Aries

Aries at a glance

Aries is the first of the twelve signs and the start of the zodiac itself: the tropical zodiac is measured from the March equinox, and 0° Aries is the Sun's position at that moment. It is a fire sign, one of three with Leo and Sagittarius, and a cardinal sign, one of the four that begin a season. Its ruler is Mars, its symbol the Ram, and its polarity the active, outward one. The tradition gives it the head among the parts of the body, fitting for a sign so often described as going first. Its opposite sign is Libra, and the tension between them, self and other, runs through much of what astrologers say about it.

The Aries character

Everything in the tradition's reading of Aries follows from beginnings. Fire gives it warmth and spirit, the cardinal mode gives it the urge to start, and Mars gives it nerve. Put together, the sign is read as direct, brave and impatient: quick to act, quick to anger and quick to forgive, more interested in the next challenge than the last one. Astrologers describe Aries at its best as the pioneer, the person who tries first so others can follow, and at its most difficult as the one who charges ahead without checking who is behind. The same honesty that makes an Aries easy to read can make it blunt. Learning to finish, and not only to begin, is the lesson the tradition most often gives the sign.

Aries in love

In relationships Aries is read as the pursuer: fast to show interest, openly affectionate and fond of a little challenge. The tradition pairs it easily with the other fire signs, Leo and Sagittarius, who share its pace, and with Gemini and Aquarius, whose air keeps its fire going. Libra, its opposite, is read as the classic attraction of opposites: Libra brings the patience and diplomacy Aries lacks, while Aries brings the decisiveness Libra finds hard. Cancer and Capricorn square Aries, which astrologers read as chemistry with friction. None of this is fixed. A Sun sign is one factor among many, and the synastry chart compares two whole charts rather than two birthdays.

Aries at work

The tradition's Aries works best where there is something to start, win or fix quickly. Leadership, entrepreneurship, sport, emergency work, the military and any job that rewards courage and speed are the classic suggestions, along with work that lets an Aries be its own boss. Long stretches of routine and slow committees are read as its weak ground, not because it lacks ability but because its energy runs down without a goal. Astrologers also note the Aries habit of doing the hard part first: a sign that is often at its best in the first week of a project and needs a steadier partner for the last.

Aries beyond the Sun sign

Your Sun sign is only one placement. A planet in Aries colors that planet with the sign's directness wherever it falls, and the rising sign often matters as much as the Sun for how you come across. Aries rising is read as a quick, forthright manner and a lot of physical energy; the Moon in Aries as feelings that flare up and pass quickly; Venus in Aries as falling in love fast; and Mars in Aries, Mars in its own sign, as drive at full strength. The birth chart calculator shows every planet's sign at once. The sections below give the Aries dates for the coming years, its compatibility with every sign, its three decans and when the slow planets pass through it.