Aries, your gift is courage. Everyone was born with the sign somewhere in their birth chart, therefore everyone has a well of courage at their demand.
To understand the sign’s energy, consider the focus and determination of a new green shoot that pushes through dark soil to reach the Sun, or the baby pushing through the birth canal fighting to be born. Aries, a cardinal fire sign, represents primal life force.
When Sun enters Aries, the hours of daylight begin to take over the hours of darkness. In ancient times the spring equinox was celebrated as the start of the new year. It is when festivals of renewal and rebirth such as Easter are celebrated.
Astrologer Deborah Houlding points out that Aries’ symbol, the ram, originates with the Egyptians who sacrificed the sacred ram to the Sun at the spring equinox to ensure his return and ensure a successful year ahead. The Ram became celebrated in the associated stars as a sacred symbol of resurrection, since its fleece, when shorn, continues to grow and provides a constant, abundant supply.
As the first sign of the zodiac Aries brings its raw vitality to all it does.
Aries is ruled by Mars, the warrior planet, which describes the male archetype. And in keeping with the warrior energy, many excellent generals and members of the military have the sign prominent in their birth charts. Mars describes _how_ you take action and fight for yourself, Aries (and Scorpio) shows _where_ you take action. And where you can be a pioneer, risk taker and leader.
Aries is the spark of initiation. It is associated with entrepreneurship as it is quick to innovate and take advantage of opportunity. Often it is people with the sign emphasized in their charts who begin new businesses. They take charge and prize their independence. Quite often they are successful.
Its light burns big and bright but burns out quickly. An ideal combination is to allow Aries to initiate and begin a new enterprise and arrange for fixed Taurus to handle ongoing administration and mutable Virgo, the details.
As the first sign in the fire element, Aries is passionate, full of enthusiasm and high spirits. It is competitive and inspires others. It needs a physical outlet for its energy such as exercise and competitive sports. The tendency to act first and think later is its hallmark. If not handled well, it is selfish, impulsive. It gets angry quickly and when it does, it explodes, although rarely holding a grudge.
Aries gift is the courage that enabled you to push out of your mother’s womb into an unknown world. The house where you find it describes the area in your life where you can always find courage. It’s where you take initiative, where you are the pioneer, the leader. It is where you can be a champion for yourself or for another. When you are feeling low, look to Aries falls in your chart for inspiration.
