The Oracle’s Library introduces the next zodiac sign—Aquarius. The astrological sign Aquarius concludes the long and difficult winter season when creatures of the Earth are tempered by the chilling frost of the winter blues. In modern times, the precession of the equinox has caused the ages to drift with a new astrological epoch into the Age of Aquarius. The zodiac sign Aquarius indicates the change of seasons when spring is just around the corner. Aquarius is the ‘Water Bearer’ in Latin—the eleventh sign of the Tropical Zodiac. Aquarius spans from 300° to 330° on the Zodiac Belt, as it draws an end to the winter season each year.

Aquarius Zodiac Profile

In Sidereal Astrology, if you were born between February 14th and March 10th your Sun sign is in Aquarius—though the date often varies with leap year. This means the Sun transited through the constellation Aquarius at the given time of birth. In Tropical Astrology, the sign Aquarius is given to anyone born from the dates January 20th and February 18th.

Aquarius is an Air Sign that transitions from the end of the cold winter chill to the brilliance of the spring season once again. During this time, the winds seem to blow in our favor as the heat of the Sun kisses the breeze, and the promise of spring unfolds with each passing day. The tropical zodiac Aquarius was traditionally ruled by Saturn, but this role has since been given to the planet Uranus. Those born under Aquarius operate best when independence is optimized and originality is readily expressed. Aquarians have an astounding capacity for logical thinking, but this skill does not seem to heed them from their humane and giving nature.

The Myths and Legends of the Water-Bearer

To many ancient peoples of the past, Aquarius was depicted as a figure pouring water from an urn or barrel into the ‘mouth of the Southern fish’. In Greece, Aquarius was often associated with Ganymede—the cup bearer. Ganymede was an attractive young prince of Troy who caught the attention of Zeus. Not long after, Zeus summoned him to Mount Olympus by way of Aquila the eagle, so that Ganymede was granted eternal youth and became cup bearer to the gods.

In Babylon, the constellation Aquarius was not far off from its current symbolic rendition of a man or boy with the vase, while in Arabia, the person was replaced by a mule caring water barrels. The ancient Babylonian astronomers referred to Aquarius as ‘the Great One’ or the embodiment of Ea—as carved into stones and seals from the second millennium BCE. As far back as the Early Bronze Age, Aquarius held the winter solstice and once marked a time of heavy rains or regular flooding to the Babylonians and Egyptians.

Stargazing the Constellation Aquarius

The constellation Aquarius holds the bright stars Gamma, Eta, Pi and Zeta Aquarii that outline a man with overflowing vase that pours water into the faint stars below. The star Alpha Aquarii or Sadalmelik is the second brightest—a yellow super-giant named the ‘lucky stars of the king’ at 523 light-years from Earth. Beta Aquarii is the brightest star—another yellow super-giant named the ‘luckiest of the lucky stars’ at 537 light-years away. Despite its apparent faintness, Aquarius holds many notable objects and stars where reside an abundance of exoplanets. The constellation holds eleven known exoplanetary systems with one at Gliese 876—a red dwarf among the nearest stars to Earth at just 15 light-years away! Many globular clusters reside in Aquarius that include Messier 2 and Messier 72 with Messier 73 being an open cluster. Aquarius also holds both the Helix and Ring or Saturn Nebula and the galaxy NGC 7727—where supernovae are observed.

From April 21st to May 12th the Eta Aquariid meteors can be seen radiating out of Aquarius with yellow trails and fireballs after the peak at thirty-five meteors per hour around May 5th. These meteors are caused by Halley’s Comet and were discovered by Chinese astronomers in the 5th Century CE. The Delta Aquariids can be seen from July 29th to August 6th peaking at twenty meteors per hour and the Iota Aquariids peak on August 6th at eight meteors per hour. Aquarius can be found between Capricorn and Pisces. To spot Aquarius, look north of the lonely star Fomalhaut—the brightest of the celestial sea region of the night sky. It is best viewed on a dark night in the early autumn months of the Northern Hemisphere.

Thank you for reading at the Oracle’s Library! Are you an Aquarius? Please comment and share your experience with the Water-Bearer.

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