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.
The Sun began its transit of the sign of Aries at 10:15 p.m. PDT on March 19, 2012.
INTRODUCTION
“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.”
Maya Angelou
Aries Poet
Born April 4, 1928
“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.”
Marlon Brando (saying how a character he played in a movie resembled his attitudes)
Aries Actor
Born April 3, 1924
“That bleeping $%&?!%@*!*@American Airlines*%s**t”
Alec Baldwin
Aries Actor
Born April 3, 1958
“They can't scare me, if I scare them first.”
“…I'm from New York. I will kill to get what I need.”
Lady Gaga
Aries Queen of Rock and Shock
Born March 28, 1986
ARIES SYMBOLISM AND RULERSHIPS
We have arrived at a new season where light and darkness are equal at the vernal equinox. From this point on, until the summer solstice, light will dominate over dark. In winter, energy turned inward and nature itself went dormant. In the spring, energy bursts outward again. Nature has awakened, and we now see plant life blooming lushly. Life takes on a new vibrancy.
In Latin, Aries refers to the ram, and this animal symbolizes the first sign of the zodiac. The glyph, shown above, looks like the horns and nose of a Ram. Astrologer Bruce Nevin explains that the glyph also looks like the nose and eyebrows of the human face, and since Aries rules the head and the eyes, this appears to be appropriate imagery. Furthermore, Nevin continues, the glyph also resembles a young plant shooting from the ground. This corresponds to the vital energy of new vegetation emerging from the ground in the new season of spring. Since the sign of Aries reflects new beginnings, the glyph may also symbolize the “forks in the road” we often perceive when we encounter a new phase of possibilities, and have to decide on a course to follow. Nevin says that Aries must use “its head” in making choices, and this sign is known for being decisive.[i]
The planet Mars rules the sign of Aries. Mars represents the vital energy to pursue your desires. This god in mythology was a warrior, summoning courage, passion, aggression, competitive spirit, and action. Mars lives for adventures that keep his world exciting and challenging. Houlding calls Mars the defiant spirit and the moral champion.[ii] In her description of Mars, astrologer Caroline Casey says that the “gods did not place desires in our psyche for them to be thwarted or disappointed, but rather as an incentive to growth. Desires are our instructional blueprints of the possible.”[iii]
Astrologer Deborah Houlding contends that although Aries is ruled by Mars, the sign’s characteristics resemble solar qualities, such as enthusiasm, courage, energy, and creativity. The Sun represents consciousness, definition, clear direction, and individuality. Both the Sun and Mars demonstrate how power and will rise above instinct and seize control.[iv]
Aries is one of four cardinal signs, representing the signs at the angles of the zodiac wheel that initiate a new season. Consequently, each of the cardinal signs demonstrates the ability and the drive to begin something anew. Aries energy consists of the fire element, which exhibits inspiring and passionate expression, along with the will to devote intensive energy. However, Aries passion may be short-lived, and not be there for the steady energy needed to sustain an activity.
Aries corresponds to the first house of the zodiac, proclaiming “I am!” The realm of the first house relates to self-image, which an individual projects through physical characteristics and personality. This house reflects how the native will present his or her self to the world.
HOW ARIES ENERGY MANIFESTS IN THE PERSONALITY
Zodiac signs show how humans will express their motivations (planets). In the area where Aries is present in the chart, individuals will show a willfulness and fortitude in meeting life’s challenges. As a cardinal fire sign, Aries will initiate and inspire in that aspect of life. Astrologer Dana Gerhardt observes that where Aires appears in the chart, the native will have the gift of beginnings and will blaze new trails.[v]
Some key words for Aries include these characteristics: brave, enthustiastic, self-confident, competitive, leadership seeker, spontaneous and pioneering. Less flattering personality traits are selfish, reckless, tactless, impatient, quick-tempered, and brusque.
Houlding remarks that Aries is the “doer,” not the plotter, therefore what you see is what you get.[vi] Aries makes things happen; he or she earns recognition as the “Energizer bunny.” When I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, I faithfully listened to astrologer Caroline Casey’s radio program on KPFA. When she spoke of Aries (and I paraphrase), she would say that Aries just wants to do anything. In her book, Casey states that, “They prefer any kind of interaction—even negative—to none at all.” She continues with the observation that Aries' role is to be catalytic, much like the beginning of spring. As the eternal adolescent, Aries is in a perpetual search for identity, asking “Who Am I?” Casey explains that the Ram embodies “the struggle to emerge, to be distinct individuals, warriors, mavericks, and flirts.”[vii]
Back in 2008, when I first heard presidential candidate Barack Obama’s campaign cheer, it struck me how this exemplified Aries energy. During his campaign, he recounted how this cheer came to be. He explained that he had made a promise that he would campaign down in South Carolina in exchange for an endorsement. On the day that he arrived, he was tired, the weather was bad, and he had to wake up very early to drive two hours to the destination. When he arrived in the small town of Greenwood, South Carolina, there were only 20 people in the room. All of a sudden he heard a woman shout, “Fired up!” and people would respond, “Ready to go!.” The impetus came from 60-year-old Edith Childs, a city councilwoman in Greenwood. Suddenly, everyone in the room, including Obama, was shouting this cheer. Aries enthusiasm can be infectious and often overturns a bad mood![viii]
MORE ABOUT THE PURPOSE OF ARIES
Astrologer Steven Forrest presents a thorough and structured analysis of all the signs, and his description captures very clearly the essence of Aries. Forrest says that the Ram’s attention is on the power of the will to shape a life.[ix] Aries actor Marlon Brando personifies this motivation in the comment that appears in the introduction. You will also see this expressed in much of what Arian Lady Gaga says.
Forrest explains that Aries’ strategy is to place itself 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 the comment posted in the introduction. 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.[x]
A weakness of Aries energy (as part of the shadow material discussed by Forrest) is fighting the wrong battle. One may use energy in pointless confrontation to maintain a warrior image.[xi] I tend to see this most clearly in the makeup of warrior countries, like my own. Perhaps Virgo, a master of discernment, can advise Aries to “pick your battles,” because not every issue warrants 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.”[xii] 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 may be when we achieve integration by fusing the qualities of the two polarities.
Paul Robeson
Born April 9, 1898
Excluded from living at the Rutgers dormitory, Robeson lived with a Black family during his college years. His athletic talents earned him a place on the school’s football team, where he had to overcome physical assaults by teammates in attempts to keep him off the team. When the team traveled, he roomed with the coach, rather than members of the team. By the end of his college years, he attained 14 varsity letters in football, basketball, baseball, discus, shotput and javelin. He also excelled in other college activities, becoming a prize-winning debater, and a glee club member. Robeson’s academic achievements culminated in his nomination and acceptance into the Phi Beta Kappa Society and Rutgers’ honor society, Cap and Skull. At graduation, his classmates selected him as class valedictorian. In his valedictorian address, he called upon his classmates to work for equality for all Americans.
After graduating from Rutgers, Robeson entered Columbia University Law School, supporting himself by working as a professional football player, a job as a postal worker, positions in athletic coaching, and acting jobs. Although he attained his law degree, Robeson pursued a career as a performer because the law firm where he was hired barred his representation of clients.
Paul Robeson starred in various theater performances, and rose to prominence in the Harlem Renaissance movement. With his powerful baritone voice, he transitioned from acting to concert vocalist performances, opening in solo concerts by the mid-1920s. Robeson received particular acclaim for his performance of “Ol’ Man River,” a song expressly written for him by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II.
Making his home base in London, he became associated with many followers of socialist thought, including George Bernard Shaw. He toured the United States and Europe extensively as a concert performer. When World War II began, he returned to the United States, with a commitment to overcoming fascism. Despite his political statements, Robeson remained a popular performer. However, after the end of the war, and as the redbaiting McCarthy era evolved, Robeson became the target of various government probes. He announced in 1947 that he would retire from his career as a concert performer to devote his time to overcoming racism and fascism.
During the 1950s and 1960s, Paul Robeson continued his political activities, which were intensively scrutinized by the U.S. government. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover declared him a national security threat, and Robeson’s passport was cancelled. This caused international protest. He regained his right to travel eight years later. He returned to Europe, and made journeys to the Soviet Union and Africa. After extensive travels, he expressed interest in returning to the United States to join the Civil Rights Movement. While in the Soviet Union, he suffered a breakdown, and upon his return to England, he experienced a relapse. The release of documents through the Freedom of Information Act appears to indicate that Robeson was administered LSD and electroshock. Later x-rays showed Robeson had considerable brain damage. Some speculate that U.S. intelligence agents may have been the perpetrators of these acts. Due to ill health, Robeson spent his remaining years in the United States in relative seclusion. He died from the effects of cancer in 1965.
Paul Robeson left a legacy as an extraordinarily gifted actor, singer, and political activist. He was a man of many firsts. He became the first African American to star in a Shakespearean lead performance in commercial theater, and the first vocalist to popularize the Negro Spirituals genre.
Sources:
http://www.paulrobesonfoundation.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Robeson
Dolores Huerta
Born April 10, 1930
Huerta earned a teaching degree, but seeing hungry young children in her classrooms motivated her to become a community organizer. She founded a chapter of the Community Service Organization (CSO), a grassroots agency organizing communities around various social justice areas. While working at the CSO, Huerta conducted various lobbying efforts in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. on behalf of legislation favorable to farm worker labor issues and the rights of the Spanish-speaking community. She met labor leader Cesar Chavez in the early 1960s during these organizing efforts. When the CSO refused to conduct a farm worker-organizing project, Huerta formed the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers Union.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Huerta was intensively involved in organizing farm workers and negotiating contracts on behalf of the UFW. She led the “Delano Grape Strike” where workers went off the job to protest low wages. The strike expanded into a nationwide consumer grape boycott that eventually resulted in successful contracts with grape growers. Her skillful advocacy and talents in negotiation resulted in increased wages and health and pension benefits for farm workers. Throughout the 1970s and the 1980s, she tirelessly worked on a number of issues to improve the lives of working families and immigrants, resulting in such legislation as the Agricultural Labor Relations Act and the Immigration Act of 1985.
After leaving her day-to-day union work, Huerta became a crusader for many causes, including feminist issues. She was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1993. Highly accoladed, she received recognition from the ACLU, the California State Senate, and many civil rights and social justice organizations. At the ripe age of 82, she remains active as a leader on many boards and commissions, as well as the Dolores Huerta Foundation.
Sources:
http://www.doloreshuerta.org/
http://www.lasculturas.com/aa/bio/bioDoloresHuerta.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolores_Huerta
Nancy Pelosi
Born March 26, 1940
Her marriage to Paul Pelosi took her first to New York, followed by a permanent move to San Francisco, California. There she became active in local Democratic Party politics, gaining a reputation as an excellent fundraiser. Rising through the ranks of the party, she became a member of the Democratic National Committee and Chair of the California Democratic Party. Through her powerful associations with Democratic elected officials, she was encouraged to run for the congressional seat vacated by the death of Sala Burton. She ran successfully for Congress in the late 1980s, and has been reelected in subsequent elections in her predominantly Democratic district.
Elected as Minority Whip in 2002, her skillful negotiation talents proved fruitful in bridging the various factions among Democratic congressional elected officials during a period of Republican rule in the Bush White House. However, her personal voting record consistently demonstrated support of more liberal causes. With her criticism of President Bush and Republican policies, she attracted many critics who saw her as representative of “left coast, left wing politics.” Nevertheless, eliciting respect among her fellow Democrats, she was elected Speaker of the House of the 110th Congress after the 2006 elections brought in a new Democratic majority.
After Barack Obama assumed the presidency in 2009, Pelosi became instrumental in shepherding his policy proposals through Congress, including the $787 billion stimulus package, as well as the highly contentious health care reform bill. A writer for the Christian Science Monitor summarized her political status in these words: “But make no mistake: Nancy Pelosi is the most powerful woman in American politics and the most powerful House speaker since Sam Rayburn a half century ago.”[i]As the economy remained stagnant, and she became synonymous with the Obama Administration policies, Pelosi served as a frequent target of Republican electioneering and a rallying point for conservatives, whose influence proved dominant in the 2010 midterm elections. As Republicans took over Congress at the beginning of 2011, Pelosi remained an important figurehead when she was elected as Democratic Minority Leader.
Sources:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1258472/Nancy-Pelosi
http://pelosi.house.gov/about/biography.shtml
[i] Gail Russell Chaddock. (July 13, 2010). “Nancy Pelosi Puts Her Stamp on the House.” The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved on March 25, 2012: http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0713/Nancy-Pelosi-puts-her-stamp-on-the-House
Jackie Chan
Born April 7, 1954
Known for his acrobatic fighting style in action movies, Jackie Chan gained fame as a martial artist, stuntman, action choreographer, actor, screenwriter, producer, and director. Chan was born to a cook and housekeeper who worked at the French Embassy in Hong Kong. He weighed an imposing 12 pounds at birth. He was given the nickname of “cannonball’ in Chinese, because the high-energy child frequently “rolled around.” As a youngster, Jackie Chan would awake early to practice kung fu, which his father believed would build his character by teaching him courage, patience, and strength.
At the age of seven, Jackie Chan’s father enrolled him in the Chinese Drama Academy, where he lived the next ten years of his life. The school prepared him for performance in the Peking Opera, which unlike western opera, consisted of singing, acting, acrobatics, and martial arts. The school environment proved rigorous and highly disciplined, although the emphasis of training was on physical and artistic prowess, with no education in reading and writing.
As Chan matured, he began performing as a stuntman and extra in the Hong Kong film industry. When Chan graduated from the Academy, the Peking Opera had declined in popularity, forcing him to seek alternative work. He moved briefly to Australia, his parents’ new home. There he worked unhappily in construction and in restaurants. This was where others began to call him “Jackie.”
Shortly after his move to Australia, Chan was contacted by a movie producer in Hong Kong about an upcoming opportunity to work as a stuntman in a movie. Chan returned to Hong Kong, and took parts in unsuccessful movies. However, as Chan became more involved in shaping his role in movies, the greater his success. Over the years, he gained enormous popularity in Asia, although it took a while for his recognition to crossover to the United States. Rumble in the Bronx was Chan’s first success in the U.S., followed by Rush Hour and Shanghai Noon. These movies elevated Jackie Chan to the Hollywood A List and cultural icon status.
With a lifelong devotion to physical fitness, Jackie Chan continues to do action sequences in his movies, although he is now branching out to new movie genres. Charitable activities are consuming more of his time as he serves as Ambassador for UNICEF/UNAIDS. Outside of this role, he continues philanthropic involvement in the areas of animal abuse, conservation, and disaster relief, including assistance to the victims of the major earthquake that struck Sichuan province in China in 2008.
Sources:
ENDNOTES
Notes: Quotes in the Introduction were retrieved from BrainyQuote.com and Goodreads.com. For the sake of humor, I paraphrased Alec Baldwin's purported statements during his experience when American Airlines asked him to disembark from the plane.
Notes: Quotes in the Introduction were retrieved from BrainyQuote.com and Goodreads.com. For the sake of humor, I paraphrased Alec Baldwin's purported statements during his experience when American Airlines asked him to disembark from the plane.
[i] Bruce Nevin. (1982). Astrology Inside Out. Rockport, Massachusetts: Para Research, Inc., pp.77-78
[ii] Deborah Houlding. (April/May 2009). “Aries the Ram.” The Mountain Astrologer, Issue#144, pp.40-47.
[iii] Caroline Casey. (1998). Making the Gods Work for You. New York: Harmony Books, p24.
[iv] Deborah Houlding, Op.Cit.
[v] Dana Gerhardt. (April/May 2009). “Taming Aries’ Wild Horses.” The Mountain Astrologer, Issue #144, pp.15-19.
[vi] Deborah Houlding, Op. Cit.
[vii] Caroline Casey. Op. Cit., p.178.
[viii] From my personal memory of Obama’s campaign rallies where he recounts this story . Also, noted at Obama for America. Retrieved on March 25, 2012: http://www.barackobama.com/news/entry/sc-four-years-later-and-shes-still-fired-up-ready-to-go
[ix] Steven Forrest. (1988). The Inner Sky. San Diego: ACS Publications, pp. 37-41.
[x] Ibid.
[xi] Ibid.
[xii] Dana Gerhardt. Op. Cit.
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