The Sun has just entered into Aquarius, the sign of the fixed stars, ideals and absolutes. With this ingression, the Sun heralds our ascent from out of the darkness and chaos chaos of life, elevating our circumstances with the begins to bring down the objective clarity, absolute knowing, and healing waters of Aquarius.

And now more than ever, as large swaths of the U.S. burn, and the whole world is consumed either by the fires of war or tensile truce, do we need the cooling waters and the clinical gaze of Aquarius.

There are several indicators in the heavens that this period will be lighter and more buoyant than the previous month. The fact that The Sun forms no aspect to either of the malefics, and that Jupiter forms a trine to the Sun, all indicate some opportunities to rebuild and grow. I’ll write more on that below, but I want to discuss the core significations of Aquarius first.

But before I get to the discussion of Aquarius season, I want to say: Happy Martin Luther King day in the U.S.! MLK had mercury in Aquarius, and the entire direction of all his humanitarian efforts are very in keeping with the symbolism and ideals of Aquarius.

The pursuit of justice at all costs while refusing to feed the evil of his adversaries by stooping to their level of violence, the brilliant oratorical skills, and the clear vision of an idealistic future into which all people can enter regardless of the color of their skin, are clear testaments of the ideals and virtues we should strive for duribng this zodiacal season.

I will leave you with my favorite quote by him that I feel especially speaks to the teachings of Aquarius and the medicine that we need now:

"Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a better person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in."

Fundamental to Aquarius’ significations are progress, ideals, innovation, and pursuit of a future that is brighter than the past. Since the winter solstice, the light of the Sun has been steadily, slowly increasing. The days lengthen - the power of the light is returning to the world.

But by the time the Sun enters Aquarius, some real distance has been made from the celestial nadir and the apex of darkness - the plodding, dour drudgery of Capricorn season and its focus on grit and duty is no longer needed. Though the Age of Dark still dominates and the nighttime outlasts the daylight, we are making real progress towards our return to the age of light.

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.

Thankfully, the Sun is averse to both the malefics, Mars and Saturn, and so I do expect some quietude and settling from all of the energy that we’ve been experiencing. I don’t think it will be as challenging as capricorn season.

The one noteworthy aspect is a trine that Jupiter forms to the Sun. 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 will deepen, and you will be able to approach mentors about whatever is on your mind. Again, I expect opportunities to rebuild and grow, especially after Jupiter goes direct on February 8th.

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 be prepared to release darkness within your own life that precludes you from receiving the bright future you are pursuing. Don’t get stuck and analysis paralysis, 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