Aquarius' 1st Decan Influence: "Cooperation" (Jan 21st - Jan 30th)

Aquarius the water bearer pours forth a flood of information onto a world thirsty for truth. In its first week we come to know the true meaning of "cooperation", particularly how understanding it and using it capably empowers us functionally to participate in the actual creation of our reality. Over the first ten days of Aquarius, let us reflect on the essence of "cooperation" - with others, with our surroundings, and within ourselves.

"Cooperation" is defined as, "as act or instance of working together for a common purpose or benefit." Even though it is a noun, the idea of "cooperation" relies on "joint action", particularly for a common purpose. As we finally begin to stir from the frozen, contemplative lessons of Capricorn, the wisdom of Aquarius flows like the thaw. Its lesson of cooperation is an active one, a doing thing, and here we get our first chance of the year to let the sparks of our winter ideas fly. We can let them scatter haphazardly, or we can direct them towards our goals.

What are our goals? Now, six weeks before the spring sun shines warmly, is the time to plan them. Cooperation with what is, who's near, and who we are can help us bring them into being more potently, more fully developed. So not only does cooperation help us reach our goals, but it's a wise guide in their very creation.

"Wish it, dream it, do it" ...or whatever it is everyone's chanting nowadays. Yes you can pick any one goals and spend your time, energy, and resources working towards it. But as the universe is in constant motion - as atoms interact with one another and galaxies too - we are already riding the wave of creation in motion. We interact with one another - in person, in our cars, online - everyday. Whether planned or by happenstance, we already spend our time and energy engaging with people, items, and circumstances. Now, we can pick a goal completely outside of the reality we're actively involved in. Or we could more fully realize the reality we're already actively participating in, and develop goals that efficiently and wisely use the time and energy we're already spending. Consider it an investment of our resources.

And as an investment in our personal stakes, herein lies our lesson of using cooperation as a tool for shaping our reality.

When we hear the word "cooperation", we might envision some stock footage of a few people in good company working or playing together, an ambience of achievement, like teamwork in action. This is fitting, those actual moments like these aren't frequent by any means. The work leading up to a celebratory cooperative moment takes time, and people go their separate ways afterwards.

So it may be more empowering to consider cooperation as taking advantage of opportunities as they surface. With the universe in constant motion as it is, things come and they go. People too. And as heartwarming and victorious as a picture of three buddies patting each other on the back and sharing a laugh after ...

Creating the reality we choose starts with a simple, clearly defined goal. We begin with an accurate assessment of our current situation, "point A", and we lay the stepping stones to get to what we'd rather have, "point B". If "point B" is on the other side of a canyon, just going for it isn't going to get us there. Wishing and wanting will create it, but sheer might won't get us to it. A bunch of money could buy us a jet to fly us over to it, but if we turn our attention towards money we lose sight of it - both now and over time. From where we sit atop our cliff, we have to use what we have to get to where we want to go, or risk distraction and never return.

This resourcefulness, using what is available to us now, is cooperation with "what is". We are cooperating with our current reality by giving our awareness to it. From an empty hilltop, we bring items into being - rocks, sticks, dirt, land, sky. Our clothing. Accessories. Our wallet full of money. The breeze that would blow it all away. Our bodies, our thoughts, and our aloneness. What is it that we what wanted from this? What is our "point B"? Security? Stability? Company?

Our goals, typically tangible items or changes in circumstance, are means to ends. But of these three - goals, means, and ends - ends are the reason for the seasons. And if we cooperate with our selves - our motivations, thoughts, and feeling - we come to find that in these ends, what we really crave is well-being. What we're really after is to feel differently about something, in a way that makes us feel better, no matter what our goal. And changing the way we feel requires no cliff jumping at all, just our realization of what our desired feeling is. We find that our greatest resource up here on our hill is simply being here, dwelling on the feeling we so crave, feeding it our attention, and letting it develop within our selves.

In full cooperation with our current moment, we come to find the change we need. Calmly, quietly, cooperate with the now. We are where we are, the universe is in constant motion, and we need not fret or worry about what is not happening. WE are happening. The simplest way to begin employing cooperation as a tool for reshaping our lives is to befriend the moment.