The Age of Aquarius - Zeitgeist

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Keyvan
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The Age of Aquarius - Zeitgeist

Postby Keyvan » Fri Dec 26, 2008 9:38 pm

So I just watched Zeitgeist, which is a pretty popular documentary distributed on the Internet. It covers alternative studies on western religious beliefs, 9/11, the central banking system, and a number of conspiracy theories related thereto. Now I don't buy everything the the documentary said, but some of the discussions are interesting.

I focused on this one segment of the film in Part One, which discusses religion. This particular segment I found very shockingly relevant to discussion of Baha'u'llah and the Baha'i Faith. I will discuss this more specifically later in this post.

You can watch the film here but to focus in on what I am about to discuss, watch from:
24:50 to 29:50
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 9197&hl=en

Now the way I see it, if the Messengers of God correspond to particular signs of the Zodiac, and their own scriptures allude to the same symbology, then they are doing so with the intent to relate monotheism to the Pagan peoples (yes i know pagan is an excessively broad term).

One example of this is with Elohim. Abraham refers to God as "Elohim" but Elohim is actually pural, meaning "the Gods." The way I see it, this makes sense as a transition term. That is, the Pagans who once believed gods were multiple, with their own interests and in conflict with one another, could now see them as at least united, with one direction, the same requests, the same decisions (the Gods want this, the Gods want that, instead of this God once this and that God wants that). And from there it was just a half-step to accept they were actually just one God the whole time.

Anyway, it is interesting that the idolized bull that infuriated Moses was the zodiac symbol of the preceding Dispensation of Abraham. And likewise, that the fish (Pisces) was emblematic of Christ and His Dispensation. (all the fishermen, catching 153 fish, Jesus fish, fish fish fish). Then there is that passage from Luke in which Jesus is asked about the final passover (end of the age).

Jesus responds:

22:10 And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in.
(King James Bible, Luke)


A similar passage is found here:

14:13 Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him.
(King James Bible, Mark)


This is Aquarius - a man pouring a pitcher of water. Now as this is a reference to the passing of the previous age and the coming of a new, we as Baha'i's would interpret this as Baha'u'llah. The Age of Aquarius.

I immediately thought of how pervasive water metaphors are in the Writings of Baha'u'llah. Water generally means the Revelation. To consume the water is to consume the Revelation. "river of life," "ocean of my words" I actually took out my Aqdas again to count the water metaphors in It alone. There are a lot.
1 The first duty prescribed by God for His servants is
the recognition of Him Who is the Dayspring of
His Revelation and the Fountain of His laws,
(Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 19)

2 The seas of Divine wisdom
and Divine utterance have risen under the breath of the
breeze of the All-Merciful. Hasten to drink your fill, O
men of understanding!
(Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 19)

26 Thus have the billows of the Ocean of
Utterance
surged, casting forth the pearls of the laws
decreed by the Lord of all mankind.
(Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 28)

29 The sincere among His servants will regard the precepts set
forth by God as the Water of Life to the followers of
every faith, and the Lamp of wisdom and loving
providence to all the denizens of earth and heaven.
(Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 29)

50 Beware lest ye be hindered by the veils of glory
from partaking of the crystal waters of this living
Fountain
(Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 37)

53 O people, when the
glory of My Presence is withdrawn, and the ocean of
My utterance
is stilled
(Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 38)

54 My witness that streams of fresh and soft-flowing
waters have gushed
from the rocks through the
sweetness of the words uttered by your Lord, the
Unconstrained; and still ye slumber.
(Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 39)

80 This is the Day in which He Who held converse
with God hath attained the light of the Ancient of
Days, and quaffed the pure waters of reunion from this
Cup that hath caused the seas to swell.

(Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 48)

96 O Most Mighty Ocean! Sprinkle upon the nations
that with which Thou hast been charged by Him Who
is the Sovereign of Eternity,
(Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 54)

121 When the ocean of My presence hath ebbed and
the Book of My Revelation is ended, turn your faces
toward Him Whom God hath purposed, Who hath
branched from this Ancient Root.
(Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 62)


That doesn't include many other paragraphs about drinking and bathing in water and when and how and where.

(side note: I also remembered that song "The Age of Aquarius / Let the Sun Shine In" was (I HEARD, not positive, tell me if I'm right and correct me if I'm wrong) written by a Baha'i. If so, the lyrics clearly refer to the attributes of the Golden Age.

As indicated in the documentary the Age of Aquarius is to begin in 2150. Assuming that these zodiac signs to correspond with the religious cycles, then that would mean most evidently that the Most Great Peace would be achieved by then If the cycle does end in 2150,, then that would mean we would achieve the Most Great Peace / Golden Age by 2150. However, many dispute when the Age of Aquarius actually begins. I saw some articles online saying it will in 2012...there is a lot of variation. I didn't see anything after 2150 though.

I also Ocean searched "Aquarius" and found this passage in Some Answered Questions.
The spiritual cycles of the Sun of Reality are like the cycles of the material sun: they are always revolving and being renewed. The Sun of Reality, like the material sun, has numerous rising and dawning places: one day it rises from the zodiacal sign of Cancer, another day from the sign of Libra or Aquarius; another time it is from the sign of Aries that it diffuses its rays. But the sun is one sun and one reality; the people of knowledge are lovers of the sun, and are not fascinated by the places of its rising and dawning.

(Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 76)


Thoughts?

emifinan
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Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2008 7:25 pm
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Re: The Age of Aquarius - Zeitgeist

Postby emifinan » Sat Dec 27, 2008 12:54 am

I remember being very fascinated by that documentary when I first watched it a year ago. It has been a long time, so forgive me if my facts are incorrect, and it's late, so I apologize if this is incoherent :)

In my personal opinion it is just a coincidence, and the astrological signs/ages/houses/whatever have little if any influence or set meaning. Does not mean we cannot derive meaning from them, or use them as symbols to accompany our already existing metaphors and concepts, but that constellation itself has no influence over us or the age we are in.

I believe this because viewed from anywhere else in the universe, the constellation would not exist.


The Holy Writings are filled with beautiful metaphorical language. We use material metaphors and symbols like fragrant flower, brilliant light, vast ocean, to describe the very IMMATERIAL existance of God. That's ok, we are human, and it's how our brains work. In an age where buildings and skyscapers did not pollute the night sky with their artificial light, it's no wonder stars and planets were employed to symbolize these spiritual metaphors and events. It was a direct form of teaching when books and even clergy were not accessible.

I really hope this makes sense.

BruceDLimber
Posts: 189
Joined: Sun Mar 05, 2006 5:34 pm
Location: Rockville, Maryland, USA

Re: The Age of Aquarius - Zeitgeist

Postby BruceDLimber » Sat Dec 27, 2008 10:59 am

Hi!

Robert Riggs has written a lot about astrology and the Baha'i Faith in Apocalypse Unsealed and its revision, The Apocalypse: An Exegesis, which you can find in the "books" section of www.bahai-library.org

(While Baha'is aren't into astrology as such, Riggs explains that it's significant because it so happens that John employed a great deal of astrological symbolism in writing the Book of Revelation, and it's therefore very helpful in interpreting and understanding the symbolism there.)

Briefly, Riggs says each astrological age lasts roughly 2,000 years and is related to the precession of the sun through the various symbols of the zodiac. Further, the symbols are each paired with the opposite symbol six months away around the zodiac.

The Age of Aries the ram/Libra the scales was roughly 4,000 years ago and corresponded roughly with the Advent of either Abraham or Moses (I forget which).

The Age of Pisces the fish/Virgo the virgin was roughly 2,000 years ago, and both signs have obvious connections/implications to the symbology of Christianity!

The Age of Aquarius the man/Leo the lion has just begun, and these symbols are connected to Baha'u'llah and His Advent.

Again, full details of all this are in the books above, and I commend them to you if this interests you!

Best regards, :-)

Bruce


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