Preface: As I do every month for each of the signs, I want to emphasize that if your birthday does not fall during the Aries timeframe for the year you were born, this DOES NOT mean that you do not experience the energy of Aries, because somewhere in your natal birth chart, it is present. All twelve signs of the zodiac are expressed in your being, although some signs, and therefore their corresponding energies, may be more emphasized than others.
The Sun sign is about your essence, your vitality (what makes you feel alive), and your self-image. Whatever your Sun sign, you are on a life-long journey to discover and fully embrace this sign’s energy. You may be tested in life to experience the meaning of your Sun sign’s energy.
ARIES LEADS THE WAY
By Chris Gonzalez
Like the Fool in the Tarot, in Aries a cycle begins anew
Remnants of the past are left behind, with the focus on the now
Awakened from winter’s sleep, the Ram’s hesitations are few
Forging ahead to blaze new trails, facing challenges as time allows.
Aries is always on the go, resembling a frisky teen
This sign is a doer, preferring to win, but not afraid to fail
The Ram’s life quest is to actualize its lofty dreams
Even when these plans are externally derailed.
You see, with each experience Aries learns courage by taking risks
The Ram holds its head high, to advancing foes it will not cower
As a self-proclaimed leader, he heads into battle with a mighty grit
Fighting for the right cause is how Aries achieves its true power.
The Sun transits the sign of Aries from March 20, 2011 through April 19. The vernal equinox is the beginning of Aries, when the light becomes equal with the dark, the light beginning its domination and reaching its climax at the summer solstice.
The planet Mars rules the sign of Aries. Planets in astrology are the motivators of various actions. Mars is concerned with asserting one’s will to go after what we desire. The zodiac signs represent how we do something in that area of the chart where a sign is present. In the area of the chart where Aries is present, we show a willfulness and fortitude in meeting life’s challenges. As a cardinal fire sign, Aries is the energy that initiates and inspires. Fire signs, Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius place their attention on the now. Some keyword characteristics for Aries include brave, self-confident, inspiring, enthusiastic, spontaneous, pioneering, leader and competitive. Perhaps less flattering adjectives might be selfish, bully, reckless, tactless, impatient, brusque, quick-tempered and impulsive.
Steven Forrest, the master astrologer, presents a thorough and structured analysis of all the signs, and I believe that his perspective captures most clearly the essence of Aries. Forrest says that the Ram’s attention is on the power of the will to shape a life. Aries actor Marlon Brando personifies this motivation in his comment, “There's a line in the picture where he snarls, 'Nobody tells me what to do.' That's exactly how I've felt all my life.”[1]
Forrest explains that the strategy Aries uses is placing him in scary situations; the accompanying stress is a teaching method to learn courage. Aries poet Maya Angelou’s reflects this intuitive understanding of the concept of courage in this comment, “One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.”[2]
Forrest emphasizes that doing exactly what one pleases is hard to attain because humans are met with personal and external obstacles that will work against this. The personality characteristics of Aries, says Forrest, become this sign’s resources to find the perfect mating of desire with action. Crisis becomes the testing ground for Aries to “uncover the heart of the warrior,” Forrest posits.[3]
Forrest explains that the strategy Aries uses is placing him in scary situations; the accompanying stress is a teaching method to learn courage. Aries poet Maya Angelou’s reflects this intuitive understanding of the concept of courage in this comment, “One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.”[2]
Forrest emphasizes that doing exactly what one pleases is hard to attain because humans are met with personal and external obstacles that will work against this. The personality characteristics of Aries, says Forrest, become this sign’s resources to find the perfect mating of desire with action. Crisis becomes the testing ground for Aries to “uncover the heart of the warrior,” Forrest posits.[3]
A weakness of Aries energy (as part of the shadow material discussed by Forrest) is fighting the wrong battle, putting energy in pointless confrontation because a warrior self-image must be maintained.[4] We often see this in the makeup of warrior countries. Perhaps Virgo, a master of discernment, can advise Aries to “pick your battles,” because every issue does not warrant equal energetic commitment.
In astrology, one sign’s weakness can be compensated by the qualities of another sign. Aries and Libra operate on the same polarity, 180 degrees apart. As opposites, these signs complement each other. Aries is the “me” sign and Libra is the sign of the “other.” As astrologer Dana Gerhardt explains, “…Libra knows others and often loses itself, while Aries knows itself but loses others.”[5] It does Aries good to take in some of Libra’s consideration for the other, while the opposite is true of Libra. Although we might find situations where we benefit by anchoring ourselves more closely to one end of the polarity over the other, the healthy ideal is when we are able to achieve integration by fusing the qualities of the two polarities.
I have become hooked on the NBC program “Who Do You Think You Are” which looks into the genealogy of various celebrities. The program which aired on March 11, 2011 featured the story of British actress Kim Cattrall (of Sex and the City fame). Cattrall goes on a quest to discover what happened to her grandfather after he abandoned her grandmother and her mother and her siblings, who were all left to live in tremendous poverty in the late 1930’s. Cattrall discovers photos which show his second family living in much better conditions than the abandoned family. Her grandfather seemed happy enough, and he later took his second family to live in Australia. At some point in the program, one of the abandoned siblings says that he appeared to have a “reckless abandon.” I mention this story because the first thing that crossed my mind about the grandfather was that he seemed to operate on an Aries type of energy. The purest form of this energy might drive someone to do what they want regardless of the circumstances and their impact on others. It illustrates that whatever energy we tune into at any particular time has its advantages and its drawbacks. Perhaps this episode of “Who Do You Think You Are” is the least pretty example of pure Aries energy.
I don’t want to end this article with the least flattering example of Aries energy, because as ferocious as this sign might be, there are equal examples of the liveliness, warm-heartedness, and positive energy that Aries exudes. Think of a balanced soccer mom, once a college athlete herself, who creates the space for her children to engage in competitive sports. She takes the initiative to form sports leagues, hire coaches, and coordinates the car pool. She might elicit respect because people take her seriously, but she is also adored because of her infectious energy and ability to generate a fun environment. Does she resemble someone you know?
Here is a list of some famous persons born when the Sun was in Aries[6]:
March 22, 1923 - Marcel Marceau - Mime
March 22, 1930 - Pat Robertson - Religious Figure
March 23, 1910 - Akira Kurosawa - Director
March 22, 1930 - Pat Robertson - Religious Figure
March 23, 1910 - Akira Kurosawa - Director
March 25, 1934 - Gloria Steinem - Publisher
March 25, 1942 - Aretha Franklin - Singer
March 26, 1930 - Sandra Day O'Connor - Supreme Court
March 26, 1931 - Leonard Nimoy – Actor
March 25, 1942 - Aretha Franklin - Singer
March 26, 1930 - Sandra Day O'Connor - Supreme Court
March 26, 1931 - Leonard Nimoy – Actor
March 30, 1853 - Vincent Van Gogh - Artist
March 30, 1937 - Warren Beatty - Actor
March 30, 1945 - Eric Clapton - Singer
March 30, 1962 - Hammer – Singer
March 30, 1937 - Warren Beatty - Actor
March 30, 1945 - Eric Clapton - Singer
March 30, 1962 - Hammer – Singer
April 3, 1783 - Washington Irving - Writer
April 3, 1924 - Marlon Brando – Actor
April 3, 1924 - Marlon Brando – Actor
April 4, 1928 - Maya Angelou – Writer
April 5, 1856 - Booker T. Washington - Educator
April 5, 1900 - Spencer Tracy - Actor
April 5, 1916 - Gregory Peck - Actor
April 5, 1920 - Arthur Hailey - Writer
April 5, 1937 - Colin Powell - Military
April 6, 1874 - Harry Houdini - Magician
April 6, 1931 - Ram Dass – Guru
April 5, 1900 - Spencer Tracy - Actor
April 5, 1916 - Gregory Peck - Actor
April 5, 1920 - Arthur Hailey - Writer
April 5, 1937 - Colin Powell - Military
April 6, 1874 - Harry Houdini - Magician
April 6, 1931 - Ram Dass – Guru
April 7, 1938 - Jerry Brown - Politician
April 7, 1939 - Francis Ford Coppola - Director
April 7, 1939 - David Frost - TV Host
April 8, 1939 - Elizabeth C. Prophet - Religious Leader
April 7, 1939 - Francis Ford Coppola - Director
April 7, 1939 - David Frost - TV Host
April 8, 1939 - Elizabeth C. Prophet - Religious Leader
April 9, 1892 - Mary Pickford – Actress
April 9, 1926 - Hugh Hefner - Publisher
April 12, 1947 - David Letterman - TV Host
April 13, 1743 - Thomas Jefferson - President US
April 15, 1843 - Henry James - Writer
April 16, 1889 - Charles Chaplin - Comedian
April 18, 1857 - Clarence Darrow – Attorney
April 12, 1947 - David Letterman - TV Host
April 13, 1743 - Thomas Jefferson - President US
April 15, 1843 - Henry James - Writer
April 16, 1889 - Charles Chaplin - Comedian
April 18, 1857 - Clarence Darrow – Attorney
ENDNOTES
[1] Marlon Brando. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved March 14, 2011, from BrainyQuote.com Web site: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/marlonbran388919.html
[2] Maya Angelou. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved March 14, 2011, from BrainyQuote.com Web site: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/maya_angelou.html
[3] Forrest, Steven. 1988. The Inner Sky. San Diego: ACS Publications
[4] Ibid.
[5] Gerhardt, Dana. April/May 2009. “Taming Aries’ Wild Horses.” The Mountain Astrologer, #144, pp.15-19.
[6] Ivan Simurina. Horoscopes Guide. Retrieved March 14 2011, from Horoscopes Guide Web site: http://free-horoscopes.typepad.com/fam1.htm
