Evolutionary Astrology – Understanding Our Ancestral Timeline

By Simon Vorster & Jennifer Langstone

Contributing writers for Wake Up World

How Reflections of the Past Motivate Our Choices for the Future

I will begin this conversation by saying what an extraordinary transitional time we are alive in. When I first stumbled upon the idea of a global awakening or shift in consciousness, it was difficult to even grasp the possibility, but now that we are in the midst of these changes it is difficult to believe otherwise.

So many people all around the world are waking up to the distortions of our reality and making the necessary changes to be the change they wish to see in the world. We are healing our wounds and de-conditioning from distortions on a collective level.

Through this article, I want to share with you why it is so important that we first change from within in order to change the world around us, and using Metaphysical Astrology as a basis, I will offer you some insights to  help you do it.

I will begin by  sharing how I see the journey of humanity  across time, and in particular, offer  you some understanding about life on earth during the times  of the matriarchy, and the effect of our subsequent transition to patriarchal rule.  For many of us on earth now, there is a direct karmic connection to lives lived during that transitional period, so there are aspects of this article that will ask  you to observe reality from a more inter-dimensional, timeless and cyclical point of view.

Time itself is exclusive to the earth experience; the 3d world. From the perspective of the higher self, time is simply the phenomena of experiencing the feeling of movement between two separate moments. Try for yourself to reflect on the moment before you starting reading this and then to the moment you finish. Because you can only live in the now, the experience of both realities can only be felt. The effect of two different realities at separate points in time and space are measured through time.

Pretty neat?  We are looking at things from an inter-dimensional perspective.

The Zodiac as Our Story Teller

From the perspective of  Metaphysical Astrology, we are currently experiencing planetary alignments that are reflecting to us a  profound shift in our spiritual awareness; our awareness of our true being.  Here I am going to share with you information on the planetary movement of the cosmos, and our inherent spiritual connection to it. We are truly  interconnected, and this understanding opens doorways to greater acceptance and love  –  of self and others  –  and  introduces a perspective/paradigm in which we can use to develop a closer understanding and relationship to the nature of our past and how we fit into these planetary evolutionary cycles.

Evolutionary astrology looks at the nature of life through the lens of natural law, not man made. It is defined as the observation of how creation itself functions, and  how the human organism interacts with creation. It is a truth that requires no belief because it reflects what simply is! Using the language of astrology I will illustrate here the nature of how our consciousness in past timelines interacts with evolutionary cycles, and the effects this has on us. By understanding our past intimately, we are able to comprehend the chaos that is in our lives at the moment.

So sit back, get relaxed and enjoy the multidimensional evolutionary journey you are about to embark on.

The zodiac reflects twelve signs or constellations which are made up of archetypes. These archetypes  work in six pairs of polarities, such as Capricorn-Cancer and  Taurus-Scorpio, and hold a wide creative spectrum of possibilities. The zodiac is a symbolic representation of the totality of consciousness. All the possibilities and manifestations of consciousness are representable and thereby knowable by means of the zodiacal wheel. It reflects to us our  inner world; the road map as it were. It is the axiom of the principle “as above, so below”.

Step 1 –  Understanding the Outer Planets (Transpersonal Planets) and Their Connection to Our Spiritual Journey

Why is it important to understand these symbols? The more conscious we are of these universal forces, the more equipped we can progress along the path to higher consciousness and human advancement.

The “outer” planets Pluto, Neptune and Uranus  are linked with the process of connecting our subjective sense of self (inner planets) with non-physical dimensions ie. our spiritual journey.  The outer planets move through each sign very slowly;  Uranus taking 7 years, Neptune taking 14 and Pluto depending on the sign can be from 10 years up to 20 years.  These outer planets influence us on a generational basis, as we share these planetary placements in our birth charts with the generation of people born within the same time-frames (from  7 to  20 years) as us. Thus, the  evolutionary intentions of each outer planet is  manifested on a collective level.

Another way to look at this is when we are born in a specific (astrological) generation, these outer planets reflect aspects of our unconscious memories  — what we would call past lives  — and your life experiences from the point of view of this lifetime. Saturn reflects the boundary between the conscious awareness of one’s self and unconscious.

I am sure you have at one point in your life starred into the horizon only to become aware that you were unable to see  past  a certain point … as if the earth ended. You know the earth continues further, but you are unable to see it past the horizon. The three outer planets refer to that extended part.

The functions of the outer planets are as followed; Uranus challenges pre-existing structure in order to liberate. Neptune reflects source energy, the ocean of consciousness; or from a human point of view, the total collective un conscious. And Pluto reflects our collective unconscious emotional security. Later on in this article I will go into more depth, but for now I would like to use an example to illustrate to you how this works…

Let’s take Uranus and place it in the sign Sagittarius,  a 7 year transit. Souls with this placement in their birth charts will  be challenging (Uranus) the current philosophies (Sagittarius) of the current cultures they live in. Although this is also linked with the individual inward evolutionary journey, its application  is  collective  which, in turn, effects the collective perspective of truth.

Collectively, a natural evolutionary cycle enacts itself through the human condition.  

So, a large part of waking up to the truth of who we  are is linked with the knowledge that individually,  we  are evolving through our own karma and at the same time helping humanity evolve its new conscious awareness. We are each experiencing our own version of this epic adventure while actively participating in a shared  progression through the evolutionary ages.

“You are the source of all things expressing itself as a human, for a while.”

Step 2 – Understanding the Core Evolutionary  Themes

Capricorn/Saturn Archetype (Structure)

Along this alignment journey, the current placement of Pluto in Capricorn gives us an immediate point of reference. Pluto’s return to Capricorn only occurs once every 248 years. Pluto’s current transit now sets the platform for the culmination of an entire chapter of human evolution. So for it to make sense, we need some background.

Introducing Capricorn!  In relation to universal law, otherwise termed (natural law), Capricorn symbolizes the nature of structure within nature. Structure can also be seen as protection  –  the structure of a house symbolizes protection for its inhabitants; the skin on our body, the bark of the tree. In the human mind, it is  the framework through which we construct, organize and engineer things. Its effect is evident  in the way  we build and define structures in  any given society; the frameworks of countries, and their governmental and  education structures.  Now, in order for  these structures to function they contain rules, regulations and laws, which lead us to becoming conditioned to that framework. The Capricorn archetype  correlates to our  interaction with such  roles of authority –  society, parents, and the authority of ourselves, and how we respond or react to these external authorities.

Capricorn also contains the function of reflection. Reflection is natural to consciousness and acts as an important vehicle to  set in motion an  awareness for change. This is experienced through hindsight. When we reflect back on the past, we become aware through hindsight of possible new directions, and ways in which we can move forward without  feeling blocked by  circumstance. Makes sense? Our concept of time is inherent  to this phenomena. The aging process becomes one of reflection. This is why as you age, you mature through wisdom gained.

So. Capricorn vibrates in our lives as the natural way in which we form structure, both of our own individual consciousness and through to the external world.

At  this stage of our current evolution, with Pluto’s transit through Capricorn, it is a time of reflection and change. We are reflecting, through the maturity of wisdom gained, on how we have been conditioned, and rewiring our consciousness. This  is leading to a change in direction. New structures are progressively replacing the old.

Pluto/ Scorpio Archetype (Evolving Force)

Pluto reflects evolution, desire and empowerment. When we look at the nature of Pluto’s movement through a constellation we observe a distinct transmutation relative to the expression of that zodiac sign.   Pluto has a dualistic desire nature to it. On the one hand, through Pluto we have the desire to evolve and change and on the other hand we have the desire to feel empowered, which  comes through experience and knowing from past experience. There is a strong link with Pluto and the deepest unconscious psychological patterns and attachments. However the very thing that empowers us may  eventually cause limitations, which in itself is  disempowering.

This is where the desire to change is born  – to evolve past limitations.  Old and outdated patterns of behavior cause limitations. These limitations then come up for renewal. An action of involution takes place; letting go as it were. This allows space to be created and for new psychological patterns to be born. This why our current systems and collective ‘reality’ (Capricorn) is falling apart (Pluto); it is happening  at  a core level  – a  deep impulse emanating from source.

Pretty neat isn’t it?

Neptune/Pisces Archetype (Universal Life Force)

The archetype of Neptune/Pisces reflects the totality of creation; the universe. The whole universe can be described as the Neptune archetype. It is the manifested and the un-manifested — all that is and all that can be imagined. It  is the unified field of consciousness.

From our human perceptive Neptune reflects the totality of our collective unconscious. You know that feeling you have on Friday when everyone is collectively feeling the weekend experience? It is a shared experience by millions around the globe. Unity, oneness.

The underlying connection with the Neptune  archetype is rooted in the process of source itself. It represents the total experience of birthing something, and its  culmination. The return to the ocean, the return to earth. The completion of a cycle. Linked strongly with this is the soul’s gradual journey of aligning itself with its spiritual truth. When we are faced with circumstances  that  are out of our control, we learn the ultimate lesson of surrender. Through that experience we re-align our subjective egos to the knowledge of a higher power.

I am sure many of you have been it situations in your lives where  experience has been out of your control, and the words you say to yourself are things like “it’s now in god’s hands” or “we have to just pray it all works out”. This language, conditioned into our society’s vocabulary, induces a sense of helplessness and at the same time a recognition of something far more powerful than the human condition. A deep painful truth here is that this  sense of being overwhelmed can lead to states in which we detach and create illusions; illusions that serve  our inner  reality, and  help us  escape from the reality of our experience. Numb the pain.

The purpose with Neptune really is to induce a state of spiritual integration;  to bring awareness  of the  spiritual nature along with the physical, and  unify the unconscious and conscious. At present,  Neptune is actually moving through its natural  sign of Pisces  – one  reason why we are all resonating so much with this  spiritual awakening.

Aquarius/Uranus Archetype (Deconditioning)

In this archetype, Uranus/Aquarius reflects the soul’s long term memory, both from the past and the future. There is a direct link between Mercury (the conscious mind) and Uranus (the unconscious mind). Simply put, we have short term memory (Mercury), and long term memory (Uranus). During hypnosis, the memory areas that are explored and accessed emanate from the Uranian field in your soul. All of us have this symbol somewhere in our birth chart. It is our unconscious identity.

Another core aspect reflected in this archetype is how we break the form of any conditioning that has come before. It is needed for evolution to proceed, providing  an evolutionary force that allows things to move beyond the old and  outdated. Of course, with change comes trauma. The dynamic of trauma is also represented through Aquarius. From the human perspective, the need for security is deeply rooted in our psychology, and security comes from self-consistency – something that is known, and has structure (Capricorn). When Uranus enters our lives and breaks the form, it induces change, and we  experience trauma. It is difficult for us to accept change in an instant. Reflect honestly on your own life when these situations happen to you.

On another layer, Aquarius reflects the nature of living in groups and tribes – the Collective. The reflection of a group has an identity, and this identity is a way in which we are able to understand ourselves, even define ourselves, because the group will reflect to us our own personal interests and drives.

In the context of this discussion, these three core themes are very present and are manifesting deeply with in our collective consciousness. For many, the global awaking started to really take place when  Uranus moved into Aries in 2012. In the sign of Aries, Uranus  reflects the de-conditioning of the self and the re-ordination of new self-discovery. Pretty neat! We our letting go of old conditioned selves and re-inventing our new selves, through constant self-discovery.  

The Past, Present and Future –  Our Ancestral Timeline

Planetary Nodes

Planetary nodes  reflect to us the ancestral timeline of the evolution of our consciousness.  These symbols contain deep layers of information of the past and give direction for the future. So what we are doing here is exploring the nature of our current reality through looking at what has come before so that we have a foundation to move forward from.

The principle of planetary south nodes is  that each astrological archetype/sign evolves through the Natural Law of the Trinity. This is described as the past, present and future. In fact when you look at sacred geometry (the geometry of consciousness), you see that what appears from vesica piscis is three dimensions to reality. In other words, the trinity is natural to our consciousness. This can also been seen through the toroidal fields that flow in and around the body and earth – again natural aspects to our consciousness.

So what do they hold for us? The planetary south nodes reflect the history of each of our individual and our collective unconscious past memories. In effect, when  we look back at our history we are directly affected and conditioned by it. Planetary nodes of the outer planets move very slowly over great lengths of time. Again, there is a generational application as well as individual. All souls on earth, as a result, are linked through these historical energetic imprints of these planetary nodes. It is the collective memory of that time that all of us will draw upon, as is reflected in the current time frame we are living in.

By understanding the South Nodes of the outer planets, we are encountering the stored residues of our own prior lives as information in the here and now. With this understanding we can now look at the symbols of the past.

Now that we have calibrated our awareness and aligned our lens so that we correctly understand the core dynamics, let’s take that deep view snapshot into the past with our Hubble telescope and see what we uncover. In doing so, we will  look at the symbols of the past  and develop an  awareness that links the relationship between how  we humans once used to live and how we are currently living today, in terms of our collective spiritual awakening.

The Matriarchy

The astrological Age is reflected to us by the gradual shift in the orientation of  Earth’s axis of rotation. It  takes approximately 26,000 years to go through the whole cycle of Ages, with each Age lasting a little over 2000 years. This cycle is  known as the  procession of the equinoxes  because the  equinoxes  move west — the  opposite direction to the progressive  motion of the sun — and accordingly,  the  Ages move ‘backward’ through the astrological signs — from Pisces through to Aries.

We are travelling (back) into the Aquarian Age, which last took place around 26,000 years ago during the the  Upper Paleolithic era.  Metaphysical astrology – and history – tells us this whole era  was a  time characterized by tremendous advancements in the human capacity for thought and creativity, and by living within the boundaries of what the earth could provide, ruled by natural law.  There was a deep connection to, and respect for nature and great care was taken to provide balance between a fast-developing humanity and nature, as well as amongst each other. Spirituality permeated everything. There was no separation between the sacred and earthly. Humanity lived sustainably as  children of Mother Nature, and acknowledged the mother as the giver of life.

Unlike our current society – a patriarchy – a matriarchy is a mother-centered society that is based on natural  human  values like nurturing, sharing, co-operation and inclusion – values associated with maternity and ‘femininity’. It is based on need oriented values, which aim  to meet the needs of everyone in that society. In effect, all are equally honored and respected, regardless of age or gender, allowing the unique  natural differences between individuals to  complement each other while they  work for the joined goal of seeing to the greatest good of all.

The Patriarchy

The rise of patriarchy was the point in our history in which we lost our native ways; when nurturing and co-operation were replaced with competition and force. Embodying the ‘masculine’ traits of competitiveness, independence and aggression, the rising patriarchy created a progressively  imbalanced society, one of increasing  inequity and separation, foregoing the values of giving, sharing, and inclusion,  and separating ourselves from Nature in the process. In today’s patriarchy, our man-made laws pertain more to self-interest (possession) and exclusion (borders and boundaries) than to the natural order, which  has led to the totality of what we are all experiencing now.

Reflecting our reality to us  are  the locations of the South nodes of Pluto, Jupiter, and Saturn. Everyone living on earth today has these placements in the sign Capricorn. Now these points in time signify the progressive introduction of man-made law and man-made religion. Remember that Capricorn as an archetype is the nature of conditioning and  structure. So progressively our beliefs (Jupiter) our collective desires/souls (Pluto) and our sense of authority (Saturn) all fall under the conditioning of Capricorn.

With this being said, all of us are subject to the distortions of man-made law and man-made religions. This is when we abandoned our natural structures and replaced them with hierarchic ones. From eco to ego. This is the root of it all. This was why this past year of 2013 to 2014 has been so intense for all of us. The planetary alignments have been making strong connections to these dimensions of reality, triggering our awareness of these man-made distortions. This is truly an incredible time to be alive in, even if the world looks the way it does. We have realized the root of our situation, but we are only in the beginning of the healing process.

Patriarchal Wounds

Let’s now take a closer look at this wounding.  As we progressed into man-made, ego based, hierarchical consciousness, it was soon not enough to dominate only the tribe — it became an ambition to take over the land,  and  those places that were still unmotivated by the emerging patriarchal war/more mentality would sooner or later fall victims to its ways. As villages were seized, pillaged  and  raped, resistors killed, history rewritten and opposition  outlawed, the ancient wisdom that was passed down through tribal elders for millennia was suppressed.

In affect, the rise of the patriarchy  disconnected humanity  from source,  from our  inner guidance, and replaced it with the idea of an external God or father figure. Fear was struck into the hearts and souls of the tribes and life became very different. As the generations passed the old ancient knowledge was forgotten and replaced with new institutionalized beliefs.

Notice how knowledge is replaced by beliefs?  This is sadly still happening today, all the time, in different ways. Some more violent than others. Mostly, it is happening right under our noses in a civilized fashion, as we allow fear to stop us from speaking up and allow authorities to tell us how we must live.

Beneath the surface and exterior of our lives we are ALL deeply connected to nature, to the earth and the natural cycles of life. The thing keeping us from trusting our connecting to our nature  is fear. Take a moment to reflect on this. Even the people who fiercely protect the system of patriarchy are motivated (at least in part)  by  fear. Disconnected  from the sense of ‘security’ we get from acknowledging our natural interconnection, many  fear of losing the security of the man-made “system” – no matter how flawed – forgetting that there are  other, ancient and sustainable ways.

South Node of Neptune in Aquarius — Our Spiritual Roots

Here we have something extremely special. The South Node of Neptune, again, reflects the past and – in terms of where we as humans today – helps us find our origins. As we know, Neptune will reflect our  natural relationship to the source of all things. We are realigning ourselves with the natural understanding that everything is connected. We are all source energy expressed in different ways. If everything in the universe is part of creation, then how can one part be superior to another? Surely  any belief that we are separate from source, nature or god is merely an illusion.

All that separates us from the source is us, our minds, what we think we are, verses what we truly are. This is what we are returning to. We are releasing the distortions.

From 2003 until 2012, Neptune was in Aquarius and, at the same time, the ruler of Aquarius (Uranus) was in Pisces. With this mutual reception of the Piscean and Aquarian energies we were pointed to the highest goal or potential of healing and reconnecting to spirit (Pisces/Neptune) – a process which takes place through the individuation journey (Aquarius).

As we continue to individuate and realize our own authority, we can start to move towards a more unified way of living. This works through our deepened connection to ourselves, which in turn leads to our connection to everything, to source, to love. The condition of the planets in the sky between 2003 and 2012  set in motion the initiation of healing energies  we needed to work with, and through, as we move from the Piscean to Aquarian Age (the shift). This cycle played such an important role in how the 2012 awakening started to emerge as a mass collective experience. Its  subtle but very powerful  push  connected us to the  feeling that something within us that was changing, and needing to change.

The south node of Neptune in Aquarius, as I mentioned above, points to the return of our spiritual nature. So when Neptune moved over this point in 2011, before moving into Pisces, you can see the direct synchronicity of our awaking but also, to what we are awaking — the source within. The connection to our own inner knowing. The de-conditioning and healing of the wounds caused by illusions of separateness, created through an  era of  patriarchal rule.

Our Current Reality

So far we have discussed  how the past has molded us; how the placements of the South Nodes reflect the archetypes of events that brought humanity  to this current reality.  I will explain further  what the elements of matriarchy and patriarchy have to do with the current nature of our reality, and what the Nodes of the outer planets have to do with it, how we are individually connected to this shift and how this knowledge can help us.

The contrasting sign to Capricorn is Cancer, and this is where we find the North Nodes (the future) of Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto. At the root of the Cancerian archetype lies the lessons of inner security. So with this in mind, we can see that there’s a direct connection between the South Nodes of Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto in Capricorn (the past, and building security without) and the need to embrace and heal through nurturing the emotional body and finding security within (the future, north nodes in Cancer). At the core of this shift is the acceptance of the distorted conditioning that we have been exposed to. Through identifying these distortions, within and without,  and understanding the patriarchal conditioning that  separates us from ourselves, we find  the ability to heal ourselves and humanity.

The fundamental belief  (not knowledge) that  enables  our  patriarchy is the idea that we are not connected to  nature, but  somehow superior to it, while the  belief that  god (source) is  something outside of ourselves creates  dependence on an external ‘savior’  who can do for us what we earthly beings ‘cannot’ (represented “here on earth” by  authority figures  and  institutions). This false teaching led  to disconnection from  own divinity, to  faith in a “higher” power, and ultimately to fear-driven  institutionalized conditioning  – in the name of the  external “father “, be it an external God or an  external authority like governments, banks and so on.

In this context,  it still  seems completely natural to many to surrender to external authority. A  false sense of  security in our failing systems of authority  has been embedded deep within our consciousness, so looking away from those authorities and looking within for answers does not always come naturally. We have been taught  not  to trust our intuition; our  outside conditioning tells  us not to trust our inner knowing; that it is a “fiction”;  to suppress it. Though suppressing this unique part of our self, our individuality also becomes suppressed.

Now with this being said, the connection to our current timeline is that humanity’s  long term remembrance/knowledge (Aquarius) of our  way of life before the rise of patriarchy is returning (Pluto approaching its own South Node) – and what we are experiencing is the removal of the veils that have separated us from this awareness. We are awakening to our intuition, and from this point of orientation, the culmination of the Age of  Pisces reflects to us our collective  journey back to remembering who we really are. To re-alignment with source. To understanding that the source of all things exists within us. To the  inner security of  knowing who  we really are.

Back To The Future

By going back and reflecting in on ourselves, and  identifying  and releasing the shadow distortions that plague our psyches, we are  inwardly transformed into our purest organic states. Our children and the generations to come will be the recipients of our  internal re-alignment of consciousness. But what is amazing about it now is that we are directly experiencing this collective journey unfolding. We are experiencing, living and aiding a global awakening  – a  total shift in the consciousness of humanity.

As this epic saga unfolds, and as Pluto moves towards the sign of Aquarius during the next 10 years, we will all  come to know of this truth. We  will  begin creating  a future  that honors that truth.

I sincerely hope this article resonated with you, and I hope that it will help  you in your individual journey of  remember who you are. Live your truth, remain heart-centered and actualize your dreams and aspirations. That is how we change the world.

We have journeyed very deep into the nature of our souls, and discussed  some really core themes. In the next part we will be focussing on  how we are able to heal through this process of realignment. In the meantime, you can follow the new moon and full moon forecasts here on Wake Up World  for insights into our  transitions through these monthly lunar phases, and an understanding of the current energetic themes.

Until then,

Be the change!

About the authors:

Simon Vorster is an evolutionary astrologer and teacher who has been practising astrology for over 14 years. Together with his partner and co-founder of Raising Vibrations, Jennifer Langstone, their work is rooted in helping souls de-condition the self and empower the soul into making new conscious choices. Through their website, Raising Vibrations Astrology and the consulting services they offer, Simon and Jennifer share their thoughts and insights and, using the powerful tool of evolutionary astrology, help and guide others to find their own spiritual paths, live authentically in the moment, and understand ways they are able to positively effect their own spiritual evolution.

You can connect with Simon and Jennifer at:

• SimonVorster.com
• Raising Vibrations Astrology
• Facebook/EvoAstro
• YouTube/Raising Vibrations

Or sign up to the free Raising Vibrations e-Newsletter!

You can learn more about evolutionary astrology in these articles:

• Cleaning the Lens – an Introduction to Evolutionary Astrology
• Understanding Your Sun and Moon Signs in Astrology
• The Astrology of Relationships: Understanding Mars and Venus in Your Birth Chart
• Evolutionary Astrology: Understanding Our Ancestral Timeline
• Saturn Return – The Cycle of Maturation
• Understanding Mercury Retrograde in Astrology
• Saturn in Sagittarius — Exploring Humanity’s Limitations and Potentials
• Introduction to ‘Uranus Opposition’ in Astrology – The Call to Awaken the Higher Self
• The Evolutionary Intention of the ‘Pluto in Scorpio’ Generation: 1983–1995

Or check out Simon and Jennifer’s recent energy updates here.