The Sun entered Aries, astrologically speaking, at 10.28 UT
this morning. The first degree of Aries marks the point at which day and night
are of equal length – the equinox. Here
in the northern hemisphere we’re celebrating the spring or vernal equinox – the
point at which days become longer. The light returns to the earth.
Traditionally, astrologers view Aries as the first sign in
the zodiac. It’s also a cardinal sign, so it’s a ‘mover and shaker’. Aries is
the initiator, the pioneer – the one who comes up with the ideas. Again, apologies for the northern hemisphere
bias – but Aries, for me, really does connect to the ‘first breath of spring’. To take a breath in is to in-spire; this is
the time for inspiration, for setting intent, for coming up with the seeds of
ideas. Ideas hatching from the egg. A time of birth and renewal.
Aries is the first of the three Fire signs encountered in
the zodiac, bringing drive and passion to the creative process. It’s also thought of as ‘masculine’, or
‘active’ – ‘yang’ energy. The name
‘Aries’ is Latin for ‘lamb’; its glyph is meant to represent the horns of a
ram. In the sky, it was originally
referred to as a farmhand, but in late Babylonian times, through associations
with shepherds and the ‘shepherd kings’ of ancient Syria, it became associated
with the figure of a ram. Amun, a Kush deitry, was often shown as having a
ram’s head; later, Amun became merged with the Egyptian sun god Ra – another
ram’s headed-figure, representing creativity and fertility. Through its position at the vernal equinox,
Aries became known as the ‘Indicator of the re-born Sun’, and also the ‘Lord of
the Head’. Today, Aries is still said to
rule the head in astrology.
 |
| ‘Aries’ ©Alison Coals |
Aries is ruled by Mars, the planet named after the Roman god
of war. This gives Aries its drive and
determination, its enthusiasm for things new. Mars is emotional and passionate
about the things it believes in, and will defend self and others against
attack. It also symbolizes the thrust for life, and the enjoyment of a good
battle, of challenges and competitions for worthy causes. Champion of the underdog, maverick...that’s
Mars, and by association, Aries. (The
Ram’s Head Device, or Military Mountaineer Badge, is a military special skill
badge of US Army National Guard.)
It’s not all about war and battles, though. Although we tend
to think of the ram when we talk about Aries, the lamb represents the other
side of this sign – the compassion and the willingness to sacrifice for the
greater good. The Lamb of God (‘Agnus
Dei’), the Paschal Lamb of Passover, refers to the sacrifice of Christ. This –
again in the northern hemisphere – is the time when we see lambs bouncing
around in the fields. And note that
Easter and Ostara fall in Aries. We come
back to the idea of breaking out of the egg, representing new, or renewed life,
waking up and seeing the world with fresh eyes – it’s all part of the
‘first-ness’ of Aries. The time to set
your intention for the coming year – and enjoying the vision, the rush, the
buzz of it NOW!
