Aquarius Through The Eyes Of Saturn Instead Of Uranus

Saturn is the quirky one.

We’re entering Aquarius season soon so it’s a good time to talk about this sign and why it’s one of the most misunderstood.

Modern astrology assigns Uranus as the ruler of Aquarius, but in traditional astrology, Saturn is the ruler of Aquarius. Ancient astrologers weren’t aware of the “modern planets” (Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) because you need a telescope to see them. Hellenistic astrologers focused on the planets you could see from the naked eye and believed them to be omens. 

Hellenistic astrology created an organized system of planets ruling signs based on the seven traditional planets (including the luminaries: the Sun & the Moon) you can see with the naked eye. Each planet except for the the Sun and Moon (which rule one sign each) rule two signs. Saturn rules both Capricorn and Aquarius.

It’s hard to say what ancient astrologers would have done with Uranus if they were aware of it during their time, and whether they would have assigned it to Aquarius or another sign or no sign at all. But, in my personal experience with astrology, I found that I understood Aquarius a lot better when I learned about the sign through the eyes of Saturn instead of Uranus. Aquarius made a lot more sense to me as I felt that the Aquarians in my life resembled Saturn more than Uranus.

How did Uranus get assigned to Aquarius?

Uranus was first discovered 1781 through a telescope. In short, modern astrology thought that the modern planets (Uranus, Neptune & Pluto) should also rule signs, thus they tried to pick signs that made sense for them to rule and they assigned Uranus to Aquarius based on some significations they have in common. However, there are other reasons why Aquarius and Uranus seem to have things in common, which I will explore, but, ultimately, I believe Saturn makes the most sense to be assigned to Aquarius.

Let’s explore…

Uranus and Saturn are very different planets with very different significations. Uranus is the planet of rebellion, freedom, disruption and surprises. Saturn is pretty much the opposite of that. Saturn is restriction, contraction, control, law and order.

Because modern astrology has conditioned us to associate Uranus with Aquarius, Aquarius has been thought of as progressive and rebellious. However, that’s not really what Aquarius is. Aquarius is the air, fixed sign of Saturn. Since Aquarius is an air sign, we have an association with the mind, ideas and the intellect. But, that doesn’t automatically mean Aquarians are progressive rebels.

Aquarius can be quite traditional and because it’s a fixed sign, it can be stubborn, consistent and reliable, all significations of Saturn, not Uranus. Aquarius can be “rebellious” in the sense that they beat to their own drum and don’t like being told what to do. But, that “rebelliousness” is actually a Saturn trait as Saturn is associated with being an outsider, a “weirdo”, different. Aquarius can rebel against certain social expectations, especially with their ideas, because Saturn subverts social expectations.

2nd century astrologer, Vettius Valens, teaches us that Saturn is also associated with “exclusion” and “rejection”. Aquarians might feel excluded or rejected in or by society in some way. That doesn’t mean all Aquarians are progressive, rebellious, punk rocker revolutionaries. Some are. Others are actually quite traditional and of the establishment but may feel like a societal outsider.

Some Aquarians work inside “the establishment” but teach ideas that question the establishment itself, like academic professors who question the very structures they work in. Aquarius wants structure and stability, something Saturn offers, not Uranus. Saturn represents both the establishment and outside of the establishment.

Aquarius is the opposite sign of Leo, ruled by the Sun. Hellenistic astrology based planetary rulership on the speed and distance planets are from the sun. So, in traditional astrology, Saturn is the furthest and slowest planet from the Sun, and this is why it’s opposite the Sun and Aquarius is opposite Leo. So, with this rationale, we really don’t have any basis for assigning Uranus to Aquarius.

Uranus and Aquarius do have some qualities in common, however, like innovation, but Uranus innovates from a spark whereas Aquarius innovates from an organized mind, more slowly and deliberately, as that’s Saturn’s way. If we look at the triplicity rulers of Aquarius, we have Saturn, Jupiter and Mercury. This is where Aquarius gets its future thinking innovation significations. Saturn wants to improve things. Mercury is like a light bulb, full of ideas, and signifies inventors among many other things.

Uranus is like lightning. Uranus and Mercury have things in common as Uranus was discovered during Gemini season, which is ruled by Mercury, as astrologer, Alan White points out. So, from this perspective, I can understand some kind of possible association of Uranus with Aquarius, but it’s more through several degrees of separation. But, we have to remember that Saturn is still a triplicity ruler nonetheless, and Saturn operates very differently from Uranus.

Aquarians are too consistent, serious, and dependable (qualities of Saturn) to be ruled by Uranus. Astrologer, SJ Anderson says that Aquarius is “a sign that wants to implement a new order”. It wants to reform and improve. Reform and order is Saturn. Uranus doesn’t care about order; it disrupts (for good or bad).

Uranus is like an earthquake. Aquarius wants stability even if its ideas de-stabilize. Aquarius might be quirky (which is a trait of Saturn going back to “the outsider”), but it is not disruptive. Aquarius wants order. Uranus wants to shake shit up. Aquarius shows up, reliably, doing the thing while Uranus is spontaneous and erratic.

Uranus ruling Aquarius needs to make sense and it just doesn’t. Uranus has its own interesting qualities that affirms Aquarius belongs to Saturn.