Thoughts of Third Decan Aquarius
Snowdrops, and a meditation on a meeting with a Djinn
Snowdrops: Theirs is a fragile but hardy celebration... in the very teeth of winter. - Louise Wilder
We are now well into the third decan of Aquarius season 2025, past the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere, and the summer solstice and autumn/fall equinox in the southern hemisphere. There were still a few pockets of snow on the high ground yesterday, twisting north east across the top of the Northern Pennines towards Teesdale. The clouds was right down to the ground on the tops, dank and dismal. But the snowdrops were out in force at my parent’s house. To me it is still their place, though sadly missing my mother. Her patch of heaven on Earth, the Pennines. The snowdrops were out, and the first crocuses, the day she died at home, brought home from the hospital on end of life care.
It was drear and dreich, as my very dear Scottish in-laws might say, but the cloud lifted late afternoon, and the sunset was spectacular, heading home again, heading west.
We have recently looked at the history of Aquarius, and the overall Aquarius archetype, but I am posting some of this again for anyone who has not come across those posts. All the zodiac signs represent archetypes, meaning something that is considered to be a perfect or typical example of a particular kind of person or thing.
The zodiac signs paint a ‘typical’ portrait of a person born at a particular time of year, in a particular season and environmental conditions, based on the thirty-sixth latitude in the northern hemisphere…Mesopotamia, out of the Indus… where western Tropical astrology has its historic origins, from the Akkadians and Sumerians to the Babylonians and the Egyptians, to the Greeks and the Romans, and down to us, right here, right now.
The archetypes of Aquarius: The Teacher, The Reformer, The Revolutionary, The Truth- teller/Preacher, The Exile, The Scientist. And now it also stands for the Technocrat, AI and Cloud Technology.
The major arcana Tarot card for Aquarius is The Star, standing for notions of The People, Humanity, Hope, Inspiration, Exploration, Progress, Technology. Also recovery from sickness or despair. Aquarius is communicative, humanitarian, progressive, fraternal, optimistic and idealistic. The principle, despite the many feminine representations of Aquarius in Art and in the tarot, is masculine, active in quality, which is nothing per se, to do with sex or gender. Aquarius represents pure intellect. The shadow side? Every sign has one. The Intellect must be grounded in the realities of the lived human experience, or there is the potential for totalitarianism. Aquarius can represent the worst effects of the violence that inevitably accompanies a social revolution, mob rule, and the tyranny of collectivism. Modern Aquarius could and likely will take us farther out into Space, and/or it could and likely already has been for some time already, preside over the strategized engineering of a global Techno-Feudalism.
The Zodiac Decans
“If you’ve ever wondered why people born in the same sign seem different, the decans can help answer this puzzle,” – astrologer Rachel Lang.
The decans or decanates were in use by astrologers in Egypt 2100 BCE, as evidenced carved on coffin lids. But they may be far older in astrological usage, and have been described as ‘the thirty-six faces of astrology.’ Each of the 12 signs of the zodiac (Wheel of Life) represents 30 degrees of the 360-degree wheel of the zodiac, tracking the course of the Sun over a year. Each sign is subdivided into three parts of ten degrees each. There is so much more going on in your story as revealed in your natal chart, starting with your Rising Sign, Moon Sign, and aspects. But the decans, from the Greek word “deka” meaning ten supply extra clues and nuance in respect of character and potential destiny of your classic sun sign story.
Recent posts have already looked into the first and second decans.
Third Decan Aquarius
Aquarius- Libra
Dates: February 9-February 18
Planetary ruler: Traditional: Moon Modern: Venus
Tarot card- Seven of Swords
Card Meanings: Diplomacy, tact, damage limitation, investigation, surveillance, theft, fraud, a stalker, sabotage, pre-emptive action
The third decan is more relaxed and easy-going than Aquarians born in the other decans, though still characteristic of the classic Aquarius archetype. But this decan is also somewhat more prone to anxiety or even experiences of existential anxiety. My younger daughter , third decan native born 16 February, once came running to climb into bed with me for safety…aged fourteen. She had looked too long out of her bedroom window at the stars, she said, and terrified herself, reflecting that she was actually looking back in time, looking at the deepest past. Maybe the stars were not even there any more, even as she was watching them twinkling.
The persona is affable yet elusive, with an acute sense of humour which they use to defuse and manage challenging situations. They can be something of a court jester, but with many a serious thing spoken in jest. These quirky, sharp, friendly but somewhat impersonal Aquarians are like shooting stars, not easy to “get.”
Famous Decan 3 Aquarius subjects: Galileo, Abraham Lincoln, Charles Darwin, Thomas Edison, Paris Hilton, Mia Farrow, Sheryl Crowe, Rachel Reeves, UK Labour Chancellor of The Exchequer
The Cusps of Aquarius
The decans are not considered particularly significant in readings, though I have found they can be helpful in identifying likely timings in respect of unfolding developments. Not all astrologers bother with the decans, let alone the cusps. But they might interest you to know about, if you are born in these date windows.
Capricorn-Aquarius: January 17-23
These earliest Aquarius natives are hardworking idealists, born on the Cusp of Mystery and Imagination. They are determined, creative, entertaining, idealistic, witty, observant and empathetic. They can be so self-reliant that they close themselves off from other people, including those who love them, who may sometimes feel shut out.
Aquarius-Pisces: February 15-21
These Aquarians, born on the Aquarius-Pisces cusp are kindly, playful and creative but also sensible. They feel the influence of both planets; rebellious and innovative Uranus and the deep, dreamy bottomless seas of Neptune. These natives may be considered somewhat "offbeat" and are often psychic.
Astrology of third decan Aquarius, 2025
January 19: Sun entered Aquarius
January 21: Sun- Pluto conjunction at 1 degree Aquarius. This was a degree signifying a new technocratic era, happening only the day after the US Presidential Inauguration. Elon Musk was appointed to oversee a review of federal government spending, a clear sign of confirmation of this direction of travel. Plus we have the present standoff between Donald Trump’s new government, and again, in particular, between Elon Musk (who elected him?) and Doug Ford, the Governor of Ontario, who, faced with the threat of a hike in tariffs from the US, has threatened to respond by cancelling a contract with Starlink. Meanwhile, the advent of DeepSeek signifies a new business model in the technology industries, with a potential challenge to the monopolies of the Tech giants like Google and Amazon, and an increasing shift of power away from Silicon Valley. But look where we are already at. I am what is quaintly known as a late adopter of new technologies. I came only recently to WhatsApp, and found that if you send a message on WhatsApp, as I did the other day with one of my daughters, within minutes you are liable to see an advert, clearly based on bot surveillance, something said in that message. I can do without WhatsApp. But it begs one of THE question of our times, how on earth do we citizens, whose function is clearly to be farmed online for monetisation, avoid giving away any more of our personal information online than we strictly must?
Mars is still retrograde in Cancer until February 23, but is trine Saturn until tomorrows full moon on February 12. Home, family and homeland affairs have been challenging, if not downright stressful, but Saturn’s diligence and maturity, and very likely, financial assistance between generations has helped mitigate a crisis, helping at least keep the lid on the worst of it.
Full Moon in Leo 12 February. Any Full Moon symbolically closes one stretch of a cycle. This full Snow Moon, also called the Ice Moon or the Bone Moon, is at 24 degrees Leo. The Sun is at 24 degrees of Aquarius square Uranus (Upheaval) in Taurus (Wall Street, our finances, the second House of material affairs.)
This will likely be a pretty “loud” Full Moon, potentially full-on for everyone, but especially for Leo sun, moon and rising signs. Not only is the World watching the U.S, vis a vis Tariffs, plus everything else, but in the run-up to this Full Moon (Uranus also=Electricity), the Baltic states of Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania have in recent days, finally (and it appears, peacefully) decoupled their energy grids from the Russian Grid and joined the European Grid. This plan was already pending in 2018, but was accelerated in consequence of the invasion of Ukraine with great anxiety among the peoples of the Baltic states, as to whom could be next.
Both Leo and Aquarius are Fixed signs, brave, stubborn, quick to give advice, slow to take it. Resistant to change, but least Leo can warm a chill. At a personal level, Leo stands for our romantic and creative passions and projects. Leo is the zodiac sign of children. Fun times. Our moments in the sun. Leo rules the heart. It has two major arcana cards, Strength and The Sun. It speaks to our physical vitality, a Full Moon in Leo. This is the time of year, at the very end of winter, when our “sunshine” vitamin D is at its lowest in the northern hemisphere, and the risks of contagion rise.
The most workable strategies in general right now, suggest the Tarot cards correlating with this Full Moon, are an attitude of maximum possible objectivity, combining or alternating between vigilance, stamina, diplomacy, keeping our opinions to ourselves, and our cards close to our chest. This is of course, easier said than done when feelings in the widest collective are running so high are they are right now.
These cards say we can and will cope with most of what gets thrown in our direction around this time by staying focussed, saving our energy, directing and concentrating it where we can get results. The Seven of Wands stands his ground- and he has the higher ground. The Seven of Swords thinks ahead, staying one step ahead of whatever trouble might be coming down the road. And double checks everything.
February 14: Mercury enters Pisces. This is Mercury’s sign of fall- less analytical, but more poetic. Lovers, write your own verses in those Valentine cards. Writers, roll up your sleeves. You may experience unusually vivid dreams or ESP, be more likely to see a ghost or to receive a psychic message. Pisces correlates with The Moon card. Mysteries and risks, especially risks of infection, contagion or poison via contaminated food. This does not mean to say we are in any such danger. It serves however, as a reminder to read the small print on documentation, especially travel documents and to be careful, if eating reheated food or food that has been left uncovered. Dates in full: February 14-March 3, 2025 and then again March 29-April 16.
February 18: Sun enters Pisces until March 20, the date of the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere, and the fall equinox in the southern atmosphere. Mars has been retrograde for the past 10 weeks, sapping our energy, blocking and thwarting progress in personal matters (Leo) and family matters (Cancer) But it is not long now until Mars finally goes direct again February 24 at 17 degrees of Cancer and we can look forward to an energy surge and likely, some pleasant social experiences, corresponding Tarot card, the Three of Cups.
A Cosmic Shadow Encounter With A Djinn
Coming back to this quintessentially Aquarian notion of The Collective, and the human Hive Mind, I would like to finish with a truly offbeat personal story. I saw something one night in January 2020, for which I had no word at the time of seeing it, to decide what I had seen. I was awake around one in the morning, lying on my left side, looking out across the room at the night sky through the balcony doors when something moved, blocking the light. Something very tall and thin, standing in the adjoining room, the other side of an open double door, fifteen feet away. It was humanoid but not human, the proportions not right. The arms too long. I told it to get out. Begone! It answered by coming closer, standing in the doorway, looking at me. No eyes, no features, no details, it was utterly black against the dim light through the balcony doors behind it. Why did I think it was looking at me? The posture, entirely human, leaning slightly forward, the head cocked slightly on one side in an unmistakeable attitude of interest. I told it a second time, be gone, and it faded away. I lay awake for quite some time after, trying to calm the violent pounding in my chest and throat, telling myself I did not see that.
Some while later I came across other stories online. Others who had seen something similar, at that same time, and now I had a word for what I had seen. A word is not an explanation. But still I seized on the word with a sense of instant recognition. I had seen what is called a shadow person, or in Islam mythology, a djinn.
This was not quite what it looked like, but it is pretty close. What did it “want?” What could it possibly “want?” Nothing, I did not feel, but to make itself seen. Why? God knows. But it put me on guard, and sure enough, within the next few few days I was handling a situation, trying to assist an extremely depressed younger family member.
We are more like starlings than we know. We know more than we know, but we know it below the everyday level of conscious articulation of thoughts and feelings translated into words and decisions. We are telepathically connected with the ancient collective Mind. Psychic experiences are our equivalent of a murmuration. How do we see the shape of the pattern when we are part of that pattern, except by absorbing in from the outside in, and then projecting it from the inside out?
I felt at the time that this visitation, whatever it was, was very frightening, not evil in and of itself but a sign that some kind of really big trouble was coming. And so it was. First, within days, the distressed young family member. Then, within weeks, we had the first cases of covid in the UK, and I began to wonder if I was getting a handle on my frightening visitor. That it was a manifestation of the collective unconscious, alerting me that something big was coming, something unprecedented. Later still, I began to feel that the covid was only the prelude to whatever else this djinn apparition was portending.
I am not an astrologer. It took me some time to work out the real kicker. The night of this “djinn” visitation was 12 January 2020, the day of a rare Saturn Pluto Conjunction perfecting at 23 degrees of Capricorn.
This from Astrology.com “When Saturn and Pluto meet, their proximity constellates a period of intensified tension, constraint, and division in collective events. While societal structures decay and breakdown, there’s room to begin building new forms and foundational elements in their place. Yet, if we wish to endure the tests of Saturn and Pluto, we must descend within to explore our inner shadow and unconscious complexes rather than overly focusing on external achievement. In combination, Saturn and Pluto bring the gravity of graveyards and necessary confrontations with cultural and personal issues we can no longer deny or resist. Pluto amplifies the contraction of Saturn, separating the essential from the nonessential in the face of obstruction, honing our awareness of whatever we wish to determinedly develop with the time and space available to us.”
Old Father Time had come face to face with Hades that night, 12 January 2020. I don’t know why that would have manifested as a visitation from a shadow person or “djinn.” But if I had felt it so strongly, so must have countless others.
More things in heaven and earth. Yes, there are,, Horatio. And there is more in you and me.
Thank you for reading. Take care.
Back again soon.
Thank you so much! So interesting and fascinating!
This is all fascinating and so very interesting. Thank you 🙏