The Rulers of the Year and the Cycle

You may have heard the following phrase: "This is a year ruled by Jupiter" or another star. If not, know that it is a common practice in Astrology. But where does the foundation come from to know which star is regent of the year? And what does it mean? Do astrologers guess or make up this information?

None of that. In Astrology there are several cycles, stages that the stars fulfill in their orbits within the so-called Astrological Eras. For the ancient and experienced Chaldeans - a people who lived on the shores of the Persian Gulf, became part of the Babylonian Empire and were the forerunners of Astrology, the attribution of a ruling planet to a given year was based on cycles longer than 36 years each.

These rulers of the cycles or the year should not be seen summarily as protagonists, but rather as a variable that can bring different influences. Relevant or not, the fact is that the Lord of the Grand Cycle and the Lord of the Year can apply a little more understanding to the analysis of a given period.

Each planet brings during its cycle several influences according to its symbology. As there are 36 years of regency of a star in the larger cycle, that is, diluted over the decades, causing slow but noticeable transformations.

Along with this 36-year influence of each planet ruling the Grand Cycle, we have a more immediate influence from the planet ruling the Year, which blends harmonically, neutrally or even disharmonious with the Ruler of the Cycle.

It's like a partner in activities, collaborating with your superior in managing that specific period.

That is, making an analogy, a King exercises his reign for 36 years where each year there is a second in command to assist him in his function. After 36 years, the King changes and again, year after year, a supporting actor will be there to help him again.

As an example of some of the last cycles we have been through, we can mention:

From 1909 to 1944, for example, where the ruler of the cycle was MARS, the God of War, star of fights, courage, impetuosity and conflicts. During this period, interestingly, two world wars took place;

From 1945 to 1980, the conductor was the LUA, which dealt with questions related to the emotional, past, family, women, people, our ability to feel and to be sensitive to the group and the environment. Some themes of the time were the sexual revolution of women, the role of nudity, contraception (contraceptive pill) and it was where women conquered jobs previously considered masculine, being able to act in any profession with less prejudice. Perhaps a consequence of the previous period, because when men went to war, many women had to continue their businesses;

From 1981 to 2016, the ruler was the SUN. Here it is worth highlighting all the symbology related to this star within the astrological scope, so that we can understand a good part of the events of the last cycle.

As harmonic characteristics, we can highlight the purpose, intention, creation, the way we express our creative energy, our identity, essence, the need to be recognized and self-affirmation. The impetus to create, to be, to command and awareness are also relevant themes. In this cycle, we develop our individuality more, we learn to value ourselves more, to take better care of ourselves and to respect ourselves more as individuals.

But duality is in everything, therefore, some disharmonious characteristics of this star must also be pointed out: pride, ostentation, domination, abuse of power, egocentrism, exaggerated personal exaltation, snobbery, arrogance, drama. .. Individuality and a need for "personal shine" in the world have guided our behavior and thoughts.

Child and fun are also important symbols related to the Sun. In this, we can also highlight the notion of "inner child", the one that each one has inside. In recent times, we have seen an evident appreciation of children in society. Everything seems to be for them, the parents were much more directed to their whims, providing an exaggerated pampering and a certain inability to put limits on their behavior. Children are practically a direct extension of the ego, of the "I" and restricting them, even if it is for their good upbringing, ends up being taken as an attack on oneself. Children practically dictate bedtime and can do almost anything to the detriment of the wishes of the rest of the family.

Some themes of the period were: the era of the "I", of the "selfie", of the "mirror", of aesthetic interventions increasingly accessible to everyone (although plastic surgery already existed in the past), exaggerations linked to the ego, vanity , image and self-esteem, greatly stimulated by the growth and diversification of TV. The stage, where everyone wants a minute of fame, and the use of cameras for self-promotion have also become very relevant.

The Sun indeed gives life, but the same light that energizes us, when in excess, can blind and burn. All excess is harmful, so the universe seems to have its foundations based on balance and transmutation. During this last cycle, our "personal sun" was very worshiped, as well as a certain need to be the center of attention. Like a spoiled child, everything started to offend us in a very personal way, causing many tantrums.

From 2017 onwards, SATURN occupies the throne, commanding the next 36 years of the cycle, until the year 2052. All cycle ends are important and are always accompanied by resignations. As we saw, in the 36 years of the previous cycle, the ego was quite mandatory. The word "I" had a lot of emphasis, where the individual was the center of attention.

As of 2017, the tendency is to start punctuating several limits. A different movement of the symbolic characteristics of the Sun tends to grow.

Saturn has peculiar symbologies. He is known as "Cronos", "The Lord of Time", "The Planet of Karma", "The Collector", "The Old Wise", "The Great Maleficent", "The Hermit", among others. It evokes keywords such as restriction, obstacles, imposition of limits, rules, maturation, harvesting, construction, discipline, acceptance of duties, wisdom, respect, experience, patience, rigidity, rigor, severity, justice, coldness, dogmatism... No at its best it helps to consolidate efforts and at its worst it constrains efforts. It is the opposite of Jupiter, which primarily means expansion.

The trend is for the world to become more responsible in a number of situations. A limiting, restrictive and controlling spirit can begin to hover in the air in the face of given freedoms without concomitant use of responsibility. Personal issues tend to lose importance in the face of social responsibility concepts. Settling the score, getting real, repairing the damage, receiving karma and smoothing the edges can be quite recurring themes.

The creation of limits and the notion of balance starts to make a lot of sense. In fact, it can be a period of many more responsibilities and adjustments. The obligation to be happy at any cost, to be "the one", "the king", to do things without shouldering the responsibility can enter a downward chain, giving rise to an attitude of less worship of the ego. Under Saturn's regency, to have some prominence, you have to deserve it. The "anything goes to look good in the photo" tends to give way to more mature and responsible postures in their deeds. It will likely be a cycle of more containment and less abundance. To the detriment of the previous cycle, where the phrase "I can do whatever I want" was on the rise, two phrases that seem to be more consistent with a Saturnian cycle are: "with great power comes great responsibility" and "the harvest is good when the sowing is good".

Perhaps during this cycle, we are faced with a general change in the existing structures, forced by our own delays, by the detours we take over time. Saturn likes adjustments and does not tolerate irresponsibility. Perhaps these changes are most felt in terms of law, politics and religion, as Saturn will be in Sagittarius at the beginning of the cycle and will remain for some time until it definitely enters its rulership, Capricorn, in December 2017.

People will probably have to be more mature and more responsible for their own material and spiritual maturation. A climate of greater seriousness and less revelry may hover in the air. Some religions that preach a God who only gives to people who believe in him will possibly have to adapt their proposal to show a God who gives according to personal effort.

Well... with these things in mind, we can ask questions like:

• How are the aspects of these cyclical rulers related?
• Is it a challenging or fluent relationship?
• What is the influence on our maps?
• In the generational question and in a globalized world, how do things tend to work?

The questions start there and continue, always bearing in mind the influences of both stars, the Cycle Ruler and the Year Ruler. As for the answers, it is up to your power of personal observation through your astrological knowledge. It is very important that each person manages to work on their knowledge (and self-knowledge) to digest such information in the best and most pragmatic way possible in their personal and social life.

Discovering the Ruler of the Cycle

There are some methods to know which rulers of the cycle and the year. We will teach a method that is based on the Septagram - the 7-pointed star, also called the "star of the magicians". To do this, just follow the order of the stars displayed at the tip of the star to find out who will be the next ruler of the cycle.

7 stars are part of the cycles: 1st Saturn, 2nd Venus, 3rd Jupiter, 4th Mercury, 5th Mars, 6th Moon and 7th Sun, exactly in that order. As shown, the Sun was the ruler of the last great cycle, ending its reign in 2016. In 2017, another planet is the ruler for another 36 years: Saturn, feared by some and awaited by others. In 2053 Saturn will leave the scene, giving way to Venus.

Discovering the Conductor of the Year

In the case of the Lord of the Year, the calculation works as follows: The action of the Lord of the Year begins with the beginning of the astrological year, which is marked by the entry of the Sun into the sign of Aries - on the 20th or 21st of March. When a new Cycle Ruler begins, he is also the Ruler for the first year of that cycle. Afterwards, each year we have a new conductor.

The "queue" of the successors of the annual rulers begins with the slowest star and ends with the fastest, in the following order: 1st Saturn, 2nd Jupiter, 3rd Mars, 4th Sun, 5th Venus, 6th Mercury and 7th Moon. When the Moon's cycle ends, Saturn returns to be the ruler of the year and so on.

To avoid unnecessary calculations, check the table below with all the “actors” who have played their roles in recent years and those who will play in the next, within the cycles of Mars, Moon, Sun and Saturn:

As can be seen above, in 1981 the Sun began its 36-year cycle, reigning until 2016. Well, as soon as the Sun began its rulership of the Grand Cycle, it was also the Ruler of the first year of that cycle (1981). Thus, the ruler of 1982 was Venus, 1983 was Mercury, 1984 was the Moon's turn, and in 1985 it was Saturn's turn, and so on.

However, the queue stops when a new Cycle Regent takes over. In 2017, if the queue continued, the ruler of the year would be Venus. However, as Saturn takes over as Ruler of the Cycle, he will also be the first Ruler of the Year.

In 2018, the Ruler of the Year is Jupiter and so on, with the queue returning to its order until the completion of the 36 years and the coming of the new Cycle Ruler, Venus, who will also be the Ruler of the year 2053.

It seems complex, but analyzing it carefully, it's quite simple, just follow the table to always be situated.

The Planets and their themes within the rulers of the year

SATURN - Questions related to structures, hierarchies, responsibility, seriousness, perseverance, concentration, effort, strategy, structuring, competence, pursuit of stability, durability, commitment, respect for laws, establishment of limits. A year ruled by Saturn evokes responsibility and ethics. It is great for the professional area, as it favors concentration, discipline and structuring so that the work, when faced with diligence, is well done and rewarded. Already in your personal life, if there are outstanding issues, Saturn brings the conditions to resolve them. With more clarity and focus, you may be able to resolve your most problematic issues in favor of a more stable and regulated life.

VENUS - Questions related to love, social interaction, affection, pleasure, relationship, money, goods, personal values, beauty, harmony, art and the feminine in general. It may be that people have a greater need for affection, desire and love. Relationships are favored, as are the new contacts we make. Beauty, creativity and harmony are keywords for the period ruled by Venus. Personal appreciation is very important, along with a better understanding of our interior. The feminine side of everyone can be even more outcropped.

JUPITER - Questions related to expansion, growth, superior mind, faith, spirituality, optimism, enthusiasm, morality, prosperity, higher education, contact with other cultures, moral and ethical values, philosophy, aspirations, sports, big business and laws. Jupiter favors personal growth when in its rulership. This growth can come through the mind, through more knowledge, philosophy, culture, through spirit, optimism and the rescue or improvement of values. Big business is favored, or even professional growth and reward.

MERCURY - Questions relating to commerce, business, cunning, communication, rational mind, dexterity, rationalization, written and spoken word and all ability to receive or transmit information, opinions and criticism. The rational side gains space with Mercury as Regent of the year. Communication is favored, along with the ability to strategize. This paves the way for business, and it is possible to risk new plans and ideas. On the personal side, Mercury makes room for self-criticism. A reflection on your opinions and the way you express them can be a good request. Maybe it's necessary to learn to be more thoughtful in relationships with others? Mercury also helps our minds to be more prepared to receive and transmit knowledge, so it's a good year to embrace culture and study. The downside can be a greater propensity for gossip or misunderstandings.

MARS - Questions related to struggle, competition, leadership, courage, combativeness, wars, self-assertion, self-motivation, search for identity, conquests, initiative, independence, spontaneity, physical vitality, strength and masculine energy in general. Mars brings with it competitive and conquest feelings when it is the Ruler of the Year. On the other hand, it increases courage and leadership spirit. The energy and motivation that Mars infuses people is apparent, which paves the way for putting ideas into practice, consolidating plans, achieving achievements and acting more impetuously. Any type of dependency can be broken, be it emotional, physical or financial, not least because Mars incites the need for self-affirmation. Competitiveness sharpened by mars can lead to ambition or attract some conflicts.

MOON - Questions related to emotions, feelings, receptivity, past, family, women, people, our ability to feel, to be sensitive to the environment, which feeds both physically and mentally. As Ruler of the year, the Moon influences our life in addition to various natural phenomena on our planet. Its energy makes us feel a greater integration with the environment. All this sensitivity that it brings makes us more receptive and emotional. It is a year where family and relationships are contextualized, where the Moon brings a lot of physical and mental energy.

SUN - Questions related to intelligence, great leadership, ego, self-assertion, vitality, awareness, creativity, discoveries, self-expression. When it's the Sun's turn to be the ruler of the year, we can expect a lot of vitality and courage, either in our personal life or to make our projects a reality. Leadership capacity increases, as well as intelligence and creativity, favoring great undertakings. The Sun's heat also favors passion, so passionate relationships can emerge, as well as more love. It is also a year of light and potential discoveries of things that were hidden in the shadows