Aquarius & Frustration
In 36 Faces, Austin Coppock describes the third decan of Aquarius as a place of frustration. This is where the Sun is now [this newsletter was sent in February 2024]. This is where the recent New Moon happened too. In addition this being our collective astrological weather, I’ve been seeing loads of people who were born with the Sun in this part of Aquarius for my Rays of Light Reading, a reading about the Sun, power, purpose, and responsibility. I’ve been thinking about what frustration is, why it’s awful, and why it’s important.
But I will back up for those who are wondering what a decan is.
Astrologers divvy up the zodiac signs into more specific parts. Decans are one way we do this. There are three decans per sign. The first 10° are the first decan, the next 10° the second, and so on. I love the decans. I use them a lot in my practice. They provide a lot of richness with the particular imagery, spirits, gods, and tarot cards that are associated with them. Planets have special but limited rulership in different decans, giving them power in those places that might be surprising. For example, Venus and the Moon have a little bit of an extra boost as rulers of the third decan of Aquarius, which I’ll also write as Aquarius III, even though Saturn is the overall steward of that space. Aquarius III is associated with the Seven of Swords card and Austin Coppock calls it “The Knot.”
For people with planets or important points in the chart between 20°-29°of Aquarius, frustration is a defining feature of the life. I’m one of these people. I didn’t like learning about this decan. It’s, uh, frustrating to hear that frustration is a big theme for you. But I’ve been turning this idea around in my mind and I’ve come to see it a little differently. Very Aquarius of me.
For me, Aquarius is cloud country. I often see Aquarius as a floating cloud world, carved by wind, full of sharp crystalline structures. Sometimes cloud country hugs an blue icy mountain. Always there are cloud-castles and clear waters pouring. Always there are whirlwinds. It’s a way-up-there world. It's an off-the-map world.