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Astro-Quest with Cecily
Bazak
Aries:
21 March – 20 April
Element: Fire
sign: (Intuition) - The first decan of the Fire Trilogy.
Quality:
Cardinal Quality (Leadership, Courage, )
Polarity:
Positive/Masculine/Yang energy (assertive,outgoing)
Symbology:
The Ram – leader of the flock, protector of his ewes, fighter
for his flock. He therefore symbolises taking an offensive stand
against his foes.
Mythology:The
battering ram used in ancient times to break down castle defences is
also a very Arian symbol. The Babylonians used to sacrifice a ram
during spring in the northern hemisphere (which is when the sun is in
Aries). The Jews also used to sacrifice a ram to celebrate the
Passover, traditionally held in the northern hemisphere spring.
If
you think of Aries as the beginning of Spring, it represents new
shoots, the beginning of new life and this is one of the meanings for
its symbol. Aries represents the embodiment of the self, the search
for the self, the energy of ego that says "I want to become what
I am". Aries has an adventurous spirit, initiative and courage.
The function of Aries in the chart is promotion of the self and the
survival of the individual. The myth behind the Ram of Aries is that
of the Jason and the Argonauts quest after the fleece of the Golden
Ram. Phrixus and Helle needed to escape from Olympus and their wicked
stepmother named Ino, so Mercury gave them a ram to carry them away
from Greece.
They
escaped to Colchis in Asia Minor but during the journey Helle fell
off into that stretch of water called the Hellespont at the eastern
end of the Mediterranean Sea. On Phrixus' arrival at Colchis, the ram
was slaughtered and its fleece hung in the Grove of Ares, where
subsequently, it was found by Jason and the Argonauts. A more modern
legend is that of Parsifal and the Holy Grail.
Glyph:
The glyph for Aries represents the ram's horns, sprouting seed,
fire, and a fountain of water gushing up and out. The house ruled by
Aries in your chart shows the area where you most use will and
natural drives, where you are the most forceful and aggressive. Both
relate to the assertion of ego energy, the self proclaiming to the
world that it will be what it is and that it will resist others'
attempts to change it). Aries has an affinity with the 1st house as
both are concerned with the self, the physical body and immediate reactions.
Ruling
Planet: Mars Colour: Red Gemstone:Diamond Body Rulership:
Rules the head, the brain, the face, the nose and perception.
Keyword: Assertion Key phrase: I am. Other keywords to describe
Aries: Positive: Forthright, ambitious, courageous, competitive,
responsive, energetic, cheerful, strong, positive, bold, adventurous,
eager, initiating, daring, passionate. Negative: Aggressive,
argumentative, restless, selfish, forceful, impulsive, thoughtless,
wilful, impatient, reckless, foolhardy, inconsiderate, pushy, know all.
Aries: is
basically strong masculine/yang energy which can be unharnessed,
undirected and without intention may change rapidly. Aries is one of
the pioneering signs of leadership. Because of a strong desire to
live life on his own terms he doesn't really care if others approve
or not. Aries seems to judge all existence by the way he views life
and without conscious awareness he can be both arrogant and naive.
Although he appears to meet life with great courage and bravado,
Aries at heart is very unsure of himself. This may lead to
chip-on-the-shoulder, take on all comers type of behavioural pattern,
which can be exhibited by the more negative Aries.
Aries
will fight for what he wants and believes in, to him obstacles are
just things to be overcome or overrun. He’s an upfront person
who says what he thinks and means what he says. He is passionate and
fiery, loves a challenge but often after getting what he wants, he
loses interest in it and looks for the next challenge(sound
familiar?).
He’s impulsive, reckless, foolhardy and believes himself to be
the conquering hero or knight in shining armour on a quest –
romantic imagery is important to him. Aries fears failure so he often
overcompensates by always needing to win or be first. He’s
impatient and aggressive, with a hot temper, but he has the ability
to let go easily and doesn’t hold grudges. An Aries person,
whether it’s Aries Sun or Ascendant, can often be easily
identified. He’s generally medium height, wiry and muscular,
often with a largish straight or upturned nose. They often have light
hair with a reddish tinge and a ruddy complexion (which gets redder
when they get angry). They have the typical ram’s horns eyebrows
and may have a large space between the end of the nose and the top
lip. There’s often a few battle scars to be found on the face or
forehead. The Aries personality has a sense of energy, eagerness,
enthusiasm, and a certain naïveté.
Allegory:
And
it was morning as God stood before his twelve children and into each
of them planted the seed of human life. One by one, each child
stepped forward to receive his appointed gift. “To you, Aries, I
give my seed first that you might have the honour of planting it.
That for every seed you plant, one million more will multiply in your
hand. You will not have time to see the seed grow for everything you
plant creates more that must be planted. You will be the first to
penetrate the soil of men’s minds with My idea. But it is not
your job to nourish the idea, nor to question it. Your life is
action, and the only action I ascribe to you is to begin making men
aware of My Creation. For your good work, I give you the gift of
"Self Esteem.” Quietly Aries stepped back to his place.
References:
The above information was compiled and adapted from teacher’s
class notes, some of which comes from “The Only Way to Learn
Astrology Series”, (March and McEvers. Much of the information
on Mythology is from the Encyclopedia of Astrology (James Lewis),
Mythic Astrology (Guttman and Johnson) and Encyclopedia of Mythology
(Arthur Cotterell).
(C)
Cecily Bazak |