The Sports Astrologer - Ken Hopkins

Spiritual Astrology

The United States and the Aquarian Mystique

By Ken Hopkins, The Sports Astrologer

The United States and the Aquarian Mystique

By Ken Hopkins, The Sports Astrologer

Aquarians(those born January 20-February 19 most years) have an uncanny knack of showing up in somebody’s hall of fame for being the first, the greatest, or doing it longer or the most times in their respective profession or passion. Every Aquarian mentioned in the article to follow was either born or achieved much of their recognition and success in the good ’ole USA which happens to have an Aquarian moon at the time of the Declaration of Independence. Aquarian co-rulers Saturn and Uranus were also strong players at the July 4, 1776 planetary dance.

In astrology, the sign Aquarius is ruled by the planets Saturn and Uranus. Aquarius is often called “The Water Bearer” although it is a member of the air element in astrology. Perhaps because the next sign in progression is Pisces, a water sign, therefore Aquarius figuratively “brings or bears” water on an annual basis. Aquarius is characterized as inventive, intellectual, independent, freedom-loving, altruistic, and sometimes rebellious, especially when it comes to routine and the status-quo. When we get to the sports portion of this writing, you’ll see just how rebellious and nonconforming this energy is on playing fields, greens, courts and rinks of the USA.

Now just who are these Aquarians who have entertained us and enriched our lives?

How about the best and perhaps most-loved standup comedian who did it longer and better than anyone else, George Burns(1-20-1896)? When talkie movies came along no one was more successful with irreverence than W.C. Fields(1-29-1880), or when it came to capturing Americana on canvas, no one did it any better than Norman Rockwell(2-3-1894). Or the howlingest act of all in rock n’ roll, Wolfman Jack(1-21-39). Then there was the first rock star who made it big by changing his name to Alice (Cooper 2-4-48).

In literature, Charles Dickens(2-17-1820) is remembered every Christmas in the name of Scrooge, who was probably an un-evolved Capricorn and his three-ghost holiday transformation. Now who else? Oh yes! A light bulb just came on...Thomas Edison(2-11-1847) the inventor of many things electrical. If it hadn’t been for him we may have never heard of rap. (Tom, maybe you’d better come back in a time machine and re-think this phonograph business.)

Aquarius has provided us with the first solo trans-Atlantic flight in name of Charles Lindberg(2-4-02). Charles certainly had the right stuff as did the first man to break the sound barrier, Chuck Yeager(2-13-23). (note—many rap artists have broken the sound barrier since, most often in cars driven in populated areas—Thomas, are you listening?) And speaking of take-offs, how about the great Water Bearer, Gypsy Rose Lee(2-9-14), who “bared” more than water. I’ll drink to that!.

The television industry has had some great Aquarians entertain us such as the most famous penny-pincher of all time, Jack Benny(2-14-1894), who made his mark playing an overly-frugal neighboring sign of Capricorn. Then we have the TV talk show host holding the record for most diets, Oprah Winfrey(1-29-54) and when we hear the word “beamer” these days many times it refers to a luxury car but Star Trek’s Aquarian representative, Scotty(DeForest Kelly 1-20-20) showed us the ultimate form of “transportation”. The Aquarius energy is known for originality and Ted Mack(2-12-04) wore that trait in the show title of “The Original Amateur Hour”. Jerry Springer(2-13-44) requires no comment, we’ll just throw a chair instead.

Now let’s take a look at the Aquarian energy as it has manifested in sports. Since most of us are on the net,, we’ll start with the other net’s biggest brat, John McEnroe(2-16-59) who thrilled tennis umpires to no end during his professional career. While John was being brash, America fell in love with Mary Lou Retton(1-24-68) during the 1984 Olympics. Mary Lou catapulted to international fame at the Games in Los Angeles, becoming the first American woman ever to win the Gold Medal in the All-Around in women’s gymnastics. It took an Aquarian to break the stronghold of top finishes by lady gymnasts behind the Iron Curtain.

Golf has also had wonderful Aquarian influences. The men’s tour had the Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus(1-21-40), the best the PGA had to offer over a decade before an Australian shark, Greg Norman(2-10-55), started circling the greens. The lady’s tour wouldn’t be what it is now without Aquarians. There are two water bearers of the 19 current hall members. One of them is one of its four founding members, Patti Berg(2-13-18). Patti, a Marine Corp officer during WWII, had several firstson the LPGA Tour. She was the first woman to score a hole-in-one during USGA competition in 1959 and the first woman to play an exhibition golf match in Japan. She kept her playing touch intact as she recorded a hole-in-one in 1991 at the age of 73. The other fame member is Mickey Wright(2-14-35) who was voted the female golfer of the century by the Associated Press.

Basketball has sported a couple of great big men in the names of perhaps the best defensive center to ever play the game in Bill Russell(2-12-34) and then came Akeem “The Dream” Olajuwon(1-21-63). We must also include arguably the best of them all, Michael Jordan(2-17-63).

Take away the Aquarian players in Major League Baseball and history would have to be rewritten in wholesale fashion. The two top homerun hitters without a steroid cloud over their heads celebrated their birthdays just a day apart in February, Hank Aaron(2-5-34) and Babe Ruth(2-6-95). Chicago would have to find a new Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks(1-31-31) and when strikeout king, Nolan Ryan(1-31-47) was having his diapers changed, Jackie Robinson(1-31-19) was breaking baseball’s racial barrier in 1947.

We would never have heard the game of baseball the same way either as broadcasters Red Barber(2-17-08), Mel Allen(2-14-13) and Joe Garagiola(2-12-26) were Aquarian-born. Where Bob Uecker(1-26-35) fits in the final summation, we’ll to look in the last row.

Pro football has benefited greatly from Aquarian energy. We’ll start with Papa Bear himself, George Halas(2-2-1985)who did much to shape the formative years of the National Football League. Arguably the best defensive lineman of all time, Lawrence Taylor(2-4-54) was simply devastating(just ask Joe Theiseman). The offensive side of the ball had Jim Brown(2-17-36) running through defenses for a fantastic yards-per-carry average. Then there are the quarterbacks. If a team desires to get to the Super Bowl, an Aquarian to hand the ball off and throw passes has often done the trick. Starting with Super Bowl V, there were nine consecutive Super games with at least one Aquarian as the starting signal caller! There have been eight different quarterbacks with Aquarian sun signs, several more than any other sign. Of all the different QBs that have taken Super snaps, only Aquarians have shared birthdays. Bob Griese(2-3-45) and Fran Tarkenton(2-3-40), Craig Morton(2-5-43) and Roger Staubach(2-5-42). While Kenny Anderson(2-15-49) had his day to himself, the hat trick goes to February 14th! Jim Kelly(2-14-50), Drew Bledsoe(2-14-72) and Steve McNair(2-14-73), the last three Aquarians to play in the Super Bowl. Aquarians have only one Super victory and that was when we had two facing each other. With Kelly, Bledsoe and McNair going a combined 0-6 in the win column, a new definition of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre has been made on the gridiron!

Oh yes, lets not forget hockey. We’ll advance just one name and that is the Great One, Wayne Gretsky(1-26-61).

The sign of freedom has done fantastic things in the land of freedom. There are many more Aquarians not mentioned that have left a a tremendous legacy. But it’s time to end with a quote fom that famous Russian-American philosopher, Yakov Smirnoff(1-24-51), “What a Country!”

In astrology, the sign Aquarius is ruled by the planets Saturn and Uranus. Aquarius is often called “The Water Bearer” even though it is a member of the air element in astrology. Some astrology fans have said it’s because the next sign is Pisces, a water sign, therefore Aquarius figuratively “brings or bears” water on an annual basis. I have a different take on the water bearer. If you were to go back to Genesis in the first chapter there is a lot of attention to waters. We’re probably not speaking of the H2O kind of waters. Symbolically if you equate waters to a spiritual substance or vibration the term water bearer begins to take on a new significance.

Aquarius in traditional astrology is characterized as inventive, intellectual, independent, freedom-loving, altruistic, and sometimes rebellious, especially when it comes to routine and the status-quo. Each sign is blessed with a key phrase that with meditation, can give great insights to the sign and it’s meaning and its power.

The key phrase for Aquarius is “I Know”. Aquarius is a vibration in it’s purest form, Christ Consciousness, Knowing at it’s best. All-Knowing equates to truth and when we overlay the Course in Miracles over Aquarius and the other 11 signs we have the knowing that Love is all there is. We thank those born during the vibration of Aquarius for their contribution to truth and may Aquarians and all others experience the spiritual waters of our Creator as we all remove the layers of illusion that separate us from our loving Source. As we move into a new age...may it become a timeless “knowing” and if we remove the letter k from the word know, we have “now” which is all we have. Welcome to the new age… the now of Knowing. Kind of reminds me of the Chicago song “Does Anyone Really Know What Time it is?”

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