In our Decan Walk journey today, we are going to encounter the very airy realm of the Aquarius Decans. Here we will look at Venus in Aquarius (5 of Swords), Mercury in Aquarius (6 of Swords), and the Moon in Aquarius (7 of Swords).

Interestingly, Aquarius is the 11th Zodiac Sign — meaning, we are almost at the finish line of our Decan Walk. The next Sign, Pisces, is the last Zodiac Sign in the Astrological Wheel. Just so you know, I’ve got a couple more posts in this Series I plan to write. This adventure isn’t over just quite yet.

Personally, I am amazed that I’ve made it so far, despite everything in the world going topsy-turvy and life going completely bonkers crazy. All of this was possible only because of your support and good wishes. Before we go ahead, I would like to thank you so very much! 🙏💖 I really, truly appreciate it.

Alright, so let’s begin our exploration!

Aquarius Decans: Venus in Aquarius + Mercury in Aquarius + Moon in Aquarius

Aquarius is an Air Sign. Therefore, we are going to examine the 3 Decans of Aquarius through the lenses of the cards from the Suit of Swords. First, we’ll see how the Earthy planet of Venus finds its bearings through the imagery of the 5 of Swords. Then, we’ll learn how the Airy planet of Mercury fares via the images of the 6 of Swords. Finally, we’ll see how the Moon’s Watery energies play out in the 7 of Swords.

Let’s start by looking at our Zodiac Sign: Aquarius.

Why is the Sign of the “Water Bearer” an Air Sign?

Although it is famously known as the Water Bearer, it is crucial to understand that Aquarius is the bearer of water, not water itself. That distinction is key! Aquarius is an Air Sign. 

The symbolism derives from the story of the handsome Prince Ganymede from Greek mythology.

Ganymede was a young, exceptionally handsome prince, believed to be the youngest son of the King of Tros. Zeus, the King of the Gods, was captivated by him. In a dramatic turn of events, Zeus took the form of an eagle and abducted Ganymede. He brought him to Olympus to serve as the Gods’ cupbearer during divine banquets. He would serve them nectar and ambrosia. Pleased with him, and to preserve Ganymede’s beauty and youth forever, Zeus gave him the gift of immortality.

Often, this story represents a mortal elevated to divine status simply because of his youth and beauty—a status granted to preserve him. However, several accounts discuss the abduction of Ganymede as a profound symbol of homosexual desire. The discussion of whether Ganymede desired this destiny is anybody’s guess. And it was in his honor that Zeus created the constellation Aquarius, giving us the title of the Cup Bearer or Water Bearer.

This ancient narrative is a powerful commentary, suggesting that concepts like homosexuality were not viewed as out of the ordinary; they simply existed as part of the norm in several pre-Abrahamic religions.

Astrology: Aquarius ♒︎

With Aquarius, we are diving into a realm that is truly, utterly airy, focusing on the concepts, the intellect, and the great humanitarian ideals that define this sign.

In classical astrology, Aquarius is ruled by Saturn, which corresponds to The World Card in the Tarot. When the modern planets were discovered, Uranus also stepped up to become a ruler of Aquarius—and Uranus is beautifully connected to The Fool Card. Isn’t that interesting? We see this inherent paradox in its very rulers: the strict structures of Saturn balanced by the revolutionary, unbounded nature of Uranus.

Even the glyph of Aquarius is fascinatingly complex. It looks like waves, which is interesting for an air sign, but these waves symbolize the constant movement that disappears into infinity. It speaks to the vast, unbounded nature of Aquarian thought.

The underlying energy of Aquarius is all about a higher-level perspective on everything. They are inherently thinkers and innovators, driven by rational approaches because, well, they are an air sign after all. The keyword that connects with Aquarius, according to the Star Code Astro Oracle, is Collaborate.

Aquarius is widely considered the sign of the masses, representing a profoundly humanistic approach toward the world. These are the philosophers, the reformers, and the individuals focused on abstract concepts. They are altruistic and utopian in their ideals.

Here are some of the core characteristics that drive Aquarian people:

• The World Changer: Aquarius loves to topple old values and bravely replace them with new ones. The energy is focused on clearing all class distinctions and championing equality among the masses, always promoting individual freedom.
• The Inventor: These are people who excel in imagination, invention, and independence. They strive to be free from inhibitions and limitations and often use unusual paths or new methods to achieve their goals.
• The Rational Mind: They possess a strong air-energy focus, making them clever, conscientious, objective, and very rational. They are seekers of knowledge and deeply value originality.
• The Detached Observer: They can be very stoic, meaning they don’t necessarily react to every situation. This objectivity sometimes makes them appear aloof, reserved, non-committal, or even emotionally detached, despite being fair-minded, witty, and charming.

You often find Aquarians flourishing in fields dedicated to connecting and progressing society, such as:

• Marketing, Communication, and Advertising
• Public Relations
• Technology and Inventions
• Astrology and Alternative Medicine

On the flip side, when this energy is strained, Aquarians can be seen as eccentric, impersonal, distant, contrary, or sometimes even lunatic or lonely. They often struggle greatly with being subordinate, preferring their own freedom and big picture perspective over anything else.

Aquarius in the Tarot: The Star

In the Tarot, Aquarius is most famously associated with the Major Arcana card, The Star. Again, this seems contradictory—Aquarius is the Water Bearer, not a specific star—but this card captures the highest ideals of the sign perfectly.

The Guiding Light of the North Star

The constellations seen in The Star card from the Rider-Waite-Smith deck and Tarot de Marseille deck resemble the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper constellations (Ursa Major and Ursa Minor). We can even see these constellations in the images of these two cards!

Both of these constellations point towards the North Star, the ultimate guiding star used by sailors across the world. While traveling at night, all they had to do was look at the sky and locate this Star to find their bearings, their True North.

The humanistic principles and altruistic ideals of Aquarius serve as our societal guiding star, leading us to the creation of a perfect, utopian world.

Let’s look into the imagery of The Star card.

Across the decks, The Star card image shows a woman, often naked (symbolizing having nothing to hide), her long hair open and flowing, holding two jugs from which she pours liquid into a water body. She has at least one knee resting on the ground.

In the Rider-Waite-Smith card image, the water poured onto the land divides into five streams, symbolizing the five senses. The act of pouring symbolizes the woman letting go of her attachment to these senses, a core theme of Aquarius’s detachment.

In the Tarot de Marseille, the pouring water is directed partially onto herself, suggesting a process of cleansing or purifying oneself from feelings of sin and guilt related to the body and sexuality.

In the Thoth and Telos card images, the woman represents Nut, the Egyptian goddess who rules the stars. Her long, flowing hair symbolizes life force, inspiration, and the profound connection between the cosmos and the soul. She holds a gold cup (representing the Sun/Mind) and a silver cup (representing the Moon/Soul), signifying the sources of heavenly water, which itself is linked to cleansing, fertility, and life energy. We see Crystals that represent protection, and Roses that connect with Venus, the Goddess of Love and Fertility, and Butterflies that represent renewal and lightness.

The Goddess in The Star card is the embodiment of the stars themselves, leading us to all that lies beyond these Stars.

The presence of the Sun, Moon, and Star forms a common triad in Renaissance alchemy, where The Star represents the mystical union between the masculine principle (Sun/Mind) and the feminine principle (Moon/Soul). This highlights how Aquarian idealism is a spiritual space where everything is harmonious and perfect.

The card’s core meanings align beautifully with the Aquarian energy:

• Hope and positivity
• New beginnings
• Detachment and letting go
• Insight and intuition
• Inspiration

Ultimately, The Star provides the clarity to see the bigger picture with rationality and objectivity, assuring us that if we follow our guiding ideals, we can achieve the goal of creating the perfect world we seek. This is the space, the clarity, and the idealism that the Aquarian spirit embodies.

Aquarius Decans I: Venus in Aquarius: ♀ in ♒︎: Defeat + Strife + Breakthrough

The first Aquarian Decan spans 1° to 10° from 20 January to 29 January.

The ancient text, the Picatrix, provides two potent images for this Aquarius Decan:

• A beheaded man holding a peacock.
• A man with bowed head and a bag in his hand.

The core energy defined by these descriptors speaks directly to hardship: hard and tiring work, deep poverty, need, or simply a chronic lack of means for subsistence.

The imagery of the beheaded or bowed head is crucial to understanding the underlying energetic condition here. It tells us that your mind, the instrument of the air suit, is fundamentally not up to the task, or that the ensuing chaos has mentally sidelined you. Something in your core mental structure has failed under pressure.

Interestingly, even within this scene of defeat and lack, the influence of Venus appears in the symbolic detail of the peacock. The exotic, extravagant peacock is a subtle—or perhaps not-so-subtle—reference to Venus herself, as Venus governs beauty and aesthetics. So, the energy of beauty and value is woven into the context of loss.

The bowed or beheaded figure, meanwhile, embodies the conflict inherent in the number Five, which is connected to Mars and the Kabbalistic Sefirot of Geburah. Geburah deals with severity, strength, and, crucially, uncomfortable and difficult changes. This volatile combination—Martian challenge and Saturnian Aquarius (the sign’s traditional ruler) confronting the harmony of Venus—creates the signature complex energy of the Five of Swords.

When you take cozy, relationship-oriented Venus and place her squarely in the cold, rational, and sometimes aloof air-sign of Aquarius, you might be visualizing some lovely, balanced, socially astute partnership. However, this challenging combination results in one of the most fraught cards in the Suit of Air: the Five of Swords. We can see that, despite the Venusian warmth, encountering the Aquarian mental deep freeze forces these Venusian needs into the highly intellectualized, objective environment of Aquarius.

Venus rules the Signs of Taurus and Libra and is connected to the maternal, nourishing energy of The Empress Card in the Tarot. She represents all things lush, beautiful, and relational:

• Love, affection, attraction, and friendship.
• Art, aesthetics, expression, beauty, harmony, and pleasure.
• Values, self-worth, creativity, luxury, money, and abundance.
• Sensuality, fertility, and growth.

On the flip side, Venus can slide into manipulation, vanity, and superficiality.

Astrology: Venus in Aquarius ♀ in ♒︎

When Venusian harmony is funneled into the hyper-rational environment of the Air sign Aquarius, the result is detachment. This detachment is so core to the experience that The Oracle of the Radiant Sun titles this placement Detachment. Venus brings the desire for Love, and Aquarius contributes Principles and Humanity. This leads to a fascinating and sometimes frustrating relationship profile:

• Social Distance: Individuals with Venus in Aquarius are friendly with everyone, fitting the Aquarian ideal of humanity and community, yet they inherently maintain a cool, rational distance, ensuring they are never too friendly.
• Non-Traditional Partnership: They are often unstable as traditional partners. The kind of relationship they truly need is one that grants them total intellectual and social freedom and operates outside of traditional relationship models.
• The Freedom Urge: Jealousy and over-possessiveness are absolute non-starters for them; intellectual and social freedom is paramount.
• Intellectualizing Emotion: They require immense intellectual stimulation. The warmth and connection Venus seeks are intellectualized in the cold, objective environment of Aquarius.
• Fluidity of Connection: It’s common for a person with this placement to eventually marry a long-time friend. You see a continuous flow where friends become lovers and lovers cycle back into friends.
• Art and Ideals: Their love of art leans toward the innovative and unusual, and they thrive in philosophical groups or those discussing high ideals.

This placement is essentially a clash of priorities: the desire for love and connection being overridden by the need for objective, rational principles and freedom.

The Number: 5

The number Five is the disruptor of the stability of the energy of Four. Where the Four offers comfort and foundation, the Five introduces friction, discord, and unavoidable strife. While this energy can be experienced as a genuine struggle, it also inherently creates the necessary conditions for intense interaction, learning, and expanding beyond the comfortable limits of the senses. This is the central, chaotic vibe of Five: forcing change, usually an uncomfortable one.

Aquarius Decans I + Tarot: 5 of Swords: Venus in Aquarius: ♀ in ♒︎: Defeat + Strife + Breakthrough

How does this complex interplay of Venusian defeat and Aquarian objectivity show up on the cards? It manifests in distinct ways across different Tarot decks.

The Marseille Tarot: Piercing the Comfort Zone

The Marseille image for the Five of Swords focuses on the breaking of mental stability.

Here, we see four curved swords forming a closed circle, representing the comfortable, stable thinking associated with the number Four. The fifth sword dramatically pushes through the top, piercing and breaking the confines of that existing space.

This image emphasizes the need to break past existing limitations. When our thoughts become too comfortable in the stability of the Four, the Five arrives to force confrontation with the “same old, same old” by pushing through that comfort zone, even though that push is inherently uncomfortable. It’s the determined, forward-pushing break that defines the intellectual challenge here.

The Thoth Tarot: The Folly of Futility

The Thoth deck’s keyword for this card is Futility. It presents a chaotic image of breakdown.

Five swords are arranged in a pentagram-like shape—actually, a reverse pentagram—with all their pointy ends aggressively clashing or pointing directly at each other. The blades are noticeably bent and broken, symbolizing thoughts, ideas, and perspectives that have weakened and shattered due to the friction of the number Five.

Rose petals, a symbol of Venus, are scattered in that same broken shape, a reminder of what was lost or defeated.

The implication is devastating: all the air energy—your thoughts, ideals, and words—has broken apart in a chaotic strife. This isn’t just an argument; it results in utter failure, defeat, humiliation, betrayal, slander, and dirty tricks. The background light suggests that clarity comes only from this profound failure. The Thoth card image emphasizes that this chaos is unavoidable, and attempting to sidestep the struggle will only lead to more strife. The Five of Swords here is a harsh intellectual judge, declaring that you were entirely mistaken and that your previous perspectives were simply wrong.

The Telos Tarot: The Cold Admission of Defeat

The Telos depiction is a powerful synthesis of the entire decan combination, bringing the astrological energies into stark focus.

The central figure is the man with a bowed head, symbolizing defeat and referencing the Picatrix image of a mutilated, bowed head. He is holding his bag and all five swords. He wears a red cloak, linking back to Mars and the color of Geburah, underscoring the battle energy inherent in the Five. This card also features rose petals on the ground, a subtle acknowledgement of the Venus influence. Next to those petals, we see the Raven of Saturn—Aquarius’s ruler—breaking an egg of a Dove, the bird linked to Venus.

This card image highlights the devastating impact of the idealistic, aloof, and brilliant Aquarian mind, which is incapable of processing the feelings and love that Venus brings unless they are rationally analyzed. 

The card’s setting is also intensely cold: jagged clouds, patches of snow, and frozen ground, reflecting the harsh weather often associated with the time frame when this Decan appears in the Northern Hemisphere. This cold, intellectual force freezes the fragile harmony. The resulting defeat stems from unstable effort, unreliability, and being outmatched by the opposition. It is a warning to beware of trickery and ensnarement, often forcing one to use cunning or shrewdness to overcome overwhelming obstacles.

The Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot: The Narrative of Compromise

5 of Swords

The traditional RWS image provides the final, most familiar lens for this decan.

Like the Telos deck, we see the harsh environment reflected in the cold, jagged clouds of Aquarius. Two figures walk away, heads bowed, looking defeated. These figures represent the Venusian energy, prioritizing harmony and peace, choosing to surrender rather than continue the conflict. I feel that this withdrawal is often a surrender disguised as a compromise—a very Aquarian tendency toward narrative building, attempting to rewrite a painful defeat as a strategic move. The central, triumphant figure embodies that Martian/fiery element, standing proud in the cold wind, capable of surviving the emotional harshness. He wins because the other side is weak or peace-loving.

The overall energy of this Five of Swords card image includes conflict, arguments, rumors, and slander. It speaks of achieving victory through conquest, sometimes because the opponent simply gives up, or through unconventional solutions.

The essential lesson remains: the victory is hard-won, cold, and often involves a necessary emotional detachment. Venus, the peacemaker, has to admit defeat and surrender to the harsh reality imposed by the intellectual challenge of the Five in Aquarius. This challenging Aquarius Decan requires us to look honestly at our cherished beliefs, confront the discomfort of change, and accept that sometimes, the only move available is to surrender—even if you repackage that surrender as a calculated compromise.

6 of Swords: Mercury in Aquarius: ☿ in ♒︎ : Scientific Clarity + Ingenious Inventions

The second Aquarian Decan spans 11° to 20° from 30 January to 8 February.

The Picatrix describes this Decan variously as “a tenacious man who looks like a powerful King,” and “a King who looks wth pride and conceit on all around him.” The overall energy is described as dealing with beauty, nobility, goodness, complete form, complete religion, and manhood.

Here we have Mercury, an Airy planet, sitting in the Air Sign of Aquarius. Mercury takes the shattered thoughts from the previous Decan and helps you find clarity and navigate toward something truly brilliant. It’s no surprise that the elements here are compatible: Mercury is an airy planet, and Aquarius is a Fixed Air sign, creating a beautiful intellectual cohesion. The energies of Mercury and Aquarius literally feed off of each other. This intelligent conversational back-and-forth is rational and often — the very requirement for the genesis of innovation. 

Astrology: Mercury ☿

To understand how this decan operates, we must first look at Mercury, the master of communication and the celestial trickster.

Mercury rules the Signs of Gemini and Virgo, and governs all things related to the mind:

• Mental Faculties: Intellectual stimulation, reason, mental activity, and the expression of thoughts and ideas.
• Communication: Speech, writing, learning, skills, curiosity, and interest.
• Movement & Adaptability: Travel, commerce, business, versatility, adaptability, and change.

However, Mercury also carries a shadow side: the potential to be a psychopomp (a guide of souls) and a trickster. On the flip side, Mercury can manifest as being fickle, superficial, shallow, prejudiced, or even dishonest, often leading to mistakes due to rushing or scattered thinking.

In the Major Arcana of the Tarot, Mercury is intrinsically connected with The Magician. The Magician’s energy is all about taking charge, manipulating things, and making things happen almost as if by magic. This makes him the patron of creativity, writing, marketing, and selling stuff—he’s a smart guy who gets things done, often with a little trickery thrown in.

We see this Mercurial flair show up in different ways across our study decks. In the Rider-Waite-Smith card, The Magician channels his creativity with the power of “As Above, So Below.” In the Tarot de Marseille card, the imagery also subtly hints at the sleight-of-hand quality inherent in Mercury. In the Thoth and Telos, the Magus has the ability to travel through all the realms, utilizing his wits to create illusions, necessary for his role as a messenger. Both the Thoth and Telos decks feature the Ibis (a symbol of concentration, being a messenger of Thoth) and the Ape (representing the trickster and shadow energy, and another assistant of Thoth).

Astrology: Mercury in Aquarius: ☿ in ♒︎

When the intellectual, change-driven energy of Mercury meets the humanitarian, principle-driven environment of Aquarius, the combination is explosive—in the best possible way. The Oracle of the Radiant Sun calls this specific placement Originality.

The keyword for Mercury is Change, and for Aquarius, it’s Principles and Humanity, resulting in an individual focused on revolutionary and unbiased thought. This is the mind of the inventor, the reformer, and the true eccentric. 

• Revolutionary Intellect: This person has a revolutionary mind with the ability to be completely unbiased, truthful, and objective. They are deeply open to new experiences and perspectives.
• Experience Triumphs: They reject traditional, socially acceptable ideas, especially when these conflict with firsthand experience and verifiable facts. For them, experience triumphs every narrative.
• Innovation & Insight: This placement brings brilliant flashes of inspiration and the ability to turn ideas on their head to find new perspectives. They excel at seeing ideas in broad terms, taking a lateral view to find new approaches.
• Big Changes: They are often interested in innovative new technologies and scientific investigation. Their ideas are the kind that often require big, drastic changes, potentially leading to invention, innovation, or shock announcements.
• The Humanitarian Drive: The strong Aquarian energy makes them humanitarian, with a powerful urge to improve the lives of those less fortunate.

Mercury in Aquarius creates people who are simultaneously great teachers and great students, driven by a need for constant mental stimulation. Of course, the flip side is that this intellectual fire can lead to eccentricity taken to extremes and to outlandish ideas that lack any basis for communication.

The Number: 6

Adding to this powerful intellectual atmosphere is the energy of the number 6, which is all about harmony, connection, community, and stability. Six brings service and responsibility, aligning perfectly with the humanitarian goals of Aquarius. It promotes intellectual creativity, imagination, fantasy, and abstract thinking—a perfect blend with Mercury’s mental activity and Aquarius’s rational approach.

Aquarius Decans II + Tarot: 6 of Swords: Mercury in Aquarius: ☿ in ♒︎: Scientific Clarity + Ingenious Inventions

When all these forces combine, we get the visually striking and intellectually complex 6 of Swords. This card often talks about a literal or metaphorical transition. The journey requires mental navigation and scientific ingenuity. Let’s break down the symbolism across different decks to truly appreciate the depth of Mercury in Aquarius.

In the Tarot de Marseille, we see two groups of three swords forming a sort of intellectual enclosure. Unlike the 5 of Swords, where the fifth blade pierced the comfort zone, here the space in the middle of this enclosure contains a branch with a flower in the middle. This branch has adapted and grown harmoniously within the enclosed space created by the swords.

This beautifully illustrates how 6 desires harmony: thoughts have found a balanced way to adapt, creating a happy space even within limitations. It’s about balance and harmony of thoughts, utilizing the available space, and making the absolute best of the situation. There is a level of compromise here, but one that is productive and leads to growth.

The Thoth Tarot has the keyword: Science. This tells you everything you need to know about the mental function of this decan. 

The image features six swords arranged in a hexagram, their points facing each other. At the center, we find a yellow Rosy Cross, linking the image to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Small tulips meet at the center of this rose cross, signifying a striving directed toward unity and holistic understanding. 

The 6 Swords also outline a circle inscribed within a square. The Circle stands for the eternal truth, and the Square represents reality. By showing the circle inscribed within the square, we are told that the eternal truth is hidden within reality. With the Swords within this space, we can see that science seeks to uncover this eternal truth by piercing through the layers of reality.

Adding to the movement are windwheel-like structures, which symbolize mental flexibility and networked thinking.

This imagery speaks directly to objectivity, intelligence, insight, and perception, pointing toward scientific professions. This Aquarius Decan encourages the joy of experimentation, research, and exploring the unknown, ensuring that logic makes sense and that thoughts harmonize to create something good.

The Telos Tarot brings in the full regal and scientific conceit hinted at in the Picatrix. We see a man dressed like a king, his robes and the sky covered in Aquarian stars and constellations.

Right in front of him is an astrolabe, a scientific instrument used for celestial navigation, signifying a highly scientific understanding of the world’s workings. Both the Ape and the Ibis stand next to this Astrolabe, communicating and assisting with this navigation. 

This King is seated on a boat, with a solar disc behind him. This imagery is drawn from the Kabbalah Tree of Life, where the 6th Sephiroth, Tipareth (associated with the number 6 and the Suit of Swords), is linked to the planet Sun.

The boat itself is a nod to Egyptian mythology, which depicts the Sun God, Ra, traveling in a boat from the East to the West during the Day, and carrying the souls of the deceased during the Night. Compared to this, most other Mythologies talk of the Sun God traveling across the skies in a Chariot. This boat, therefore, represents time passing and the necessary navigation through life.

Because this King possesses all that knowledge, understanding, and scientific intellect, he naturally thinks he is smarter than most, which accounts for the conceit noted in the Picatrix description. The core message here is: inventive intellect in moral harmony leads to success in the pursuit of knowledge. It’s about problem-solving, navigating toward a goal, and using scientific insight to explore the unknown.

6 of Swords

When we return to the familiar Rider-Waite-Smith imagery of the boatman rowing away, the deeper decanic and mythological layers make the image profoundly more meaningful.

For years, I simply interpreted this image as moving on from mental baggage. I never really knew why the characters in the card image were shown traveling in a boat. Now, when I see the connection to Tipareth and the myth of the Sun God, Ra, traveling in a boat, I’ve uncovered a new layer of meaning that explains why we have a boat in this picture. Isn’t it marvelous how I can still discover something new in the card images that I’ve been looking at for over 20 years now! 😍

This journey represents the clarity of thought (Air) traversing over the emotions (Water). The destination is clarity, found only by using the mind in highly holistic, inventive, and objective ways that Aquarius can create. The main figure in the card image is navigating, using their wits and knowledge. This is not haphazard, but a very scientific and well-thought-out transition. The Sun is moving, time is passing, and clarity is being attained.

The 6 of Swords (Mercury in Aquarius) ultimately speaks to using ingenuity and invention to achieve success and navigate complexity. It is the power of the intelligent mind, balanced by harmony, to bridge distances and make connections to the unknown—truly a scientific feat.

7 of Swords: Moon in Aquarius: ☽ in ♒︎ : Deception + Self-Deception + Shrewdness

The third Aquarian Decan spans 21° to 30° from 9 February to 18 February.

The Picatrix describes this Decan variously as “a beheaded man with an old woman in front of him” and “a small-headed man, dressed like a woman, with him an old man.” 

The dominant vibe of this decan is one of ugliness, bad reputation, and scandal.

The repeated reference across two of the three decans of Aquarius to a “beheaded man” and/or “small-headed man” is highly significant. The general consensus is that this lack of a strong, clear head signifies that your mind isn’t up to the task. Given that Aquarius is the sign of high intellect, rationality, and clear thinking, this repeated lack of mental clarity suggests a breakdown in the very foundation of the Sign’s core strength.

The old man or woman in the descriptions is likely a nod to Saturn, the traditional ruler of Aquarius.

The Moon is pure emotional energy—it represents our personality, intuition, satisfaction, and nurturing, feminine energies. It governs motherhood and our inner calling, but it also reflects our insecurities, anxieties, and fears. When this highly fluctuating, deeply feeling energy enters the realm of the intellectually free-thinking and rational Aquarius, the Moon feels extremely uneasy and perhaps even out of place.

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  2: The High Priestess

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  The High Priestess - Tarot de Marseilles

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  The High Priestess - Thoth Tarot

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In the Tarot, the Moon is connected with the Major Arcana card, The High Priestess. She embodies deep, silent contemplation, intuition, and the ability to find balance. She has access to secrets and esoteric knowledge. She is mysterious, powerful, and an initiator into the mysteries.

What’s fascinating is her placement on the Kabbalah Tree of Life: she connects Kether (the highest point) to Tiffereth (the sixth Sephiroth, associated with Christ consciousness, which we discussed with the 6 of Swords). She bridges this massive space, holding and concealing knowledge, making her beautifully powerful.

However, when this deep emotional power, this inner understanding, is placed in Aquarius, a sign that intellectualizes everything, the emotional waters get stirred up and often rationalized away.

Astrology: Moon in Aquarius: ☽ in ♒︎

The Oracle of the Radiant Sun titles this placement Independence. While the Moon’s keyword is Security, and Aquarius’s keywords are Principles and Humanity, their combination creates someone who desperately desires complete freedom of expression for their feelings. Remember, Mercury in Aquarius needed freedom for thoughts; Moon in Aquarius demands freedom for emotions.

A person with this placement needs the freedom to move, both physically and emotionally, as they please. This need for independence can make them very stubborn or even perverse if others become too clingy or try to get too close. Their emotions, friends, and moods can switch very quickly—the Moon is always waxing and waning, and the Aquarian air is quick to change direction.

The key struggle here is that feelings and emotions tend to be rationalized because the intellectual Aquarian energy makes them do that. They risk becoming endless overthinkers, trapped in a mental whirlwind. The core lesson is to let go of the need to rationalize their emotions and simply allow their feelings to express themselves.

Interestingly, while they have plenty of friends and enjoy constant contact with others, the bond is often more mental than with the heart. Friendships with women are often given more importance than friendships with men. They excel in group meetings for humanitarian causes. They bring original ideas. They often have a strong interest in astrology. This fluctuating, emotionally charged Moon meets the very rational and intellectually up-and-down energy of Aquarius, leading to a constant craving for independence.

The Number: 7

The energy of the number 7 itself adds complexity to this Decan. Seven is traditionally associated with luck, but also with creating a bridge from the limits of the material world to the spiritual world. It’s about deep introspection and inner conflicts. We see themes of:

• Exploring possibilities.
• Perseverance and negotiation.
• Big picture concerns.
• Secretiveness and material attachments.

When you layer the secretive, introspective nature of 7 onto the emotionally turbulent Moon and the rational Aquarius, we move into the realm of mental maneuverings—which leads us straight to the imagery of the 7 of Swords. When we look at the imagery of the 7 of Swords across different decks, we understand exactly how this unstable blend of Moon in Aquarius plays out—it’s full of uncertainty, trickery, and wasted effort.

Aquarius Decans III + Tarot: 7 of Swords: Moon in Aquarius: ☽ in ♒︎: Deception + Self-Deception + Shrewdness

The Marseille Tarot: Piercing the Comfort Zone

The Tarot de Marseille image shows us a direct push against stability. The previous six swords had created a comfortable, harmonious, enclosed space. But here comes the seventh sword, pushing sharply right through that comfortable zone to break it.

This imagery is all about determined and focused energy with a no-nonsense attitude. It’s doing what it takes to accomplish the goal, showing concentrated will. This speaks to the need to break past existing limitations, even if it means disrupting the harmony established by the 6. It’s about winning against an opponent where forces were roughly balanced—the sheer will of the 7 breaking through.

The Thoth Tarot: When Clarity Fails: Futility

The Thoth Tarot gives this card the keyword Futility, which is instantly intriguing and frankly, a little harsh. The image displays one large sword (representing the clear, organizing mind or intellect, symbolized by the Sun) being broken by six other swords that are attacking it.

These six attacking swords represent the shadow aspect energies of six different planets, all combining to impair the central clarity:

• Neptune brings illusion.
• Saturn brings stubbornness.
• Jupiter brings presumption.
• Mars brings destructive energy.
• Venus brings falseness.
• Mercury brings unscrupulousness.

All these negative forces are coming in to break down the central, clear thought process. The background, a pale blue, represents superficiality. This combination results in a devastating breakdown of integrity and intention: unexpected obstacles, self-deception, murky business deals, fraud, cheating, intrigue, dishonesty, cowardice, hypocrisy, and inconsistency. The wisdom here is a strong warning: don’t underestimate others and don’t be certain of victory. An unexpected attack will defeat you, rendering all your efforts wasted—it is, in a word, futile. It’s the Tarot’s equivalent of the famous Borg mantra: Resistance is Futile.

The Telos Tarot: Tricky Fey and Hidden Realms

The imagery in the Telos Tarot is complex, bringing together Saturn (the Ruler of Aquarius), Venus (the Ruler of the Number 7), and the energy of the Decan lord, the Moon.

We see the small-headed man (described in the Picatrix Decan description), dressed like a woman (the influence of Venus and Moon), standing behind the old man (Saturn). The small-headed man represents someone who needs to use his head to solve the trouble he is in, but who either is not feeling up to the task or is not making the appropriate effort. The book accompanying the deck notes that a cross-dressing man might not be useful in a fight, and while the old man offers wisdom, it’s unclear if the small-headed man will trust him. This highlights the unstable effort and fluctuating energy levels (thanks, Moon!).

In the sky, a fascinating 7-pointed figure appears. It combines the emblems of the Star (Aquarius) and the Rose (Venus), and it contains a sliver of the Moon. This figure is connected to the 56 Aubrey holes at Stonehenge, which mark the lunar cycles that influence this decan.

The 7-pointed stars are also known as Faery Stars and are associated with the notoriously tricky Fey. While 5-pointed stars (pentagrams) cover the four elements plus spirit or the four directions plus above, the 7-pointed stars expand this to include the points below and within—places normally hidden from view. This means dealing with these hidden realms, the in-between places of the Fey, requires extreme caution because they are known for tricking mortals.

The Telos message is stark: you face unreliability, are outmatched by opposition, and must beware of trickery and ensnarement. You must use shrewdness, cleverness, cunning, and craftiness to win against overwhelming obstacles. This is the energy of deceit and insincerity, driven by instability.

The Rider-Waite-Smith: The Underhanded Con

7 of Swords

Finally, we look at the RWS image, which captures the trickery and deception perfectly. We see the man running away after stealing swords from the tents. He looks quite pleased with himself, having been smart enough to wait until everyone was out of the way.

But wait—he’s not quite as smart as he thinks. He has an uneven load (three swords in one hand, two in the other), and he left two swords behind. He didn’t take everything. Perhaps he could only carry these swords, unless there was a twisted reason to leave the two swords behind? Additionally, he is holding the swords by their sharp blades. He’s going to hurt himself in the process of carrying out this theft.

This Rider-Waite-Smith card imagery perfectly summarizes the Moon in Aquarius: the smartness and wit of Aquarius are being used in all the wrong directions. The confusing Moon energy makes the effort inconsistent, leading to self-deception and deception of others.

The interpretations here include cheating, stealing, theft, addiction, the con man, the cheater, political maneuverings, and manipulation. It is the archetype of someone doing something underhanded but ultimately failing to use their head completely, guaranteeing instability and potential self-defeat.

Aquarius Decans + Tarot: The Supporting Cards

Supporting our cards through the Decans of Aquarius are the Ace of Swords and the Page of Swords. Additionally, the Knight of Swords supports the first two Decans: 5 of Swords (Venus in Aquarius) and 6 of Swords (Mercury in Aquarius). The third decan, 7 of Swords (Moon in Aquarius) is supported by the King of Cups.

The Ace of Swords: The Root of the Powers of Air

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  Ace of Swords

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At the very root of this entire suit, the Ace of Swords stands as the ultimate, unadulterated power of the element of Air. It embodies the essence of pure, clear, and logical thinking. This is the powerful, big sword that has the inherent ability to cut through the bullshit. It provides the kind of intellectual clarity required to see the absolute truth. It represents the force of reason itself—a sharp mind capable of objective insight.

The Ace of Swords represents the basis and potential for all the Aquarius decans: the potential for rational objectivity, for humanitarian ideals, and for the kind of clear, unbiased thought that Aquarius prizes. Without this foundational power, the complexity of the 5, 6, and 7 of Swords wouldn’t even be possible. It is the beginning of the journey toward mental mastery.

The Page of Swords: Earth of Air: 🜃 of 🜁

The Page of Swords, a.k.a. the Princess of Swords embodies the energy of Earth of Air. This card represents the youngest, most nascent form of the sword person. This energy is defined by an inherent hesitation. The young person attempts to use this powerful Air energy for the first time. The Page might have too many ideas, or perhaps all kinds of ideas, that are “going all over the place,” resulting in scattered focus. This flurry of unorganized thought can sometimes lead to the creation of conflicts, as the Page navigates the sharpness of the Swords energy without the wisdom of the King or the focus of the Knight.

However, the Page also brings a remarkable strength in its very naivety. This is the courage to confront old patterns and look them straight in the eye. This Earth of Air is capable of battling the illusions that might hold back the more seasoned intellects. Ultimately, this young energy deeply desires clarity—the clarity that the Aquarius decans seek in their pursuit of the perfect, utopian world.

The Knight of Swords: Air of Air: 🜁 of 🜁

The Knight of Swords, or the Prince of Swords, steps forward as the direct intellectual support for the first two Decans: the 5 of Swords (Venus in Aquarius) and the 6 of Swords (Mercury in Aquarius). His energy encapsulates the very essence of the Air element in motion—the Air of Air. This Knight is intrinsically motivated by intellect. He is headstrong, sharp, witty, and incredibly smart. His support links directly to the conflict of the 5 of Swords and the harmony of the 6 of Swords. He is the figure rushing into the battle, motivated by the logic of the situation, prepared for either defeat or victory. The Knight’s zeal is his defining feature. He is articulate and very intelligent, driven by a powerful internal engine.

The speed of the Knight is legendary, reflecting the swiftness of Aquarius’s thoughts. The metaphor here is that his horse might not even be able to match the speed of his thoughts! While he is capable of great speed and logic, the Knight still needs conceptual clarity—but here’s the good news—he is absolutely capable of figuring it out. He charges forward, ready to apply the very logic and scientific principles we saw articulated in the 6 of Swords.

The King of Cups: Fire of Air: 🜂 of 🜁

The final supporting card for the third Aquarius Decan brings us a fascinating and contradictory element: the King of Cups. This King steps in to support the often confusing and volatile energy of the final decan, the 7 of Swords (Moon in Aquarius).

This King is the King of Water, and specifically, he is the elemental combination of Fire of Water. As you can imagine, Fire and Water are contradictory elements. This contradiction is highly relevant, as the King of Cups represents a person able to manage and control his emotions, feelings, and creativity in a masterful way. He is graceful and imaginative. He is emotionally invested in all that he does.

However, the reason he is an interesting supporter of the 7 of Swords is that this King carries a shadow aspect that perfectly mirrors the 7’s energy of trickery, deceit, and futility. This King can be quite the Escapist. He has the power to create illusions and deceptions, both for himself and for others.

When we remember that the 7 of Swords deals with con men, manipulation, political maneuvering, and outright theft, the King of Cups provides the sophisticated, emotionally controlled front that enables such shadowy behavior. The 7 of Swords requires cunning and craftiness, and the King of Cups, with his mastery over the emotional realm, certainly has the grace and emotional intelligence to be an incredibly effective trickster, if he chooses to use his power in that manner. We will see this King again in the next two cards of the suit, the 8 and 9 of Cups, as we continue our journey.

Aquarius Decans: Intelligent Patterns of Collective Philosophy

Our journey through the 3 Aquarian Decans has led us to face challenges, engage in intellectual exploration, and master the nuances of trickery within the realm of airy Aquarius. 

In our first Aquarius Decan (Venus in Aquarius), we explore the energetic interplay through the imagery of the 5 of Swords. Here, the peace-loving nature of Venus collides with the chaotic energy of the number five and the cold intellect of Aquarius, resulting in themes of defeat and detachment. Venus is forced to accept defeat and reframe it as a compromise. 

In our second Aquarius Decan (Mercury in Aquarius), we experience the compatible, air-on-air energy of Mercury and Aquarius in the imagery of the 6 of Swords. Mercury’s quick intellect, combined with Aquarius’s inventive mind, gives us the keyword science or originality. This decan speaks of ingenuity, invention, problem-solving, and navigation using your knowledge and wits—a very scientific, calculated approach to figuring out every aspect of life. 

In the third Aquarius Decan (Moon in Aquarius), we deal with the Moon’s fluctuating emotions within the rational, free-thinking Aquarius, resulting in an uneasy energy depicted in the imagery of the 7 of Swords. This combination centers on independence but often manifests as futility, involving unstable effort, cunning, deceit, and trickery from hidden realms. 

This exploration of the 5, 6, and 7 of Swords offers deep insights into how high ideals meet cold reality.

📸 The Infographic + ⬇️ The Download

Aquarius Decans I: Venus in Aquarius: ♀ in ♒︎: Defeat + Strife + Breakthrough – 5 of Swords

Aquarius Decans II: Mercury in Aquarius: ☿ in ♒︎: Scientific Clarity + Ingenious Inventions – 6 of Swords

Aquarius Decans III: Moon in Aquarius: ☽ in ♒︎ : Deception + Self-Deception + Shrewdness – 7 of Swords