In this labor, Eurystheus tasks Hercules with cleaning King Augeas’s stables. The stables housed the immortal cattle of the king and they had not been cleaned our for thirty years. The filth, stench, and pestilence arising from the stables were sweeping through the land and causing illness. The task requires that Hercules complete the job in a single day.
As he approached the realm where the stables were, Hercules was overwhelmed by the foul odor emanating from the stables.

He sought out King Augeas and informed him that he would clean out the stables, but the king did not believe that Hercules could complete the task in a single day. He promised Hercules one-tenth of his herd if he was successful, so Hercules agrees and set about his labor.

As he assessed the area around the stables, Hercules observed two rivers, and a solution to the challenge came to him. He toiled, and with great effort, he redirected the course of both rivers so that they would flow directly at the stables. As the waters began to flow, they surged through the stables, and the accumulated filth and debris swiftly washed away. So, as promised, Hercules performed the task in a single day.
King Augeas thought that Hercules had cheated on the task. He refused to honor his part of the agreement and banished Hercules from his kingdom, keeping all of his cattle.

Horses board in stables, and the horse is symbolic of the mind and thoughts. The stables in this myth are foul and filthy, signifying the pollution of society and the collective consciousness of humanity with unhealthy thought patterns. Humanity requires a mental house-cleaning, and it’s Hercules’s task to take on the collective filth of the collective’s mental sphere.

Rivers symbolize vitality, life, and renewal. New soil and nutrients are brought to the land when rivers flood valleys. As the two rivers wash away the stagnant and foul refuse of the collected negative thoughts, the rushing, clean, and fresh water provides fresh soil, hydration, and nutrients to nurture new thoughtforms.

Through this dramatic cleansing, humanity can awaken to the new and collective ideas initiated through the incoming Aquarian age (inclusiveness, community, and radical new ways of living).

King Augeas agreed to transfer one-tenth of his heard to Hercules upon completion of his task. These horses (the mind and thought forms) would have been turned over to Hercules, or the soul. He refuses to fulfill his promise and banishes Hercules from his kingdom. Thoughts, therefore, remain in the realm of the personality requiring constant attention and purification.

Aquarius is a fixed air sign ruled traditionally by Uranus and spiritually by Jupiter. Service is a central theme for the Aquarian, and their duty and commitment to their area of chosen service can be powerful and transformative. The Aquarian attraction to group work often manifests around issues related to politics, collective concerns, or social rights. The personality in Aquarius (as an air sign) can focus on the emotional and intellectual interest around these issues, so the personality is more likely to be driven by self-interest. Their group activity has a personal impact for them individually. They may, however, lose themselves to the interest of the group.

Blind faith and utter devotion are danger points for the spiritually immature Aquarian. Investing passions for a cause, whatever that cause is, is a critical check-point for the Aquarian. They can lose themselves to the group identity. So it is at this point where the awakened personality can establish a balance between their individual needs and heed the inner voice calling for the collective.

The Aquarian native can look to the energy of its opposite sign, Leo, to support the spiritually them in finding a place of inner personal authority and identity. When done well, they will begin to act on behalf of the group mindfully and with intention, rather than with unreasoned following.

The spiritually mature Aquarian will have the capacity to hold an energy of love and service for those in need. Their work will arise from a place of sincere and heartfelt love. This love has the power to transform and change lives.