The Shape of Each Soul
THE SUN ENTERS AQUARIUS
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 8:10am PST
When the mighty, life-giving Sun glides through unconventional Aquarius, we throw off the shackles of orthodox, hard-driving Capricorn, and can breathe a bit more freely. After all, not everything in life should be measured, dear Cap, by its potential commercial value. When the Sun is in Aquarius, we crave fresh air and fresh experience, and we begin to realize the best things in life ARE free, and the best thing in life IS freedom.
"Group conformity scares the pants off me because it's so often a prelude to cruelty towards anyone who doesn't want to — or can't — join the Big Parade."
— Bette Midler
Iconoclastic Aquarius is the sign of the outcast and the entrepreneur — the mad scientist too. And when the Sun shines through this unique lens, we embark on a month-long "liberty leave," with a wonderfully wacky kind of "free to be you and me" tolerance in the air. Many of us are more than ready to ditch the tried-and-true for the new and the unusual — we want the weirdest flavor that Ben & Jerry can produce.
So go ahead and have some fun. Do some experimenting over this next month. Perhaps buy something different to wear, something a little outlandish even, or at the very least, a bit out of character. And whenever you can, get out there and co-mingle more with your crowd, or someone else's crowd for that matter. It's no mind to Aquarius, friendliest sign of the twelve.
The fixed air sign of Aquarius sits opposite Sun-ruled, vital Leo, who oversees the joyful, heart-centered, and highly creative 5th house of the horoscope. Humanitarian Aquarius, on the other hand, is associated with the 11th house of groups and associates. So the balance between these two complementary signs is one of belonging without losing oneself in the process.
The Aquarius cycle then signals a time when it is wise to look at where we are putting our time, energy and effort, and begin the necessary "pull back" in places where we are not getting enough Leo satisfaction. When the Sun traverses through this sign of the collective, we may be asked to do the work of reclaiming our lives in some way and regain a better give-and-take balance. But in order to do this, there is often hard work involved, for we must face the areas of our lives where we have given power over, put an important part of ourselves on the back burner — or worse yet, denied entirely — for security, for love, to belong, to impress, or be liked and popular in some way with "our crowd." We need to search out all the bits and pieces of ourselves we have scattered here and there, sacrificed to the Gods of survival and popularity. Healthy Aquarian participation enables the expression who you are, participation that forwards your goals, wishes and dreams. Without Leo, Aquarius would be buried in some boring, irrelevant committee probably doing some kind of paperwork. And without that outward focus of Aquarius, Leo would become too self-referential, and fall prey to sycophantic applause and flattery.
The Shape of Each Soul is Different
Aquarius, sitting opposite Leo, and that uniquely hopeful and touchingly idealistic Aquarian focus on the dreams and wishes for the future, reminds me very much of John O'Donohue's insights into the Unlived Life, and I'd like to share the following passage, excerpted from his book, Anam Cara (which is Gaelic for "soul friend"):
The shape of each soul is different. There is a secret destiny for each person. When you endeavor to repeat what others have done or force yourself into a preset mold, you betray your individuality. We need to return to the solitude within, to find again the dream that lies at the hearth of the soul. We need to feel the dream with the wonder of a child approaching a threshold of discovery. When we rediscover our childlike nature, we enter into a world of gentle possibility. Consequently, we will find ourselves more frequently at that place, that place of ease, delight, and celebration. The false burdens fall away. We come into rhythm with ourselves. Our clay shape gradually learns to walk beautifully on this magnificent earth.
Intellectual air sign Aquarius inspires us to see the world from a healthier place of emotional detachment too. This is why cool-headed Aquarians in general make good group participants for they are interested in what's good for all concerned not just themselves. Yet, when we take into consideration Aquarius' modern ruler, innovative, iconoclastic Uranus' influence, the urge is most certainly not for group conformity, an important distinction to draw here. Aquarian passion is collective passion, but roused more readily through shared purpose and lofty humanitarian ideals — preferably innovative and original ones too. When the Sun shines in Aquarius, we no longer need to be the featured soloist, and will more readily join the anonymous ranks of the orchestra or chorus — but only if those groups support our individual goals and values — and only if. Whoever came up with the saying, "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts," must have had Aquarius prominent in their chart.
AQUA-rius is a Water Sign, Right?
Astrological trivia question: Aquarius, despite being the "water bearer" is not a water sign, but an air sign. True or False? (Answer: True) According to astrologer Alice O. Howell, the squiggly lines that make up its symbol are not water waves, but waves of energy, prana or chi — life force energy, which makes complete sense if you know any of these often active and exuberant individuals. 
The substance poured from Aquarius's jug is also the "water of knowledge" and symbolizes the desire to learn, as well as share this knowledge with the rest of the world. The water bearer in pouring out knowledge and life force energy, is emblematic of humanistic concern. Aquarius is the eleventh sign of the zodiac and is associated with the eleventh house, which represents society, groups and affiliations, as well as our hopes and wishes for both ourselves and the planet on which we live. When we wish upon a star, it is an Aquarian star that answers.
"The Star" of the Tarot deck closely corresponds to the Aquarius archetype, representing hope in the future, faith in oneself and thinking positively. It symbolizes inspiration of the divine sort, the kind that streams forth when we are in touch with our muse and feel watched over by our guardian angels. The Star is strength and light that flows from a transcendant source of peace and tranquility. It is Galadriel's comforting star Eärendil from Tolkien's lovely tale.
Galadriel: "I give you the light of Eärendil, our most beloved star. May it be a light for you in dark places, when all other lights go out."
— J. R. R. Tolkien
Aquarius is our connection to this divine light. The all-important illumination at the end of the tunnel, showing us the way through Capricorn's dark night of the soul. It is the umbilical cord to our own brilliant, inner radiance. How can you reflect this much needed light into the world today?
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The image of the Aquarius, the Water Bearer, is a Sixteenth century printer's ornament. The Star card is from the original Rider-Waite Tarot deck. Authored by A. E. Waite and illustrated by Pamela Coleman, it was originally published in 1909 in England by Rider and Company.
The illustration at top, "Fairy Dance" is by Arthur Rackham, a children's book illustrator from the Victorian era; and the illustration of the cherubs was taken from a Victorian Valentine's Day card, artist unknown.
© 2012 Elaine Kalantarian, all rights reserved