Aquarius, the Water Bearer

Aquarius symbols always incorporate water. The simplest of these symbols is a pair of squiggly lines, representing waves.

Aquarius is the 11th sign of the western zodiac. Aquarius constellation is located in the southern hemisphere in the region of the sky sometimes referred to as the Sea, because it contains a number of constellations with names related to water The element for Aquarius is 'Air', but, ironically, its  name means water-bearer (or cup-bearer) in Latin. and it represents water. It is a fixed sign. Aquarians are the stubborn ones, and want to keep things as they are. The symbol of Aquarius is a water bearer, a young man pouring water into the mouth of the  constellation Pisces.

Aquarius is traditionally thought to be ruled by the planet Saturn, but, since the discovery of Uranus in 1781, many astrologers have labelled Uranus as the ruler or co-ruler of Aquarius. This planet takes approximately seven years to journey through a sign of the zodiac, taking about 84 years to complete all twelve signs of the zodiac cycle.  In Greek mythology, Uranus is connected to the divine mind and is said to have invented the world.  He is said to have been  born from Gaea, the Earth, and he became the god of the sky. His rains fertilized the Earth and gave birth to many kinds of human-like creatures.  Uranus is known in astrology as the 'Awakener' because its aspects and transits bring sudden changes and shocks.

In Babylonian mythology, Aquarius is identified as the god Ea himself and, according to the Egyptians, Aquarius pours water into the Nile River at the season when the Nile normally overflows its banks; this brings the much-needed water to the farmlands bordering that great river. In some images he is seen watering the earth from two large jugs. In the Hebrew zodiac, Aquarius represented the tribe of Reuben, 'unstable as water.' In the New Testament Christians of the 16th and 17th centuries appropriately likened Aquarius to John the Baptist and to Judas Thaddaeus the Apostle.

According to Norse mythology, Aquarius was considered Wall's palace, and it was supposed to be covered with silver. In the Indian zodiac, the name of the constellation is 'Kumbha,' meaning 'Water Jar.' In the context of Hinduism and Hindu mythology, it is also symbolic of the womb. The Arabs who were so dependent on the water of the rainy season saw Aquarius as a bucket because their religion forbids them from showing pictures of any living form.

In February, the Aquarius month, the sun entered the Peruvian sign known by the name 'Mother of Waters'.  The Water Mother was figured as a sacred lake located in the Southern Fish and the Crane. The month of February marks the height of the rainy season in the Andes, and the rivers are then in flood so that the powers of the Mother of Waters are at this season most conspicuously displayed. 

In Greek mythology, Aquarius is usually associated with Ganymede, the cup-bearer of the gods. Ganymede was a beautiful youth of Phrygia, and the son of King Tros of Troy. Ganymede was so beautiful that he caught Zeus’ eye, prompting the god to disguise himself as an eagle (represented by the constellation Aquila) and carry him off to Olympus to serve as cup-bearer to the gods in place of Hebe. 

The Aquarian is an independent free spirit, and are considered to be the ones who create change and start revolutions.   They are frank, practical, idealistic and spiritual. Equality, freedom and fairness are important issues for them. In this regard, we often find the Aquarian individual associated with a search for truth, change,  humanitarian issues and causes. Aquarian people also make very loyal and good friends, and will always be there to help you if they are needed.

The problem with Aquarius individuals is that they have difficulty adapting. Being an air sign, this signifies that they are a fixed sign, which makes it hard to be flexible. At times the Aquarian may seem unapproachable and distant, but far from being deliberately unfriendly, Aquarius is simply guarded.