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Astrological Symbol: The head of a ram March 21 to April 20

The first day the Sun entered the first sign of the zodiac, Aries, marked; and still marks, the day when the whole Earth felt glad to be alive and the first day of spring. Rams, as well as other creatures, began energetic mating battles, butting their heads against each other fiercely. Everyone and everything got busy, frantically preparing for the hunting and growing season ahead. Tools were sharpened; arrows and knives, as well as plows and scythes, were readied for action in the fresh new season.

Associations

You can see why Aries is associated with, or 'rules' as we say in astrology, being the first; aggressive acts of self assertion (like war and the 'angry red planet' which is Mars); metal weapons and tools; and action and pure, honest and without forethought. The part of the body ruled by Aries is the face and head. People born during the time of Aries function best when they act on their first impulse.

The Challenge of Being An Aries:

Aries is considered the first sign of the zodiac. Arians, as children of Aries are called, can seem aggressive and forceful because they are trying to be independent. They like to be pioneers in some way, the first to do something. They want to do things in an original way. Even the way they are original can sometimes defy categorization. If anyone can spontaneously create a new way to be a pioneer, it is an Aries. They certainly don't like to be second or even to wait for anything for very long. They function best when they act on their first impulse and don't second-guess themselves. They hate lies and liars and can sometimes be too honest for their own good.

Remember that the symbol for Aries is the headstrong Ram. Each spring the desire to mate and stake his claim to his territory drives the Ram to display his bravery by butting heads with his competitors. After a few times, the one who can handle the headache and hasn't given up is the winner. People born under the sign of Aries share a lot in common with their symbol, the Ram. They are willing to butt heads with those they think are standing in their way. Sometimes they will give up if they do not get their own way quickly enough.

The reason why Arians are sometimes not as brave, original, and pioneering as they wish they were is because people do not arrive in the world already an expert in the things their sun sign is known for. They have come into this world with the challenge of the astrological sign Aries because they want to learn how to accomplish something that has never been done before and accomplish it without letting fear stand in their way.

The lesson for Arians is that they must learn the hardest part of how to be brave. No Arian wants to think that she is letting fear stop her. However, since Arians are learning what it takes to be uncompromising individuals, they are, in effect, learning all the various aspects of what it means to be brave. Arians are more afraid of being afraid than they are afraid of any actual person, situation or thing. This is the central challenge for all born under the sign Aries and it is also why they sometimes suffer from panic attacks. They must keep in mind that any fears or self-doubts that are triggered in them are not signs of weakness, loosing control, or a guarantee of failure. They must not let fear of feeling any signs of fear in themselves paralyze them into inaction and even more self-doubt.

At their most basic level, our fears are a means of preventing us from getting hurt physically, emotionally, and financially. Fear is meant to keep us from repeating mistakes and to keep us out of harm's way. It is as natural an emotion as love; in fact, they are opposites. Negative fears are those that are irrational and counterproductive. They exist to challenge us into developing methods for coping with them. When we do, the memory of our negative fears enables us to see how strong we have become. An Aries could not prove his strength to himself unless he first became aware of his fears and then learned to deal with them. I purposefully do not say, "overcome" or "eliminate" when it comes to fear. As a natural emotion, fear will always be with us. Fear is not a sign of weakness, but giving in to your fears is.

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