There’s a truth about myself that I think I was trying to avoid for a while because I felt embarrassed by it. I was concerned about people thinking that because of it, I was superstitious or naïve, or just crazy. That I had my head in the clouds and was relying on trivial things and fanciful thoughts that had no meaning on who I was in life. I grew up in a religious household, so that’s the stance I learned to take on the subject my whole life up until I moved out. Now, I indulge in it more than I let people see. It, of course, being astrology.

I’ve chosen to go by ‘Aries’ on this site to avoid any sort of association to my actual identity so I can write freely, and wouldn’t you know it? I’m actually an Aries as well. That used to mean nothing to me, but lately, it’s become a stronger part of my personality. I don’t go around shoving it down people’s throats, but I don’t not mention it either.

I know all of my friend’s signs; I don’t skip videos telling me more about myself as an Aries and often find them fascinating hen what I hear resonates with me in some way. I mean, it’s bound to happen, right? If someone gives you 10 different personality traits you’re bound to fit at least one of them, and when that person tells you that “oh, you’re such an Aries if you do one of these five things ever,” your brain can’t help but be like, “damn, that is totally me!” I take everything with a grain of salt – I have built the person I am now, my birthdate/place didn’t.

HOWEVER I still find astrology interesting in so many ways, and I can’t ignore certain synchronicities between what I learn I am based on my sign, and my actual uninfluenced thoughts and actions. But why is this on my mind right now? We just moved into Aries season, darling, and I can’t ignore the sort of energy that fills me with as all the videos that pop up on my social media talking about what this season will bring everyone, particularly myself.

I’m being told I need to be bold and reach towards my goals with confidence and commitment because this will apparently be a very lucky season for me. I keep hearing about what I bring to social situations when I walk into the room – a fiery, fun, and determined energy unmatched by anyone else. And boy, does it feel good hearing things like that. And maybe that’s why I gravitate towards astrology so much. It tends to tell/show you all the ways you’re special, and if you’re anything like me you grew up always hearing people call only certain aspects of you special not realizing they were actually coping mechanisms for the trauma you were enduring. Those things don’t feel that special when people comment on them, because while you recognize that your efforts to distract from the problems at hand with extra good behavior is working, only you know the truth behind why you were a straight-A student, or so well-mannered everywhere you went, or why people always told you, “Oh wow, you’re so mature for your age!” It’s nice to feel like I’m special for the things that make me who I am, and not for the way I needed to be in order to survive.

Maybe it’s just nice hearing nice things about myself in general. I’ve never really been the type that people will compliment directly as an adult for some reason. Not that I want to be showered with admiration on a daily basis, but it’d be nice to hear appreciation or validation of the person I am every once in a while, you know?

Either way, I do feel like a learn a bit about myself when I dip into astrology, and some things do feel pretty spot on. Before knowing much more about it, all I knew as a very general consensus of Aries was that they were all super easy to anger and would explode in loud fits of rage. That never felt like me – I am very conflict-avoidant and am typically very slow to anger. I’m a patient person, so it takes a lot to make me truly angry but when it does happen, I hate the way it feels. I don’t see the positive purpose of it and in my mind, it often generates more problems than it solves. So, I have learned to steer clear of it when possible. Though, there was a moment this week when I did feel genuine, pure anger because of someone I had to deal with at work, but rather than feeling the usually ick from it I typically do, I felt empowered. In that moment, I experienced the type of anger that makes you feel like you could do literally anything and it felt good. Silently in my mind, as I could feel the rage bubbling in my core, I dared someone to test me. It felt like all I needed was the right thing to come up and give me the opportunity to release all the energy my body was storing. Of course, I wouldn’t do that – I have so much pride in the way I control myself out in public to do something like that. But damn, I think it would have felt good, if only for a moment.

The two Aries traits I do feel strongly connected to however, are the loyalty and impulsivity you may hear about. I am a deeply loyal person to those close to me. It’s not easy to earn my trust, and I live by a simple rule: if you respect me, then I’ll respect you. If you don’t respect me, then I don’t respect you. Once you do earn that trust, if you’re able to, I am the most loyal friend (and partner) you’ll have. I don’t know how else to be but to give myself fully and completely in any relationship I’m in, platonic or romantic, and y’all better feel how special you are to feel that kind of loyalty from an Aries.

The second trait I resonate with is that impulsivity. I try, I really do, to think about what I do and say before I take action and feel like I do a good job, until someone else mentions something I badly overlooked. Like, not that it just wasn’t on the same train of thought, but that situation/person wasn’t even in the same train station in my mind when I made my decision. I think it’s because I lead a lot with my emotions, if they’re positive. If I get excited or happy over something, that becomes all-consuming for me and I will act as a reaction based off that feeling. But this means sometimes I act before I even consider all outcomes or really think much about it. I’m only just now realizing how much of a problem this has become for me, but that’s the first step to take in order to fix it, right? It’s a work in progress.

Actually, the trait I most feel like describes me to a tee, is the competitiveness of an Aries. I am a deeply competitive person down to my core and can turn literally anything into a competition. I and very spirited about any small competition I can share with my loved ones, and while I will never fully reveal how insanely competitive I am deep down, I do let a good amount of it out in playful ways that adds to the energy and entertainment to any gathering. (I am also a bit of a sore loser as well, which is not good for an overly competitive Aries who is only mildly average at most activities, lol). But the competition is somehow a way I show my love and appreciation for those who are close to me – how exactly, I don’t know. I can just feel it is.

Not only do I keep tabs on those characteristics that describe me perfectly and that I can learn to harness in healthier ways, I do put a little stock into my relationships around me based off of people’s signs. I said I know all of my friend’s signs, but I also know all of my coworker’s signs as well. I purposefully look up things about other zodiacs to see if I learn anything about the people I’m around 9 hours a day, five days a week. Things start to make sense, especially when I think about who I vibe with versus who I don’t. I stay very aware of how my dynamic interacts with theirs and have learned to appreciate the ways we’re different and play off of each other.

The more I play into it, so to speak, the more I’m realizing I’m embodying my Aries-ness. I have become a more confident person, which makes my light shine brighter and draws others to me. I tackle problems head-on and can overcome many difficult challenges simply by my determination to do so. There’s not much that will stop me from trying to accomplish the things I set out to do. Though I may trip up and hesitate sometimes, I will always find a way.

Overall, I’m happier than I’ve ever been. And it’s not all thanks to the position of the stars on the day I was born on, but maybe part of it is because I feel that I can start to fully embrace all aspects of myself.

Aries is one of 4 cardinal signs – a zodiac that starts of each of the four elemental seasons. Aries, being the cardinal sign of fire, is bold, energetic, and driven known for their strong desire for independence, enthusiasm and optimism, and natural-born leadership qualities. Often seen as the poster-child for fire signs, Aries possess an unmistakable connection and resemblance to the element we represent. Having an Aries in your life is like playing with fire itself, and is not for the physically or mentally weak (probably an exaggeration, but you get it) but will offer you a love and friendship that is undeniably unmatched, if you’re willing to see it through!

I’m happy to be who I am, and finally feel like I’m living up to the best qualities I have to offer the world. I’m eager to spend my time burning bright and sharing that warmth with those I love, and I’ll be all-too happy feed that fire inside of me for the rest of my life!