All photos, courtesy the Author

Indigenous wisdom teaches us, “Water is life.” Disconnected as the Western, colonizing mind and way of life has become from our own indigenous origins, we may know this theoretically, but most of us don’t feel it in our bones. Many of us don’t know even where our water comes from, other than out of the tap. For decades, seduced by the consumerist machine, individuals and organizations have resorted to buying water in plastic bottles, whether for convenience, or in believing something sold on the shelf is ‘better.’

Of course when we think about it, we know how fundamental the element of water is to our very being. The majority of the earth is covered by it, and our own bodies are 60-70% water. We can go without food for many days, but not without water.  Water is the element of our very emergence, whether of Life on this planet, or as a fetus in our mother’s womb.

For we humans, water arises with both sorrows and joys—tears flow from our eyes and water is splashed on our faces as part of life’s initiatory experiences of grief and baptism. Beyond the personal, water is of course essential to the health of ecosystems the world over—the most precious natural resource of them all. It is also what makes the first striking color image of the Earth viewed from space, issued in the late 1960s, so wondrous to behold, ‘anointed’ as it is by its seas of blue. We simply can’t deny the primacy of water.

Sucked dry

Yet modern industrialized culture has tried, for far too long. It has done so literally, by commodifying water, and hoarding and overusing the precious resource in industry (most acutely for beef production), and carelessly polluting our waterways and oceans; and it has done so figuratively, in how it has sucked dry the essential soul-sustenance that water signifies from our modern ways of life.

At this moment, we are as if in a ‘great reckoning,’ with both political and environmental crises heating up with increasing frenzy. Meanwhile, the ravages of water have become ever more present in the news cycle, with “atmospheric rivers” the new normal for rainstorms, and catastrophic flooding now a regular occurrence. In a recent webinar, a climate scientist used the term “hydro climate whiplash” to describe the extremes we keep seeing in many regions, of excessive rains followed by intense heat and drought, leading to mega fires, such as struck LA this winter. As suggested 43 years ago in the film classic, Koyaanisqatsi, the beloved Earth is screaming, Life Out of Balance!

So we know the problem. But what can water, as significator of soul, do to help humanity reverse its out-of-whack trajectory? How might it help nourish and fortify us such that we can better face what lies ahead? Metaphysically speaking, taking up the mantle of the water element is the work of transformation, asking that we connect to the unconscious, within which lie the Source waters of life.

It is only transformed and healed individuals who can truly succeed at healing an ailing society. And this process requires that we allow in, and explore, the hidden depths.

Tend and nurture

My particular lens on water is informed not just by my life-long love of nature and the elements, but as well by my work as a depth psychological astrologer. My writings, practice, and teachings aim to ‘normalize’ the astrological perspective for a lay audience by linking the cycles of the planets to the Earth’s cycles and elements, as well to the cycles of life in human culture. And as someone ever seeking the depths of experience, whether through dream work, music, a Sufi meditation path, creativity, or service, I find water to be the Way, astrologically and literally, to healing and transforming.

In my brief—and happily former—online dating forays, when asked the question, What could you not live without? or What are your favorite things?, water and music were always tops. Whether it’s the soothing sound of running water, being beside water in the majestic kingdom of nature, swimming or being immersed in water, or being relaxed by water falling gently on or around my body, I find water the greatest natural balm and blessing.

Astrologically, each of the 12 zodiacal signs are associated with one of the four elements, with the three water signs signifying strong feelings, sensitivity, and a capacity for self-reflection. It follows that water energy is known for its depth of understanding, and its compassion.

The first water sign, Cancer, bears the capacity to tend and nurture—these being the qualities of the Mother (which the Cancer archetype signifies), She who nourishes and fosters new life, whether human, or ecological. The Greek Goddess, Demeter, who presided over the proper tending of the crops, is associated with the Cancer archetype.

Watching the decline of public and political culture over the past decades—alongside the devaluing of the Earth, her creatures, her systems, and her resources—I have felt more and more the critical need for a renaissance of this Cancer archetype, of a way of being in our organizations, public platforms, and communities that is founded in care, tending, and respect—one in which people treat each other, and the natural world, with kindness and receptivity. In other words, we need more water here!

Flow and contain

The water element partakes of the Divine Feminine, both astrologically and alchemically. In the psychology of alchemy, one strives towards a perfect balance between the elements within an individual. The alchemical term for water processes, solutio, means “transformation by water.” Depth psychologist, astrologer, and author, Safron Rossi, discussing solutio, suggests, “Not until emotion has been allowed to permeate is one to act.” She quotes the alchemical rule: “Perform no operation until all has become water.” Water, of course, is the great dissolver. What this means is that water must have its way—life cannot operate successfully when water’s flow, or our human emotions, are impeded. Flow, sometimes to the point of dissolution, such as in death, precedes birth. Death and transformation (the key phrase for the Scorpio archetype) are the way to healing.

To me this points to the importance of letting go and feeling our grief, particularly in times of acute loss and sorrow, such as ours. As it is said, we water the earth with our tears: it is good for all to release them, it is a sign of how much we love and have loved.

Grief is cleansing, and healing, as shaman and author Martin Prechtel has taught. We have much to grieve in this time of losses big and small, many tears with which to water the earth.

Yet, as with all things, there is a paradox. Because water, for the furtherance of life, must at times be contained in some way, much as the smart beavers know with their technology of dams, now being imitated by caring humans (there are some!) looking to restore riverscape health. Likewise, without the banks of a river or canal, flooding occurs, and water cannot be transported to those who need it. There is clearly a function for the containment and bounding of water, so it doesn’t get wasted, or dissipated.

So in one sense, water needs to be left alone, allowed to flow freely, meander and then linger, such as in the essential wetlands at our ecosystems’ edges, where organisms develop that are crucial to the food web, and where carbon is stored. As reflectors of this watery absorption process, we ourselves need to allow our emotions to pass slowly through our systems before acting on them, difficult as the work may seem. Also, we need to work to contain our deepest, out-of-control emotions, not to let them overwhelm or incapacitate us. There is a balance to achieve when working with water, as with all things – not too little, but not too much.

Certain types of psychological work help teach us the ‘containment’ process. Meditation practice is another method, whether used as a spiritual or psychological praxis. Regular gathering in small groups such as in Listening Circles, whose intent is to mutually hold a focus on inner light and wisdom, is another way to create a safe space for accessing the spiritual depths, or ‘source’, in a way that goes beyond the psychological. All of these are disciplines of a sort that help us both hold and navigate with our source waters.

There are various types of Listening Circles, but for many years I served as a facilitator for women’s Listening Circles that focus on calling forth the inner wisdom of the heart, whether for women facing homelessness—with the circles offered at a day shelter, or for women financially stable and housed. In this work I have noticed the healing process that touches all involved when we sit together in meditation (even if for just 5 minutes), engage in inner-focused discussion, and sometimes share dreams, or write from the heart. The experience is as if drawing up sacred water from a well. All are nourished and renewed with the magic that bubbles from within, renewed to face the trials of outer life.

Dissolve, deepen, and nourish

Since 2023, the astrological ‘weather’ has involved the planet Saturn abiding with the waters of Pisces, the last of the water signs. Saturn informs our societal systems and structures, as well as our own disciplines for staying grounded and responsible.

This 2-year phase has seen a slow dissolution of many of our culture’s predominant structures, while offering a personal call to get serious about our inner life, creative practices, and aspirations. We’ve been asked as well to let go and surrender aspects of ourselves that no longer serve others or ourselves.

Not yet done with this mighty project of dissolving ossified systems, however, when Saturn heads into Aries in late May, it meets again the water archetype in the form of Neptune (the planetary ruler of Pisces), with whom it will be in and out of conjunction (close juxtaposition) until mid-2026. Which is to say, Saturn will still be very much engaged with containing and channeling the power of water, or dissolving under its overwhelm, for some time.

A dysfunctional version of Saturn in Pisces shows up as the erosion and breakdown of systems and trusted leadership, a loss of moral standards, disorientation, depravity, and…pretty much everything else we’re seeing from the reigning powers that be. One could say that in the extremes of today’s sociopolitical landscape, there is a breakdown due both to an excess of watery delusion and illusion (both of which are Piscean qualities), and an extreme lack of water.

The lack is evident in the old-school, (mostly male) authoritarian rulers, desperate to hold on to money, power, and control through obsolete hierarchical systems, determinedly squeezing all the water they can out of society, manifesting as a disrespect for women, children, the poor and marginalized, and the Earth, evoking an absence of Feminine compassion, deep listening, and spaciousness. We also may see this lack, sadly, within ourselves, in our attitude towards ourselves and even our loved ones, which may lack compassion, kindness, and softness.

In its highest potential, the influence on our human lives under Saturn in Pisces, and soon, with Saturn conjunct Neptune, inspires us to inwardly deepen into our own spiritual and creative work, the gentle tending of our own hearts, and the nourishing of our aspirations with discipline and resolve. And if we feel so called, it could be a time to outwardly participate in fostering systems and structures that reflect the Feminine values of wisdom, compassion and care, and include an understanding of the interconnectedness of all Life. We may not be seeing this much in the news these days!, but lasting change begins locally, and inwardly, and spreads…like water.

Percolate and flow

Trapped in the web of Time and Doing, few are those among us who regularly sit, not just to meditate (although that’s always good!) but as well to contemplate and absorb the feelings and sensations coursing through us on a daily basis, allowing them to be consciously absorbed in our bodies and beings, as water percolates through soil. My Qi Gong teacher regularly asks that we stand in simple stillness—allowing, metabolizing, listening with all the senses, in order to receive what’s here. Personally, the more I discipline myself to stem the mind’s patter and be present with the body, and in my environs, taking in what’s present, the more I find small miracles and wonders emerging from the ordinary round. Like dew on a leaf.

It’s admittedly a challenge to make the time for the seeming luxury of inner reflection. The accelerating pace and demands of outer life, along with the spiritual dryness of the time, running concurrent with the worldwide increase of heat and drought, all reflect the eroding fabric of society and its institutions. All the more reason to stem the tide, and carve out time for watery stillness—as if inwardly fishing at river’s edge. Not only does contemplation help us access other levels of knowing within ourselves, but the peace it brings nourishes the psyche. Without this, unprocessed psychic disturbances (aka unacknowledged feelings and emotions) get pushed to the unconscious, from where, unexpressed, they can seep out as illnesses and addictive coping patterns such as drug and alcohol abuse, which are typically assigned to the Pisces/Neptune archetype.

The water sign Scorpio is known for its capacity to merge with ‘other’, much as water yieldingly merges or joins with what it encounters. Scorpio receptivity also facilitates access to shamanic powers—of actually taking on other forms, aka shape-shifting, and sensing into realities beyond that of the material plane, and thereby effecting physical healing.

This potent archetype inclines towards engagement with the emotional depths, aided by a great capacity to endure and persevere through suffering. As such, Scorpio has a penchant to ‘drill down’, to access and free energy that has been frozen within when coping with early trauma and loss. Those who dance with Scorpio are often called to transformative inner work, sometimes through expression of the soul’s passions in visceral ways, such as through music and dance, in order to get the Source waters moving within.

Ripple and create

While water as stillness in the form of a lake can appear cool and placid on a windless day, in its sensitivity, it readily transmits ripples in response to the wind, or a cast pebble. Likewise, water responds to our very emotions and intentions, as revealed by Japanese scientist, Masuru Emoto in the late 90s. His photographs of the changes that water molecules undergo when influenced by consciously directed feelings and words echo the way that we ourselves can alter reality via our own l consciousness, and thoughts. Today there is even a brand of water on the market infused with positive intentions, taking bottled water to new levels! Creativity knows no bounds, even in the marketplace.

Being associated with the depths of soul or psyche, sensitive water energy is best handled with gentleness and attentiveness, as its manifestations if unbounded can tend towards mental health disturbances, like depression. In our current astrological time, however, Saturn, with its penchant towards discipline and boundary-holding, in the sign of Pisces and soon juxtaposed to Neptune, can help fortify our determination to both access the flow of our Source waters, and contain them. It is a ripe time for working skillfully with the blessings of the ways of water.

Perhaps most importantly, at the spiritual level, water’s potency is linked with the imaginal plane of existence, which rests behind, and thereby influences, worldly matters. Of this realm, mystic, priest and writer, Cynthia Bourgeault writes,

The imaginal is a meeting ground, a kind of cosmic intertidal zone—and as in all intertidal zones nourishment and metamorphosis furnish the principal order of business here. In this realm the fruits of our human striving—both conscious and unconscious—are offered up to the whole.  From this realm, in turn, we receive blessing, inspiration, guidance, and vivifying force, which are ours to share and bestow here below. Like a Sufi dervish, we receive and bestow, receive and bestow, as we turn and are turned within the greater cosmic dance.[1]

The gift of the creative imagination, which has greatest access to this ‘intertidal zone,’ is linked with Pisces, the archetype that bears the capacity to dream and imagine itself beyond and through the veils of the material plane, into higher planes and ways of knowing, at the level of the Ideal. The imagination is also the domain of the musician, the filmmaker, the storyteller, and the prophet, each of whom bring down from elsewhere the images and sentiments that serve as seeds for new life.

Join and flow with change

However harnessed, the soul-sourced imagination has the power to seed the changes we are praying and working for in this time of Great Transition. Each of us can facilitate this by holding in our hearts, minds, and communications the qualities and aspects of the Feminine that we wish to see flourish. We can open ourselves as vehicles for change, practicing making ourselves more like water: allowing, accepting, and adapting to whatever life brings, learning to flow with, rather than resist the changes that lay ahead.

In our interconnected universe, all that we do and think influences the whole. As many individual droplets of water continually flowing can in time, water a garden, so can we, through the careful holding and offering from our own sacred waters, grow the garden of a Life that serves the whole, with joy and communion.

[1] Eye of the Heart: A Spiritual Journey into the Imaginal Realm, p. 16, by Cynthia Bourgeault

Return to the table-of-contents for this Issue, What Water Can Teach Us