Coming in cool, detached, and weirder than a box of hair, Aquarius season is upon us.
As a Fixed Air sign, these space cowboys are associated with counter-culture and the aspirational, bush-forward, peace-anchored “Age of Aquarius.”
Aquarius stands exalted near the crown of the zodiac wheel — holding a place that offers hope and optimism for the future, having already journeyed through the previous zodiac signs to understand the fruit of one’s labor while still dreaming of what’s to come.
Aquarius rules technology, the internet, space travel, astrology, and the human collective.
When trying to distill the Aquarius archetype, I am called to the poem “Bridge” by Aquarius ascendant and one-eyed, all-seeing luminary Mr. Jim Harrison, who writes:
Ever nearer death, I like it out here
high above the sea bundled
up for the arctic storms of late fall,
the resounding crash and moan of the sea,
the hundred-foot depth of the green troughs.
Sometimes the sea roars and howls like
the animal it is, a continent wide and alive.
What beauty in this the darkest music
over which you can hear the lightest music of human
behavior, the tender connection between men and galaxies.
Indeed, at its highest and holiest, Aquarius is that tender bridge between the stardust we’re made of and the stardust we’re bound to.
Planetary rulers: Uranus and Saturn
Aquarius is ruled by both Saturn, lord of restriction and challenge, and Uranus, lightning-riding agent of change.
Saturn is what lends this zodiac sign perseverance, strength, and emotional objectivity. While Saturn can be a bit of a buzz kill/stern dad type, this energy helps water bearers set their sights and stay the course.
Yet their modern planetary ruler is
Uranus. While these planetary frequencies seem very different — and they are — their synthesis gives Aquarians their unique blend of independence, eccentricity, and intellectualism. Uranus can create progressive, humanitarian reformation, as well as rebellion and destabilization. When channeled together, these energies allow Aquarians to strive for the unconventional while creating structures that can stand the test of time.
Mythology
In Greek myth, Aquarius was a young shepherd boy named Ganymede. Perennial perv Zeus sent an eagle to snatch Ganymede and made him the cupbearer for all of the Olympian gods. The constellation named Crater was thought to be Ganymede’s cup.
The ancient Sumerians believed that the constellation of Aquarius could bring about a global flood. The stars in the constellation were believed to be of great fortune and luck due to the time of year that the Sun rose in this sector of the sky — the rainy season in the Middle East.
In ancient Egypt, the god Hapi — who watered from two jars — was linked with the river Nile.
The Babylonians, too, saw Aquarius as Ea, the god of streams, and GULA, a goddess of healing and childbirth.
Charms/strengths
Independence and intellectual stamina are among Aquarius’s greatest strengths. They live for exploration and have an original and inventive way of moving about the world.
Their ideas and philosophies are always carefully crafted — meaning that when they put their mind to something and have formed their opinion, it is unlikely ever to change. This ability to persevere grants them great resources of strength to be faithful, loyal, and constant in their endeavors and relationships.
Aquarians cast a wide, weird, and wonderful net when it comes to friends. Their social circle is akin to the island of misfit toys as they are fascinated by the fringe and hell-bent on welcoming in that and those who have been cast out.
The influence of structured Saturn and wild-out Uranus imbues the sign with the spirit of the applied revolutionary.
Luminary, activist, prison abolitionist, and double Aquarius (sun and moon) Angela Davis reminds us, “You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time.”
This encapsulates the Aquarius spirit, the constant tending to the impossible, and the vigilant dismantling of self-limiting beliefs.
Challenges/weaknesses
Ruled by structured Saturn and rebellious Uranus, Aquarians feel pulled between maintaining and dismantling the status quo. Emotionally aloof, they are prone to god complexes and developing personas that mask their authentic selves.
Uncompromising lone wolf types, water bearers are resistant to rules, standards, or expectations. All requests for compromise feel like oppression to them, and generally speaking, dying alone sounds preferable to living with others.
Aquarians ride the line between genius and madness, and as any suffering partner will tell you, neither is a picnic to live with. In-kind, water bearers harbor the dark tendency to treat their significant others more like acolytes than equals.
Stubbornness is a hallmark of the Aquarius spirit, and water bearers are driven to extremes when it comes to their concepts and convictions. Once they have formed an opinion on data, they integrate it into their vision of the world — and are deeply resistant to altering it. This fixed approach can lead them to progressive or conservative radicalism that ultimately limits their ability to affect change.
These people tend to over-identify with the idea of themselves as perpetual outsiders. When conflict arises, they revert to the self-soothing but personally limiting belief that they are better off alone.
Defined by their radical independence and unconventional approach to most matters, compromise does not come easy to Aquarians. Both cerebral and stubborn it’s challenging to appeal to their emotions because they either intellectualize or ignore them.
Aquarians go to great lengths to differentiate themselves and can live in a state of being contrary or eccentric for the sake of it.
This ilk prefers to live life as untethered and unaccountable as a helium balloon let loose from the clutched hand of a reckless child.
Tarot
In the Major Arcana of the Tarot, Aquarius is represented by the Star, a card that finds a naked woman kneeling to offer water to the pool at her feet.
With one foot on solid ground (stability, substance) and the other in the current (change, spirit), the Star symbolizes the two planetary forces that govern Aquarius, structured Saturn and rabble-rousing Uranus.
A bright central star rises over the head of the woman, shining as a symbol of hope, inspiration, and the divine intercession of the universe. The central star is surrounded by a wreath of stars, each corresponding to one of the seven chakras.
Behind our water bearer, we see a sacred ibis perched in a tree, a bird associated with Thoth, the Egyptian god of knowledge, magic, sacred texts, science, and the patron of scribes.
The bird’s presence suggests that wisdom is the means to healing and knowledge is ultimately meant to be collected and shared. Apropos of this, Aquarius rules the eleventh house of community, and natives are charged with bringing the lightning of change and the momentum of progress to the worlds they move through.
11th House
Aquarius is the native ruler of the 11th House.
The 11th House is known as the House of Friends. It governs community, networking, social justice and collaboration.
Fittingly, the planetary influences within the Eleventh House indicate our position within and connectivity to our circle of friends and the larger band of our communities.
On an expanded level, the Eleventh House reflects our broad hopes for humanity and reveals how we see ourselves as agents of those possibilities.
Body
In the human body, Aquarius rules the ankles, calves, shins, and circulatory system. Just as Aquarius is the zodiac sign that connects Earth to space, so the ankles connect the upper body to the feet.
Regarding physical appearance, it is best to look at an individual’s Ascendant (or Rising Sign). However, as a rule of thumb (or ankle), Aquarians like to present themselves eccentrically, often dressing in bold ways that set them apart from the crowd.
Compatibility
While true compatibility is assessed by looking at the entirety of two people’s birth charts, Aquarians are generally best suited to keep company with fellow Air Signs Gemini and Libra.
In these symbiotic vapors, Aquarius finds an ideal intellectual partner who amplifies their curiosity about the world and can actively engage their constant need for stimulation, communication, and debate.
Specifically, Gemini lends levity and humor to the genius in the remote tower energy of Aquarius.
No party will fault the other for needing their freedom, their own living quarters, or a relationship sabbatical. Both signs are refreshingly unconventional. Aquarius is ruled by Uranus, and you truly never know what a Gemini will say next. They both value cerebral communion and can create new paradigms within and beyond their relationship. Here lies the collision of brilliance and PR, the radical and the reachable, the kind of love that turns the tide of the collective and shows others what is possible when everything is negotiable.
Alternatively, Libra finds good company, high-vibe conversation, and uncontested acceptance in enigmatic outsider Aquarius. Libra often feels pressure to perform normalcy or instill ease, and Uranus-ruled Aquarius has no interest in the topical or the pedestrian. Libra needs to be activated, and Aquarius does so in the spirit of collaboration and for the betterment of the collective.
Aquarius keeps Libra accountable, while Libra helps Aquarius discern the fine line between madness and genius and soften their sharper edges and avant-garde impulses into more palatable platforms— a balance struck by Libra John Lennon and Aquarius Yoko Ono.
Swagger
Regarding allure and attraction, Aquarius’s intellectual confidence and eccentric presentation will often attract people curious to learn from and about them.
Because most Aquarians tend to be experimental, open-minded, and somewhat unflappable, others are quickly drawn into their offbeat orbit.
Recommended listening
“Watermelon Sugar,” by Harry Styles
“Starboy,” by The Weeknd
“I Don’t Care,” by Ed Sheeran
“Hips Don’t Lie,” by Shakira
“No One,” by Alicia Keys
“Mirrors,” by Justin Timberlake
Astrology 101: Your guide to the star
Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports back on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture, and personal experience.
Kyle Thomas is a globally recognized pop culture astrologer who has been featured in “Access Hollywood,” E! Entertainment, NBC & ABC television, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Hulu, Bustle, Elite Daily, Marie Claire and more. He is known for his cosmic guidance for celebrities, business executives and prominent influencers. His work harnesses the power of the stars in regards to entertainment lifestyle and trends affecting people worldwide. For more information, visit KyleThomasAstrology.com.
