Aries in Astrology: The Inspiring Maverick

Aries in Astrology: The Sign of Sheer Force, Bravery and Pioneering Qualities

No other sign embodies the description of independence like the sign of Aries. Unlike Aquarius, Sagittarius, or Leo—close contenders, the Aries sparks in self-reliance and pure intuition.

I have a soul sister named Dana, who has her Sun and Mercury in Aries in her 1st house. A natural home for Aries’ energy that powerfully illuminates her Sun’s vitality. I witnessed this potent force first-hand when we discussed her career, her steps to get there, and her challenges. Without the help of her parents, her career has taken a slower-than-usual progression.

She confided that she denied any sort of aid from them and that handouts always embarrassed her. She couldn’t live with the idea if she didn’t do it herself and wasn’t solely responsible for making things happen.

I always knew she was stubborn and independent, but it was at that point that I realized what self-identity really meant to an Aries and how much a challenge can become the fuel to the Ram’s path. In Dana’s case, it started right from her 1st house of outlook, immediate impressions and natural disposition. She had to do everything her way and on her own. It was simply admirable watching the fires of the Maverick burn in ferocity.  

The Aries job was working its magic on me.

As the baby of the zodiac, the Aries sign embodies the traits of the newborn. Charging through life via its tactile senses, guided by solid intuition and oblivious of limitations, it leaps forward despite the rough terrain ahead. Though these qualities are key ingredients of a trailblazer, they can simultaneously create higher and lower vibrating forces.

Becoming a Maverick and seeing and acting on something no one else can or has ever done takes self-confidence, vision, inner trust, and intuitive power. It means counting on no one else to spark the fuel, sometimes busting down doors to create opportunities.

I was in a long-term relationship with a man named Jordon, who has Jupiter in Aries in the 8th house (business) and Mars in the 10th (career). His talents were recognized and commodified only after he was rejected by more prominent companies. He maintained self-belief and confidence in his abilities, which helped him push forward during endless rejections for many years.  

He created his own world by starting his own companies. He’s built several and met numerous failures but has been greeted by success with two influential enterprises since then.  Always claiming he revelled in the challenges, he ripped through hurdles with the will and determination of an energizer bunny, working tirelessly every night, fuelled by the excitement of the new and never done before. His wires were so live that they charged my currents.

However, the same brew can create stubbornness, self-centredness, impatience, and ego-bound pursuits. Because a baby wants what it wants, unregulated and without the cognitive scope of its environment, its energy is frenetic, easily irritable, and rash. Think of the stage of the terrible two and the infant pushing its independence by usually doing the opposite of what is expected. It is marked by defiant behaviour, major tantrums and swift mood swings. A natural phase in development, the raw expression sourced from self-will and assurance, a pure act of impulse and instinct. We can parallel this stage with the Aries’ energy, lust for competition, and air of superiority.

Steve Jobs is an excellent example with his Mars and Moon in Aries. The Moon is in his 7th House, and Mars is in his 8th. He had a killer business sense, trailblazing his revolutionary ideas, an outcome that has established the Apple product into what it is today. As portrayed in the biographical drama Steve Jobs and from the tea circulating around, he wasn’t known for his kindness or ease of interaction. Condescending and brash, he’d often ridicule and insult those who weren’t up to his standard. He was known to express his thoughts on his employees’ incompetencies; he was notorious for it—Moon in Aries in the 7th house. Yet, it could be argued that the Apple brand would not be an innovative leader without his visions, his confidence in his skills, and the same calibre of expectations he had of others to deliver.

Before Jobs became CEO of Apple, he was fired but rehired to save the company from the brink of obsoletion and bankruptcy. Had he not stubbornly pushed his ideas, the revolutionary iconic brand would likely have ceased to exist. The fighting spirit of Mars Aries ferociously burned in his 8th House of business, prevailing despite many failed attempts. He is a true pioneer of our modern age.

As with any highly charged energy, it is bound to burn out. With the Aries’ energy usually comes physical deterioration.

It symbolizes the physical strength of the warrior(Mars), charging through life with fierce tenacity. On the proverbial battlefield, constantly chasing challenges, muscles tend to deteriorate faster. The vital spirit of the warrior starts to wane, consequently creating dissatisfaction as Aries ages. The body is unable to keep up with the invigorated energy of the spirit.

“Some people will tell you that slow is good – but I’m here to tell you that fast is better.”-Hunter S. Thompson

The counterculture icon and fearless American writer Hunter S. Thompson is another good example. As an Aries Rising and Mars in the 8th house, his life was anything but chill.  An intense and controversial life, soaked in narcotics and booze, his lifestyle eventually caught up to him. He suffered from chronic pain, a broken leg and hip replacement before his self-inflicted death. In his suicide note, he expressed his uselessness and his distaste for life without physical mobility:

“No More Games. No More Bombs. No More Walking. No More Fun. No More Swimming. 67. That is 17 years past 50. 17 more than I needed or wanted. Boring. I am always bitchy. No Fun – for anybody. 67. You are getting Greedy. Act your old age. Relax – This won’t hurt.”

Without the balance of other elements or planet energies, the incessant youthful spirit unwilling to compromise or accept the passage of time, the Aries force becomes frustrated, indignant, and curtailed by the inability to expend its vital circuits.

Dana’s dominant Aries energy avoids drainage with the help of other elements in her chart. As a Pisces Rising, her natural passivity softens her default aggression, while her natal Moon in Gemini slows her down in reflection and logical thought. Jordan’s emotive Moon and spirit of Sun in Pisces help steer his fearless and self-centred beliefs in calmer, meditative waters. We can generally look to Libra, the opposite energy to Aries, to nourish a balance of reason and objectivity.

The Aries energy reminds us how far an individual can rise with self-belief and confidence, that any hurdle can be overcome through sheer will and persistence and that selfish acts are sometimes necessary to get the job done. Maybe by doing its Aries thing, charged by its own fiery element, the Ram energy is truly giving itself to others, leading by example, inspiring us that with self-perseverance, we can all, in our own way, leave behind the burning trail of a Maverick.

@astro.wild.child