Polarity: Diurnal

Element: Air

Modality: Fixed

Traditional ruler: Saturn

Keywords: Intellectual and definitive

Symbol: ♒ (The water bearer)

As the sign of fixed air, Aquarius is the brainiac, innovator, and humanitarian of the . Ruled by Saturn, the planet of boundaries and discipline, Aquarius is uniquely capable of slicing through distractions and uncovering flashes of brilliance. If you have planets or angles in Aquarius, you prefer tinkering, calculating, and envisioning to more feelings-based pursuits. If a project requires brainstorming or coming up with ingenious blueprints, there’s no better mind-mapper for the job than you.

Aquarius’ mascot, the water bearer, may seem counterintuitive since Aquarius is an air sign. But this sign is guided by an unwavering commitment to pouring forth its libations to all of humanity. Similarly, Aquarius is focused on coming up with ideas, strategies, and plans that elevate the quality of life for everyone. This sign possesses a systems-oriented genius that’s capable of assessing political, economic, and social structures and devising uniquely thoughtful solutions to collective problems. Aquarius operates at its peak when it’s tasked with computing vast quantities of information and elegantly transforming them into pathways to improve efficacy or equality, whether through inventing new technologies or coordinating a functional workflow at a local co-op.

Because Aquarius is ruled by Saturn, the planet of boundaries, it has a reputation for being a bit of a loner. Although it loves to engage with the idea of large groups of people, in actuality, Aquarius requires some breathing room to download its best thoughts. However, it’s also important for Aquarius to descend from its intellectual ivory tower now and again and immerse itself in the turbulent reality of emotion. Ultimately, vulnerability, intimacy, and connection with others are what make all of its clever ideas so valuable.

If you have key placements in Aquarius, at least part of the work you’re here to do involves strategizing, analyzing, innovating, inventing, and/or participating in activism. Because Aquarius operates at a bit of a distance from life’s ever-changing bustle, it can more easily perceive what others cannot. This ability to comprehend the complex whole without getting lost in the details is essential for making the beneficial breakthroughs that the future demands.

Note: Each sign has its own signature style, and every planet or point has to function through the filter of the sign it’s in. The manner in which this happens depends on all the planets, points, and signs involved. To find out which placements you have in Aquarius, download the or use our .

What does it mean to have one of your “big three” in Aquarius?

The Sun passes through Aquarius from around January 20th to February 18th every year, though the exact dates will vary. If you have this placement, you concentrate your energy on your intellectual pursuits. You easily become known as someone who can understand and innovate systems so that they work well for all. Sol expresses itself here analytically, and exchanging ideas with others recharges its light. However, the Sun is also in its detriment in Aquarius, which means it’s residing in a sign contrary to its natural tendencies. The Sun wants to blaze brightly as the central star of its own universe, but in Aquarius, it’s more focused on the group than on its personal needs and desires. So it may be a struggle to connect with others emotionally. Panning out of analytical mode now and again and making a conscious effort to share your feelings will transform relating from an abstract concept into a heartfelt one.

With your Moon in Aquarius, you seek logical conclusions to the problems of the heart, which are difficult to access if you’re embroiled in emotionality. So if you have this placement, you may require distance from situations and people to sort yourself out. You may have had a parent or caregiver who was intelligent, emotionally reserved, coolheaded, or particular in their requirements. An incredible stubbornness can set in with this placement, creating difficulty in being fluid with the natural ebbs and flows of feelings. However, this lunar placement glows when given room to learn about the systems we live in, how they work, and how best to innovate them. It has a vast capacity for caring about societal issues. Being intellectually understood and challenged is the recipe for making this Moon feel connected and safe. Making space to tap into and share your vulnerability as much as your analytical abilities is key to cultivating more harmonious connections with yourself and others.

If your ascendant is in Aquarius, you’ll want to be known for your clarity, certainty, and thoughtful perspective. With Saturn as your ruling planet, coolheaded analysis is your strong suit. You possess an innate understanding of the organization of systems. You will be driven to comprehend the rules of the game — every game. And you very well may not adhere to them. With this placement, you won’t be content to follow the herd. If that means diverging from group expectations or being ostracized for your innovative ideas, you will gladly choose your intellectual freedom over acceptance. You’re socially conscious and invested in others’ wellbeing, but not interested in people-pleasing. When your ideas splinter off from common opinions, you become open to downloading your brightest insights. Embrace your lone wolf energy, and let your “ahas!” light your way.

What it means to have other planets and points in Aquarius

Mercury in Aquarius is logical and thorough. If you have the messenger in this sign, your speaking and thinking style will be fact-based and theory-oriented. You will have a knack for assessing situations and calculating solutions that others would miss. You may have a special affinity for research, particularly as it relates to sociology, science, politics, or other fields that consider large groups of people. However, ooey-gooey with your words you are not. Learning how to name your emotions and articulate them to others cracks open a window into your fascinating heart, not just your brilliant mind.

Venus in Aquarius craves mind candy. If you have this placement, intellectual attraction is most stimulating for you. You will be drawn to romantic or platonic relationships that feed your hunger for theory, analysis, and innovation. Bonding over an insightful book, article, or study with another sharp thinker can be more enthralling than a bouquet of roses. This placement can appreciate people in a detached light, and enjoy friends, neighbors, allies, and loves equally. However, if you have this placement, you might come off as inscrutable to those who wish to connect with you on a more emotional level. Remember: People want to know you, not just what you’re thinking about this week. Avoid ghosting others for your latest curiosity and put effort into leading with your vulnerabilities. Cultivate your misfit mystique, but not to the point where others feel locked out of your heart’s laboratory.

Mars in Aquarius acts strategically. When the planet of vitality and drive lands in this analytical sign, it intellectualizes its motivations. Rather than jumping thoughtlessly into action, it translates its passions into rational game plans. Think: running a focus group of peers or rigorously mind-mapping projects before launching them. The warrior planet is a courageous champion of ideas, particularly if they’re quirky, radical, and/or ahead of their time. This is the placement of the thoughtful dissident who isn’t afraid to play with intellectual fire. When it risks being known as a free-thinker, it blazes the way for others to ask edgier questions.

Jupiter in Aquarius yearns to explore the outer reaches of the intellect. When the planet of expansion, growth, and wisdom lands in this analytical sign, its hunger for knowledge is seemingly infinite. If you have this placement, you’re driven to go on fact-gathering missions that support the reconstruction of society or the world at large. It’s natural for you to have sudden game-changing insights or to possess a vast capacity for researching collective problems and solutions. Or maybe to just routinely crush trivia night. The more you channel your conceptual energies and rebellious spirit toward the highest good of everyone, the luckier you become.

Saturn is in Aquarius, which means it’s especially capable here. With this placement, you’re fixated on learning all the rules insight-out so that you can break them more skillfully. Here, the Saturnian penchant for discipline and hard work is piqued with intellectual rebelliousness. You’ll need to buck a system or two in order to achieve your goal of decentralizing power — which requires possessing a thorough understanding of how it operates. You’re a gifted observer, and able to grasp multiple angles of any situation. Your sharpness makes you an expert agitator, and your humanitarian aims make you a trustworthy leader and guide.

With Chiron in Aquarius, one knot you’re unpicking may be the distinction between “maverick” and “outsider.” You may have experienced moments where you voluntarily or involuntarily slid into exile — where you felt misunderstood, or misrepresented, by conventional expectations. At times, your commitment to justice may make you uncomfortably visible. You may be called to play whistleblower, especially if no one else around you is brave enough to step forward. The heartache of Chiron in Aquarius is being grievously ahead of your time. Brilliance can be spun as madness by the narrow-minded. So can truth. Know that time itself is malleable. That there’s space for your acumen and inimitable imagination, even if you have to help carve it.

Uranus in Aquarius was born to rebel. If you have this placement, you delight in the fringe, futuristic, and avant-garde. You’re eager to update ideas and traditions related to technology, community, kinship, and systems of power. Tossing out outdated notions about collaboration and replacing them with fresh visions for an equitable world comes easily to you. A streak of powerful stubbornness exists for you as well. You’re not just committed to championing collective possibilities, but to throwing the full force of your power behind them.

Neptune in Aquarius is a dreamer of collective dreams. This placement is prone to social idealism and values friendship, cooperation, and community causes. If you have Neptune here, you will be easily intoxicated by the wealth of possibilities that the future holds. Your imagination is a powerful portal for channeling unusual ideas and strategies. Be careful, though, to not allow hopefulness to mutate into naivete. Change doesn’t always happen at the pace of your brainstorming it requires work in the real world. For best results, release your control on timelines. Instead: Let the mystery upload.

The last time Pluto was in Aquarius was between 1777 and 1798, an epoch that coincided with the French and American revolutions. Pluto will next be in Aquarius from 2024 to 2044. Those born with Pluto with Aquarius will likely experience profound transformation in their lifetime around the limits of knowledge, the ethics of new technologies, and how to create more equitable systems of power. While nobody knows for sure what this next era will bring, we have predictions: inventions and breakthroughs, further explorations of the cosmos, and, hopefully, heartfelt shifts for all.

With the North Node in Aquarius, inventiveness and the desire for intellectual freedom are amplified. Having space and distance from distractions to tinker, muse, and explore your curiosities is essential for your highest growth. The needs of your communities or other groups take precedence over more self-centered concerns.

With the South Node in Aquarius, you’re releasing patterns of emotional detachment, over-intellectualization, or prioritization of the group’s needs over personal desires. Instead, stoking the flames of your unique creativity, gifts, and talents is key to your growth and development.

When your MC (or midheaven) is in Aquarius, your career, vocation, and public roles are stages for your intellect. You’re an analytical and ingenious leader, capable of assessing situations from multiple angles and coming up with surprising solutions to problems. You thrive in settings where you have enough distance from distractions to think clearly and the freedom to march to the beat of your own drum. Breakthroughs and “Eureka!” moments are your specialty.

Your home or family life was marked by the unusual with the IC (or imum coeli) in Aquarius. It’s possible that your childhood provided an intellectual laboratory for you to ponder ideas. Perhaps you had caregivers who were emotionally removed or highly analytical themselves and gave you plenty of space to conduct your own research. It’s also possible you were raised by freethinkers who rejected a white picket fence life in favor of more experimental arrangements. Throughout your life, it will be important for you to befriend and seek kinship with others who perceive the world differently. Spending time in solitude, with the freedom to think for yourself, will recharge your batteries.

With the DC (or descendant) in Aquarius, your co-conspirators’ brains are their most attractive features. You gravitate to those who work out math problems in their minds while everyone else is swapping small talk. As much as you can find yourself in the center of a room, the people you really want to meet are the ones operating at a bit of a distance from the herd. It’s more than wanting what you can’t have; you want to know what they’re computing. Your relationships will contain intellectual engagement, witty banter, and a sense of humor only you two understand. And no matter how much you cherish each other, you respect each other’s separateness. You are keepers of each other’s solitude, and that mutual independence only strengthens your bond.

Affirmation for Aquarius

My emotions have their own logic.

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