As a newbie to astrology and the world of studying celestial events and their correspondence with human and environmental behaviour, I questioned the validity of having Valentine’s Day - this supposed day of romantic love and the vulnerability that comes with that - coincide with Aquarius Season.

Perhaps like some of you, I had heard all of the old adages about how ​cold ​Aquarius energy is: how utterly repulsed by emotion they were, their adamant refusal to portray emotional ‘weakness’ of any kind - certainly in regards to love with all its potential of heartbreak. Through my years of studying though, I have found all of this to be largely untrue; or, at the very least, grossly misunderstood.

While given both the fixed nature (resistance to change; guarded vulnerabilities) andSaturnian rulership (often quoted as more of an authoritarian than team-player) lendsAquarius placements a certain ‘aloof’ quality that is harder to pin down, what this energystamp is best known for is their complete dedication to and love for ​humanity. ​In truth,the thinking patterns​ and identity of Aquarius placements is centred in a narrative that pushes forward; they are vastly ahead of their time and have what more conservative types may consider outlandish or extreme ideals. This is because Aquarius is able to emotionally detach from those around them and see the bigger picture, not out of fear of feeling or avoiding emotional commitment to another but in order to ​better serve ​those they love. What would best serve the people, personal attachments and feelings aside? It is through this incredible ability to free themselves of attachments and expectations and see a person for the whole of themselves, rather than what they may ​want ​them to be, that Aquarius energy can truly embody what it means to love unconditionally.

We can note, too, that before Valentine’s Day came to be modernized (and, really, marketed) as a day of exclusively romantic love, it was actually understood to be about celebrating ​fraternal ​love; that is, showing the people in one’s life, regardless of position within it, that they love them. In this way, having Valentine’s Day resting right in the midst of Aquarius Season is considerably more appropriate than my young astrologer self had thought. It is through their love of humanity and ultimate goal to uplift those within it that Aquarius stamps come into their own, defying their ‘heartless’ stereotypes and demonstrating through action just how much love they hold.

And, really, anyone with an Aquarius signature in your life could tell you that ​true​ love is freedom - and isn’t that what Aquarius Season is about?