Strength and energy in alliance

We are about halfway through Aquarius season already and have now arrived at the Hexagram 13: People in Harmony section, which represents the essence of Aquarius.

Yesterday I heard a YouTuber mention that a formerly popular YouTuber is getting less and less views these days because the algorithm is now more egalitarian and doesn’t favor people with large number of followers. It’s more of a challenge for one single individual to stand out in a Leo-like way, which is how Aquarius, the opposite sign from Leo, prefers it.

With Pluto in Aquarius for the next 20 years, expect that egalitarianism to continue.

Aquarius is a fixed air sign ruled by Saturn. It is future focused and not about conforming to something in the past like Capricorn, the other Saturn-ruled sign. It emphasizes the new future we are pushing towards and, being an air sign, likes to expand our horizons. The Aquarius downsides are a tendency to be too ideological and feeling like an outsider. I saw a funny poll on Instagram asking which of the air signs are the most difficult to argue with: Aquarius, Leo, Scorpio, or Taurus. Aquarius was running a close second behind Taurus. I voted for Aquarius!

The image of this hexagram, after what seems like endless lakes and mountains, finally brings some fire to the situation: it is Heaven over Fire. This seems appropriate for an air sign like Aquarius. As Richard Wilhelm describes it in his translation:

Just as the luminaries in the sky serve for the systematic division and arrangement of time, so human society and all things that really belong together must be organically arranged. Fellowship should not be a mere mingling of individuals or of things – that would be chaos, not fellowship. If fellowship is to lead to order, there must be organization within diversity.

Here is some of Hilary Barrett’s commentary about the image:

Harmony btween people will not come about by forcibly amalgamating the clans; to disarm their natural defensiveness, the noble one needs first to recognize and respect identities different from his own.

Hopefully we will see a lot more of that respect during the next 20 years.

To bring this closer to home, I’ll close with a few journal prompts to consider:

*Reflect on a recent challenge and consider how collaborative efforts or a sense of fellowship could have positively influenced the outcome.

*How will your life change if the group(s) you are in expands?

*Explore ways to foster unity in your community or social circles.