Spring Equinox & Aries Season

Welcome back to a new installment of the birth chart basics series! This week, we’ll be shining a spotlight on the fiery pioneer of the zodiac: Aries.

I am so pumped to finally wish you a happy Spring and to usher in this Aries season.

Yesterday marked the Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of Aries season—the start of the astrological year. For the past 4 months, I’ve been covering the basics of the birth chart + foundational lessons of astrology here on the blog. These summaries, the birth chart basics series, have been analytical + big picture overviews of the planets + energies + bodies that make up western astrological practices and what they mean within the birth chart.

For this installment, I want to mix things up—it’s spring, baby! Time for some fresh perspectives and some new beginnings. I want to zero in on Aries as a zodiac sign, as well as an archetype for change and for growth. We feel refreshed by spring for so many reasons, not just in the physical shift of the natural world around us, but energetically we shift as well.

What we felt during Pisces season (February 18 of 2021 through March 19 of 2021) and how our intuition + final rest of winter gave us the internal space to explore possibilities. We used this time to work with new ideas, to adjust our own internal scales, to immerse ourselves in our vast internal dreamscapes. Pisces ruled our own compassionate acceptance of who we are, where we are, who we know, who we’d like to be + to know. That inquiry is now being called into the light: Aries season charts the way.

With the start of Aries season, we’re greeted by the sign of action—Mars—and called toward a new beginning. Embodying Aries is turning to the fire, embracing the warmth as a call to action.

Aries season is a time to ask ourselves these questions

What came up for you during Pisces season that you can now pursue in this cardinal energy? What idea + spark + download began within but is now ready to expand?

How can you take steps in the direction of what calls you?

This new season is a time for initiation, a time to engage with the energies you’ve been ruminating on during the winter months. Winter truly is a season for our soul’s hibernation, a time to turn within, a time for reflection, a time to dream, to experiment, to get curious.

This cycle, from winter to spring, is as natural to our Earth as it is within ourselves. Through the lens of astrology, we can harness the shifting of our energy and honor the season we’re in—currently, Aries season.

The shift from Pisces to Aries can feel jarring because, well, it is. We’re moving from a mutable water sign into a fixed fire Sign, we’re shedding our layers from one season into the next, we’re being born again into a new 12 month zodiac cycle. These are major energetic pulls.

What do you get when you add fire to water? Steam. It’s not surprising that the first few days in this new season feel hazy + foggy. We know that it’s warmer, but we don’t quite see where it’s coming from. Navigating this energy is a bit infantile—see the birth metaphor at play?

We’re wobbly and maybe a bit stiff or sore from the months spent in the shadows of winter. We stumble from hibernation and heed the call to awaken. When we turn our faces to the now fiery—Aries—Sun, it can feel overwhelming or blinding at first glance. But once we have our footing, and the natural world blooms with new life around us, we’ll begin to shake off the dust of winter.

The steam created from the Spring Equinox will evaporate and reveal the source fire within us. Our eyes will adjust to this now brighter landscape ahead and this clarity will reveal the paths to follow into this new astrological cycle. Like I mentioned, the Spring Equinox was only yesterday. For the week ahead, we’ll likely be in a dazed + confused state—a transition from one energetic state to the next.

To help with our transition, let’s get ourselves grounded in all things Aries!

I’ve collected information from previous birth chart basics here on the blog to help inspire + inform you of the energy now at our disposal

ARIES—PIONEERING

MARCH 21 - APRIL 19

MODE: CARDINAL—SPRING

ELEMENT: FIRE

RULER: MARS

HOUSE: 1ST

SYMBOL: THE RAM

The Ram, the fire-starter, the pioneer. No challenge or setback can dampen the flame of excitement + adventure an Aries feels when actively pursuing their authentic life path. For an Aries, boredom or hesitation will not be tolerated. The Ram takes charge, leads others with skillful and unrelenting enthusiasm.

This energy, which stands its ground and forges new paths, can seem overwhelming to those who prefer stagnation or creature comforts. To remain an authentic Aries is to refuse to hold back your fire in order to please others. Your independence and leadership is meant to ignite, challenge, and inspire others.

You can teach others how to act from an authentic, confident sense of self. You can also benefit from the softer, subtler energy of others, knowing when to calm your blaze without compromising your truest self—balance.

Any planet or House in the chart ruled by Aries is where you will see your most assertive and courageous callings + nature. Lean into these areas of yourself and your life with that natural, fiery passion.

MARS—ACTION

Zodiac Sign(s): Aries

House(s): 1st

Orbital Pace: 2 years—approx. 2 months in each Zodiac Sign

Mars says GO! FOR! IT!

Our Mars placement governs our actions and our assertive nature. When our Mars is active, we follow intuitive impulses to get the job done: needs, wants, dreams, emotions, ideas, you name it. Our calls to action have Mars written all over them.

When we doubt ourselves, when we hesitate, hold ourselves back, or give away our power to others (damsel in distress behavior), we are acting in opposition to our Mars. Acting against Mars leaves us frustrated, fatigued—literally, as Mars governs our adrenals, and unsatisfied.

Regret? Inaction? Ruts? All work against our Mars.

When we can map out our impulse (Mercury) and invest energy into our desires (Venus), we will honor our primal need to act.

Mars produces archetypal masculine energy—not as in gender, as in animation—and female-identifying persons will often be programmed to suppress that innate power. Authenticity, self-worth (Venus), and a healthy relationship with our emotions (the Moon), can enhance the power of our Mars energy. Pedal to the metal, baby!

FIRE—PASSION

ARIES / LEO / SAGITTARIUS

MARS / SUN / JUPITER

1ST / 5TH / 9TH

Fire signs—you guessed it—bring heat and, in turn, energy into our lives. This element is high-vibe, rambunctious, joyful, and a great catalyst for confidence and movement in ourselves + for others.

Fire energy is direct, bolstered by an intense pride—naturally self-assured. When something is on fire, you really can’t miss it! Fire signs enjoy the attention they receive when they’re blazing their own trail through life.

What does fire do? Spread—quickly. Fire energy is restless, so easily bored, and so ready to move on to something new, not a fan of being contained or controlled. But, sometimes fire needs to be controlled to be most effective.

When a fire is out of control, it can destroy. We can see some low-grade (or unfortunately destructive) chaos in a chart ruled mainly by fire. How can this fire rage for so long without putting itself out? Well, it can’t. Exhaustion + burnout are possible where too much fire burns. Also, anger and outbursts or destructive behaviors are possible.

But without some fire, where can there be sparks? If we lack fire in the chart, we risk feeling low in spirit, low in energy, and low on inspiration + motivation.

CARDINAL—THE STARTER

ARIES (SPRING) + CANCER (SUMMER) + LIBRA (AUTUMN) + CAPRICORN (WINTER)

Cardinal Modalities get shit started, get “the ball rolling,” get the fire burning. It’s no coincidence that the four cardinal signs are the bringers of each season. Cardinal modality is one of entrepreneurship—spot the problem + opportunity, be the first to act on it or solve it. Cardinal signs do not hesitate, they initiate.

Like the elements, we may not have an ideal balance of our modalities. Too many cardinal signs could leave you unlikely to follow through on things, making you the starter of a handful of potentially great successes that wind up half-baked or abandoned.

If there aren't enough cardinal qualities in the chart, it may be difficult to begin working on your true purpose + realized aspirations—leading to procrastination, a heart full of dreamy motivations but no evidence or satisfaction of the creative process.

Be patient with yourself during this transition period. Just because the sun is in a new zodiac sign + the earth is in a new season “overnight,” does not mean we’re expected to completely revive ourselves overnight as well. Adjustment takes time, you’ll need to recalibrate and prepare for the Spring + Summer ahead. For now, know that it is enough to wake up and to greet the Sun.

Know that it is enough to make a list, to set an intention for your new cycle, and to allow yourself to feel the excitement in the air. Don’t sweat it if there’s no call to action just yet—you might still feel safe + cozy in that ethereal Piscean energy. I get it, cocoons are warm and safe. Cocoons are comfort zones. It’s difficult to spring into action so quickly.

Here are some ideas + tips on how to ground yourself in Aries season this week

1). Do some physical cleaning and vibe-refreshing rituals in your most valued spaces.

Before we get our hands dirty in energetic soil, we should take inventory of the actual messes we made over the winter season. Yep—you guessed it—it’s time for some Spring Cleaning! Here are some easy ways to freshen up your space:

-Sort through your closet + donate old clothes

-Switch out those thick winter bedsheets for something more colorful or lighter in material.

-Check your cabinets in the kitchen + bathroom for any empties or expired items you can toss out + recycle + retrofit for new purposes

-Buy some fresh flowers and place them throughout your space.

-Burn sage, jasmine, rosemary, rose, lavender, or ylang ylang incense / candles

-If you’re into crystals, add amethyst, rose quartz, aquamarine, moonstone, or turquoise to your altar.

-If the weather permits, spend an afternoon with the windows open and cleanse your space with some fresh spring air.

-If the weather permits opening your windows, then maybe it permits spending time outside. Go for long, quiet walks with the intention of being present to nature—what’s changing in your neighborhood + town? Are there any new plants / animals popping up you haven’t seen in a while? Where are there, if any, whispers of new life? Celebrate these changes.

-Google and try out recipes that incorporate more (locally) seasonal herbs + foods into your diet

2). Set an intention to set some intentions.

Grab a journal + pen, retreat to somewhere you will not be disturbed, set a timer for 15 minutes, and do some stream-of-conscious journaling about how December through March went for you. How did winter treat you? What did you accomplish in this time? Was it shitty? Was it productive? Was it boring? There’s no right or wrong answers! The point of stream-of-conscious journaling is to write freely, without stopping or thinking or judging, and to be honest with yourself.

It’s important to reflect on the previous season before we can plan for the one ahead. Close the door on winter with compassion, and ask yourself what you’d like to carry with you (new ideas, new beliefs, new relationships) and what you can leave behind (doubts, fears, people + beliefs + patterns that no longer serve you).

Now that you’ve made a conscious effort to itemize + reflect on your months of hibernation, it’s time to get excited about the new season ahead!

Set another timer for 15 minutes and do some stream-of-conscious gushing about what you’re most excited for in the coming months. Really let your imagination + intuition guide you here. And remember, there’s no judgement for what comes up. There’s no commitment to anything in your writing, there’s no definitive action at hand. It’s just you, your intuition, and a few sheets of paper.

After the timer is up, take everything you wrote in both entries and break them into the categories listed below:

Winter list:

things to keep doing, things to stop doing.

Spring list:

things I’m looking forward to, things that I’m nervous about.

And that’s it! The spring list is not an intention list, it is an intention to set an intention list. We’re grounding ourselves into Spring this week, and we shouldn’t act on anything without allowing ourselves space to stretch, space to explore, space to get curious + excited about the possibilities.

3). Set some more concrete intentions

After a few days of energetically twirling in the meadows of spring and wiping the sleep from your eyes, return to the Spring list you made in exercise one. Now that you’re a bit more calibrated to the cardinal energy of Aries season, you’ll be able to look at that list and discern what is or is not in alignment for you. Meditate on the list you’ve made—literally, get quiet in a comfortable position and drop into your body.

From that place of presence, ask yourself if you would like to act on anything you wrote on your “Spring list.” If the body contracts or tightens, that could be a no. If the heart expands, or you feel lightness + magnetism on your skin, that could be a yes. If you feel fear or any anxious responses revving up in your body + mind, add those items to a “further inquiry” list. What we fear most is often what we’re being called to do. You don’t need to commit to the ideas that scare you, but don’t write them off so soon.

Now you should have a list of “hell yes” intentions (body felt expansive) and a list of “further exploration” (body or mind felt anxious or fearful). You can see this list as your “North Star” of Spring: before committing to new ventures, new relationships, new ideas, etc., return to your list and see if these opportunities are in alignment with what you’re intending to cultivate. By saying yes to your intuitive intentions, you’ll be able to initiate aligned action in Aries season: the pinnacle time for new growth + new adventures.

New growth + new adventures should not be reckless change just for the hell of it, or expansion that carries you away from your worth. Aligned actions are intuitively cultivated. They’re terrifying and exciting and fresh, but they’re also meant to honor who you are at a deeper level—or to help you move closer to that inner knowing.

I can’t wait to see what you all create in this new cycle. Drop me a DM on instagram or leave a comment below about any big plans + dreams you’ve got cooking in the steam of this transitory phase.

Remember to trust your gut, set your intentions, and get ready to rumble!