Everything You Wanted to Know About the Aquarius Zodiac Sign

Are you feeling that winter chill? We’re about to hit the second month of the season, which happens to mark the Aquarius zodiac season as well.

From the end of January and into February, we’re stepping back into life after the slow, cozy and sometimes lethargic energy of Capricorn, feeling more independent, innovative and inspired than ever. We might also feel like trying new things, and paving our own paths after a period of stagnancy. This couldn’t be more apt for the spirit of Aquarians themselves. If you’re curious about the sign and what makes them tick, just keep scrolling for the full breakdown.

Born right at the start or end of the season? Our guide to the zodiac cusps and their dates explains how a neighboring sign can color your personality.

Also read about: Zodiac Signs: Personality, Compatibility, Horoscopes and More

Aquarius Dates

After the new year, the Aquarius season arrives when the sun is in Aquarius, generally from about Jan. 20 to Feb. 18. It marks the 11th sign of the zodiac, and the middle month of winter in the Northern Hemisphere.

After the quiet of the first weeks of January, this period is illustrative of the essence of Aquarius, feeling more energetic and expressive, and with people more willing to step outside of the box. It’s time to get stuff done and enjoy the motivation ahead of the dreamy, emotional Pisces season to follow.

Aquarius’s Element

Because of the name, many people wrongfully assume that Aquarius is a water sign when it is, in fact, an air sign. It shares its airy element with Gemini and Libra. These signs are known as free spirits who are clever and witty, with an ability to learn new things in pretty much any environment. They’re strong communicators who are great at both absorbing new information and sharing it, but they can also be slightly inconsistent and as unpredictable as the wind. Despite their intelligence, they can be slightly scatterbrained and cold, but they definitely know how to have a good time.

Aquarius’s Symbol

Aquarius’s zodiac symbol of the water bearer certainly doesn’t help with the confusion around them being an air sign, rather than a water sign. This suggests the fact that Aquarius is a sharer and provider of new ideas, passing them along to others to explore and understand themselves. Just like people might gather around a water cooler today, ancient people would meet around wells to commune and exchange stories and information. Aquarius pours their wisdom out for others to take or leave, and their ideas are ever-flowing.

Shutterstock: Aquarius zodiac symbol

(via Shutterstock)

Also read about: 8 Iconic Songs by Aquarius Artists That Capture the Sign’s Spirit

Aquarius’s Modality

Aquarius is said to have a fixed modality, alongside the other fixed signs Taurus, Leo and Scorpio. This means that they can be quite fixed in their ways, making them endlessly stubborn as well as ambitious. They’re goal-oriented and confident, and they believe that they’ll never reach their dreams if they don’t set their standards high and strive for them every day. They plan ahead and are highly focused and detail-oriented, but sometimes they can be so stuck in their ways that it became challenging for them to see the bigger picture.

Aquarius’s Ruling Planet

Aquarius has a couple of ruling planets—Saturn in traditional astrology and Uranus in modern astrology. Saturn (which the sign shares with Capricorn) symbolizes boundaries, rules and limits. While Capricorn directly plays along with these expectations, Aquarius subverts them, acting outside of traditional rules and instead being quite quirky and unusual. Uranus’s role is more direct, in that the planet rotates along its side. Aquarius, too, likes to break the rules and do things their own way, and they aren’t afraid to stand out from the crowd.

Shutterstock: Uranus, galaxy and stars. View of Uranus - planet gas-giant of the solar system. Galaxy, stars and planet Uranus. High resolution image. This image elements furnished by NASA.

(via Shutterstock)

Aquarius’s Ruling House

Aquarius’s astrological ruling house is the 11th house, which has to do with communication, friendships and independence. It governs freedom from outside influence, autonomy and camaraderie based on what’s actually important to us, rather than any outside influences. It also governs acts of self-improvement and striving to evolve as individual human beings.

Also read about: 8 Whimsical and Out-of-the-Box Types of Gifts Any Aquarius Will Love

Aquarius Strengths

One of Aquarius’s biggest strength is their refusal to conform or change who they are for anyone. They’re not afraid to appear a little eccentric or ruffle a few feathers by being unapologetically themselves. They’re intelligent, as well as idealistic, and they like to apply themselves to altruistic endeavors, with an eye on changing the world. They rarely judge people, understanding that all perspectives have some kind of value, and are innovative inventors who think outside the box and focus on solutions, rather than problems.

Shutterstock: A woman interacts with a futuristic digital interface, bathed in blue and pink light. Neon blue concept of technology, innovation, and digital interaction. Futuristic technology image.

(via Shutterstock)

Aquarius Weaknesses

Because they’re so independent and original, Aquarians can sometimes rub people the wrong way. They’re not afraid to say what they feel, even if it might upset people, and don’t always play nicely with others when they have big ideas of their own. They can be easily bored, making that other people’s problem, and can push people away when they’re feeling frustrated or overwhelmed. They often need plenty of time alone to recharge their batteries, and their aloofness can make them challenging to get close to emotionally.

Aquarius in Love

Aquarians can be complex creatures, especially when it comes to relationships. While they do crave affection, they also hate clinginess. There’s no room for jealousy in the relationship, and they require a careful balance of freedom and closeness. Some can be quite aloof, especially in terms of romance, and struggle to commit. They might prefer the chase to actually being in a relationship. However, once an Aquarius does decide to fully settle down, they make for highly loyal and devoted partners.

Aquarians are typically the most compatible with fellow air signs Gemini and Libra for their freedom-loving, outgoing ways, as well as active and passionate Aries. They’re likely to struggle in a relationship with the water signs, Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces, because of the clash between Aquarius logic and water emotion and intuition.

Aquarius Season Energy

For the length of Aquarius season, you may feel a little less focused on things like career and financial success, and more honed in on your own joy and fulfillment. You’ll likely be craving some alone time to decompress and figure yourself out, especially when you’re generating new ideas and thinking about how to put them into action. It’s a time when people are inspired to help others, learn new skills and step out of their comfort zones on the journey to self-discovery.

Aquarius Stars

Given their penchant for becoming the very best at what they do, it’s only natural that many Capricorns find fame pursuing the careers they love best. Whether they’re athletes, musicians, actors, content creators or something else, they were born to shine. These stars include: