Abu Maʿshar and the Great Conjunctions: Lessons for Today’s Leaders – Saturn – Jupiter Cycles

Astrology’s value for statesmen and leaders was well understood in the Islamic Golden Age. Abu Maʿshar, the 9th-century Persian astrologer, is perhaps the most famous writer on the Saturn–Jupiter conjunctions, which occur approximately every 20 years. He observed that:

• Every 20 years: A new socio-political phase begins.
• Every 200 years (roughly 10 conjunctions in one element): A new dynasty, religion, or cultural wave emerges as the conjunctions shift elements (fire, earth, air, water).
• Every 800 years: A full cycle of conjunctions completes, marking a civilizational rebirth.

Abu Maʿshar argued that the religions of the world, great empires, and dynastic shifts could be traced to these conjunctions. His works influenced Jewish, Christian, and Islamic thinkers alike — and were translated into Latin, shaping European Renaissance astrology.

Historical Context

• The Saturn–Jupiter conjunction in 7 BCE (in Pisces) was later associated by medieval astrologers with the birth of Christ and a new religious epoch.
• The conjunctions of the 8th–9th centuries coincided with the Islamic Caliphate’s expansion and the flourishing of Baghdad, where Abu Maʿshar himself lived.
• The conjunctions of the early modern period (15th–16th centuries) were tied to the rise of colonial empires and Reformation Christianity.

Each era of conjunctions reflected a shift in collective consciousness: religion, law, empire, and power were rewritten under these celestial rhythms.

The Great Conjunction of 2020: A Turning Point

The most recent Great Conjunction occurred on December 21, 2020 in Aquarius, for the first time in centuries. For Abu Maʿshar, such a shift of elements (from Earth to Air) heralded profound change.

• Earth cycles (1800–2000) = materialism, nation-states, land, resources, industrial expansion.
• Air cycles (2000–2200) = ideas, networks, alliances, communication, technology.

This shift perfectly mirrors today’s transition from a unipolar material order (dominated by Western economic and military power) to a multipolar, networked order (BRICS, digital currencies, AI, decentralized alliances).

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What Leaders Can Learn

For modern leaders, Abu Maʿshar’s message is clear: ignore the cycles at your peril. Just as empires rose and fell in alignment with the Saturn–Jupiter rhythms, so too does today’s world order.

• The unipolar empire (U.S. dominance since 1991) was the final chapter of an Earth cycle.
• The multipolar constellation (BRICS and beyond) is the natural expression of the new Air cycle.

In metaphysical terms, the Law of Rhythm (Hermetic Principle) is unfolding — civilizations swing back and forth, but always in alignment with cosmic law. Leaders who recognize this shift can align their strategies, while those clinging to the past risk collapse.

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Closing Thought

Abu Maʿshar’s works remind us that astrology was once the science of kings and emperors, used to time wars, treaties, and dynasties. Today, the same wisdom applies: the stars show us that the unipolar world is waning, and a multipolar, Aquarian age is dawning.

As Hermes taught: “He who understands the cycles will not be bound by them, but will ride them like the stars.”