AQUARIUS - The Love of the Future

Source: Unsplash/Santa Barbara @barbaris778

This part 11 of a 12-part series. It’s a little meditation on understanding the signs based on the Archetype. 

Aquarius is the 11th sign of the zodiac, and despite sometimes being mistaken for a water sign because of its symbol, the water bearer, it’s part of the air triad with Gemini and Libra. Air signs have to do with communication, rational thought, and the sharing of information. The air signs represent a cycle of me – us – we that strives to create unity through the intellect. In Gemini we see the curiosity and accumulation of information; in Libra it’s the harmony created by sharing ideas within our personal relationships; and in Aquarius, it does both, but on a much broader scale. It’s consciousness, not water that pours from Aquarius’s pitcher.

In the Northern Hemisphere, Aquarius season is the heart of winter. The abundance of the summer growing and autumn harvest seasons has passed, and the renewal of early spring is not quite within reach. It’s a time when we often need to rely on the community for survival by pooling resources and information. Friendship and community become paramount to survival.  

Aquarius is a masculine, fixed, air sign. A self-starter (masculine) on the level of ideas (air), completely committed to their personal ideal despite wider resistance (fixed). Yet if we break down the sign in relation to its planetary dignities we can achieve greater understanding.  

Saturn as the traditional ruler is the ability to organize through elimination, but on the level of thought. This provides excellent judgement, concentration, and a certain comfort level with isolation. Contrast that with Saturn’s other rulership over Capricorn, where this trait is used in the practical world (earth) to ensure physical survival, often at the expense of emotional attachment (detriment in Cancer).  

With Uranus as modern ruler, we get energy on the level of thought (air) combined with speed to give flashes of insight or inspiration, which contributes to the sign’s association with creative visionaries and disruptors. It also gives an immense need for freedom and independence, which is why rebelliousness, restlessness, and being out of step with mainstream society are common traits.   

Venus and Mercury in triplicity show us that Aquarians value relationships and idea exchange, but the Moon peregrine means they don’t necessarily want the emotional entanglements that come with them. Along the same vein, the Sun in detriment shows us that the sign’s humanitarian ideals are not compatible with a strong ego or self-aggrandizement. The sign’s relationship to the Sun and Moon are part of the reason Aquarians are thought of as detached and aloof.  

The dignities also help us understand why Aquarius is aligned with the 11th house in the Archetype. In traditional astrology, the 11th house is known as Bona Fortuna (Good Spirit) and is often referred to as the house of hopes & wishes, a vague term that encompasses the good things in life, such as community, friendship, and success.  

My teacher often says the 11th house represents “those who are in your corner,” and a thorough delineation shows the support you receive as you work towards your aspirations and is a major contributor to future success. Think of it as the resources of those in power (the 2nd of the 10th) or consider it in terms of your journey through the zodiac. You’ve lived your beliefs in the 9th, earned an elevated position and reputation in the 10th, and are now able to impact society through the sharing of wisdom in the 11th.  

We can also use derivation to see that Aquarius is the realization of the sign Taurus, meaning the responsible use of resources and consistent effort results in the advancement of society. Conversely, the realization of Aquarius is in Scorpio, showing us how ingenuity and rebellion against the status quo has the power to transform.  

A constructive Aquarian influence is congenial, ego-less, and progressive. Aquarians represent the love of the future because their goal is to improve society by challenging conventions and providing creative solutions. As humanitarians, they pour their energy and ideas into their goal, share information freely for the benefit of all, and remain detached to the outcome. They are able to contribute their unique perspective to the group without losing their individuality or requiring fealty in return.