The Sun has entered Aquarius, and traverses its first decan from January 19th to January 29th.  Just a few days prior was the New Moon in Capricorn, on which the Moon joined the Sun still with a plethora of planets weighing there.

In Capricorn, lofty aims are humbled and meandering dreams re-routed through the clarity of ambition grounded in discipline.  Foundations are laid, and the aims can be high, the dreams real and visceral, so long as we keep our footing.

In airy Aquarius, we find the utility of genius — the essential idea and ‘how it works’ in the world out there.  As one sign translates into the next, the ‘worldliness’ of Capricorn and its tectonic plate-shifting mystique turn to Aquarius: how we circumnavigate, fit into or break down existing groups and structures as desired.

While the opposite sign Leo is associated with radiating from the inside out, the Sun in Aquarius asks us to look from the outside in, to explore the imaginal and mechanical inner workings of that which is.

Here, affinities for technology and the offbeat abound.  Novelty is a key word with the air element, Aquarius in particular.  Themes of rebellion stem from concern with where one does or does not fit in, socially or ideologically.  Here we see Aquarius the party animal as often as the loner or divine pariah.

While I have observed the first decan of Aquarius to bear a uniquely saturnine quality, it is traditionally ruled by Venus, and does hold the lightness of transcending Capricorn’s fortresses for further exploration of individual vs. collective identity.

Venus entered Aquarius on January 17th, a day after the New Moon in Capricorn momentarily saw the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Saturn and Pluto all spread across in the earthy sign of the Goat.

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In my piece on the astrology of January 2018, I made mention of Venus’ conjunction with the Sun and Pluto in Capricorn on January 9th.  (Some rad astro vocab: a planet conjoined the Sun is called ‘cazimi’ or ‘in the heart of’ its rays.)

With Venus and the Sun having conjoined volcanic Pluto, and Venus having begun a new synodic cycle, there were obvious and much-discussed associations with beginnings, endings, and purgation related to love and relationship; explosive creativity; and rebirth of the muse.  Venus has associations with both aesthetic and conceptual beauty, physical and relational — to others, to the world — and the Sun is the throne of our egoic identities.

The selfhood of Spring’s inhalation and Summer’s held breath… turn to Fall’s exhalation and Winter’s empty lungs.  Winter’s worldly concern is thus instinctual, an aspect of natural law.  Both Saturn-ruled signs, assessing our identities in terms of ‘the world out there’ is a big thing with Capricorn and Aquarius.

The Capricorn shades of us are more instigating, earthy and sensory, while Aquarius sounds out focused, airy and thinking-based song.  Thus, it is important to differentiate between our egoic concepts of ourselves and who we are more immediately moment to moment.

Sometimes we mistake possibility, potential ‘in the air’ for real progress or imminence.  It’s possible to get high on real visions of what you think you are and could be, without making it so in the external world.

The main transit that will take place this first decan of Aquarius is Mars’ entrance to Sagittarius on the 26th.  Where Aquarius is airy genius, Sagittarius is fiery brilliance.  The swiftness of this Mars’ placement adds enthusiasm and gusto, which may serve as a more encouraging than unrealistic dose to the current astrology!  More on this and the upcoming Full Moon Total Lunar Eclipse on the 31st in the approaching days.

Let us plod well through the sky, stargazers.  A happy Aquarius to come!