Aries

Lucky Stars: Use Astrology to Get the Scoop on Life, Love, and Friendship
by Amanda Owen

What's Your Sign?

Are you a freethinking Aquarius or a loyal Taurus? Does Pisces light up your creative side? Does Capricorn get your butt in gear to achieve your goals? Do you share a sign with Britney Spears, Tiger Woods, LeeAnn Rimes, Prince William, Tara Lipinski, Kobe Bryant, or Martin Luther King, Jr.? Answer these questions and more with Lucky Stars.

If you spend your days fantasizing about that dreamy Pisces, planning the future with your best Leo bud, struggling with your Sagittarius dad, or stewing over that Aries algebra teacher, veteran astrologer Amanda Owen has written this book especially for you. Lucky Stars lays out the lowdown on each Sun sign and provides strategies to consider in every situation, from dating to school to dealing with your parents. Lucky Stars also gives you a chance to find your celebrity birthday twin and offers info about your Sun sign color, birthstone, and other fun stuff, including:

• Ways to increase your self-confidence
• Separate sections within each sign on friendships, home life, careers, and relationships
• Compatibility guides so you can find your perfect mate

With tools and resources to find out even more about yourself or your friends through astrology and tons of practical tips for day-to-day life, Amanda Owen delivers an astrological guide with everything you need to be the best you can be.

March 20 to April 20

Symbol: The Ram
Ruling planet: Mars
Element: Fire - outgoing, enthusiastic, strong
Mode: Cardinal - energetic, initiating, active
Birthstone: Diamond
Color: Red

The Pioneer

Like Aries Jane Goodall, whose groundbreaking work with chimpanzees captured the world's attention; Gloria Steinem, who played an important role in the movement for women's equality; and, Quentin Tarantino, who introduced a new and innovative style of filmmaking - you, too, are a pioneer. You venture into areas where less-brave souls would dare not go. No challenge is too great for you. You are ready to try almost anything. Life is an adventure, and you want to live it to the fullest.

The fact that something has never been done before does not deter you in the least. This first sign of the zodiac is the sign of new beginnings: the first day of spring, the birth of new animals, or the fresh growth of flowers and leaves. Your love of starting something new and your enterprising personality lead you to paths and life journeys that are fun and exciting.

As an Aries, you are confident and optimistic about what you can accomplish. Although you can overestimate your abilities at times, if you run into an obstacle, you have the great knack for dusting yourself off and leaping headfirst into your next project. You do not dwell on the past, but are very future-oriented and interested in what is just ahead.

Aries people lead, motivate, and inspire like nobody else. Others become excited by your vision and readily sign up for the adventure. You help others to feel confident about themselves and their ideas. "You can do it!" are words you often say to yourself and to others. You lead the way.

You have a "can-do" attitude. The word failure is not in your vocabulary. If something does not go as you had planned (what little planning there was), you are genuinely surprised. You are so resilient, though, that you pick yourself up and try again. You are willing to attempt things more than once to become successful. In fact, you love the challenge.

Because the focus of an Aries is on beginning something new, you often do not consider fully what you are getting into nor perceive the full scope of what you are taking on, which can be a good thing. Sometimes people who think too much and obsess about the details never leave the starting gate and never get their ideas off the ground because they become overwhelmed. You act first and then take care of whatever comes up.

Others feel protective of you and may wish you were a bit more cautious. Although caution is not an Aries trait, that doesn't mean you shouldn't use your head - and not as a battering ram to push something through! It is important to use your mind, to think things out, to cultivate the strategy and planning that exists in every Aries. Your mind is the perfect complement to your can-do attitude.

Let's Do It NOW!

As a rule, Aries do not like to follow rules. You are enthusiastic, eager, and ready to act quickly. Usually you do not follow directions because you have not read or listened to them, which often means that you have to go back to the beginning and start all over again.

This characteristic impatience can make it hard for you to wait your turn. Standing in a line at the movies or in the cafeteria can be a frustrating experience. When Aries people are raring to go, they tend to hurry others - which can make people move slower, not faster.

Impatience can also make it hard for you to stay focused on long-term goals. Your natural enthusiasm and self-starter qualities can help. Use these abilities to break down a long-term goal into sections or mini-goals to help to keep your passion alive.

For example, if you plan to compete in a race four months from now, you may lose interest during training. But if you run each day with the mini-goal of improving your speed or distance, it will be easy for you to retain your enthusiasm, which will help you to succeed when the day of the race arrives. Use your creative mind to invent new and better ways to keep focused on a long-term goal.

Leadership

Aries is one of the signs of leadership. The ability to step forward and to take advantage of opportunities helps you move toward your future. Getting ahead is important to you. You have a competitive instinct, which is one of your greatest strengths when you are going for your personal best - to do even better today than you did yesterday. "How can I improve and be more successful?" you ask yourself. Your competitive spirit will take you on some amazing journeys during your life. Aries Sandra Day O'Connor took advantage of opportunities to become the first woman Supreme Court justice. General Colin Powell's competitive spirit carried him all the way to the highest U.S. military office when he became the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Later, President George W. Bush asked him to serve as secretary of state under his administration.

What opportunities can you take advantage of now to improve your circumstances? Use your competitive instinct to go for your personal best, and you will create a fun and interesting life.

Looking Out for Number One

Traditionally in astrology, Aries are told that they have a hard time considering anybody's needs but their own. But this is not necessarily true anymore. In this age of teamwork and global consciousness, Aries can use their creative, pioneering, brave energy to become champions not only for themselves, but also for others. Fulfilling your own desires does not have to be at odds with the people around you. Would Jane Goodall have studied and helped chimpanzees if she thought only of herself? Gloria Steinem wanted a better life, and by helping all women she helped herself. Rosie O'Donnell uses her celebrity to support a variety of charities.

Some of you Aries will pioneer into the frontier of outer space; some will lead the world in developing new forms of technology; some will initiate new approaches to education; some will create new genres of music; some will open up new ways for people to understand each other and get along. Like Aries William Shatner's character in Star Trek, your mission is to bravely go where no one has gone before.

Your Soul Mission: Taking Advantage of Your Warrior Spirit

In Roman mythology, Mars, the ruling planet of Aries, is the name for the god of war. The Greek goddess Athena, who supervised and directed battle strategy, is also linked to Aries. Like this god and goddess, you are gifted with bravery, daring, and boldness. You have a warrior spirit and are always ready to fight for a cause, for the underdog, and for yourself.

But any feisty god or goddess gets upset sometimes. The immortals of mythology often used their anger to wreak havoc on some poor mortal. Though their rampages may have been momentarily satisfying, there were often disastrous consequences. There are better ways to express anger than through temper tantrums. Anger, when used as a motivator, taps into the most creative and inspired parts of who you are. When you channel this powerful energy to defend yourself and others, you can move mountains. Many an Aries has shaken a fist skyward and cried, "I am not going to let [fill in the blank] hold me back!"

Copyright © 2001 by Amanda Owen.

About the Author

Amanda Owen is a cofounder and the current president of the Philadelphia Astrological Society. She lectures frequently on astrological subjects and maintains a busy teaching and consultation schedule. She lives in Philadelphia.