zodiac seasons

Your Guide to Aries Season

Symbols for the sign Aries; a diamond gemstone, the planet Mars, the color red, a ram’s skull and the flower honeysuckle.
Illustration: Sunny Wu

Happy New Year! The spring equinox is here, and with it a new zodiac year begins. After Pisces season, when boundaries felt porous, emotions ran deep, and compassion took precedence above all else, Aries calls you back to yourself, your body, and your own desires. The ground is thawing, the days are growing longer, and the natural world is waking up again. If you’ve been in hibernation over the winter, it’s time to re-emerge. Fresh possibilities await you — all you have to do is be bold enough to take advantage of them.

This year the sun moves though Aries from March 19 to April 19. The sign of the ram, Aries charges forward to meet the world head-on. Less traditionally, Aries is also sometimes called the newborn baby of the zodiac. That doesn’t mean you’re helpless or immature or babyish during this time; rather, it’s about newness and potential. From here, everything is possible. It’s fully within your power to create the life that you want for yourself.

Like all the signs that mark the start of a season, Aries can be more comfortable with new beginnings than with maintaining the status quo, happier taking decisive action than waiting around for the perfect moment to arrive. Since Aries isn’t just the first sign of the season, but of the entire zodiac year, Aries season can be a particularly bright time for beginnings — new projects, new jobs, new relationships. It’s also, more broadly, a time for thinking boldly. This zodiac season lends an extra dose of courage and willpower. Don’t waste it trying to be too pragmatic. Dream big.

Aries energy tends to run hot, impulsive, and direct. It’s a fire sign, and it’s also ruled by Mars, the planet of drive and desire. The fact that Mars shares a name with the god of war can give the impression that Aries is a particularly combative sign, but that’s not necessarily true. What is true is that Aries carries a powerful drive and determination. It’s not reason or intellect that propels Aries through the world, but pure force of will. This confidence can sometimes seem like aggression (especially if you tend to be more guarded with your thoughts and feelings) but it’s more likely Aries being characteristically straightforward. And while it’s true that sometimes, this sign’s energy lends itself to conflict — when everyone expresses their opinions honestly, disagreements inevitably occur — it’s less likely to be the simmering grudge or resentments than a healthy way to clear the air.

Aries tends not to be the most thoughtful or careful of the signs, so while Aries season can be an incredible time to start new things, it’s not always the best time for thinking ahead or long-term planning. You’re more likely to get what you want by simply asking for it than by dropping hints or playing games. If you’re accustomed to treading carefully around others and holding your true feelings back, you may worry that this candor can only result in misunderstandings and hurt feelings. But during Aries season, being direct can unlock powers you didn’t know you possessed.

At its best, Aries can provide the fire you need to feel alive, to assert yourself, to make a bright change to your life. Consider Aretha Franklin performing in a long gold gown and floor-length fur coat (in fact, consider Aretha Franklin’s voice in general). Aries season invites you to embody that kind of joyful, commanding beauty. Think about every wild high-fashion outfit Celine Dion has ever worn. Aries season offers the chance to be that fearlessly, assuredly yourself.

In Aries season, you don’t need external validation in order to believe in yourself; you’ve already got the confidence you need. You don’t need permission to take risks, either; you already know that you have a right to be here and to live your life exactly as you are. At its best, Aries season can give you the energy you need to go for it, to do your thing, to shoot your one big shot. Why not? You have this bright springtime courage, so use it!

Your Guide to Aries Season