Faith & Reflection: Voices from the Black Church and Beyond
- The dying patriarchal order resists, causing upheaval; transitions between ages overlap, so the arrival of the Age of Aquarius is gradual.
- Water-bearer, envisioned as the Woman at the Well, pours life-giving knowledge, nourishing community, creativity, collective wisdom, reclaiming the Goddess.
- Balance Saturn's discipline and Uranus' freedom to harness Aquarius, avoiding groupthink, technocracy, cold rationalism, and surveillance.
Those of us who are old enough to remember the hit song of the 1960s, The Age of Aquarius, have long lived with the promise of the dawn of this new age. The song and the hope of the 60’s promised that, when The Age of Aquarius came, the world would be transformed into a world of peace and love.
This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius
The Age of Aquarius
Aquarius! Aquarius!
Harmony and understanding
Sympathy and trust abounding
No more falsehoods or derisions
Golden living dreams of visions
Mystic crystal revelation
And the mind’s true liberation
Aquarius! Aquarius!
—The Age of Aquarius, by The Fifth Dimension
Now the astrologers tell us that, with Pluto’s movement into Aquarius on November 19, 2024, we have finally moved fully into the Age of Aquarius. Of course, some disagree, saying it arrives much later.
An astrological age is a period influenced by the traits of a specific zodiac sign, which is determined by the precession of the equinoxes. As Earth’s axis wobbles, the Sun shifts backward through the zodiac at the spring equinox, marking a new age and resetting Earth’s “cosmic clock.”
Looking at our world today, it’s hard to see much harmony and understanding or sympathy and trust abounding. Yet, since each age lasts approximately 2,000 to 2,160 years, with transitions being complex and not clearly defined, a new age doesn’t manifest instantly.
The energies of outgoing and incoming ages overlap for decades or even centuries, leading to confusion and upheaval. After all, to achieve the ideals of the Age of Aquarius, the old patriarchal worldview must go. And that monster will not go quietly or in a quick flash.
Today we are witnessing its death throes, as it desperately clings on to power. As the patriarchal system that has controlled the entire world for millennia dies, it thrashes about, hurting many caught in the wake.
But the stars have spoken and the cosmos moves on to its next phase—The Age of Aquarius. So hang on to your hats, for each astrological age brings its own unique energy, shaping the collective mindset of humanity!
Aquarius, an air sign ruled traditionally by Saturn and in modern astrology by Uranus, is known for its progressive, unconventional nature and its dedication to disrupting existing norms in the quest for a brighter future. Yet therein lies the rub: who decides what makes a brighter future?
These two planetary rulers are somewhat contradictory. Saturn represents structure and discipline, whereas Uranus embodies freedom, individuation, and the collective ideal. Aquarius promotes the need to first learn the rules and master them, which according to the energies of Saturn, requires solitude. Only then can Aquarian energy be utilized to break free in coordination with others, as mandated by Uranus. Discipline and structure provide the foundation for the freedom sought by Aquarius. Now is the time to structure the gardens of our lives and plant the seeds. Blooming will take a bit longer.
Aquarius, an egalitarian, is symbolized by the Water-bearer—a figure pouring water from a vessel. The Water-bearer is depicted as either male or female. I envision this figure as the Woman at the Well, who collects the water from the well and returns to her people with gifts from the waters of life. As she pours the water, it transforms into air, representing a flow into the world of knowledge, ideas, truth, and innovation. The insight and life-giving wisdom poured out by the Water-bearer nourishes society as a whole and reminds us that we are all connected.
Aquarius promotes creative expression of one’s authentic self while focusing on the needs of the community. Independent, free, and rebellious, Aquarian energy urges one to “move to the beat of your own drum.” It embodies sudden flashes of insight—electric insights that cut through conventions like lightning. Aquarius, the maverick, upgrades the collective to a higher expression, bringing forth a new world.
An astrological age affects all aspects of human society—religion and philosophy, art and architecture, politics and societal structures, technology and innovation, and how we see ourselves in relation to the cosmos.
Just like everything in our world of duality, each astrological sign has a positive and negative side—bringing out its positive traits while simultaneously challenging us with its shadow side and excesses. Life remains messy, complex and multifaceted.
We must be aware of the dangers posed by the Age of Aquarius: loss of individuality to both group think and technology; cold rationalism reigning over feelings; and surveillance and social ratings disguised as unity.
Collectively we have a choice to make concerning the shape of this brighter future. We can harness the energy of Aquarius to create a world of love, peace, and community. We can reclaim the wisdom of Goddess who urges us to be in right relationship with Earth and all her children. On the other hand, if enough of us remain asleep, we could fall victim to a world ruled by technocratic overlords who believe in machines, AI, and life on Mars.
I am keeping my thoughts on the Water-bearer, the woman at the well, who nourishes our world by pouring new knowledge into the world, a knowledge that helps us create:
“Harmony and understanding
Sympathy and trust abounding
No more falsehoods or derisions
Golden living dreams of visions
Mystic crystal revelation
And the mind’s true liberation
Aquarius! Aquarius!”
If you’d like to work with astrological energies in your creative practice, check out my series of downloadable PDFs “Align Your Creativity with the Astrological Signs.” I followed one of my prompts from “Creativity and Astrology: Aquarius” with my painting “The Water-bearer Pours New Knowledge” It has many other projects to choose from. Here’s the link
As always, you can view or purchase my oracle decks, originals and prints on my website, Judith Shaw Art.
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