Aries: Freedom, Identity, and the Right to Exist
1st House / Cardinal Fire / Yang Expression / Ruled by Mars
A New Beginning
Aries is the first astrological archetype in the zodiac wheel, marking the beginning of a brand new cycle. As a fire sign ruled by Mars, Aries is driven by inertia, strong will, and bursts of life-force energy. This archetype is where we take action, initiate, and assert ourselves. With the masculine, outward-facing energy of Mars, Aries manifests as spontaneous, strong, and sometimes even warrior-like, as they forge new paths, take the lead, and charge ahead.
Aries and the 1st house are strongly associated with the self. Beyond mere action, this archetype is concerned with freedom, identity, and the right to exist. Aries is a brand new being who must claim their space and discover who they are. There is an innate drive to push forward into the world, announce their arrival, and learn more about their identity in the process. It’s almost as if Aries feels an urgent need to clear their throat and boldly declare, “I deserve to be here!”
While Aries holds great for potential for growth and evolution, there is also the risk of becoming too self-focused, impulsive, or overly-assertive. There is also a possibility of Aries’ freedom and identity being denied by outside forces, shutting down their self-development and stunting their growth. With all this in mind, let’s dive in deeper to the Aries archetype.
Emerging from the Pisces Ocean
To fully understand Aries, we need to take a look at Pisces— the preceding archetype. As Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, and Pisces is the last, the movement between them is like crossing a threshold from the seen to the unseen realms. Pisces is a great ending, and Aries is a new beginning— yet they sit side by side, one leads to another, with a narrative that connects the two.
As the final sign in the zodiac, Pisces represents an ending and return to wholeness. Like transitioning into the mystery of the afterlife, Pisces is a vast, cosmic ocean where we must allow ourselves to let go, dissolve, and surrender to the greater universal forces at play. In Pisces, shapes lose their form as they return to the great unknown. The wheel keeps turning, and after Pisces, Aries immediately follows.
The Aries ram is born from the Pisces ocean, slowly emerging from the depths with its horns still dripping wet with the mysterious water of that cosmic sea. Suddenly Aries is here— like a newborn deer, awkwardly takes its first steps as it adjusts to the physical world. Like a spring day, Aries feels the promise of new life pulsing through them. With a burst of fresh energy, they are driven to move forward, discover the world— and in so doing, discover themselves.
Yet, there is fear, and the fear is very strong. Aries finds themselves in a new world, completely unprepared, vulnerable, and exposed. Having been separated from the infinite union and safety of the Pisces sea, Aries experiences a sense of “paradise lost.” Aries is asking to themselves, “Who am I, and what am I doing here?”
The Burning Question: “Who Am I?”
Here on Earth with a whole life ahead, and supercharged with life-force energy, Aries can sense that they have a unique and special identity waiting to be discovered. Aries feels supercharged with potential, but they’re not exactly sure what to do with it. At this very beginning stage, Aries is still forming— they don’t have an established identity yet. Aries knows that they are someone special, but they don’t know who. Therefor, Aries cannot be at peace without finding answers.
This is why the question of “Who am I” burns inside of Aries, driving them to take action and set forth into the world. The need for an identity compels Aries to have as many experiences as possible. By propelling themselves into life experiences, they learn about who they are— and just as importantly, who they are not. It’s a trial-and-error approach that can be spontaneous, impulsive, and haphazard— but Aries doesn’t care. The primary goal is to keep moving ahead.
The Fear of Falling Back into Pisces
Despite the exciting momentum, Aries still has a deep fear, lingering fear— which is the fear of falling back into Pisces. The memory of Pisces’ great cosmic sea is still fresh and alive within Aries. Pisces is a force that is greater than Aries’ little, newborn self. Without an established identity to hold onto, Aries fears that they could slip and fall back into the void of Pisces— returning to the unknown where they will dissolve into the amalgam of anonymous souls — losing their opportunity to actualize the special, independent selfhood that they felt destined to have.
This insecurity compels Aries to keep moving forward at all costs, for better or worse. The fear can push them into survival mode, making them more self-centered, impulsive, and brash. Yet, the same insecurity could also ignite the courage to be a trailblazer. With the great void behind them, and a vast unknown ahead, Aries has no choice but to keep moving forward. The difference lies in whether they choose to act out of fear or act from inspiration.
The Need for Freedom: Bold, Brave, or Impulsive
Aries needs to have freedom to act on their instincts, move quickly, and do whatever it takes to engage with their self-discovery process. They are here to create something— and what they are creating is an identity and a life path. Therefore, they must have the liberty to be themselves and do what they desire, because the development of their personality is fundamental to their evolution.
In a positive expression, this manifests as bravery, bold self-expression, and courageous leadership. Aries uses their need for freedom to be a pioneer and go their own way in life. Even though they might not know the ultimate destination, Aries is confident in the current step they are taking, and that is all that matters.
This could show up as someone quitting their job to start their own business, coming out of the closet, or announcing an exciting new venture. Courageous leadership could even take the form of civil rights demonstrator advocating for their identity and their freedom. Whichever form it takes, the underlying tone is excitement, strength, and independence as Aries embarks on their own separate path forward.
Potential Shadows: Anger, Impatience, or Blind Impulsivity
A potential shadow of the Aries archetype is to move too fast. Aries could become impatient with life not happening fast enough. With the fear of falling back into Pisces always looming over their shoulder, Aries could be impulsive and overly brazen in their desire to move ahead, perhaps making the wrong choices or hurting others in the process.
Aries could become impatient with their own process of self-discovery, as well. They could wonder why it hasn’t happened already— whatever that thing is. They could desire to just finally be there— at the destination— when in actuality their journey has only just started. Their frustration could lead them to rush, to force things, or generally act in a selfish, non-reflective way. They could become angry when their immediate desires are not met.
It’s important to note that not all displays of anger are bad. Healthy anger is vital for healing and breaking free from toxic, abusive, or imbalanced dynamics. Aries’ healthy anger is absolutely welcome and needed— it is a prime evolutionary function of this archetype. However, displays of violence or aggression could be extreme example of Aries/ Mars energy gone amiss, and they need to be mentioned.
Like all things in Evolutionary Astrology, the way that Aries’ assertive action manifests will depend on the individual’s context, quality of consciousness, circumstances, karma, and free-will. Usually, there is a subtle mix of all possibilities.
Opposite Libra: Lessons in Relating
Part of the many “experiences” that Aries seeks could include partners. Aries could be magnetized to certain people, sensing that by being with them, more could be discovered about themselves. However there could be fear of going further past the initial “honeymoon” stages of relationship. There could be an exaggerated sexual focus, or an outright aversion to relationship in general.
The opposing archetype of Libra— which focuses on relationships and other people— is in stark contrast to Aries’ self-focus. Aries preoccupation with themselves, their freedom, and their identity isn’t necessarily a bad thing— in fact for some, this self-focus is a required component of evolution and healing.
However, Aries may need to reflect on how their actions affect other people. To put it bluntly, Aries can be too self-centered. They may need to consider how much their impulsivity, their fast speed, or even their craving for new beginnings has affects and consequences for the people they are relating with.
Libra challenges Aries to focus more on the “co-“ words: cooperating, commitment, communication, collaboration. Libra will ask Aries to slow down and consider the pros and cons before blindly jumping into a new pursuit, and to discuss their plans and ambitions with others before spontaneously taking action.
Deep down, Aries needs to learn that relationships are the biggest mirrors, and the intimacy of committed partnership is necessary in order to truly know ourselves. The dynamic tension between Aries and Libra, or Self and Other, has the potential to spur some of the biggest lessons, growth, and evolution for both archetypes.
Square Cancer and Capricorn: Freedom vs. Conditioning
Aries is square to both Cancer and Capricorn, marking aspects of tension or crisis between the interests of these archetypes. Cancer and Capricorn comprise the axis of conditioning. Cancer is the conditioning from the childhood years, the maternal figure, and the family home. Capricorn is the conditioning from the society, the state, the paternal figure, and long-held traditions.
The square between these archetypes with Aries highlights the crisis in being able to be free and independent in the midst of conditioning factors that try to label, define, and ultimately constrict someone into a mold. Aries has a desire for boundlessness as they set forth to discover themselves and answer the question “Who Am I?” They will never be fully able to do this while under the grip of their family or societal rule.
On the other hand, these archetypes remind Aries that they need to consider the broader contexts within which they participate. Aries is part of a family (Cancer) and part of a society (Capricorn) as well. Aries needs to learn how to channel their gusto and leadership skills in a way that can augment and uplift these systems within which they participate. In short, Aries can’t get away with only caring about themselves.
Reflections to Consider
Something I’ve come to understand is that to truly walk the path of the Aries pioneer, we will have to become comfortable with the feeling of walking blindfolded in the dark. We won’t know where the journey will lead, but will have to just keeping taking the next inspired step forward with bravery, confidence, and courage. Knowing that the sheer terror of “dissolving back into Pisces” is always near— whatever that metaphor may mean for you — there is no choice but to keep moving forward. It reminds me of a saying I recently saw: “If the only choice is between love and fear, then the choice is easy. The hard part is having to make it time and time again.”
If you have strong Aries/ 1st house energy in your chart, here are some reflections to consider.
Are my actions inspired by courage or inspired by fear?
Are the choices I make aligned with my pure desire?
In what ways have I been impulsive, reactive, or trying to rush?
How comfortably can I sit with the unknown without needing to act?
Who am I?
Am I free? What holds me back?
What is needed to get the next level of discovering who I truly am?
Is the path that I’m currently on working for me? When will I know it’s time to forge a different path?
The Heart-Centered Warrior
In the highest expression, Aries has a strong capacity for leadership. Aries declares their right to be here with pure conviction, not afraid to announce themselves, claim their space, and defend it.
With so much vigor, Aries fearlessly initiates new beginnings as they create their own roads through life— not afraid to separate, break free, and go out on their own. Despite not having all the answers, Aries keeps moving forward, because they know that for them, it is the only way.
In the highest expression, Aries is the living definition of independence. They can channel their life-force energy into the role of the heart-centered warrior, who, through embracing the Libra polarity, will advocate for the freedom and right to exist for all.
Where do you have Aries?
We all have the Aries archetype alive somewhere within us, not only those with the Sun in Aries. Look to your birth chart to see what house Aries fall within, and what planets or points you have there. Also look to your Ascendant/ Rising Sign/ 1st house to see what sign and planets you have there as well. Additionally, look to the house and sign of Mars— the ruling planet of Aries. All of these areas of your chart will have a resonance with the Aries archetype in some way.
If you would like to dive into all things Aries and discover how this archetype specifically manifests for you, consider booking a birth chart consultation and we will explore in depth.
