The symbol for Aries, first sign of the zodiac, is that of a Ram’s head. Ruling Planet: Mars
Aries Star Sign – Cosmic Crusaders
So you have a little Aries in your house? One thing you can be sure of, life will never be dull again.
You may hear that Aries are ambitious, driven and aggressive. That’s only when you look in, from the outside. I want to take you in, to have a look at the world through your child’s eye.
Your little Aries will rule any roost he or she finds themselves in. They are leaders always on life’s cutting edge. In grown up years, they will be successful and appear to the world to be ambitious and driven. It’s now that your little Aries is in practice.
It’s not end results that inspire your little Ram, it’s the pursuit itself. An Aries must have action and movement, always mounting a quest, always staging a battle. Whether they win or lose is of little consequence, for it’s the thrill of the chase itself. Ambitious and driven they are, but not for the prize, but for the smell of battle.
Your little Aries is just going to love any and every opportunity you give them, to wage war. It may be a battle over corporate mergers in 30 years time, but now the battle lines will be drawn over bedtimes, what they wear and what they do – in fact, anything. It won’t matter what they’re battling for, they’ll just love to battle.
This all comes down to their cosmic DNA. Don’t try and argue with your Aries, simply give them outlets to play out this natural competitiveness. Give them challenging games and activities and you won’t have to battle the important things.
No matter where your Aries child comes in your family, they will always be a ‘first born’. Even the 6th born child in a family, if born in the sign of Aries, will act as a ‘first born’ and they’ll stay that way for the rest of their lives.
For Aries is the first sign of the zodiac and when the Sun moves into Aries each year, a new zodiac year is born. Aries leads us into the new Astrological year, at the head of the parade and they’ll stay there for the rest of their lives. They’re leaders, not followers and like to be the ones making the rules and setting the pace.
Astrology has many roots and in your little Aries we find the Ram, able to butt their way into situations so they can remain number one. Rams are the Alpha Males of the sheep world, kings of their domain and very territorial. Behind the Ram we find your Aries ruling planet, Mars.
Mars is ruled by Ares, God of War, which is where his need for battle comes from. They are fiery like the planet Mars. They’re passionate, warlike and like Ares, they’re instigators, inventors, planners and forward thinkers, just like the energy of the time of their birth.
One of the myths behind Aries, is Jason and the Argonauts. Your little Aries will love adventure and if they’re not taking part in one themselves, they’ll love to read about them, the more exciting and action filled the better.
As a Cardinal sign, they’re the ones who come up with the ideas that inspire and motivate the rest of us. Aries very rarely finish what they start, that’s for other signs to do. Aries energy relies on having a good team around them that can follow through on the practical details, while they’re free to develop even better ideas. Aries, therefore, are inspirational leaders, inventors and inspire passion and a fighting spirit in all of us.
Your little Cosmic Crusader is practicing for the real world, a world they’re already starting to conquer.
Aries Star Sign – The Constellation
When the ancients looked up and saw the constellation of Aries – they saw a Ram.
The Ram is a male sheep, therefore Aries is a masculine sign. The fleece provided rich, thick wool, which when shorn, provided cloth. Rams are shorn in the spring, at the time that the constellation of Aries is visible in the sky. This fleece gives livelihood to craftsmen, makes garments, is woven into cloth and is bought and sold. The fleece from the Ram was, in those days, precious. No nation on earth could survive without the Ram. It wasn’t only for its fleece, but for breeding as well that the Ram was important.
A Ram needs to be master of his own domain and in nature, a male Ram will have a harem of female sheep to copulate with. If another male comes into his territory, he will lower his head and rush forward in a ‘do or die’ attempt to be the ‘Alpha Male’. It isn’t to protect his sheep, it’s to protect and retain his place in the natural hierarchy. He needs to be No. 1.
In the sky, the Ram appears emerging from the waves (rising). Just as Aries does as it emerges from the waters of Pisces, its preceding sign.
There are many myths and stories surrounding the Ram, but the one associated with Aries, is that of the Golden Fleece. The fleece that set Jason and the Argonauts on their quest.
In mythology, the Golden Fleece has been ascribed to enlightenment and knowledge – it embodies the spirit and the intellect. Thus, Aries is propelled to be forever on a quest.
Jason grew to manhood, unaware of his destiny or who he was. When he was a baby, his father, King Aeson of Thessaly, was murdered by his brother Pelias and his crown taken from him. To protect the child from the same fate, he was given to Chiron the Centaur to take care of him. When Jason reached manhood, Chiron told him who he really was, but not before he had taught him all the knowledge he needed and had versed him well in the art of warfare and knowledge.
On his way to avenge his father’s death, he lost his footing while crossing a river and lost one of his sandals. Thus, he arrived at his uncle’s court wearing just one sandal. An oracle had told Pelias that Jason would return to avenge his father one day and he would recognise him, because he wore only one sandal. With the prophecy fulfilled, his uncle promised to return the kingdom to him, on one condition, that he retrieved the Golden Fleece from Colochis on the Black Sea. He wasn’t being generous, he was being crafty, for he thought that he was sending Jason to certain death and that because many had tried and all had failed, he would share the same fate.
Jason agreed and proceeded to build a ship (the Argo) and gathered around him a team of heroes to help him on his quest. These were the Argonauts. They included Castor and Polydeuces, Hercules, Orpheus and King Theseus of Athens and many more.
His journey encountered many obstacles and he had to battle dragons, monsters, storms, becalming and gnashing rocks, but he overcame them all and was eventually successful.
He returned from his heroic mission and claimed back his father’s throne. But Jason found it hard to settle back into normality and the responsibility of running a kingdom and for the rest of his days yearned to be back on his epic adventure. For Jason and Aries energy prefer the thrill of battle than settling down to enjoy the spoils. Once one quest ends, the yearning begins for the next one.
Thus, Aries energy is that of leadership and the need for a quest, a fight or a battle to overcome. Not for victory sake, but for the thrill of the quest itself. Just like Jason, Aries energy is about building a team and inspiring others to join in their passion and drive.
Aries Star Sign – The Planet
Mars is the ruling planet of Aries.
Blood Red in colour it has always been linked with war, fighting and battle. Red is the colour of passion, fire and the fighting spirit.
Mars has been visible to the naked eye since pre historic times. The month of March gets its name from the planet Mars. The Sun moves into Aries in March each year.
In modern times we can stand back and see Mars for what it is. A planet not dissimilar to our own. The Fourth planet out from the Sun and the 7th largest planet in the solar system, Mars has long been the planet of myth. It is the stuff science fiction stories are made of. The concept of Martians is one we all know. Even today we have our own Myths and it’s from this planet that stories of extraterrestrial life often come.
So in ancient and modern times Mars has been a planet of adventure and the possibility of something different. It’s the thought of the impossible somehow being possible. How many people over the years have had dreams of going to Mars? Movies are made about it, books are written, little boys (and girls) have dreamt of going to Mars. All these aspects of adventure, exploration and wild fantasies are all qualities of Aries.
Aries Star Sign – The God
Ares, God of War, is the ruling deity of Mars and therefore of Aries. In the ancient world, Mars was Ares. Ares was actually a bit of an unlovable character, not too popular amongst the other Gods. Ares loved battle, not for the strategic side of battle or for the cause. He liked battle for its own sake. ‘Give me blood, give me glory’ would have been his battle cry. It was the act of war and the excitement it brought that was his motivation. Thus, Ares personifies the human concept of aggression and passion.
In mythology, Ares rode a chariot pulled by two horses, one black, one white. They were called Deimos (Fear) and Phobos (Terror). In other myths they are known as his sons. Whether they were his horses or sons, they accompanied him into battle. He lived for the thrill of battle and the smell of blood.
There is a soft spot to Ares. Ares was in lust/love with Aphrodite. Even though Aphrodite was married, Ares was so seduced by her charms that he would gladly suffer humiliation from the other Gods, rather than give up his illicit love affair. In the game of love, Ares (and Aries) fight on for the object of their passion. Ares’ love for Aphrodite survived their embarrassment and eventually they had a daughter called Harmonia. It is said that she represents, being the offspring of strife and love, a balance between the two.
Aries Star Sign – The Season
Aries is the first sign of the Zodiac and marks the beginning of spring. In the 21st Century, western astrology is spread out around the world, as we are, so whether you’re in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, this marks the beginning of Astrological Spring. Our biological clocks, that are written into every DNA cell in our body, wakes up to this feeling of spring.
The Spring Equinox is on the 21st March each year. It’s at this point that the days start to become longer and the long winter is over. Being the equinox, the days and nights are equal in length. Dormant plant life begins to awaken, buds begin to burst out on the trees. Wildlife is born and all around there are signs of Mother Nature waking up.
In the ancient story of Demeter, Earth Goddess, the beginning of spring marks the end of her period of mourning for her daughter Persephone. She prepares with hope, to welcome her home, something she does year after year. There is an air of expectancy. Roots are beginning to awaken and grow deep and strong beneath the surface.
New beginnings, new energy, new life is being born. It’s still too early to plant yet. The ground is still cold and hard and often waterlogged with the spring thaw. But it is a time of expectancy. Optimism returns and as the days become longer, the air of expectancy grows. Grandiose dreams are born and wild speculation is rampant.
The sign that heralds the beginning of a season is said to be a ‘Cardinal’ sign. That is, it’s a sign of initiation, ideas and plans. It’s not up to a Cardinal sign to carry things through, simply to give birth to them.
All these things belong to Aries.
Anne Macnaughtan/Forecasters © 2004