Aquarius is also called Kumbha in Vedic Astrology. The constellation is represented by the symbol of a man holding a jug. Aquarius is ruled
by Saturn, its element is air, its modality is fixed, and it is a male sign.
Aquarius is a positive sign that prefers to carry out what has already been started by others. Its natives naturally have a penchant for service, due to Saturn being their ruler. They have the sensitivity to identify with the less fortunate and have great empathy for people who suffer. That is why they are inclined to dedicate their lives to social causes or activities where they can potentially transform society.
Aquarius ascendants are the most unconventional people in the zodiac. They are eccentric and at the same time they are humanitarian. But many times they do not realize their strengths or virtues because they often look down on themselves. This happens because the Moon rules the 6th house (Cancer) for the Aquarius ascendant, which is a difficult house.
Kumbha is a jug-holding man, dark complexion, medium-bodied, with two feet, strong during the day, standing in the middle of the water, of air, ascending head-on, tamasic, a sudra
Parashara
Having air as their element, Aquarians are people that tend to use their intellect. They can appear as cold or impersonal, due to the rulership of Saturn. Once they make a decision, it is difficult to change their mind. This is because Aquarius is a fixed sign. This makes them tenacious gives them the reputation as one who achieves their goals.
As an intellectual sign, Aquarius ascendants tend to pursue higher education, including the completion of advanced degrees.
The meaning of Yogakaraka in Vedic Astrology
Since the most beneficial planet for Aquarius is Venus, it is Yogakaraka; that is to say, it rules an angular house and a trikona house.
There are four angular houses (1, 4, 7, and 10) and they always represent the four zodiac elements (earth, fire, water, and air). For example, Aquarius, an air element, is our ascendant sign. The 4th house (Taurus) is an earth sign; the 7th house (Leo) is a fire sign, and the 10th house (Scorpio) is a water sign. Angular houses are viewed as highly important by Vedic Astrologers because they are the ones that determine how you behave and interact with others. Therefore, they can have a major influence on your natal chart.
There are three trikona houses (1, 5, and 9) in everyone’s birth chart, and they always are the same element as the ascendant sign. For example, Aquarius is an air element sign. The other houses that form its trikona triad also are air elements, the 5th house (Gemini), and the 9th house (Libra). Trikona Houses generally are associated with connection to the divine, joy, pleasure, abundance, and luck.
To understand Yogakaraka, look at the figure below. In this chart, we are using the natal chart style used in Northern India, because it is easier to visualize this concept. In this case, the 4th house (Taurus) is angular and is ruled by Venus. Angular houses are those that are presented in the graph in yellow. They are houses 1, 4, 7 and 10. Trikona houses are the ones shown in the graph in blue. They are houses 1, 5, and 9. For the ascendant Aquarius, the 9th house, the sign of Libra, is its trikona house and is ruled by Venus.
The rulership of Venus in these houses indicates that the balance within them will tend to make Aquarians more spiritual people. The 4th house is related to the heart or inner self and the 9th house with spirituality, teaching, or religion. Venus is exalted in the 2nd house of Aquarius, which is the sign of Pisces. The 2nd house is related to self-esteem and values. Achieving self-esteem for the Aquarian could be a difficult task, because they generally tend devalue themselves.
If you are an Aquarius ascendant, achieving greater spiritual development will require that you seek inner harmony, learning to recognize and acknowledge the virtues that you possess. In this way stability in your family and home will be attained.
Venus is debilitated in the 8th house (Virgo) of the Aquarius ascendant. In this way, an excessively sensual and materialistic Venus, who follows the wrong teachings, will lead to a greater internal imbalance, a lower self-esteem and a loss of values. This could cause constant transformations in the lives of Aquarius ascendants that will not necessarily be positive.
Malefic planets associated with Aquarius
The Moon, Mercury, Rahu and Ketu are malefic planets for the sign of Aquarius. This does not mean that they are evil in the Western way of thinking. Instead, in Vedic Astrology malefic planets present difficulties to overcome. This is in contrast to benefic planets, which have pleasant influences.
The Aquarius ascendant can be prone to depression at times. This is because the planet that represents the mind for them is the Moon, which rules the 6th house (Cáncer). This is a difficult house that is related to internal struggles, differences or disputes with others, routine activities, and work.
This internal struggle leads Aquarius to easily identify with the less fortunate. This is due to Saturn, the planet of the masses, of the humble, of the elderly, and of the workers, being the planet that represents them, and also because the Moon rules their 6th house.
This is why Aquarians often dedicate themselves to defending the causes of the dispossessed. However, this also could be a way for them to avoid their own internal struggle, projecting it onto others.
The Moon is exalted in the 4th house of the Aquarian ascendant. The 4th house (Taurus) is associated with home and family, both past and present. Taurus is a slow mover. It likes to take the time to savor things to their fullest extent. The moon being exalted in the 4th house of Aquarius gives them an opportunity to slow down and seize the opportunity to reach a state of harmony with their internal struggles. Only then will attempts to change society and to change their heart fill the Aquarian with peace.
How does the 8th house affect Aquarius?
Mercury rules the 8th house (Virgo) of Aquarius. The 8th house represents longevity, inner and outer transformations, the occult (hidden knowledge), vulnerability, past and future events, loss, and death. In particular, Mercury is the planet that propels the inner and outer transformations of Aquarius.
Aquarius ascendants therefore are attracted to research (discovering hidden knowledge). They might show interest in the esoteric and mystical subjects. Acuarians might also be inclined to pursue careers that are in some way connected to loss, such as insurance (protection against loss), legal (litigation), and banking (protection against bankruptcy). It also is common to find Aquarius ascendants in religious professions (death and the afterlife), some of which are karma yogis that dedicate their lives to the service of others.
Aquarius is ruled by Saturn
Saturn is the planet that rules Aquarius. It also rules the 12th house (Capricorn), indicating that many of the life lessons of Aquarius ascendants will consist learning not to be attached to things and to seek their dharma (mission in this life). This is reflected by the fact that Saturn is exalted in the 9th house (Libra), the house related to dharma.
On the other hand, Saturn is debilitated in the 3rd house, the sign of Aries. If not managed properly, this can lead to an overly materialistic attitude that is attached only to obtaining fame, excessive competition, and indulgence of the senses. These behaviors will take Aquarians away from their true identity.
If you, as an Aquarius ascendant, develop the capacity for materialistic detachment and lead a life according to your dharma or life mission, you will be filled with joy and inner peace. By fulfilling your dharma, you will steer clear of unnecessary suffering, which Aquarians can sometimes experience.
Aquarius and health in Vedic Astrology
The health of Aquarius ascendants is determined in large part by its ruling planet Saturn. If Saturn is strong, along with the Moon that rules the 6th house (Cáncer) – the house of health and disease – for Aquarius ascendants, then they will be in good health.
Parts of the body that correspond to the sign of Aquarius are the calves (muscles located in the back of the leg below the knee), region of the tibia (shin), ankle, and blood circulation.
Aquarians may be susceptible to colds, can occasionally suffer from a broken leg, or may be prone to rheumatism or arthritis in old age.
Health conditions common to Aquarius often are related to disorders that involve the three doshas in Ayurveda (Vata, Pitta, Kapha). For example, if you are an Aquarius ascendant, you might experience health problems related to increased phlegm, such as sinusitis or frequent colds. Alternatively, you could suffer from bouts of constipation.
Jupiter and Saturn are planets that move more slowly around the Sun. When they transit through the 6th house (Cancer), they can cause health problems for Aquarians. The same can be said for the shadow planets Rahu and Ketu. Additionally, all of them can cause emotional problems related to arguments and disputes.
Health-related problems can also occur, when Mercury, Venus, or the Sun transit the 6th house of Aquarius during months of July and August.
Aquarius and love in Vedic Astrology
The 7th house (Leo) is the house of relationships for the Aquarius ascendant. This means that Aquarians tend to seek a romantic partner that they can look up to.
The Sun rules the 7th house. It is the planet that determines marriage for Aquarius. The Sun is debilitated in the 9th house (Libra) for the Aquarius ascendant, a house related to the teachings of masters and gurus, or those of the father.
If you are an Aquarius ascendant, viewing your romantic partner as a guru or father figure and following them blindly, could cause a lot of confusion for you. This is because you have a tendency to look at others as superior to yourself. In truth, the natural position of the planets for an Aquarius ascendant indicates that you should be the center of your own attention. In other words, you should not look to another person to show you the way. Instead, you should search within yourself.
The Sun is exalted in the 3rd house (Aries), which is related to younger siblings, self-determination, play, and competition. This indicates that you should not see your friends or romantic partners superior. Instead, you should view them from the perspective of companionship. Marriage or relationships for you should have a lot of play, sharing points of view, and defending your positions in positive ways. Rather than a father figure or teacher to obey, it’s best to see your romantic partner more as a traveling companion.
Romantic partners of Aquarius can be determined people, which means that you might have a tendency to acquiesce to them. For this reason, it is important that you rely on your intuition. If something feels wrong, it probably is wrong. In this way, you can avoid potentially abusive situations.
A strong Sun, as well as a Mercury without afflictions and the strength of the 2nd, 4th, 8th and 12th houses, will give you a good marriage.
Career paths of Aquarius
The 10th house (Scorpio) for the Aquarius ascendant is the house associated with professions, careers, promotions, and social status. But this is not a moolatrikona house.
Wait! What is that?
The sign of Moolatrikona is the place where a planet feels most comfortable and can produce its best results, even more than the exalted sign in some cases. Most of the planets have two signs. Among these two, one is their moolatrikona sign, based on the fact that they share almost similar characteristics. For example, Mars rules Aries and Scorpio, but its moolatrikona is Aries.
The 2nd house (Pisces), which similar to the 10th house, is associated with livelihood, professional position, higher education, and wealth is not a Moolatrikona house for Aquarius either. Therefore, the profession of Aquarius ascendants is determined by the planet Saturn – its ruling planet.
To discover which planet in your ascendant sign influences your profession, first look at the 10th house. The 10th house is the profession’s house. In the case of Aquarius, if you count from Aquarius the 10th house is Scorpio. In the Systems Approach, a method to study Vedic Astrology, the 10th house, the sign of Scorpio is not a moolatrikona house. Therefore its ruler, which is Mars, is not the determining factor of the profession. Next, review the 2nd house, which is the house of wealth. But this house for the sign of Aquarius is not a moolatrikona house either, because Pisces is not the moolatrikona house of Jupiter. In this case for Aquarius, the determinant of the profession will be the ruler of the ascendant, this is Saturn. This represents how to know the determining planet of the profession for any sign. When there are planets in these houses, these planets also can influence the profession, but are secondary determinants.
Aquarius ascendants typically are people that enjoy serving others, have lots of initiative and are persevering. However, they can be inflexible at times. For this reason, Aquarians should be vigilant to remain flexible and consider different ideas.
In addition to those already mentioned, some careers related to the Aquarius ascendant are:
- Philosophers
- Writers
- Teachers
- Religious
- Scientists
- Politicians
- Public servants
Acknowledgements
I am indebted to my professor, Sam Geppi, founder of the American Academy of Vedic Art and Science, for his infinite patience and tenacity in teaching me many of the concepts expressed in this article.
I also appreciate the teachings of Professor VK Choudhry, founder of the very effective study of the natal chart: Systems Approach, the basis for effective and reliable readings.
Recent Content
The following is the story of the origin of Rahu, known in Western Astrology as the North Node of the Moon. Keep reading. There are several lessons to be learned in this...
A common form of forecasting in the modern world is that used by Meteorology. This science uses measurements, such as temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, and the behavior of the winds...