Aquarius (Kumbha)

Aquarius, the Water-bearer, is a fixed air sign ruled by Saturn (modern Western: Uranus). The Sun is in tropical (Western) Aquarius from January 20 – February 18, and in sidereal (Vedic) Aquarius — called Kumbha — from about February 13 – March 13. The sign is associated with independence, ideals and the collective.

Why two sets of dates: the tropical zodiac is tied to the seasons and the sidereal zodiac to the constellations. The equinoxes have drifted about 24° against the stars since the zodiacs coincided (the Lahiri ayanamsa is 24°13′ in 2026), so the Sun enters sidereal Aquarius roughly three and a half weeks after it enters tropical Aquarius. The 2026 ingresses above are computed from the Sun's position, to the minute.

In Vedic astrology Kumbha holds Dhanishta (padas 3–4), Shatabhisha (all four padas) and Purva Bhadrapada (padas 1–3). A Moon here is read through both the sign and its nakshatra.

Your Sun sign is only one placement: your Moon sign and your rising sign (ascendant) are read at least as closely, and Vedic astrology gives the Moon sign the most weight of all.

Questions

In Plutto
Plutto reads your Sun, Moon and rising sign in both zodiacs — and says which one each tradition means. Background: Western astrology.