The Aquarius New Moon & the Year of the Dragon
The parallel energies of the Water Bearer, the Wood Dragon, & the Iron Goddess of Mercy
Hey friends, happy new moon in Aquarius!
Gōng xǐ fā cái (happiness and prosperity) for the Lunar New Year of the Dragon!
And finally, happy all-planets-direct season!
With no planets retrograde until April, tomorrow’s new moon and lunar new year usher in all-systems-go vibes. After a deep, long, winter and an inward-focused year of the Rabbit, the unparalleled energies of both Aquarius and the Dragon say it’s time to get out and make some moves.
The Water Bearer and the Wood Dragon: Uninterrupted Flows of Energy
The Lunar New Year is one of the widest-observed holidays in the world, celebrated by about 2 billion people throughout China, Thailand, Korea, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and many other countries. Celebrations begin on the second new moon after Winter Solstice, sometime between January 21 and February 20. This date range lines up with Aquarius Season, and so the Lunar New Year always falls on the Aquarius New Moon.
This brand new lunar year begins just as Pluto is settling into Aquarius for the next 20 years, and I’ve been struck how this year’s animal totem, the Wood Dragon, embodies such similar themes to the Aquarius archetype. The phrase that comes to mind is “uninterrupted flows of energy”, for better or for worse.
TL;DR: We’re in for an action-packed, expansive ride into a future that may be unrecognizable from the world we are familiar with. The world finally seemsready to move forward into a new incarnation, and we should strive to embrace movement and momentum while also centering and grounding ourselves within a rapidly changing world.
Get ready! We’re going from yin-yin-yin to yang-yang-yang…
The Chinese Zodiac is a 60 year cycle, where each of 12 animal totems is combined with a rulership by each the 5 elements from Daoist philosophy (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water). Each element and animal is also attributed with yin or yang, the ever-present and interconnected forces of duality that make up the universe. Yin is associated with dark, wet, feminine, receptive, grounded, and cold, while yang is associated with light, dry, masculine, active, expansive and hot.
Last year was the year of the Water Rabbit, which, according to Daoist philosophy, is a yin-yin year (as the rabbit is a yin animal and water is a yin element). It was a year where rest, reflection, and cozying up in the burrow with close friends and family was highlighted. In contrast, this year’s Wood Dragon is yang- yang: the dragon is a yang animal and wood is a yang element, both symbolizing growth, expansion, motivation, and energy.
In terms of the Western Zodiac, the season we just left behind (Capricorn) is considered a feminine/yin sign, while Aquarius is considered a masculine/yang sign. Aquarius is also an Air sign, and contrary to vast misconception, the squiggly glyph representing the Water Bearer is not a symbol for rippling water. It is an electrical current, an air-wave, representing currents of energy through the atmosphere. Radio waves, Bluetooth, the Internet/ 5G all fit in here, as Aquarius is the sign of the future, and we are on the brink of entering the Aquarian age.
The energy waves that symbolize Aquarius also refer to something else, something more mysterious and also more quintessentially alive. I’m referring here to the vital energy of Qi. Qi, also known as chi, ki, prana, spirit, life force, and other profound translations, is the energy that surrounds us, that creates us, that is within us and every living being.
Aquarius, dragon, and the wood element control the flow of water, the open channels through which qi flows.
The ancient translation of qi literally means "vapor", "air", or "breath”. The practice of Qigong is the practice of cultivating Qi through opening the channels in the body, and in doing so, opening up alignment with the universal mind, body, and spirit. My qigong teacher told me that joints in the body are not seen as intersections or stopping points, but rather as “Wind Gates” that, when open and fluid, allow Qi flow throughout.
The Dragon, in Chinese and other East Asian lore, is a major cultivator of qi, a creature that is second only to humans in terms of power. The Dragon is a strong but good-natured being, the chief of all of the scaled creatures. There are many types of dragons symbolizing different things- the blue-green (or Azure) dragon represents the element wood, the east, springtime, and growth. Like the Dragon, this year’s yang element of Wood is a major cultivator of qi, with the nature of rising up to the sky as it roots down, pushing through blockages, and striving to grow quickly.
Citing many similarities to Aquarius, Tsao-Lin Moy, a Chinese medicine practitioner, describes Wood Dragons as:
“… independent thinkers who love to gather knowledge; the symbol of the Dragon holds the Pearl of Wisdom. They have intense focus; setting goals they will dive deep into a subject gaining expertise and mastery. Above all Dragons value intelligence, wisdom, and loyalty. Dragons don’t tolerate stupidity and can be unforgiving if cheated.
The Wood element relates to planning and execution. A sign of vitality and vibrance, Wood is responsible for the smooth flow of Qi or Chi (circulating life force) and blood within the body.
Chinese Dragons are associated with control of water, with the power to bring drought or floods and storms based on the power of their will. And in the same way as Aquarius the Water Bearer, they did this by controlling the paths of water to the people, and thus the lives of all those who cultivate the fields. Legend has it that a son of the Emperor Hongwu chose the site for the city of Beijing as the Ming capital after he had managed to tame two dragons who controlled the city's water supply. -chinasage.info)
Aquarian Channels: Aquaducts, Mycelium, Capellaries & Community
Aquarius is represented as a man holding a vessel filled with water, the elixir of life. But Aquarius itself is not a water sign, it is an air sign- a fixed air sign at that. Fixed air could seem confusing for the sign associated with so much movement, but I see it as representing the atmosphere, the constant force of air that exists everywhere on this planet.
Aquarius, known for humanitarianism and social generosity, can only pour the water to sustain the larger community after he has created a system of channels through which the water can flow. And what is a channel but a deliberate extension of the astmosphere- of air- into the earth for something to flow through? Aquarius is the great systems creator, the great web-weaver, creating airy channels of inter connection wherever he goes….
Aquaducts, for example:
In Ancient Rome, Aquarius represented the engineers who laid out, constructed, and maintained the Aqueducts. As written by geologist Byron King:
I have heard it said that: “Rome was built on hydraulic cement.” That is, the secret of burning lime and mixing it into a hard-drying, waterproof concoction that would bind stone together, was key to the expansion of Roman power.
Not the least of Rome’s accomplishments were the aqueducts. These engineering marvels carried more water, further, to more locales, to serve more people than any other water diversion system in history, excepting only what has been accomplished in California in the past forty years or so. The movement of water down slopes of one or two inches per hundred yards, using only gravity and channels, without the aid of mechanical pumping, and over distances of hundreds of miles, gave millions of ancient people the opportunity to concentrate in cities, to focus their efforts on things over and above mere subsistence, and to build their empire.
Part and parcel of the decline of Rome was the loss of status over time of those who held the position of Aquarius, the engineers who laid-out, constructed and maintained the Aqueducts.
and Mycelium:
In the ecological wheel of the year (a model that I’ve been putting together over the course of this year) Aquarius season is the time of digging channels to aerate the soil so that it can absorb the rains of Pisces season. Aquarius represents the interconnected webs of mycelium that create channels for air flow between the composted matter of last year’s life and the new soil created by ice and snowmelt eroding rock in Capricorn’s deep winter.
I recently picked up a copy of the popular new book “Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds” by Merlin Sheldrake, and I can’t recommend it enough. It’s hard to ignore the massive upsurge in the collective fascination with fungi, with deep metaphors for the interdependent webs of society and community contained within mycelium. More aerated webs created beneath the soil = greater absorption of water and nutrients to create conditions for the next iteration of life to grow.
and Blood Vessels:
In the body, Aquarius rules the circulatory system. It’s not too far of a stretch to see the parallels between this system of the body and aqueducts or mycelial webs. Like these systems, the blood vessels too are channels. The tiny, hairlike capillaries are super amazing channels, because liquid can flow through the tiny tubes without the assistance of external forces like gravity.
This effect is called capillary action, and it is also how vascular systems of trees work, allowing water to flow upward from the soil to the mycelium to the roots and up into the branches.
As Robin Wall Kimmerer put it in her book, Braiding Sweetgrass:
The trees in a forest are often interconnected by subterranean networks of mycorrhizae, fungal strands that inhabit tree roots. The mycorrhizal symbiosis enables the fungi to forage for mineral nutrients in the soil and deliver them to the tree…. The mycorrhizae may form fungal bridges between individual trees, so that all the trees in a forest are connected. These fungal networks appear to redistribute the wealth of carbohydrates from tree to tree. A kind of Robin Hood, they take from the rich and give to the poor so that all the trees arrive at the same carbon surplus at the same time. They weave a web of reciprocity, of giving and taking. In this way, the trees all act as one because the fungi have connected them. Through unity, survival. All flourishing is mutual.
Now tell me THAT isn’t an Aquarian ideal right there! Gotta love these parallels between mythology, history, and the natural world. I know I do. :)
That’s some cool metaphor…but what does this all mean for me?
Glad you asked! You know by now that February is a hyper-Aquarian, yang-filled month, with Pluto, the sun, moon, Mercury, Mars and Venus all copresent in the sign. Each of these planets will make a conjunction to Pluto as soon as they enter Aquarius, unveiling shadows and internal workings that have previously been kept in the dark. Deep processing might happen around your communication (Mercury), ambition (Mars), and values (Venus).
This Aquarian energy is bolstered by the fact that all of these inner planets will also be making a square to Uranus in February or early March, which is Aquarius’ modern-day ruling planet. This starts with the new moon square Uranus, and the other planets soon follow suit. Uranus, like Aquarius, is represented by electric impulse, originality, innovation, and sudden change, so these Uranus squares will bring tense energies, like doors that must be opened and passed through in order to ‘level up’.
You can expect the area of your chart ruled by Aquarius to experience many interrelated breakthroughs and awakenings in the coming month. This will happen both from Pluto’s deep dives into the hidden parts of yourself, and also Uranus’ lightning bolts of inspiration. This one-two punch of planetary activations might just allow you to visit the underworld, look your fears right in the face, and then, soon afterward, discover an unexpected path toward a brighter future.
In the meantime, if all this Pluto/Uranus/Dragon Year energy is feeling a bit overwhelming, I’d recommend taming your activated inner Dragon/Aquarius with the powers of slowness, breath, self-compassion…and community service.
Tame Your Dragon: Embody the Iron Goddess of Mercy
As I write, I am drinking one of my favorite teas: Tieguanyin, the Iron Goddess of Mercy. Guanyin (aka Quan Yin), the Bodhissatva of Compassion for whom the tea is named, has been a powerful guide for me over the past several years.
I was drawn to her tea today specifically because of her association with the Dragon; she is often depicted riding on a dragon’s back. Despite the dragon’s chaotic and impulsive actions, Guanyin is completely centered, undisturbed, and radiating light.
I just looked up the story behind the Tieguanyin tea, and discovered another beautifully Aquarian theme about the power of the interconnecting webs of community. At the end of a long day of writing and researching and forecasting, this story really grounded me into what this new moon is really all about:
Long ago in China’s Fujian province, there was a run-down temple which held an iron statue of Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. Every day on the walk to his fields, a poor farmer named Wei would pass by and reflect on the temple's worsening condition. "Something has to be done," he thought.
Being poor, Wei did not have the means to repair the temple. One day, he brought a broom and some incense from his home. He swept the temple clean and lit the incense as an offering to Guanyin. "It's the least I can do," he thought to himself. And he did this twice a month for many months.
One night, Guanyin appeared to him in a dream, telling him of a cave behind the temple where a treasure awaited. He was to take the treasure and share it with others.
In the cave, the farmer found a tea shoot. He planted it in his field and nurtured it into a large bush, from which the finest tea was produced. He gave cuttings of this rare plant to all his neighbors and began selling the tea under the name Tieguanyin, Iron Bodhisattva of Compassion.
Over time, Wei and all his neighbors prospered; the run-down temple of Guanyin was repaired and became a beacon for the region. From this time onwards Mr. Wei took joy in the daily trip to his tea fields, never failing to stop in appreciation of the beautiful temple.
( Wikipedia)
This new moon, I invite you to meditate on the outreaching hands of Guanyin, the Dragon’s quest for a pearl of wisdom, the eternal flow of qi that is all around us, the ingenious Roman aqueducts, the Aquarian anti-gravity magic of mycelium & capillaries, and the power something as simple as a tea sprout can be in creating a vibrant, prosperous community. Remember that the more abundant the webs and channels between us, the more we are all primed to be nourished and supported.
All my very best until the full moon in Virgo,
xoxo,
Alison <3
PS. I didn’t post a somatic prtactice today, but if you’re in New Mexico this weekend, my dear friend Rei Chou of Rei of Light is hosting a beautiful live movement practice at a cool spot in Tesuque to welcome the Year of the Dragon. From her website:
It is no coincidence that Quan Yin’s ally is the White Dragon. The energy of lightning clarity, and awareness, we learn to embody what Dragon energy has available for us by calling a prayer through our bodies for the ultimate liberation of all beings through unconditional compassion.
Join her for a guided experiential ritual where you are invited to move a prayer for compassionate realization through your body, for the world. Learn more and register here.
PSS. This museletter is a labor of love- sometimes quite a lot of labor! I’d be so happy if you would share it with one person who might find value in my writings <3
I LOVED reading this! Sending it to everyone I know
Love your connecting of all the dots! Hello Dragon and come on in all Aquarian energies!