"It’s no coincidence that the Astrological New Year starts with Aries season. Ruled by the Ram, Aries is a fierce and fiery sign that teaches us how to overcome challenges, see life with a fresh perspective, and grab life by the horns (pun definitely intended). Those born under this sign know that even though this energy is powerful, it’s not always easy. Here, we’ll dive deeper into what it means to be an Aries, including how to play on your strengths and deal with your more challenging traits so you can use that powerful energy to be the best you that you can be and let yourself shine.
The Basics
Dates: March 21-April 19
If you were born between these dates, that means your sun sign is an Aries. But even if not, your birth chart might have other Aries placements. If that’s you, there’s still a lot to learn about your Aries side.
Symbol: The Ram
The Ram is a symbol of courage and strength. Like Aries, the Ram faces challenges head-on and isn’t afraid to take charge to let people know they mean business.
Element: Fire
Each sign is ruled by an element, and the ruler of Aries is Fire, which represents passion, ambition, power, and action. Like Fire, Aries can be wild and unpredictable, but it can also bring life and warmth to even the coldest of places. For my Aries ladies, this means it’s important to keep your passion alive, whether that means finding a job you love or making time for creative pursuits.
Mode: Cardinal
Like the elements, each zodiac sign is also associated with one of three modes (Cardinal, Mutable, and Fixed), which represent how the sign expresses itself through action. In other words, do you initiate action, flow with the energy, or keep things stable? As a Cardinal sign, Aries is skilled at getting things started. According to Astrologer Steven Forrest, the Cardinal mode is “the creative push that allows fresh life to manifest itself in a universe that may already be stable or closed.”
Planetary Ruler: Mars
A planetary ruler is basically the parent of a sign—it passes a lot of its traits onto the signs it rules. In this case, Aries’ planetary parent is Mars, which represents personal freedom, power, and self-determination on its best days and conflict and combat when things get tough. As an Aries, you tend to be more on the “fight” side of fight-or-flight, and you don’t back down easily.
What Aries Signs Bring to the Table
You live life on your own terms.
Let’s just go ahead and underline this one. For Aries, living a life controlled by others isn’t only a drag—it’s not an option. After all, you went through all the trouble of being born, and who knows if you’ll get another shot, so you might as well make this one count. You’ll go off in any direction you damn well please, especially if it means you get to explore uncharted territories or live life in a way that’s never been done before.
Your independence and determination are natural strengths. While some might call you selfish because of your need for independence and freedom, it’s really more that you’re self-focused. By giving yourself permission to go after what you want and create the life of your dreams, you inspire and give others permission to do the same, meaning that for this sign, focusing on your needs and goals is anything but selfish.
You find courage through action.
Because Aries is ruled by Mars and the Ram, you have a reputation for being bold and courageous. While you might give off courageous vibes, you probably feel more like Courage the Cowardly Dog on the inside. Bravery and courage don’t come naturally to Aries, but the will and determination to do something despite fears do. Your Aries energy comes alive when you face fear head-on and see what’s lying on the other side. Afraid of taking on a new position? Do it anyway. Afraid of jumping out of a plane? Just go for it! Feeling anxious about that solo hike? Lace up those boots! You get the point.
You prefer to be the first over being the best.
The idea of being the best at something that’s been done a thousand times bores you. You’d rather get recognition for doing something completely out of left field. When everyone is competing for the same reward, you sneak off to the side and go places nobody has gone before. And it makes sense—as the first sign of the zodiac, you represent the energy of spring and birth, and you’re curious about what type of new life you can bring into the world.
For this reason, Aries signs make great artists and entrepreneurs. When you’re stuck in a rut, explore something new and see how you can make it your own. If you feel like you’re rushed trying to get something out into the world before anyone else does, ride that energy. It’s just the fuel that your fire needs.
You love a challenge.
There’s no sugarcoating it—Aries is a passionate and incredibly driven sign that gets bored easily (like super easily). You strive off the struggle, the conflict, and the fight. After all, what’s the point in achieving something if it’s easy? A life without conflict and stress would make for a pretty lame storyline. Don’t be afraid of the challenges that show up in your life—they’re there to help you grow.
The Challenges of Being an Aries
Not everyone will understand your passion and independence.
The flip side of having the courage to go off and live on your own terms is that people will inevitably have opinions about it (because when don’t they?). Maybe you’re not giving friends and family the attention they want as you advance your career, or maybe people are jealous because they don’t have the same confidence to live the life they want. So how do you handle it? Stay focused on your goal and let their opinions be—they’ll only hold you back.
If this doesn’t come naturally, find a group of friends that understands your drive and can keep you from getting swayed from your goals, create a vision board to remind yourself of why you do what you do, or take up an active hobby to help clear your mind and refocus.
You can be a little too independent.
There’s no doubt that Aries is one of, if not the most, independent signs in the zodiac. Independence is a great trait to have, but it can also lead to isolation and loneliness if you’re not careful (you know, that old-school “I don’t need anyone but me” energy?). While you’re busy focusing on the task at hand and picking yourself up by your bootstraps, it’s easy to overlook how important it is to spend time with loved ones.
It’s important to be intentional about setting aside time to be present with your people. This can look like having a weekly coffee date, making it a point to go visit family once a month, or even just being mindful about checking in with your friends to see what’s going on. Your community will only make achieving your goals feel that much more possible.
You can attract stress.
Aries, listen to me when I say this—not everything has to be stressful and chaotic! A bit of stress every now and then is healthy, but remember that it’s possible for things to be easy, too. Since you thrive off conflict and challenge, you might even feel like you have to struggle to achieve and even create your own obstacles when nothing’s standing in your way.
Remember to take time for self-care before you become a fiery ball of stress and anger. Yes, even high-energy, won’t-quit-till-it’s-done Aries need a break from time to time. Don’t worry—we’ll dive into some self-care tips below.
Your anger can get the best of you.
You might seem calm and collected on the outside, but if something or someone rubs you the wrong way, it’s like flipping a switch. It’s the type of anger that’s impulsive and difficult to control. Despite what people say, anger isn’t necessarily bad. It can drive us toward positive change, give us a signal that something isn’t working for us, and help us to make our boundaries clear. However, when it’s random and unfocused, it can be destructive.
Because Aries is a sign with so much energy, physical activity is an excellent way to channel your anger and make sure you’re not getting stuck in it. Self-care is also key when it comes to getting your anger to work for you and not against you.
What Aries Are Like in Love
Aries’ love lives can be volatile, to say the least. A typical relationship just won’t cut it—you need excitement, passion, and maybe even a bit of healthy risk or sense of danger thrown in. You’re naturally drawn to people who play hard to get but are quick to move on to the next thing once the excitement wears off. Long-term relationships can be a challenge, but when you find someone who’s just as crazy about life as you are, it’s explosive in the best way.
In relationships, Aries tend to struggle with compromise. It’s not that you don’t want to compromise—it’s just that it doesn’t come naturally to you. Taking other people into consideration when making decisions, especially decisions about your own life, is a learned skill. The plus side to this is that if an Aries is making compromises for you, you know the love is real.
This is one sign that can benefit from healthy fighting—the type where you’re able to get everything off your chest and shout your emotions while still respecting your partner and having great makeup sex afterward. Speaking of the bedroom, exploration is another way to build excitement (role play anyone?) and keep the interest alive during long-term relationships.
What Aries Are Like at Work
You do your best work when you’re able to do your own thing, which can make it challenging to work under leadership that micromanages or doesn’t trust you. Beyond independence, you also need something that keeps you interested and excited. The monotony of a desk job can be a real buzz kill, so the key to finding a career you love is to follow your passion. No matter how challenging it seems to get to where you want to be, you have the will and power to achieve it.
How Aries Signs Can Practice Self-Care
With all that fire and ambition swirling around, it’s important to check in with yourself and make sure you’re feeding your fire instead of burning out (or burning those around you). Some ideas for incorporating self-care into your life are:
- Focus on the physical: Aries are balls of energy, so taking care of your body is the best way to slow down and keep yourself from getting overwhelmed. Any type of physical activity works, but high-intensity activities really help you let go of feelings of anger and aggression while giving you a healthy challenge.
- Give yourself pep talks: Constantly overcoming challenges and facing your fears can be exhausting and even leave you feeling hopeless. Give yourself a pep talk, write one down for the moments when you’re feeling low, or get one from a friend to give yourself the motivation to keep going.
- Get creative: Whether you’re doing it for the clout or just to unwind, dedicate time to your creative passions. Exploring new territory and giving yourself permission to creatively go off the rails helps you keep your confidence and spirits high.
- Go on a solo adventure: Like it or not, the world is full of people telling you what to do—the definition of an Aries nightmare. It’s important to escape from the noise every now and then. Going on a solo trip, even if that just means checking out a nearby town for the day, gives you the freedom to decide exactly how you want to spend the day, allowing you to focus on what you want and leave others’ opinions at the door.
- Destroy things (safely): I certainly wouldn’t be surprised to find out that smash rooms were invented by an Aries. Finding healthy outlets for anger and intense emotions can help you destress, so be sure to give yourself the opportunity to let loose and get those feelings out of your body.