Aquarius and Prophecy
The Lunar New Year is approaching!
This powerful New Moon will take place at 1° of Aquarius on January 21st. As an Aquarius Moon myself, I’m curious about what this energy will bring. That’s the thing about Astrology, it isn’t really predictive, its more of a preparatory practice. It is confusing because the way we use the word prophecy.
Old English propheta, via Latin from Greek prophētēs ‘interpreter, expounder’, from pro ‘before’ + phētēs ‘speaker’ (from phēnai ‘speak’); subsequently reinforced by Old French prophete .
If we consider the prefix ‘pro’, in addition to meaning ‘before’ as in preceding in time, it can also mean ‘before’ as in that which is before me. This can be physical items or information, but it makes a huge difference in the interpretation when we don’t consider both.
This is a perfect segue for the Aquarius Moon because the sign is associated with looking ahead into the future. Rick Levine reflects on the significations developed from the season of Aquarius (Jan 20-Feb 18) and mentions that this is a very strange time of year. The light of the sun is growing as it ascends back up towards the equator, but Spring is still many months away. For this reason, it feels a bit odd and that is actually one of the characteristics attributed to Aquarius: peculiarity.
Aquarius defines itself by what it is not, which we can look at in contrast to the opposite sign of Leo (which defines itself by what the group thinks it is). The sign is associated with being a non-conformist, a black sheep, the outcast. The myth of Saturn and Uranus (the co-rulers of this sign) is all about a paradigm shift, as Saturn stole the throne from his father Ouranus. With Saturn as the ruling planet in traditional astrology, we remember this signification by the fact that Saturn was the last planet the ancients could observe. The planet established the boundary line between the heavens and our universe. Many Aquarians will relate to the condition of feeling isolated, singled out, or even banished.
Because the sign is ruled by Saturn, the concept of time comes in to play. I intentionally formulated that sentence with the word play because when Saturn is in Capricorn (his other domicile), its all work and feels much more serious. With Aquarius, we think of time with regards to innovation and inventions for the future. Because it is an air sign, it’s a lot of imagination, and in that sense it is considered to be more rebellious in nature than the reliable sign of Capricorn. Many will associate this sign with the occult, and all of this may be part of the reason. When we think about the shaman, for example, its somewhat of a cooky person that lives on the outskirts of town.
All of that brings me back to this idea of prophecy. Aquarius looks ahead to the future but it does not predict the future in any mysterious way. Instead, Aquarius considers the tools that it has and imagines a more efficient way of using them, or perhaps how to create better tools for the same job. There is an ability to think outside the box, as it has access to the realm beyond Saturn. However, the Heavens contain many possibilities and alternate plot lines, because it is a realm of potential energy. Often relying on intellect, and established patterns in nature, Aquarius can make “educated guesses” about what is to come.
An Astrologer looks at a chart to see the possibilities. Which might sound like woo-woo, but it is at least a little bit more than that. To use the word prophecy as it was meant to be used, the Astrologer takes all that is before them (physically and chronologically) and interprets what that could mean for the present and the future. Its very important to attune oneself to the patterns by reflecting on all that has come before. It is important to have a deep understanding of the traditions that came before. But it is also important to consider the present and how that relates to the future.
Originally written in Collective Journaling at The Stoa
