Modality - Fixed
Second Sign of Winter
Element - Air.
The constellation Aquarius is next to last in order from Aries (the first sign) to Pisces (the last sign). The Earth is under the influence of Aquarius (so to speak) between the manmade dates of January 20th or so to about Feb. 20. It is ruled by the planet Saturn in the old school of Astrology, and more recently by the newly discovered planet Uranus, the true ruler, leaving Saturn to rule its original sign Capricorn, which also occurs before Aquarius, in the dead of Winter.
Contrary to popular misperceptions, Aquarius is NOT a water sign.
This mis-association comes from the label attached to Aquarius,
the Water Bearer. Most don't realize that a cloud bears water
(through the air) and deposits it in the form of rain, elsewhere.
The water of Aquarius represents IDEAS, consistent with it's airy
quality, air being the element of THOUGHT. Even the wavy lines
in the symbol of Aquarius confuse people into believing it is a
water sign, and it can be broken down as "aqua - uraeus". This
possible etymology implies Aquarius as the "water snake" which
eats it's own tail, a symbol of the struggle of death and rebirth, cyclical and unending, in which each ending gives rise
to another beginning, like the phoenix rising from it's own
ashes in Scorpio.
In Aquarius though, the transformation of ideas is a goal to be
strived for. Aquarius is a FIXED sign, which means that for its
element of Air, it can be extremely stubborn. Aquarians can be
extremely opinionated and completely unwilling to change their
mind (air) or ideas for anyone. They have been accused of being
intellectually arrogant, tyrannical and eccentric. However, on
the other hand, Aquarius has an intellectual organization (or
dis-organization in the unevolved) which borders genius.
It is important to point out here that the characteristics of Aquarius the sign, and someone born with Sun in Aquarius, are entirely separate, but similar in some ways. The Zodiacal energy filters down into characteristics displayed by someone born under the influence of this sign. Similarly, one may have the Moon in Aquarius, or Mars, or Saturn, not just the Sun. These placements of the planets have completely unique meanings and should never be confused with the Zodiacal energy of Aquarius, or with characteristics of someone born with the Sun in Aquarius.
Saturn was the farthest planet the ancients could see. Since Uranus is beyond Saturn, it governs those things which are beyond the realm of time and it's limits. Remember, Saturn with her rings, defines limits and boundaries. Uranus breaks these limits with a revolutionary energy of originality and proposes intellectual brilliance. It is the higher vibration of Mercury.
Aquarius therefore, is associated with the higher mind, as Mercury-ruled Gemini is associated with the lower mind. Both are air signs, which is the element associated with the Intellect in general. Aquarius represents hope, especially hope for the future. Of all the signs, this one has more to do with thinking about the future than the others. Whereas in Capricorn, we plan and squirrel away resources for the anticipated long, cold winter, in Aquarius we are dreaming of a utopia where such limitation and severity is not found! As the polar opposite of Leo, which represents the individual (the ego), Aquarius represents the collective or the group. One possibility we may see in this new age is the development of a collective or group "mind".
Telepathy and intuition are much the same types of information which enters our consciousness instinctively, naturally. If we evolve far enough that thoughts and feelings are freely shared and understood, crime will disappear because everyone in the group would "know" and therefore it could not be concealed any more, a very effective deterrent perhaps, in a future earth.
The hope of Aquarius lies in uniting together so that each one can give according to his or her unique abilities, which will be recognized without prejudice or bias, and take according to his or her need. It was the utopian ideal of Communism, but it lost
a great deal in the manifestation or translation, as the failure of the Soviet Union has proven.
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