It's an Aquarius Thing!

When they told me there was a 13th sign and that I was no longer an Aquarius, I was dismayed. As if I could be anything other than who I am. And in true Aquarius form, I then became rather annoyed that someone would dare tell me that I was, in fact, a Capricorn!

Don’t get me wrong, as my birthday falls on the Capi-Aquarius cusp, many of my traits come from my more grounded and responsible zodiac neighbor. They are excellent leaders, planners, and have excellent self-control. They are hard workers and driven to excellence. All very respectable and worthy traits that I feel ground me. I feel like the Capricorn sign rules my logic and my head.

But Aquarius feeds my wild spirit and gives my heart and soul the eclectic beat to flow to. The Aquarius in me takes those practical, well-thought-out plans that my Capricorn side develops and adds a bit of chaos and grandeur. What started as a small, realistic goal turns into a grand adventure. There’s a lot of preparation and studying that goes into these plans, but when it comes to execution, it’s all about the journey and not the destination.

Yet if there is one largely misunderstood Aquarius trait, it’s the idea that we are cold and unfeeling. It’s true that many times we can appear this way, but I assure you when we come off as cold or unfeeling, we’re anything but. In my own experience, during the times where I seem cold and unfeeling, I am either processing emotions or attempting to protect myself from rampant emotions fighting to overwhelm me.

Over the years, I have observed that I tend to process emotions differently than others and where others tend to react, I hesitate. I know this is partly a learned behavior from my childhood, but the very fact that I am able to pause and allow myself time to process and choose the emotions I express is a trait that I believe comes from this classic Aquarius coldness.

My fierce independent streak and my dislike of authority are badges of honor that my stubborn nature adores. I was determined from a young age to live my life the way I wanted to and not how society dictated that I must. I gave up opportunities when uniform requirements required me to wear skirts instead of slacks. I focused on school and worked towards degrees, putting off family and relationships, because I never wanted to rely on a partner for my livelihood. And I struggled for years to figure out how to be happy in a relationship without feeling I was giving up on my personal freedom.

And while those Aquarius traits of independence and nonconformist attitudes resounded within me, above all else what I was most drawn to was being a kind dreamer who always takes the road less taken. And throughout it all, there seems to be a beautiful balance at play that allows me to be a dreamer, but also have my feet firmly planted in the Earth. An individual that wants us all to share our unique selves while maintaining fierce independence and a personal moral code. The responsible planner that allows for the journey to dictate the destination. A dichotomy that often tips too far to either side resulting in a restless need to reset and restart with another adventure.

While both of my zodiac influences tell me that horoscopes aren’t meant to be reliable tools of self-discovery, seeing as Capricorns are much too self-determined and Aquarians refuse to listen to anything that may resemble a sort of authority, I have definitely leaned into my zodiac sign(s) for insights and have often found comfort in seeing myself reflected in the stars.

If one thing is for sure and for certain, it’s definitely an Aquarius thing.