The AQUARIUS Child
The dream-child moving through a land
Of wonders wild and new,
In friendly chat with bird or beast-
And half believe it true.
According to Mother Goose, a child dressed in blue embodies snips and snails and puppy-dog tails. Yet, if that child enters the world in February, discard those old notions. This infant is molded from the raw material of Uranus, destined to make you chase after them as they venture into the unexplored territories of tomorrow.
They are a bundle of sensitivity, stubbornness, independence, and boundless creativity. Even with a cautious Taurus ascendant, their thoughts move at the speed of Uranian lightning. Their minds vibrate with high-frequency beams, and as they grow, you may find yourself sending out an S.O.S. to keep up with them.
Parents of an Aquarian child often find themselves pondering whether to send them to a remote farm, where they won't startle the neighbors, or to let the world know casually that their offspring might win a Pulitzer someday. It's a dilemma. Oh yes, it is. The Pulitzer is within reach, but I would advise observing them on the farm for a few summers. Watch. Wait. They might invent a revolutionary plow or simply consume the entire pantry. It all depends. There are no set rules when it comes to Aquarians.
I once knew a mother in New York who affectionately called her Uranian son "the Bronx Wonder" without further explanation. Her relatives and neighbors were just as perplexed as she was. Nobody could tell if the nickname referred to his possession of three heads or his destined spot in the Hall of Fame. As fate would have it, he turned out to be a skilled basketball player, and most people assumed that was the reason behind the moniker. But they jumped to conclusions too quickly. The story is far from over. Currently, he dabbles in composing musical scores that may grace Broadway or find their place in the wastebasket. He also takes on small roles in detective films and eagerly auditions for TV commercials seeking extraterrestrial types to approach flying saucers in automobile advertisements. Additionally, he's tinkering with an undisclosed invention in his bedroom, sandwiched between watching the Mets play and devouring pickle sandwiches. Unfortunately, I cannot provide any hints about the invention since he guards its secret closely. He possesses a peculiar fascination with clocks and watches, so it may have something to do with a time machine (a common Aquarian obsession). Only time will reveal its nature. There's no need to rush. Many Aquarians don't unleash their electric sparks of genius upon the world until they reach the tender age of fifty. The wait can be nerve-wracking, to say the least. Of course, there are Aquarian child prodigies, but let's focus on your average Aquarian youngster (if such a thing exists).
They may end up working for the FBI or a private detective agency (as they possess a fondness for solving mysteries) and become an ordinary, sensible, conservative citizen (though I wouldn't hold my breath, it's a possibility). For now, let's concentrate on their formative years. That way, you'll have a fighting chance to guide this Uranus rocket in some semblance of a direction.
Until maturity tempers their Uranian influences and society shapes them with conventional norms, Aquarian children can exhibit strong negativity. Their immediate response to a command or even a pleasant suggestion is often a resounding "no." However, if given time to contemplate and ponder, you'll be surprised at how many times they arrive at sensible conclusions?answers they discovered on their own, deemed correct and acceptable.
On the surface, these boys and girls can appear calm and docile, but the northern wind can suddenly turn them upside down (or is it topsy turvy? With Aquarians, anything is possible). They are unpredictable in their behavior, yet lovable and often amusing. The February child can be a whirlwind to contend with. I use that analogy because Aquarians and Uranus rule over air travel, planes, and figures like Charles Lindbergh. Curiously enough, many of these children possess an irrational fear of planes, elevators, and even electricity (also under Uranus's domain). Guiding and channeling them can be a challenge. They have no idea where they are going, but they hold definite opinions on how to get there.
Raising and educating these "wonders" is a significant responsibility. Their minds blend fixed practicality with uncanny perception and sharp, probing logic. The mixture can be uncomfortably embarrassing when your Aquarian child asks your best friend why she got a facelift (which she did) or interrogates your Uncle Elmer about his past tax evasion in front of an Internal Revenue agent (which he also did).
Aquarians are eager to assist their friends. Buy your Aquarian boy a brand new pair of boots, and he will wear them out on the first day, all for the sake of creating a smooth surface for the neighborhood kids to sled on.
Expect your February child to harbor dreams and hold onto them tightly until new dreams take their place. A girl might imagine herself as a prima ballerina, dedicating herself purely to her art, surpassing even Pavlova, or she may thirst to become the first female president or aspire to follow in the footsteps of Madame Curie. As for the boys, they might envision themselves as oceanographers, ichthyologists, archaeologists, anthropologists, exterminators, or tree surgeons. Mundane career choices like nurses, secretaries, clerks, salespeople, teachers, bankers, and brokers are too ordinary for the average Aquarian child's fantasies. Eventually, they may settle for one of these occupations, but the original dream will remain tucked under their left ear, never forgotten. It's uncanny, but Aquarians can sometimes make things happen simply by concentrating on them and patiently waiting.
You'll never know what to expect from day to day. This child may refuse to stay indoors when it rains and venture out with your best sterling silver tablespoon, using it to dig a trench to prevent the hill behind the house from eroding.
Do you remember the old verse from your childhood that goes, "The bear went over the mountain, the bear went over the mountain, the bear went over the mountain, to see what he could see. The other side of the mountain, the other side of the mountain, the other side of the mountain was all that he could see"? Well, your Aquarian child will have better luck. They will find something there?perhaps a pot of gold or a new species of woodpecker. None of their explorations will ever lead to a dead end or a total loss.
I skipped over the infant stage because Aquarians are never infants. They are born middle-aged. However, many of them do experience the toddler stage, and during this precarious period, you might want to consider getting a seeing-eye dog. Keep the dog until your little Uranian reaches the age of ten. Otherwise, they may have trouble navigating the block without incident. Lost in their own private clouds, they will march down the street in a haze, only to collide with a telephone pole or a mailbox. Aquarian absent-mindedness often results in twisted ankles, broken bones, and frustrated teachers. You may find yourself torn between pride when the school reports that your child is a budding genius and shame when you receive a note stating, "Oliver simply refuses to pay attention in class. He spends the entire day gazing out of the window, toying with his two-way wristwatch" or "Gertrude lacks concentration. Instead of studying, she sits there, flexing her arches in those ballet slippers." A lecture to Oliver and Gertrude will be met with bored impatience. What's all the fuss about? Oliver was attempting to calculate the effect of the summer solstice on Greenwich Mean Time, and Gertrude was pondering the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly. To their minds, it's perfectly logical. Admittedly, they are on the right track. However, this may not be the century to prove it.
Teachers often complain that Aquarian children refuse to explain, step by step, how they arrived at their remarkable solutions to complex math problems before the teacher has finished writing them on the blackboard. There's a logical reason for this. Their Uranian intuition propels their minds through those steps so rapidly that they simply cannot remember. Most Aquarian children were behind the door when memory was handed out. Forgetting their own address is commonplace, and forgetting their last name is uncomfortably possible. Forgetting what time they need to come home? That's par for the course. Your brilliant (and most likely, they are) Uranian youngster must learn that their aspirations should encompass more than being a human computer. They need to understand the importance of organizing their thoughts logically. Otherwise, a potential genius, philosopher, engineer, scientist, doctor, lawyer, gardener, or cab driver (if you're lucky) can become an eccentric adult, pulled in multiple directions, endlessly circling in interesting but unprofitable patterns.
Encourage them to engage in physical activities; otherwise, they may succumb to harmful inertia and daydream away the hours. It often takes an emergency to prompt Aquarian children into physical action, though they may possess a great fondness for sports. Mentally, they are speed demons, but their bodies may be a bit slower, particularly within the confines of home. They may possess an affinity for birds, trees, nature, and the seashore. They will always prefer their own independent discoveries over organized activities. You'll need to watch out for their tendency to say "I can't" as a means to rationalize avoiding responsibility. Aquarian children may choose the path of least resistance if given the chance. Teach them that they are only fooling themselves. Allow them to make their own decisions, but encourage them to act upon those decisions.
Unexpressed tension can deeply unsettle them. Aquarian children possess an uncanny ability to perceive the depths of others' souls and hear thoughts that haven't been audibly spoken, which can disturb them and leave lasting feelings of unhappiness. Encourage tranquility, harmony, concentration, and memory if you wish to prevent an eccentric, nervous, absent-minded bachelor or spinster with unfulfilled dreams from emerging in thirty years or so.
Be mindful of what you say and how you say it to Aquarian youngsters. Suggestions planted in these fertile Uranian minds during childhood can take root firmly, shaping fixed opinions in adulthood. Undue emphasis on cleanliness, repeated warnings such as "Don't drink from my glass; it's dirty," can cause Aquarian children to develop exaggerated fears and result in them carrying their own goblet in their pocket when visiting others. As accident-prone as they are, you can imagine what might happen if they unexpectedly sit down with that goblet still there. And they do everything suddenly.
Aquarian boys and girls have a multitude of friends. They make at least ten new friends each day, ranging from the street cleaner to the truant officer to the ex-parachutist who owns the candy store. They might even bring a friend named Rockefeller home for lunch someday, but don't let it faze you. They aren't raising a social snob; they won't distinguish between Rockefeller and the dog catcher. They're all just "pals."
Romantic entanglements may not trouble your Aquarian child during adolescence. In fact, they may need reminders about the distinction between genders. Few of these children are infatuated with boys or girls; they're simply infatuated with being a little peculiar, especially when they start sporting eccentric clothes and parting their hair in unusual ways. This is when their hidden love for poetry might emerge, and it should be nurtured. Your little Uranian child carries frogs in their pockets and stars in their eyes, but they are truly special. They are humanitarians, and their rare, unprejudiced wisdom leads us into the Aquarian age. Aquarian boys and girls have been chosen by destiny to fulfill the promise of tomorrow, frogs, stars, and pickle sandwiches included. Just give them the nickname of the "Twentieth Century Wonder" and let the neighbors wonder why.
The PISCES Child
Eager eye and willing ear,
Lovingly shall nestle near.
In a Wonderland they lie,
Dreaming as the days go by,
Dreaming as the summers die:
Ever drifting down the stream Lingering in the golden gleam-
Life, what is it but a dream?
Most babies, as the lore goes, are discovered under the shelter of a cabbage leaf. Some are delivered by storks, their tiny bodies suspended from the beaks, or found within the doctor's black bag. Not your little Pisces bundle. They arrive directly from the realm of fairy tales, clutching a fragment of moonlight. If you observe closely, you may still glimpse the reflection of elves and enchanted trees in their dreamy eyes, perhaps even a trace of stardust lingering behind an earlobe. Although their wings may have vanished by the time they reach the delivery room, a slight bump may remain as a reminder.
You must have come across those congratulatory cards for new mothers, adorned with illustrations of dimpled, rosy infants, delicate and translucent, gracefully drifting amidst poetic verses. The artist surely used your Pisces child as inspiration. This might lead you to believe that you can guide your Neptune-born little one effortlessly, or that you can mold them into any shape you desire after washing away the glistening stardust from their ears. However, reconsider. They will have their way, just like the fiery, headstrong Aries baby, the demanding and regal Leo baby, or the stubborn and resilient Taurus baby. The only difference is that your Pisces child will achieve their desires by charming you to the core, engulfing you in oceans of sweet smiles and captivating gestures.
Once the ink on the birth certificate has dried, consider enrolling your Pisces son for the lead role in the future production of Peter Pan, or your daughter for Alice in Wonderland. These iconic roles will resonate deeply with Neptune children, who don't require a stage to embody them brilliantly. They will continue to embody these characters well into their eighties. Parents who silently pray, "I wish my baby would never grow up," may have their wishes granted if their baby was born under the sign of the fish. The passing years will leave minimal imprints, forever preserving a childlike, fantastical, and dreamy quality that shrouds Pisces individuals. It will bathe them in an aura of mystery and unreality, enduring beyond the reaches of time.
By the time they are old enough to hide within jam pots, your peculiar child will already display a preference for dwelling in a world of imagination. They will find solace in activities far removed from the routines and patterns of everyday life. While seated in the high chair, they will eat with angelic grace if you assume the role of a queen or a clown during feeding time. Don a lampshade adorned with sparkling necklaces, or use a mop as a wig; apply lipstick and chalk to your face. Their imagination will fill in the rest. As they grow older, they will happily engage in play on the front porch while you tend to household chores, as long as you adorn the area with colorful balloons, play music on the record player, scatter their stuffed animals, offer popcorn, and proclaim it to be a circus.
When they finally begin attending school and experience peculiar dreams at night, you might be taken aback one ordinary spring morning while tying their shoes. "Guess who I saw last night?" they will casually remark. You will respond with a polite quip, mentally preoccupied with locating their green sweater. Ah, there it is, draped over the teddy bear they dressed up yesterday, pretending it was their best friend.
"Who did you see?" you inquire.
Their answer will come effortlessly, "Grandma Stratton. We conversed for quite some time before she bid me farewell. She asked me to remind you to water her geraniums and send Uncle Clarence the money."
Given that Grandmother Stratton passed away before your child's birth, this revelation may initially unsettle you, especially on an empty stomach before your morning coffee. However, the real shock will come after breakfast, when your child is at school and the mailman delivers a letter from Uncle Clarence, whom you haven't heard from in five years, requesting a loan to start a new business.
The wisest of parents struggle to establish a schedule that can withstand the whims of a Pisces offspring. Schedules and routines are natural adversaries, and they will employ their fertile imagination to avoid them at all costs. Their hunger will strike at unpredictable times, their exhaustion will creep in when least expected, and their playfulness will be enticed by arbitrary fascinations. Attempting to enforce eating, sleeping, or playing according to any other timetable becomes an arduous task. In reality, it's a rather sensible approach, yet the moments when they become hungry, tired, or playful may vary considerably from day to day and night to night. It is futile to resist. They won't throw tantrums, scream, or resist in order to coerce you into surrendering to their desires. Instead, they will gradually seduce you through evasive and elusive tactics, bewildering you until you capitulate. You might even find yourself inexplicably enchanted by this sheer freedom. No longer burdened by guilt when engaging in coffee chats with neighbors during feeding time, playing an enthralling game of "Princess and Frog" during the mystical hours of dawn, or sharing a bowl of vegetable soup and a cup of hot chocolate on a dreary, gray winter afternoon. It all becomes oddly alluring. They might even teach you that the ticking clock should not be an authoritative dictator ruling over your life. After all, it's merely a ticking piece of metal.
The Pisces child will demand a considerable amount of attention and appreciation. They need to be seen and acknowledged, for they often doubt their own capabilities. Shower them with as much affection and recognition as they require. Additionally, they will need moments of solitude. When they retreat into their mysterious states of withdrawal, grant them that privacy. Their mind may wander millions of light-years away, far beyond your reach. Eventually, they will return, just in time for their serving of vegetable soup and hot chocolate. However, by this point, they will have shifted their lunch hour to the late evening. If they tell you that they were soaring through the skies on a saucer with a visitor from Mars, believe them. It might just be true.
Teachers frequently find themselves perplexed when attempting to fit this peculiar puzzle piece into the standard molds of education. Your child may not conform to the round or square holes provided. They will simply refuse to adhere to a pattern that is not their own. Don't place too much blame on them. The educational system has yet to catch up with Neptune's wisdom. Many Pisces boys and girls possess artistic inclinations, harboring a profound love for music and dance. The typical Neptunian child possesses grace in their step, regardless of their physical weight. Young girls often yearn to become ballerinas, while boys tend to idolize figures such as Beethoven, Michelangelo, astronauts, or Saint Anthony, rather than scientists, presidents, or generals. They are enamored with literature of all kinds, and English may be their preferred subject, as Pisces children possess storytelling prowess. They adore words, and poetry often captivates their hearts. Initially, they may struggle with comprehending mathematics, but they will later exhibit a remarkable understanding of the abstract principles that underlie algebra and geometry.
Responsibility may prove elusive for them, leading to moments of frustration. Pisces children adhere to their own set of rules. They are sensitive and easily wounded by harshness. Tears may flow frequently. Ordinarily, they prefer the company of adults over playing with other children. Even at a tender age, they possess a deep wisdom and empathetic understanding of situations that surpass their comprehension. Children born under Neptune are often accused of lying, although their intentions are pure. There is no malice or cowardice involved. Their young minds swim in the currents of boundless imagination, whispering a thousand delightful secrets, imbued with sheer beauty that they yearn to bring to life in the cold, tangible world. The fact that these magnificent dreams perish in the sterile, desolate soil of a materialistic society is truly heart-wrenching. They require your utmost sympathy; otherwise, they will retreat into silent, brooding desolation.
The Pisces child hears melodies of the sea that they can never fully describe. The stark, brutal truth is too harsh for them to endure. They must embellish it occasionally, or attempt to imbue it with warmth and color, drawing from the Neptune hues of romance. It would be unfair to label this as lying. Instead, encourage them to gather their clouds and moonbeams, weaving them into poems, plays, or paintings. Soon enough, they will adapt to the ordinary world of cruelty, selfishness, poverty, and ingratitude. Why thrust them into it abruptly? They may encounter difficulties in conforming to the social and academic expectations that stifle their individuality. Yet, their parents and teachers can learn from them the importance of compassion, understanding, beauty, tolerance, imagination, and gentleness. The type of diploma you desire from life depends on it.
One day, either the Piscean philosophy of freedom of expression or the conformist ideals will prevail. My bet is on Pisces. Of course, your warm-hearted and amiable little Neptunian must be taught that people expect them to eventually adapt to the nonsensical, topsy-turvy concepts of society in order to survive. However, if stern and negative adults push too hard, they may lose their way back to the other side of the looking glass. Don't deprive them of their key. They require occasional escapes to refresh themselves with the true wisdom of the Red Queen and the White Knight. Only then can they better navigate the tangible world, filled with war, poverty, disease, hypocritical ethics, and ingratitude. Your little fish needs a protective cloak against the harsh winds that lie ahead. Knit it yourself with resilient, vibrant yarn. Make an effort to understand their Neptune ways. Guide them with tenderness and wisdom, and when they finally grow tall, they may reach out and grasp one of the silver stars to present it to you. Then, you will be grateful that you never scoffed at their dreams. Prepare a special spot on the mantle in anticipation.
The Aquarius Child
Aquarian children defy convention and tend to resist authority without apparent reason. Although intelligent or even brilliant, they reject prescribed expectations. Curiosity leads the way for these quirky youngsters, and they need parents who encourage their individuality.
The Pisces Child
Full of imagination, Pisces children might sometimes struggle to discern reality from their fantasies. Parents should encourage their creativity without fear of ridicule. Free play with imaginative elements empowers Pisces children to explore their creativity in a safe and nurturing environment.
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