Light the fires and gas the tires baby, let’s talk about the infernal majesty of Aries. Ruling the skies from March 21 to April 19, Aries energy is expressive, vital, impatient and impactful. These people blaze trails, burn boats and use the ashes of their enemies to contour their abs.
A fire sign, Aries is associated with action. It dares to fail and it pushes, relentlessly and sometimes gracelessly — but always forward.
As the first sign of the zodiac, Aries is synonymous with the live birth of the universe. Fittingly, some famous Aries natives have taken to re-enacting the birthing process.
Case in point: Lil Nas X, who ain’t afraid to give the devil a lap dance, throw himself a baby shower or mimic contractions and an at-home delivery for his “Montero” album release.
And lest we forget Mother Monster herself, Aries Lady Gaga, emerging triumphant from an egg at the 2011 Grammy Awards. No fear or fear of being extra here, folks. Apropos of this, the densest concentration of divas are born under the sign of the ram. We’re talking Aretha “R.E.S.P.E.C.T” Franklin, Mariah “My children will be born to the sound of my songs” Carey, Diana ‘You will wear matching outfits or suffer my wrath” Ross, and Celine “Phoenixes for shoes” Dion. Though lesser-known, bouffant royalty Dusty Springfield’s list of quirks and accomplishments make her an apex Aries in any estimation. An openly gay woman and animal-rights activist who liked to party, she was deported for opposing apartheid and left provisions in her will, for her cat, Nicola, including the caveat that he sleep in a bed lined with the nightgown she was wearing when she died. Blessed be the people of the ram: never practical, always memorable.
Natural-born firebrands, no sign is better at getting our attention or bringing attention to a cause. Fact: I have yet to meet an Aries who wouldn’t look perfectly at home holding the reins of a chariot. Case in point: OG punk designer and Aries Vivienne Westwood, who once rode a tank onto the prime minister’s front lawn to protest fracking and wore little more than a tinsel-leaf pubic pastie to raise awareness about global warming. Or Aries Sir Elton John for calling out the Vatican for hypocrisy.
As a Cardinal sign, Aries energy is initiating and forceful; if it were a scented candle it would be lighter fluid and back sweat. These people start things: revolutions, trends, hotwired engines, etc. Aries is also, of course, the sign most likely to start a fight. Luckily, the only thing shorter than their fuse is their attention span, and they are wonderfully adept at letting go and moving on. The whiplash speed in which they pivot from rage to resignation can be dizzying but is ultimately preferable to grudge-holding. Case in point: director and fellow Aries Quentin Tarantino reportedly threatening to beat David Letterman to death with a baseball bat and then ghosting him the day of the arranged duel.
When it comes to relationships, Aries brings a bit of a “love me if you dare” vibe — and we do. Because though we must suffer their childish tantrums and furious tempers, we never endure a moment of boredom with this horned lot.
Aries season is ushered in by the spring equinox and is the true start of a new year and a new cycle of growth. It offers the chance to burn what was and begin again, to be born whole and wholly independent. As the Indian poet Dharmakīrti writes: “No one behind, no one ahead. The path the ancients cleared has closed. And the other path, everyone’s path, easy and wide, goes nowhere. I am alone and find my way.”
Indeed, Aries seems born to find their path and get their way. Powerful if not always polite, they demand that truth be told, sins atoned for, and glory found. Cue the capes, amateur pyrotechnics and Gustav Holst’s “Mars, the Bringer of War” and read on to learn more.
Planetary ruler: Mars
Aries is ruled by high-five-ing, warmongering, skirt-chasing, jock planet Mars. The intensity of the planet is mirrored by the sign who pushes ever onward with impatient ardor. It is no surprise that the color of the planet is the same as fresh blood. As fierce as it is effective, the energy of Mars — and the presence of an Aries — is difficult to ignore. In astrology, Mars is associated with momentum and ambition. It governs sex drive, combat style and how, and with what level of intensity, we approach what we want.
I picture Mars as a cross between high-flying, d–k-swinging Maverick in “Top Gun” and flame-faced Nic Cage at his best worst in “Ghost Rider.”
Mythology
Fitting for our favorite incendiary savior, the myth associated with Aries is a heroic one. Plotted against by their evil stepmother, the royal twins Phrixus and Helle of Boeotia were saved from certain sacrifice by a winged ram with golden wool, sent by their true mother, the cloud nymph Nephele. On their journey to seek asylum in Colchis, Helle fell from her perch and drowned. Phrixus survived and sacrificed the ram to Zeus in gratitude for his safe passage — and the ram became the Aries constellation that burns today. Phrixus was welcomed by King Aeetes of Colchis, who offered him his daughter’s hand in marriage. As an offering of thanks, he presented the king with the slain animal’s gilded fleece. The king consecrated a grove to protect the sacred object and had a sleepless dragon keep watch over it. The fleece was later stolen by Jason with the help of his problematic wife Medea, herself a suspected Aries. This myth of dragons, a daring rescue mission and ritual sacrifice are emblematic of the bold, beautiful spirit of Aries.
Charms/strengths
Aries energy is expressed most beautifully when it brings the fight and the fire to a noble cause. Always outspoken and unafraid to take a stand or to stand in support of others, it is exemplified by labor activist Dolores Huerta and pioneering feminist Gloria Steinem, who used her fury and objective hotness to rail against inequality and lead the charge (pun intended) for women’s rights.
Though it is often in service of the ego, valiant Aries energy is capable of serving humanity concurrently. We’re talking real superhero swagger here, folks. It’s worth noting that Iron Man, a k a Robert Downey Jr., and Arya Stark, a k a Maisie Williams, are both Aries IRL.
On that reality tip, consider Betty Ford. Nicknamed the “fighting first lady” by Time magazine, she was a mood ring-wearing former dancer and model when she became first lady. A vocal Aries, she held progressive political beliefs that challenged her Republican husband, late President Gerald Ford. Most memorably, through her own brutal battle with alcoholism, she was able to shine a light in the wilderness for others, destigmatizing addiction and establishing the Betty Ford Center in 1982. Slaying personal demons and lending the bloody sword of triumph to those still struggling with their own? Aries at its best and brightest.
Challenges/weaknesses
Aries are quick to anger and easily provoked into lashing out. Looking at you, Russell “If I can’t complete this phone call I will throw the phone at a front desk employee” Crowe. These folks will pick a fight, push a button or pose an outrageous statement just to elicit a reaction to which they can respond. In this sense, Aries requires conflict to create and adversity to ascend. In “Beyond Good and Evil,” honorary Aries Nietzche explores this modality, arguing, “Under peaceful conditions, a warlike man sets upon himself.” As with all obstacles, awareness is the first step. An Aries who can actively control and consciously convert their prodigious anger is capable of untold greatness.
Because of their inborn need to be first and best, Aries can be almost comically competitive. Case in point: Aries and hot-headed king of cool Steve McQueen, who insisted that he have the same billing and scripted word count as frenemy Paul Newman in the film “Towering Inferno.” Similar defiance reportedly cost McQueen roles in “Apocalypse Now” and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.”
Aries is rarely patient, impulsively moving through the world as if their hair is on fire. This eager quality can get them ahead or cause them to crash and burn. While I have no evidence, save for a Catholic upbringing, an art history degree and a working knowledge of astrology, I’m willing to bet that Judas Iscariot was an Aries. The challenge for this ilk is calibrating what is and isn’t worth waiting for. Because when an Aries does manage to employ patience, the results are powerful — see Beat poet Bob Kaufman who, upon hearing of the assassination of John F. Kennedy, took a legendary decade-long vow of silence, breaking it on the day the Vietnam War ended by walking into a coffee shop and reciting his absolute banger of a poem, “All Those Ships That Never Sailed.” Patience practiced — power found.
Astrology 101: Your guide to the stars
- The 12 zodiac signs
- What are the astrology houses?
- Here’s what each planet represents
- Sun, moon and rising signs: Get to know your Big 3
Tarot
In the Major Arcana of the Tarot, Aries is represented by the Emperor card. The card depicts a stately male figure seated on a throne adorned with ram heads — a nod to Aries and a very rock ‘n’ roll furniture choice. The Emperor is dressed in battle armor, a reminder of the wars that have been fought and the wars yet to come. On one hand, he holds a scepter, denoting his position as ruler; in the opposite hand, he cradles an orb symbolizing the kingdom he is charged with protecting. His long beard represents the wisdom of experience, while the mountains behind him are emblematic of his ambitions. The Emperor and Aries energy, at its highest expression, serves as a reminder that we must be prepared to fight, but only with sound strategy and for the betterment of the collective. The lesson: it is not enough to rule — you must protect. It is not enough to gain power; you must cultivate self-control.
First House
In astrology, Aries rules the First House of the self. First House energy is associated with consciousness, physical appearance, ego and identity. Within the birth chart, the sign on the cusp of the First House is known as the ascendant or rising sign. The sign and planets that occupy the First House are indicative of the kind of childhoods we experience, as well as the tools we carry along our path to actualization.
Body
In terms of the human body, Aries is associated with the head, face and eyes; apropos for a sign that tends to lead with their horns, running full force without fully considering the consequences of their collisions. Further, based on personal research, I’m pretty sure Aries blink at half the rate of any other zodiac sign. The concentration of vital energy above the shoulders imbues Aries with inspiration and willpower and leaves them vulnerable to stress and anxiety, prone to blowing their respective tops, so to speak.
Compatibility
Determining true astrological compatibility is a delicate dance that includes the cross-examination of birth charts in a process known as symmetry. I highly recommend a synastry reading sometime between getting to second base and adopting a pet together. For our general purposes, however, the following signs have a solid shot at sticking it out.
Aries finds grounding and a formidable force to be reckoned with in Fixed Earth sign Taurus. These two will inevitably lock horns, though Aries will benefit from Taurean practicality while Taurus will be blessedly beckoned out of the comfort zone of their pasture. Also, both like to party, so any discord can be worked out via a dance-off. The romance between former couple Lara Flynn Boyle (Aries) and Jack Nicholson (Taurus) allegedly began when handsome Jack asked Lara out in front of her boyfriend. Proof that fortune, and every Aries ever, favors the bold.
Elementally, air fuels fire, and the coupling of mutable air sign Gemini and cardinal fire sign Aries is no exception. Gemini is adaptable enough to weather Aries’ tempestuousness, while Gemini’s ever-shifting moods and conversational prowess keep Aries interested. It took a dynamic Gemini like Annette Bening to tame the flame of Aries playboy Warren Beatty. In true Aries fashion, Beatty claims to have fallen in love with Bening within five minutes of their first date.
The paired intensity of fixed water sign Scorpio and fiery Aries has the makes for sex tapes, murder plots and matching tats. Aries has never met a challenge they didn’t like and they’ll never quite get to the bottom of the Scorpio psyche. For their part, Scorpio is charmed by the reckless romanticism they find in Aries. Evidence of this hot-and-heavy pairing can be found in soon-to-be-wed Aries Kourtney Kardashian and Scorpio Travis Barker.
Recommended Listening
“Ballroom Blitz” — Sweet
“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” — Diana Ross
“Song 2” — Blur
“The Outsider” — A Perfect Circle
“Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie” — Black Flag
“I Want Love” — Elton John
Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports back on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture and personal experience. She is also an accomplished writer who has profiled a variety of artists and performers, as well as extensively chronicled her experiences while traveling. Among the many intriguing topics she has tackled are cemetery etiquette, her love for dive bars, Cuban Airbnbs, a “girls guide” to strip clubs and the “weirdest” foods available abroad.
