Aquarius is the eleventh Sign of the Zodiac. After the last three Signs' learning about other people, Aquarius works with social institutions to make them work for people as they were meant to work. They are humanitarians and philanthropists, the visionaries of the Zodiac. Friendship is important to them, and they have many acquaintances in addition to their close friends. As the eleventh Sign, Aquarius also rules the eleventh House: the House of Friends.
The Sign In Depth
The Astrological Symbol of Aquarius is the Water Bearer. Like the Bearer bringing water to his people, this Sign brings new ideas to the world. It represents consciousness and the flowing of ideas, but they can also be impatient and temperamental with people who don't share their visions. They can be opinionated, and they work hard to bring their ideas to fruition, stubbornly refusing to give up their causes. In this way, Aquarius exemplifies the Fixed Quality assigned to it. They are independent and individualistic, within the world but detached from it. While they are peace-loving and friendly, they can also be cruel and tormenting of people who disagree with them. Within the Zodiac, Aquarius is opposite Leo, the Sign of Pleasure. While Leo focuses on personal pleasure and comfort, Aquarius tends to be about philanthropy and other people. Groups of people are important to them, rather than single individuals.
Aquarius is ruled by the Planets Uranus and Saturn. In ancient Roman mythology, Saturn (and his Greek equivalent, Cronus) was the father of many Gods, including Zeus. Uranus was associated with the Earth, and he was the oldest god. In ancient times, Saturn ruled both Capricorn and Aquarius; Aquarius is the masculine, or day, aspect and Capricorn is the feminine, or night. Aquarius' ability to inflict torment on enemies comes from Saturn, while Capricorn is affected by Saturn's hardworking influence. When Uranus was discovered, astrologers assigned it as the modern ruler of Aquarius. It is from this Planet that Aquarians receive their visionary nature. Uranus is associated with progress and technology -- anything that is radical -- and it rules electricity and Astrology. Some Aquarians have genius that borders on insanity, and their progressive ideas and association with anything that is different makes them different to Capricorn. Aquarians are inventors, unpredictable and unconventional, but they may also be inconsistent and erratic.
The Element associated with Aquarius is Air. Air Signs are intellectual: they tend to respond to the world through intellect, rather than physical action, practicality, or emotion. In Aquarians, intellect manifests itself in their fixed opinions and eagerness to share and discuss them. While people born under Aquarius are tolerant and broad-minded, they tend to stick to their beliefs. Their intellect makes them logical and self-confident, but it may also make them aloof from the people around them. They are original, offbeat, and even eccentric, but they are also rather bored by detail. Reformist and experimental, they may also seem cold toward people who don't share their intellectual orientation to life.
Aquarians tend to have talent in a number of areas, both scientific and creative. They are unique and rebellious people, driven to change the world. They can sometimes be show-offs, but it's usually to draw attention to their causes rather than to themselves. Their freedom is important to them, and they are often driven to help others become free as well.
In their leisure time, people born under Aquarius are social animals. They greatly prefer team sports to solitary athletics, and they often have a fondness for baseball and tennis. In love relationships, Aquarius is flirtatious, not possessive or jealous.
Aquarius rules the ankles. People born under Aquarius may be more susceptible to sprains than people of other Signs. Aquarius's colors are the colors of the Water they carry: turquoise, aqua, and silver.
The great strength of the Aquarius-born is in their visionary nature. They are the people who take the world to the next level; they make people look at things in a different way than before. Their ability to break the rules and move beyond what others think is possible makes them one of the most innovative characters of the Zodiac.
