History seems to have a secret rhythm. Like a cosmic clock ticking every 156 years, certain years seem to symbolically spark massive changes in how we live, think, and govern.
From the Roman Empire to the Industrial Revolution, these moments, spaced 156 years apart, hint at a pattern of cultural, economic, and political shifts. 2028, 1872, 1716, 1560, 1404, 1248, 1092, 936, 780, 624, 468, 312, and 156.
It’s like a historical New Year, resetting the stage for society.
As we approach the end of the current cycle on December 31, 2028, and gear up for a new one starting January 1, 2029, let’s examine this unusual cycle and what it might mean for our future. It’s like the calendar flipping to a fresh year, but on a grand, world-shaping scale.
History Rhymes
The quote “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme” is often attributed to Mark Twain, though there is no concrete evidence that he actually said it. Regardless, it’s a compelling concept.
The fact that the universe and nature are mathematically ordered, as Pythagoras concluded and Isaac Newton proved, suggests that key personal and worldly circumstances might be cyclical in nature, even predetermined.
One sure way to offer an educated viewpoint on the topic of fate vs. free will involves two things: long-term observation of the circumstances in the lives of many individuals and simultaneous, objective predictive analysis, identifying the corresponding comprehensive astrological and numerological patterns.
Though personal cycles are more important to individuals, the 156-year cycle and other universal cycles play an important role in the theater of human experience.
A Glimpse at the 156-Year Cycle
This 156-year cycle isn’t a random number. It’s a lens to spot pivotal moments. Looking back at years like 1872, 1716, 1560, and even 312, we see society hitting turning points. These aren’t always neat, tidy events, but they mark times when old ways crumbled and new ideas took root. It’s like history hitting a reset button, shaking up everything from trade to beliefs.
Technical Details Involving the 156-Year Cycle
The 156-year cycle (and related cycles, below) is based on the modern calendar, which reflects, in my view, a deliberate mathematical alignment with cosmic order. Most of my work relates to personal cycles; I developed the 156-year cycle to highlight worldly trends.
While astronomy delves into the physical and mathematical properties of celestial bodies, astrology tends to interpret celestial patterns and cycles in a symbolic and personal context, linking them to human life and personality. I use both astronomical and astrological cycles in my work, as did Galileo Galilei (the father of modern science and the scientific method), Tycho Brahe, Copernicus, Johannes Kepler, Ptolemy, and many others.
The following cycles are some of the cycles I consider relative to the 156-year cycle. These cycles, along with the 156-year cycle, mark periods of beginnings, growth, decline, and endings, reflecting the ebb and flow of life on Earth.
Jupiter makes a complete orbit around the Sun in about 12 Earth years (12 years x 13 = 156 years).
The 12-year and 13-year cycles are important numerological and astrological cycles. The 13-year cycle is also important as it relates to the Metonic cycle, an astronomical cycle.
The synodic period of Mars is approximately 780 days. 780 days x 73 Mars synodic periods = 156 years (780 days x 73 = 56940 days divided by 365 days in a year = 156 years). Note: The length of a year is not exactly 365 days; it is approximately 365.2422 days. I use 365 days below as an approximation. A synodic period is the time it takes for a celestial object to return to the same position relative to the Sun as seen from Earth.
Mars began its current synodic period on November 18, 2023, when it was conjunct the Sun while direct, marking the start of a new two-year cycle. This cycle will end on January 9, 2026, when the next Mars cycle begins. The next conjunction of Mars and the Sun is set to occur on March 21, 2028, marking the beginning of a new synodic cycle. Also, March 21, 2028, is within a year of January 1, 2029, which could be considered relevant since these are approximations relative to broader worldly trends. More important is the fact that 73 Mars synodic periods equal almost exactly 156 years.
156-Year Cycle Application
I apply the 156-year cycle (and related cycles) to the world overall, rather than only to the United States or another specific country.
My predictive work involving individual countries includes the leadership of those countries. Pattern recognition utilizing comprehensive astrology and numerology, delving into the natal and timing patterns of individuals, including presidents, prime ministers, and others, sheds light on the direction of the country. Profiling influential people (e.g., Elon Musk) within those countries adds additional insight.
Knowing, for example, when a leader, ruler, head of state, dictator, or other powerful figure will face headwinds, or the opposite, will have the wind at his or her back, gives you a tremendous awareness. After all, the fall of one regime and the rise of another often symbolize dramatic historical shifts, especially with more than one occurring around the same time.
Intersecting Cycles
George Friedman, Peter Turchin, Neil Howe, William Strauss, and others offer exceptional insight through their cycles work involving the United States and other countries.
Although Friedman’s institutional and socioeconomic cycles, for example, are applied to the United States, they automatically have symbolic influence over the entire world, considering the power of the United States.
In particular, I believe the 80-year cycle that Friedman uses is very important. I prefer the 81-year cycle tied to the modern calendar, but considering the overlap of a few years regarding long-term trends, the 80-year and 81-year cycles are similar enough.
For the first time, Friedman’s 50-year socio-economic cycle and 80-year institutional cycle will be culminating within a few years of each other (2030 and 2025, respectively).
The same is true for the 156-year cycle and the 81-year cycle.
81-Year Cycle and 156-Year Cycle Almost Coinciding
Considering the length of the 81-year cycle (25 x 81 years = year 2025) and 156-year cycle (13 x 156 years = year 2028), a few years isn’t much relating to an intersection. These two cycles almost coinciding is momentous and equates to major structures becoming outdated, upheaval, a turning point, and then the birth of new standards.
Cultural Shifts: Old Meets New
Across these years, 156-year increments from the start of our modern calendar, culture often feels the heat of change. In 1872, the Industrial Revolution was rewiring life, pulling people from farms to buzzing cities. By 1716, Enlightenment thinkers were challenging religious and royal authority. By 1560, the Protestant Reformation split Europe’s spiritual playbook, sparking debates that reshaped identity. Even in 1092, with the First Crusade looming, religious zeal clashed with emerging global connections. Each time, it’s the same plan: tradition gets a wake-up call, and society scrambles to adapt.
Economic Waves: Boom, Bust, Repeat
Money matters in this cycle, too. A year after 1872, in 1873, the Long Depression kicked off, a hangover from wild railroad investments. Just a year after 1716, the South Sea Bubble popped, exposing the risks of early stock markets. In 1560, gold and silver from the Americas flooded Europe, setting off a slow-burn economic shift, contributing to what is known as the Price Revolution. Even in 1248, crusades drained royal coffers, stressing medieval economies. These moments show economies stretching to new heights with trade routes, markets, or resources, for example, only to stumble when the hype outpaces reality.
Power Plays: Governments in Flux
Governments don’t escape the cycle’s shake-ups. In 1871, German unification was completed, redrawing Europe’s map, while the U.S. wrestled with Reconstruction. By 1716, Britain was settling into Hanoverian rule, but absolutist monarchies like France were creaking. In 1560, the Treaty of Edinburgh nudged Scotland toward independence from French influence. Way back in 312, Constantine’s victory at the Milvian Bridge set the Roman Empire on a Christian path. These years catch power consolidating, fracturing, or flipping entirely, as rulers and nations redefine who’s in charge.
Speculative Fever: Bubbles and Bursts
Speculation loves this cycle. The Panic of 1873 crushed railroad dreams, while the South Sea Bubble’s collapse in 1720 taught early investors a harsh lesson. Around 1560, New World wealth sparked inflation, a subtler kind of bubble. These aren’t always dramatic crashes, but they show people betting big on the future in stocks, colonies, or gold, for example, only to face a reality check. It’s human nature to hype up the next big thing, then pick up the pieces after collapse.
Why 2028 Matters
We’re nearing the end of the thirteenth 156-year cycle since year 1, wrapping up on December 31, 2028. January 1, 2029, kicks off a new one, like a historical New Year’s Day. If the pattern holds, we’re in for big changes in the coming years: think speculative bubbles, cultural clashes, economic crises, or massive power shifts. The last 50 years (since 1978) gave us globalization, tech booms, and climate debates. Let’s look back at the cycle’s hints and consider what’s coming.
Looking Ahead: What’s Next After 2028
Peering into the next 50 years, the 156-year cycle suggests we’re on the cusp of another transformation. Based on past patterns, here are some hypothetical trends:
Socio-Political Shifts: The last 50 years saw polarized politics and globalized alliances. Post-2028, we might see a push for decentralized governance, with local or blockchain-based systems challenging nation-states. Think city-states 2.0 or digital democracies.
Collective Values and Ideologies: Environmentalism and AI ethics are hot now. By 2078, collective values could swing toward post-scarcity ideals, where universal basic income or resource-sharing models emerge, echoing Enlightenment debates about society’s structure.
Cultural Trends: Social media and virtual reality have reshaped culture in recent years. In the next cycle, we could see a movement with people craving unplugged, authentic experiences, like a modern Renaissance valuing human connection over tech.
Economic Changes: The dot-com and crypto booms mirror past bubbles. Soon after 2028, expect another speculative crash in tech, AI, or crypto (or all three), followed by a steadier economy built on sustainable practices or space-based resources, perhaps like new trade routes starting in 1560. The 1560s saw the renewal of a trade compact between France and the Ottoman Empire. In 1560 the Ming dynasty also revoked the maritime trade ban, which opened up trade opportunities between China and European nations, contributing to the expansion of trade routes during the Age of Discovery.
Watch for major stock market upswings led by a limited number of stocks, speculation on margin going through the roof, and the bubble peaking, leading to a massive market correction.
According to “Monetary History of the U.S.” by Milton Friedman and Anna Schwartz, the Federal Reserve engineered a sharp decline in the money supply from the fall of 1930 through the winter of 1932-33, which reduced prices and triggered the 1930s Depression. Future Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said in a speech in 2002, “Regarding the Great Depression, … we did it. We’re very sorry. … We won’t do it again.” Let’s hope they don’t.
Debt Crisis: Consider the dates of these historical debt crises, every approximately 156 years: 1093 (the First Crusade began in 1096 and lasted until 1099, draining coffers); 1249 (the Seventh Crusade began in 1248 and ended in 1254, draining coffers again); 1405 (Ming Dynasty economic strain due to treasure voyages led by Admiral Zheng He beginning in 1405); 1561 (Spanish Crown multiple bankruptcies, with the first occurring in 1557, resulting in sovereign default from war); 1717 (the South Sea Bubble British debt crisis occurred in 1720 from speculative collapse); and 1873 (the Panic of 1873 included a global depression from railroad speculation).
If history rhymes again in this case, expect a debt crisis around 2029. High national debts and economic fragility could result in a debt crisis, with the triggers being speculative collapse, recession, or war. The possible outcomes would be global defaults, financial disruption, and societal shifts.
Societal Shifts: Urbanization and digital nomadism defined recent decades. After 2028, society might pivot to rural areas, with communities relocating away from city centers.
Political and Governmental Trends: Power has consolidated in tech giants and superpowers recently. The next cycle could see a fracturing, with smaller regional blocs, even corporate-like “governments,” or trading blocs (smaller than the European Union, which could potentially collapse) rivaling traditional states. This could be vaguely like the shift toward mercantilism, which followed feudalism, starting as early as 1254 with the mass production of gold coins in Florence, Genoa, and Venice, marking a significant change.
Additional Speculative Trends: Crypto and NFTs were speculative darlings. After 2028, besides tech, space colonization or bioengineering could spark the next frenzy. For example, investors could pour money into Mars habitats or genetic upgrades, only to face a bubble burst when costs bite.
These are hypotheses, but the cycle’s history shows society loves to swing between bold leaps and humbling resets.
The 156-year cycle is like a heartbeat in history, pulsing through moments of upheaval and renewal. From crusades to bubbles and reformations to revolutions, these years catch humanity at its most restless. As we head toward 2028, we’re closing a chapter and setting the stage for a new one. Around 2029, our next historical New Year, we’ll potentially see amazing new technology, new ideologies, economic and financial market crashes, debt crises, and power shifts. If history’s any guide, it’s going to be a wild ride.
Copyright © 2025 Scott Petullo
Sources
Image by GDJ / Pixabay.com
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