The Age of Aquarius

A part of something bigger

   Jeff Jawer on the topics of blogs, astrology, aquarius

The Sun’s entry into Aquarius last Sunday night, January 19, began a 30-day period when the cool objectivity and innovative attributes of this sign become more visible. It’s an opportunity to step back from our individual identities to notice that we belong to many different networks of people. We have friends, families, colleagues, co-workers, and even competitors who weave the numerous webs of relationships that make up our lives.

None of us is alone. We are each parts of larger collectives, groups of people bound by blood and linked by nation, religion, race, politics, vocation, avocation, neighborhood, astrological sign, etc. Much of our identity is shaped by how we see ourselves within these different groups. The basic human needs for company, comfort and conversation, to say nothing of food and shelter, require the participation of other people. We are a sociable species who need one another to survive. Yet in the United States the primary political shift of the past 30 years has been away from public (government) and toward private (corporate) investment. There are many reasons for this, but the point is that the principles of collective and individual interests have become more polarized. Fortunately, this is not the only option, which is what Aquarius teaches us.

This is the dawning…

Aquarius is the eleventh sign of the zodiac. It awakens the idea that all human beings are connected and that by working together we can be as creative as the gods. Using our collective intelligence leads us to a sense of purpose rooted in love and cooperation. This is the open-minded, open-hearted ethos of Age of Aquarius hippies and other progressive groups. Some, though, believe that these principles are too open to hold society together and that we must rely on the wisdom of the past — religion and tradition — to ensure survival into the future.

Forward-looking Aquarius is not limited to old ideas and values, nor does it necessarily reject them. It is an inclusive sign that is open to many facets of belief and practice, which is why it is associated with freedom. Aquarius is opposite Leo, the fifth sign and symbol of Self-Consciousness. The Lion represents the awakening individual, the conscious self. It’s an all-consuming Fire sign who usually plays the hero and star of the show. Aquarius, though, represents a higher level of individual consciousness that is fully aware of its place in a community. Instead of the Leo way of identifying ourselves as the singular Sun of this solar system, we perceive ourselves as stars forming constellations with other stars. Each one of us is a unique source of light, but part of a larger community of lights.

One in a million

The Sun’s transit of Aquarius through February 18, 2014 is a good time to step back from our egos to see them as parts of constellations rather than isolated suns. Noticing the many different forms of our shared interests and experiences is an antidote to alienation and polarization. Our primary survival skill is cooperation. Yet acknowledging and acting on our common interests does not deny our individual ones. Aquarius is not an authoritarian system designed to raise public interests above private ones. It is not a 2-dimensional perspective bound by polarities but is more like a diamond with many facets, each unique yet part of a single whole.