GLYPH MEANING The waves symbolize the intuitive and rational nature of Aquarius.
ARCHETYPES The rebel. The scientist. The humanitarian.
DATES January 20–February 19*
HOUSE Eleventh
POLARITY Positive
MODALITY Fixed
ELEMENT Air
PLANETARY RULER Saturn (traditional), Uranus (modern)
*the dates represent the first and the last possible day when the Sun can be in Aquarius and may vary slightly depending on the year
CHARACTERISTICS
Aquarius is the eleventh sign of the zodiac. As the third air sign, Aquarius represents a mighty storm that destroys everything old and obsolete in order to create space for the new and advanced. In the sign of Aquarius, the soul is learning how to be part of the collective and how to contribute to humanity’s development and progress. Aquarius helps the soul develop these traits with their innovative mind and rebelliousness.
Their open-minded and accepting nature means they like anything weird, unusual, or unique. They are freedom-loving and need to be free to express their will. Aquarius wants to live their life authentically and they allow this freedom to others as well. They are fond of experiments and trying out new things. In the same vein, they like to shock others and get a reaction from them. By testing the boundaries of social norms with provocative behavior, Aquarius often becomes a catalyst for social change.
Aquarius is very sociable and friendly. They are always interested in meeting new people to hear new perspectives and to find out what is the social climate. They use the information to think of ways society can change and grow. As humanitarians, they want to live in a world where everyone is allowed to be whoever they want to be and where everyone is accepted unconditionally. They care about equality, personal freedom, and the unity of people. They have a universal love of humanity and are interested in seeing it progress and prosper. They are intellectuals with a very sharp and innovative mind which they use to come up with unique solutions that are going to make things better for everyone.
In relationships, Aquarius can be somewhat aloof because they process everything through their intellect first. They are primarily attracted to people’s minds. They tend to treat their partners as friends and need to see them as someone with whom they can talk and hang out. Most of their romantic relationships evolve from friendships. The reason for that is that Aquarius needs to feel they have an intellectual connection with their partner. They want a non-judgmental, open-minded partner who understands and accepts the way Aquarius sees the world and who doesn’t judge their oddness, but instead appreciates their uniqueness. The partner must also allow Aquarius a lot of freedom to socialize with other people because they can’t change humanity if they spend all their time with just one person. They like to come and go as they please and prefer their partners and relationships to be unconventional.
On the negative side, Aquarius is emotionally indifferent and prefers not to talk about emotions. They see everyone as equals, so they treat everyone the same, which includes their partner. This can make their relationships seem platonic and more similar to a friendship. Outsiders might characterize their relationships as cold and detached, but they work just fine for Aquarius. They are not particularly emotionally expressive and prefer their partners to be the same. Clingy, co-dependent partners will make Aquarius run the other way. The compatibility of minds is much more important to them because they want to be able to share their opinions and ideas with their partner.
Aquarius is unpredictable, as is their level of energy. They don’t want to spend all the time around their partner. This can cause misunderstandings if they are involved with someone who is more emotionally needy or needs a lot of validation. Aquarius becomes rebellious if they feel restrained in any way, and will sabotage a relationship before they give up their freedom. They can be flaky and reluctant to commit if the other person doesn’t accept them as they are. They are prepared to offer the same freedom in return and, to a more sensitive partner, this can suggest that Aquarius doesn't care about spending time together. They do, but they also want to preserve their individuality within a relationship.
Their intellect can sometimes make them come off as insensitive. Aquarius thinks about things logically and rationally. This means they sometimes lack the delicate approach because they don't take casual remarks personally, and they don’t understand why others would. Other people's opinions are just that – other people’s opinions and Aquarius doesn't base their self-esteem on random people's observations. They don't care if others like them or not, in fact, Aquarius might prefer it if they don't because they base their identity on being the misfit. This detached perspective can make them come off as cold, mean, and critical, even if that is not their intention. When upset or provoked, they can become sarcastic and cynical.
The most important life lesson Aquarius needs to learn is related to the way they find their unique self-expression. They like to define themselves as being different from other people because in this way, they can be a catalyst for change. This means that they will often figure out what the norm is and go against it. The problem is, that they base their uniqueness on whatever society rejects. Their self-expression then is not based on an internal feeling, but on going against the norm, being contradictory just for the sake of it. Secretly, however, Aquarius fears that they are not as unique as they like to think because they are not really expressing their authentic personality, just defying others.
Aquarius needs to look to its opposite sign Leo to learn about uniqueness. Leo understands that they are special on their own, not in comparison to others. Their self-expression comes from within, not as a way to defy what other people find acceptable. That is because Leo’s expression comes from the heart. They express themselves based on what they feel inside and the talents they have. Aquarius often finds their own uniqueness in a cerebral way, but they tend to forget about involving their heart. They should try to find what is unique about them the same way Leo does, through internal feelings. Aquarius needs to learn that their uniqueness is a part of them. It doesn’t have to be whatever others reject as the norm. To inspire others and bring change to the world, they need to feel truly inspired themselves and, for that, they need to involve their heart. Aquarius can become their best self when they learn to express themselves from their heart, not from their head.
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