Random Astrology

Erykah Badu’s video for her first single, “Window Seat”, off her latest album is stirring up some controversy in certain circles. While writing my thoughts on the video, I began to wonder if Erykah has an Aquarius Ascendant.

Some reasons for my musings:

• Wide-set, alien-esque eyes (they’re also an unusual color for her ethnicity)
• Strange costumes
• Heavy reliance on being “different” or shocking people
• Close association with the “SoulQuarian” clique of “neo-soul” musicians who are born in February and/or are Aquarians that became famous in the mid-to-late 90’s
• Her relationship with Gemini Andre 3000 (who I also suspect has an Aquarius Rising or strongly Aquarius/Uranian chart). He’s 1/2 of the rap duo Outkast (perfect Aquarius name, right?) - with Aquarius partner, Big Boi. (“horoscopes sometimes lie” ~ from the song “Aquemini” from the album of the same name)
• Currently stirring up controversy over her video’s statement re: group-think
• Her fanbase is largely made up of people who pride themselves on being “free thinkers” and “progressive” and “alternative”, and these people strongly identify with their friends who feel the same way.

Regardless of whether or not her Rising is in Aquarius, the stated intended message of her video falls under the umbrella of Aquarius. Aquarius is the sign associated with friendships, groups, anti-conformity, uniqueness and experimentation. There’s a built-in contradiction with this sign because it’s concerned about group goals while also wary of being sucked in to group-think. Also, it rails against conforming to mainstream society, yet usually is found conforming to the rules of the counterculture societies it favors. Leo, Aquarius’ opposite sign, rules personal ego, creativity, leadership and standing above the rest. It cares about self, but also cares about the group in relation to itself.

The Leo-Aquarius axis represents personal v. group and conformity v. anti-conformity. Opposite signs carry a bit of each other’s traits. You’ll often find Aquarius traveling in packs or going out on a limb to speak on behalf of (what it believes to be) marginalized groups, but doing so in a way that promotes self  (tapping into the Leo shadow side) - all the while claiming to be serving a group. See Aquarius Sarah Palin for how this contradiction is carried out hypocritically. On the other end of the axis, you’ll often find Leo overly concerned about what friends, groups, etc. think of him, so he might dim his individual star wattage in order to blend in and be equal to everyone else (tapping into the Aquarius shadow side).

Opposites are often karmically attracted to each other for better or for worse. For example, Leo Whitney Houston and Aquarius Bobby Brown. In Bobby, Whitney saw a rebellious “bad boy”, someone who could help her break out of her “glamour queen” image and just be herself, regardless of the box society wants to stuff her in. Marrying him was, in part, her way of taking an unconventional or unexpected stand against society’s expectations of her. She was taking her Aquarius side for a walk. In Whitney, Bobby saw his ticket to uber-solo stardom - perhaps as a way to finally shake “former New Edition member” from his bio. He was trying on his Leo side to see how it fits.

Another example of the Leo personal v. Aquarius group: Beyonce v. Destiny’s Child. Beyonce’s Mars is in Leo and South Node is in Aquarius. Mars describes our internal drives, how we go about achieving our goals. South Node symbolizes the qualities that are most comfortable for us to exhibit (because of past lives if you believe in reincarnation). Part of our self-actualization is to move away from the qualities of the South Node sign and towards the qualities of the North Node sign. The nodes are always in opposite signs.

In early 2000, Destiny’s Child underwent a couple controversial member changes. Many blamed Beyonce and her controlling father (group manager) for the line-up changes. While she was the obvious star of the group, Destiny’s Child was a very successful R&B group. To break up the group in order to go solo was more than a bit risky. Still, her solo career seemed imminent.

Contrary to her then-public image of being a privileged, attention-grabbing show-off, Beyonce has since expressed in many interviews that it was difficult for her to go solo. She said that she was initially nervous about not having her group mates as a safety net for making mistakes, forgetting lyrics and keeping her company.  However, her Mars in Leo and North Node in Leo tells us that she was destined to be a solo star, and that her creative potentials would be stifled within a group setting in which she’s not the lead or managing. Is it just an astrological coincidence that Destiny’s Child’s final line-up included Beyonce, longtime friend and original DC member, Aquarius Kelly, and final replacement, Leo Michelle? Beyonce was often pictured in the center, which is fitting because her group mates literally represent her past (Aquarius Kelly) and future (Leo Michelle).

While Aquarians often claim not to care about what people think, they do seem to be fascinated with the social approval that so many Leos enjoy. Problems can arise when Leo attempts to hide behind or defer to Aquarius as leader (e.g. Whitney publicly proclaiming that her underachieving husband is King of R&B) or Aquarius attempts to outshine the Sun-ruled Leo by any means necessary (e.g. Bobby’s constant stream of court cases and philandering).

But these two opposite signs can learn a great deal from each other. Leo learns from Aquarius that honoring individual creativity and desires can occur while keeping the needs of others in mind. Aquarius can learn from Leo how to develop a personal identity that is separate from its associations without going to the extreme of uprooting foundations, overturning the apple cart or tipping boats over just for the sake of change.

Astrological Trivia: President Obama is a Leo with an Aquarius Ascendant. His chart is co-ruled by Uranus and Saturn. His Uranus is in Leo and his Saturn is in its natural sign, Capricorn. His campaign gained momentum because of grassroots organizing (Aquarius), but he differentiated himself from fellow presidential candidates with charismatic, fiery speeches (Leo) and a slogan of “Change We Can Believe In” (Aquarius).

Since becoming president a little over a year ago, he has encouraged grassroots organizing (Aquarius) to help him push through his agenda from the top (Leo). Although the process he chooses to use to make change (the U.S. Constitution) is long and arduous (Saturn in Capricorn), he believes in taking the slow-and-steady, practical approach towards progress (Jupiter in Capricorn). The irony of this is that his policies are being challenged by the extreme right as too radical and anti-American, while also being challenged on the extreme left as not radical or progressive enough. In my opinion, his overall goals seem to be to reverse the changes that were made by Aquarius President Ronald Reagan, which would move the nation closer to his vision of progressive ideals.

Related Posts:

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