first published in the magazine "Paracelsus" 5/2011, 7/VIII, (side 13-16) Deutsch Español

Alchemy and the turn of an era

Not only does the Maya Calendar give us concrete orientation for “2012”, there are also our own spiritual roots: The European astrology points out the transformation phase in which we find ourselves and what can support us.

Ulrich Arndt

The Maya Calendar only generally prophesizes the date 2012 as the “end of time” or “change”. On the other hand, the astrology being more obvious for us as Europeans gives us concrete hints and descriptions of what we are undergoing at the present time and also what we expect after the year 2012.

Turn of an era from an astrological view point

The return to our spiritual knowledge of astrology seems to be more important since the dating of the Maya calendar which, according to new archeological-astronomic researches of Dr. Andrea Fuls, TU Berlin, probably has to be considerably corrected by 208 years, therefore postponing any events of 2012 to the year 2220. Thus, the Maya calendar ends at the year 2220 and not 2012. Without doubt we experience a phase of dissolution and transformation – in private relationships, our professional lives and in social institutions, including banking as well as churches. But this has nothing to do with the upheavals before the turn of an era in 2012, according to the Maya calendar. The time quality is more decisive which is to be recognized by the entrance of the planet Uranus into Pisces and Neptune into Aquarius which pass through the signs of the Zodiac very slowly. Until 2011 and 2012 respectively this quality is prevalent, then Uranus and Neptune will leave these signs.

Aztec calendar stone The Maya calendar was adopted by other Mesoamerican nations, such as the Aztecs and the Toltec, which adopted the mechanics of the calendar unaltered but changed the names of the days of the week and the months.

“Aquarius and Uranus signify the human individual physically, as well as the nervous system. Pisces and Neptune stand for the dissolution of limits, for the unconscious and the limitless awareness. The entrance of Uranus into Pisces signifies the dissolution of limitation for the human being, the individual consciousness submerges into the collective and limitless awareness.” Thus, the astrologer from Freiburg, Vinzent Liebig, who mainly uses findings from his own research as well as from the Munich rhythm doctrine (MRL) by Wolfgang Döbereiner, explains the present “turn of an era”.

Through this, present concepts, mental systems and connected social contexts can be dissolved. The individual may lose his stability in his surroundings. “This is fortified by Neptune in Aquarius for this constellation symbolizes that the individual consciousness is flooded by the unlimited awareness. The individual gets access to everything and quickly gets overburdened, but repressing is hardly possible any more. The spiritual ability to coordinate is overloaded, the nerves are overly stimulated and the overburdening can result in feelings of powerlessness and apathy.” Probably many will remember these kinds of experiences, for this configuration has been in existence since 2004.

As the astrologer also emphasizes, the entire situation has enormous potential: The positive aspect of this configuration is that it could open creative access for the individual to the collective unconscious, respectively to the cosmic consciousness. The individual consciousness could connect to the whole. It is not by chance that today so many people have deep mystical and spiritual experiences, for Uranus-Neptune destroys the illusion that one as a human being is a separate and isolated being. Without doubt we are in a deep phase of inner purging and reorientation until 2012.

In exactly this present Uranus-Neptune-phase we also have the rare event of a Venus transit (direct passing of Venus in front of the sun). Venus has a significant role for the Mayans and it is astonishing that one of these rare Venus transits already happened on 8th June 2004, and will repeat on 6th June 2012 – exactly during the time of the Uranus-Neptune phase. Such an overlapping of Venus and Sun took place before in 1874 and 1882 (but with different characteristics because there were different signs of the Zodiac). This constellation mainly strengthens the love- and social life and thus eases the dissolving force of the Uranus-Neptune constellation.

Apocalypse 2012?

Some astrological constellations which point to a change in consciousness significantly pass beyond the “magical” date of 2012. Thus, Pluto is in the sign of the Zodiac Capricorn from 2008 to 2024. Since Capricorn is ruled by the planet Saturn this results in a kind of Saturn-Pluto constellation which will be strengthened in the years to come by direct aspects between Saturn and Pluto daily, or lasting over weeks. Liebig explains that the Saturn-Pluto constellation can bring along the questioning, or even the total breakdown, of previous concepts, for Pluto symbolizes the power and the imagination, and Saturn is objectifying. Therefore the Saturn-Pluto constellation can unveil the present power structures, concepts and ideologies. At the present time we experience this in social structures as a breakdown of integrity of institutions such as banks and churches.

If channels prophesy an apocalypse for 2012 the truth is not shown in the end-of-the-world scenerios à la Roland Emmerich’s movie “2012”, but in the original sense of the Greek word “apocalypse”, which means nothing else than “Unveiling” and “Revelation”, and finally brings forth a radical inner transformation. Thus, individually the Saturn-Pluto constellation can be experienced as a total questioning and humiliation of the Ego, for the Ego is firstly an accumulation of basic concepts about oneself and the world. “The experience of this constellation often goes along with a lack of orientation and the feeling of powerlessness and helplessness,” Liebig further declares.

This questioning of previously relevant concepts demands a basic mental reorientation. One has to replace one’s invalid concepts through awareness and insights. Anyone who is not able to do this fanatically holds on to his invalid concepts and positions, and probably gets into enormous difficulties. Or he cannot overcome disappointment and gets into depression.

Beyond 2012

In March 2011 Uranus entered the sign of Zodiac Aries through which it goes until 2019. Thus, many creative forces and visions appear. “Uranus is a channel through which the transient can appear as a creative force, for example as vision and inspiration. But it might be difficult to get these energies focused into concrete use,” Liebig explains. In this phase in addition to Carl’s Metal and Cobra Gold those essences from Zirconium, Catchfly and Stibium which correspond to the 8th Chakra in the alchemical Chakra System, and thus correspond to aspects of Uranus, could be a support. He who mainly wants to strengthen the use and grounding of these ideas could combine the Carl’s Metal with the Sapphire and Platinum essence.

In February 2012 the planet Neptune leaves Aquarius and passes through Pisces until 2025. “In this phase the perception of limitlessness dissolves and the hard limitations of the physical world appear most clearly. This constellation is an aspect of the midlife crisis which every individual experiences during the age of about 42 years through the Neptune-Square-Neptune. One becomes aware that probably half of your life is over and death becomes closer,” Liebig explains.

From 2012 we get a kind of a “worldwide midlife crisis”. This could happen that, for example, humanity increasingly becomes aware that important resources such as drinking water and oil are limited. This typical wrong attitude concerning this constellation is to repress the experience of limitation and “to fully start over again” – for example to hurt oneself into consumption and new “wars of conquest” to strengthen the Ego. “Such trials of compensation will only increase the pain about the limitation and transience. For an individual the solution is to accept the experience of limitation and transience and to bring forth the unlimited, the poetic and love from your own soul,” Vinzent Liebig explains and further: “Not to look on the outside but to bring the individual parts of the transience from inside of yourself into the world.”

Remedies of Alchemy

Alchemy also considers astrological constellations and the positions of the planets to produce special essences for the support of health. For the constellation until 2012 and beyond, the following essences were produced by the laboratory methods of Paracelsus: