“Late lies the wintry sun a-bed,

A frosty, fiery sleepy-head;

Blinks but an hour or two; and then,

A blood-red orange, sets again.” - Robert Louis Stevenson

Here we are in the midst of the cold months, the dark months, and (in Pittsburgh, at least) the eternally gray and cloudy months. Since the apex of light and brightness at the Summer solstice, the Sun had steadily waned in light, and the amount of daylight decreased day after day until we finally arrived at the winter solstice one month ago.

Since Capricorn season, the light of the Sun has been steadily, slowly increasing. The days lengthen - the power of the light is returning to the world. But we’re still the very beginning of this reascent, where growth is trudging along, so chances are high you haven’t felt the slow increase of light and the gentle return of magic into the world.

And in a few days, the plodding, dour drudgery of Capricorn season will conclude. The Holly King’s grip on winter will wane. The Sun will enter into Aquarius, the idealistic, cogent, intellectually poised, fixed air sign of Saturn, on Saturday, January 20th at 9:07 am eastern time. The gritty focus on duty, responsibility, and work will subside. The energetic timbre of the skies will lighten and clarify as the Sun continues its journey through the zodiac.

During Aquarius season, we are still in the darker half of the year. The length of nighttime outweighs the length of daytime, and the darkness dominates over the light. However, the daylight is steadily increasing, and the days are beginning to grow noticeably longer. Though the Age of Dark still dominates and the nighttime outlasts the daylight, The Sun still moves single-mindedly away from the winter solstice, the darkest point of the year, back towards the summer. And we are making real progress.

Indeed, Aquarius loves progress. It is visionary, future-oriented, and fixated on what heaven we can bring to earth. In essence, Aquarius witnesses a dark past, but an equally bright future towards which we can work and strive to achieve. Some glimmers of a hopeful, bright, and sunny future are revealing themselves, even if they are a long way from being actualized. This gives natives with strong Aquarian energy their penchant for considering ideals, reflecting on possibilities, and engaging in theoretical discussions about ideas in general.

For classical astrologers and magicians, Aquarius was the daytime home of Saturn. As the farthest visible planet from the earth, Saturn classically ruled boundaries - especially the boundary between the spiritual world and the material world. While Capricorn reflects the material, earthly realms, Aquarius reflects the spiritual, heavenly realms. Hence, Aquarius was classically associated with the realm of the fixed stars and of course the Star card in the Tarot.

Imagine viewing the world from vantage point of the stars and heavens above, and you’ll have a good sense of the mindset of Aquarius. Aquarius natives are high-minded, idealistic, and often very humanitarian. They spend a great deal of time reflecting on the best possible outcomes and scenarios. They go through life trying to achieve the same objective, absolute vantage point that one could only receive by rising up to the level of the heavens. Just as the Sun absconds from the darkest point of the year towards its bright future, so too do Aquarius strive towards a bright, idealistic world for all of humanity.

As it always strives towards a higher, more rarified vantage point, Aquarius has a strong capacity to think outside the box and apply innovative, fresh perspectives to problems. Their detached, rational view gives them new insights and ideas that can be applied to old problems. In ascending to the dazzling heights of the fixed stars, Aquarius hopes to bring a little bit of heaven to earth and purify the world around us in noetic absolutes and a priori reasoning.

The downsides are decision paralysis and analysis paralysis. It is very difficult to act if you can examine an issue from a thousand different angles. Aquarius is very concerned that any action which deviates from the absolute ideal that it strives for will only make matters worse, not better. It often refuses to act until enough information has been gathered to make the right choice, but because the process of gathering new information is never-ending, they oftentimes never decide until they have to.

Classically, the Sun - the lord of action and spontaneous expression - is in its detriment here, because its capacity to act and decide from inner knowing becomes frozen by objectivity, absolutes, and the thoughts and opinions of others.

During Aquarius season, we are all moving headlong away from the darkest part of the year, towards a bright and hopeful future. We call all use this forward momentum to new, fresh perspectives on old problems. We can be innovative and begin thinking outside the box to bring a breath of fresh air into our lives.

We can become more social and engaged with other people in our process. Aquarius strives for interactions and discussions with others because their perspectives will naturally inform their own. You will flourish the most during this period when you can engage in your process alongside others. Don’t be afraid to reach out to friends and conversation partners who can help you achieve those innovative insights about your life that you’re searching for.

In what ways have you become stuck in your thinking and behavior? What old, ingrained habits and patterning should you release? How can you begin a dialogue with interlocutors and confidantes who will help you see the ways you can adjust and improve your thought processes and attitudes? How can you bring a piece of heaven on earth into your life?

When you find out what you need to change, don’t be afraid to act. At times, you will feel like you could keep hovering over the playing field of your life for eternity without knowing what you need to do next. There reaches a point where some action is better than no action, even if that action isn’t perfect. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.

Aspectswise, we have a rather quiet month. Thankfully, the Sun is averse to both the malefics, Mars and Saturn. The one noteworthy aspect is a square that Jupiter forms to the Sun throughout its during through the first Decan of Aquarius. Expect teachers, guides, and mentor figures to provide more support and guidance for you during this time. Your relationship with your spiritual studies and teachers with deepen, and you will be able to approach mentors about whatever is on your mind.

If you want to know what specifically you can expect during this period, identify what house Aquarius covers in your natal chart, and then you will see which house and area of life will be most activated by this transit. If you are Gemini rising, the Sun transits your 9th house of travel and higher study. It would be a good time to either begin or deepen spiritual practice, as your practices and studies will provide you will deeper-than-average insight. If you are Leo rising, the Sun transits your 7th house of relationships. You may find your insight and spiritual transformation coming from one-on-one relationships.

Passionflower is a good supplement during this season, especially if you are prone to anxiety, worrying, and have trouble calming the mind and entering into the body. Kava kava is also beneficial as another anti-anxiety herb that also helps to reconnect people to their hearts - a much-needed medicine during the very ratiocinative, cogitative season of Aquarius.

Black obsidian, a naturally saturnine gemstone, helps to quiet the mind and ground one’s energy in the body. It also shuts out any grasping energies that try and distract you or keep you in a state of analysis paralysis.

Stay the course, listen to your inner knowing, and don’t be afraid to act. Staying true to your vision, you will see the ways you can bring heaven down to earth.

-Merlin