Happy Birthday, Aquarius
Aquarius is the Water Bearer, depicted with a jug of water, that he empties out by his feet. It swells into a river, the cosmic source of the River Nile. This mighty river was seen as the source of life itself. Each year it would flood the valley, bringing with it not only the refreshing waters of life but also the sediments full of nutrients that would nourish the earth.
In Greek mythology, the sign of the Water Bearer is associated with the beautiful youth Ganymede, a son of Troy. Ganymede was minding his own business, when out of the blue sky a mighty eagle descended on him, picked him up and carried him off to Olympus. It is not clear, whether Zeus, who was behind the plot, in fact, took on the shape of an eagle and personally abducted the youth, or whether he ordered one of his fleets to do the deed for him. Apparently, Zeus not only went after beautiful maidens but after handsome lads as well.
He fancied young Ganymede as his cupbearer, a high ranking position embed with utmost trust. Ganymede not only poured the nectar for the Gods at their assemblies but tasted of this divine life-giving liquid as well. Thus, it was also a risky job, for that jug could have been poisoned.
Psychologically, Aquarius signifies that part of the human spirit that is closest to our divine source. He tastes the life-giving nectar, and thus his eyes are opened to things that lie far outside the normal human range of vision.
As a mortal, he also want to help his fellow men and transfer some of those inspirations to mankind. Yet, these gifts from another realm are also dangerous. The waters that restored the life in the Nile delta could also bring death and destruction. The cup of enlightenment, could also bring madness.
Aquarius stands for that ‘in-between’ state – standing between the realm of the Gods and that of ordinary mortals. As such he is a visionary, and a reformer, always seeking for ways to improve the human condition.
About Kat Morgenstern (AstroCat)
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Happy Birthday, Capricorn!
Capricorn is depicted as a strange creature, part goat, part fish. According to Greek mythology, there once was a whole tribe of sea-goats, which lived near the shore. They were intelligent beings that had the unique ability to speak and to think, and they were able to make themselves at home both in the ocean, and on land. However, the more time they spent on land the more they lost their unique gifts and turned into ordinary goats. The father of this tribe was Pricus, a wise old goat who shared some of the attributes of Chronus, the of time, who had created him. His goat-fish children enjoyed exploring the shores, and as they spent more and more time on the land they forgot their origins and even the ability to return to the sea. Pricus was saddened by this and tried to turn back the time, thus bringing his children back to the sea. But eventually, he realised he could not keep them from following their hooves to new shores and new adventures. He let them go and eventually was the only sea-goat left in the sea. Sad and lonely, he asked Chronus to let him die. But Pricus was immortal, so dying was not possible for him. But to relieve him of his loneliness Cronus placed him among the stars as the constellation of Capricorn.
The goat-fish is also sometimes seen as the she-goat Amalthea, who suckled the infant Zeus. Cronus, who in order to circumvent the predictions of the oracle which had predicted that he would be usurped by one of his sons, swallowed all his children directly after birth. Cronus himself had emasculated his father Uranus and feared divine retribution. But his wife Rhea had also heard the oracular prediction and, desperate to save at least one of her children, handed Cronus a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes, which he promptly swallowed. She then took the infant to the she-goat Amalthea, who suckled and fostered the infant God.
Another myth, which is much older, can be traced to the Sumerian God Ea, ‘the God of the House of Water’, whose symbol is the goat-fish. In Hellenistic times, Ea was referred to as Oannes, which morphed into Greek Ioannes and Latin Johannes (Campbell, Occidental Mythology, 1964). We know this Johannes as John, the Baptist, who practiced baptism as a right of purification. To be submerged in the waters is a rite of passage, a crossing of a threshold between old of matter and spirit.
The symbol of the goat-fish reminds us of our oceanic spiritual origins, which, however, we forget as we move into the material world. Capricorns have both of these qualities, but they can lose their spiritual connection if they become too ambitious and engrossed by the promise of material gain and worldly status. They can become obsessed with worldly gain.
To develop their full potential they need to consciously immerse themselves once again in the waters of life and connect with their spiritual selves and find spiritual meaning in their lives.
Higher octave: the dove, as a harbinger of the spirit
Venus in Pisces
Venus, the planet of love is leaving the rather cold and detached Aquarius and is moving into the oceanic Pisces. The sign of the Fishes is, of course, a water sign and therefore, much, much wetter altogether. In Pisces, Venus’ love is oceanic, meaning, it knows no boundaries. It fills every last crack in the reef, every shell, every underwater cave. It is like liquid copper filling a mould. The finished cast is the ‘positive’ counterpart to the ‘negative’ shape that created it. And this is a very fitting image for this placement. The ocean is boundless, and so, in order to make Venus visible in this sign, it needs a cast that she can fill. In this sign, Venus is not just ‘lovely’. She can be anything. The role she takes on becomes like another skin and she fills it, completely. It is this quality of filling and sensing every millimetre, every bump and hollow from the inside that is what makes her so empathic. She feels another’s pain or joy as her own. And by extension, she feels the pain of the world as her own. This can hurt quite a lot and it is for this reason that Venus in Pisces is not always the charming, romantic, sweet smiling princess.
In this ability to completely merge with another she is in danger of losing sight of herself. The ego-boundaries become somewhat wishy-washy and it is sometimes difficult to know who is feeling what. The mirror and the mirrored become as one.
Self:
With Venus in Pisces, this period is perfect for some self-care. This Venus does a lot for other people, so it is important to remember that we must take care of ourselves if we don’t want to burn out. Selflessness is great, but self-neglect is harmful. We can only give to others when we also nourish ourselves and take care of our own needs.
Money:
With all that compassion, Venus is the first to take off her robe to warm someone else. If she sees others suffering it is hard for her to walk by and ignore them. She feels their pain and therefore feels called upon to do what she can to help – she will spend her money on charity instead of stashing it in the piggy bank. She may, however, keep a few bucks to treat herself to a wellness weekend or to some other special treat, preferably one involving lots of chocolate. Or alcohol. Or both.
Social Life:
Venus in Pisces enjoys a good time and her ability to adapt to anything and everybody makes her a bit of a social chameleon. The danger is her lack of boundaries. Knowing her limit for entertainment and all that goes with it can be her downfall. On the other hand, Venus in Pisces can just as happily merge with the rest of the world while being on an ascetic retreat. All she has to do is to open her heart and mind and boundless love for all humanity flows out.
Family and home:
Venus in Pisces loves beauty and making the home not just a place but her comfort zone. This is a good time for making home improvements or doing some redecorating, beautifying the home, or tackling the general chaos. Given the giving and self-sacrificial tendencies of this placement, it is important to remember to take care of your own needs, and not just of those of others.
Work:
Venus in Pisces is very creative. She can imagine things in a very plastic manner as if they were before her in the room. This is a great time for tackling some creative projects. At work, emotional issues might be more prominent at this time and it is important to address them with empathy and compassion.
Love:
Well, you already guessed it. Truth be told, there could hardly be a better placement for romance than Venus in Pisces. She has an uncanny ability to read the needs and desires of another as from within. The danger here lies in the tendency to identify so completely with another that she loses her ego-boundaries. Once that happens it can be a struggle to redefine them and to sort out which feelings belong to whom and which ones are projected.
Travel:
While not a top priority, Venus in Pisces does love travel, especially honeymoons, or failing that, a romantic get-away will do. She does like her creature comforts, if possible, and a luxurious wellness holiday, yoga retreat or creative self-discovery workshop would also be up to her alley. More important than the outer journey is the parallel inner journey that she embarks on when she leaves home. A pilgrimage of sorts or a wellness retreat would be just her thing.
Career:
If you are looking for a promotion, Venus in Pisces’ charms can be just the thing that could sway the boss to show some kindness. Other than that, it is a good time for creative endeavours, especially ones that are in some way tied to a charity. Spreading senseless acts of beauty and kindness around the workplace is likely to result in amplified returns.
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