The Age of Aquarius: Age isn’t just a number

We can pretty much all agree that 2020 has been an eye-opening and challenging year. All of us have experienced more seclusion and isolation due to “staying at home” and quarantine, coupled with worrisome thoughts about our economic situation, health and safety.  While perhaps heightening your sense of anxiety, hopefully this time of slowing down has inspired some deep thinking about what truly is important. 

Though I do not claim to be an Astrologer (nor an Astronomer!), the art and wisdom of the planets and stars has always intrigued me.  I would say I have an above average knowledge about the generalities of astrology but always love learning more about how the “music of the spheres” interacts with our personal lives here on Earth.  So, let’s dive in to the Aquarian Age and how that is relevant to us experiencing our reality together at this time on Mother Gaia.

Aquarius energy is willful and bright, innovative and curious, intelligent and eccentric and speaks of truth and freedom.  Challenging Aquarian shadow archetypes might show up as embodying too much of a rebellious nature, or so much mental activity that one’s energy comes across as a lone wolf or being emotionally distant.  Aquarius is an air sign, which rules the mind and mental processes, so though wonderful new ideas can spring from Aquarius energy, the shadow aspect would manifest as a detachment from feeling (the heart) and getting trapped in the “mulling it over,” whereas there is no springboard into action, only the hamster wheel of the brain going faster and not necessarily getting anywhere.  

We are always reminded to see the duality in astrological traits, the good and the bad, the strengths and the challenges, because as we all have choice and free will, it is up to us as to where we will put our intention, focus and energy.  Whether parts of your personal astrological chart are ruled by the sign of Aquarius or not, all of us in humanity are feeling the tugs of the inflowing Age of Aquarius.  Though astrological ages, seasons, and retrogrades have exact beginnings and endings, the energy moves more like a wave, small at first and reaching a crest, with a receding ebb on its way out. 

Where are we now?  There isn’t an exact date that all Astrologers agree on that heralds the start of the Aquarian Age. Some have said it began a few thousand to a few hundred years ago and others say it is yet to come. But, as each astrological Age is over two thousand years (each sign having an Age of give or take 2160 years) and it takes a total of about 26,000 years to make it though the entire wheel of the Zodiac, the closest estimation that we can get is that we are somewhere in between the end of the Piscean Age and heralding the Aquarian Age.

The Age of Pisces was ruled by hierarchy, the patriarchy and power.  Governed by religion and the rules of those belief systems, the need to follow and align to political ideologies (and to those sometime charismatic yet incredibly power hungry leaders), and following the chain of command was what the Piscean Age was about.  And as this hierarchy was vertical in nature, the leaders and the ones in charge moved up the ladder and everyone else was left scrabbling for their place in the pecking order.  The “powers that be” were in the know and everyone else was left blindly following with only their allegiance and belief in whatever ideology they inherited from past generations. As we are all here to experience the infinite multitude of experiences,  humans, families, cultures and societies in the Piscean Age got to try on religion, politics, the rise and fall of those religious and political structures, and had life experiences of finding their worth (and their place) based on what they believed. 

If the Age of Pisces was about being dominated and following ideologies, what does the Aquarian Age offer us?  Instead of the outgrown Pisces mantra, “to be is to find something or someone to believe in,” the Aquarius ballad is, “everything I need to know is within my own, whole self.”  Talk about empowerment!  I will write more about the Age of Aquarius in my next post. Until then, focus within and find out what you need to know.