Monthly Archives: February 2012

Weekly Forecast February 27: Mercury Enters Aries, Sun Opposite Mars

Swimming with sharks. © Pavel Erofeev for Dreamstime.com

I don’t know if I’m going to survive this Mars retrograde. To be more precise, life as I know it may not survive this Mars retrograde.

I’m so far behind on my academic work, I’m not sure if I’ll get it all done before the end of the quarter. (For those of you waiting for reports, I’m trying to program in a few hours a week to catch up, so hopefully I’ll be able to respond to you soon.) Beyond that, I’m not sure whether the program in which I’m enrolled will survive the state’s budget cuts. Infighting among classmates and faculty isn’t helping. Everyone is demoralized and depressed.

The good news is that the energy of retrograde Mars in Virgo destroys what isn’t working, clearing the way for new, healthier and more supportive structures to take root. It may turn out that what you fear losing isn’t worth keeping, and if you let go and allow a breakdown to happen, the outcome will be circumstances more conducive to fulfilling your divine mission in life.

Speaking of which, I posted Ruth’s article on Pisces this morning (late, of course; it was supposed to be up yesterday). All of Ruth’s posts are special, but this one is particularly brilliant and resonated with me. With my Pisces Moon, I consider myself an “honorary Pisces.” Even if you don’t have a lot of Pisces energy in your chart, her article is well worth reading.

So, on that note, let’s talk about the most significant planetary aspects this week. First, Mercury enters Aries on Friday, which means that Mercury and Mars officially will be in mutual reception (when each of two planets are in the sign ruled by the other). Mars retrograde in Virgo has felt an awful lot like Mercury retrograde, so I suspect that when these two are linked in this special relationship, the effect is going to be amplified. That means even more error messages, dead batteries, crashed servers, equipment failures, infections, and other frustrating computer glitches.

Mercury also is approaching his own retrograde, starting March 12. I’m always hesitant to say things are going to get worse, but it’s hard to imagine that Mercury in Aries is going to help any. I won’t be surprised if people go from mere yelling to throwing objects across the room at each other, from nitpicking to outright scorn. Start looking now for ways to duck and cover. If you can’t stay out of the line of fire, think up a good flak jacket. Virgo demands precision and accuracy, so one way you’ll be able to deflect criticism is by having your facts straight, with all i’s dotted and t’s crossed.

On Saturday, the noise level goes up another few decibels with the Sun opposing Mars. If you don’t have to work with others, you can get a lot done under this aspect. However, if your work involves collaboration, or if your main area of contention these days is in a personal relationship, be prepared for a hot-and-heavy argument. This is tough, because the nature of this sign-pair combination suggests that someone is at risk of being dumped on. If you find yourself in such a predicament, you might have to shout out your differences.

In some cases, such a release can lead to a peaceful solution. However, it’s more likely that if you have an argument this weekend, you may have to spend time in that uncomfortable state of feeling that no one is on your side and nothing you do is ever good enough. Venus and Saturn are opposed on Sunday, suggesting feelings of isolation and alienation, at least for a few hours. If you feel down, tell yourself it won’t last – and it won’t. These influences won’t last more than a day, as Venus and the Sun move relatively quickly.

On the positive side this week, we have a harmonious sextile from the Sun to Pluto on Tuesday. Use the first two days of this week to clean up messes, whether literal – like the dishes stacked in the sink or the trash blocking the back door – or emotional. You can do a lot to preempt the Sun-Mars opposition later in the week by addressing “messy” personal situations now.

As I mentioned above, I’m trying to carve out some time to fulfill report orders, giving priority to pre-ordered March StarGuide reports. A few of you also are waiting for consultation follow-ups. I just want you to know that I haven’t forgotten about you.

So, as we head into another tough week, just know that you’re truly not alone, that others are facing similar obstacles. We all just need to put one foot in front of the other and keep going.

Wishing you infinite love and courage,
Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPat

P.S. If you haven’t done so already, please check out the article in Forbes on financial astrology, quoting Ray Merriman. Good astrologers are priceless in our effort to get more respect for our craft.

Pisces-Virgo: The Healing Heart, Part I

Pisces SoulThe sign of Pisces is associated with illusion, delusion, glamour, suffering, sensitivity, bondage, captivity, prisons, hospitals, religious orders, renunciation, detachment, self-sacrifice, and death.

Sound like fun? If you thought Scorpio was intense, welcome to the oceanic depths of Pisces. Having journeyed through the previous 11 signs of the Zodiac, spending up to eight lifetimes in each, the Soul in Pisces has been around the block. No wonder your Piscean friends sometimes seem to be carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders.

Having learned to flow the energies of love and life consciously, accurately, and consistently in Aquarius to become a World Server, the Pisces Soul becomes a liberated, radiant expression of Christ Consciousness, a World Savior. A developmental cycle is complete, and the Soul is now fully mature and ready to fulfil divine purpose.

In Aquarius, the sign of world service, the lesson is finally learned
that produces the world Saviour in Pisces.  ~ Alice Bailey1

Does every Piscean we meet have the saintly qualities of a World Savior? Not quite. As we shall see, there is a big difference between the personality vibration and the Soul expression of Pisces. The gap between the lower octaves and higher octaves of this mysterious sign is the biggest in the whole Zodiac, and the difference is one of fear and love. Bridging this gap is the longest journey humanity will ever make.

The sign of Pisces embodies oceanic consciousness. Water signs are all about mastery of emotions, and mutable signs are all about change, so that gives us a clue to the higher purpose of this sign. Collectively, under the influence of Pisces, we are here to transform through our emotions. As the sign of oceanic consciousness, Pisces is aware of and experiences the consciousness of humanity. This is why Pisces has the reputation of being the most sensitive sign of all. It means sensitive in the sense of being aware of and able to use all of our senses – not, as some people unfairly presume, in the sense of being a wimp.

Indeed, our Piscean friends can really step up to the plate when the chips are down and stand their ground as good as anybody. You wouldn’t want to cross a Piscean who is standing up for what they believe is right. The real sensitivity of Pisces comes from their ability to sense everything. Now think about that. Would you really want to feel everything that everyone is feeling? All of the time? Pisces does. And with that comes great sadness and great responsibility.

Pisces feels and lives with the truth of suffering every moment of every day. No wonder they drink – and many do! All forms of escapism are a very real risk for our Piscean friends: movies, TV, computer games, drugs, alcohol – anything that numbs the pain is a big temptation for them. For Pisces, the suffering of humanity is a real, lived experience, not a mental concept or idea. Pisces feels the interconnectedness of us all and feels your pain. In a sense, they really are carrying the burden of humanity. If you have Sun, Moon, or Rising Sign in Pisces, you’d be wise to avoid the temptation to numb yourself. Learn about the higher power and purpose of your magnificent sign, and know what you can do to ease the pain for yourself and others, by using the “medicine” of your opposite sign.

The challenge for the Pisces personality is one of identification. Water signs tend to become identified with their feelings, and the Pisces personality all too easily becomes identified with deep feelings of sadness, self-pity, and low self-esteem. (Low self-esteem comes from the illusion that negative and painful feelings are yourself). Blinded by glamour and desperate to escape from their fears, the biggest life lesson for a Pisces personality is to learn that they are not their feelings.2 Your fears will dissolve like morning mist when you to realize your true spiritual nature. But to do this, you first need the laser-like discernment of your opposite sign, Virgo.

The Piscean personality often confuses self-sacrifice with people-pleasing, which leads to the mistaken thinking that you are either a victim or a martyr who has to continually neglect your own needs and defer to the whims of others. This misguided thinking is part of what you are here to transform and transcend. At Soul level, Pisces knows the deeper spiritual significance of self-sacrifice, in the sense that the deeper meaning of the word “sacrifice” means “to make sacred.” The “sacrifice” is of your lower, fear-based self, as you awaken to your sacred heart energy and align with the Self that knows all are one.

What do we mean by a sacred heart? We are not talking about the physical heart, but a very subtle and powerful energy field. The sacred heart is the subtle connection between us and the divine, which, when awakened, allows us to flow divine energy into the physical world. All you need to do to awaken it is to continuously and consistently place your attention upon it. Before this can happen, the pure focus and discernment of Virgo is needed: first, to cultivate somatic (body) awareness and then to discern subtler and subtler energies within our whole being. The word “sacrifice” refers to the practice of bringing loving attention to the subtler aspects of our being, so that we realize our own spiritual nature, our “Sacred Self.” Our sacred heart lies at the center of our Sacred Self and is that which connects us all.

The fluid, sensitive, temperament in Pisces – mediumistic and psychically polarised – must be stabilised in Virgo, in which sign mental introspection and critical analysis become possible and serve to arrest the fluidity of Pisces.  These two signs balance each other. ~ Alice Bailey1

When the oceanic consciousness of Pisces accesses the pristine purity and loving awareness of Virgo, something miraculous happens. Rather than being numb, the focus and precision of Virgo helps you to feel more deeply and precisely, until you identify and access your sacred heart. You experience the transformation of negative emotions as you breathe through your own heart. This felt experience in Virgo brings Pisces to the realization that when you make just one small change within yourself, it changes the whole. This is the true power and mystery of Pisces, and it comes from a real-lived experience, not from a belief or an idea. It is the knowledge of how one transforms the many: that one pure droplet, changes the whole ocean.

It is in the sign of Pisces that humanity’s greatest spiritual achievements are fully realized, and so it makes sense that our greatest challenges also lie in this sign. Before we can realize the spiritual heights, we have to acknowledge the depths. Acknowledging the truth of the ocean of human suffering, rather than trying to escape, avoid, or run from it, is the greatest challenge our Pisces friends will ever face. Yet it is only by fully examining suffering with the critical eye of Virgo that we begin to fully understand the cause.

In Part 2, we explore the whole purpose of human incarnation. We will see the mechanism through which the highest octave of Pisces transforms an “ocean of suffering” and becomes a World Savior.


Ruth

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Footnotes:

1. Esoteric Astrology, the wisdom of The Tibetan (Master DK) as channelled through Alice Bailey.
2. The Piscean Age is called the “Age of Glamour,” in which our suffering is very real indeed, yet the causes are rooted in illusion and delusion. To understand the mechanism of this and how it relates to Pisces, see my earlier article, “Pisces-Virgo: Completing the Age of Spiritual Redemption.”

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Ruth Hadikin, Soul Astrologer

Ruth Hadikin – Soul Astrologer

To get your personal Soul Sign/Life Purpose Report (FREE with a consultation), contact Ruth via her website, <a title="Soul Astrology with To get your personal Soul Sign/Life Purpose Report (FREE with a consultation), contact Ruth via her website. You can also request a FREE mp3 download, “The Energetics of Soul Astrology.”

Weekly Forecast February 20: New Moon in Pisces

© Dan Collier for Dreamstime.com

Twice this past week, I worked so late in the editing room that I missed the last bus home. That meant walking a mile up a steep hill at midnight, in the rain, dragging a pack full of books.

As I struggled to put one foot in front of the other and keep going, it occurred to me that this was a good image for the astrological period we’re moving through, which won’t end until Mars returns direct on April 13. Saturn will still be retrograde, which will have its own set of issues, but at least we won’t feel so dragged down, demoralized, and obstructed.

That said, it does appear that some good is coming out of the combined retrogrades of Mars and Saturn, with the latter in the relationship-oriented sign of Libra. Saturn turned retrograde two weeks ago and has been sitting at 29 degrees Libra, where he’ll remain until March 4. By the time an outer planet has reached the last degree of a sign, we’re ready to move on to the next lesson. But there’s still something we have to learn about commitment in relationships and maintaining inner balance while interacting closely with others.

Conflict is a natural part of any relationship, but Libra seeks to avoid it in an attempt to “keep the peace.” Under retrograde Mars, with the help of Venus in Mars-ruled Aries, conflicts are being provoked that ultimately will help restore the balance in circumstances that have been out of equilibrium for too long, often due to those attempts at keeping the peace. If you’ve been embroiled in conflict for the past week or two, take heart. Events are unfolding to help you move past it and find higher ground. But you will have to do a lot of heavy lifting. You can’t expect that the other person will make all the concessions. At the same time, you can’t be the one who caves and gives up everything just to avoid more conflict. In fact, you’ll just be deferring it.

The other conflict-averse sign of the zodiac is Pisces, but for different reasons. Whereas Libra strives for harmony and balance, Pisces seeks oneness through dissolution of boundaries. However, confusion can be the result, as Pisces is a psychic sponge for everyone else’s thoughts and feelings. As a result, she may not have a strong sense of self, and she needs time to figure out what she really thinks and how she feels. That makes it hard to stand up for herself in a conflict, so she tends to avoid it. (Please remember than when I talk about the signs, I’m referring not only to the Sun sign, but anyone with that particular energy dominant in their chart. It may be your Moon or Rising sign, or a stellium of planets in a particular house or sign. The only way to know for sure which energies are dominant in your chart is to consult with a professional astrologer.)

So, that’s the heavy news for this week. The good news is that we have a lovely Pisces Moon on Tuesday conjunct Neptune and Chiron and sextile Jupiter. Neptune is the modern ruler of Pisces, traditionally ruled by Jupiter. So it’s significant that this New Moon aspects both planets. This is the first time in hundreds of years, by the way, that we’ve had a New Moon in Pisces conjunct Neptune. The last time it happened, Neptune hadn’t even been discovered.

Chart for New Moon in Pisces

Click on image to enlarge

Neptune rules sleep, dreams, the deep psyche, the collective unconscious, past-life memories. There is magic here, and yet there are pitfalls. We’re in an area where lines are blurred, and we can be tricked into thinking we see something that’s not there. Dreams become illusions or delusions. This is where Truth is a moving target.

Pisces also is the sign of empathy and compassion. With the New Moon conjunct Chiron, the wounded healer, we can have greater compassion for our own wounds and, thus, for those of others. Only when we accept our own flaws and weaknesses can we accept them in others and make a heart-centered connection.

Before leaving Pisces on Thursday, the Moon conjoins Mercury as the latter is about to oppose Mars. This is likely to be a difficult day, but there may be room for the kind of dialogue I described above. Just be advised that it could be painful. Getting through it may require struggling to put one foot in front of the other, in the dark, until you get to the top of the hill.

Saturday’s Sun-Jupiter sextile is much happier. Blow off steam from a tough week by going out to a special breakfast with friends and family. Or, you may just want to sleep in and have coffee in bed.

Speaking of bed, I’ll repeat last week’s recommendation to keep a dream journal with you. I’m hearing many reports of vivid, weird, and otherwise unusual dreams. Write them down now so that you can decode them later.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPat

Weekly Forecast February 13: Sun and Mercury Enter Pisces

Walking into the land of Pisces. © Petar Neychev for Dreamstime.com

Well, so much for returning to some semblance of sanity.

Due to my heavy academic schedule, I’ve had to cut way back on consultations and reports, and I don’t have a lot of time for the weekly forecasts, either. Talk about Mars retrograde in the tenth house! Rushed to write last week’s forecast, I overlooked all of the inconjuncts – Thursday’s inconjunct from Mercury to retrograde Mars was especially jarring – all happening as Saturn was stationed retrograde. That explains a lot, and it also gives me hope that the wildly fluctuating energies of the past couple of weeks will even out this week, helping us regain some order in our lives. It sure would be nice to go an entire week without another computer crash!

We also make a big shift from Aquarius to Pisces this week. Aquarian energy is like an unstable electrical current, while Pisces is more like the constant motion of the sea. On Monday, Mercury enters Pisces, followed by the Sun on Sunday. Neptune, Chiron, and Pallas already are in the early degrees of the Fishes, so by this time next week, we should all be feeling a lot more Zen.

Before moving into Pisces, Mercury makes a trine to Saturn. With both planets in intellectual air signs, tasks that require concentration and heavy thinking should go well. I have a couple of projects on my plate that fit that description and will appreciate all the help I can get! I recommend taking advantage of this aspect first thing Monday morning, because the vibe will be gone once Mercury changes signs on Monday evening.

With Mercury in Pisces, we’ll have access to the collective conscious and everything beyond. Deep insights are possible; the difficulty is in trying to explain it to anyone. Words fail. Do keep a journal and pen by your bed to record your dreams. I expect that some of us will have some real whoppers Monday night and into the wee hours of Tuesday. If that happens for you, please leave a comment and tell us about it.

On Tuesday, Jupiter in Taurus sextiles Chiron in Pisces, with the Moon in Jupiter’s sign of Sagittarius. Healing can take place, and it can happen big. In some cases, we stay wounded and stuck due to our beliefs about ourselves. The key to healing old wounds – be they physical or emotional, from this life or another incarnation – is not in trying to fix them or make them go away, but in accepting them as a unique part of who we are. The root word of “heal” is to make whole, and it’s Jupiter’s nature to expand the scope of our understanding so that what we have thought of as disparate parts or even polar opposites become parts of a greater whole.

Sometimes, all we need to see the bigger picture is one important detail that has been missing. We can find it when Mercury conjoins Chiron and sextiles Jupiter within a couple of hours on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Venus squares Pluto on Wednesday, one of the not-so-nice aspects of the week. I read this aspect in a couple of different ways. The conventional approach is that Venus in Aries can be selfish and impulsive, while Pluto in Capricorn demands that everyone toe the corporate line. So, for example, if you’re in the middle of a key project at work, don’t even think about asking for a day off because your best friend from high school blew into town unexpectedly and you want to spend the day together. Friday’s Capricorn Moon keeps this dynamic alive through the end of the week. Do your best to keep your nose to the grindstone.

However, I see another possibility here (at least one; I’m sure there are many others). Ceres, planet of environmental consciousness and embodiment of Mother Earth, is also in Aries and makes an exact square with Pluto on Tuesday. That means Venus and Ceres are in close conjunction when they square the symbol of corporate authority. Watch the news headlines for stories of women of all ages standing up to multinational interests backed by governments and military might. Or, it may be Earth herself who fights back in some way. Ceres and Pluto go back a long way. In mythology, she’s his mother-in-law and one of the few characters he knows better than to talk back to. If you’ll recall, Ceres and Pluto were closely conjunct in the chart for the BP Horizon explosion. Regardless of how much power they have, corporations are still bound by the laws of nature.

The Sun enters Pisces on Sunday and immediately conjoins Neptune. Finally we should be able to get some quality downtime. Stay home and watch your favorite film. Why not several, back-to-back? Meditation would be a good activity, too. Schedule a retreat if you can. If nothing else, go down for a delicious afternoon nap. Once again, keep that dream journal handy. Dreams take on significance now, and it’s time to make them come true.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPat

Weekly Forecast February 6: Saturn Retrograde, Full Moon in Leo

Studying with Mercury in Aquarius. © Pat Paquette, 2012.

There was a lot of weirdness going on last week, and then the energy suddenly shifted on Friday. Did you notice? I attribute the shift to Neptune’s entry into Pisces and hope that life will return to some semblance of sanity, despite the craziness of Mars retrograde.

Neptune’s shift occurred at 2:03 p.m. EST on Friday. The final two days of Neptune in Aquarius were totally out of control – at least for me. My computer crashed again, and then my backup machine failed. I was without a computer for two critical days in my class work and am now nearly three weeks behind in my assignments. I had to post a notice on my order page that I’m not accepting new report orders or consultations until I’m caught up at school. From an astrologer’s point of view, all of these events are a perfect manifestation of Mars retrograde in Virgo in the tenth house: computer failure, work overload, behind in deadlines, etc.

It also seemed that people were bumping into each other more than usual, and there certainly was a spike on the anger/frustration scale. That said, I got a good reminder on Friday about the beneficial side of Mars anger. When you vent your anger properly, it’s like having a good cry. The explosion clears a lot of blockages and gets your energy flowing again – yet another great manifestation of Mars retrograde in Virgo.

By Saturday, the energy had totally changed. My take on this is that outer planets in the last degree of a sign, poised to enter a new one, send out an intense vibe that contains all the lessons of that planet/sign pair. And since Neptune was in Aquarius, which is ruled by Uranus, and Uranus is in Aries, which is ruled by Mars, the intensity of Neptune in the last degree of Aquarius was channeled through Mars, the planet of anger, action, and conflict.

What was even more interesting, though, is that once Neptune moved into Pisces, the release of anger and frustration cleared the way for a tremendous creative flow. Real magic can happen in rare moments like these. On Saturday, I had an 18-hour film shoot. First of all, I was surprised that I was able to work from 6 a.m. to midnight with few breaks. Secondly, I was amazed by how smoothly the project went. Disagreements were easily managed, and the discussions that arose over artistic differences improved the project. That is Mars energy at its best! Of course, Neptune rules film, so we might also have gotten the first sip of “pure” Neptune in Pisces.

So now let’s turn to this week, which has the potential to be quite dramatic. Tuesday is weighty, with the Full Moon in Leo just as Saturn turns retrograde in the last degree of Libra and Venus moves through the final degree of Pisces. Relationships definitely are a key theme this week, and what transpires may shock and surprise.

Saturn has been in the final degree of Libra since the middle of January, and he’ll remain there until the first week of March. With Saturn in Libra, we’ve been learning lessons about love and commitment, about how to relate to each other fairly and to make compromises that everyone can live with. As Saturn approached the end of Libra, we began closing the books and preparing for finals. What more do we have to learn?

Apparently, a lot …

It’s one thing to learn lessons, but quite another to apply them. And you may find that you end up testing out what you’ve learned with someone other than who you’ve been with up to this point. That’s especially true if you learned your lessons the hard way, through a relationship that was painful but that helped you grow and evolve. Still, I don’t discount the possibility that you will go back for another lesson with the same person.

I can’t help but wonder if one of the big lessons will have to do with anger. I say this, because Venus is about to enter Aries, with Mars retrograde. It is not uncommon for couples to grow apart due to unresolved conflict. There are lots of reasons people prefer to “go along to get along” instead of hashing out the real issues. This strategy may work in a professional environment, but in an intimate relationship, stifled anger not only can destroy the relationship, but it can make the partners physically sick.

On Thursday, Venus conjoins Uranus in Aries, a pair favoring surprises in love and finances. I expect there will be a lot of impulsiveness, which could backfire – either that, or you may have to wait several weeks to see the results of an “instant” attraction. One thing is for sure, though: whatever occurs will be unusual and possibly groundbreaking.

I have more I’d like to write, but I’m depleted from too much work and not enough sleep, and I’m coming down with a cold, so I’ll stop here and hope it’s enough food for thought for you until next week.

Until then, wishing you much love and courage,
Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPat

Aquarius-Leo: The Flow of Love and the Flowering of Human Consciousness, Part II

Stars being born in the Orion Nebula. Composite of images from the Hubble Space Telescope, by C.R. O’Dell of Rice University and NASA/ESA.

The Soul Journey through Aquarius mirrors the unfoldment of human consciousness at this current point of our evolution as we enter the Aquarian Age. Over a period of time, roughly spanning the next 140 years, the whole of humanity will undergo a rite of passage akin to the Soul’s journey through Aquarius. As we shift from unconscious reacting to our external environment (impulsiveness in Aries), we pass through self awareness (in Leo) and eventually become conscious co-creators of our reality, powerful masters of our own energy flow in Aquarius.

How many of us are consciously able to choose a specific emotional energy wavelength – for example, love or appreciation – and then consciously flow that energy for a prolonged period of time without any interruption or distraction? The ability to become a continuous outpouring of love and life without interruption from our “monkey mind” is the hallmark of the fully integrated Aquarian Soul.

There are some key distinctions which will help us to understand the progression from the lower Aquarian vibration to the higher Aquarian octaves. As we collectively journey through the Age of Aquarius, these shifts in consciousness are some of the signposts we may see along the way:

Indifference to Compassion

The urge to be of service to the group can lead the Aquarian personality to adopt an aloof air of indifference, for fear of being subsumed by the needs of others. This indifference becomes transformed into detached compassion and true equanimity in the fully integrated Aquarian Soul as deep empathy and the importance of each individual within the group is recognized.

From Powerlessness to Empowerment

In spite of an urge to serve, the Aquarian personality often feels powerless in the face of all the problems in the world and can often be found in political activist groups, protesting the perceived enemy. The fully integrated Aquarian Soul has built up powerful spiritual energies over many lifetimes, which radiate from him like the Sun, transforming all around him. He combines this with a capacity to direct the flow of this energy wherever it is needed. He knows it is not what he says or does that matters as much as his presence and how he is flowing his energy. This is Christ Consciousness.

From “Us and Them” to We (there is no separation)

The Aquarian personality has a tendency to divide and separate. There is still polarity and a tendency to view the world in categories: this type of thing and/or that type of person, supporting one group over another, or taking sides with one group against another. The fully integrated Aquarian Soul has realized true equanimity – that there is only one humanity, there is no separation, we are all connected, have equal needs, and we all matter. There is no Aquarius versus Leo; it is all one energy, on a continuum.

From Emotional Coolness to Emotional Intelligence
Because of his preoccupation with mental processing, the Aquarian personality can sometimes be emotionally immature, and often presents as a scientist or boffin who is intellectually brilliant yet emotionally insecure, detached and socially inept. In contrast, the fully integrated Aquarian Soul is highly spiritually and emotionally intelligent, utilizing all his senses including empathy, warmth, self-awareness and intuition to discern where and how he may next be of selfless service.

Aquarius is depicted as a man holding an inverted vase.
The man inverts the vase and out of it come two streams of water,
the river of life and the river of love,
and those two words, life and love,
are the two words that embody the technique of the Aquarian age;
not form, not mind, but life and love.
-Alice Bailey1

The fully integrated Aquarian Soul is the World Server: an individual expression of Christ Consciousness in service, pouring forth the dual waters of love and life for thirsty humanity.”2 But before he can reach such spiritual heights, the Aquarian personality has a long way to go, and his journey takes him within, where he discovers the unpredictable terrain of his own heart by accessing the energy of his polar opposite, Leo.

This is a tricky path. Another ego trap for the Aquarian personality (and there are many!) is in believing he is already “there,” already enlightened. Because he quickly grasps concepts mentally, he believes there is nothing more for him to do in terms of his own spiritual journey. He may make the common mistake of thinking he has “got it,” when in fact he has yet to realize the concept within his own experience and integrate it into his physical being.

The powerful energies of love and life that flow through the fully integrated Aquarian Soul have accumulated over many lifetimes spent transforming fear and negative thought patterns, while cultivating life-force energy, unconditional love and compassion. The Buddha used the analogy of untying knots to explain our spiritual process. As we re-trace our steps on our inner journey home, we undo all the knots of our own pain and suffering. This experiential learning is first grasped mentally, synthesized emotionally, then fully integrated physically. We cannot skip over it or bypass this pathway.

Aquarius can’t leap to the end result without having walked the path in Capricorn (although he may want to!). It is interesting that Saturn, the task master and Lord of Karma, is the personality ruler of Capricorn and also the old ruler of Aquarius. No Zodiac sign stands in isolation, and it is important for Aquarius more than any to remember this important point. Each sign unfolds one into the other, and Aquarius needs to remember the important lessons learned in Capricorn if he is to fully flower into Christ Consciousness.

Only by going deep within will Aquarius discover powerful energies within himself, that he has the power to bring under his conscious control:

[In Aquarius] Hercules had to aid in the cleansing of the world by the right direction of the forces of life through it. You appreciate that we are entering into the Aquarian age where materialism, as we know it, will have completely died out at the close
and when the whole life will be interpreted in terms of energies.
We are dealing entirely with forces…
You are dealing with energies and you are mis- using energies.
Watch yourself and begin to work in the world of forces within yourself.”
– Alice Bailey1

There are deeper mysteries hidden in Aquarius that we cannot yet begin to comprehend. Many of these will be revealed to us as we progress through the Age of Aquarius, expanding our perception and inner awareness. In the Labors of Hercules: An Astrological Perspective, Hercules’ eleventh labor is a metaphor for the Soul’s journey through Aquarius.1 After completing his task successfully, not only was his work not recognised, but the King accused Hercules of trickery and refused to pay him! This is an important key to understanding the heightened stage of consciousness and advanced skill that is demonstrated by the Aquarian Soul.

At this level the flow of love and life continues as a steady stream, not for personal reward, payment or recognition (these are concerns of the ego, which would be a distraction from our Soul work). If the flow of love and life was dependent upon praise, which then never came, these vital energies would wane. This is an important point.

This point is illustrated in the story of a Tibetan monk who was imprisoned and tortured for many years by Chinese Soldiers.2. When asked if he was ever afraid, his reply was yes: he was afraid he would lose compassion. He knew that his ability to continue flowing benevolent energy was what mattered most, irrespective of the attitude and behavior of those around him and the external circumstances. It is the same point that Jesus Christ was making when he taught about “turning the other cheek.”

The Sun continues to shine whether we remember to appreciate it or not. The Aquarian Soul is here to be of service to humanity for no other reason but that (in the words of his Leo counterpart) “the show must go on!” If you have Sun, Moon or Rising Sign in Aquarius, you are here to consciously flow your energy into the world in ways that make a positive difference.

You matter, Aquarius. Your energy is truly vital for the good of the whole, but you will never realize this by self-denial and using group activism as an excuse to avoid your inner path. Your own ego is a vital foundation for the flowering of your Soul. Adopt the courage of your opposite number, Leo. Look your own ego squarely in the eye, complete with all your deepest fears, failings, needs, and vulnerabilities, and be prepared to walk your inner path to the very end. This way you will discover your true magnificence: your inner light that is brighter than any Sun, and the beautiful energies of love and life may flow through you continuously without end, for the good of the whole.


Ruth

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Footnotes:

1. The Labours of Hercules: An Astrological Perspective, the wisdom of The Tibetan (Master DK) as channelled through Alice Bailey.
2. Garchen Rinpoche tells his story in the movie The Yogis of Tibet.

Ruth Hadikin, Soul Astrologer

Ruth Hadikin – Soul Astrologer

To get your personal Soul Sign/Life Purpose Report (FREE with a consultation), contact Ruth via her website. You can also request a FREE mp3 download, “The Energetics of Soul Astrology.”