By Amanda Painter

Tomorrow (Friday), Ceres becomes the next planet to leave the Capricorn stellium. It enters Aquarius at 2:59 am EST (7:58:45 UTC), and immediately bumps into the surprises offered by Uranus in Taurus.

Dewi Sri, the Balinese goddess of rice and fertility, watches over a home in Ubud. Photo by Amanda Painter.

What does Ceres in Aquarius describe? Ceres is the planet of literal food (specifically grain) and feeding, as well as metaphorical forms of nourishment. Aquarius is the sign of groups.

Automatically, we get an image of the social facet of eating: all forms of breaking bread with others, perhaps especially potluck dinners. Things like volunteering at soup kitchens and food banks bring in the humanitarian facet of Aquarius.

Less literally, we can see the theme of socialness itself being nourishing. Our friendships feed our hearts and souls, and at times offer the kind of nurturing that families of origin were not able to provide. Being accepted by a group can feel nourishing (though its shadow side includes peer pressure, social hierarchies and tribalism).

We can perhaps see Saturn’s rulership of Aquarius in the ‘social services’ facet of Ceres in Aquarius: the idea of setting up systems by which to make sure people in need get fed. It’s a form of shared collective responsibility. Additionally, putting ourselves in service to a cause feeds our spirits.

Yet Aquarius also has a strong affinity with Uranus (some call it this sign’s modern ruler). So Ceres here comes with the recognition of uniqueness as being nourishing. Odd things can feed a Ceres-in-Aquarius imagination. Yet this is not an emotional, warm-and-fuzzy type of nurturing. It’s friendly and engaging, but generally not intimate.

As Ceres moves into its square with Uranus in Taurus (exact Feb. 7, but in effect now) a little tension, and therefore some questions, may emerge around these themes. You may be surprised by the groups you find most nourishing.

Do you need to adjust how you interact with a particular group of people, in terms of what you’re receiving from them or the ways your efforts are sustaining it? Does what you currently find socially nourishing reflect ongoing changes in your values, resources or physical needs? Are your social interactions feeling too routine? Is it time to put your money where your mouth is, particularly in terms of humanitarian efforts or your passions?

Note that we get echoes of some of these themes this weekend with the first quarter Moon — another square. This is the waxing Taurus Moon square the Aquarius Sun, exact overnight Saturday into Sunday.

The Moon represents emotions, the unconscious and our inner space; the Sun represents conscious, outward expression. Aquarius emphasizes social themes, and the balance of liberation and responsibility; Taurus suggests physical senses, sex, values and possessions.

What makes it interesting is that the Moon will be loosely conjunct Vesta in Taurus. As the Moon merges with Vesta, it suggests an intuitive emphasis on how you are (or are not) tending your creative flame and your sexual spark. How are you honoring your physical and emotional needs? Are your habits, possessions and physical space supporting this?

Jupiter in Capricorn is lending some support this weekend, as it’s in a trine with the Moon and Vesta. It’s a reminder that structuring how you care for your wellbeing — body, feelings, home, material resources, sex, creativity, relationships, and values — will generate the most benefit.

Time and space are the two main tools for creating structure. Give the ways you tend to yourself a container: a routine or a room (or both). You don’t need to shun the world and its turmoil and become a self-care hermit/decadent; you only need to give yourself a little space, expand to fill it, and then let it help carry your daily interactions.

With the Moon and Vesta square the Aquarius Sun, there’s a description of how social pressures (such as concerns about status, or of being an ‘outcast’) can impact a person’s ability to tend to their emotional, creative and intuitive wellbeing. Does one or the other seem to get sacrificed?

If there is a wide discrepancy between the ‘private you’ and the ‘public you’, it can feel like something’s gotta give. Can you allow more of your inner devotion to influence or infuse who you are socially? That may feel like a risk, at first. It might even lead to new alliances and the need to distance yourself from some old ones.

Always, though, the goal is to practice bringing more of who you truly are into the world more fully. It’s seemingly a daring move in this era of digital tribalism — which is one reason why the in-person forms of Aquarian congregating are so important. More empathy is available and more freely offered when we can see each other’s faces, hear each other’s voices, hug with our hearts beating against each other. That’s the Taurus piece of the equation. The final piece is you.

Yours & truly,
Amanda Painter

P.S. Mercury enters its pre-retrograde echo or shadow phase on Sunday, Feb. 2, in Aquarius. It stations retrograde on Feb. 16. Consider this your reminder to begin tying up loose ends on contracts and major purchases as much as you’re able.

Your sign hosts the other major conjunction that bookends this year: Jupiter conjunct Saturn, the traditional ruler of Aquarius. That event is exact on Dec. 21, 2020. Before we get to that stunning conjunction, Saturn enters your sign on March 21. So you’ll have much of this year to get busy discovering Saturn’s gifts — which can be considerable.
Your 2020-21 Aquarius Astrology Studio is now available for instant access. The Astrology Studio is a perfect complement to the Respect annual edition, and a great birthday gift for yourself or the Aquarius you love. You may order it here.