It’s here! Spring, thaw, warm, sun! And along with the obvious shift in the weather here in the northern hemisphere, we move into the time of Aries.
First, let me just say that the Spring Equinox is one of the 4 major gateways or center points of the ‘wheel of the year’. This moment in time is marked by the equality of light and dark. From this point onward, the days will be getting longer until we get to Summer Solstice when, in some places on this globe, there is no night at all! Because of this, the zodiac sign of Aries is associated with birth, beginning and fresh starts—a new cycle or even, new year.
Aries is a cardinal fire sign, full of verve and buoyancy. It is part of the family that includes Leo and Sagittarius elementally and Cancer, Libra and Capricorn, modally. Fire is the element that is linked to spirit, creativity and inspiration while the cardinal modality is thrusting, forward moving, assertive and initiating. Some other key words (a great way to begin a study of astrology) that describe this perky little energy are enthusiastic, adventurous, enterprising, forceful, fast, abrupt, impulsive. It is the energy of action, not consideration. For those of you with prominent Aries in your psyches, it is important to keep moving, to always find things that engage your interest and to satisfy that deep need for exploration, innovation and individuality, that IMPULSE towards the unknown.
Aries is often associated with the idea of ‘rugged individualism’. This lends some insight into basic needs for the Aries type persona. This type needs to be challenged, needs to feel a sense of accomplishment and essentially needs to win, and all the while, doing it HER way! If there is a flavour of combativeness, it is more about the thrill of the battle, the rush of the face-off rather than anything personal. There is no viciousness in the Aries need to prevail, just the sheer joy of engagement and victory.
In the ‘natural wheel’ of the zodiac, Aries is associated with the 1st house of self, exploration and initiation. This helps us to understand that the seemingly self-centered Aries persona is only acting according to the impulse to explore and experience herself. And there it is; the key to truly understanding the Aries types in your life. Their world resonates to EXPERIENCE. They thrive on being ‘in the thick of it’. If they happen to shove you to the side in their haste to get to the action, it isn’t about you, it’s about them!
Sharp, quick and always to the point, this type can be incredibly agile mentally. If you decide to debate them, get your track shoes ready since they will be several points ahead and leave you in the dust if you don’t keep up with their mental acrobatics. Not always entirely logical, but always incredibly inventive!
The archetype of the frontier cowboy is a good image for the Aries spirit, ready, willing and able to rough it, if needed. Able to live the solitary life, if necessary and incredibly resourceful about getting basic needs met even under trying circumstances. The mountaineer tackling the near impossible climb is another image that references Aries energy. Courage, an intrepid attitude and nerve take her to the top of the mountain. Even at the summit, Aries is already imagining the next climb rather than savouring the moment.
Reactively, this energy can get into trouble since the desire to get going sometimes eclipses the need to plan. However, the fighting spirit of this little warrior is so prominent that winging it is never seen as a problem for these types.
The symbol associated with Aries is the Ram. Representing the ability to but his way through any impasse, we begin to understand the forcefulness that is associated with the energy. When exploring animal energies, we find that force is one of the main qualities of the Ram, along with curiosity, an adventurous spirit and a keen sense of balance. Imagine the ram with his beautiful curled horns picking his way through narrow passageways with grace and lightness. He is free to be just who he is, able to navigate even the most challenging of landscapes. This is Aries, the hero, ever seeking a new frontier!
Of course, Ares was the Greek god of war and many of the myths that come from this source also shed light on the impulse and impetuous nature of the Aries type. Let us remember that in ancient times WAR was regarded as an honourable business. Sometimes it is difficult to actually understand this since we are children of a different time and today war is only a business and more and more seen as not honourable. But, there was a time in history when this was not the case for the people who lived through that time. The astrological age that preceded the age of Pisces was the Age of Aries. During that 2000 year period which began some 2 millennia before the birth of Christ, societies were built around the process of expansion through conquest. Civilizations rose and fell by the sword. A King or Emperor retained his power through the use of FORCE (Aries quality) and COURAGE (Aries quality) as he marched forward gathering new lands and peoples into his realm. The stalwart and courageous ram energy bred warriors who were lusty in battle and not afraid to stand up boldly for their cause, loyal to a fault. Today, this translates into the crusader types who have no fear in the face of gross injustice, who will battle for a cause, often taking the lead boldly when others may shirk away from commitment. The zesty, strong and sure heart of the Aries type is well suited to the championing of right in the face of opposition!
There is an immediacy in everything that the Aries type does whether in terms of function and all the way into issues of the heart. There is a need for a clear and decisive demonstration of affections and an impatience if confronted by reticence or uncertainty by the other. If you have a strongly Aries type in your life, give them what they seek, emotionally and do it yesterday, please!
The partner sign to Aries is Libra and this, above all other things gives us the deepest insight into the Aries nature. According to the law of polarity, that which stands opposite us is the very thing that we must integrate into our awareness so that we may become whole. While Aries typifies the self, alone and sovereign, Libra teaches us about partnership, considered compromise and balance. Aries, then, must discover a way to be singular but connected to community, to stand alone but be willing to receive support, to celebrate the sound of their solo song while knowing full well that harmony can enhance any melody. The journey of Aries is the journey into interdependence without any forfeit of individuality.
The Planet associated with Aries is Mars and again, when we reference mythology, this time Roman, we find the stories of the mighty warrior. In the psyche, the Mars placement, that is, the sign of the zodiac and the house of the horoscope where that sign is found, co-relates to one’s passion, and the ability to act on the DESIRE that burns within. It is through the Mars principle of the persona that we take action. This is also the planet that was once associated with the zodiac sign of Scorpio and though there are dissimilarities between the two energies, there is also an underlying ‘recognition’ when the Aries type encounters the Scorpio type. In modern times, Pluto was designated to be the ‘ruler’ of Scorpio and here’s an interesting thing…In Evolutionary Astrology, Pluto is representative of the soul—something that is, by and large, inaccessible to most individuals, a deeply unconscious element within the functioning personality. Mars is associated with the mechanisms that we use to implement the ‘soul purpose’ in any given lifetime, and these are impulses that we can more consciously explore and understand. So, though dissimilar in many ways, there is a simpatico between Aries and Scorpio and with some adjustments, there can be a reasonable working relationship between them.
How fitting it is that the Spring, with all of its hope and rekindled joy is linked to Aries, an energy that is above all things, full of promise and filled with light. Remember, EVERYONE has this energy somewhere in their psyches. We, each one of us, contain within ourselves all of the energies of the ‘wheel of life’ as represented by the Zodiac. If you are born with the Sun in Aries, you know that this lively and courageous energy fuels your every action. However, you may have your intellectual body running on this fuel—Mercury, or your emotional body—the Moon, and for that matter any one of the planets that make up the ‘map’ of your unique character. For a more personal investigation into how Aries factors in your life, contact me for a personal astrological reading
