Aquarius season is on its way out, but that doesn't mean the light of the Aquarians you know will be dimmed anytime soon. In fact, the depth of Water Bearers' quirkiness and free-spiritedness goes beyond what you can imagine. They're known as the zodiac's changemakers for a reason, after all — namely, their strive for independence and forward-thinking mind.
If your birthday happens to land between Jan. 20 and Feb. 18, you're an Aquarius. But, of course, if your moon sign or rising sign is Aquarius, you may also feel connected to some of Aquarius's personality traits, too. The Uranus-ruled zodiac sign is all about calling out the status quo and enforcing the value of uniqueness — and while they can be considered oddballs, we'd all be worse off without their rebellious streak.
To get the scoop on Aquarius's unique eccentricities, POPSUGAR spoke with astrologers Ryan Marquardt and Brilla Samay.
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Aquarius Traits: They're Trendsetters
From popularizing edgy beauty trends, like Julia Fox's bleached brows, to literally inventing catchphrases, à la Megan Thee Stallion's "hot girl summer," Aquarians are known to make a statement. Marquardt says this trait is so common among Water Bearers because they practically live in the future. In modern astrology, Aquarius is ruled by Uranus, the planet of innovation and change. "It's a planet that pushes us forward into a new era, whether we're ready for the change or not," Marquardt says. Safe to say the innovative air sign can thank its planetary ruler for its lack of interest in the mainstream and courage to stand out from the crowd. "They have no desire to fit in with the status quo. Instead, Aquarius would rather be on the cutting edge," Marquardt adds.
Aquarius Traits: They're Know-It-Alls
Blame it on their air-sign intuition or forward-thinking nature, but Aquarians have all types of knowledge up their sleeves, and they aren't afraid to speak up. "As the eldest air sign, Aquarius has been through all of the communicative phases and knows how to use their knowledge in powerful ways," Marquardt says. Aquarians' intellectual sophistication often extends beyond academia — these brilliant signs love a good rabbit hole about anything, but especially obscure topics that require a lot of mental gymnastics (conspiracies, anyone?). Marquardt says that being a fixed sign adds to why these smarty-pants have a thirst for knowledge. "It gives them mental stamina that can come across as forceful and stubborn," he says. In other words, they're someone you want on your trivia night team.
Aquarius Traits: They're Humanitarians
Aquarius is a sign of altruism and community. Aquarians are pretty much hellbent on progressing the collective forward for reasons that go beyond themselves. Marquardt explains that Water Bearers have an innate desire to make the world a better place and value equality over everything. That's partially due to the fact they're associated with the eleventh house of society and hope — and they're committed to seeing the evolution of humanity through. Uranus is also responsible for Aquarians' urge to rebel in the name of equality, says Marquardt. "Uranus has long been associated with revolutions and social change, so Aquarius taps into that defiant spirit easily with Uranus as one of their ruling planets," says Marquardt. Add their unwavering fixed-sign nature, and you've got yourself a true revolutionary.
Aquarius Traits: They're Paradoxical
If one thing is true: Aquarius zodiac signs are a walking paradox. Their glyph is a Water Bearer despite being an air sign. They pride themselves on individuality but also tend to preach the power and necessity of collectivism. They're the sign of friendship and society, but they crave independence. And even though they show allegiance toward being different, Marquardt says it's often their desire to stand out that creates distance between them and those they want to connect with. "It gives them an aloof vibe, which isn't very approachable for other people either, so they might not seem like the easiest sign to get to know," says Marquardt. They can thank their traditional ruler, Saturn, for this; Marquardt explains that it can be an isolating planet. But although the Aquarians in your life can have you feeling a little up and down, they're worth getting to know — if you're willing to come along for the ride.
