Relearning to Fly

As the famous song of the musical Hair goes, “This is the Age of Aquarius. . .”

We all are welcoming the new lunar month of avant-garde Aquarius. The cosmos is in full bloom right now, as we all get a taste of freedom and innovation – the two racehorses of this month. Ruled in traditional astrology by Saturn, Aquarius is the complete opposite of Capricorn, even though they are ruled by the same planet! For new structures to be built, Saturn needs to first destroy the old. The “old” is Capricorn, while Aquarius represents the “new.” 

“This is the Age of Aquarius. . .”

Let’s take a closer look at ancient writings to better understand the energy of the strange Aquarian symbol of the “water bearer.”

From the Sefer Yetzirah, verse 5:10:

He made the letter tzadi king over taste,
And He bound a crown to it
And He combined one with another
And with them He formed
Aquarius in the universe, Shevat in the year,
And the korkeban in the soul, male and female.

This sounds like a very strange assessment: “king over taste.” Why taste? When we dig a little deeper, we realize only one of the five senses, which wasn’t affected by the sin of Adam (the original short circuit) was taste. Our other four senses have been distorted ever since. Surely, it is significant that taste belongs to the domain of Aquarius. The symbolism of the water bearer starts making a little more sense, as we find in other writings that the Torah and Kabbalah are often compared to water. The Age of Aquarius is taught to be a time of “knowing;” we will have access to a much higher understanding and consciousness.

From a kabbalistic viewpoint, the Age of Aquarius started in the 16^th century as knowledge and spirituality began to spread, emanating from Galilee, and particularly Safed – one of the four holy cities in Israel, which corresponds to the element of air, just like Aquarius. (FYI The three other holy cities are Jerusalem, which is fire; Tiberias, which is water; and Hebron, which is earth.) The 16^th century saw the emergence of many  great kabbalists.  Among them, the Ari, of blessed memory, and later, Rav Avraham Azulai, who boldly stated, “Kabbalah should be taught in the market places…”

"We are at the end of a great cycle, and at the beginning of a new one."

The great improvement we have in the world’s chart right now is due to Jupiter the Benefactor’s new position in the sign of its rulership, Sagittarius, where it will remain until December of 2019! The end of the cycle of Jupiter in Scorpio was catastrophic with random acts of violence, climatic disasters, and the rising of different forms of extremism around the world. What can we expect with Jupiter in Sagittarius? Well, some key words are: wide horizons, freedom, and a future with renewed ethics and laws.

Humankind is feeling the urge to become free from unnecessary burdens and limitations. This is a great time to learn from other cultures and beliefs. Global inspiration is on the rise. This year, we will witness an increased number of people on the move, in search of a new and better life. All of humanity will experience a stronger desire to grow and develop, while witnessing the rise of new and broader worldwide projects.

So, what can we expect from this wonderful Aquarian month? The start of a new order commences with the New Moon chart’s rising in pioneer Aries, along with Uranus as the co-ruler of this month! This is the time to revolutionize ourselves a bit – to renew our ambitions and plan the future with great enthusiasm. This month, let’s aim to be organized and ambitious, like a Capricorn (Saturn, Venus, and Pluto are in the sign), and be brave and innovative like an Aries! This is a great opportunity to project ourselves in a new and improved movie.

It’s time to take a leap of faith, and maybe a few risks. The cosmos supports us with many features in practical Earth, so we can dream without losing our sense of realism. As it happens, the letters of Aquarius in Hebrew, “דלי,” when reversed create the word: “yeled” or  child!

This time of Aquarius is a bit like looking at the world with the eyes of our inner child, believing we can be Superman again. It’s being unadulterated, like the sense of taste, which is ruled by this month. Unfortunately, when we grow up, our limitations and self-doubts grow, too. One of the greatest qualities of the sign of Aquarius is bold certainty, and a complete absence of boundaries. They are the fire of the air, and the fire always lifts up the air. In a sense, we are relearning how to fly!

In 2019, we are at the end of a great cycle, and at the beginning of a new one. It’s the darkest point before the dawn, and a fantastic opportunity for all of mankind to rise above prejudice and pettiness. As the visionary French philosopher, Andre Malraux wrote, “Without spirituality, there won’t be a 21^st century.” Welcome to a new incarnation of the Age of Aquarius: consciousness!

A great month to all! Chodesh tov!