Steve's Saecular Pages

I have been interested in the generational theory and the model of the saeculum developed by William Strauss and Neil Howe for well over a decade now. For a little while I maintained a blog called Generation Watch, but decided to let that effort rest. I keep the old blog online, because there's some good stuff there. I think the background section is particularly informative.

I still have bursts of creative thought related to the model and decided to assemble my latest and greatest works here. You can learn more about the Strauss and Howe theory at their Fourth Turning web site.

Let's start with a chart of correspondences of the generational archetypes. This is slightly modified from an older version published on the blog. The correspondences with the subtle bodies of the human form come from the theories of Amit Goswami, and those with the modes of consciousness are from Carl Jung. The correspondences with the elements connect the theory of subtle forms with the levels of consciousness as described by the Qabbalah and by the Bardo Thodol. I have had to approximate as there are differences between the two traditions.

   Correspondences of the Archetypes

Next up is a chart I put together of the key concepts of the saecular ages, or turnings, of the Strauss and Howe model. All of the text in this chart comes from the book The Fourth Turning.

   The Four Turnings

Here are some essays where I attempt to relate the model to other ideas.

   Creativity and the Saeculum

   Morality and the Saeculum

   Reincarnation and Generational Archetypes

This page was created by Steve Barrera 2009-2011. All rights reserved.