The Sun at his Eastern Gate
Happy Spring Equinox! Look to the Horizon: Today is the Astrological new year.
Today the centre of the visible sun is aligned above the equator in the Northern hemisphere at the same moment the Sun moves into Aries.
Day becomes longer than night, the Sun’s light increases in strength and vitality. It is the optimum point for growth and expansion towards fullness and maturity. The rising up of power yet to peak. Therefore, the Sun exalts in Aries; it is the Sun’s most expansive expression, not yet full, but potent and full of promise. This process of flowering begins of course, at the Winter Solstice when the Sun is weak and reborn. Now we have the valiant youth striding forth impetuously, full of confidence and vigour. Think of the Fool card in the tarot.
Polarity is central to understanding the meaning and value of the equinoxes. One does not exist without the other and is only made valuable by their contrast. At the Spring equinox, the scales are tipped towards summer; the power here is one of extreme extroversion, just as they will tip back at the autumn equinox in Libra towards withdrawal and reflection. Where Aries has the confidence to act alone and in self-interest as the season permits, Libra knows the value of community and companionship, of resources shared even when in abundance, so that reciprocal relationships can be fostered before the first frost sets in. Aries has no time for this. He grasps the nettle and speeds forth to conquer new horizons.
An exalted Sun in Aries in the birth chart indicates an impetuous nature, fool-hardy, go-getting, over-reaching, ambition (this will be modified by other placements in the chart). So powerful and intoxicating is their surety, these characters often succeed sweeping everyone along with their enthusiasm. The outcome looks impressive and lucky. I suspect Alexander the Great had this as a feature of his chart, having conquered much of the world and so young. But it is a young man’s (or woman’s) game; it lacks the sobriety and consideration of the seasoned soldier, politician, or diplomat. It does not consider what rulership (Sun in Leo) looks like in its conquered lands, nor does it have a long-term plan. It is the first initial thrust of activity indicated by the cardinal signs and requires support from Fixed signs in particular to show staying power and stability.
Sun in Aries is the rough and tumble play of children, daring sportsmanship, and competition. Even as they age, these people keep their youthful outlook and plenty of physical bounce. My ideal placements for this is in the charts of entrepreneurs and athletes. Sun in Aries must be a pace ahead of everyone else and then set the bar for everyone who comes after.
This is not Apollo, the Sun on his throne. In Mythology we have the warning stories of Phaëton, who insisted on driving his father Helios’s horse-drawn sun chariot across the sky, only to perish in flames and Icarus who flew too close to the Sun.
Sun in Aries greatest gift is also their greatest downfall; they do not envision failure, and everything is possible. After all, only three months ago at the solstice, they were the unconquerable Sun.
What to do in Aries season:
As above so below: it is an excellent time to begin anything, with nature leading by example, putting on her finery as we watch the seeds grow and nests build. Nothing holds nature back in her unbounded occupation of every scrap of soil.
Plant Sunflowers!
As it is a good time for intention setting, try this for peace bringing:
It is usual to plant seeds on the new moon, but Moon in Aries, a hot dry sign, it isn’t particularly conducive to seed germination (or peace, being ruled by Mars). So instead, plant seeds after the new moon, when in fertile, peaceful, Venus-ruled Taurus on April 2nd in UK (*see election note at the bottom). Do so with intent and words of peace. Ask the plant for co-operation with you in manifesting peace and wellbeing for all life. It’s quite the burden for this perennial, yet sunflowers are of course ruled by the Sun; the skies all-seeing eye and benevolent ruler, and his reach is far. Each time you water that plant, pray peace, and imagine those words entwining with the roots, flowing into the soil, swelling the phloem and xylem, and leaving with the oxygen. Imagine that peace passing into other worlds where the healing is deepest, and can become manifest in ours given time and nurturing. It takes so little time for this plant to grow from a baby’s thumbnail to the size of an adult. When the time is right you can sacrifice this plant, now a manifestation of your desire for peace, and scatter its seed wide and far.
Mid to late April: forage dandelion flowers (hundreds of them) to make dandelion wine. Or marmalade, or cake…I gather so many for wine I’m too dandelion-ed out to make anything else with them. Mid-April will be the full moon, bringing nutrients to the flowers for a better harvest.
A traditional use of the Aries ingress is in the application of mundane (world events) astrology to the Nation’s capital and to interpret the year ahead for that country. It is worth looking in particular at the Natal chart for the U.S. and for the E.U. this year, as they have some very hard transits already in play. I don’t cover mundane astrology, but it is worth looking elsewhere on the internet to find up-to-the-moment articles on those topics.
*Any election this month is not that great, but on the April 2nd, we have the Moon sextile to Venus and Saturn. Venus is received by Saturn by conjunction in his sign, Venus and Saturn are received by the Moon’s exaltation in Taurus (so you have both luminaries exalted at this point). Mars is in the Moon’s orb, but the Moon escapes Mars. The Moon will transfer light between Pluto and Uranus; their explosive potential softened by the Moon in Taurus, instead facilitating the deep healing and change that is needed. This is less an election and more a commentary on what is at work at the time of planting a sunflower seed!
Astrology Imaginarium 