The Age of Aquarius: Navigating a New Era
Today, I want to expand on some observations about the current Aeon in which we live. As you might have heard, the Age of Aquarius is upon us—or it already is here—or it won't be here for another 100 years!
The arrival of this notorious astrological age has been highly sought after and debated for the last century, by everyone from astrologers and astronomers to cultists and occultists. It anticipates a great leap forward for humanity and the world—a coming age of neo-enlightenment, progress, and fulfillment of the realized, individualized self.
From Pisces to Aquarius: The Shifting Paradigm
The Age of Aquarius follows what is known as the Age of Pisces, which was primarily marked by the rise and fall of Christianity across the globe. The Piscean age prioritized the element of water. Deep feelings and explorations of consciousness were key themes. Concepts like love, forgiveness, atonement, and redemption permeated the zeitgeist of the last two thousand years. Ruled by the fish-god, Jesus of Nazareth, the past age encouraged humanity to look inward and explore the deeply connected threads that tether us all together.
However, as we stand at the edge of Aquarius, the climate has shifted beneath our feet, and the world is spinning in a new direction. As an air sign, the coming age emphasizes the ephemeral, the intellectual, and the progressive. If you’ve felt that norms, expectations, and values have radically changed in the last 20 years, you are intuiting the arrival of the Age of Aquarius.
The Clash of Values: Piscean vs. Aquarian
I had the pleasure of visiting a home church a few weeks ago, where a small group of well-meaning liberals gathers to reaffirm their belief in the divine, despite experiencing religious homelessness due to their sexuality, identity, or political beliefs. The members of this church come from more traditional and conservative Christian denominations, unlike their more “mainline” counterparts (e.g., Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal), yet they hold moral and social proclivities similar to their high church, well-to-do siblings in Christ.
During a group discussion about scripture, which was apocryphal in nature, one of the members shared that they were experiencing burnout from all the tragic news on their social media. They acknowledged that they truly cannot do anything about the events unfolding in the world but sit back as an emotionally exhausted bystander. As a result, they decided to start taking time away from their phone to spend more time in communion with others in real life.
In response, another member attempted to explain what the first was experiencing. To paraphrase, their interpretation lay in the fact that the first member, being a "white, cisgender, able-bodied man," did not have the capacity to care about everything or do everything for everyone, despite his "privilege." Naturally, this sentiment had the effect of shutting down the conversation about experiencing emotional burnout.
After the service and some weeks of reflection, I have had the opportunity to think about this exchange and how it represents a unique expression of the present cultural moment.
Clashing Worldviews: The Piscean vs. Aquarian Perspective
In that moment, I saw the clash between Piscean and Aquarian values. The person experiencing burnout from witnessing violence across the world, but who was powerless to do anything about it, chose to invest time in their immediate circle, demonstrating a Pisces worldview. The outer turmoil was causing inner turmoil, and the way to fix it was to reaffirm a connection with those closest to them.
On the other hand, the person who rebuked them demonstrated an Aquarian viewpoint. Like the suit of swords, their comments were cutting. Rather than understanding the watery perception of the one who was suffering, the air sign reduced the suffering by intellectualizing and demographizing the person. The message was clear: you are from a privileged demographic, and the pain you feel is not from empathy, but rather from not taking on the role you should be playing. The Hero Child.
The Hero Child vs. The Captive Advocate: Archetypes in Play
All archetypes are whole and active agents in the collective unconscious. Not only do they have a "light side," which indicates their more positive attributes that are easy for us to accept, but they also contain darker aspects, which we have a harder time justifying. For example, while it is easy to embrace the Great Mother archetype, many find it hard to reconcile with the Consuming Mother. Despite these archetypes being one and the same and creating the whole, we often want only to acknowledge the light side of this duality, rather than holistically utilizing it.
"Aquarius is known to be the sign associated with technological advancement, social progress, and innovation. They change the rules of the game to leverage the most wins possible."
The same is true for the sign of Aquarius. The Hero Child is an image that brings inspiration to us. The idea that we can embody a personal savior, who can wield "facts and logic" and stand up for those who are disempowered, is a strong pull. Aquarius is known to be the sign associated with technological advancement, social progress, and innovation. They change the rules of the game to leverage the most wins possible.
In the tarot, The Star (XVII) represents Aquarius. The woman kneels at the edge of the water, and with her two jugs, she carefully brings together water and earth. Above her, the stars shine brightly, showing us that the path is clear if we only take it and become the person we were meant to be. It is a card of hope in better days, given that you are willing to take on the mantle and create the world you wish to live in.
However, to be alone is a hard task, as the shadow of Aquarius is the Captive Advocate.
The Shadow Aspect: Understanding the Captive Advocate
The Captive Advocate is one who is both isolated from others and tormented by their inability to be in community. They often take on odd advocacy roles to fill this void in the self. For example, they may embody a savior complex and try to "fix" people in their lives. They may get involved in internet politics, participating in the canceling of "problematic" individuals. Their critical eye for improvement and progress is never poised inward, as their emotional investment lies in distracting themselves from their isolation by staying constantly tapped into the "discourse" of the world.
Rather than focusing on inner aspects, which are too Piscean, they would rather deal with surface details of themselves and others. Identity, as it is tethered to demographic categories, is ideal for the Aquarian Age; it does not require introspection or principles to claim membership and anchor one's identity. Demographic identity only matters in that it serves to plug individuals into the appropriate algorithms of the internet, optimizing their engagement with the spectacle.
Institutional Shifts: The Transition from Pisces to Aquarius
Now, after that description, you might be a highly offended Aquarius, to whom I apologize.
However, the point of this exposition is to provide the scaffolding necessary to understand how the arriving Aeon is affecting the social and cultural institutions around us. While you may not personally feel you fit the description of the Captive Advocate, I would argue that this behavior is rewarded in our current climate. If you are perceived as an advocate for a worthy, progressive cause, then your employer and community are likely to provide positive reinforcement for that behavior. From these external organizations, we can witness the shifting Aeon.
During the Piscean Age, institutions were invested in matters of the self and soul. For example, churches drew hard lines between denominations, demanding ideological adherence from their members. However, now, churches like the Methodists, Presbyterians, and Episcopalians are virtually indistinguishable from each other. All three have discarded matters of the soul for matters of society by advancing progressive politics, blurring the lines between them and making them homogenous. Despite attempting to take on the role of advocate, these churches are diminishing, suggesting that the spirit of these institutions is too entrenched in the fish-god to survive the coming Age of Aquarius.
Guidance Through Transition: The World (XXI)
In this transitory period, I often think about The World (XXI). In it, we see the depiction of a woman holding two crystal batons, surrounded by laurels, which in turn are surrounded by four beasts. The woman in the center looks remarkably like the figure in The Star (XVII); however, instead of providing guidance, she is being birthed into the cosmos from the ring of greenery (which seems vulval, if you want to get psychoanalytic about it). Around this ring are the four faces of the Cherubim, who are also referred to as the Four Evangelists (e.g., St. Matthew the Angel, St. Mark the Lion, St. Luke the Ox, and St. John the Eagle), alluding to the past Age of Pisces bearing witness to the new Aquarian Age.
As mentioned before, the Hero Child in the center of the card has a darker aspect, connected to the planetary association between Saturn and The World (XXI). Saturn is a tempering, controlling planet that governs laws, norms, and social expectations. We often feel Saturn's influence when we encounter bureaucracy and social institutions. Saturn speaks "Thou Shalt Not," when it organizes our lives.
Thus, when we think about the coming of the Age of Aquarius, we look to The World (XXI) for guidance in this period of transition. While we may feel emboldened to work toward our self-actualization needs, stand up for those around us, and remake society in our own image, this drive comes from external sources. We are compelled to organize our lives around the self, maintain superficial dialogue and relationships, and perform advocacy for unknown others. Advocacy is the expectation, and Saturn will reinforce it.
Conclusion: A Word of Caution
I wrote today's post to express some observations and thoughts about our current social climate. Often, when people talk of the Age of Aquarius, there is an assumption that it is an inherently good thing. The problems of old religion will wash away, and we will finally be able to take our place as the Hero Child and command our own destiny. However, I reflect on the work of Carl Jung when I caution this optimism because there is a duality present in all things that we must integrate. Otherwise, we are doomed to fall into the same behavioral patterns as those who came before us and let the archetypes rule their lives.
The worst of the Aquarian Age will not look like the worst of the Piscean; however, its severity will be the same. We will not burn witches in the name of heresy; we will burn them in the name of progress. We will not teach people to enact self-surveillance; we will leverage technology to do that for us. We will not expect people to be sincere in their beliefs, nor hold to principles; rather, we demand they act as if they do. Helping others does not come from a belief in justice or mercy, merely the desire to be perceived as someone who provides aid and advocacy to the fashionable disadvantaged group of the week.
In closing, I would like to recall a Bible verse that has anchored me through this journey of exploration, fittingly it is from The Angle, St. Matthew:
"Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." (Matthew 7:20)
I recommend spending time with the tarot and its symbolism, and exploring how you as an individual are caught in this tension between ages. One of the biggest challenges will be to remain connected to the inner world, which the past age developed, and integrate it into the emerging world of Aquarius. If you can manage to do this, you will be among the few who can navigate this new world consciously.
New Spread: A Reflection on Authenticity
For this week, let's reflect on how your behavior aligns with your affect and your cognitions. Inspired by Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, this spread is a great way to check in on the relationship between these three important aspects of yourself, which help you maintain authenticity by providing a diagnostic to where the flow might be disrupted.
When conducting the reading, take note that affect, behavior, and cognition are interconnected, and disruption in one area will cause disruption in the others. For example, your mood will change the way you think and behave; your behavior will reinforce certain emotional states and thought patterns; your thoughts will guide your behavior and force your emotions to justify them.
To help you identify potential problem areas, here are some things to look out for:
- Issues with Emotions: Do your emotions have sovereignty over your thoughts and behavior? Do your emotions have a hard time expressing themselves in words? Do your emotional states ebb and flow, or do they swing back and forth like a pendulum?
- Issues with Behavior: Are you acting in a way that aligns with your beliefs? Do you compulsively enact behavior that you don't feel you can control?
- Issues with Cognition: Are you unable to form logical coherence in your beliefs? Do you fall into cycles of catastrophizing or rumination?
Have a beautiful week, and I look forward to having you back for the next blog post!
Comments
Post a Comment