No one who was schooled in astrology would ever say that March goes out like a lamb. In fact, you should never say that to an Aries unless you mean it as a dare.

The beginning of every astrological new year is marked by the mad-dogging of Aries Season, a time when prudence and passivity go out the window. Spirited Aries prefers to take invigorating risks and will probably be a little obnoxiously loud about it, too. Then again, there’s nothing gentle or tame about initiating a new cycle. Most of us weren’t born passively. That shit requires force (they don’t call it labor for nothing), and that’s largely what Aries is all about.

Aries is characterized as a ram for this reason: for its headstrong, impetuous drive to jump into action. Aries is one of the domiciles of Mars, planet of war and movement. As the cardinal fire home of Mars, Aries is more about charging into battle and overwhelming the opposition with force. Scorpio, the fixed water home of Mars, is about playing 5D chess and overwhelming the opposition with covert psychology. Aries can be a little brash and self-obvious, but it’s almost always transparent about its motivations.

Aries people are sometimes stereotyped for being direct in a refreshingly uncomplicated way. Sometimes this takes the form of lacking a filter or an impulse to fear or anticipate consequences. This has a lot to do with the fact that Aries is the only sign where Mars is dignified and Saturn falters. As the fall of Saturn, Aries is where internal self-regulation and self-restraint goes to die. This is neither inherently good or bad, as bravery can be a form of insurance in its own right, and dwelling on the danger can sometimes cause us to slip. At the same time, Aries is no stranger to trouble. Aries doesn’t tip-toe around anything — it only understands how to move in a direct beeline to its destination, nonchalant about the bruises and scuffs it acquires along the way.

Aries doesn’t just give fight, though — it also gives confidence. The Sun exalts in Aries, lending a potent mix of radiance, vitality, and warmth to this part of the sky. And what is the Sun if not unapologetic about its existence? You’ve probably heard the one about Aries the boss bitch, about the Aries that likes to go first, or about the Aries that’s a little self-absorbed, but not in a malicious way. This isn’t true across the board, but it could be justified in theory. The extremely solar nature of Aries means we’re dealing with someone who feels comfortable being recognized, who might even have a strong need to be validated through recognition, who feels at home in their sovereignty, who might even be a little bit blinded by their own light.

If Aries is rude, it’s probably not on purpose, but throwing shade can be a high art form for the ram. This is not just a matter of Mars being strong here, but also Venus experiencing an allergic reaction to its normal function of people-pleasing and tact. Venus experiences a condition of exile in Aries, which means it’s either going to care a lot less about being palatable or find itself unable to conform to the standards of palatability, in spite of its best efforts. This might be struggle city for Venus, or it might be a place where “rough around the edges” and “unabashedly genuine” produces a special sort of charm.

This post was originally published on 3/22/2021 on thedailyhunch.com.