Author: Hermes the Thrice Blessed

Introduction

I must first begin by fixing where I am speaking from in terms of how I approach astrology. Firstly, we must acknowledge that Astrology is a skill and a learned art. As such, we introduce many points of failure that might potentially arise, such as if the astrologer is poorly trained or using a bad paradigm. That is to say, not all astrology is equal nor are all astrologers equal. I would remind everyone learning about astrology to keep this in mind.

With that said, I fix myself in the Hellenic tradition of astrology that would go on to influence the developments within later Renaissance astrology. I understand astrology to be the reading of the heavenly bodies’ movement which corresponds to the divine providence set forth. Or to say, I believe in signatory astrology and not causal astrology; the stars tell us of what is coming but do not cause it themselves.

Aquarius

“With holy voice I call the stars on high, pure sacred lights and genii of the sky.

Celestial stars, the progeny of Night, in whirling circles beaming far your light,

Refulgent rays around the heav’ns ye throw, eternal fires, the source of all below.

With flames significant of Fate ye shine, and aptly rule for men a path divine.” ~

Excerpt from The Orphic Hymn on the Stars, the Taylor Translation

I will be speaking of the zoidion Aquarius or the living image of the water pourer. Aquarius was known to be (by the Hellenic astrologers whom you should assume I am deferring to from here on out) as being a Masculine or a leading sign, or that it holds authority. It is likewise ruled over by Saturn and deals with the rejection of a Thing. We can see then why it is in the symbol of the water pourer who rejects and thus pours away the water. Further, we can see the relationship between the two in the image of Saturn where Agrippa, author of the “Three Books of Occult Philosophy” tells us that Saturn is depicted as “an old seated on a grand chair, his hands raised, holding a sickle (or fish), and under his feed a bunch of grapes. He dressed in black or similar dark clothing, and covers his head with a cloth of the same color” (The Second Book of Occult Philosophy on the Celestial Magic, Young translation).

Further insight may be gleaned from its relation to the sign of the Geomancers, which is the spiritual geomantic symbol related to Aquarius. That is the sign of Tristita which is also a symbol of Saturn. Of Tristita it is said to be melancholic, talkative, rule-breaking, and full of sorrowful disappointment.

The zoidion of Aquarius then taken not just a static image in the sky, it holds a relation to the planet of Saturn where Saturn is at home in Aquarius, and the spirit symbol of Tristita. As the living image of rejection, a talkative night of letting the cup pour and run over in all its melancholia sadness and that this sadness, or melancholy, is of a fixed nature, thanks to its rulership over Saturn. Where there is Aquarius there is loss and not the sort of loss to be reversed or that is taken to change but a whole and complete fixed loss.

It is also an airy sign, which, according to the Aristotelian model, is that it is a hot and wet symbol, but more so of its wet or moist quality than of its hot quality. However, other models of relation to the elements such as those proposed by Theophrastus say that air is cold primarily and not hot at all. In the first, we might say that someone born under Aquarius is taken to be angry and listless or helpless. Such situations under Aquarius may be those that leave people feeling angry and helpless. In the latter model, it is a sign of a kind of falling away and shrinking down from something.

As for related spirits, I turn again to Agrippa who tells us in the third book of occult philosophy that the spirit Cambiel rules over Aquarius, and the angel Zaphiel rules over Saturn.

Aquarius as a Living Image

Taken as a whole then, Aquarius is the wet, cold, airy, and/or hot sign of loss and melancholy. It has deep ties to the planet Saturn and to the geomantic sign of Tristita, as well as to the Spirit Cambiel, and the angel Zaphiel. As a living thing then when one is born under Aquarius you should note that thing indicates loss in your life, sadness, melancholy etc and you should seek what is called remediation (that is the bettering of one’s situation). One may do this by assimilating to the spirit of Cambiel, the planet Saturn, the spirit of Tristitia (geomantic signs may also be understood as spirits in their own right), and the angel Zaphiel. One should seek to appease the planetary spirits by offering things appropriate to Saturn. To the spirits geomantic or otherwise spell work is needed relating to the elemental qualities of the Zoidion of Aquarius, and as for the angel I recommend theurgy. The point of this small piece of writing though is not to give a comprehensive guide on these things, but rather open up a route to research on the part of the reader is needed but know there remain paths to make situations of loss at the very least somewhat softer.

In closing then the sign of Aquarius is that of loss, shrinking away, pouring out but remember you are human from your soul arises your own motions – you have the ability by many means to remediate this loss or to simply feel it and accept the stability in that fixed loss.

Hermes the Thrice Blessed is a paleo-Neoplatonic polytheist, and occultist. Studying history, philosophy and Latin. Subscribe to his Substack here and follow him on X here.