I have a secret to tell you about my mother. How shall I put this? She’s a little…well… there’s just no easy way to say this folks – my mom is weird. I mean this in a most loving way of course, and if you knew my mother, you’d know that she laughed her butt off when she read this column. In all her weirdness, she feels it’s the rest of US who are the strange ones. It’s no surprise that my mom, Philomena, born January 28th, has her Sun in Aquarius – the sign that revels in eccentricity and innovation.
Now that I’ve got your attention about Aquarians, allow me to elaborate. Aquarius, a fixed air sign, is ruled by the planet Uranus. Uranus is all about breaking the rules, daring to go where the rest of us wouldn’t even have the vision to see and then revolutionizing itself towards its own new utopia. Thanks to Uranus, Aquarius has no qualms about being different – in fact they embrace their uniqueness and wear it as a badge of honor.
Let me give you an example. My childhood was, for the most part, the typical, traditional upbringing. Until you factored in my mother and her interests that is. In the 1970’s and early 80’s while most of the other moms were baking cookies, watching soaps and attending PTA meetings, my mother was sitting at our kitchen table with a pack of cigarettes and a pot of coffee reading all about reincarnation, angels and faith healing, and teaching herself numerology.
She used to go around the house yapping about how her eldest daughter (that’s me) might become a nun because my numbers were so spiritually inclined (no…that prediction didn’t work out folks!). When I boldly told her at age 12 that I was NOT going to join the convent, she insisted I would be some kind of spiritual healer. Back then, I’d just roll my eyes and laugh. It was just my mom, being strange as usual. But now I reconsider; was it Aquarian vision instead?
When I was 13 she became interested in the Ouija Board and would be the “cool” mother who invited mine and my sister’s friends over for board game séances. That is, until she became convinced that a spirit was trying to possess me one night and threw out the board, forbidding any of us to ever use one again. It must have been one of her Uranian flashes of insights. Or was it the eccentric unpredictable nature of Aquarius? As you can see, the line is thinly drawn and sometimes so transparent it’s impossible to know.
As far as appearances go, my mother never fit in. She was certainly an undisputed beauty by anyone’s standards (her own mother did some modeling). Yet she always walked her own path when it came to fashion or feminine mystique. One her wedding day, she wore only chapstick and has hated wearing makeup for as long as I can remember. But in typical Uranian fashion, my mother, at age 54, decided to get in touch with her feminine side and can probably be found at a local nail salon near you. The lesson here is that you can NEVER tell what an Aquarian will do next. They are as unpredictable and electric as a bolt of lightning.
But with all this quirkiness, Aquarians have another layer to their persona. They have a co-ruler by the name of Saturn. This basically means that even though they insist on doing things their own way with absolute freedom, it’s far too easy for an Aquarian to become restricted by their own, self imposed limitations. Recognize this because its important .In fact, I believe it’s the key to understanding this complicated sign. While it’s true that an Aquarian will never follow anyone else’s rules and will be the first to revolutionize, it’s also true that at the very same time, they are fixed and stuck – feeling somehow bound to their own, very specific and rigid set of self imposed “rules” to live by.
Let’s explore this further by considering that Aquarius is also a fixed air sign. Fixed means that they are intent on keeping things as they are and I know I just told you that Aquarius is all about being “different” so are you confused yet? Do you see the inherent schism in this sign? They must maintain their security somehow, but the only way an Aquarian can do this is by rigidly following the rules that they set because they can never find security in another person’s restrictions. It must be their own!
And remember the air. Aquarians are very intellectual signs – often living in their heads. They operate from logic and reasoning rather than from feeling. This is why they have a reputation for being so remote and distant from another person’s perspective. While it’s true that Aquarius is the sign of friendship, it’s more often the casual acquaintance and the “hello/goodbye” relationship this sign is more comfortable with rather than emotional intensity.
The reasoning capability is astounding with this sign and you will find an Aquarian rationalize the most insane behavior at times. The other side of the coin is that you will also find a vision in Aquarians that can truly be ahead of our time. So while I may joke about the eccentricity of all you Aquarians, please know it is only to illustrate your breadth.
Revolution is the name of Aquarius’ game. Anyone whose life is touched by an Aquarian will certainly be the recipient of unpredictability, innovation and constant re-orientation. But change, after all, is supposed to be a good thing. Just ask any Aquarius about the virtue of re-inventing yourself and I’m sure they’ll agree. I know my mom would.