Fire · cardinal
Aries zodiac sign
In Western astrology, Aries stands for initiative, directness, and the first step.
In everyday language it's just called your zodiac sign. What's meant is your sun sign: the sign the Sun was in when you were born.
Das Zeichen Aries. Das gleichnamige Sternbild steht heute woanders, tippen zeigt es.
- Starting things boldly and getting decisions moving
- movement, clarity, and a straight answer
- matching your pace with other people's
Aries: strengths and challenges
The two sides traditionally attributed to this sign.
Strengths
Aries gets moving fast, says things straight out, and gives a project the push it needs to actually start.
Challenges
It gets difficult when speed turns into impatience, decisions get made too soon, or every disagreement turns into a contest to win.
Where does a fast start actually help you, and where is it worth asking a question before you act?
Aries in love and relationships
Aries usually shows interest openly and likes taking the initiative. A relationship where directness is possible without constantly generating tension suits them well.
Aries at work
At work, the strengths are in starting things, deciding, and taking the lead. For that strong start to turn into a good result, responsibilities and follow-through need just as much attention.
Getting along with Aries
Direct arrangements usually work better than hints. Say plainly what it's about, and still leave room for a different pace.
Horoscopes for Aries
From today's general impulse to your personal year-ahead preview.
Today's impulse for Aries
A concrete impulse for the day and a question that needs no invented backstory.
Read todayNext 14 daysYour personal preview
Concrete transit dates for your own birth chart — with an actual date, not a generic sun-sign text.
Open the previewNext 12 monthsYour year at a glance
The longer transits from Jupiter to Pluto, their date ranges, and the days they turn exact.
Open the year aheadStart with the doable part
finish the first step that needs no further preparation.
Where does a fast start actually help you, and where is it worth asking a question before you act?
When does the Aries zodiac season begin?
The Sun is in Aries from March 20, 2026 at 03:45 PM CET to April 20, 2026 at 03:39 AM CEST.
The Sun's next entry into Aries is on March 20, 2027 at 09:24 PM CET — about 6 hours later than this year.
Why the exact time matters
Listings like "21 May to 21 June" are just rules of thumb. The entry shifts by a few hours every year. If your birthday falls close to the sign change, your birth year, time, and time zone decide — that's why Leitstern calculates the Sun's position.
Element, Ruler, and Origin
The astrological assignment
- Element
- Fire
- Quality
- cardinal
- Ruler
- Mars
This assignment appears in Ptolemäus, Tetrabiblos I,17 to 19.
Where the name comes from
The name comes from the constellation Aries - in myth, the golden ram that carried Phrixus across the sea (recorded by Eratosthenes, Katasterismoi). Mars as ruler comes from Ptolemäus, Tetrabiblos I,17.
Sign and constellation aren't the same today: Western astrology counts tropically from the spring equinox, while the constellations slowly drift because of the precession of Earth's axis.
There's more than your sun sign
Your sun sign only shows the Sun. The Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars and — with an exact birth time — the Ascendant round out the picture. Calculate the key positions for free from your birth details.
Calculate my birth chartWhich signs are compatible with Aries?
As a rule of thumb, the same or complementary elements make for an easier start. Opposite signs and signs with a very different core nature can be just as attractive, but usually need more attunement.
Often easier together
Here, pace, expression, or needs tend to be more alike.
GeminiPicking up new things fast and explaining them clearlyFire brings drive, Air brings ideas and conversation. That often feels lively, as long as it's not all talk or all action.
LeoCreating things and carrying others alongBoth signs share the element Fire. A lot of pace and mutual encouragement can bring you together. It helps if not every disagreement turns into a contest.
SagittariusSeeing the big picture and giving people confidenceBoth signs share the element Fire. A lot of pace and mutual encouragement can bring you together. It helps if not every disagreement turns into a contest.
AquariusThinking independently and designing new solutionsFire brings drive, Air brings ideas and conversation. That often feels lively, as long as it's not all talk or all action.Often needs more attunement
Here, pace, expression, or needs tend to differ more often. Clear agreements help.
TaurusBuilding things patiently and creating reliabilityAries and Taurus often set different priorities and work at a different pace. That can be enriching once expectations get said out loud instead of assumed.
CancerCreating closeness and noticing what people needBoth signs are cardinal. Both want to set the direction. If who's in charge stays unclear, competing over the next decision comes easily.
VirgoLooking closely and finding solutions that actually workAries and Virgo don't share the same basic language right away. Things get clearer once both say what they mean by closeness, reliability and a good next step.
LibraBringing different interests together fairlyAries and Libra are opposite signs. The differences themselves can be what attracts and shows new sides; over time it takes clear agreements about pace, closeness and decisions.
ScorpioGetting to the bottom of complex issuesAries and Scorpio don't share the same basic language right away. Things get clearer once both say what they mean by closeness, reliability and a good next step.
CapricornPlanning for the long term and carrying responsibilityBoth signs are cardinal. Both want to set the direction. If who's in charge stays unclear, competing over the next decision comes easily.
PiscesSensing subtle moods and connecting things creativelyAries and Pisces often set different priorities and work at a different pace. That can be enriching once expectations get said out loud instead of assumed.For a personal comparison, the sun sign alone isn't enough. Synastry checks the planets in both birth charts and shows the actual angles.
Compare two birth chartsFrequently asked questions about Aries
In 2026, the Sun is in Aries from March 20, 2026 at 03:45 PM CET to April 20, 2026 at 03:39 AM CEST. These times are calculated from orbital data. They shift by a few hours every year because the solar year isn't a whole number of days. Listings with only calendar days are therefore rules of thumb.
That's decided by the exact moment of birth, not just the calendar day. It takes the date, the time, and the time zone that belongs to the birthplace. The calculated position of the Sun always falls in exactly one sign.
Aries belongs to the element Fire and has cardinal quality. The classical ruler is Mars. This assignment is recorded in Ptolemäus, Tetrabiblos I,17 to 19.
Traditionally, signs of the same element, plus complementary element pairs, are read as an easier start. The opposite sign, Libra, is read more as an attracting but demanding contrast. A closer comparison needs the planets from both birth charts.
Aries usually shows interest openly and likes taking the initiative. A relationship where directness is possible without constantly generating tension suits them well. For a personal picture, Venus, Mars, the Moon, and the aspects across the whole birth chart are considered too.
Yes. In everyday language, "zodiac sign" means the sun sign — the sign the Sun was in at the moment of birth. The Moon sign, the Ascendant, and the other planets are additional parts of the birth chart.
More about your birth chart
More zodiac signs
Straight to the next sign profile and its impulse for today.