Age of Aquarius by Dr. Cari Jackson

In 1969, when The Fifth Dimension released the song “Age of Aquarius”, as a 13-year old, I did not quite understand what the age of Aquarius was but the song lyrics and the rhythmic tune made it something so appealing and inviting. In my Pentecostal circles, I was taught not to listen to that song because it was based on astrology and not on Christian biblical interpretation. Nonetheless, it inspired a profound curiosity within me about what the dawning of the age of Aquarius could mean for my life and for the world and a curiosity about the significance of what astrological age we were in at that time.

According to astrology, our planetary system moves through various ages lasting about 2,000 years each. It is also believed that the transition from one age to another lasts about 250 years, during which time, the intense impacts of transition are felt like the shifting of tectonic plates.

In geology, when tectonic plates shift one plate (land mass) collides with other plates, often yielding an earthquake, "a phenomenon where the earth shudders violently beneath us, often causing massive infrastructural damage." Across the world, we have been experiencing the effects of intense shifts in...

... religion, politics, economics, and more. In the U.S. and in other nations, we are experiencing legislation that is moving quickly to replace democracy with theocracy and fascism - something, many of us never imagined. We thought we were advancing toward just societies guided by a value human dignity.

As a child, when I heard the Fifth dimension singing "Age of Aquarius", I imagined it was something that would be ushered in soon.  It is not so. So, here are a few ways to sustain your life in the meantime:

1. Cultivate and prioritize compassion for yourself and others.
2. Create and gather with supportive communities where you can bring your whole self. 
3. Engage in regular practice of prayer and meditation in multiple forms and contexts to ground yourself in gratitude and grace.
4. Connect with ancestors and angels to be reminded you are not in this alone.
5. Recognize and heal any tendencies toward saviorism and let God be God.
6. Sing and dance to the songs like, Age of Aquarius, and let the sun shine into all aspects of your life.
7. And of course, experience the resources that Excellent Way offers to you for healing and empowerment.

Know that I hold you in my heart and in my prayers,

Dr. Cari