How can we better understand the significance and implications of the ecological, economic, and cultural crises we now face? What are the deeper forces at work shaping the contemporary zeitgeist and connecting the major events of our time? Is it possible to place our moment in history in the context of great cyclical and diachronic patterns of change? Responses to these and other related questions are explored in this second issue of Archai: The Journal of Archetypal Cosmology. The nine essays featured here use archetypal astrology to shine a light on the deeper dynamics of history and contemporary culture. Contributions include cultural historian Richard Tarnas's analysis of the major world transits of the last five years, focusing especially on the Saturn-Uranus-Pluto T-square, and the second part of his exploration of the Saturn-Neptune complex. Also included are the second parts of Rod O'Neal's in-depth analysis of the Puritan movement and Keiron Le Grice's exploration of archetypal themes in the music of Bruce Springsteen. The other articles cover a wide variety of topics relevant to an archetypal understanding of contemporary culture such as the global financial crisis, the Israel-Palestine conflict, the gay rights movement, the history of rock and roll, and recent achievements in the sporting world.

Stanley Kub3rick establishes a new standard in visionary filmmaking with "2001: A Space Odyssey." An ambitious young director named Spielberg becomes all consumed with making a film about a killer shark and establishes his illustrious career. A relatively unknown team of brothers revolutionize the sci-fi genre with "The Matrix" and create a devoted fan base that reaches near-religious fervor. Are the creative strokes of inspiration that led to the making of these films simply arbitrary, fortunate moments in film history, or is there something deeper and more meaningful informing these landmark movies?

Astrology suggests that the vision and imagination of film luminaries like Kubrick, Spielberg, and Lucas are intimately connected to a universal, creative intelligence that can be measured and timed by the movement of the heavens. With "The Astrology of Film," learn when and why certain directors are attracted to particular mythic themes at certain points in their careers, why particular films wildly ignite the popular imagination, and why films like "The Lord of the Rings" series strikingly resonate with current world events.