Sun Signs - Aquarius

- AQUARIUS –
20 January to 19 February

Ruler: Uranus Fixed-Air Sign

When we have Aquarius strong in our astrological makeup (i.e. Sun, Moon, Ascendant or Saturn), our approach to life is gregarious and unconventional, original and objective. We are civilised and unbiased to say the least, humane and non-materialistic at best. We are off-beat, quirky, group-conscious, socially-aware, friendship driven, and have strong opinions on just about everything. Our reforming attitudes can lead us to participate in protest marches, to wave petitions about at the local mall, and to be a passionate activist/crusader in anything from human rights to library charges. At the extreme, we are anarchistic and invite change for change’s sake – bring on the revolution! We frequently upset the status quo and push people to really question what they think and why. We cannot tolerate sheep-like, big brother-type thinking. Future-oriented, we worry about what is happening in the world. We hanker after causes, crusades and choices.

We view life from a detached and aloof stance but underneath we are often a contradiction of emotion. We are quite quixotic in many respects, a different person every day of the week. We may be traditionalists one day, carrying out the usual domestic routine bit, tending our family, doing the gardening because, after all, Saturn is said to co-rule Aquarius. But then we will catch a whiff in the air of a crusade that needs to be battled and we’ll be seized with the need to put right this terrible wrong – this is the Uranus side to us. Up we climb onto our bandwagon and away we go on our reforming path again. And though we are dutiful and routine oriented in some sense, we will only follow what our beliefs dictate rather than what is expected of us. We’ll celebrate Christmas all right, but we’ll do it our way with vegetarian fare and no Santa Claus, or no way at all. We’ll have a living tree instead of cutting down the pine and we’ll make our own decorations. Crass commercialism is not our style, individualism is. We have a stubborn streak that no amount of arguing, crying, convincing, conniving, blackmail or persuasion can change. We have principles and we are going to stick to them. We may stop dead in our tracks and be very surprised to hear people say we are set in our ways, for we pride ourselves on being rebels, for taking the opposite or non-conformist path in life. We are not as flexible as we might think and we may actually deny other peoples their opinions with our loud protests. To some we may seem derisive, elitist and stuck up, in our own original way.

And it’s true, we generally do follow the beat of our own drummer and to some we seem eccentric, far-out, avant-garde or downright weird. In some respects, we are probably ahead of our time and are waiting, watching, biding time while the rest of our family, our social circle, the world, catches up. But following a different beat can sometimes mean we attract controversy from unexpected quarters who have been gathering their weapons and strength, and sudden changes and upheavals can strike without warning. Unpredictable, lightening-quick, thunder-crashing change is the consistent theme in our lives. And as much as we like change, we prefer it to be on a social rather than private level. Aquarius is a Fixed sign, and while we operate best in an environment of freedom, our overall nature is steady and solid. We may not always tolerate the predictability of routine and habit, but we do like a pattern somewhere. And often we work so damn hard to achieve our ideals that we are not enamoured when it comes crashing down. True revolutionaries though, we can control this unpredictability when we look for change and newness rather than waiting for it to find us, for our life pattern is to change and grow.

Our weakness may lie in our stubborn refusal to conform where necessary, where it is in our own interests. We may have so much pride, that we can never, ever back down, even when we know we are wrong. We may need to realise that at certain times there is more freedom within rules and regulations, for it is then that we receive the co-operation and support from the people you are rebelling against. Is it the principle or the purpose, we might ask ourselves. We may tend to swim upstream when it is easier to be a little more flexible, gain support, and all without losing our individuality. We tend to speak our minds, and this honesty can sometimes shock others, which is utterly delightful to us. We are experimental, something is always worth a try simply because it adds to our diversity of experiences. We are attracted to alternative everything – from education to medicine to lifestyle to work.

The future seems exciting and that is exactly where we are heading. We are probably interested in science, computers, astrology, humanitarian ideals, social change and a bettering of conditions, no matter how small or ordinary our world. Our friends are extremely important to us and are mentors and guides on our path. Our task in life is to blend the past with the future and find a comfortable middle road that allows us full expression of our individuality. We may rebel against a past that is stifling and restrictive, but in the end true freedom comes from changing ourselves and our attitudes rather than changing the world around us for the sake of it.

(c) Tracey Rizvi, 2006