Aquarius Constellation: Myth and Symbolism
Тhe Age of Aquarius
As we can guess from the name, Aquarius symbolizes the water bearer. The mysterious beauty of the starry sky nourished the imagination of ancient people.
Position of Aquarius
On the celestial vault, between the constellations Pisces, Capricorn, and Pegasus, lies Aquarius. Its culmination is in mid‑September, at 9:00 p.m., when it is best seen. Its main star is called Sadalmelik, from the Arabic Sa’ad al Malik, meaning “the fortunate star of the king.”
Passed from mouth to mouth
The ancient Sumerians associated the constellation with the god An, who poured life‑giving moisture upon the earth. The Greeks connected it with the flood and the myth of Deucalion and Pyrrha. The Bronze Age, which followed the Golden and Silver Ages, was marked by bloody wars and countless killings. Zeus could no longer tolerate that people had abandoned peaceful occupations—agriculture and animal husbandry—for battles and wars. He decided to flood the earth with water, destroying the entire human race.
Prometheus, chained to the rock, guessed Zeus’s plan. He shared the secret with his son Deucalion and his wife Pyrrha, instructing them to save humanity. Deucalion had to build a ship to rescue himself and his wife from the flood.
Deucalion obeyed his father. He barely managed to build the ship and stock it with food when Zeus, the thunderer, sent down an endless torrential rain. He forbade all winds to blow except the southern wind Notus, bearer of fogs and rains. Day and night Notus drove black storm clouds, day and night the rain poured. Rivers and seas overflowed, the earth was covered with water, and the waters rose higher and higher. Fields and forests, villages and towns were submerged; only the highest peaks still protruded. Everywhere—water… And upon the boundless waves drifted, chased by Notus, a single ship carrying Deucalion and Pyrrha.
For nine days the ship wandered across the endless waters until it reached the rising peak of Mount Parnassus. There, on a small piece of land, Deucalion and Pyrrha sat and waited. At last the rain ceased, but everything was submerged. They realized they were the only survivors, and fear seized them that they would remain alone amidst the endless sea. They prayed to Zeus to save them from the flood.
Gradually the waters began to recede, and the patch of land where they stood grew larger. Eventually the waters disappeared. The earth appeared—desolate, barren, resembling an endless desert. Deucalion and Pyrrha felt even more lonely in this dead wasteland, where no sound of living creature was heard.
One day Hermes, messenger of the gods, appeared before them. Zeus had sent him to learn Deucalion’s wish, for in his goodness Zeus had decided to grant him anything he desired. Deucalion did not think long and replied: “O great Hermes! I ask only one thing. Tell Zeus: let him repopulate the earth with people.”
Hermes carried Deucalion’s plea to Olympus. Zeus agreed and again sent Hermes to instruct Deucalion and Pyrrha what to do. Hermes came swiftly and said: “Descend from the mountain into the valley and cast behind you the bones of the Great Mother.”
Deucalion understood that “bones” meant stones. Together with Pyrrha they gathered stones and descended the slope, casting them behind without looking back. When the stones were gone, they looked around and saw many people. The stones thrown by Deucalion had turned into men, and those of Pyrrha into women.
The gods transformed Deucalion into the constellation Aquarius and raised him to the heavens to remind us of Prometheus’s son, who inherited from his father a burning love for humanity. According to other traditions, Aquarius depicts Zeus himself, pouring the flood upon the earth.
To our days
Some see in the image of Aquarius, bearing an amphora, the embodiment of a luminous, spiritually perfect human. He brings “living water” to the earth, fertilizing the planet from a new source. This stream is both liquid and airy. Thus new ideas are born.
Looking to the future
It is believed that the Age of Aquarius spans from the year 2000 to 4000 and carries great changes, leading humanity to a new stage. Many events already herald this new era—the beginning of space exploration, the rise of information technologies, the birth of new international organizations… And at the same time, never has the fragility of the world been so evident, nor the human striving for solidarity felt with such intensity.
FAQ – Aquarius Constellation
Q: What is the Age of Aquarius? A: It is the astrological era from 2000 to 4000, symbolizing transformation and new ideas.
Q: Who are Deucalion and Pyrrha? A: In Greek mythology, they are the flood survivors who repopulated the earth.
Q: Where is Aquarius located in the sky? A: Between Pisces, Capricorn, and Pegasus, best visible in September at 9 p.m.
