exercise.

1- Break into small groups, each group taking one of the five major religions. Research for thirty minutes general summaries of Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism and try to find as many Pisces related characteristics for each as you can. Sometimes, of course, the connections will take some creative, artistic analysis, so feel free to use intuition when making these connections.

2- Write a paragraph about Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism in which you highlight that religion’s Piscean characteristics.

3- Each group may share their summaries with the class. (The art of astrological analysis involves much subjectivity, intuition, and creativity, and the different group interpretations of these three world religions should give a helpful educational experience on the nature of astrological interpretation as well as historical analysis in general.)

Resources

Books

Buescher, John Benedict, Aquarian Evangelist : The Age of Aquarius as it Dawned in the Mind of Levi Dowling, B D756 BUE AE

Cerminara, Gina, Insights for the Age of Aquarius : A Handbook for Religious Sanity, 200.1 CER IAA

Dobyns, Zipporah Pottenger, The Zodiac as a Key to History,133.5 DOB ZKH

Hall, Manly P.,The Story of Astrology: The Belief in the Stars as a Factor in Human Progress,133.5 HAL SA

Naylor, Phyllis Irene Hannah, Astrology: An Historical Examination,133.5 NAY AHE

Rudhyar, Dane, Astrological Timing: The Transition to the New Age,133.5 RUD ATI

Smoley, Richard, Conscious Love : Insights from Mystical Christianity, 241.4 SMO CL

Smoley, Richard, Hidden Wisdom : A Guide to the Western Inner Traditions, 291 SMO HW

Spangler, David, Towards a Planetary Vision, 299.93 SPA TPV

Sound recordings
(AR: audiocassette; CDA: Compact Disc)

Cerminara, Gina, Insights for the Age of Aquarius, AR 0295

McCutcheon, Capel, Reflections on Astrological Ages Past, Present, and Future, CDA 0449

Smoley, Richard, Conscious Love, CDA 0430

Smoley, Richard, Mystical Heart of Christianity, CDA 0432