DECAN DELINEATIONS|2024
FREEBIE POST|The Sun Through the 2nd Decan of Aquarius
From tomorrow—January 30th—through February 8th the sun will move through the second decan of Aquarius, governed by Mercury and ruled by Saturn, and associated with the 6 of swords in the tarot: a card that represents transitions.
It is in my experience to know, that through this time of year, that many of you are experiencing quite hefty transitions—transitions, further, without much understanding or proper perspective—if not overall depressive slumps of sorts.
The sun will connect to Chiron by sextile, the NN, and Uranus through this decan…
In an effort to gain paid subscriptions—I’ll delineate for all—because awareness always assists agreeability.
image credit—unknown
The 2nd Decan of Aquarius—
Astrologer Austin Coppock writes of this decan, that “while the first decan of Aquarius pictures rebellion against established order and the exploration of what lies outside of it—the second builds bridges between…”
At this point in time—what’s been done is done.
That’s it. For better or worse.
Without reading so harshly to coolly, though this is a typical Aquarian response—it’s quite important for you, particularly in consideration to your health, that you resist looking back, dwelling, or wallowing in woe.
It seems, too, that everything is existing within two’s?—is it just me?
Because Mercury governs this decan, duality is heavy here…
As Coppock writes, that which does “not merely bridge the known and unknown, but the ideal and the practical as well…” and so concepts of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ do not really apply here, nor can these help validate for you any sense or understanding and/or direction. Just as there may be a Before you mustn’t dwell within—nor is there a Not Yet to clearly consider yet…
There is only this ongoing, momentary Now.
These transitions you’re navigating now—and quickly becoming more of an obstacle course by the day, I would imagine—also suggest that the only clarity to be received, or remembered, from the past is that o lessons learned… for if you have yet to learn these pivotal lessons, there need not be much further to look upon anyway, no?
Further—I can’t not mention Pluto’s second plunge into Aquarius since last year around this time…
With Pluto in Aquarius—and I will be writing a separate post for this—change and transformations are coming, for better or worse, whether you’re agreeable to these energies or not, with or without your approval or preparations… how you respond or react to whatever you’re currently navigating will assuredly become much more emphasized in time. With Pluto there is no avoiding, ignoring, or passive-aggressively projecting—there’s denial or surrender—and I would suggest surrender. Pluto’s entrance onto the stage regarding this scene you’re currently acting through is celestially marked as something so transformational for you—it would be best to do right by it.
Again… I know.
With Pluto, there is no right and wrong—there is only darkness and light.
Only ego, or love.
“In other words, change is situational. Transition, on the other hand, is psychological. It is not those events, but rather the inner reorientation and self-redefinition that you have to go through in order to incorporate any of those changes into your life… without a transition, a change is just a rearrangement of the furniture—unless transition happens, the change won’t work, because it doesn’t ‘take’.”
—William Bridges
The 6 of Swords—
Swords are associated to the element of air, and both are quite unattached in terms of emotionality, which would suggest that these next nine days will not lend much at all to wallowing or whining, much less to pampering or parenting—but rather to reflection, though only if reflection is in an effort to understand and improve, and not nostalgically reminisce the past in reverie…
It is essential, now, to move forward.
Still—I get it—an appropriate amount of understanding toward potential revisions needs to be sufficiently achieved. I know… it’s a lot.
The imagery of this card depicts two figures on a boat—duality—rowing out toward the horizon with their back to the viewer, which is symbolically telling, as this suggests that whatever they’re seeing we are not—there’s no clarifications as to if they’re seeing something we do not.
Confusion.
Another interesting tidbit here is that the imagery of one figure doing the rowing while the other figure is huddled within the boast—wallowing, haha, but more likely simply sorrowful… to remember that Mercury was the only god able to roam between the realms—and as Mercury governs this decan, it would suggest, then, that Mercury is rowing the boat, suggesting further that Mercurial/Aquarian thoughts and considerations would be that which might steer you into a more clarified understanding of things…
Mercury will move into Aquarius on February 4th.
Regardless of what has happened, or what you’ve recently endured or expereinced—rather than pondering endlessly as to what it happened… instead, question to yourself: what now?
This opens to an entirely new landscape of possibility and potential…
Further still, tarot writer TS Chang points out that Mercury, as it governs, provides this decan a voice—with understanding, you can better communicate to others what you need.
Solving problems and bringing light to darkness (as the seasonal sun begins to slowly bring additional light to each day, slowly, slowly, a little bit longer each day…) is sort of the essence of this decan—not only the transition itself—but toward the finding of our own way.
Higher vibrational Aquarian energies inspire others to turn in to their own frequencies and to enjoy independence and real connections with other individuated people… it’s the lower Aquarian vibrations that pick up all the slack from others and ‘parent’ or ‘teach’ or ‘control’, or an Aquarian who has yet to individuate themselves—which a Pluto transit will typically take care of.
Aquarian energies do not do well within circular paths to nowhere—they thrive when moving forward only.
That infamous suggestion to ‘think outside of the box’ is absolutely valid now—within these breakdowns (typically occurring before breakthroughs)—as is considering to yourself that the transition you’re currently navigating is one that is very possibly necessary to you and your overall eventual growth and happiness.
Seriously.
Aquarius is still ruled by Saturn, overall—and so journeys of solitude are innately implied. With Mercury joining in on this decan in governance—this ultimately suggests lessons being learned. Through Saturn and Mercury, combined—lessons are being learned the hard way.
Lessons being learned—and habits being broken.
It has likely become time for you to finally stop doing something you no longer need to do, if you ever did… this transition may very likely have something to do with the releasing of something or someone you no longer need in your life, if you ever did.
There’s huge amounts of potential here for self-empowerment, ya’ll…
It may even be possible that you’ve simply recently become aware of something—something you refused to acknowledge previously; denied, avoided, resisted or ignored… something you may know very well isn’t working—and now, it’s come time to finally face it. And it hurts. And it’s hard. And it’s exhausting…
You’re possibly even addicted.
If not, attached.
So this, now, centers in on concepts of fear. What, exactly, are you afraid of?
Tarot writer Jessica Dore says of this card that “awareness of a pattern is a great starting point, for sure—once you’ve identified that a pattern is happening, you can start to see where the fear is living: it’s often at the exact location where the pattern could be broken… each time you hit the edge of a feeling that scares you, you’re at a crossroads with a choice to make—either you can keep walking that well-worn path that allows you to avoid the thing you’re scared of, or you can choose a new route…”
If you’re unable to define your fears with words and intellectual considerations—you’re much more likely to continue on your well-worn circular path to nowhere.
Growth, remember, is naturally uncomfortable. Sometimes painful.
And on this, Dore writes, “fear is not just a thing to be tolerated but, in fact, an indelible part of living in alignment with what’s precious…”
Dore quotes a psychologist Dennis Tirch, with the sentiment that “if you wait for every part of you to be on board with some big change, you’ll be waiting a long time—indeed, that temptation to wait for fear to subside is a trap—the fear is the cost of admission.”
Indeed.
And overall—you’re in this on your own. Aquarian energies, fundamentally and essentially, are those of independence and living by and through one’s own individuated principles and values.
“Transitions always start with an ending. To become something else, you have to stop being what you are now; to start doing things a new way, you have to end the way you are doing them now; and to develop a new attitude or outlook, you have to let go of the old one.”
—William Bridges
The Sun Though the Decan—
As mentioned above, the sun will make several connections—
On February 5th—the sun will connect to Chiron by sextile through a degree that describes vigilance… ‘you may sense that things are not quite right today or that you need to be particularly on guard about something.’
On February 6th—the sun will connect to the NN by sextile through a degree that assures disclosure of something… hidden motivations and other secrets will be revealed.
On February 8th—the sun will square Uranus through a degree that challenges certainties… emphases maybe be upon ‘recognizing higher powers—higher than yourself…’; higher wisdoms and inspirations abound today—messages bearing.
“The gods have two ways of dealing harshly with us—the first is to deny us our dreams, and the second is to grant them.”
—William Bridges
In Conclusion—
Additionally, and finally, these nine days could also regard a time of deep mourning or grieving for something lost or suddenly taken—particularly if it’s recent, it’s a time to go inward and grieve your loss…
Particularly if you’ve committed yourself to unlearning an unhealthy behavior or habit, or simply stopped doing something you know you shouldn’t—breaking through, breaking cycles.
Though, if you find yourself caught in a circumstance that is simply beyond your control or preference, particularly with another, this may be a time to begin actually doing what needs to be done.
With transitions—particularly transitions within an event that has not been traveled before, and it is unknowable and unknown—there is likely a heavy amount of confusion.
And pressure.
With an emphasis, that—whatever these circumstances are for you, it’s a big deal.
It’s a major event within your life—one which you will always remember, for better or worse—and you know that you need to either make the most of this, or do ‘right’ by whatever or whomever it regards.
“First there is an ending, then a beginning, and an important empty or fallow time in between.”
—William Bridges
Chang, T. ‘36 Secrets.’ AnimaMundi Press; 2021.
Coppock, A. ‘36 Faces.’ 3Hands Press; 2014.
Dore, J. ‘Tarot for Change.’ VIKING; 2021.
Reed, T. ‘Tarot.’ Desire Books; 2020.
Roche, D. ‘Sabian Symbols.’ Astrology Classics; 2010.