Sign: Aries

Sign: Aries, the Ram, approximate dates are March 21-April 20
Ruled by: Mars
Keyword: Headstrong
Quality: Cardinal
Element: Fire
House: First House. Me me me house.

Aries is the first sign of the zodiac. It begins on the first official day of spring, around March 21st, the day when the amount of sun and night is (theoretically) equal, the Spring Equinox. Aries is a starter, a go go go sign. One thing I’ve always loved about most Aries is that there is never any “hidden agenda” — it’s just not in the make up. And that goes well with the First House association. In more traditional astrology, the First House is associated with the very basic nature of the person himself.

The First House, and especially the Ascendant, the ruler of the First House often dictates what a person’s “astrological personality” will be. Aries is a young and robust sign, and this carries well into the sun sign and the First House association.

Shopping at 3:00 AM:Precision Shopping. Even in an induced stupor at three in the morning, the Aries knows what he wants, and the Aries gets what he is looking for. Nothing will deter him from this mission. Since Mars rules cutting instruments, being the Roman God of War, you can expect a surgical strike on the grocery store at 3:00 AM. A popular Aries food is the olive which has been stuffed with a Serrano Pepper. Make sure that’s on the list for the 3:00 AM Food Strike Force.

Brick Wall: Just as the symbol for Aries is the Ram, and just as the glyph for Aries is the Ram’s Horns, Aries is very straightforward about problem resolution. They are very direct. Put a brick wall in front of an Aries, and he will charge straight into it. He will just lower his head, and bang away on that brick surface until something cracks. Like as not, it will be the wall. Aries are accused of being stubborn, but that’s not really the case. There is a certain amount of determination that comes with them, though, and they do charge headlong into that brick wall almost every time.

Bait: Live shad — see, an Aries fish needs something that wiggles, and let’s face facts, in some cases — and Aries is just such a case — no artificial bait can replace that special movement you can only get with a live one. For the non-technical folks, we call it action. Aries needs action, activity, and agility in order to get caught. Nothing works better than live shad for big redfish.

Dating: It’s a pretty straightforward thing, this dating stuff. You’re on or you’re off, you’re in or you’re out. It’s that simple, not a lot of questions. This is where the marvelous uncomplicated nature of the Aries is best exhibited. Be prepared for a few direct hits from an Aries, though.

Revenge: Most forms of revenge just don’t work on the impervious Aries hide. Outright lying seems to be good way to get back at them, but even that has a bad ring to it, and we all know that telling a bald-faced lie might get you in as much trouble. Aries is forgiving of the common mistake of intention instead of action, “I was meaning to give you a call, but I got busy….” Occasionally, an Aries will get short tempered with a lack of direct, verifiable action. It’s part of the Cardinal Quality an Aries has, the “giddy up and go” feeling which permeates their lives.

Body part: Head and face.

Notable Personalities with the Sun in Aries: Don Adams, Herb Alpert, Alan Arkin, Hans C. Andersen, Fatty Arbuckle, Patrica Arquette, Johnann S. Bach, Pearl Baily, Alec Baldwin, Charles Baudelaire, Warren Beatty, George Benson, Ritchie Blackmore, Marlon Brando, Jerry Brown, Anita Bryant, James Caan, Irene Cara, David Cassidy, Charlie Chaplin, Cesar Chavez, Eric Clapton, Francis Ford Coppola, Joan Crawford, Clarence Darrow, Bette Davis, Doris Day, Rene Descartes, Isak Dinesen, Celine Dion, Robert Downy Jr., Aretha Franklin, Sarah Michelle Gellar. Al Green, Joel Grey, Sir Alec Guiness, MC Hammer (Stanley Kirk Burrell), Emmylou Harris, William Holden, A.E. Housman, Henry James, Tama Janowitz, Thomas Jefferson, Eltion John, Nikita Khruschev, Keira Knightley, Julian Lennon, John Madden, Jayne Mansfield, Steve McQueen, Don Meredith, Elizabeth Montgomery, Dudley Moore, Harry Morgan, Eddie Murphey, Arthur Murray, Sussanne Kerner Nena, Wayne Newton, Leonard Nimoy, Conan O’Brien, Rosie O’Donnell, Madalyn O’Hair, Gary Oldman, Gregory Peck, Pauley Perrette, Joseph Pulitzer, Dennis Quaid, Debbie Reynolds, Pete Rose, Diana Ross, Leon Russell, William Shatner, Martin Short, B.F. Skinner, Amy Smart, Algernon Swinburne, Quentin Tarantino, David Tennant, Paul Theroux, Peter Ustinov, Vincent Van Gogh, Christopher Walken, Muddy Waters, Jack Webb, Willaim Wordsworth, and Cale Yarborough.

SUN in ARIES
AriesOne of the easiest ways to recognize an Aries is the fact that there is usually blood on the forehead. This is from repeatedly imitating the action of the Ram, and barreling headfirst into whatever comes along. Often as not, this is a fixed object. Another bizarre and probably unrelated fact is that most Aries have some pronounced red in their hair. I once had trouble with an English woman when we were conversing about the word “aggressive” because her definition had overtones of violence in it. Aries are aggressive, but I mean that in the much softer American version of the word: that is, an Aries is a willing to go right out there and get what the Aries wants.

I always like Aries because the sun sign is very straightforward, no hidden agenda in here at all, and that makes dealing an Aries pretty easy. What they say, they mean. One of the problems with being an Aries, though, is that most Aries are considered blunt and cold. It’s not that the person is either blunt or cold, he or she is just quick to deal with a situation. While I’m still getting worked up, the Aries has already moved on. “You still worried about that?” the Aries asks. “Shoot, I’ve already forgiven you.” I think to myself, “What’d you mean, ‘forgiven me’? Come back here and fight! I’m just getting worked up.” Because Aries is a new sign, the first sign of the tropical zodiac, you can come across as childish. I didn’t say you were childish, but sometimes that’s how an Aries is received. Face it, you want what you want when you want it, and yesterday was not soon enough, right? And sometimes you put your words into action faster than your brain can think to yourself and say, “Self, do I really want to do this?”

Mars rules Aries if that gives you any indication (Mars IS the God of War). An Aries favorite color is probably a shade of red. And cars. Mars is associated with transportation. Actually, it is associated with movement, but in this day and age that means wheels, so we call it a Car Star. It does give a certain edge in physical situations, too, although you do have this aggressive streak which does scare some people. I’d call it “forthright” instead of aggressive, though. Without a certain amount of coming and going and doing, you can become depressed. Activity is important to you on all levels.

When it comes to music, Bach, Mussorgsky, Rachmaninov, and Toscanini were all born under the sign of the Ram, as were Herbie Hancock and Herb Alpert. Your listening pleasure will tend more towards Beethoven’s Symphonies Nos. 5 and 7. Any of Wagner’s “The Ring” is also suggested.

ARIES ASCENDANT
AriesThis is a winner because Aries rules this house, and it adds a little more kick to the Ascendant, so to speak. Or type, as the case may be. In my own observation, I usually find a hint of red in someone’s hair if that person has an Aries Ascendant. It’s not, like, a hard and fast rule, but it is a general indication. And the Aries Ascendant is usually poised for a great deal of success and forever looking up. It’s the way you’re wired. Ambition is a good thing, and this gives you the air of being very ambitious — or the fire, because Aries is a Fire Sign. You’re going to find that you brook no B.S. from other people. I’ve always liked this Ascendant for that very reason: no fooling around, straight up and straight ahead. You will also be full of energy, or at the very least, you’ll appear that way. While you may not be openly combative, you will not shrink away from a good fight.

Some folks with an Aries Ascendant: Lynn Anderson, Joan Baez, David Crosby, Bo Derek, Phillip K. Dick, Billy Graham, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Bette Middler, Lynn Redgrave, and Cale Yarborough.

MOON in ARIES
AriesYou will always want to turn feelings into physical experiences, and you will seek instant (that’s just not fast enough) gratification. You are passionate and energetic, one might call you an adventuresome soul who finds it hard to settle down to a daily routine. This is especially apparent because you feel trapped by long term commitments. You seem restless and impatient. With your quick, almost volatile temper, you can come across as being easily aroused and aggressive. You are dynamic and self-assertive; however, this can also manifest itself as you being resentful of authority. This means it is hard for you to take advice. You are self-indulgent, careless and overconfident to the point of seeming foolhardy. This can be overcome because you are a genuine inspiration and are generous.

Notable folks with Moon in Aries: Alan Alda, Elizabeth Arden, Louis Armstrong, Lauren Bacall, Kevin Bacon, Debbie Boone, Marlon Brando, Anthony Burgess, George Burns, John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Salvador Dali, Ellen DeGeneres, Placido Domingo, W.C. Fields, Annete Funicello, Jerry Garcia, Bill Gates, David Gilmore, Holly Hunter, Peter Max, Burgess Meredith, Chuck Norris, Diana Rigg, Howard Stern, Jackie Stewart, James Taylor, Andy Warhol, and Jane Wyman.