27 Jan Natural’s Not In It ~ January 28th-February 3rd, 2019

The problem of leisure

What to do for pleasure…

It is the second week of Aquarius season and an increasing urge for freedom now propels your imagination to flirt with what lies upon the leading edge of thought.

The Sun in Aquarius feels cold, distant and world-weary. In search of inspiration, you may find yourself wandering into unknown territories, abandoning familiarity and comfort in search of a fresh perspective.

This week begins with a conjunction between Mercury and the Sun. Purified in the heart of the Sun, Mercury in Aquarius will offer renewed mental clarity. Solid walls will become transformed into bright windows of possibility. Under this influence throughout the week, innovative and revolutionary ideas will become articulated and refined.

In the far-off land of Aquarius, you can’t help but dream of the future, envisioning an ideal world where common sense and common decency prevail over the abuses of power.

Coercion of the senses

We are not so gullible

Our great expectations

A future for the good

As lofty as this may seem, it should be remembered that the real motivation behind utopian fantasies is deep discontent. The real world is prison for the mind, a tangle of thorns that tear your ideals to shreds. And this is why the Aquarian spirit arouses such an urge for rebellion.

Dream of the perfect life

Economic circumstances

The body is good business

Sell out, maintain the interest

As an air sign, Aquarius stir the winds of change through radical and subversive ideas. Having contemplated the evils of the world, it is the duty of Aquarius to use its insight to question authority, disrupt dogma, and mock the status quo.

The Aquarian spirit predominates subversive art and politics. An evocative example can be found in the song, Natural’s Not In It from the 1979 album Entertainment! by Gang of Four. 

Gang of Four was considered to be a post-punk band, implying that the genre had expanded to include wider musical influences. But Gang of Four didn’t just innovate a unique sound. They created a voice of biting social critique, often motivated by utopian Marxist ideals. As a result, they were once described in Rolling Stone as “probably the best politically motivated band in rock & roll.”

Armed with Marxist intellectualism, Gang of Four’s Natural’s Not In It offers a scathing critique of consumerism beautifully packaged in a super catchy pop song that was recorded by a major label. It is just these kinds of ironies that make their humor and style so Aquarian.

Was it hypocritical to mock the evils of capitalism from the comfort of a major record deal? Or was it the most subversive way to disseminate revolutionary ideas? The world may never know.

But art is not meant to answer questions. It is meant to inspire them. Whatever its motivations, listening to Natural’s Not In It makes your discontentment feel divine.

In the words of the singer, Jon King, Natural’s Not In It begins with…

“One monster R&B riff, relentless, drop outs, everyone gets a turn, the words self explanatory, on and on…”

He sings:

The problem of leisure

What to do for pleasure

Ideal love a new purchase

A market of the senses

Natural’s Not in It ultimately expresses an angst about how all that is natural to humanity, pleasure, sex, beauty, has been rendered empty and artificial by money and power. Sex is used as the main metaphor to evoke this idea, with the lines…

Fornication makes you happy

No escape from society

Natural is not in it

Your relations are of power

Natural’s Not In It is about the inhumanity and artificiality of attaching a monetary value to every natural human gift. From their personal experience as artists, it is clear they felt that something invaluable was sacrificed when it attained market value. Whether that is sex, an idea, or a song, they revealed the artificiality behind that ideology.

Economic circumstances

The body is good business

Sell outs…maintain the interest

As stated before, art does not have to solve the problems of the world. But isn’t it amazing how a catchy pop-song can make you reflect upon the nature of decadence? The message of Natural’s Not In It seems to be that just because something has become normal and accepted in your society, doesn’t make it natural.

This heaven gives me migraine

Monday/Tuesday: Dream of the Perfect Life

On Tuesday, Mercury will form a superior conjunction to the Sun in Aquarius. This will usher clarify and focus your mental energies, especially on the quest for truth and freedom.

You may feel poignantly idealistic under this influence, ready to declare your independence and sovereignty from whatever you may deem as oppressive.

Wednesday/Thursday: The Problem of Leisure

On Thursday, Saturn will sextile Neptune in Pisces, a transit that will remain influential until the end of February. The confluence of Saturnian and Neptunian energies marries practical efforts with transcendent experience. Thus, under this influence you can begin to make real progress in making some of your most precious dreams into a reality.

This transit can be particularly supportive to artists who have been struggling to organize their time. For those who navigate the mystical waters of Neptune for inspiration, the gravity of Saturn will offer a ballast to keep your ship afloat.

Friday/Saturday/Sunday: This Heaven Gives Me Migraine

The weekend will present a challenge to your integrity. On Friday, a very tense square between Mars in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn perfects. This will amplify the discord and discontent that Aquarius season is prone to emphasize. When Mars aspects Pluto, the potential for the darker parts of the human psyche are lured into expression. The words exploitation, manipulation and rage aptly summarize the nature of this aspect.

Thus, there is likely to be an uncomfortable test of your utopian ideals during this transit. The more detached and dispassionate qualities of Aquarius may become overtaken by an intense desire for power. Even if your intentions are in the name of justice, remain cautious with how far you allow yourself to be driven mad. Avoid conflict wherever possible.

It is best to withdraw into stillness as much as possible because on Saturday, Venus in Sagittarius will trine Uranus in Aries. This is a liberating and exhilarating energy, but it may also stir up unwanted agitation. Uranus aspects emit a shockwave of creative energy, which in aspect to Venus can bring a relationship to a new climax or threaten its foundations.

All in all, it remains wise to expect something cathartic to occur.

Thankfully, the week draws to a close on Sunday with grace, coming to soothe your agitated soul. Mercury in Aquarius will make a supportive sextile to Jupiter in Sagittarius. This is shortly followed by Venus’ entrance into the saturnine realm of Capricorn.

The sextile between Mercury and Jupiter will smooth out many of the jagged edges in your mind. You will find that your thoughts will turn towards optimism, faith, and benevolent attitudes. This is a great blessing for it will allow you to accept and integrate any troubles you may have had, while keeping your eyes fixed upon the golden dawn.

And with Venus newly in Capricorn, the frivolity of Sagittarius is transformed into something more practical and disciplined. It may not seem as fun, but Venus in Capricorn is an energy that can support your efforts to strengthen your art, your romantic life, or your finances. For offering these gifts of necessity, Venus in Capricorn demands respect.