They influence both the development of consciousness within an individual as well as the progressive patterns of change reflected in the collective. If those planets are prominent in one's natal chart, they may be more affective in producing collective change in some way. It's as if they are a conduit through which the dynamics of global change is manifesting. Similarly if those planets come into prominence at a certain time in one's life, it is a time for that person to experience some major consciousness shifts. Whenever two or more planets come together in the sky it is called a conjunction.
Conjunctions mark the end of one cycle and the beginning of a new one.
Yet within the last 100 years each has conjuncted each other. These patterns reflect the incredible, awesome changes that the Earth has experienced during this time. The people born at the time of those alignments seem to be harbingers and wayshowers of change for the rest of us, especially if those conjunctions appear in sensitive or significant parts of their natal chart. The mid-60's was such a time. It's obvious to those of us alive during that time that something big was happening.