Aquarius Symbol Meaning: ♒, the Water-Bearer and the Zodiac Sign

Quick answer: The Aquarius zodiac symbol is ♒, two parallel wavy lines commonly understood as flowing water. Aquarius itself is represented by the Water-Bearer, a figure pouring water from a vessel. Despite this imagery, Aquarius is classified as an air sign in the traditional astrological element system.

Why is Aquarius the Water-Bearer?

The figure of a man pouring water is old: the constellation Aquarius lies in a region of sky crowded with watery figures, including the Fishes and the Southern Fish. Greek and Roman writers identified the water-bearer with Ganymede, the beautiful Trojan youth carried off by Zeus to become cupbearer to the gods.

What does the Aquarius glyph ♒ mean?

The sign ♒ is two parallel zigzag or wavy lines. The most common reading is flowing water, fitting the water-bearer, though Aquarius is classed as an air sign in the traditional four-element scheme of astrology, a combination that surprises many people.

Sign and constellation

The zodiac sign Aquarius is a thirty-degree section of the Sun's path measured from the spring equinox; the constellation Aquarius is a group of stars. Because of the slow wobble of the Earth's axis, the two no longer line up: during the dates of the sign, the Sun is mostly in the constellation Capricornus. Our history of the zodiac signs explains how this happened.

Aquarius in jewellery

An Aquarius design can reference a birthday, the water-bearer or the constellation itself. You can see the AURYN Aquarius charm.

Frequently asked questions

What is the symbol for Aquarius?

The zodiac symbol for Aquarius is ♒, shown as two parallel wavy or zigzag lines and commonly interpreted as flowing water.

Why is Aquarius called the Water-Bearer?

Aquarius has long been represented as a figure pouring water from a vessel. In Greek and Roman tradition the constellation was commonly associated with Ganymede, the cupbearer of the gods.

Why is Aquarius an air sign if its symbol is water?

The Water-Bearer and the wavy glyph are the sign's imagery, but the traditional astrological element assigned to Aquarius is air. The image and the elemental classification come from different layers of the zodiac tradition.

Is Aquarius the zodiac sign the same as the constellation?

No. The astrological sign is a thirty-degree section of the zodiac, while the constellation Aquarius is a physical pattern of stars. Precession means the two no longer occupy the same part of the sky during most of the sign's traditional dates.