Aquarius

[This is an excerpt of a longer piece of writing. See the original post on Substack for the longer version and audio voiceover of me reading the post out loud. Or just read the shorter version below.]

AQUARIUS

Maybe you have heard someone say that this time of year is called Aquarius season, and that people born during this season are born in the sun sign of Aquarius. Whether you subscribe to this idea or not, you might have observed many people assign themselves (and others) with certain qualitites based on what sign they were born under.

Personally, I am deeply fascinated about possible connections between human life, stars and planetary bodies, but have accepted that my fascination is also tempered with a skepticism, particularly if these symbols are used in a narrow-minded manner where a person’s total being is reduced to just the qualities of one zodiac sign.

On top of that, I feel a need to highlight the often forgotten fact that the zodiac signs and the constellations that gave them their names are actually quite an arbitrary interpretation of a night sky that could be (and has been, and still is) imagined in vastly different ways. For example, in the Sami culture, which is the indigenous culture existing in home country, Finland, the night sky is perceived as a hunting scene, with the main constellation being in the shape of a reindeer, Sarvvis. With this knowledge, I can’t help but feel a bit uncomfortable every time the 88 constellations that have been officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union are spoken about in a way where there is no awareness about the vast range of interpretations possible, and still existing in different cultures. And yet, I would also be amiss if I did not acknowledge the need for a shared system that astronomers could agree on in their research.

I feel like a discussion around the problematic aspects surrounding this matter would have material for its completely own Substack post, so I will now settle with just leaving this paragraph here. May it serve as a little disclaimer that anything that I write around these zodiac signs is based on an awareness of the arbitrary nature of their construction in the first place - mainly as a way for astronomers to stay organized. In conclusion, I want to respectfully recognize that there are many other ways that these stars can be interpreted. But as I grew up in a western context, that is where I need to start this exploration. Who knows, maybe this research will evolve beyond that. But before losing myself in infinity, I need to start in my known part of the unvierse.

Since I have grown up in a culture where the qualities assigned to these signs can have a strong impact on people’s perceptions of themselves and others, I have always felt a bit uneasy with how little I actually know about the myths underlying these characters. Where did these stories come from? Why do we assign certain qualities to certain signs? Whether I personally believe in astrology or not, and whether I care about ascribing to these zodiac signs or not, I can’t deny how the mythological figures of these (western) zodiac signs seem to play a powerful role in the collective imagination of the culture that I am a part of. Because of this, there is something that draws me in and wants me to explore it further.

So, for this year I have decided to do some research into these zodiac signs, including journeys of active imagining where I meet with the mythological figure personally (in the shape they show for me) to see what they want to say about it all. To make this process more fun for me while also making use of my design skills in a new way, I will also create a visual design for each zodiac sign, based on what came up in my research and active imagining. This design is not meant to be any kind of a scientific representation but more of a way for my mind (and body) to synthesize these different impressions into a visual form.

Before going further, I feel a need to add that I do not have a long background in astrology or in mythological studies. But I do have some foundational knowledge of both, quite a comprehensive library of books on mythology and symbolism, access to the internet, and a curious mind persistent to delve deeper into any area that fascinates me. Still, if you feel called to comment on my research or fill in gaps with additional perspectives, you are most welcome to do so by leaving a comment or writing me an email.

And now, let’s move on to the sign that starts out this research series: Aquarius.

About Aquarius

The list below collects information and correspendences that is often attached to a zodiac sign in astrological discussion. The Dates signify the time that the sun travels through the sign of Aquarius, according to different astrological systems. I have gathered this information here to share an overview of some of the details that have been attached to the Aquarius sign, both as a starting point for considering what qualities we tend to assign to this symbol and to have these details to compare the mythological findings with.

• Zodiac order: 11th sign.

• Opposite: Leo

• Dates (placidus system): 21.1 - 19.2

• Dates (sidereal system): 14.2 - 9.3

• Dates (13-signs system): 16.2 - 12.3

• Glyph: two wawy lines, representing water/communication/energy, and the idea of passive dualism

• Anatomical relationships: lower legs, blood

• Element: Air

• Quality: Fixed

• Gemstone: Amethyst

• Constellation: Water-bearer

• Governed by: Saturn and Uranus

Mythological Representation

Aquarius is latin for “water-bearer”. Most accounts that I found in my mythological research connect aquarius to the character of Ganymede, but I also found a few variants, where Aquarius is instead connected to Cecrops, or to Deucalion/Deukalion, the son of Prometheus.

The Myth of Ganymede

In Greek Mythology, Ganymede is described as a beautiful Trojan boy, in some versions even the most beautiful of all. He was the son of Tros, king of Troy, and Callirrhoë. While Ganymede was tending to his father’s flock on mount Ida, he was spotted by the god Zeus (Jupiter, in the Roman version). Zeus, either controlling an eagle, or himself in eagle form, seduced him and brought him to Olympus. Zeus then made Ganymede immortal so that he could remain there, as Zeus’s lover and cupbearer.

In other versions of the myth, Ganymede was the son of King Tros and was carried off by Zeus in exchange for some horses. In still another version Ganymede is carried to heaven by a storm wind. In some accounts, the eagle was turned into the constellation Aquila and Ganymede into Aquarius. In recognition of this myth, the largest moon of the planet Jupiter (Roman counterpart to Zeus) was named Ganymede.

Based on the relationship between Ganymede and Zeus/Jupiter, the myth can be seen as a model for the Greek social custom of paiderastía, a romantic relationship between an adult male and an adolescent male, or a symbol for homosexual love overall. Other writers have instead turned the myth of Zeus and Ganymede into a symbol of the pure soul finding rapture in the love of God.

A quick glance into the visual imagery that has been created about Ganymede shows many works featuring the youthful and beautiful Ganymede together with the eagle/Zeus, either as peacefully giving water, riding on the eagle, or a dramatic scene of the eagle carrying Ganymede up into the skies.

To look even deeper at the character of Ganymede and further interpretations of the myth, I decided to search for Ganymede through the website The Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism. In this archive, what I found was discussion about how the myth of Ganymede and Zeus can be connected to the concept of integration between the divine child and mature masculinity, thus portraying a unification of different sides within the self. See below for a few quotes from the archive’s writings on Images of the Divine Child:

“These stories have been given at least three different interpretations: they have provided a sanction for Greek homosexuality, they have been interpreted as the soul taken up by God, or they can be seen as the integration of the mature masculinity with the figure of the child.”

Conclusion

Whether in the form of a lover or a beloved child, the age difference between the powerful god Zeus and the youth Ganymede is of a symbolical significance, so I feel compelled to conclude this research by landing in the idea that the mythological figure of Ganymede is deeply connected to a unification of pole opposites within a person’s self, where Ganymede stands for the pure potential of youth, while Zeus symbolizes the mature masculine character, whose potential has reached its peak. In their meeting, they are uniting these aspects within the self, so that a person has access to both their mature (masculine, or yang) energy, while again also being able to retain their childlike innocence and wonder.

So how does this connect to the qualities that are often assigned to the Aquarius zodiac sign? Aquarius is a sign that is often linked with humanitarian ideals, freedom, eccentricity, individuality and original thinking. And the glyph for Aquarius, two wavy lines on top of each other, represents water and communication, and the idea of passive dualism. These qualities gain a deeper meaning when highlighted against understanding about the underlying myth. As a water-bearer to the gods, Ganymede is actively undertaking the role of mediating communication between humans and gods, and as a symbol for a unification between childlike wonder and masculine energy, this mediating and unifying role is emphasized all the more. Maybe this unification of the opposites (inhabited by Ganymede and Zeus) is part of the reason why the sign of Aquarius is often connected to the idea of an objective approach and an ability to perceive a larger overview.

Active Imagining to Meet Ganymede

To combine this research process with some more flowy inner world explorations, I decided to journey into an active imagining to meet with Ganymede in person (at least, the way he showed himself to me). I imagined how this young boy was taken by the powerful god/eagle into the sky and imagined myself following him there. And there he was, in the the bright halls of the Gods, a smiling, calm and gentle youth. He had an aura of deep understanding, and a peacefulness, that I believe only comes from this kind of a deep understanding. I asked him the questions that my own cultural background demanded, and that no research article was able to answer. What does he feel about it all? Did he not object to slaving away as a water-bearer for the Gods, and was he not angry at Zeus for taking him from his home by force? At my questions, a gentle smile played on his lips. I could sense that he had heard them before, or that he had expected them, as coming from a human such as myself. These are the answers that Ganymede shared with me, and I will conclude this piece of writing by sharing them now to you.

Service is not slaving.

The mediating role is a powerful one.

I am not mad for being brought here, because here I can mediate on a much higher level.

But aside from the service that I do as a mediator, I also enjoy my life here. Remember, service and enjoyment are not opposites. In their most effective form, they go hand in hand.

In being brought here, I may have lost touch with the finer details of my human life, but I gained the ability to see an overview of the whole.

I am no longer Ganymede, the human boy who herded his father’s sheep. I am Ganymede, the mediator between the human and the godlike, between the original and the ordinary.

In a world where aligning yourself to one extreme is encouraged as a show of care, remaining calmly impassive and objective is indeed a revolutionary stance to take.

And yet, that impassive stance is at its depth the most caring stance of all, as it creates a meeting space for all sides. It is an act of caring for All.

I am the paradoxically ordinary revolutionary middle ground.

In staying connected to my own center I stay connected to it all, without needing to be in it all.

References

Aquarius (astrology) in Wikipedia. Available online: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquarius_(astrology)

ARAS.org (website) The Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism. Available online: https://aras.org

Cavendish, Richard (editor). (1980) Mythology: An Illustrated Encyclopedia. Orbis Publishing Limited.

Ganymede (mythology) in Wikipedia. Available online: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganymede_(mythology)

Images of the Divine Child (Webpage on The Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism website) Available online: https://aras.org/documents/images-divine-child-0?page=20

Kanatas, Vasilis. (2011) Astrology of the 13 Signs of the Zodiac. Klaudios Ptolemaios Publications.

Mercatante, Anthony S. (2009) The Facts On File Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend, Third Edition. Infobase Publishing.

Mystikens värld: Astrologi (1991) Lademann. (Swedish Translation of the English book Cosmic Connections, in the Mysteries of the Unknown book series, with Russel B. Adams Jr. as the series director).

O’Connel, Mark & Airey, Raje. (2011) The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Signs & Symbols. Hermes House.

Stardate.org (website) McDonald Observatory at University of Texas at Austin. Available online: https://stardate.org/astro-guide/

The Constellations (Webpage on the International Astronomical Union website) Available online: https://www.iau.org/public/themes/constellations/

The Starry Sky in Sapmí (Webpage on the Between Northern Lights website) available online: https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/the-starry-sky-in-sapmi/