Drawing From the Wellspring of Love
Aquarius (January 20-February 19)
Combine science, creativity, and love to bring healing to yourself and to the world
Aquarius is a fixed, positive, air sign, ruled by Uranus. Aquarian parts of the body are the shin and ankles, and the circulatory system. Its colour is electric blue. Keywords are detachedly and scientifically.
Louis MacNeice, in his book Astrology, refers to Aquarius as the awakener, and “the sign of the yogi through the development of spiritual consciousness through contemplation”. The association of the sign with the third eye, or Ajna Chakra, means it awakens the power of intuition. However, in Aquarius this intuitive insight is always backed up with rational, scientific knowledge. This Aquarian combination of a love for humanity, intuition, and evidence-based scientific knowledge, could stand us in good stead as we grapple with modern dilemmas such as climate change and global warming.
The rulership of Uranus means that Aquarius is a rebel and likes to make waves. Aquarius is an idealistic sign that wants to change the world. The slogan, “If I can’t dance it’s not my revolution”, was emblazoned across feminist T-shirts in the 1970s, and it is attributed to the anarchist, political activist and writer Emma Goldman. In Oriental religions the heartbeat is referred to as a mystic dance of life going on inside the body. In India the dancing Shiva was said to dwell at the beating heart of the cosmos.
Aquarius' symbol is the water bearer. There is a real generosity within the imagery of the water bearer, bestowing the blessing of water upon all of humanity, regardless of their perceived merit. The watery feel of the sign is added to by its glyph which is two wavy lines, representing waves. This has been incorporated into the Aquarius-inspired yoga practice in the Yoga by the Stars book, with the use of wave-like movements that ripple through the body. We use yoga movements that flow into each other in a wave-like fashion and there is an emphasis on observing the wave-like motion of the breath. Your breath is a wave, rising and falling, ebbing and flowing. The sun, the moon, the stars, the earth, are all there in every breath you take. Wave upon wave, circles within circles, like a cosmic mandala.
Louis MacNeice, in his book Astrology, refers to Aquarius as the awakener, and “the sign of the yogi through the development of spiritual consciousness through contemplation”. The association of the sign with the third eye, or Ajna Chakra, means it awakens the power of intuition. However, in Aquarius this intuitive insight is always backed up with rational, scientific knowledge. This Aquarian combination of a love for humanity, intuition, and evidence-based scientific knowledge, could stand us in good stead as we grapple with modern dilemmas such as climate change and global warming.
The rulership of Uranus means that Aquarius is a rebel and likes to make waves. Aquarius is an idealistic sign that wants to change the world. The slogan, “If I can’t dance it’s not my revolution”, was emblazoned across feminist T-shirts in the 1970s, and it is attributed to the anarchist, political activist and writer Emma Goldman. In Oriental religions the heartbeat is referred to as a mystic dance of life going on inside the body. In India the dancing Shiva was said to dwell at the beating heart of the cosmos.
Aquarius' symbol is the water bearer. There is a real generosity within the imagery of the water bearer, bestowing the blessing of water upon all of humanity, regardless of their perceived merit. The watery feel of the sign is added to by its glyph which is two wavy lines, representing waves. This has been incorporated into the Aquarius-inspired yoga practice in the Yoga by the Stars book, with the use of wave-like movements that ripple through the body. We use yoga movements that flow into each other in a wave-like fashion and there is an emphasis on observing the wave-like motion of the breath. Your breath is a wave, rising and falling, ebbing and flowing. The sun, the moon, the stars, the earth, are all there in every breath you take. Wave upon wave, circles within circles, like a cosmic mandala.
Aquarius-inspired Meditation Questions
- If I had been granted three wishes to make the world a better place, what would I wish for? And what small steps could I take to make this ideal world become a reality?
- How does standing back and observing the effect my yoga practice is having on me benefit my practice?
- Am I able to apply the same skills of detached observation to my daily life and so see the bigger picture?
- How would an understanding of the cycles of the natural world help me to understand my own natural rhythms and cycles better?
Aquarius: Draw from the wellspring of love. Learn the art of kind, compassionate detachment. Be rebellious, be generous, dance, and ride the waves of change. Combine science, creativity, and love, to bring healing to the world.