Evolution of Consciousness
Patricia Godden
https://www.patriciagodden.com
Life seems to be changing at a tremendous rate with new things emerging every day. It can be awe-inspiring but sometimes also mystifying. Astrology is a tool that can help us to understand what is going on. The line-up of planets experienced for a few months during 2025 and to be experienced again from 2026 until 2028 has not happened for at least seven thousand years. It can be associated with the evolution of human consciousness away from being materially and emotionally focussed towards aspirations for other people and interconnectedness of all life.
Very simply, astrology interprets the movement of the planets through the signs of the zodiac and indicates soul learning, both at the individual and collective levels. Each sign of the zodiac is associated with an element and corresponding soul lesson. Aries, Leo and Sagittarius are in the inspirational fire element learning about love. Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn are in the practical earth element giving service. Gemini, Libra and Aquarius are in the air element emphasising connection and brotherhood. Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces are in the water element learning about the emotions and peace.
As the planets orbit the Sun they pass through each sign of the zodiac. Sometimes two or more planets meet in the same sign. For instance, Jupiter and Saturn, the planets of opportunities and challenges respectively, meet or align in one sign of the zodiac every twenty years. This happens in signs of the same element for about two hundred years emphasising the nature of that element in human life. From 1842 until 2020, with the one exception, all of the Jupiter-Saturn alignments were in earth element signs highlighting practicality, being down-to-earth and giving service. This period covers the time of industrialisation and the focus on making and obtaining material goods.
After two hundred years, Jupiter and Saturn align in a different element. On 21st December 2020, Jupiter and Saturn met for the first time in over six hundred years in the air sign of Aquarius. Jupiter and Saturn will continue to meet every twenty years in one of the air element signs, Gemini, Libra or Aquarius, for the next two hundred years. The movement of the Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions from the earth to the air element is a significant development in human evolution. It highlights the change in focus from materiality to brotherhood, from the physical plane of life to the mind, thought, logic and reason.
It is now time to consider Saturn and Neptune. Saturn restricts and sets boundaries while Neptune has no limits and transcends boundaries. These two planets align about every thirty six years. When Saturn moved into the water sign of Pisces in 2023, Neptune had already been there since 2011. Although both planets were in Pisces, they did not come close enough to align but their presence in this sign was reflected in movements to control the extent of worldwide migration.
During the summer of 2025, both Saturn and Neptune moved into the fire sign of Aries for a few months. New and pioneering ways of transcending boundaries were discovered. Some of these involved physical boundaries while others were related to the media or internet. These new ventures were either pursued carefully and cautiously or it seemed as if their success was limited in some way.
Saturn moves into Aries again in February 2026 and will remain there until April 2028. Neptune will move into Aries in January 2026 but remain there until 2039. Saturn and Neptune will align at the beginning of the fire sign of Aries in February 2026. The alignment in Aries happens every three hundred and twenty three years so has not been experienced before in living memory.
While both planets are in Aries until April 2028, there is the opportunity to transcend all sorts of boundaries in imaginative and ground-breaking ways. However, rather than being reckless or unrestrained, these actions may be well-ordered, measured and directed towards the highest good of all. This relates to the soul lesson of Aries, love in action. The movement of Saturn and Neptune from the water sign of Pisces into the fire sign of Aries reflects a shift in consciousness from being emotionally based to focussing on aspirations and love.
Another outer planet, Uranus, is also moving sign and element. Uranus has been in the earth sign of Taurus since 2018. For seven years, there has been focus on inventive methods of agriculture and progressive changes in financial dealings. However, during the summer and autumn of 2025, Uranus temporarily moved into the air sign Gemini. Over those months, there were sudden and unexpected disruptions to communication and rapid development of artificial intelligence. Uranus went back into Taurus over the winter of 2025-2026 but goes into Gemini again in April 2026, remaining there until 2033. This gives a prolonged period when there may be further original advances in technology, innovative ideas about a multitude of different topics and ingenious new ways of communicating. This underscores the change from materiality to a more mental approach to life.
The outermost planet, Pluto, completed its move from the earth sign of Capricorn into the air sign of Aquarius in November 2024. While Pluto was in Capricorn, many major organisations and establishments were subject to enquiries or underwent profound transformation. Now Pluto is in Aquarius, where it will remain until 2044, there could be greater focus on the collective. This might include a change in consciousness of humanity away from being self-centred towards becoming more aware of the needs of the community and the collective both within and between nations. At the same time, there could also be major changes in technology, inventions and science.
Prior to 2024, when the four outermost planets, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, were in earth or water signs much energy was directed into meeting material needs and desires. This was accompanied by a wealth of different emotions. At the same time, people became more aware of their intuition. The soul lessons of the earth and water signs involve service and peace respectively. There has been an abundance of service activities and awareness of the need for peace.
These four planets already have, or will be, moving from the earth and water elements into fire and air signs during the two years from 2024. This is a time of fundamental transition and is linked with the enormous changes seen in daily life.
For two years from April 2026, the four outermost planets will be in fire or air signs. The fire element is associated with enthusiasm, inspiration and aspirations while the air element relates to mind-orientated activities, communication and interactions between people. As the soul lessons of fire and air signs involve love and brotherhood, respectively, there could be a move towards warm-heartedness and generosity as well as a sense of honour and integrity. This may well be accompanied by an increase in being logical and rational, objective and impartial together with greater awareness of the needs of the community.
Apart from a few months during 2025, we have not experienced Saturn in Aries, Uranus in Gemini, Neptune in Aries and Pluto in Aquarius all at the same time in the last seven thousand years and possibly for a lot longer, may be even for over 30,000 years. It has definitely not happened within living memory and so is a completely new experience for people alive today. There is a fundamental shift in consciousness from being materially orientated and learning about the emotions to focussing on inspiration, aspirations and what is best for all life on Earth. The mere fact that it is happening now indicates how much human consciousness is evolving and we are all part of, and contributing to, this evolution.