HISTORY OF ASTROLOGY
Arriving at an Avid Aries Season
All that glitters and how Greco-Roman heroes lost a golden fleece (again)
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Aries (March 21 — April 19)*
The first rays of spring welcome lush fields, wildflower super-blooms, and …mythical glittering sheep.
An ardent fire sign and the first symbol of the Western Zodiac, Aries represents an elusive treasure. Or perhaps a brazen leader who isn’t afraid to venture where others haven’t trod.
Aries are supposed to be powerful yet impulsive.
“Astrologers believe that each sign learns the lessons absorbed by its preceding signs, both joyful and painful. In the case of Aries, however, there is no inherited wisdom: Aries leads with blind optimism barreling through life with an electric joie de vivre,” writes Aliza Kelly in her astrology collumn for Allure.
Perhaps Aries signs — like the rams this constellation imitates — has adapted to look before they leap. Or perhaps they have an exceptionally durable skulls.
I’ve never considered Aries especially adventurous or ambitious. But I’m reconsidering after learning just how many times adventurous, ambitious Greek heroes managed to lose track of the symbol that gives Aries its namesake — the Golden Fleece.
Aries in mythology
The Golden Fleece first belonged to a golden winged ram sent to save the life of young prince Phrixus in ancient Greece. Phrixus’ father had abandoned his mother for a hateful woman named Ino, who wanted the young prince dead.
Luckily, the hero Heracles sent the golden ram Aries to fly the young Phrixus to safety in Colchis. As a sign of gratitude, Phrixus sacrificed the golden ram to Zeus, who placed its image in the stars. The ram’s valuable golden fleece was then guarded by a sleepless dragon, which saw that the prize remained safe for years.
It was safe, of course, until Jason and the Argonauts had the audacity to steal the fleece to restore him to the throne. Jason managed to steal the fleece with the help of Medea, who he married and later betrayed. It’s unclear where the fleece went after this affair.
One account says it lay in the temple of Zeus at Orchomenus, Greece. Most other accounts I found are silent as to its whereabouts after Jason fled his home for the second time. Perhaps it’s best to assume that it changed hands over the decades. Or maybe golden fleeces are allergic to marital drama.
Some versions of this story say that Aries represents Zeus in the form of a ram, while others connect ram’s heads with symbolism of Amen-Ra in Ancient Egypt. Still other cultures interpret this constellation as a shepherd in the or a porpoise in the Marshall Islands.
While Aries is a fire sign and connected with the Greco-Roman god Ares or Mars, the two figures are not the same. Both figures demonstrate leadership and assertiveness. But while Ares is the personification of violence and brutality, the ram Aries is thought to be a bit more refined. Perhaps we have the stars that make up Aries’ harness to thank for that.
Ironically, the tarot card for Aries is The Emperor, which represents safety and stability. Who knows? Perhaps a golden sheep would have made a better ruler than any of the brutal kings who sought this fleece.
Aries from space
As far as constellations go, Aries leaves an extremely faint impression in the night sky. But it is home to a collection of exoplanets, deep space objects and more than a few meteor showers. One of Aries’ stars, Mesartim, is actually made of two orbiting solar bodies. The constellation also contains several galaxies and the solar system 30 Ari.
Although Aries has been observed in the night sky for hundreds of years, it was not officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union until 1922.
In the 1970s and in 1991, the Orbital Sciences Corporation launched Aries Sounding Rockets built from obsolete Minuteman ICBMs. These rockets were meant to transport large materials to space and later to track enemy missiles as part of the Red Tigress Program.
Other than that, Aries seems content to graze peacefully amongst the cosmos.
All that Glitters
This Aries season, spring has sprung. In my corner of the universe, torrents of rain have moved onwards and in their place remain golden rays of sun.
Much like their fellow fire signs Leo and Sagittarius, Aries are passionate and determined. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that every Aries feels motivated All. The. Time.
Instead, ask yourself whether this could be your growing season!
*Astrology is fun to explore, but it is not a science and should not be taken literally. History of Astrology aims to explore zodiac signs and spread curiosity, not offer advice.
