Aries zodiac sign characteristics

Aries (the Ram)
March 2lst - April 19th.
Aries (The Ram), March 21st - April 19th

This is the first Sign of the Zodiac—beginning at the Spring Equinox—the awaking of a new year. It is the Head Sign, or Positive Pole of the fire element, and corresponds to the head of the Grand Man. Its colors are blue, pink and white, and its birth stones diamond and amethyst, its profession, letters and teaching or lecturing, and its chief characteristics are intuitive insight, reason, and a controlling power which the brain has by means of nerve telegraphy. Its tribe is Gad, of which it is said, " Lo, a troop cometh!" fitly expressing its impetuous, unconquerable energy. And the meaning is "armed and prepared," indicating the insight and reasoning powers it possesses in such abundance for its fight in the world. The Sun is strong in this sign and its planets are Neptune, Uranus and Mars. Neptune has control of the inmost parts of our nature and is said to be the poet's planet.

In personal appearance there are two distinct types of Aries people—one tall, slim, strong, broad-shouldered, with transparent complexion and good eyes. The other—short, stout, dark or auburn-haired, with florid complexion, dark eyes and nervous manner. This latter type are more changeable and talkative than the others and have better success in business and less literary talent.

The direct frankness of an Aries person would be almost brutal if it were not for the generosity and intuition which govern their nature. The activity of their brains inclines them to be impetuous and restless, but given some congenial employment in which their natural mechanical ability may assist and counteract the restless brain-work, this energy makes splendid workers of them.

These people have a passion for spreading any helpful knowledge or information they possess, which makes them natural teachers, lecturers and writers, and having an intuitive knowledge of the natures and conditions of those with whom they come in contact, their lessons and precepts are delivered with a tact which disarms opposition. They love music and dancing, making good leaders in society, the originality and directness of their nature keeping them from being mere followers of conventional form. They make the best of friends, apparently seeing no fault and grudging no sacrifice, no matter how great, where they love. As their insight is keen enough for others' shortcomings, this is undoubtedly a wilful blindness growing out of a generous desire to show their friends as perfect as they would have them.

Aries people are born comforters, their intuition making them understand without words the troubles of others and showing them the way to help the sufferer.

In their love affairs they are apt to be very fickle, turning easily from one to another, till they meet their real mates. But then all the energy and impetuosity of their being is turned into their love-making, and their nature made or marred at this time. It is through their love-nature that the Aries people reach their greatest height. Before this they are apt to be hard and critical, book-loving and indolent, unsteady at their work and restless in their habits. But when they begin to love some one else more than themselves they become awakened to the meaning of life and its duties, less sure of themselves and less critical of others, and though it goes harder with these people to be disappointed in love than any others, they seldom go back to their shells, but grow broader-minded, nobler and more generous through their trials. Some of the more restless natures plunge recklessly into folly, but as no one sees more quickly than they do through its shams and hollowness, they generally struggle back, much disgusted, to lead a life of more use than the pursuit of pleasure. It is their innate desire to overcome all opposition and conquer every obstacle in their path which helps them to make a success of a hope no matter how forlorn or a fight no matter how unequal.

This passion for conquering—whether difficulties or people—makes good soldiers and commanders of them. Their natural mechanical ability would make good artisans of them, but poor accountants, clerks, or employees of any kind where patient drudgery and careful detail is required. In anything in which they can originate—branch out independently and do in their own way—they succeed. Literature, trading, commercial work in any original way would appeal to them and be well carried through.

But just as they have large virtues these people have large faults. They are sometimes afflicted with a selfishness so all-absorbing that they are entirely unconscious of it, and cannot be made to believe in its existence. One of their greatest faults is jealousy, their over-weening desire to be the first and best-beloved causing themselves and their friends much unnecessary pain. This is also seen in their desire to talk about themselves and their doings at all times and on all occasions, with a tendency to exaggerate their importance. They see everything as a whole and hate to be bothered with details.

A hot temper, easily provoked but quickly reconciled, a headlong, almost reckless, impetuosity, and a fickle, thoughtless disposition concludes a category of faults enough to stagger any but the indomitable will of an Aries person. But as the more there is against them the better they fight, so their energy and love of usefulness, with the softening effect of an awakened love-nature, may raise them from the mire of selfishness and conceit, and make strong, broad-minded, helpful men and women of these firebrands. Being, as they are, the head sign or positive pole of the Fire Triune, they partake the most strongly of its fiery character. And as they are also the first of the Intellectual Trinity the brain is doubly active and every disease contracted tends to go to the head. Business worries or inharmonious domestic relations cause sick headaches which in turn affect the digestive organs. So, running more risk than others would of brain fever, they should cultivate a habit of taking a little rest every day, a nap of fifteen or twenty minutes or a half hour's quiet thought on some pleasant subject. Rest, fresh air and sleep, are the sovereign remedies for these people. They have actual need of more sleep than people of any other sign, and yet as a rule give less time to it. They are in constant danger of bankrupting their vitality, but if at the first sign of a nervous breakdown, they would go away into the country and sleep, dropping all thought of business or other worries, their recovery would be surprisingly swift and permanent.

Aries babies, while teething, should be kept cool and quiet; in fact their bringing up should be as harmonious and unexciting as possible, as they are inclined to be nervous children. They dearly love to have their own way, and should be early taught that beating one's head against a stone wall will not remove it.

As an Aries person's love-nature is more intense than that of any other sign, it behooves them to be very careful to whom they make the unconditional surrender of their life and happiness. To be rejected, hard as it is for them, will not work such havoc with their life as the acceptance of an unworthy object. Their sympathies being so quick and their adaptability so great that, failing to raise and ennoble the object of their affections, they would be in great danger of sinking to the same level. A union of the body, soul, and spirit, is necessary to make a perfectly harmonious marriage. Whereas we seldom see more than a union of the first, which soon loses its attraction, or of the third, which is an intellectual companionship entirely unsatisfying to the heart and soul.

The union of an Aries and Sagittarius person, which would be uniting the Positive and Negative Poles of fire—if their bringing up, nationality and social position are about the same—would satisfy the requirements of each nature as perfectly as the inherent faults and selfishness of Ihe two will admit. Such a union could be made perfect with forbearance and good temper on both sides.

A union of Aries and Aries would be very sympathetic, unless the two heads would each try to lead at once. Aries and Gemini would make good friends. And Aries and its opposite, Libra, would, according to some authorities, make a perfect union. Aries and Leo are sympathetic, and Aries and Aquarius make boon companions. Aries and Cancer, the Positive Pole of water, would be very unfortunate; for being head signs of such antagonistic elements unless there was wonderful self-control and forbearance, there would be such a sputter and fizz of warring natures as would leave no peace at all.

The most fortunate times in the year for Aries people to undertake new enterprises are the two weeks beginning April 13th, and November 29th.

"Astrology", by M. M. Macgregor (1905)