The "Fourth Turning" is a theory of historical cycles developed by William Strauss and Neil Howe, not directly an astrological system, although it is frequently noted to correlate with 80–90 year astrological cycles, particularly the movement of Uranus. It proposes that history moves in a repeating 80–100 year cycle (a saeculum), divided into four "turnings" or seasons, with the Fourth Turning being a period of intense crisis, restructuring, and rebirth.

The Four Turnings (The Seasons of History)

Each cycle consists of four, roughly 20-25 year, periods:

The High (First Turning): Institutions are strong, and individualism is weak. Society is confident about collective goals (e.g., Post-WWII boom, 1946–1963).

The Awakening (Second Turning): Institutions are attacked in the name of personal autonomy and spiritual authenticity (e.g., The 1960s–70s Consciousness Revolution).

The Unraveling (Third Turning): Institutions are weak and distrusted; individualism is strong and flourishing. The mood is cynical (e.g., 1980s–2008).

The Crisis (Fourth Turning): A climactic era where institutional life is destroyed and rebuilt in response to a perceived threat to the nation's survival. This is the winter of the cycle.

The Current Fourth Turning

Start/Prediction: Written in 1997, the authors predicted the crisis would begin around 2005 and last until the mid-2020s.

Key Events: Many analysts, including Neil Howe, have suggested the 2008 financial crisis was the true beginning, with the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic serving as a major acceleration or climax.

Timeline: The current Crisis is expected to reach its culmination in the 2020s (roughly 2008–2028), leading to a new, but as-yet-unknown, social order.

Correlations with Astrology

While Strauss and Howe's work is based on historical, demographic, and generational analysis, observers frequently link the ~80-year cycle to major planetary cycles, most notably Uranus, which orbits the sun in roughly 84 years.

Uranus in Gemini: Historically, Uranus’s transit through Gemini has correlated with crises that reshape information, communication, and social structure. Past transits occurred during the American Revolution, the Civil War, and World War II.

Uranus and the Fourth Turning: Many believe we are in a Fourth Turning now because Uranus has returned to Gemini (2025–2032).

Pluto's Influence: Pluto's transit through Capricorn (2008–2024) has been linked to the collapse of established, old-guard institutions, while its shift into Aquarius is expected to bring revolutionary change to social structures.

Key Characteristics of a Fourth Turning

Institutional Breakdown: Old systems, laws, and institutions collapse, having lost their legitimacy.

Focus on Community: Individualistic needs fade in favor of collective survival.

Existential Threat: A profound threat is perceived—whether a war, massive economic collapse, or pandemic—forcing a total societal response.

The end result of a Fourth Turning, according to the theory, is a "rebuilding" phase, a new "High," where a new social order is established for the next 80-year cycle.