Aquarius

What is Aquarius like?

Aquarius is independent, inventive and friendly in a slightly sideways way. They collect unusual people and unusual facts. They will happily talk about the future of cities with someone they met ten minutes ago, and they treat the head of the company and the cleaner in just the same way.

They think about how things could be better, for everybody. Causes matter. So do science, odd music, strange hobbies and any idea that makes other people say "you can’t do that". An Aquarius does not much mind being the only one in the room who thinks something, and they are sometimes right ten years early.

The name misleads people, because Aquarius is an air sign, and the water it pours is more like knowledge. They live mostly in their heads. Under the cool surface there is real loyalty, and a very kind streak that they would rather you did not mention.

What are the weak spots of Aquarius?

Distance is the main one. Aquarius can love humanity and still struggle with one upset person on a sofa. When feelings get close, they may start to reason about them, which is not what anybody crying wants.

They are also more stubborn than they look. As a fixed sign, an Aquarius will defend a position long after the evidence has left. They see themselves as open-minded, and they will explain to you at length why that is the case.

There can be a habit of being different on purpose. If everyone likes something, an Aquarius may feel obliged to dislike it. Sometimes the popular song really is good, and it is fine to say so.

Who does Aquarius get on with?

Aquarius usually gets on best with the other air signs, Gemini and Libra, who like to think out loud and give each other room. Aries and Sagittarius are good company too, since they have the nerve to try the ideas. Leo, the opposite sign, can be a great match: Leo brings warmth and a sense of occasion, Aquarius brings the odd perspective, and each is puzzled by the other in an enjoyable way.

Taurus and Scorpio are fellow fixed signs, so nobody moves first in those pairs. Water signs may want more closeness than Aquarius offers at the start. A sun sign is a small part of all this. The compatibility pages take it further.

What is Aquarius like at work?

Aquarius wants a problem worth solving and freedom in how to solve it. Science, technology, charity work, activism, social research, invention, and anything new and slightly strange tend to suit this sign. They can see how a whole system works, and where it could be redesigned.

They do not enjoy being told what to do because "that is how it’s done". An Aquarius manager runs a flat, friendly team with few rules. As a colleague, they will suggest something unworkable on Monday, and by Friday you will all be doing it.

How does Aquarius handle money?

Aquarius tends to treat money as a tool and not much more. Status symbols leave them cold. They may drive an old car and put their spare cash into a telescope, a cause or a friend’s strange start-up. They can be good with systems, and many enjoy an unusual plan of their own that nobody else would think of.

What does the Aquarius symbol mean?

The symbol is the water bearer, a figure pouring water from a jar. In Greek myth this is often Ganymede, the young cup-bearer of the gods. In much older Babylonian star lore, the stars here were tied to a god who poured out the rivers. The glyph is two wavy lines, which may stand for water, or for waves of air and thought. The constellation is large and faint, and sits in a part of the sky the ancients called the sea.

Uranus is the modern ruling planet of Aquarius, and Saturn is the older one. That pairing sums the sign up: rules, and the urge to break them. Keep track of both on the Aquarius horoscope. A free birth chart will show you where they sit in yours. You will probably have a theory about it within minutes.