The Oracle’s Library uncovers the first sign of the zodiac–Aries. The astrological sign Aries marks the entrance of spring with the equinox when the hours of light and dark are balanced to allow the daytime Sun to surpass the night of the Moon. In ancient times, the constellation equivalent Aries held the spring equinox which signified the New Year to many peoples of the past. Aries is the ‘Ram’ in Latin—the powerful first sign of the Tropical Zodiac. Aries spans from 0° to 30° on the Zodiac Belt, as it initiates this narrow band of twelve constellations each year.
Aries Zodiac Sign Profile
In Sidereal Astrology, if you were born between April 14 and May 13 your Sun sign is Aries. This means the Sun transited through the constellation Aries at the given time of birth. In Tropical Astrology, the sign Aries is given to anyone born from the dates March 21 to April 20.
Aries is a Fire Sign that signifies the unfolding of the season spring—when life in abundance returns to the Earth. It calls the elements into action and expands the will of nature to create. The tropical zodiac Aries is ruled by the planet Mars. Those born under Aries are said to possess an adventurous spirit with plenty of confidence and emotional fortitude. The Ram is ruled by a willful mind which prefers to charge forward in the heat of battle before stopping to give the matter a second thought.
The Myths and Legends of the Ram
The constellation of Aries was placed among the stars in remembrance of the Ram with Golden Fleece. In the Greek myth of Jason and the Argonauts, the second wife of King Athamus plotted against his children to whom she was jealous and resentful—particularly Phrixus his son. His wife Ino fixed the failure of the King’s corn crop, and so he consulted the oracle’s advice. Ino intercepted the messenger who brought word from the oracle. She instead replaced the oracle’s message with her own prophecy—Phrixus must be sacrificed or else there would be famine.
King Athamus decided to sacrifice the boy, but he and Helle his sister were rescued by majestic Ram with Golden Fleece—a gift from Zeus in answer to their mother Nephele’s prayer. Helle unfortunately fell to her death when they bridged the gap between Europe and Asia, thus it is named the Hellespont. In ancient Babylon, the Ram was once signified by the agrarian worker and eventually came to hold the place of the vernal equinox.
Stargazing the Constellation Aries
The star Hamal or ‘head of Ram’ also known as Alpha Arietis is the brightest star in the constellation Aries. This giant orange star is a mere 66 light-years away from Earth and outshines the rest. Aries is located between the constellation Pisces and Taurus. The constellation itself takes the shape of a curved horns of the Ram butting forward toward the constellation Pisces. Just behind it, the Pleaides marks a nice reference point in Taurus. Aries also holds many notable deep sky objects such as the unbarred spiral galaxy NGC 772 and the irregular dwarf galaxy NGC 1156.
Throughout the year, many meteor showers initiate from the general direction of Aries. From May 22nd to June 2nd, the Daytime Arietid meteor shower can be viewed with comets that peak on June 7th. In the fall, the Autumn Arietids grace the skies from September 7th to October 27th. From December 8th to January 14th, the Delta Arietids also fall to the earth from Aries. The constellation Aries is best seen in the late fall and early winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
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