In 1970, Dianne and I saw the Broadway cast performance of the musical “Hair” in San Antonio. One of the songs  had this line “… this is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius…” and on last Friday (12-21-12) it finally dawned. After 40 plus years of waiting the Age of Aquarius has begun and the dreams of a generation are moving into the final act of their time on stage.

I wondered however if we of the Baby Boomer generation are too late for this great age of enlightenment.

A digression: The exact moment of this dawn is open to opinion as the beginning point for this new age has different interpretations. According to Wikipedia, “In Western astrological traditions, precession is measured from the March equinox, one of the two annual points at which the Sun is exactly halfway between its lowest and highest points in the sky. Presently, the Sun’s March equinox position is in the constellation Pisces and is moving back into Aquarius. This signals the end of one astrological age (the Age of Pisces) and the beginning of another (the Age of Aquarius)” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_phenomenon). But since others make its beginning as 1844 or 2600, I figure now is good enough for government work (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Aquarius).

So, how do we, the now older generation, use a new age of enlightenment as we move into the time period of final reflections and letting go. Well, the only thing I know is to reflect and discuss. There is actually no answer except what we decide for ourselves. Thus, to aid our processes, people of all ages need to mindfully consider the paths they have trod and where the future road leads.

One way to stimulate this reflection is through movies. Not educational ones (nothing against those) but dramatic films offer more for the heart than movies made for teaching. An old favorite is “On Golden Pond” where the characters reflect on their lives and the inevitable  future when one of the partners dies and leaves the other to finish the trail alone. A new film also exploring the end of the road is “Amour.” Finally, I do recommend one of my films, “Healer,” for the way it considers illness and our time span on this earth.

Since the film “The Hobbit” is just out, we’ll close with a quote from Mr. Bilbo Baggins:

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.

    J.R.R. Tolkien, “The Fellowship of the Ring”

Resources

Image – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Milkyway_Swan_Panorama.jpg

Join us for a real-time discussion about questions raised by this essay at a new time on any Wednesday from 12:15 p.m. to 12:45 p.m.  See Discussion and SL tabs above for details. Link to the virtual meeting room: http://tinyurl.com/cjfx9ag.