PREVIOUS THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY December 10 2007 to December 16 2007 Monday December 10 Comet Holmes To some, it has been a fuzzy circle in the sky. To others, it has been the strongest celestial signal for at least a decade, if not for centuries. Soon, we will get to assess its importance for ourselves. As Comet Holmes finally fades, we start to enter the era that it came here to herald. So, what exactly does it portend? Some point to its last flare-up, in 1892, and the 'great panic' that swept America the following year as stock market prices collapsed. Others say such comets imply the demise of a great leader somewhere in the world. Tuesday December 11 Old age of Aquarius Last weekend, I met an Australian astrologer. He turned out to specialise in 'ages'; divisions of time based on the precession of the equinoxes. Each is named after a sign and lasts about 2,150 years. They have to be measured by constellations, not the equal divisions of sky that form regular zodiac signs, so there's much debate about when they begin and end. I asked his opinion on the start of the Aquarian age. Without hesitation he said '1453 mate. I'm sure of it'. That's the earliest date I've ever heard anyone offer. Tomorrow, I'll tell you his reasons. Wednesday December 12 1453 - Dawn Of A New Age Constantinople was under siege when, on May 22, 1453, the moon rose over its walls in mid-eclipse, fulfilling a prophecy about the city's demise. Seven days later, it fell to the Ottoman army, ending the Middle Ages and heralding the Renaissance. My Australian friend, Harry, reckons this also marked the start of the Age of Aquarius. According to his calculations we're a quarter of the way through. What if he is right and we are already in the new era, on which so many hopes have been pinned? Well, as I'll explain tomorrow, if so, it's extremely inspiring! Thursday December 13 More on the Age of Aquarius Many astrologers say the Aquarian Age starts in 2046. Some insist it has already started. How can it be so debatable? Well, when was dawn today? The moment the sky lightened? The second the sun saw the horizon? The time it rose over a hill? Five percent of a day is 80 minutes. Five percent of a two thousand year era, is a century! According to my friend who thinks 'first light' came in 1453, it's now mid-morning in the Age of Aquarius. If so, a "high noon" of peace and understanding is nearer than we think. Friday December 14 More dates for the Age of Aquarius Dear Jonathan, Your colleague suspects we have been in the Age of Aquarius since the fall of Constantinople. The books I read suggest 1987 was the time of change. The Sixties' hippies were 'early'. And if Jesus ushered in a 2,000-year Piscean era, the Aquarian age can only be starting now. Mary Dear Mary, Christianity notwithstanding, I've long argued against the mooted date of 2046. My money's on the 1780s, when the first hot-air balloons flew. 1453 is a new one on me, as is 1987. But whenever the new age really kicks in, we'll all know! Saturday December 15 Your Weekend A stationary Saturn. That really bodes well for the festive season. Er... doesn't it? Well, Saturn is the planet of fear and resentment. Entrenched attitudes. Inescapable traditions. Boundaries and barriers. Inevitable processes. And if it's standing still? Well, we can't escape the suggestion that this is not a great time of year to be forgiving, forgetting and moving on! But then, surely, the spirit of Christmas is more powerful than the planets. It makes us want to shop, even though we have no money; and eat when we aren't hungry. And anyway, other more encouraging celestial alignments suggest that the holiday outlook may yet be full of joy. Sunday December 16 Your Week Ahead A stationary Saturn. That really bodes well for the festive season. Er... doesn't it? Well, Saturn is the planet of fear and resentment. Entrenched attitudes. Inescapable traditions. Boundaries and barriers. Inevitable processes. And if it's standing still? Well, we can't escape the suggestion that this is not a great time of year to be forgiving, forgetting and moving on! But then, surely, the spirit of Christmas is more powerful than the planets. It makes us want to shop, even though we have no money; and eat when we aren't hungry. And anyway, other more encouraging celestial alignments suggest that the holiday outlook may yet be full of joy. NEXT THOUGHT OF THE DAY BACK TO THE INDEX   Click here for Jonathan Cainer's Daily Zodiac Forecasts