“We are all reflections of each other in the vast mirror of motion and space.”
The dawning of Aquarius season signals a move away from the Capricorn journey of personal intentions. We can release the sense of striving and instead immerse ourselves within the collective.
It is an opportunity to dissolve any goals that feel restrictive and become open to rethink, refresh and reframe; to renovate and innovate in a revolutionary way. When we commit wholeheartedly to an expression of our fullest selves we can influence the collective and help to create a shift within humanity.
Having just one planet in Aquarius in my birth chart it is a sign I am less familiar with, but I can safely say I have fallen for the Aquarian ideals of living in a big way.
This is the astrological season to cleanse any long-held, outdated beliefs and expand into sparkling new shapes, with the potential for perpetual new beginnings.
The experimental air element.
Being an air sign, Aquarius has an inquisitive yet detached, translucent easefulness in relationship to itself. We can channel this by turning our attention away from individual objectives and into a connectedness with the world around us; releasing ego, perceived ideals and established norms, to realise our higher purpose that serves the interests of the wider world and its future.
Light, movement & space.
The provision of light reflects and illuminates a palette of cool yet vivid colours, mirrored and silvery metallic finishes, interspersed with cross-disciplinary artworks that create conversation pieces in the home. Eclectic collections of vases, sculptures, retro glitter balls and contemporary mobiles crafted from wire, metal and glass encapsulate the sign of the generous water-bearer with its airy overtones.
The salon – a place to explore ideas.
The Maison de Verre, built from 1928 to 1932 in Paris immediately springs to my mind – constructed in the early modern architectural style, emphasising three primary traits: honesty of materials, transparency of forms, and a juxtaposition of ‘industrial’ materials with layered interior design. The New York Times notes that the Maison de Verre embodies the classical modernist belief “that a house could function as a tool for physical and psychic healing”. As well as being a restorative space, the house was built around a ‘salle de séjour’ which was transformed into a salon, regularly frequented by Marxist intellectuals and Surrealist poets and artists.
An open-plan architectural layout, that is geared towards a sociable salon space is the key aspect of an Aquarian home, a container for bringing people together to discuss ideas and opinions spanning politics and society to art and culture.
Open-plan living.
Another house that encapsulates Aquarian elements for me, is the iconic Stahl house perched high in the Hollywood hills, overlooking Los Angeles. Built in 1959 by architect Pierre Koenig, the house was constructed from huge spans of glass on a stable steel and concrete structure, with a spatial layout designed to consider the public and private aspects. By exposing the material structure of the house the transparency of the indoor-outdoor living space is illuminated. The house is one large viewing box that captures a captivating perspective of the world around it.
Utopian ideals.
Closer to home, the Golden Lane Estate (home to THE THREAD JOURNAL. Insider Leila Sadeghee) and its neighbour, the Barbican Estate represent the utopian ideal for inner-city living in London. Both designed by architect trio Chamberlin, Powell and Bon, the rough textures and extensive, elevated gardens and boundaries between private and public domains, with a strong community element epitomise the Aquarian vision for collective living.
Aquarius season moodboard:
