The Sun moved into Aquarius on January 20, ushering in Aquarius season and bringing with it a cool breeze of reasoned intellect charged with an electrical current of revolution. Aquarius, a fixed air sign, is noted for its logical, cutting wit. Aquarius seeks the truth unencumbered by emotional sentimentality. The traditional ruler of Aquarius is Saturn, lending an aloof authoritativeness to the sign. Aquarius says what must be said for the greater good without fear of judgment. Aquarius is here to change the world for the betterment of humanity--not to make friends. The modern ruler of this sign is Uranus, the planet of revolution, whose energy can feel like a cataclysm. Sometimes you have to destroy what was to build what is to come.
When thinking about your writing this season, ask yourself: what truth needs to be told? What research do you need to do to build an impenetrable argument? What emotions (e.g., fear, anger, bitterness) are clouding your thinking? If you stripped away all fear of social pressure and judgment, what would you say in your work? In his Master Class on writing, Neil Gaiman mentions that in his early writing, he often withheld saying what he actually meant for fear that people would truly see him and judge him. He found that it was only when he wrote honestly and without fear that he found his voice and connected with his audience.
The world is burning. Cosmic energy is churning with impending change. What does the WORLD need your work to communicate to bring about revolution?
NEW MOON RITUAL: Tarot Cards for Your Aquarius Altar
The new moon in Aquarius is on January 24 at 1:42 pm PST. New moons are a time to set intentions. To dedicate time to your spirituality and to your creative work. To breathe. To commit yourself to your project in the coming lunar cycle. To make magic.
Creating an altar at the new moon with images, candles, and materials aligned to the energies you are calling in can help you focus your intention. Altars can be left up for the entire lunar cycle (until the next new moon) and returned to often to meditate and recommit to your intentions.
Any image that resonates with you and the energies you are calling in can be helpful on an altar, but I find that tarot cards are particularly potent. The cards’ layered imagery invokes a multitude of meanings. Tarot cards are especially useful, too, because there is a major arcana card aligned with each astrological sign and each of the four suits of the minor arcana (pentacles, cups, swords, and wands) correspond to one of the four elements (earth, water, air, and fire, respectively). For an altar honoring Aquarius season and calling in the energy of the element air (Aquarius is an air sign), I would suggest the following three cards:
The Star
The Star card of the major arcana corresponds to Aquarius. Aquarius is known as the Water Bearer, and you can see how this card illustrates that idea. It is said that the Water Bearer pours forth the libations that humanity needs. When putting this card on your altar, it can help focus your energy toward researching, writing, and creating that which will heal the world.
Ace of Swords
All ace cards in tarot denote a beginning. In the traditional Rider, Waite, Colman Smith deck (pictured here), the aces appear as hands holding the minor arcana symbol (in this case, a sword). The hand emerges from a cloud, essentially out of thin air. It bursts into our awareness. The suit of swords and the element of air relate to knowledge and intellect. The Ace of Swords, then, can represent the calling in of a new idea, of inspiration, especially one with the sharp edge of cold, logical truth. Use this card on your altar to call to the Muse and invoke inspiration.
Queen of Swords
The Queen of Swords (or, indeed, the King of Swords) may be used on your altar as a representation of yourself, channeling the energy of Aquarius. The Queen and King of Swords both represent maturity with intellectual acumen. You are discerning and uninfluenced by emotion. You see clearly and cut to the heart of the matter. You are unafraid to speak the truth. Looking at this card, you can feel her strength. Her self-assurance. Placing this on your altar, you can set an intention to embody this archetype.