Happy Spring!
The Sign of Aries is the beginning of Spring, and its mode of expression is active, “Cardinal” as we say in Astrology. It’s interesting to think of seasons as contributing to the description of the Zodiac signs. The ancient Babylonians and Egyptians, who gave us this organizing principle, used the Sun’s movement across the Northern Hemisphere. Each season contains qualities of three signs or modes of expression; cardinal for beginning or active, fixed as middle or rooted and mutable as ending or transforming.
Cardinal Aries describes the renewal of life, the thrust of growth, inspired action, and initiation. Its element is Fire- which can warm and burn. Its color is red and in medical Astrology Aries has domain over the head and face.
From a “shadow” perspective Aries energy can be martial, aggressive, reactive, self-centered, and overtly competitive. It’s also considered a “masculine” sign- this really is more akin to the Chinese term, Yin/ Yang than sexuality in humans. Fire and Air element Zodiac signs are considered active rather than passive.
Our Chart of the Vernal Equinox for 2024 contains a lot of fire energy. At the time of the exact Equinox , our Sun at 0-degree Aries joins the conjunction of North Node of the Moon, Mercury, and Chiron in Aries. This grouping reflects Mercury and Chiron’s message of the need for honestly regarding what hurts us, and the need for communication and action regarding this truth. However, it’s not easy going- Neptune is only a few degrees from its conjunction with the Sun, and Venus is conjunct Saturn!! Essentially the desire to spark a new life, to take charge of things is held back a little by some mitigating factors; a sense of un-reality or not having a real grasp on the facts, as well as a sense of anxiety or depression that perhaps we can't really get what we want.
There ARE helpers- Moon in Leo is trine Sun (though it does oppose Pluto), and Jupiter is less than 6 degrees away from it's world changing conjunction with Uranus, happening on April 20th. Eclipses season- beginning March 25th is designed to shake up the ennui. Bringing endings, new beginnings and some perhaps shocking revelations that help us “see the truth.”
The Vernal Equinox chart also stands as the birth of the Astrological year, which will be a “watershed” one in which circumstances will call for the positive aspects of Arian radical honesty and healthy interdependence rather than co-dependent or warring relational styles. At this time in the Northern Hemisphere, think of how all of nature “wakes up” from its winter dream and gets to growing and breaking free from confines. It takes alot power to believe in your own re-birth and break up and out of the ground!
This kind of (r)evolutionary energy can be yours this year. Look to where Aries falls in your chart, especially the houses that contains Aries, Taurus, and Gemini. These are the arenas of life that can be absolutely re-born this year.
Enjoy the Spring, get out and smell the flowers, put your personal Mars to work on a mission of Love, radical honesty, and compassion for all that lives, including yourself.
Blessings,
Michelle
art by Tomasz Alen Kopera