Let the sunshine in: How to do Aquarius season in Brooklyn

By Paula Henderson

On Friday, the Sun entered the fixed air sign of the zodiac, Aquarius. Saturday brought us a new moon in Aquarius. While there’s much debate among astrologers as to when the Age of Aquarius begins, most agree that regardless of the different calculations which would give us an exact jump off, we are close — within a margin of 100 years. That said, all of us in the collective Brooklyn Magazine family are certainly experiencing the dawning of the Age of Aquarius, and many will be familiar with the groovy 1968 song from the musical “Hair,” which at the time of its release very accurately encapsulated a lot of the qualities attributed to the 11th sign of the zodiac. Plus nudity.

Aquarius is said to represent innovation, freedom, rebellion, unconventionality, ideas, science, the future, knowledge, communities, friendship, teams, teamwork, and clubs. This is just a small sampling of the more well known Aquarian characteristics, according to Rex E. Bills, who wrote “The Rulership Book,” a compendium of astrological cross-references. Aquarius also represents aeronautics, altruism, activism, the internet, electricity and electronics, outer space, free thinkers, idealists, humanitarians, universal consciousness, and uh, the House of Representatives.

Considering the multitude of Aquarian attributes and dominions, here’s how to make the most of Aquarius season in Brooklyn.

Brooklyn in the House
Engaged Brooklynites may wish this Aquarius season to attend the Community Inauguration Ceremony of Brooklyn native Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, our Minority House Speaker at Brooklyn Technical High School at 3 p.m., January 24. In true Aquarian age style, this event is of course also streamable.

Space is the place
If politics isn’t your bag and you resonate at more of a “Space is the Place” vibration, Aquarius Season brings us another precious opportunity to behold a live performance by the 98-year-old sequin-bedecked director of The Sun Ra Arkestra, Marshall Allen (pictured above), who leads the New York City All Stars on alto sax and EVI at Shift, 411 Kent Avenue. As a platform for experimental sound and music performance, Shift is a community venue which is Aquarian by nature. The premises is also home to Blur Coffee, and Supplemental Space, a pop up record store specializing in out-of-the-box genres, courtesy of The Record Grouch.

Schools of rock
Then there’s Willie Mae Rock Camp, a destination for Brooklyn kids for a couple of decades. Recent years have seen Willie Mae expand their offerings to include access to a full suite of music technology and electronic instruments. Educational programs are offered at the Creative Sound Labs on President Street and with partner schools through free Digital Mentorship using STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Music) based music curriculum. To learn about upcoming youth programs and community events for people of all ages, you can sign up for the Willie Mae newsletter at their website.

Aquarius rules broadcasting and The Lot Radio in Greenpoint has been streaming live DJ sets 24/7 from their shipping container home base on Nassau Avenue since 2015,. One of the longest running presenters on The Lot is Brooklyn/Tokyo-based triple Aquarian Takuya Nakamura. Tak is an innovative multi-instrumentalist composer and improviser who will be spinning cosmic jazz and electronica recordings and playing along dubwise on trumpet and on The Lot on February 6 from 6 to 8 p.m. Check his website for links to his intimate salon gatherings and improvised music nights in his Brooklyn studio.

Put down your phone
Sci-fi fans may enjoy a trip to the theater for the whole family this Aquarius season. “The Machine Stops,” a new play adapted and directed by Kevin Ray and based on the prophetic 1909 science fiction story by E.M. Forster, in which the future human race lives in isolated units and only communicates via screen, is a multimedia production incorporating live acting, puppetry and video projections. Performances run from January 27 through February 5 at The Mark O’Donnell Theater at the Entertainment Community Fund Arts Center at 160 Schermerhorn Street.

And come say hi
And because Aquarius also rules astrology, I’ll be kicking off a series of astrology gatherings at New Women Space a community event space in East Williamsburg whose core values align with the very Aquarian notions of freedom of self expression and who present a wide variety of radical programming on their event calendar including a socks knitting class, a Galentine’s Day pussy plate party, a puff and paint group, and a shop black pop-up. My event, Full Moon Afternoon will coincide with the Full Moon in Leo on the afternoon of Sunday February 5 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. This is an open astrology hang in which we’ll talk about your charts and what this Aquarius season and its accompanying Leo full moon means for you.

If you can’t make the in person hang but have questions about Aquarius season, please email me here at the Brooklyn Magazine mail-bag. I’ll answer your questions in an IG story.