Aquarius

Aquarius
Catch and Release: Reeling in that Big Fish

Symbols(s): Water-Bearer, Nude Woman, Man, Fish-Hook
Element and Modality: Air, Fixed
Planetary Ruler(s): Saturn, Uranus
House: XI, Friendships
Bodily Function(s): Shins, Ankles, Blood

Tarot Card: The Star
Hebrew Letter: Tzaddi

It is easy to automatically assume that Aquarius is a water sign. And that assumption wouldn't be entirely incorrect. Aquarius, situated between Pisces (water) and Capricorn (earth), is still within the realm of the abysmal depths -- of the unconscious. The bodily location it is attributed to is just above the feet, with the ankles wading in the waters of the cosmic mind-pool.

The element of air is always associated with mental activity, with thought, and with communication. Knowing that water is closely associated to this sign, we can then infer that there is a relay of information between the conscious and the unconscious. Aquarius is all about the dissemination of knowledge through intuition. Dis-Semination: The distribution of information. Semin-Ate, Semen: To sow or to propagate. In other words: The consumption of knowledge. And this is done through the circulation of the blood. Water and air; oxygenated blood. Leo is the sign that governs the heart, and is the complementary sign to Aquarius. The relationship between them, then, should be obvious.

Dissolution is the operation of Aquarius. Dissolution is the process in which a gas, a liquid, or a solid is broken down in a solvent. Blood is a liquid solution, comprised of different solutes/solvents. Psychologically, this is the conception, the breaking down, and the eventual distribution of modified thought-forms. Here we "catch" different concepts, keep some, and "release" others. Release can be seen from two "angles" (hinting at angling and fish-hooks). Released, as in eliminated, and/or released (integrated) into the blood stream (or consciousness).

Aquarius, directing the feet, is on a quest for knowledge and self-discovery through balance. Feet are always holding us upright and trying to keep us on an even keel. Aquarius has one foot in the water and one foot upon the earth. The Aquarian glyph shows us two wavy lines. The waves can be seen as water or air. Two always meaning duality: The twin forces of the masculine (conscious, solar) and the feminine (unconscious, lunar).

The widespread circulatory exchange of information is mirrored without as well. The 11th House of Aquarius is considered to be the House of Friendships and Cultural Interrelations. Consider that each human is a vital cell within the body of the Earth. The circulation within is the circulation without. Teamwork is a must in order to maintain homeostasis within the body of Government, the body of Earth. Here, we experiment with different ideas. Some are expedited. Others are eliminated. The same is true for each human life. When a cell has outlived its usefulness, it passes on, and is recycled.

When we grasp the significance of this concept, we realize we can no longer afford to play the victim. If we are, as individuals, in a constant state of disharmony, then we're polluting the collective with that energy. When one comes into alignment, they're anchoring peace and healing into the planetary body. This doesn't mean that we should suppress our negative thoughts or emotions. It simply means taking responsibility for the state of our internal affairs and reflecting on them. The same is true for our relations with others. When we surround ourselves with drama and mayhem, we're creating that in our body and within the body of the planet.

Graceful management of internal affairs reflects without. When we make positive choices for our cells, our selves, we're making good choices for all. This will attract to us experiences and individuals needed for further growth. Internal cooperation becomes external cooperation -- and on and on. If there is still work that needs to be done, and there always is, we will be provided with experiences that will further refine us. External drama can affect us positively, or be neutralized, if we seek internal re-solutions. This is what response-ability is all about: Creating solutions rather than feeding conflict. Sometimes that means severing our exchanges with the toxic cells by eliminating them from our lives. All of this is within the realm of Aquarius.

Two potent symbols always seen in relation to Aquarius: Pink Flamingos and the twin-tailed mermaid popularized on the Starbucks logo. Pink Flamingos are of the air (flight) and are typically seen wading in bodies of water, fishing for their nourishment. The pink and white  is the blending of red and white. Red and white blood cells. "Flamingo" has its origins in the word "flamengo", which translates to "flame-colored". Other translations have it listed to mean "blood red-feathered". Significant familial relations include "doves". Doves are famously known to symbolize the Holy Spirit. Something for us to brew over, to stew on. Curious, many of our phrases, huh? Percolate on that!

The pink flamingo can also be compared to the scarlet ibis perched on a tree shown in many versions of "The Star" card. Trees can be seen as a representation of the brain and the nervous system. Scarlet is the color of passion and white is the color of purity. Purification through transmutation of desires. The ibis' diet primarily consists of crayfish, crabs, and fish. These creatures of the water can all be seen as symbols of the reproductive powers of the subconscious mind.

Complementary/Opposing Sign: Leo

The complementary sign of Aquarius is Leo. Leo, in the Tarot, is represented by both "Strength" and "The Sun". The Sun governs the heart of man. Leo is exalted in Neptune, which we briefly touched upon in our examination of Pisces. Leo oversees not just the heart, but also the spine and digestion. This is an emotional center, so, even though Leo is a fire sign, the element of water is present. We can see, then, partly why Neptune would find harmony through Leo.

The negative emotional aspects of Leo might involve pride, jealousy, anger, and vanity. Reddened with Martian desire. But, the elevated emotional expressions are love, compassion, strength, and courage. Whitened with Divine purity. The Leo center is situated near the heart, thymus, and lungs. Often we see that this area depicted in a green hue, but you will notice that the yellow of the Solar Plexus (liver) is located just below it. The liver is a part the digestive and endocrine systems. Leo, too, oversees the digestive system. The oxygen-rich moisture of respiration along with the warmth of the sun make it the ideal environment for fruitful vegetation. Hence the green. It is the higher expressions of emotion that allow us to open up the Lion's Gate and ascend into the higher spiritual centers.

Saturn and Uranus

Saturn and Uranus are the planetary influences of Aquarius. Saturn represents matter and completion. The spiritual life reaches completion through material existence. Archetypes of Saturn often feature an old man, much like the one you'd see in "The Hermit" tarot card. The 'inferior' (or negative) aspects of Saturn are death (putrefaction), stagnation, resistance, and rigidity. But Saturn also represents what is unchanging and absolute. Through the natural spiraling of cycles (that we like to measure, so we invent the linear concept of "time"), there is growth and there is death. Death always ushers in new growth. So, the Grim (melancholy) Reaper can also be seen as a Harvester. Without that Saturnian force pushing up against us, we would never mature. We would never accrue wisdom. We would never come to understand or know ourselves. Saturn conceals and reveals to us the truth through death: That we are an immortal essence eternally recycling itself. The outer form may change, but the essence can never die. It reveals its complementary opposite: Eternal growth. And this, in part, is what Uranus personifies.

Wherever you see the word death, erase it and replace it with "Transformation" or "Rebirth". If you can train your mind to see every ending as a new beginning, that big wide unknown won't seem so scary anymore. Because there will be a knowing that even in the face of the unknown, you will go on. You will rise again to see another day. You may not be the you that you are now, but you will always be. Are you the you that you were yesterday? Have you not died countless deaths in this form alone? You are the phoenix. The fiery flame-N-go. The scarlet ibis, burning up the night. The form changes as the image of the self fades. You trade one portrait for another. And yet the essence that gave rise to you is forever young. It never burns out.

Saturn is associated with "The World" card in tarot, and Uranus to "The Fool". The Alpha and The Omega. The Beginning and The End. There is an intimate relationship with Aquarius, Virgo (Mercury), Saturn, and Uranus that will come into focus as we continue on this meditative exploration. Much of what is being examined here inspires epiphanies as we go along. I take notes on things I've received intuitively and synthesize them with my extensive re-searching. Sharper clarity comes to me with each tapping of the keys.

"The Fool" tarot card is ruled by the element of air. But this air is scintillating, charged with electric radiating fire. "Aleph" is the Hebrew letter associated with this card. "Aleph" is the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet, and one of the 'Mother' letters (one of three). "Bet" is the second letter in the Hebrew alphabet. Alphabet, Aleph Bet. This Alpha, this beginning, carries within itself infinite potentials. When examining the imagery on this card, one might come to the conclusion that it is the embodiment of naïveté. That is not entirely wrong, either. Youth and inexperience are hinted at here. But the human figure in the card is a representation of the soul. The dog at his-her feet is a symbol of our inferior nature: Intellect, instinct, ego, and the animal body. The physical body is an animal body. Before one can enter the human kingdom, one must evolve through the lower kingdoms first: Mineral, Plant, and Animal. At the animal level, a slow process of individualization begins to occur.

This individualization process unfolds over many incarnations within the animal kingdom. It can, however, be accelerated via interaction with the human kingdom. A recent movie based on a popularized book depicts this perfectly. It's about the soul of a dog that goes through multiple incarnations. This dog is searching for its purpose. As it goes through lifetime after lifetime, it gains in wisdom. Some lifetimes are short and painful, while others are long and peaceful. Toward the end, the dog is reunited with his best friend -- a young boy who rescued him in an earlier incarnation. Although he is now in a different body, the boy (who is now a grown man) recognizes that that is the dog he grew up with. It can be sure that that dog's next incarnation would be in the human kingdom. The man, then, is a symbol of the dog uniting with his higher nature. This archetypal story can be applied to the human kingdom as it, too, evolves to the next level: Initiation into Divine embodiment.

When we are born into the human kingdom, we are born with this animal body. A body full of desires and instincts. The body itself is a mutant variation of the animal kingdom, but now has intellectual reasoning. There is cognition there, cognition of the self. It can now create things not of the flesh. It can build. It can commune with members of its species about high, abstract concepts. It can speak through highly-organized vibratory verbal patterns. The intellectual animal is a refined version of the animal kingdom, and this is just the beginning of its human unfoldment. The purpose of this mutation is so that it can be used as a vehicle for the Higher Self, the Cosmic "I AM". Self-realization is the purpose of the human kingdom. The Higher Mind wants to know itself, wants to self-actualize, but it can't do that without a proper vehicle. A vehicle that is consciously attuned and able to receive the higher frequencies.

Yellow is the color assigned to Mercury, but also of Uranus. In "The Fool" card we see a lot of yellow. Bright and sunny yellow. Sun, Mercury, and Uranus. The figure is seen looking upward toward the sun, toward the peaks ahead. He-She isn't paying attention to what's below, and appears to be about to march off the edge of the cliff. The dog is trying to warn him, but the being steps forward blissfully. This, too, can be seen from many angles -- all, of which, are accurate portrayals. The most obvious being that The Fool is ignorant. Ignorant to earthly affairs. Blindly optimistic and not heeding his-her animal instincts (physical senses). Inexperienced, to be sure, but embracing the adventures ahead nonetheless.

A deeper interpretation is hinted at there. The Soul (and counterpart: Spirit) is ignorant of its own potentials until it incarnates for the purpose of self-exploration and discovery. The inferior nature (dog), the Ego, fears its dissolution. Marching over the edge of the cliff into the abyss can be viewed as a symbol of this dissolution (or Ego death). The Soul is now no longer fixated on material matters and is, instead, turning toward the light of its transpersonal Self. Liberated and free. Free from fear. But this self-discovery is endless, and so The Fool will always be marching onward and upward. There is always more to see. There is always more to be. The Self perpetually becoming the Self. Creation can never end. The Spiritual Sun never sets. There is only eternity. There is only forever. We can never gain closure, because as soon as one door closes, another bursts wide open.

Exaltation: None
Detriment(s): None
Other Air Signs: Gemini, Libra
Other Fixed Signs: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio