Time
"What then is time? If no one asks me, I know what it is. If I wish to explain it to him who asks, I do not know", complained Saint Augustine more than one and a half thousand years ago. For astrology, however, it is of major importance to understand what time is. Up until antiquity, there were two ways of understanding time: the quantity (Greek Chronos) and the quality (Greek Chairos). The idea behind the latter was the understanding that no two moments are alike. These modes of perception complemented each other, whereas today only Chronos remains familiar to the majority of people.
- Quantitative time is merely the measurement of the amount of time that passes from one moment to the next and is based on the human desire to systematise the subjective experience of past, present and future. Astronomical phenomena such as the Earth's rotation around its own axis, which is the length of one day, or the Earth's orbit around the Sun, which is defined as one year. Although precision instruments have shown that neither movement is completely regular, they nevertheless remain well established periods of time. It is now possible to divide or extend these values into dimensions that are beyond the grasp of human perception and comprehension.
There are two basic concepts of time, linear and cyclical. Linear time has come to dominate the Western Christian world-view and the industrial nations' resulting belief in progress. This concept of time is characterised by a beginning and an end of time. There is an inexorable move towards the end of time which is accompanied by unstoppable progress. For Christianity the God of creation marks the beginning of time and the return of Christ the end, a concept that is especially prevalent in the extremely influential writings of Saint Augustine.
- The concept of cyclical time is dominant in the Asian religions of Hinduism and Buddhism. According to them, the course of time is an immeasurable cycle which periodically repeats itself. There is no inexorable movement towards a certain end; the ultimate human aim is to escape from these endlessly repeating cycles.
Since Einstein, physics considers time to be a fourth dimension alongside length, width and height. His Theory of Relativity has shaken the rigid concept of evenly flowing time, and with that modern physics has come to question the linear concept of time and has moved closer to a concept of time which is in many ways similar to the mystical concept of time as subjective experience.
Astrology is also based on cyclical understanding of time. The circular zodiac in which the signs follow on from one another in endless cycles is the most important frame of reference. It is equivalent to the solar year. The largest cycle used in astrology is the Platonic Year which is generally thought to encompass a period of 25729 years (according to another source 25771 years). This marks the time it takes for the spring equinox to make one complete revolution of the zodiac.
Astrology has also retained the concept of Chairos (the quality of time) which no longer plays a role in standard physical and philosophical views of time. The notion of the variable quality of time may be based on the different phases of the Moon. The fact that the Moon's shape was observed to continuously change, and at times completely disappeared only to return again, is one of the basic human experiences. Apparently, the Moon's metamorphoses were not thought to be limited to its appearance. From this grew the recognition that there were favourable or unfavourable conditions for any activity or process - including birth. If something is to come to fruition, the time has to be "ripe", and not in the quantitative sense. Should the "wrong" moment be chosen, the difficulties will be considerably greater and the goal more difficult to achieve. The planetary constellations indicate the quality of time, and practical decisions can then be based on this knowledge.
One of the most beautiful references concerning the quality of time can be found in the Book of Ecclesiastes[1] of the Old Testament:
- To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven
- A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
- A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
- A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
- A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
- A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
- A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
- A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
See also
Weblinks
- The Egyptian Calendar and the Zodiac (Deborah Houlding 1996, 2003)
- Time by Pink Floyd (Flash Animation)
Notes and References
- ↑ Chapter 3, verses 1-8