The Internet was buzzing about the Valentine's Day alignment of planets. There was going to be an astrological convergence on February 14th, "a momentous astrological event." The moon would be "in the seventh house and Jupiter aligned with Mars," just as James Rado and Gerome Ragni's lyrics from the musical Hair had forecast more than four decades earlier.

These past few months have been a season of change and hope, despite stock market panic, plummeting home prices and accelerating unemployment. The world is as violent as ever, but still, I couldn't resist the siren call to a gathering at the Beverly Hills Hotel's Bar Nineteen 12 on Valentine's Day. There was something irresistible about exploring peace and love on the most important day of the year for lovers. And besides, it's always fun to dress up and go to a hotel that's notorious for celeb spotting.

We were greeted with flower power stickers and a little jar of sparkles, which one of our hosts proceeded to paint all over our faces. Some 50 people of varying ages showed up – some were probably in kindergarten when Hair first hit the boards – and while nobody wore psychedelic clothes, hummed tunes from the show or brought bongs, there were inspiring conversations, new friends made, hugs and business cards exchanged.

The song "Aquarius" promised that when this celestial event happened, "peace will guide our planet, and love will steer the stars." For a little more complex explanation than a song's lyrics could offer, I turned to the website of cosmologist and healer Jude Currivan. She explained, "Expansive Jupiter and energetic Mars are aligned with the higher purpose of the North Node... The Moon in Libra in the seventh house emphasizes harmonious real-ationships (sic)... And whilst Saturn in opposition to Uranus is suggesting an ongoing confrontation as the dregs of the unsustainable old paradigm reluctantly give way to the untested hope of the new, their placements in Virgo and Pisces bring practical altruism and visionary inspiration to the transition."

I asked astrologer and psychologist Hadley Fitzgerald about the star alignment. She confirmed that Jupiter was indeed aligned with Mars, but that the moon was in the seventh house "only for a couple of hours – just as it is, around the world, every day." She lamented, "Four planets in Aquarius does not an Aquarian Age make... sadly."

Then she reminded me of the Harmonic Convergence, a huge event initiated by Jose Arguelles back in 1987, which heralded a new era of peace and transformation. At the time, Ronald Reagan was president. We were still mired in Vietnam, Saddam Hussein was our buddy and Afghanistan was occupied by the Soviets. The Convergence was supposed to start a 26-year countdown to 2012, the end of the Mayan Long Count and beginning of a new 5,125-year cycle. All the evils of the modern world would end 12/21/12.

Alas, illustrious researcher and star explorer Zechariah Sitchin puts the kibosh on that hope as well. We may be wobbling closer to peace and love, and we certainly have some new visionary inspiration, but we've got a long way to go until the Aquarian Age.

Meanwhile, there was plenty of peace and love to go around in Bar Nineteen 12, "where timeless glamour and chic innovation meet." And the spring rolls, served with four dipping sauces, were delicious.

Photo by StrangrThanCandy