Aquarius
Zodiac Sign
Horoscope Traits of the Water-Bearer Star Sign
The Aquarius Characteristics in Astrology
The Aquarius horoscope sign, the Water-Bearer, is the eleventh sign of the Zodiac. It combines the element air with the fixed quality, leading to the characteristic that can be described as the philosopher, the thinker and teacher. In the horoscope, the Aquarius Zodiac sign is about learning and knowing.
Aquarius, the Water Bearer, is the eleventh sign of the Zodiac. The sun enters Aquarius on or around January 20, in mid-winter. Aquarius belongs to the element air, its quality is fixed and its charge is positive. Its Ruler is Uranus, and Saturn exalts in it. Aquarius’ motto is: “I know.”
In the horoscope chart, Aquarius brings contemplation and originality to planets or Houses therein.
Aquarius the Philosopher
The Aquarius Zodiac sign, which is the philosopher of the horoscope, is not someone who settles for the first facts presented, but drills down to the very core. Aquarius continuously contemplates reality and what might lie behind it. To the Aquarius horoscope sign, living is all about learning – at depth.
In the horoscope, the Aquarian pursuit of knowledge makes for originality. The Aquarius Zodiac sign is not likely to accept conventional ways and conventional solutions, if they don’t agree with reason. Aquarius goes where reason leads, wherever that is. To others, it can sometimes seem close to absurd. But to the Aquarius horoscope sign, it makes perfect sense.
Learning automatically leads to teaching, since no one can learn anything without teachers, in a chain from the ancient beginning of mankind until the present and beyond. The Aquarius Zodiac sign insists on taking part in this, willing to pass on the knowledge assembled. To Aquarius, that’s nothing less than the meaning of life.
Those who have Aquarius as their Zodiac sign in the horoscope are born when the sun was in Aquarius, which is every year between January 20 and February 19. For much more about the Aquarius Zodiac sign and its influence in the horoscope, see the links in the left side menu and below.
Aquarius
English name: The Water-Bearer
Element / Quality: Air / Fixed
Ruler / Exalting: Uranus / Saturn
Keyword: Contemplation
Motto: “I know.”
Character: Philosopher
Sun sign dates: January 20 – February 19
Archetype: The Teacher
Aquarius Horoscope Traits
The Aquarius star sign begins when the winter is at its coldest, but the daylight is increasing, promising spring, although still distant. Aquarius is the horoscope Zodiac sign with the traits of the thoughtful philosopher, who contemplates life, the universe, and everything. To the Aquarius astrological sign, nothing is simple or obvious, and nothing is not worth exploring at depth.
Aquarius Star Sign
Those who have Aquarius as their star sign are born when the sun was in Aquarius, normally January 20 – February 19 (it differs slightly from year to year, because of the leap years). Therefore, it is also – more accurately – called the sun sign.
The sun in your horoscope is your natural self – what you are when you relax, when other planets in your horoscope are not active. It’s your basic drive, a character more or less evident in all you do and all you are.
The sun is the most important point in your horoscope chart, but it’s not the only thing describing your personality. You need to look at all the components of your birth chart, to get a complete astrological description of yourself. But here you find what can be said in general about the Aquarius Horoscope Traits, based only on the sun’s position.
Aquarius Lives by Reason
If your star sign is Aquarius, you are a thoughtful and contemplative person, striving to understand things around you, no matter how difficult that might be. Aquarius takes nothing for granted, and you don’t just adapt to what seems to be expected of you. You want to find your own way, do things the way you yourself think is the best. That leads to many quite original conclusions and habits.
Since Aquarius doesn’t follow any trends, you have a behavior that is rather unconventional, sometimes even odd in the eyes of others. But it makes sense to you, and that’s what matters. Aquarius would not dream of living in a certain way, just because everyone else is.
Aquarius belongs to the element air, which is that of thought. So, Aquarius regards conscious thinking and reasoning as the way to explore and understand the world as well as how to live in it. You cherish wisdom more than anything else, striving to reach it yourself. Others usually conclude that you do. You don’t disagree.
To Aquarius, compassion is not an emotion, but a conclusion. You have ideals and you cherish them, because you know they lead to a better world for all. Therefore, Aquarius tends to be altruistic even at great personal costs. Others admire that, but to Aquarius it’s self-explanatory: We must be benevolent to our fellow human beings for the benefit of all of us. That makes sense.
Aquarius, illustration from a 1482 edition of a book by Hyginus.
Three Different Aquarius
A Zodiac sign doesn’t give exactly the same influence all through its 30°. Its first third has something of a cardinal quality, whatever the quality of the sign as a whole is, its second third is slightly more fixed in quality, and the last third is more mutable.
If you were born at the end of January, the sun is in the beginning of Aquarius. Then you treasure reason and regard it as the instrument by which to penetrate all of existence and its enigmas. You come to your own conclusions and go your own way accordingly, whatever others tell you.
If you were born in the beginning of February, the sun is in the middle of Aquarius. That means you spend most of your time contemplating, meditating. There’s no aspect of life you don’t think through before making your mind up about it. You want to reach the profundity of all. This is the fixed part of the sign and Aquarius belongs to the fixed quality, so people with their sun here are the most typical Aquarius, showing the traits of the sign deeply and clearly.
If you were born in the middle of February, the sun is at the end of Aquarius. That makes you wonder so much about the complexity of life, it sometimes gets you dizzy. You want to understand everything, but the more you learn the more there is yet to learn. Fascinating, but frustrating, too.
The star constellation Aquarius, represented by a water-bearer.
Illustration from Firmamentum, by Hevelius 1690.
Aquarius’ Father in the Horoscope
The sun in the horoscope also represents your father (the mother is represented by the moon). That means your Aquarius traits reveal something about the characteristics of your relationship with your father.
If you have the sun in Aquarius, your relation to your father is one of discussion and endless exchange of thought. You have great respect for each other’s wisdom and gladly spend hours exploring the thoughts and ideas of one another. Your relation is not the conventional one of father and child, it’s more like you’re equals and friends with similar views on the world. When you were a child, your father was impatient for you to grow up into an adult with whom to have intelligent conversations. That might have been straining on you, but you adapted soon enough.
Aquarius Compatibility
The Aquarius horoscope sign, the philosopher, belongs to the element air, which is that of thought and abstract ideas. So do Gemini and Libra, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Aquarius is particularly compatible with them – they need to share opinions on important matters and be curious about one another. Nor for that matter is the Aquarius Zodiac sign always incompatible with, say, the earth signs Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn, although they are quite different.
All the astrological traits of each Zodiac sign have to be considered when examining their compatibility. Click the header to read more about what it means to the Aquarius horoscope sign.
Aquarius Health Horoscope
In medical astrology, each Zodiac sign has its meanings and consequences regarding your health – both strengths and weaknesses. Click the header to read what it means for those born in the sign of Aquarius.
Zodiac Sign Calculator
If you’re unsure of your Zodiac sign, or if you want to know on what degree (between 0° and 30°) of the sign the sun was at your birth, please visit the Zodiac sign calculator. It’s very easy to use, and then you’ll know for sure. Click the header to get there.
The Age of Aquarius
We’ve all heard about the Age of Aquarius, a new astrological era that some say we’ve already entered. But that’s not for another 150 years or so. Still, the influence of the coming astrological Age of the Aquarius horoscope sign is becoming evident in our society. Click the header for more about the Age of Aquarius.
Aquarius Sexuality
The horoscope also reveals what your sex life is like. That’s not only done by your Zodiac sun sign, but it does give some general indications. Click the header to see what astrology has to say about the sexuality and sexual preferences of those who are born in the Aquarius Zodiac sign.
Aquarius Archetype
In astrology and the horoscope, the Aquarius Zodiac sign represents a certain archetype – that of the philosopher or teacher, like the famous thinker of the Rodin statue above. For more about the archetype of the Aquarius horoscope sign, click the header.
Zodiac Sign Meanings
Your horoscope Zodiac sign is where the sun was at the time of your birth. That’s why it’s called your Sun Sign. It’s also called Star Sign, because of the stellar constellation it represents. Click the header to read more about the twelve Zodiac signs and what they tell about personality traits.