Aquarius III: Angst and Activism

By Kitty Grimm

"You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time." - Angela Davis

Ruled by the Moon in the Chaldean tradition, the roads of Aquarius III are winding. Famous 12th century astrologer Ibn Ezra described the decan’s Vedic imagery as an “angry, restless man pacing about.” I think of Aquarius III as the activist decan.

Angela Davis has her moon in this decan (her sun in Aquarius I) and spent two months as a fugitive on the FBI’s Most Wanted list before her imprisonment fueled the modern abolitionist movement.

In a sign that already sees in systems, the third decan of Aquarius weaves complex visions for the future. The trouble is that it often walks into its own sticky webs.

Earlier this year, a quote from educator Ursula Wolfe-Rocca went viral. It said:

It can be overwhelming to witness all the injustices of the moment; the good news is *they're all connected.* So if your little corner of work involves pulling at one of the threads, you're helping to unravel the whole cloth.”

Aquarius III wants to believe this so bad. But it knows that if everything is connected, there are bound to be a whole lot of knots. Aquarius III is prone to tripping on those inevitable tangles in the tapestry. This is a decan of entangled doings. Austin Coppock calls this decan the Knot.

Not all knots are bad! Knots are great for keeping things together. Not so much when it’s time to tease things apart. And Aquarius III can’t help but peel back the curtain. Here is where we encounter this decan’s penchant for angst.

Angst

“Angst” stems from the Latin “anguish” and is defined by Oxford Dictionary as “a feeling of deep anxiety or dread, typically an unfocused one about the human condition or state of the world.” Angsty times, am I right? But I would argue that there is no angst without hope. Without that little bit of faith for the heart to pull towards, there would remain a rather simple pessimism. Angst, in a sense, is divided belief.

T. Susan Chang in 36 Secrets calls this decan the “divided mind.” There’s this hyper awareness that comes with the territory here which inclines Aquarius III towards existentialism.

In fact, philosopher Jean-Paul Sarte– an architect of modern existentialism– also has his moon in this decan. Sarte was a marxist, playwright and activist who posited that existentialism gets a bad rap because “it confronts man with a possibility of choice.” Can you see Ibn Ezra’s angry man pacing in your mind yet?

This decan’s relationship to angst is captured nicely by Kwame Ture’s explanation of the crucial difference between peace and liberation: “you can have injustice and have peace…you can have peace and be enslaved. So peace isn’t the answer.”

I’ve witnessed angst as a way of coping with the particular anguish that can accompany becoming woke. Woke is a call to see the insidious intersection of oppressions. One trap that Aquarius III falls into is trying to stay woke 24/7.

Woke is a concept that comes from Black liberation movements as far back as the 1920s. Lately, woke is wielded in cancel culture and oppression olympics (often by whippersnappers and white folks). The intellectualization of basic issues is the kind of web that Aquarius III might spin on a bad day.

If the existential spiral has gone off the deep end– or being woke is literally keeping you awake–season with some salt of the earth. Try something manual or meditative to avoid mental paralysis. Better yet, get involved with local, grassroots organizations. Across the riverbank from this decan is Leo III, ruled by Mars and riddled with acts of courage. Perhaps there is a balance to be found here between head and heart.
Venus is the triplicity ruler of this decan.

Finding a flock is vital for residents of this decan, as isolation can exacerbate existential angst and separate from reality. I find this to be true for all the Aquarius decans. It is the shadow side of the sign’s major arcana card: The Star.

The Star is the perfect visual representation of Aquarius as the waterbearer. Combined with the High Priestess, the parents of Aquarius III seem to demand faith in humanity. But this isn’t exactly the decan of the good samaritan.

Activism

Let’s look at the tarot card for this decan. Ah! The Seven of Swords! Comic relief at last. Or so it seems. This character does have a penchant for humor– but you may find yourself the butt of the joke.

While the hot take on Seven of Swords pegs it for deceit and funny business (fair), a closer look at the card’s imagery offers possible vindication. The Rider Waite tarot deck depicts a fellow clad in fuzzy boots tiptoeing away with an armload of swords and a smirk. The flags and striped tents in the background suggest the Royal Guard. More than mischief, there is something bold here.

An archetype I can’t help but associate with the Seven of Swords is Robin Hood. I mean, come on, men in tights? This seven of swords dude is definitely giving 14th century Robin Hood. A classic antihero, Robin Hood is accompanied by a host of outlaws who take from the rich to give to the poor. Something about that screams Aquarius.

But in the oldest recorded tales, Robin Hood doesn’t actually give to the poor. In these original accounts, Robin Hood was just a particularly clever thief. It is a couple centuries later–when resistance to England’s ruling class begins to grow– that benevolence defines this underdog.

The evolution of Robin Hood from prankster to philanthropist reflects the arc possible for planets in this decan. They may start out as a rebel without a cause but they have great potential to master the praxis of social activism.

We all know Robin Hood takes from the rich and gives to the poor. But here’s exactly what happens: Hood and co. ambush a wealthy caravan, take the treasure and THEN, force the nobles to join their feast! Seriously! They break bread with their captives over dinner and a show. If you ask me, this is pleasure activism at its finest.

The legend of Robin Hood teaches that, in times of stark inequality, justice requires a redistribution of wealth. But another overarching theme is that elitism is the enemy of the people. Elitism is not an identity but a belief. And it is a belief that can– unfortunately– exist across class, race, sexuality and gender divides. It is precisely the belief that underlines Make America Great Again.

American Exceptionalism has brought an era of deep fascism. But it is also this kind of elitist thinking that makes some leftist groups so edgy and uppity. Aquarius III is the last decan before the realm of Pisces. The relinquishing of identity politics begins here.

Tactics and Tiptoeing

Aquarius III reveals the great entanglement of humanity. Efforts here can lead to mental or legal trouble. However, with clarity, community and a little comedy, Aquarius III can find liberation even in the tightest of corners.

Joan of Arc was credited with outlining military strategies that featured diversion tactics: make some noise over here, lead a sneak attack over there. This was how she delivered essential supplies into the besieged Orléans, a turning point that invokes the figure in the Seven of Swords, sneaking in resources right under the enemy’s nose. Dressed as a man no less!

Here’s the thing. Aquarius III inevitably, invariably gets trapped. Joan of Arc was eventually burned at the stake; Davis got imprisoned; Robin Hood lost plenty of fights; even Sarte tripped over his own thoughts.

It’s important to invite a bit of strategy here. Seven of Swords is the Lord of Unstable Effort. But you can have an unstable effort that is still effective– especially when the goal is to destabilize.

When Robin Hood gathered outlaws in the 14th century, they ambushed wealthy caravans in the woods. We probably need a modern point of access here. To me, a powerful tactic for Aquarius III is the boycott.

Boycotting is denying commerce in order to achieve a goal, a right or a win for social movements. They often have the happy effect of supporting small, local businesses. Instead of taking from the rich, giving to the poor, try withholding from the rich, worldbuilding with the poor. Eh? Sounds pretty good to me.

The discipline required of boycotting invokes the traditional ruler of Aquarius: Saturn. The collective coordination required of a successful boycott nods to both rulers of Aquarius III: Moon and Venus. Boycotts only work when enough people jump on the bandwagon. They demand shared values. Shared values build material, spiritual and social realities.

It took a collective of 170 Palestinian unions, networks, and community organizations to launch the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions movement (BDS) in 2005. To this day, BDS remains a steadfast strategy for non-violent mobilization against occupation.

As Pluto makes its way through Aquarius, liberation movements and activist collectives will need to learn stealth. Aquarius III teaches us that, sometimes, the best tactic against tyranny is tiptoeing around with a hidden agenda and a grin.

Excerpt from June Jordan’s poem “I Must Become a Menace to My Enemies”

And if I

if I ever let love go

because the hatred and the whisperings

become a phantom dictate I obey

in lieu of impulse and realities

(the blossoming flamingos of my

wild mimosa trees)

then let love freeze me

out.

I must become

I must become a menace to my enemies.

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About the Author

Hi! My name is Kitty Grimm (they / she), I'm queer, femme, I live in Miami and I practice astrology as a tool for organizing, storytelling and healing. The central drive for my work is to share the wealth of astrological wisdom with grassroots communities. This looks like astro-activist calendars, consultations for local organizations, collaborations with herbalists and artists for timely medicine and simply sharing the astro-weather with comrades. While my outward practice of astrology is quite sociopolitical and mundane (in the most magical sense), my consultations draw a lot from mythology, folklore and the arts.
Instagram: cypress.pallas
Astrology Offerings

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Bibliography

Chang, T.S. (2021) 36 secrets: A decanic journey through the minor arcana of the tarot. Anima Mundi Press.

Coppock, A. and Eames, B. (2014) 36 faces: The history, astrology and magic of the Decans. Three Hands Press.

Internet Bibliography

https://astro-charts.com/persons/chart/angela-davis/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Hood

https://bdsmovement.net/what-is-bds

https://biddytarot.com/tarot-card-meanings/minor-arcana/suit-of-swords/seven-of-swords/

https://www.history.com/news/angela-davis-fbi-most-wanted-list

https://poets.org/poem/i-must-become-menace-my-enemies

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/269393715_Robin_Hood

https://www.astro-seek.com/birth-chart/jean-paul-sartre-horoscope

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jean-Paul-Sartre/Political-activities

https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/sartre/works/exist/sartre.htm

https://time.com/6694986/israel-palestine-bds-boycotts-starbucks-mcdonalds/