Age of Aquarius

An astrological age associated with the vernal equinox point entering Aquarius. Astrologers and popular culture link it to social transformation and spiritual renewal, but its start date is disputed.

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Precession of the equinoxes: The slow change in the orientation of Earth’s rotational axis, which shifts the equinox points against the stars. This astronomical cycle supplies the proposed transitions between astrological ages.
Babylonian astronomy: The systematic observation and mathematical study of celestial phenomena in ancient Babylonia. Babylonian zodiac traditions helped establish the celestial framework later used to discuss astrological ages.
Tropical zodiac: A twelve-sign astrological system anchored to the seasonal equinoxes and solstices rather than fixed constellations. Its signs do not track the constellations, so they cannot straightforwardly mark the proposed transition into Aquarius.
Astronomy: The scientific study of celestial objects, space, and the physical universe. Astronomy measures precession but does not establish astrological meanings or a culturally defined age.
Hair: A 1968 musical by James Rado, Gerome Ragni, and Galt MacDermot, set amid countercultural protest and youth culture. Its opening song, “Aquarius,” brought the age’s imagery to a mass audience.
Vernal equinox: The moment each year when the Sun crosses the celestial equator northward, beginning astronomical spring in the Northern Hemisphere. The age is defined by the vernal equinox point’s position relative to Aquarius.
Hipparchus: A Greek astronomer of the second century BCE who discovered the precession of the equinoxes. His discovery made it possible to describe the equinox point’s slow motion through the zodiac.
Sidereal zodiac: A twelve-sign astrological system aligned with the observed positions of stars and constellations. Its stellar alignment offers one method for locating the equinox against Aquarius.
Astrology: A set of traditions that interprets celestial positions as meaningful in human affairs and terrestrial events. The Age of Aquarius belongs to astrology rather than an astronomical classification.
Age of Aquarius (song): A 1969 recording by the Fifth Dimension that medleyed songs from the musical Hair. The recording turned an astrological prophecy into a major popular hit.