Hello and welcome to my blog once again! Today I want to explore the ancient archetypes of zodiac astrology so that we can better understand ourselves and others.
It is to the stars that human beings look up to in wonder, the most wildly unknown realm of them all. Like the wild forests and dangerous oceans our race has seen the divine in the heavens above us. The constellations are a collection of stories and a reflection of our human nature, a mirror to which we can look back at our inner selves and collective communities for insights, omens and glimpses of our true nature.
The zodiac belt of constellations has been a point of curiosity and reflection for human beings for centuries. In fact, for the ancient Babylonians, Egyptians and later the Greeks, the zodiac was a practical method to keep track of the seasons or months as we know them now.
After many centuries of observation and with impressive mathematical skill, the ancients figured out how to track celestial events and also predict them. They therefore knew that the solar year could be split up roughly into 12 lunar 'months' and used these calculations and constellations to keep track of time and important agricultural activities. They even split up the day into 12 different houses and associated each time of day with different areas of life, a very genius and innovative approach. For the ancient Babylonians and other civilizations of their time, every aspect of mundane life was infused with the divine.
Astrology does in fact have very practical roots, but over the expanses of time has transformed not only into a cycle of seasons but also into archetypes that we can use to reflect on ourselves and our collective societies. Like the gods and goddesses of the ancient past, the astrological characters also reflect our human desires, needs, struggles and successes etc. Each zodiac sign has an element associated with it as well as certain (very human) characteristics, along with both physical and metaphysical associations as well!
The astrological zodiac does not define us, and it can not dictate our personalities or our actions. However, it can indeed give us a mirror to look into, and a sense of human psychology that stretches far into our past. Archetypes and astrology can connect us to each other, as we can see we are not all that different after all. Our humanness is not separable from the stories we tell and the wild unknown of nature that surrounds us, and astrology may be one of the oldest ways that humans connect to our place in the universe.
With that being said and without further ado, let us explore our inner selves through the stars that are so far out of our reach physically (but so close within our ancient hearts). As within, so without. Everyone can see within themselves these ancient archetypes, regardless of your birth charts or personal zodiac signs!
We will begin with the very first zodiac sign, Aries the initiator, the courageous Ram.
Lets start with a lovely quote that describes Aries well by Lisa Michaels
“Aries teaches us the meaning of individuation. It’s active, high spirited and energetic. It loves excitement, adventure, play and competition.
As a sacred warrior, it will fight to defend my beliefs and protect what it values in life. It likes to go first, birth the new, get something started, and lead the way. It is courageous, trusting, decisive, inspired and spontaneous. It is the fire point cross at Spring Equinox.”
Aries begins the wheel of the year around the spring equinox. For those in the northern hemisphere, it is the beginning of new life! Aries is that little seedling pushing through the dark against all odds, persistently growing out of the dirt and into the sun. Aries is the fiery determination and impulsiveness, often associated with masculinity and sometimes fertility.
The ancient gods Ares and Mars were both gods of war, nearly single minded in their war mongering. Mars is also associated with vegetation and fertility, however, and can represent the destruction needed before creation. These are the kinds of things associated with the zodiac sign Aries. Mars is also often seen as very fiery! Aries is like the purifying fire that new life can be born out of, like a pine cone that can only germinate when scorched by wildfire.
In many many ways, Aries is like a seed! A lot of energy and will is needed to transform a seed into a plant, and that initiative is definitely very Aries. Similarly, Aries can also represent the child and therefore has a very innocent side to it as well. Aries may be headstrong but it is also often innocently self directed, acting on impulses like a child. If you have been around children much, you must know they can be a little violent, are self centered out of necessity and want their impulses fulfilled (like, right now!).
The headstrong nature of the Ram, the animal that charges forward, also translates to the body part associated with Aries: The head! Our face, adrenal glands, and blood are also all associated with the Ram-headed Aries. When I think of someone getting pumped up (like, REALLY pumped up like at the recent superbowl game) about a sports game or raging mad and red in the face, I think Aries.
On some levels, Aries is all about the self and independence, it can be compulsive and self centered. However, Aries can have astounding will power and is a cardinal sign, meaning it feels more naturally in the leadership role and with initiating things rather then following through. If you have Aries at the helm of your team, you will definitely break the ice and will not have any lack of fiery power to push forward. Inspiration and inventiveness will also be in plenty, however someone may need to be good at negotiating and others good at details and follow through, because those are not Aries strong suits!
"Its action-initiating original and independent focus becomes an inspiration to others as well as self. Further, its inventive spontaneity and enthusiasm instills in us an unwillingness to become compromised by acting falsely or deceitfully. A simple key phase for Aries is 'actively inspired.'" - Jef Bartow
Aries represents our individuality, and our will power. Aries will go to great lengths to fufill its passions and do what it sees as right! Aries is creative self-discovery. Aries, rightfully, is perfectly at home with the archetype of Adventurer, pursuing without fear its quests! Aries will bound into the unknown and come home the hero, bringing some crazy and passionate stories home, probably about how they charged into battle and escaped by the skin of their teeth.
Some other things associated with this zodiac sign include the metal iron, the gems ruby, bloodstone and diamond and the flowers honeysuckle and tiger lily. (cafeastrology.com). Keywords to think of with Aries include: Positively; Bold, Daring, Courageous, Innocent, Pioneering, Vigorous, Competitive, Independent, Explosive, Adventurous, Assertive, Enthusiastic, Expressive, Outgoing. In the negative it can be; Aggressive, Pushy, Rash, Impulsive, Egotistical, Selfish, Conflictive, Headstrong, Reckless, Competitive, Dominating, Abusive, Destructive, Risk-taking.
I am sure that everyone can see some of these traits within themselves or within others! Indeed, these are all things associated with human nature. Naturally we all come out of our shells as winter fades, breaking through the darkness and into the light to start anew! Some are more naturally extroverted and take more risks then others, but at some point everyone can have impulsive moments, indulge in selfishness or engage in innocent recklessness!
The astrological age of Aries is thought to have been around 1800 BCE until 380 AD (Astrological ages are a whole interesting subject on their own, check out this lovely article for more info!). This time period indeed was very war and masculinity driven, every civilization trying to gain independence and growth! The Hero archetype and solar deities began to take the stage in this era along with innovation and much inspiration. Robert Ohotto says it best in his article however;
"The Age of Aries brought both the loss of power and prestige of the feminine, and the gain of conscious tribal and individual identity. We saw the brutality of war and conquest, and the development of philosophy and law. We witnessed the birth of a mythic model of individuation, and the price of separating ourselves from our instinctual depths. "
We experiences the archetype as a collective in the past, but still see it today. After-all, the stars are ever present! No matter who you are, you begin as a child and learn to develop your individuality and identity through the ego, and each of us can claim I AM. This is the archetype of Aries at play.
Thank you, friends, for joining me in an inner exploration. I hope that you learnt something about Aries, about human nature, and about yourself! I wonder, how does Aries come into play in your life? Do you know someone who seems to embody Aries, or someone who has Aries as their zodiac sun sign?
Personally, I have Aries in my moon position, as well as Saturn. Getting into those details is a whole nother ballgame though!
Let us continue on our journey around the sun, through dreamy Pisces and sooner then later, into the fiery and creative sign of Aries!
Sources:
A lot of this information comes from within! I know it by heart <3
https://www.astrologers.com/about/history
http://astrologyclub.org/aries-archetype/
http://www.goddesslifestyleplan.com/the-archetype-of-aries-the-ram/
http://www.livingspiritcommunity.net/Education/Archives/FollowtheSun/Sign-Archetypes/Aries.html
https://cafeastrology.com/zodiacaries.html
All images are from pixabay and canva