Aries Inspiration
Aries is a cardinal fire sign represented by the symbol of the ram.
The keywords I use for Aries are: zeal, eagerness, dawning, arrival, impulse, quick wit, engagement, drive, potential, skepticism, spontaneity, invitations, challenges, exploits, competition, powering through, provocation, breakthrough, all things made new, struggle, the good fight, direct action, and vacillation.
Activate the area of your chart where Aries falls with the imagery of a flame newly struck from a match, a spark that lights a fire, and the ignition starting an engine.
Explore Aries aesthetic and magic on Tuesdays, the day to honor its ruling planet Mars. Light a candle, work with orange and red colors and crystals (I love carnelian), cook spicy food, drink ginger tea, strength train or do a sprint workout, and knock stuff off your to-do list.
Aries Inspiration Pinterest Board
Cardinal Fire: Activation
Cardinal signs of the zodiac signify beginnings, initiating energy, starting something new, or creating the conditions for a new endeavor. Aries brings this newness coupled with the fiery energy of taking action, making things happen, and bringing one's unique gifts and talents into the world. If Aries was on a team to develop a product or initiative, they would be the team leader in the launch phase of the project.
I love the word activation for Aries: to make active, more active, or reactive; to put on active duty; to set up or formally institute such as an organized group; to move, spark, trigger, crank up, turn on, drive, or set off (Merriam-Webster).
In the tropical zodiac calendar, cardinal signs mark the start of a new season with an equinox or solstice. Aries initiates us into the spring season with the vernal equinox when daylight hours are precisely equal to night time hours. The spring equinox is a major benchmark for the sun, as it transitions from the longest night of the year on the winter solstice and is at the midpoint on the way to the longest day of the year on the summer solstice.
Aries Imagery
When I think about the activating energy of the sign of Aries, an image comes to my mind of striking a match. This newly struck flame will light the candle or start an even bigger fire on a stove, hearth, or campfire. I think about two wires coming together and creating sparks of energy. Another image is keys in the ignition of my car, turning over and jumpstarting the reaction that will power up the engine, and take me where I want to go.
Once we have an idea of the imagery of Aries, we can apply that energy to the area of our chart where Aries falls or planets we may have in Aries. For instance, a person born with the Sun in Aries may draw upon their superpower of dawning or arrival, as they consistently shine when they help bring new things into the world. Further, someone with Aries in their 1st House of self-expression may resonate with the words zeal and eagerness as descriptors for their personality, as they find excitement in doing new things.
Do you have any planets in the sign of Aries in your birth chart? If not, everyone has Aries energy somewhere. Look for the house where Aries falls, and think about how this activation energy applies to that area of your life. As someone with Virgo Rising, Aries falls in my 8th House of legacy, debts, death, and shared resources. The keyword I return to for Aries in the 8th house is breakthrough. I try to remind myself that in this lifetime I will experience major breakthroughs when I lean into the role I play in my family. I harness the power of breaking cycles, forging new paths, combining forces with others, and working with financial resources that are readily available to me.
Orange Color Magic and Rituals
In my practice, I integrate color magic with astrology, tarot, art, crystal healing, and energy work with chakras. The correspondences I use have been intuitively guided over a number of years, and the results may differ from those you are familiar with. While there is a longstanding tradition of associating the planet Mars and the sign of Aries with the color red, I use orange. I personally feel that the spiritual meanings attributed to the orange, sacral energy center known as the Svadhisthana chakra— such as pleasure, creativity, sexuality, and desire— are nicely aligned with a healthy expression of Martian energy (Sharma). See author's note.
Aries season in March and April is the perfect time to build an altar with orange color magic. Hellenistic traditions named Tuesdays as a day to honor Mars (Cafe Astrology). Therefore, Tuesdays are also a great recurring day to spend time with orange energy and honor your Aries side. The act of building an altar can connect you with your intentions for healing and good fortune in a particular area of your life. It can also be beneficial to pray or meditate with the ritual items on your altar.
Ritual items for an orange color altar can incorporate fire element (candles, candle holders, lights); art depicting fire or the fire bird phoenix, as well as fabrics, flowers, herbs, spices, and teas which are orange and/or spicy. This includes lily, poppy, calendula, zinnia, marigold, orange blossom, turmeric, ginger, and cayenne. An everyday ritual I love is to incorporate orange foods into a meal I am preparing, such as citrus, sweet potato or yam, orange lentils, and orange bell pepper. Sometimes I take it another step further by enjoying my food and drink in orange dishware, or cooking food with an orange spatula.
I associate the sign of Aries with action and engaging in productive activities. Do an intensity or sprint workout at the gym, work on strength training, or play a competitive sport. Initiating tasks and knocking stuff off your to-do list is another great way to honor Aries and the planet Mars.
A few of my favorite orange crystals for Aries are fire agate, sunstone, carnelian, orange calcite, and orange tourmaline. Research these crystals, purchase them for your own collection, and see for yourself what impressions you get from holding them close to you throughout the day.
Wearing orange in your fashion and aesthetic choices is another way to use orange color magic. For those who wish to invest in fine jewelry, you can complement your outfit with copper metal or gemstones like imperial topaz.
For tarot and divination enthusiasts, I associate the sign of Aries with the suit of wands, the court card of the Knight of Wands, and The Chariot (number 7) of the major arcana. Many numerologists associate 7 with the theme of initiation. I imagine The Chariot speaking on a larger scale to the themes of the minor arcana series of the 5, 6, and 7 of Wands. The 1 and 6 of the number 16 can be added together and reduced to 7, so I also work with The Tower (number 16) card as a signifier for Mars, the ruling planet of Aries. The keywords I use for these Aries-inspired cards are performance, upheaval, remembering power, opposition, accomplishment, adaptation, and finesse.
Affirmations Offering
I hope this article gave you a better understanding of the many ways to embrace Aries energy in your life. I leave you with a few affirmations to add to your practice.
I wrote these affirmations to better connect with my Svadhisthana chakra, my menstrual cycle, and my drive for creativity. Affirmations are particularly useful for Aries, because of the focus on action, the use of "I statements," a returning to the present moment, while aspiring for the future you want to live in.
I activate my life force energy each morning and power down each night.
I honor my mood and menstruation cycles, and I use them as a guide.
I move in ways that make my body feel good.
I openly give and receive pleasure.
I am passionate about a multitude of fields, subjects, and causes.
My time and effort are valuable resources. I decide where, when, and with whom to offer my talents and skills.
My work is meaningful, and it supports me and my family.
I generate income to sustain my life’s work and living as an artist [or insert your profession].
Author’s Note
I highly encourage anyone who is studying chakras, yoga, and Eastern traditions of energy work to search for sources who will assist you in decolonizing this learning from Western, whitewashed, and exploitative teachings. For instance, I appreciate the work of Manasi Kakade, who I originally found on TikTok when she was doing a series on decolonizing the seven chakras (Kakade). I also seek out information from authors and practioners who are connected to the culture where the practice originated (Sharma).
References
Cafe Astrology. (n.d.). Days of the Week. Retrieved from cafeastrology.com.
Kakade, M. (2022).Workshop: Swadhishthana Chakra. Retrieved from manasikakade.com.
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Activate. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
Sharma, H. (2024). The Seven Main Chakras Explained & Importance. Retrieved from siddhiyoga.com.