Aries Zodiac Sign: Dates, Personality and Compatibility

As the first sign of the zodiac, Aries is the initiator. Born as spring begins in the Northern Hemisphere, Aries people instinctively bring fresh perspectives to the conversation. These leaders have a charming combination of childlike curiosity and natural authority, and they seek people and experiences that support their ambitions.

From March 21st through April 19th, Aries rules apply. The sign takes its name from the Greek god of war, who became the guardian god Mars in ancient Rome. Because their ruling planet Mars governs the first house of the self, Aries feels at home there. The ram (♈️) also appropriately symbolizes the bold energy of this cardinal fire sign.

In fact, the ram’s association with protection and leadership in Greek myth defines the Aries identity. The story goes that a nymph sent a ram to save her son Phrixus from his hateful stepmother. Phrixus then gave the ram’s fleece to the king who sheltered him. Later, the hero Jason would seek this Golden Fleece to claim his rightful throne.

A final way to understand this noble sign is by its modality, a term for how the sign approaches life. Like Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn, Aries is a cardinal sign. Because cardinal signs begin their seasons, Aries accordingly takes daring steps to get any expedition going. But by now, yet another plucky feature of the Aries spirit shouldn’t surprise you.

Aries Dates: March 21 – April 19

Aries season greets us in mid-March, around the equinox, when day and night are the same lengths. The date corresponds to the time the sun entered the part of the ancient sky containing the Aries constellation. Thus, your sun sign is Aries if you were born within the 30-day timeframe starting March 21st. After April 19th, the Taurus bull saunters in.

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Aries

What makes an Aries unique? Learn more about the Aries zodiac sign, including personality traits, relationship preferences, ideal careers, and more.

Taurus

What makes a Taurus unique? Learn more about the Taurus zodiac sign, including personality traits, relationship preferences, ideal careers, and more.

Gemini

What makes a Gemini unique? Learn about the Gemini zodiac sign, including personality traits, relationship preferences, ideal careers, and more.

Cancer

What makes the Cancer zodiac sign unique? Learn about Cancer personality traits, relationship preferences, ideal careers, and more.

Leo

What makes a Leo unique? Learn about the Leo zodiac sign, including personality traits, relationship preferences, ideal careers, and more.

Virgo

What makes a Virgo unique? Learn about the Virgo zodiac sign, including personality traits, relationship preferences, ideal careers, and more.

Libra

What makes a Libra unique? Learn about the Libra zodiac sign, including personality traits, relationship preferences, ideal careers, and more.

Scorpio

What makes a Scorpio unique? Learn about the Scorpio zodiac sign, including personality traits, relationship preferences, ideal careers, and more.

Sagittarius

What makes a Sagittarius unique? Learn about the Sagittarius zodiac sign, including personality traits, relationship preferences, ideal careers, and more.

Capricorn

What makes a Capricorn unique? Learn about the Capricorn zodiac sign, including personality traits, relationship preferences, ideal careers, and more.

Aquarius

What makes an Aquarius unique? Learn about the Aquarius zodiac sign, including personality traits, relationship preferences, ideal careers, and more.

Pisces

What makes a Pisces unique? Learn about the Pisces zodiac sign, including personality traits, relationship preferences, ideal careers, and more.

Personality Traits of an Aries

If we think of the twelve signs as stages of development, Aries is the baby of the zodiac. This doesn’t necessarily mean that Aries people are immature. Instead, they embody the purposes of this life phase: learning about yourself, exploring the world by discovering your abilities, and approaching everything as though it’s new.

Like infants, Aries people tend to process through their bodies. Movement is important, as they’re often kinesthetic learners inclined toward athleticism. Emotionally, Aries people are direct and passionate. As thinkers, they’re likely nonconformist and idealistic.

Astrologers also subdivide each sign into decans with distinct traits, so not all Aries are created alike! For example, a March Aries is the boldest of the bunch and the likeliest to thrive in competitive environments. Early April brings an affinity for purposeful leadership, and the sign closes with a third decan that’s the most joyful and independent.

Aries Strengths

When they’re at their best, Aries people are inspiring leaders who pursue justice within their communities. Their approach to life might include the following strengths:

Action
Confidence
Courage
Determination
Humor
Independence
Influence
Innovation
Loyalty
Optimism

Aries Weaknesses

However, each Aries virtue can become a fault when unchecked or misused. For instance, that charming confidence shifts to arrogance if Aries people don’t know enough to justify their actions. They should watch for the following tendencies:

Combativeness
Fixation
Frustration
Headaches
Impatience
Intolerance
Reactivity
Recklessness
Restlessness
Selfishness

Aries in Love and Relationships

Aries love being in love! Although Aries people can be unpredictable and hard to please, their high energy stimulates enthusiasm and intensity in relationships. And as love grows, so does an Aries person’s loyalty.

Most Aries are physical beings. As such, they bring passion and adventure to their sex lives, often exploring a physical connection with many different people in many different ways. In romance, Aries likes to pursue partners, flirt freely, and plan spirited dates. Once an Aries commits, they don’t lose these qualities—but they also become deeply caring and faithful to relationship agreements.

Aries Woman in Relationships

Because Aries traits align more with the traditionally masculine, Aries women often approach love unconventionally. They’re likely to take the lead, value their independence, and desire a relationship that doesn’t look like any other. Although these charismatic women are usually secure, they do require emotional openness. A partner should be ready to be attentive to the relationship.

Aries Men in Relationships

Aries men are fierce protectors of their people. They attempt to guard loved ones from pain, often taking extreme measures to do so. Because they have so much vitality, they can seem unsettled when their excitement is unmatched, sometimes finding commitment uninspiring. However, a partner who understands their adventurous drive will receive limitless affection.

Compatibility: Best and Worst Matches

In any relationship, compatibility is influenced by much more than the sun signs. However, generally speaking, the fire signs Sagittarius and Leo have a mutual understanding with Aries, and air signs Gemini and Aquarius bring out Aries’ best. By contrast, Cancer and Capricorn are least compatible, while a Libra or fellow Aries partner has high risk but potentially high reward.

Most Compatible with Aries

Sagittarius and Leo complement Aries well because of how much they share. Other fire signs honor Aries’ need for autonomy and action. At the same time, the subtle differences in the fire of Sagittarius and Leo balance the Aries energy. Aries compatibility with Leo is especially joyous and playful, and a Sagittarius partner supports exploration and growth.

A flame also feeds on air, an element that Gemini and Aquarius can provide. A Gemini partner activates the third house of communication for Aries. Built on bonding through self-expression, the partnership can endure almost anything. And because Aquarius rests in Aries’ eleventh house of companions, this freedom-loving air sign is a natural friend to the ram.

Finally, the air sign Libra perfectly opposes Aries, which fuels power struggles and misunderstandings. And yet, Libra has the most to teach Aries about being in a partnership. If these two develop strategies for maintaining balance, this relationship can be among the most enduring and fulfilling.

Least Compatible with Aries

Cancer and Capricorn, also cardinal signs, square Aries and create conflict. These signs are also action-oriented but in their own unique ways. A relationship between Aries and either Cancer or Capricorn often has too many cooks in the kitchen, with both people trying to make the same dish by following different recipes.

Less prone to moments of extreme friction with Aries, Virgo and Scorpio nonetheless have the least in common with the fiery ram. As a result, deep partnerships are simply less likely to form. But when a relationship does persist, both individuals could have a karmic bond that transforms their lives.

Aries in Friendship

Aries people are a bit like anchovies—if you love them, you love them, but they’re not for everyone. That said, they’re open to befriending almost anyone, so their social networks are wide and diverse. While they might not always follow their friends’ advice, they do welcome multiple perspectives. (An Aries might also liberally offer advice, even when it’s unwanted.)

For companionship, they value humor, honesty, and loyalty above all. Although they do have many friends, Aries people often maintain a small inner circle. Every Aries needs a “ride-or-die” friend who can keep their deepest secrets, share quirky ideas, and spend hours planning that perfect fashion statement for the upcoming event.

Careers Fit (and Unfit) for an Aries

Almost any job will suit an Aries as long as it excites them. These people are iconoclasts at heart, so they must feel the potential to challenge conventions and influence others. In general, a routine nine-to-five schedule involving sedentary work is the least appealing to an Aries. A job that offers variety—where no two days are alike—is ideal.

When an Aries is motivated, they work tirelessly. When they don’t respect the work they’re doing (or the person they’re doing it for), they lose interest. This might be why the sign has a reputation for being easy to fire. Nevertheless, the Aries imagination is invaluable. If you work with an Aries, encourage collaboration through open dialogue and healthy competition.

Although Aries people are extremely ambitious, that might not always be obvious in the way they approach career and money. They thrive if they hold power, but they’re not afraid to frequently change roles or spend savings to bet on work environments that they’ll enjoy.

Best Careers for an Aries

The following careers stoke the Aries fire:

Entrepreneur, who answers to no one and calls all the shots
Director of anything
Athlete or other movement practitioner
First responder such as ambulance driver, firefighter, or paramedic
Artist, especially a rebel

Worst Careers for an Aries

The worst careers for an Aries require them to perform repetitive tasks and comply with strict guidelines. Examples of these careers include the following:

Office administrator
Middle manager
Assistant or secretary
Data entry clerk
Accountant

Famous Aries Personalities

Famous Aries personalities include visionary artists and thinkers. These individuals are movers, shakers, and dream makers whose lifestyles often disrupt accepted norms:

Aretha Franklin
Hugh Hefner
Jackie Chan
Lady Gaga
Leonardo da Vinci
Maya Angelou
Raphael
René Descartes
Selena
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Vincent van Gogh