Everything You Need to Know About the Aquarius Personality

No two Aquarians are alike—and an Aquarius will be the first to tell you so. They relish their status as the original originals, the true freaks and geeks of the zodiac. As an air sign, Aquarians (Janurary 19 to February 18, sun sign: Aquarius) are intellectual and abstract thinkers. They tend to be nimble, open-minded and highly social. It can be a little difficult for them to get in touch with their emotions, and they can come off as cold or detached.

This sign is fixed, a modality known as the stabilizers of the zodiac, continuing on the path that has already been established. They know how to sustain, grow, extend and nurture. They can be stubborn or rigid, often digging in their heels when challenged.

Aquarius’ ruling planet is Saturn. Ancient stargazers recognized Saturn as the most distant planet in our solar system that was still visible with the naked eye. Saturn is the boundary between the known and unknown world, and holding up this boundary requires structure, discipline and maturity. While earth sign Capricorn represents the physical and material sides of Saturn, Aquarius represents Saturn’s airy social side. Capricorn is the faraway stone castle while Aquarius is the wise grandmother who lives in that castle. She spends her days watching the rest of the world from her balcony and circling the perimeter. Observing everything and everyone else from a distance, she only intervenes when she knows her voice is necessary.

Symbolized by the water bearer, it would seem that the Aquarian avatar signals water more than air. But the water bearer is actually pouring not only water but waves into the watery regions of Pisces, the very next sign. As Aquarius not only rules genius but political disruption as well, they are literally the wind making waves.

Though they highly prize their individuality, Aquarians want to cultivate a sense of solidarity with the world. This sign is all about humanitarianism, so everything they do is considered on a global scale. It’s not just about what’s good for them—it’s about what’s good for the world. (Which also usually happens to be good for them too.) If you were born under this sign, or are just feeling very macro, join us as we try to wrap our head around these enigmatic creatures.

Aquarians are lovers on a global scale. They are among the coolest and most open-minded people you’ll ever meet, characteristically friendly and approachable. It’s said that the way an Aquarius thinks now is the way society will think in a decade. Known for their sharp intellect, love of learning and progressive views, this zodiac sign is a great problem solver and prolific in their ideas, which is what makes Aquarius a humanitarian. “Aquarians have a strong sense of social justice and a desire to make the world a better place,” explains Matthias Dettmann, astrologer and founder of tarot card-reading website Valaros. “They are often involved in humanitarian causes and care deeply about the welfare of others.” It’s probably no surprise, iconoclasts that they are, that Aquarius is also independent. As Dettmann puts it, they don’t like feeling constrained and have a unique sense of self.  

Aquarians are big know-it-alls, compounded by the fact that they are usually right. But in their desire to be more progressive and future-minded than others, they can be rigid and dogmatic, falling victim to trappings of the ego that undercut their own philosophies. Their two modes are either fascinated or indifferent, and it can be hard to get them to care (or even acknowledge) the people in their lives who don’t immediately hold their interest.

Because Aquarius and Gemini are both air signs, they share a strong mental connection, Dettmann says. “They enjoy stimulating conversations and intellectual pursuits, making for an engaging and lively partnership.” Other compatible signs include Libra and Sagittarius. According to Dettman, Libra, also an air sign, also values harmony and balance in relationships, and both will seek fairness and are open to compromise. As for Sagittarius, they share Aquarius’ need for independence and freedom, and both respect this in the other, which fosters a relationship of mutual exploration, growth and adventure.

Aquarians will want to steer clear of Taurus, Scorpio and Cancer. Because Taurus needs stability and routine, this will clash with Aquarius’ desire for novelty and change, Dettman shares.

As Aquarius has a tendency to keep emotions at bay, that means they’ll also struggle in a relationship with a Scorpio, an intense sign who craves deep emotional connections.
"Scorpio may find Aquarius too detached, leading to misunderstandings,’ Dettman notes.

With a Cancer, again, Aquarius’ emotional detachment and Cancer’s emotional sensitivity will be the sure source of a riff. Dettman shares that the latter’s need for security and emotional intimacy may find itself in conflict with Aquarius’ independent and intellectual nature.

We often think of Aquarians as eccentric weirdos which is why it might surprise you how popular many of them actually are. For example, who else but Aquarius Jennifer Aniston would inspire everyone to get “The Rachel” haircut in the ‘90s? There’s also highbrow yet approachable actresses Kerry Washington and Elizabeth Olsen; pop superstars Sheryl Crow, Shakira, Alicia Keys, Justin Timberlake and Harry Styles; television icons like The Simpsons creator Matt Groening; the peerless Oprah Winfrey; the controversial yet beloved Ellen DeGeneres; the original influencer Paris Hilton; art and music innovators Yoko Ono, Bob Marley and The Weeknd; idiosyncratic actors Laura Dern, Josh Brolin, Elijah Wood and Mia Farrow; and comedians Chris Rock, Patton Oswalt and Ed Helms.

Aquarians are natural innovators, entrepreneurs and disruptors. Their pet field is technology, but really their professional principle is that of disruption. Whether they are creating the next app that will take over our lives, writing political dissent that stirs revolution or pushing the boundaries of high-concept performance art, the Aquarian impact will be felt.

Your BFF the Aquarius is delighted to get weird with you. These are not the people who constantly ask for reassurance that you validate their normalcy—they don’t want to be normal, and they don’t expect you to want that either. “Is it weird if I wear a turtleneck under this slip dress?” is not a question you’ll hear from these mavericks. That’s what’s so refreshing about them: They don’t need you to be anything like them, because the reason they like you is because of you.

An Aquarian parent loves to nurture the individuality of their kids. If the apple falls far from the tree, all the better! But while they are perfectly delighted and content to sit with the differences between themselves and their offspring, they may want to remember that the world is already full of alienation, and sometimes all a kid needs is to hear someone say, “I know exactly how you feel.”

Aquarians are all about agapic love. For the uninitiated, that’s the highest form of love, according to the ancient Greeks, and it supersedes romantic, friendly or familial bonds. When an Aquarian is in love, the relationship is part of something bigger than the couple, so they thrive when there’s shared purpose and enthusiasm for the future. They tend to be very egalitarian and open-minded, and as long as it makes you both happy, it’s on the table. That creativity absolutely translates in bed as well.

Aquarians have a reputation for coldness because they experience the world in such abstract terms, but they actually have huge, warm hearts. They can feel removed from the concerns of mere mortals because their mental canvas is so wide, but they are fundamentally driven by passion. Everything they do is because they believe it will somehow better their lives and the lives of everyone in the world. If they didn’t care, they’d peace out.

Aquarians finally catch a break this year as rule-planet Saturn leaves their sign for Pisces on March 7th. After three years of feeling so stressed it was making them (sometimes quite literally) sick, Aquarians get to release that pressure and focus on building their self esteem rather than running themselves into the ground. It’s time for them to take a deep breath and accept that they can’t solve everyone else’s problems. Their primary concern is their finances as Saturn is now transiting that area of their chart through 2026. With an eclipse in their career sector on May 5th bringing professional endings or restructuring, Aquarians might be letting go of responsibilities, changing careers, or stepping into a more defined leadership position in the spring.

While their professional life is getting more streamlined, things are really growing for Aquarius at home. Expansion planet Jupiter enters their home sector on May 16th and whether they’re moving house, getting married or growing their family, Aquarians are finding more joy and meaning in their private life than they previously thought possible. Then on October 28th, a lunar eclipse in Taurus brings one last unexpected growth spurt at home.

Relationship-wise, Aquarius will have had a very romantic summer. Love planet Venus goes retrograde in their partnership sector on July 27th through September 3rd allowing them to work through conflict, reconnect with lovers from the past, and build stronger connections to carry them forward in this exciting time of their life. The last time there was a transit like this was Summer 2015 so Aquarius will have found clues about this summer’s romantic escapades through revisiting memories that time.

That said, this year has also brought blessings. With the abundance planet Jupiter moving through both their income and communication sectors, Aquarius has seen both their world and quality of life expand for the better. Friendships and family ties are deepening, and all that hard work at the office has thankfully come with a raise. The final part of the year finds Aquarius putting more energy than usual into their creative and romantic life. Action planet Mars spends almost seven months in Gemini (August 20, 2022 - March 25, 2023) and in the final part of the year, Aquarius will be reconnecting with former lovers and pulling past artistic projects out from the archives. Time to dig into desires.