Diligent, orderly, and cold-hearted Capricorn season has just come to an end: are you ready for quirky Aquarius season? No lie, I myself am an Aquarius, with a strong inclination towards the unusual and otherworldly, like horoscopes written for the astrological thrill. I once read a meme listing star signs’ reactions to ghosts — while Capricorn’s reaction was “glares from afar,” Aquarius’ was “smiles and winks.” Capricorn may show contempt for the bizarre and keep you focused and clear-headed, but Aquarius will weird you out before we enter impenetrable Pisces season.
These astrological seasons are periods where the sun is transiting through a single sign. Your sun position is the easiest to determine — it is the one you look up when you wonder what “sign” you were born in — but when you look at this, you’re actually looking for where the sun was relative to astrological constellations in the sky at your time of birth. Astrological seasons are not the same as Roman months we use in our calendar: they usually start the season around the 20th of each month; for Aquarius this year, it spans from the night of January 19 to midday on February 18.
So what’s in the stars for you? Look for your sun sign (and your moon and rising signs if you know them)! Take what works, leave the rest.
Aries
March 21 ~ April 20
Aries is the first sign of the astrological wheel. You’re impetuous, spontaneous, driven, hot-headed — your credo is, “it’s my way or the highway.” Aquarius and Aries go well together: Aquarius’ avant-gardism and revolutionary ideals suit Aries’ desire to be the first, the only, the one. This season will definitely feel more fun to you than Capricorn’s rigid and frigid ways. Look forward to the energy around February 3: your ruler, Mars (action, force, virility) in Sagittarius (expansion, drive, philosophy, knowledge, nonconformism), will connect with Mercury (communication, logic, thought) in Aquarius. Original thoughts and actions will certainly be aligned towards greater ideals. Good time to take action against oppressive systems!
Taurus:
April 21 ~ May 20
Lover of good food, Taurus enjoys earthly pleasures. Aquarius is an air sign — not exactly Taurus’ cup of tea. Aquarius’ quick intellect clashes with Taurus’ drive towards patience and cultivation. Therefore, you might like this season’s bold changes, but their speed could be distressing to you. This instability will intensify around the first half of February when your ruler, Venus (love, the home, caring, emotional and material security) in Aquarius, connects with Uranus (fast change, upsetting, revolutions, innovation) in Aries. This will be a time where your sense of security will be upset, urging you to try something new. Let go, or rather, ask yourself what is really important to keep, and consider the ways that this uncertainty can help you care for people outside of your usual circle.
Gemini:
May 21 ~ June 21
Gemini — the twins! Double faced, the hermaphrodite, androgynous, Gemini is an interesting sign. Associated with transition and united duality, Gemini should reclaim its place in the trans pantheon of gods! Some people diss you a lot, Gemini, but Aquarius isn’t one of them. Air brothers, you love to chat and make unrealistic plans. Look forward to February 15: your ruler Mercury (communication, logic, thought), the Moon (feelings, emotions, intuition), and the Sun (the self, ego) all meet in Aquarius, and all of that during the new moon! Your ideals will align with your reason and intuition for a moment, so make best use of it by helping a friend in a difficult situation or planning something oriented towards care!
Cancer:
June 22 ~ July 22
The emotional baby of the zodiac . . . Cancers are often hard to meet — they looooove the home and staying in it! Aquarius and Cancer have a strange relationship: Cancer is often weirded out by Aquarius’ rootless and unstable identity, but they might offer the energy needed for Cancer to move forward beyond its reclusive tendencies. Cancer, look forward to February 15: your ruler the Moon (feelings, emotions, intuition), Mercury (communication, logic, thought), and the Sun (the self, ego) all meet in Aquarius, and all of that during the new moon! Your ideals will align with your reason and intuition for a moment; show the world how deep Cancers care!
Leo:
July 23 ~ August 22
Aaaah, Leo . . . The star of the zodiac; the charismatic, passionate queen. Leo and Aquarius have a very intense relationship: on opposing ends of the zodiac, Leo is about holding power while Aquarius is about deconstructing power. A clash, or rather, a challenge awaits, so Aquarius season can provide you with the self-criticism you need. Look forward to January 31st when the intense full Moon (feelings, emotions, intuition) in Leo will oppose the Sun (the self, ego) in Aquarius. Your feelings and intuition will be extremely strong and challenge your ego in a rare, intense way: don’t fight it, listen to what the feelings tell you, the Sun in Aquarius can help you channel this energy into changing your overdeveloped sense of self for the better — learn humility’s strength!
Virgo:
August 23 ~ September 22
Virgo, the caring, motherly being! Security, habit, and patient calculation are Virgo’s associated traits. Virgo and Aquarius have a strange relationship: Virgo feels frustrated by Aquarius’ lack of consideration for the roots and foundations from whence one comes. Like Gemini, with whom you share Mercury as ruler, look forward to February 15: your ruler Mercury (communication, logic, thought), the Moon (feelings, emotions, intuition), and the Sun (the self, ego) all meet in Aquarius, and all of that during the new moon! Your ideals will align with your reason and intuition for a moment, use Virgo’s deep dedication to creating refuge to help out around you!
Libra:
September 23 ~ October 22
Libra, the lover, the balance, the partner . . . Libra is the aesthete, the intellectual and diplomat; it abhors conflict. Libra’s intellectual and tolerant sides mingle naturally with its air-brother Aquarius’ humanitarian and utopian ideals. Aquarius season is a good time for Libra to sketch out its dreams of a world at peace! You share Venus as a ruler with Taurus, but where Taurus perceives shakiness, you will feel more organically: during the first half of February, your ruler, Venus (love, the home, caring, emotional and material security) in Aquarius connects with Uranus (fast change, upsetting, revolutions, innovation) in Aries. This will be a time where your sense of security will be upset, urging you to try something new. You will perceive this upsetting as a long-awaited chance for a change: make the best use of the connection’s energy to meaningfully challenge what you have made safe within yourself — this perceived safety might actually be something harmful that you harbor for the wrong reasons. Heal, Libra!
Scorpio:
October 23 ~ November 21
Ah, Scorpio . . . you’re so hot. Scorpio is associated with the obscure, clairvoyants, the underground, transformations, sex, and kink. Scorpio, Aquarius season for you will be similar to Taurus; it will be a tense one. Scorpio dislikes Aquarius’ shallowness: we get it, Aquarius, you believe in ghosts — how original and avant-garde of you — but do you even see them like Scorpios do? Aquarius season is an eyeroll season for Scorpios, who have to deal with Aquarius’ act when they see right through it. Look out on January 24: your ruler, Pluto (the ruler of the underworld, deep, transformative change, sex) is joined by Mercury (communication, logic, thought) in Capricorn. Your reasonable mind will be moved by deep instincts and impulses in a way that could be very beneficial to your sense of security — you might be able to “make sense” of nonsensical, imperceptible, invisible realities. Trust your gut, Scorpio.
Sagittarius:
November 22 ~ December 20
Sagittarius, the human-beast or the bow: you’re a driven, expansive sign, channeling your animal impulses into the intellectual highs of research. Aquarius is your philosophy bro: you and they get into a room, and your combined wits can dismantle the subtleties of an entire oppressive system. Be more aware around January 24-25: your ruler, Jupiter (expansion, luck, games) in Scorpio connects with Mercury (communication, logic, thought) in Capricorn. You might gain good insight into how you can grow at a deep level. Listen to your surroundings, they might teach you how to disentangle the chains of oppression within you and plant seeds of healing around you!
Capricorn:
December 21 ~ January 19
Capricorn, you self-aware, hardworking smart-ass! Capricorn is a sign gifted with success and wits. Level-headed, Capricorn has the aptitude to see through situations using only intellect — they’re big on the Western ideal of mind controlling the body. Aquarius’ originality and disruptiveness therefore disturbs Capricorn’s rigid, rational character. This season can nevertheless be a good one for Capricorn if the sign tries to be receptive to the originality and outward-looking perspective it often lacks. Capricorns should use their skills to realise Aquarius’ foolish and impractical dreams — if one sign can make them a reality, it’s Capricorn. Look forward to February 15: your ruler, Saturn (hard-work, wisdom, hard lessons, old age, the patriarch, traditions) in its sign, and Capricorn connects with Venus (love, the home, caring, emotional and material security) in Pisces. This will be a good time to actively build strong and deep loving foundations with a close friend or partner. Build up your community for the fight, Capricorn!
Aquarius:
January 20 ~ February 18
Aquarius, you weirdo! Aquarius is the revolutionary, idealistic, fast-changing innovator, human-driven and friendly. Its ideals and weirdness might nevertheless set it off-track if unchecked. This is your season, make the most of it! Look forward to February 13: your ruler, Uranus (fast change, upsetting, revolutions, innovation) in Aries will connect with the Sun (the self, ego). Aries’ burning power will infuse your ruler and connect with your revolutionary self — time to blow stuff up, in a loving, humane way! Do what you do best, Aquarius, and get rid of what holds you back!
Pisces
February 19 ~ March 20
Finally, Pisces, a dreamy loner . . . Pisces is the hermit: spiritual, witchy, poetic, unintelligible softboy. Aquarius season is also complicated for you. Aquarius wants you to communicate, but, like Scorpio, you roll your eyes at Aquarius’ attempt at being weird — for you, this is a poor attempt at being as esoteric as Pisces. Similarly, you dislike the shallowness of Aquarius — you think true depth comes with incommunicability. Look forward to February 16: your ruler, Neptune (dreams, illusions, religion, spirituality, depths) is in your sign Pisces, and clashes with Mars (action, force, virility) in outward-looking Sagittarius. At the same time, the Moon (feelings, emotions, intuition) joins Neptune in Pisces. Neptune and Moon in Pisces will make your softboy, hermit, feel-y self peak — expect a lot of feels, and a difficult demand for you to get out of your bubble. If managed well, you can use this energy to take action rooted in empathy and sensitivity! Don’t forget the others, Pisces!
PS: If you were born at one of the beginning or end dates, I advise you check on astrotheme.com with your hour and location of birth to figure out which sign you were born in! The website will also give you your other planetary positions, and your rising signs . . . but that’s for another article!
Any heartbreak you think is astrologically motivated? Concerned you might not survive the next Mercury retrograde? Wondering how earth signs can break out of their conservative tendencies? Want to see more astrological dragging of signs? Email all your worries and wonders regarding the role of celestial bodies in the anti-oppressive struggle to culture@mcgilldaily.com.
Illustrations by Gloria François