In 1970, I was seven years old, and a singing group called, (Huey, n.d.), was about the coolest thing that a little black girl from Terre Haute, Indiana could see on television. Back then, it was rare to see non-white Americans on TV (or just about anywhere else for that matter) so when a group like The Fifth Dimension appeared as the musical guests on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Mike Douglass Show, or American Bandstand, it was a really big deal.
One of their biggest hits was a song called Aquarius. At seven, I didn’t really comprehend the lyrics (and apparently, neither did my highly religious, missionary-Baptist mother, with all of the song’s references to astrological references, since Zodiac symbolism was generally frowned upon within the church). I do remember, however, that my older sister, aged fifteen at the time, had somehow calculated that the actual Age of Aquarius was due to start sometime after the year 2000 and became obsessed with calculating how old everyone in our family would be in the year 2000. I was amazed to learn that I would be thirty-seven, only one year younger than our mother was in 1970, and our grandparents would be in their mid-eighties (although sadly, neither of them actually lived that long.)
Now, however, through the miracle (or some would say the curse) of the internet. I’ve discovered that, while the exact date marking the definite beginning of “the age of Aquarius” is debatable, some astrologers suggest that it began on the vernal equinox (around March 21) of 2021. In the song, the age of Aquarius sounds like a wonderful time marked by:
• Harmony and understanding
• Sympathy and trust abounding
• No more falsehoods or derisions
• Mystic crystal revelation
• The mind’s true liberation (Genius, n.d.)
Wait – what? Those don’t sound like the events of 2021 that I remember.
The world was still in recovery mode from COVID, Haiti suffered a major earthquake and their president was assassinated, Iran began advancing its nuclear program, the Taliban returned to Power in Afghanistan. (Lindsay, 2021)
Maybe I should check another source. Let’s try asking ChatGPT. Ok, let’s see.
“The Age of Aquarius is associated with a variety of ideas including:
• A time of significant change in humanity, leading to a higher level of consciousness and greater harmony with nature (Hmm…that doesn’t sound completely accurate to me, but let’s continue.)
• A period of hope and innovation with new technologies, equality, and ecological awareness (Well, the innovation with new technologies is right, but the equality piece is a bit doubtful, and as far as ecological awareness – I’m thinking that the climate change deniers still haven’t gotten the memo!)
• A time of ideas and inspiration, where people tune into nature and allow their creative consciousness to flow (Umm…does hiking in a virtual reality forest count?)
• A time when people move from “me” to “we” and new paradigms of living together in peace and equality emerge (Ok, flag on the play…that is definitely NOT where we are right now). (Open AI, 2024)
Although not always the most credible source, maybe we should take a look at good old Wikipedia. All right, here we go:
“Proponents of medieval astrology suggest that the Pisces world, where religion is the opiate of the masses, will be replaced in the Aquarian age by a world ruled by secretive, power-hungry elites seeking absolute power over others; that knowledge will only be valued for its ability to win wars; and that knowledge and science will be abused.” (Age of Aquarius, 2024)
Ugh, even though that sounds a bit more accurate, it is also infinitely more terrifying. But, hey, how long could it last? According the ChatGPT, “The Age of Aquariums is expected to last around 2,160 years.” (Open AI, 2024). WTF? Years?? In the words of the famous psychiatrist, Lucy Van Pelt, “We’re doomed!” (Melendez, 1966)
Works Cited
Age of Aquarius. (2024, December 9). Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Aquarius#:~:text=Proponents%20of%20medieval%20astrology%20suggest,surging%20forward%20all%20at%20once.
Genius. (n.d.). Retrieved from Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In: https://genius.com/The-5th-dimension-aquarius-let-the-sunshine-in-lyrics
Huey, S. (n.d.). The Fifth Dimension. Retrieved from All Music: https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-5th-dimension-mn0000028772
Lindsay, J. M. (2021, December 15). Ten Most Significant World Events in 2021. Retrieved from Council on Foreign Relations: https://www.cfr.org/blog/ten-most-significant-world-events-2021
Melendez, B. (Director). (1966). Charlie Brown’s All Stars [Motion Picture].
Open AI. (2024, December 30).
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