Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, and it makes a lot of sense. People born under this sign have a reputation for charging into things head first — just like a ram.
They’re also natural-born leaders, though their reckless tendencies can sometimes get the better of them. Like other signs, they’re a balance of positives and negatives.
About Aries
If you were born between March 21 and April 19 according to the western (tropical) zodiac, or Apr 21 — May 12 in Vedic (sidereal) astrology.
According to Greek mythology, Aries was the ram with the golden fleece sought by the Argonauts. His story goes much further back, however.
King Athamus of Boetia chose to take a second wife, whose name was Ino. She was very jealous of his first wife, Nephele, and his existing children. So, through sabotage and deception, Ino arranged for Athamus’ son, Phrixus, to be sacrificed to prevent a famine.
King Athamus reluctantly agreed, but, just before the sacrifice was to take place, Zeus sent a beautiful ram with a golden coat to rescue the boy and his sister.
Phrixus’ sister, Helle, fell to her death as they escaped, but Phrixus survived. King Athamus was so grateful that one of his children had been saved, that he sacrificed the ram to Zeus and gave its golden fleece to King Aeetes. Aeetes put the fleece in a sacred grove, guarded by a dragon.
Astrologically, Aries is considered a Fire sign with a cardinal modality. Its ruling planet is Mars.
Aries Personality Traits & Characteristics
Overall, Aries are regarded as brave, ambitious, and impulsive. Their personalities suit their ruling planet, Mars. Mars is considered synonymous with the Greek God Ares, who was an embodiment of bloodlust, recklessness, and battle.
Those born under this sign are know for being courageous leaders, but their eagerness to charge headlong into things often gets them burned.
Aries Male Traits
Aries men have a certain air about them. They show a lot of confidence, though that may sometimes be of the “fake it ’til you make it” variety. They also need a lot of attention — they aren’t ambitious and competitive for nothing! Few Aries men have mastered the art of subtlety, either.
Of course, just as a ram’s horns and hooves serve as protection for the rest of their soft, fluffy selves, Aries men can have a vulnerable side. They are easily hurt, and very adept at hiding these wounds from others.
As friends and lovers, Aries men enjoy having sparring partners. They’re competitive, and they want the people around them to rise to the occasion. Expect a mischievous spirit, lots of jokes, and regular battles of wits.
Aries Female Traits
Aries women are passionate, creative, and independent. They’re also very intense. Like Aries men, they require a lot of attention to sustain them. An Aries woman can light up whatever room she walks into, and often turns into the life of every party she attends.
Like Aries men, Aries women are also sensitive. They are very adept at controlling how others perceive them, for good reason. Even a minor slight can wound them deeply.
In platonic or romantic relationships, Aries women can be a ton of fun. They’re excellent at infusing any situation with fresh energy and a spark of creativity. They will expect you to match that energy, however. If you don’t, they may get bored and wander to greener pastures.
Aries – Careers, Business & Money
If there’s one thing an Aries hates, it’s boredom. They need careers and opportunities that expose them to new things, and give them plenty of fodder for their active imaginations.
They’re good leaders, and very likely to aspire to leadership positions, but will have a hard time working a tedious job long enough to advance that far.
People born under this sign make good entrepreneurs — there won’t be anyone else to boss them around, and their natural ambition can help their businesses go far.
Financially, Aries rarely has to worry about money. They naturally aspire to high-paying leadership positions, and they crave success. They also have good organizational skills, which makes them able to create and stick to a budget with ease.
Aries Love & Relationship Compatibility
Aries has a lot of passion, energy, and creativity to offer the right partner, but not every sign will be down with their take-charge attitude and tendency toward recklessness.
This sign generally doesn’t get along well with itself, which makes sense. How can there be two leaders? An Aries-Aries pairing is likely to be very passionate, but volatile — expect them to butt heads over and over again.
By contrast, Aries and Leo tend to complement each other. Leo will enjoy Aries’ passion, and Aries will admire the lion’s indomitable regality. Both Leo and Aries will enjoy having a partner that isn’t intimidated by them, and any disagreements are likely to lead to long, enthusiastic make-up sessions.
Aries also pairs well with Sagittarius. They’re likely to have lots of adventures together, and will create wonderful memories. Sagittarius’ free spirit meshes nicely with Aries’ ambition and eagerness, while also tempering some of the ram’s hot-headedness. They may still argue, as all couples do now and then, but Sagittarius knows exactly how to deflect with a well-timed joke.
Aries and Gemini also make for a harmonious pairing. Lively, chatty Gemini will enhance Aries’ life-of-the-party spirit. Ambitious Aries will help motivate Gemini. Together, they make for a very fun, well-balanced couple.
See also: Check out our full Aries Love, Marriage & Relationship Compatibility Guide here.
Aries Challenges & Obstacles
Unfortunately for the ram, all of that passion, energy, creativity, and ambition have their dark sides. If Aries doesn’t actively work to keep these impulses in check, they can easily become aggressive, domineering, and reckless with themselves and others.
They’re also not known as the most patient sign, and this can sometimes manifest as an explosive temper. Considering how well they can hide their emotional wounds under a veneer of bravado, this means that their anger can seem to come from out of nowhere.
Fortunately, any bursts of anger or aggression are generally short-lived. Their feelings are a star — when they burn twice as bright, they burn half as long. If Aries can learn to distance themselves and take some space, it’ll make it much easier for them to get along with others.
When Aries is able to harness their energy, creative spark, and zest for life, they are almost unstoppable. They’re born leaders, passionate lovers, and fun friends to have around.