<p>{maketoc}</p>
<p>The 1560s ranks as a tumultuous decade. From the French Wars of Religion to<br>
Spain's folly, The Union of Lublin, to the beginning of the 80 years<br>
war, to England's entry into piracy and the dramatic Battle of<br>
Lepanto (1571) the mid 1560s to early 1570s included much drama. The<br>
astrological transits mirror the furor that overtook Europe. </p>
<h1>Globalization: Step One</h1>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>In Europe the 1560s involved every nation<br>
moving through critical stages that laid important foundations for<br>
the future. Mostly without self-knowledge, every aspect of life on<br>
the in the area underwent fundamental change. Events had been set in<br>
motion that would soon accelerate all circumstances. By the 1560s<br>
silver, thanks to Spanish mines, had circumvented the planet; the<br>
Chinese commoner preferred it over it &quot;official&quot; paper.<br>
Along with currency, new foods and spices changed what was planted,<br>
how people ate and what they traded for; produce likely equaled the<br>
value of other more ostensibly desirable commodities. The world had<br>
changed for good. Along with trade, religion steered down a path<br>
of no return. By 1555 Lutheranism had been accepted after years of conflict, but the fight over other forms of Protestanism continued with ever more vigor. With the<br>
French Wars of Religion two central powers of the time, Spain and France, struggled against one another on top of their more direct conflicts. Spain, desperate for funds, misstepped its way into an Eighty-Years War with its &quot;possession&quot;, the Netherlands.<br>
England, of course, had its own religious issues, some that involved its island neighbors. Importantly, it had developed the framework for a strong monarchy, a development that both moved it forward, but into an ultimately explosive circumstance less than a century later.<br>
</p>
<p>The upheaval detailed above fits the<br>
outer planet configuration of the time. Neptune at lower square<br>
(90&amp;Acirc;&amp;deg;) to Pluto (and its position around 1398) points to a<br>
time of critical decision. In the form of a wave (seen below), the<br>
Neptune-Pluto wave of 1398 -1892 changes direction.<br>
&lt;P STYLE=&quot;margin-bottom: 0in&quot;&gt;&lt;IMG SRC=&quot;%5C%22http://mundaneastrology.net/essential/images/neppluwave.png%5C%22&quot; NAME=&quot;graphics4&quot; ALT=&quot;&quot;1398&quot; ALIGN=BOTTOM WIDTH=71 HEIGHT=35 BORDER=0&gt;<br>
&lt;P STYLE=&quot;margin-bottom: 0in&quot;&gt;Turning points are part of life and<br>
history. We often see situations where when all elements are tallied,<br>
change must occur. In Europe, the unifying element of Christianity<br>
collided with the needs of a growing population. Certainly, the<br>
Catholic Church is open to criticism for how it handled its<br>
relationship with the people, but we should seriously doubt that an<br>
organization could administer all it did forever. The Church<br>
intermixed with all aspects of everyones lives. From politics, to<br>
health-care, education, taxes, diplomacy and morality, Rome dealt<br>
with them all. By the 1560s events set in motion had passed a point<br>
of containment though few knew it at the time.</p>