Scent – honeysuckle
Quality – cardinal (= activity)
Quality most needed for balance – caution
Strongest virtues – abundant physical energy, courage, honesty, independence, self-reliance
Deepest need – action
Characteristics to avoid – haste, impetuousness, over-aggression, rashness
Signs of greatest overall compatibility – Leo, Sagittarius
Signs of greatest overall incompatibility – Cancer, Libra, Capricorn
Sign most helpful to career – Capricorn
Sign most helpful for emotional support – Cancer
Sign most helpful financially – Taurus
Sign best for marriage and/or partnerships – Libra
Sign most helpful for creative projects – Leo
Best Sign to have fun with – Leo
Signs most helpful in spiritual matters – Sagittarius, Pisces
Best day of the week – Tuesday
Understanding an Aries
Aries is the activist par excellence of the zodiac. The Aries need for action is almost an addiction, and those who do not really understand the Aries personality would probably use this hard word to describe it. In reality ‘action’ is the essence of the Aries psychology – the more direct, blunt and to-the-point the action, the better. When you think about it, this is the ideal psychological makeup for the warrior, the pioneer, the athlete or the manager.
Aries likes to get things done, and in their passion and zeal often lose sight of the consequences for themselves and others. Yes, they often try to be diplomatic and tactful, but it is hard for them. When they do so they feel that they are being dishonest and phony. It is hard for them even to understand the mindset of the diplomat, the consensus builder, the front office executive. These people are involved in endless meetings, discussions, talks and negotiations – all of which seem a great waste of time when there is so much work to be done, so many real achievements to be gained. An Aries can understand, once it is explained, that talk and negotiations – the social graces – lead ultimately to better, more effective actions. The interesting thing is that an Aries is rarely malicious or spiteful – even when waging war. Aries people fight without hate for their opponents. To them it is all good-natured fun, a grand adventure, a game.
When confronted with a problem many people will say, ‘Well, let’s think about it, let’s analyse the situation.’ But not an Aries. An Aries will think, ‘Something must be done. Let’s get on with it.’ Of course neither response is the total answer. Sometimes action is called for, sometimes cool thought. But an Aries tends to err on the side of action.
Action and thought are radically different principles. Physical activity is the use of brute force. Thinking and deliberating require one not to use force – to be still. It is not good for the athlete to be deliberating the next move; this will only slow down his or her reaction time. The athlete must act instinctively and instantly. This is how Aries people tend to behave in life. They are quick, instinctive decision-makers and their decisions tend to be translated into action almost immediately. When their intuition is sharp and well tuned, their actions are powerful and successful. When their intuition is off, their actions can be disastrous.
Do not think this will scare an Aries. Just as a good warrior knows that in the course of combat he or she might acquire a few wounds, so too does an Aries realize – somewhere deep down – that in the course of being true to yourself you might get embroiled in a disaster or two. It is all part of the game. An Aries feels strong enough to weather any storm.
There are many Aries people who are intellectual. They make powerful and creative thinkers. But even in this realm they tend to be pioneers – outspoken and blunt. These types of Aries tend to elevate (or sublimate) their desire for physical combat in favour of intellectual, mental combat. And they are indeed powerful.
In general, Aries people have a faith in themselves that others could learn from. This basic, rock-solid faith carries them through the most tumultuous situations of life. Their courage and self-confidence make them natural leaders. Their leadership is more by way of example than by actually controlling others.
Finance
Aries people often excel as builders or estate agents. Money in and of itself is not as important as are other things – action, adventure, sport, etc. They are motivated by the need to support and be well-thought-of by their partners. Money as a way of attaining pleasure is another important motivation. Aries function best in their own businesses or as managers of their own departments within a large business or corporation. The fewer orders they have to take from higher up, the better. They also function better out in the field rather than behind a desk.
Aries people are hard workers with a lot of endurance; they can earn large sums of money due to the strength of their sheer physical energy.
Venus is their money planet, which means that Aries need to develop more of the social graces in order to realize their full earning potential. Just getting the job done – which is what an Aries excels at – is not enough to create financial success. The co-operation of others needs to be attained. Customers, clients and co-workers need to be made to feel comfortable; many people need to be treated properly in order for success to happen. When Aries people develop these abilities – or hire someone to do this for them – their financial potential is unlimited.
Career and Public Image
One would think that a pioneering type would want to break with the social and political conventions of society. But this is not so with the Aries-born. They are pioneers within conventional limits, in the sense that they like to start their own businesses within an established industry.
Capricorn is on the 10th house (career) cusp of Aries’ Solar horoscope. Saturn is the planet that rules their life’s work and professional aspirations. This tells us some interesting things about the Aries character. First off, it shows that, in order for Aries people to reach their full career potential, they need to develop some qualities that are a bit alien to their basic nature: they need to become better administrators and organizers; they need to be able to handle details better and to take a long-range view of their projects and their careers in general. No one can beat an Aries when it comes to achieving short-range objectives, but a career is long term, built over time. You cannot take a ‘quickie’ approach to it.
Some Aries people find it difficult to stick with a project until the end. Since they get bored quickly and are in constant pursuit of new adventures, they prefer to pass an old project or task on to somebody else in order to start something new. Those Aries who learn how to put off the search for something new until the old is completed will achieve great success in their careers and professional lives.
In general, Aries people like society to judge them on their own merits, on their real and actual achievements. A reputation acquired by ‘hype’ feels false to them.
Love and Relationships
In marriage and partnerships Aries like those who are more passive, gentle, tactful and diplomatic – people who have the social grace and skills they sometimes lack. Our partners always represent a hidden part of ourselves – a self that we cannot express personally.
An Aries tends to go after what he or she likes aggressively. The tendency is to jump into relationships and marriages. This is especially true if Venus is in Aries as well as the Sun. If an Aries likes you, he or she will have a hard time taking no for an answer; many attempts will be made to sweep you off your feet.
Though Aries can be exasperating in relationships – especially if they are not understood by their partners – they are never consciously or wilfully cruel or malicious. It is just that they are so independent and sure of themselves that they find it almost impossible to see somebody else’s viewpoint or position. This is why an Aries needs as a partner someone with lots of social graces.
On the plus side, an Aries is honest, someone you can lean on, someone with whom you will always know where you stand. What he or she lacks in diplomacy is made up for in integrity.
Home and Domestic Life
An Aries is of course the ruler at home – the Boss. The male will tend to delegate domestic matters to the female. The female Aries will want to rule the roost. Both tend to be handy round the house. Both like large families and both believe in the sanctity and importance of the family. An Aries is a good family person, although he or she does not especially like being at home a lot, preferring instead to be roaming about.
Considering that they are by nature so combative and wilful, Aries people can be surprisingly soft, gentle and even vulnerable with their children and partners. The sign of Cancer, ruled by the Moon, is on the cusp of their solar 4th house (home and family). When the Moon is well aspected – under favourable influences – in the birth chart, an Aries will be tender towards the family and want a family life that is nurturing and supportive. Aries likes to come home after a hard day on the battlefield of life to the understanding arms of their partner and the unconditional love and support of their family. An Aries feels that there is enough ‘war’ out in the world – and he or she enjoys participating in that. But when Aries comes home, comfort and nurturing are what’s needed.
Horoscope for 2014
Major Trends
Life has been exciting – to say the least – since 2011 when Uranus entered your sign. Never a dull moment. It’s been all about change, change, change and then more change after that. Life seemed hectic and frenetic. The unexpected always happened. On the surface this seemed like a ‘craziness’, but underneath there was a deep spiritual agenda happening. You were (and are) being liberated, released from all kinds of attachments and bondages. You wake up one morning and discover that there are no longer any obstructions to following the path of your dreams. These obstructions have been blasted away – sometimes in dramatic fashion – and the path is clear. These trends are continuing in 2014. In previous years it was the ‘early’ Aries, those born early on in the sign, who felt this the most, but now even those of you born later in the sign will feel it. This is a time to embrace change, to make it your friend, to be calm in the midst of it. Beyond the drama there is an open road to your dreams. You are in a cycle where it is important to express your personal freedom.
Neptune, the most spiritual of all the planets, moved into Pisces, your 12th house of spirituality, in February 2012. This initiated a great and powerful spiritual influence generally, but especially upon you, Aries. You are becoming more spiritual. Your spiritual understanding is increasing by leaps and bounds. And much of the change going on in your life has to do with the spiritual changes happening deep within you – unseen and unnoticed by the world. This transit will be in effect for another 12 or so years. There’s more on this later.
Pluto has been in Capricorn, your 10th house of career, for many years now and will be there for many more years. A cosmic detox is going on in your career – both in your actual career and in your attitudes towards it. Many of you are rethinking your career path and perhaps even changing it. Even if you do stick with the present career, it will be with a whole new attitude. Again, there’s more on this later.
The year ahead looks prosperous and basically happy – the latter part of the year, from July 16 onwards, more than the early part of the year. Benevolent Jupiter will move into Leo on July 16th and start making fabulous aspects to your Sun. This brings prosperity, good fortune in speculations, enhanced creativity and just more ‘joy of life’. Aries of childbearing age were more fertile last year and the trend continues in 2014.
Your most important areas of interest this year will be the body, the image and personal pleasure; home and family (until July 16); fun, children and creativity (from July 16 onwards); love, romance and social activities (until July 26); sex, personal transformation and reinvention, occult studies, reincarnation and life after death (until December 24); career; and spirituality.
Your paths of greatest fulfilment in the year ahead will be home and family (until July 16); children, fun and creativity (from July 16 onwards); sex, personal transformation and reinvention, occult studies, reincarnation and life after death (until February 19); and love, romance and social activities (from February 19 onwards).
Health