Dawning of the Age of Aquarius
"Then Peace Will Guide the Planets"

I happened upon a website that listed famous people who share with me being born under the sign of Aquarius. However, being born an Aquarian, or any other of the Zodiac signs, does not determine nor does it relate to one's personality traits. Regardless of the facts, most people seem interested in their sign and what characteristics they should have.

Aquarius Aquarius
While I discount any effect of the signs of the Zodiac upon people's lives, I will often read about the personality traits of Aquarians. Here are some of the typical personality characteristics that they have. They have the tendency to be a bit eccentric, idiosyncratic, and quirky. In addition, they are inclined to be extremely humorous regarding things that others might not see as humorous as they do. They are smart and intelligent especially on topics regarding the common good and equalitarian social issues. Finally, they also are the great travelers. While I do not buy the influence of the signs on anyone, I cannot explain why those descriptions of me are so precise.

Mesmerized by the similarities, I continued to do more research on Aquarians and some of the famous ones including Abraham Lincoln, Rosa Parks, Bob Marley, Bill Maher, Oprah Winfrey, Chris Rock, Charles Dickens, and the list goes on. However, the name that interested me the most was that of Jackie Robinson. A part of the reason was that I had just watched Randy Pausch's Last Lecture, in which he mentioned Jackie Robinson.

I will listen to anything that Pausch says. Pausch's Last Lecture has been watched several times, written about, emailed to all my friends, and has been the topic of discussions in the classes that I teach. In all honesty, Pausch has been to where I will be someday. It is comforting to have a mentor like him. He has been there and done so boldly. Therefore, I Googled Jackie Robinson and read about this fellow Aquarian.

Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson

Harvey Frommer, a sports columnist, wrote about the signing of Jackie Robinson by Branch Rickey in 1945. The signing was called a noble experiment. Frommer quotes Rickey,

I want to beg two things of you, Jackie. Give it all you have as a ballplayer. As a man, give continuing loyalty to your race and to the critical cause you are going to symbolize. And above all, do not fight. No matter how vile the abuse, you must ignore it. You are carrying the reputation of a race on your shoulders. Bear it well, and the day will come when every team in baseball will open its doors to Negroes.

Essentially, Rickey is telling Robinson not to complain about what the racists will say about him but to move on, which he did.

noble experiment

This is Robinson and Rickey signing their "noble experiment."
Each time that I see this photo, I wonder whether this is where Rickey begs Robinson to do two things for him.

Jackie Robinson did precisely what Branch Rickey asked of him. By doing so, he did bring in a new age of Aquarius to baseball. He broke the color barrier in baseball, which resulted in other blacks and minorities getting into the national pastime. Robinson tore down the wall of separation in baseball, and soon other professional sports teams began to hire people based upon the players' abilities and not based upon the pigmentation of their skin.

Looking back upon his time in baseball, Robinson said, "The way I figured it, I was even with baseball and baseball with me. The game had done much for me, and I had done much for it." That is true, but additionally, America benefited from Robinson more than he could ever imagine. That was the dawning of the age of Aquarius for all Americans.


This is an interesting video biography of Jackie Robinson.

This video is the 5th Dimension singing the Age of Aquarius.

When the moon is in the seventh house
And Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then peace will guide the planets
And love will steer the stars

This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius
The age of Aquarius, Aquarius

Harmony and understanding
Sympathy and trust abounding
No more falsehoods or derisions
Golden living dreams of visions
Mystic crystal revelation
And the minds true liberation

Aquarius, Aquarius

When the moon is in the seventh house
And Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then peace will guide the planets
And love will steer the stars

This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius
The age of Aquarius, Aquarius, Aquarius
Aquarius, Aquarius

03/09/15