The bold, the brash, the bulldozing enthusiasm of cardinal fire who bursts out into flames and then needs a nap, only to get up and at it again, like a glorious phoenix. That’s Aries, the one and only cardinal fire. That is, the intemperate and unsustainable heat of the spark that starts the flame.

Aries is of course ruled by Mars, which is the planet of fighting and metal. And if you know someone with strong Aries you know they’re always kind of ready to fight or compete or do something. Rick Levine appropriately describes Aries as ready, fire, aim, because thought and planning come as afterthoughts. Aries is the diurnal or extroverted martial domicile, while Scorpio is the nocturnal introverted one. Aries is a beserker, Scorpio is a ninja. Aries is a werewolf, Scorpio is a night blade (one can be soft and cuddly if you feed its ego, the other will question your hidden motives.)

The cardinal signs are pivotal points of initiation. Aries starts spring, Cancer starts summer, Libra starts autumn, and Capricorn starts winter. Aries therefore, as the most masculine of initiators is that first explosion of energy which pushes into the urgency of the present moment. It’s the conqueror, the fighting hero. It’s that part of Mars that has to do with speed and quickness, unlike Scorpio which waits for the right timing to strike.

Aries is a pioneer, enterprising leader who cares about being first. Because unlike its fiery brethren Leo, who just shines straightforward with the confidence of the Sun, or Sagittarius who rides the Jupiterian belief, Aries is afraid of being seen as weak and often falls prey to overcompensantion in the form of risk taking, gambling, or bragging, acting out that bully who is actually insecure trope. Not that Aries is afraid of a challenge or of failing, it will gladly face everything head on, ramming style, trying to make its way through any obstacle. But obstacles are sometimes a protective necessity taught by Saturn, which has its depression or fall in Aries. Neither responsibility nor  delayed gratification are things which fit this fiery domicile.

In most systems, the zodiac starts with Aries, and if we follow the process of unfolding consciousness from a psychological perspective, starting with Aries and ending with Pisces, that puts a different spin on this sign’s reputation of being like a baby. Mind you, not a crybaby but rather a sense of discovering oneself and self assertion in the world, which is sometimes done through conflict and obstacles.

Fire as an element represents the spirit and will. In the Greek system of metaphysics both fire and air as masculine signs were considered rising, or upward seeking, elevated if you will. Carl Jung developed a system of elemental understanding of how human consciousness interacts with the world, in which fire had the irrational intangible quality of spirit, that is primal instinct. Strong fire means orienting oneself by will and intuition in an uncompromising manner, it means in Arian fashion doing something which others haven’t done, pushing forward without following, like its opposite and airy counterpart Libra, a system of abstract assumption based on etiquette, because Aries doesn’t really care about what people feel or think, unless it’s about itself, making this sign the detriment of Venus. Aries is the opposition of Libra, the two staring across from each other, like two different sides of the social consciousness coin. In Libra we look through Venus’ eyes at what is fair, what is harmonious, what other’s people opinions are, while in Aries we look through Mars’ eyes at how to forge our own path. Libra understands through relating, Aries understands through conflict.

Which brings us to the stereotype of selfishness. Is Aries self-absorbed? Yes, but it’s not out of malice. It’s the reaction and correction to Pisces, which is thinking about the whole universe at once. With Jupiter and Pisces we were dealing with the circumference of the circle, while with Mars and Aries we are dealing with the point around the center. In practical life, Aries consciousness also includes the definition of the self to include family and loved ones.

And you know what a warrior also does? Defend. Aries are known for standing up for what they think it’s right, being irreverent and defiant, walking that fine line between assertion and aggression. Righteousness is a trademark of the fire signs, though they all have a tendency of making their take on reality more important. So Aries, being the cardinal therefore the first fire sign is not about perceptions or sensations or logic, it is about action, about doing, about proving and about being here NOW.