Prometheus is known for stealing the holy fire from Zeus. He was one of the titans, the old gods who lived already at the beginning of time and together with Zeus he had created the humans and taught them to walk upright while Zeus had blown life into them.
These first human beings were primitive, they didn't know how to make tools or build dwellings, they couldn't make earthen ware pots, they shielded themselves with animal hides and they knew nothing about fire.
Prometheus took pity on them and wanted to help them to lead better lives. Zeus didn't care, he feared that if the humans learnt too much, they might one day become rivals to him. Prometheus asked Zeus to at least give them fire so that they could warm themselves and cook their meat, but Zeus forbid him to interfere.
Then Prometheus went secretly to Olympus and stole a piece of coal from the sacred fire and brought it to the humans. And the humans lit fires all over the land and Prometheus taught them how to use it.
But Zeus discovered all this, seeing the lights form the fires that spread over the lands.He called furiously for Prometheus and banished him to the far away mountains. There he was chained to a rock and a terrible sentence fell over him. Every day an eagle would come and eat his liver, but every night it would grow out again so that he was doomed to suffering from the same pain in eternity.
It is said that Prometheus was chained to that rock for 30 000 years before he was saved by Herakles.
The Connection to Aquarius
Aquarius has often a well developed sense of altruism, he wants to put his inventive mind to work for the good of all. But his impulsive ways can drive him into situations he really didn't plan for and so he has to suffer the consequences of his deeds, at least for a time. Aquarius, ruled by Uranus, wants to explore new realms, reach new levels of consciousness and of course he wants others to benefit too. His inspiration, his "fire", leads him on, but there is a price to pay.
I think here one might see the twosidedness of Man's existence. On one hand we have to live within our human boundaries, on the other inspiration and creativity drives us onward, upward. And if we, like Prometheus, go too far and transgress against the gods, call them the limits of existence, we will sooner or later endure punishment on the individual or collective level.
