Aries

Aries opens the zodiac as a cardinal fire sign, ruled by Mars and pictured as the Ram. It carries the energy of beginning, the raw push to act, to assert, and to move into new territory before anyone else does. The Sun crosses Aries from roughly March 21 to April 19. Where Aries lands in a chart marks the place a person acts on instinct, takes the lead, and goes first while others still weigh their options. At its best the Aries temperament is direct, brave, energetic, and quick to defend what it loves. It welcomes challenge and fresh starts, and would rather act and adjust than sit and deliberate, which makes it a natural pioneer. The same fire, left unchecked, turns to impulsiveness, impatience, a short temper, and a habit of starting more than it ever finishes. Aries rules the head and face, and its key phrase is "I am," the first claim of a separate self. Its work is to pair drive with patience, so courage carries through to completion rather than burning off in the opening rush.