Top Books for Unmasking in the Age of Aquarius

We've collectively realized the revolution we needed was rest.

Chelsia Potts

Dec 22, 2024

In this post, we will discuss

🎭 What unmasking is and why it is critical to well-being.

♒ How Pluto in Aquarius supports unmasking.

📚 Book recommendations for unmasking and recovering from burnout.

What is Unmasking?

Unmasking is a popular term in the autism community to describe the process of reducing the need to mask autistic traits. However, for me, unmasking goes deeper than that because I was always masking more than autism. I was taught to mask my blackness, hide my feminity, and adjust my tone as a means of survival— my autism diagnosis was icing on my oppression cupcake.

Unmasking provides safety for your inner child, the ability to know yourself beyond what society deems valuable, radical self-acceptance, and the opportunity to return home to the soul left behind.

Unmasking is a layered, cyclical process that requires you to become comfortable with being a beginner. It is centered on your ability to slow down, be present, and deconstruct what you have been taught to believe about yourself and the world around you. It is a simple solution, but it is not easy. If it had been easy, many of us would have never masked in the first place.

At the root of every mask is an unmet need. These needs range from a roof over your head to a mother’s love. We adapt ourselves to be more lovable, accomplished, and normal. We make ourselves smaller, speak less, and isolate more. We retreat, resist, and rebel, only to burn out under the weight of masks too heavy to bear.

Unmasking is difficult and takes an emotional and physical toll. However, if you choose to unmask, you choose a path to self-discovery. You will discover your beauty, truth, and light. You will also uncover your shadows, fears, and trauma. You must face everything you were taught to fear, including yourself.

Unmasking in the Age of Aquarius

2024 has been a year of transformation on a collective and individual level. It was everything Katt Williams promised the Age of Aquarius would be. On January 24, 2024, Pluto entered Aquarius for the first time since 1778-1798.

Do you know what happened during that time?

The American Revolution, The French Revolution, and the rise of Enlightenment.

History, as is life, is cyclical, so you can always count on themes to repeat themselves. Looking around today, you may notice we are in an eerily similar space, leading many people to explore how to unmask, regain their power, move away from traditional power structures, and reclaim their lives.

The sign of Aquarius is all about embracing uniqueness, collective power, revolution, and humanitarian change. Aquarius is the rebellious daughter that dismantles the systems that Daddy Capricorn built, screaming, “Fuck your traditions,” while wearing a cropped hoodie, red lipstick, and drinking mushroom coffee. Initially, this energy seems intense, but it’s the breath of fresh air that gives us the courage to unmask, move past patriarchal traditions, and return home.

On September 1, Pluto retrograded in the sign of Capricorn, giving us time to get our shit together, reevaluate our priorities, and decide where revolution is needed in our lives. As Pluto was stationed directly in Aquarius on November 19, we collectively realized the revolution we needed was rest.

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Books for Unmasking in the Age of Aquarius

The first time I attempted to unmask, I was more burned out than when I began. I was so ready to live on my terms that I rushed and made decisions against my best interest because I hadn’t gotten to know the unmasked me.

Unmasking years of social conditioning takes time, patience, and grace. Each book I share here has allowed me to explore everything I was taught to be afraid of. These books gave me the courage to believe that it was not always my fault. They reminded me of who I was before I lost my sparkle and allowed me to be present with myself. They even confirmed the questions I was too embarrassed to ask out loud.

These books are not ranked but presented in topic areas. They include a mixture of books, audiobooks, and journals. If a book resonates with you, I encourage you to explore it; it may be exactly what you need.

Now, without further ado, Divergenthood’s Top Books for Unmasking in the Age of Aquarius

Books for Grounding

Books that provide the perspective and tools to get out of your head and ground yourself in the physical world.

Meditations for ADHD and PTSD | Shivani Batra
The Power of Now | Eckhart Tolle
Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself | Dr. Joe Dispenza

Books for Consciousness

Books that open your conscious mind and give you a deeper perspective of yourself and the world.

The Four Agreements | Don Miguel Ruiz
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success | Deepak Chopra
The Journey of Souls | Michael Newton

Books for Healing the Feminine

Books that support healing, reclaiming, and empowering the feminine within us.

Women Who Run with Wolves | Clarissa Pinkola Estes
- Power of the Crone | Clarissa Pinkola Estes
Sacred Woman | Queen Afua
Hood Feminism | Mikki Kendall
When God Was A Woman | Merlin Stone

Books for Healing Your Creativity

Books for tapping back into your creative gifts and reclaiming your joy.

The Artist Way - Julia Cameron
Writing As a Way of Healing | Louise Desalvo
Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative | Austin Kleon
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