Situated in the southern sky, bordered by the constellations of Capricorn to the west and Pisces to the east, we encounter the 11th ancient star sign of the zodiac and the first one of the Gregorian calendar. Its name, Aquarius, means water bearer, and its most famous depiction is the image of a figure holding a vessel and pouring water, symbolising the flowing of life and nourishment.
As we find ourselves deep in this freezing winter, shivering in this long and never-ending January, this month I wanted to start a series on the twelve zodiac signs and their mystical meanings. With the first month of the year, the sun passes through Aquarius, and what a wonderful opportunity to discover its secrets.
In astronomy this constellation is described as large and covering a vast region of the sky. It may not be particularly bright; however, its most dazzling star is called Sadalsuud, which means “luckiest of the lucky” in Arabic.
Enchanting, am I right?
Although it may not be as scintillating as the others, Aquarius is indeed identifiable, especially in the northern hemisphere during winter or late fall. Our solar system’s star dwells in the region of the water bearer from about January 20 to February 18, not marking a full month. It is traditionally portrayed as a young man or woman pouring water from a large jar or urn. However, while the imagery of water is undeniably important to the symbolism of Aquarius, it is not necessarily about literal water but rather the flow of knowledge, ideas, and life force.
Nevertheless, the figure clutching the amphora is the one who makes this zodiac sign even more captivating, giving it a little bit of lore, for its origins come from Greek mythology. Specifically, we’re introducing the myth of Ganymede, a beautiful and noble Trojan prince. According to the tale, he was so extraordinarily handsome that he ended up catching the eye of, of course, Zeus—king of the gods. Utterly captivated by the prince’s beauty, this thunder deity transformed into an eagle and swooped down to Earth, abducting Ganymede to the height of Mount Olympus. In the heavens, he became the divine cupbearer to the gods, with the great honour of serving them the ambrosia and nectar that granted immortality (we’ll get into that in another article, don’t worry). The prince’s beauty and youth were so celebrated that Zeus decided to immortalise him in the stars as the constellation Aquarius.
The significance of the myth may vary, considering the versions and associations of Prometheus (a Titan who defied Zeus to give fire to humans) or a great flood to the zodiac sign, but the core stays the same. The water from the urn, either as literal water or as nectar of the gods, fully represents Aquarius as a vessel and bringer of something new.
In astrology, instead, this constellation falls in the category of air signs, and it’s ruled by the planet Uranus. It is also one of the fixed signs of the zodiac, and it is often seen as independent, forward-thinking, innovative, and sometimes odd. Don’t get me wrong, not at all in a bad way! This marvellous constellation is linked with freedom, originality, thinking outside the box, and qualities that defy traditional norms.
Even though it is connected to water, it doesn’t represent the aspects of a water sign. Rather, it seeks the abstract and the eccentric as an unpredictable and highly idealistic sign. Aquarius can also be perceived as detached or aloof; being part of the fixed signs, however, makes it incredibly determined and persistent in its causes.
It is considered the rarest sign of the zodiac, but it is immensely loved, especially in modern times, as its influence in our current age of Aquarius is said to bring a new era of human consciousness. Along with the planet Pluto, which has recently moved into the water bearer constellation, plus the sun travelling through it during this time of the year, I cannot wait to see what bohemian changes it will bring.
After all, Aquarius is the true archetype of nonconformity, which makes it so freaking cool!
Up, Aquarius Illustration by my amazing twin Soul
Sources:
The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need by Joanna Martine Woolfolk (2012)
The Library of the Unseen 
Beautiful description of my sign! Thank you ☺️ 😘😘