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Category Archives: Aquarius

Your Ascendant Zodiapedia: ‘The Radical Intellect’ Aquarius

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A “Sakka”, or water-bearer, carrying water on his back in a goat-skin. Wood engraving by [G.L.S.].
Copyrighted work available under Creative Commons Attribution only licence CC BY 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Credit: Wellcome Library, London http://wellcomeimages.org
images@wellcome.ac.uk

Aquarius as the rising sign can be a lot of trouble. The combination of traditional ruler Saturn and modern ruler Uranus can send such a mixed message that onlookers may either see Aquarius as a wet blanket, as a libertine, or as someone who swings between the two! One with the Aquarian Ascendant can come to feel as if no matter what, others will simply see what they want to see, but this oddly Neptunian take on things is inaccurate; what the Aquarius rising person doesn’t grasp right away is that they really do show an array of conflicting elements of persona to onlookers—no wonder the observers, and Aquarius, are confused. Usually those with the sign of the Waterbearer rising will take a little more to one ruler than the other; inspection of the natal chart typically reveals either a Uranian or a Saturnian leaning—but all Aquarius rising individuals show at least a little of both, and it’s usual for this rising sign to identify with only one of these at a time—meaning when Aquarius is showing Saturn, he’s putting a Capricornian face on things: repressive, strict, maybe fearful, stoically working, and when he’s showing Uranus he’s spontaneous, rebellious, and often living in his head, treating life as if it’s an academic exercise—and no matter what personality is being exhibited, Aquarius believes the one they’re showing is consistent, that it’s the one they always show. Au contraire–it is not—and only time and Self-awareness will convince them otherwise.

From the inside looking out, Aquarius rising tries to process everything through the mind. This can give the impression of confidence, especially if Aquarius is naturally sharp, but the war inside Aquarius shakes whatever confidence the mental faculties offer to the core: it’s over stability and consistency and nose to the grindstone effort v. originality, ignoring the rules, and a willingness to create upheaval in the name of the revolutionary and new. The weakness here is that the mind simply isn’t equipped to handle matters of emotion, spirit, and the physical, and so Aquarius gets knocked down repeatedly and soon feels that neither approach will pay off. This all originates with the survival needs of childhood, that required Aquarius to intellectually shine (as when the parents ‘show off’ the child’s abilities and take credit for their offspring) or that generally forbid much physical play/ projects or that made emotional displays (especially displays of certain unacceptable emotions, like anger) off limits. Aquarius, in trying to accommodate early caretakers, would turn to the mental arena for activity that garnered acceptance—and sometimes they never get out of this pattern.

This Ascendant generally conveys a lively personality, one that’s engaging, entertaining, and somewhat wearing on others in its less mature forms. The intent is one of exploration focused on what’s new to the individual, to what can be learned (or to discovering all that is known about a subject), so for some their company may be a little too academically inclined. Aquarius likes to discuss things, and there’s no limit to the topics or where that talk may range. They’re brave, in their way, and don’t mind being first with something risky–they display the courage of their Aries brethren, tempered with careful calculations of the odds and of their own abilities: they’re willing to experiment, but that doesn’t mean they’re crazy!

The influence of ancient ruler Saturn encourages a continuing assessment for these individuals, trained on the suitability of the status quo and the potential need for revolution. They watch for those places where the old guard may break down, ready to propose a new order, if the group will support it (and them, possibly in the role of leader–this Ascendant likes to lead during the upheaval, then step back once things settle down).

Aquarius rising thinks about themselves in terms of the group, but always with awareness of their own individuality, measuring perpetually what they are getting, and what they are giving, to the group. Until Aquarius learns to break down those barriers, to remove the ‘me against the world’ thinking, they will continue with a kind of existential loneliness haunting the personality. Often, they’ve been taught to subsume the Self to the group, and when that becomes intolerable, they rebel, and neither response heals the problem. It’s only when Aquarius gives up the childish definition of ‘I’ for the more mature, Leo oriented one (that centers on generosity, on genuinely putting the Self first for one’s health and best expression, on treasuring the Self for talents, abilities, and the Sun-Soul Purpose, on feeling through the heart center) that this rising sign will give up the stubbornness and reactionary take on interaction and supplant it with exchange that makes the most of both the innate intellectual prowess and the original and unique qualities and point of view.

Looking for the current astro-weather? Here it is–

And you might want to try this, over at ‘Been There, Done That’

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How to Make It Through the Holidays: Aquarius

20 Tuesday Dec 2011

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This year have a little fun with everyone else, Aquarius. Hanneman c1630 {{PD-Art}}

No matter what you do or don’t celebrate, it’s the holiday season–there’s no way to avoid it. In the newsletter I shared a few tongue-in-cheek suggestions for how to survive this annual time of family, food, fights, fun, fruitcake, and all those other ‘f’ words, and I’ll be sharing a little advice for each sign, one at a time. Your Nemesis, listed at the end of the sign, suggests who might be out to sabotage or just give you a hard time, while your angel is the sign energy you can call on in others for assistance, and your personal elf or cherub is the sign energy that will cheer you up and work behind the scenes to make your holiday special. Watch for the final installment tomorrow.

Aquarius  What’s your holiday philosophy? The truth is, I don’t want to know, and neither does anybody else. When you wax grandiloquent after a couple of eggnogs on the subject of  ‘What Purpose Communal Celebration Serves Within the Social Survival Matrix,’ the other signs would like to strangle you with holiday garland, while any other Aquarii in the room compete with their own pet philosophies. The holidays are not the time to display your brain, unless you’re a Zombie and it’s scrambled with eggs for a festive post-party brunch; neither is it the time to gift everyone with your latest invention–no matter how clever or needed, it’s still all about you, and that’s what draws pushing and shoving matches your way: when every holiday function you’re involved with, every event, accessory, dish and doo-dad leads right back to your desire to show just how unusual and gifted you are. Is that fair to say? Probably not–you’re as kind, loving, and holiday-inspired as any of us–but this is the perception, as all anybody sees is your ‘Ah-ha!’ moment at the great reveal of Aquarius’ latest idea or innovation. ‘They’ don’t see the work you do; they only see an individual who wants to be viewed and applauded as unique. At holiday time resentment of Aquarius rises as AQ seems to put her or his own interests and objectives ahead of the group–the operative word is ‘seems.’ Aquarius, even when pursuing individual objectives, is always thinking of the group; the group just isn’t always aware of this. So how do you bring resentment down and popularity up? By doing less for the group and more with the group. One of the biggest problems is that when people gather to make preparations or distribute responsibility, Aquarius is already at work on something, and nowhere to be found–and it makes AQ seem selfish, standoffish, and ‘too good for,’ as for the more simple-minded, absence equals rejection–and that’s where the cold remarks, one upsmanship, and feigned indifference to Aquarian achievements originates. So, Aquarius, show up to paint ornaments, string popcorn and cranberries, and decorate the tree with everybody else, help set up the card tables and rented chairs before the big meal, and in front of everyone offer to clean the bathroom–and then do it. No one will ever think you’re a snob again 😉 Your Nemesis this holiday season: Pisces, Capricorn, or Leo/ Your secret angel: Libra/ Your own personal elf or cherub: Gemini

New Year, New Newsletter, New Post

20 Thursday Jan 2011

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from Synagogue Beit Alpha, Northern Israel, 6th century, courtesy NASA

As ECLIPSE Readers know, I’ve been looking to fine-tune what I’m delivering in the publication to better suit both my readers and myself; to that end I’ve decided to make the quarterly journal into a newsletter, delivered directly to email, between one and three times per month (with possible updates in between). This allows me to deliver much more material in a shorter format–you get more material, I get to experiment with more variety, and worry less about time-consuming formatting and the chance that larger files could be rejected by some recipient’s email servers. Material will still be in-depth, but in shorter pieces, and more of them than were fitting into the magazine, so that over the three month time period that an issue used to cover, you’ll receive a lot more.

Will it cost more? Yes–you’ll be getting more for your money. I know I may lose some readers because of this (I may lose a lot of readers because of this!) I once heard someone say, in relation to the cost of their own services, “Not everyone is supposed to be able to afford everything,” and something like that may apply here; it’s a matter of priorities, of what something is worth to you, and I won’t be one bit offended if readers decide this method isn’t for them. We all have to make decisions that serve our best interests, myself included, and, particularly when I consider the time I invest (after all, you come here because of my years of study, because of what I can offer you), and review the cost of other amenities in Western society (roughly the equivalent of a first-run movie ticket, popcorn, and a drink for a 3 month subscription=$15) I feel the price is reasonable. For those who don’t want to subscribe, there will still be abbreviated daily (or covering several days) posts here, where I’ll try to convey the essential, need-to-know data, and short articles and commentary at ‘Been There, Done That.’

The Newsletter (still called ECLIPSE) will be illustrated just as the magazine was, and deliver a letter from me (let’s call it a communique, that’s so ’70s radical!) articles, shorts, and by-the-week forecasts, as well as New and Full Moon reports; there will still be a Protected Page here at the blog for the detailed Daily Moon picture. Your subscription will start from the day you enroll, and last three months out (for instance, 3 Feb as the sign up date takes your subscription through 3 May). The first issue features articles on Amor and Sappho, Solar Arc for beginners, a three-week ‘look ahead,’and a review of the amazing astrological imagery of Darren Aronofsky’s film ‘Black Swan’ I hope you’ll join me for the journey!

PS There’s no link up yet to order; I’ll let you know right here as soon as there is! Thanks!

And there’s a new post at ‘Been There, Done That’ on the entry of the Sun, Mars, and Ceres into Aquarius.

Thank you!

Mars Through Aquarius: I Think I Want

05 Thursday Feb 2009

Posted by in Aquarius, aspects and placements, astrology, Mars

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I don’t get–

I don’t get furious.

No!

I get cool.

I get angry!

But not furious!

Yeah!

True.

‘Rappin’ ‘Bout My ‘Tude’ from Pieces of Intelligence: The Existential Poetry of Donald H. Rumsfeld, compiled and edited by Hart Seely, taken from interviews and press conferences given by the former Secretary of Defense

This is Mars in Aquarius: cool. angry. furious. and perhaps in denial.

Mars moving through Aquarius is an energy we should be especially conscious of, for two reasons: first, with the force of the ego and ‘I am’ in the sign of Higher Knowledge, academic thought forms, and the intellectual approach, we may be prone to confuse our forward energies with our contemplative and reasoning ones, bringing our progress to a halt, Hamlet style, with endless mulling of the possibilities; and second, we may use our higher reasoning functions simply and directly to justify what we want for ourselves, no matter the implications. This latter possibility holds a number of pitfalls as Mars travels Aquarius and unites with other energies that will only reinforce Willfulness, dressing it up in any number of justifications and rationalizations. There’s always the chance that this transit manifests as ‘Me vs. the Group,’ but even in this form it still follows the frustrations and inclinations of Mars and what he meets along the way.

On the 16th Mars conjuncts both Jupiter and the North Node, suggesting a kind of fated exaggeration applied to whatever form we’ve given Mars through Aquarius. This is why we must define our attitude, why we must find a way for the action urge to embrace intellectual understanding even as we act–because we must avoid the trap of perceiving ourselves to have accomplished when all we’ve done is think about our situation, and this is especially tempting with the conjunction of the 16th, as we can easily apply big thought forms to our future, and feel like that’s enough to make things happen.

As in the verse above, Mars transiting the Water Bearer’s sign may confuse us: “I get cool. I get angry!” We may separate our energies in such a way that we think about being angry but muster no firepower–this can put us in a bad position, too cool in our assessment of things, and so unable to act in our own interests in a timely manner. On the 18th Mars meets Juno, and how much animus we can bring forward to empower ourselves becomes a vital question–we don’ t want that energy sitting to the side like Rodin’s ‘Thinker,’ immobile, stuck.

By the 28th-1st of March, Mercury catches up with Mars, and all this thinking may burst out, communicated more forcefully than we intend. It may feel like we can finally say what we mean–but speaking out likely doesn’t relieve the stress, as Mars chafes at sending all its force through the intellect. Mars finally catches up with Chiron March 4th-5th and we may be in a Self-designed stew, wanting more than ever to act (as Mars will, eventually, realize that all this thinking isn’t natural for it!) but now hampered by fear of hurt. Some, however, will rally the Martian Will and energy in service of healing, and here’s where we triumph; if you’ve used the early part of Mars’ travels in Aquarius to think deeply about how, where, and most importantly, why the ego wants what it wants–Aquarian intellect and understanding can be at the service of the ego in a tremendously productive way, discerning our wants and impulses with unusual clarity.

March 7th Mars hits Neptune and we want to have our ducks in a row before this occurs; if we do, we can use this combo to go after our ideals, and work toward our dreams. If not, we will lose the benefit of all that thinkin’ time that came before. Maybe it’s the difference between, as in the verse, fury, which is expressed blindly, and anger, which can be honed and aimed, laser-like, and used in service of our goals and dreams.