Cosmic Year (Chinese Astrology) - Cosmic Cycles in Other Traditions

Cosmic Cycles in Other Traditions

In anthroposophy, based on teachings by Rudolf Steiner, a cosmic year represents the Platonic year, a period of 25,920 years. This is the time required for the Sun's position at spring equinox to traverse the complete zodiac. So each zodiacal sign covers about 2160 years. The year 747 BCE marked the transition from Taurus to Aries and since 1453, the spring equinoctial sun is in Pisces. This cosmic cycle has a considerable influence on humanity in both physical and spiritual respects. For instance, the Aries period covered the Greek/Roman culture period ranging from the foundation of Rome (753 BCE) to the fall of Byzantium (1453), whereas the Taurus period marked the Egyptian/Chaldaean era. Another example is human breathing rhythm: an average of 18 cycles per minute represents 18 x 60 x 24 = 25,920 cycles per day. The number of daily sleep-wake-cycles of the conscious mind in an average human lifetime of 72 years adds up to the same platonic figure. Shao Yung's cosmic year represents exactly five platonic years (5x25,920=129,600).

Vedic scriptures delineate a cosmic cycle of creation and destruction marked by 4 Yugas. There is considerable debate on the duration of one Yuga, varying from 1200 to 432,000 or millions years. Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri estimates the duration of two total cycles (an descending and an ascending part) to comprise 24000 years. According to Vamadeva David Frawley the Yuga cycle relates to the precession of the equinoxes, thus suggesting a relationship with the platonic year. In the interpretations of these and other vedic scholars, modern times (1700–1900) have witnessed the end of the dark Iron Age (Kali Yuga), a notion supported by Rudolf Steiner.