Aquarius, The Water Bearer
January 20 - February 18
"I Know."
Planet: Saturn and Uranus
House: 11th House of Friendships
Element: Air
Quality: Fixed
Colors: Electric Blue and Psychedelic
Animals: Large birds
Metal: Aluminum
Gem: Amazonite and Turquoise
Flower: Lilacs & Orchids
Anatomy Rulership: The circulatory system, Legs, Knees, and Ankles
Countries: Finland, Iran, Russia, Sweden, Syria, Ethiopia
Cities: Moscow, Stockholm, Buenos Aires, Salzburg, Hamburg
Aquarius is the eleventh astrological sign in the Zodiac, originating from the constellation Aquarius. In western astrology, the sign is no longer aligned with the constellation as a result of the precession of the equinoxes. In astrology, Aquarius is considered a "masculine", positive (extrovert) sign. It is also considered an air sign and is one of four fixed signs. Aquarius has been traditionally ruled by the planet Saturn, and, since its discovery, Uranus has been considered a modern ruler of this sign. Being the eleventh sign of the zodiac, Aquarius is associated with the astrological eleventh house.
Personality
Aspiring, idealistic, independent, philosophical, patient, unconventional and a humanitarian
The Aquarius Sun sign in astrology indicates of a person who is very generous. Aquarians are often humanitarians. This means that they are interested in people and will feel concern for people as a group. They believe that everyone is their friend, thus they are a friendly sign. For this reason, if you're an Aquarian, you're almost always involved in areas where you can make a difference for the improvement of humanity and your community. Local politics, especially, is where you feel you can make the most difference, and where you feel the problems are most real.
When you're not acting for social change, you're often discussing it. As an air sign, you are a person of great ideas, an idealist and a bit of a dreamer, and you love to engage people in your vision of an ideal society. As a thinker, you're quite logical, so your arguments are always compelling and believable. Combined with your humanitarian zeal, this makes you a popular choice for political or social leadership.
Many Aquarians have excellent minds. They are very clever at science and are especially interested in anything which can help people. They are often fascinated by gadgets and inventions, and some Aquarians become great inventors themselves. Others may support political movements concerned with questions of freedom and justice. Aquarians, are often not very emotional, because they are more interested in exchanging ideas and helping others.
If you are an Aquarian, your special and unique gift is your tolerance and understanding of other people. You have the gift of being able to perceive what people really think and feel, thus being more intuitive, and people feel you are their friend because you are truly interested in them. With this gift you can help people to make the best out of their own lives.
As an Aquarian, you're the sign that likes the odd colors, such as orange or metallic blue or anything provocative or a little unusual. You usually don't mind if your clothes or sense of style is considered weird, though most of the time you assert your style and independence subtly, with just an accent here or there to throw people off, or an ordinary suit of an odd color. You may also prefer natural colors of the sky such as different shades of blue.
Weaknesses and Trouble Spots
The later zodiac signs are considered sometimes to be emotionally unstable, progressively more so in the sequence. If you're an Aquarian, you may be known for being very touchy, especially when criticized. You may be sensitive to other peoples comments about you or your actions. This however is not always a flaw. You're also known for your fear of rejection. Quite often, you find it easier to explain yourself and open up, even to strangers, at the same time feeling confident. This trait alone has led many Aquarians to blossom into passionate writers and poets. Much like the often misunderstood Virgo, your true self shines through on paper, revealing a sensitive, passionate soul that surprises those who only know your cool, independent public persona.
All of this emotional sensitivity, though, has its downside. As an Aquarian it is advised you learn how to accept criticism and/or learn from the opinions of others to improve flaws in your character. Similarly, if you can't face rejection, you're not likely to survive and prosper in the real world. As an Aquarian, you may find formalities a bit hypocritical and elitist. You're a person of the people, after all, and you know your own mind, and you speak what's on it. This may not be understood as you intend by those around you so thus you may find yourself in uncomfortable social situations.
Occupations & Financial
Many Aquarians have a logical, scientific mind, and this alone suits them to innumerable careers in the high-tech industries. One career that would really suit an Aquarian person or personality is something based in the computer or tech field. Since these jobs are generally secure and pay well, and since you love this kind of logic-based work, you'll enjoy success and security on most if not all levels here.
Aquarians usually dislike anything that is vague or negotiable, such as sales or dealmaking. If you're an Aquarian person you most likely need the solidity of machines and logic, or the nobility of truth and mankind's welfare, to satisfy you.
If you're an Aquarian, your other great talent is for social work. Many activists, teachers, and politicians are Aquarians, and although these positions may not pay as well as the technical jobs, to an idealist like you they are perhaps the most satisfying pursuit you could choose in life. You want to make a difference in the world, not get rich. In fact, no one irks you more than the person who simply chooses a career for the money.
Aquarians Throughout Time
Many of the world's great writers are Aquarians, because they understood that they could show their true feelings on paper much more easily than in person. This list includes Charles Dickens, Somerset Maugham, Francis Bacon, Charles Darwin, Lewis Carroll, Sinclair Lewis, James Joyce, Tennessee Ernie Ford, science fiction master Jules Verne, and the poets Robert Burns and Lord Byron.
Mythology
Aquarius is named "The Great One" in the Babylonian star catalogues and represents the god Ea himself. It contained the winter solstice in the Early Bronze Age. In Old Babylonian astronomy, Ea was the ruler of the southernmost quarter of the Sun's path, the "Way of Ea", corresponding to the period of 45 days on either side of winter solstice.
In the Greek tradition, the constellation became represented as simply a single vase from which a stream poured down to Piscis Austrinus. In Greek mythology, Aquarius is sometimes identified with Ganymede, a beautiful youth with whom Zeus fell in love and, in the disguise of an eagle (represented by the constellation Aquila) carried off to Olympus to be cup-bearer to the gods. The constellation of Crater is sometimes identified as his cup. Aquarius has also been identified as the pourer of the waters that flooded the Earth in the ancient Greek version of the Great Flood myth. As such, the constellation Eridanus the river is sometimes identified as a river being poured by Aquarius.
Aquarius may also, together with the constellation Pegasus, be part of the origin of the myth of the Mares of Diomedes, which forms one of The Twelve Labours of Heracles. Its association with pouring out rivers, and the nearby constellation of Capricornus, may be the source of the myth of the Augean stable, which forms another of the labours.
