Signs are Seasons

Aries begins the astrological year on the first day of spring, the Vernal Equinox. It arrives at the moment of perfect balance between the forces of day and night. The long Northern Hemisphere winter is finally over and new life begins poking its way through the softening earth. It is the sign of beginnings; it's the first, number one, the sign that starts the story of self-discovery. There is an appropriate focus on the self with Aries that is not necessarily about selfishness. It's about the discovery of oneself as an independent entity.

Aries is the warrior who is more concerned with challenging him/herself than with defeating others. In fact, Aries' reality is about focusing on one issue at a time. It is a sign of action, rather than one of strategy. It belongs to the group of fire signs that also includes Leo and Sagittarius. But, as the initiating, cardinal fire sign, Aries is the most spontaneous of the group.

Be Here Now

Patience is not the primary virtue of Aries. However, any individual born with the Sun in Aries will be a combination of astrological (and other) factors, so patience is a possibility. Yet, the point of Aries is not to wait, but to be. In fact, Aries psychologist-psychedelic explorer-guru Baba Ram Dass wrote Be Here Now, a book that reminds us that the only reality is in the present.

Of course Aries, like everyone else, remembers yesterday and has to deal with tomorrow. But, the great gift of this month is to remind all of us to be in the moment. This is truly where we live, even if wounds from the past or fears about the future may blur our vision. Take a moment to just be. Stop, breathe and remember that everything is here now. There's nowhere else you need to be.

Ramifications

Fiery Aries is not here to make us comfortable. It is here to spark the imagination, put a burr in the saddle and help us start anew. It's Aries that propels us forward, breaking old connections to discover new worlds.

If you need courage to make changes in your life, this is a good time to start. You don't have to know where you'll wind up nor have all your strategies in place. Aries is about putting things in motion and improvising from there. Try something new this month and trust in your ability to learn what you don't already know.

Celebrity Aries include tough old actresses like Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, hot younger ones Ellen Barkin, Sarah Jessica Parker and even younger Sarah Michelle Gellar, Reese Witherspoon, Claire Danes, Keri Russell, Melissa Joan Hart and Julia Stiles. Aries actors include action jocks Jackie Chan and Steven Seagal, along with Eddie Murphy, Alec Baldwin, Marlon Brando, Robert Downey Jr., Russell Crowe, Warren Beatty, Quentin Tarantino, Haley Joel Osment and Alec Guinness.

Aries women who sing include Celine Dion, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Billie Holiday, Mariah Carey, Emmylou Harris, Mandy Moore and Reba McIntire. Thomas Jefferson, Colin Powell and Al Gore are political Aries. Rams Rosie O'Donnell, Conan O'Brien and David Letterman love to chat, while Pete Rose, Jennifer Capriati and Garry Kasparov reflect the competitive side of this sign.