Aquarius is among the most misunderstood signs, because it contains what seem like contradictions. People with strong Aquarius placements in their birth charts (having an aqua in your “big 3” or having an aqua stellium, for example) seem to like that just fine, though. The constellation Aquarius is the “water bearer” and has been associated with rivers flooding in ancient times, but the classical element belonging to this sign is actually air. Air signs tend to be dynamic, curious, and thoughtful in nature, and Aquarius is no exception here. But for all its unique, outside-the-box ideas and innovative thinking, Aquarius is also a fixed sign, as the sun passes through Aquarius in the middle of a season (around January 21-February 20, the middle of astronomical winter in the northern hemisphere). That gives Aquarius a stable, consistent, and determined energy to impart upon planets passing through them or houses that they rule. Aquarius can come up with many novel solutions to a problem, but may not be willing to change once a course of action has been determined. Aquarius energy is caring for all of humanity, while needing a healthy amount of alone time. It’s thinking of all kinds of new ways to do things, but not really wanting to change your routine. Perhaps one reason for all the contradictions is that the traditional ruling planet of Aquarius was originally Saturn, which makes the “fixed” part make a lot of sense, but once Uranus was discovered that was deemed the new Aqua ruling planet, which aligns more with the innovative, unusual side of things. Either way, Aquarius energy is never dull.