Aries season runs from about March 21 to April 19. Aries is a cardinal fire sign, symbolized by the Ram and ruled by Mars. Here's what the Aries zodiac sign means, from personality to love, career and compatibility.
Aries at a glance
- Dates: about March 21 – April 19
- Symbol: Ram
- Element: Fire
- Modality: Cardinal
- Ruling planet: Mars
- Opposite sign: Libra
- Keywords: bold, energetic, direct
Aries dates
The Sun enters Aries around March 21 and leaves around April 19. The exact day and time shift slightly from year to year, so if you were born on the first or last day of the sign, check your exact placement with the free birth chart calculator.
Aries personality traits
Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, and it acts like it: first to volunteer, first to speak up, first to get bored when things slow down. Aries energy is direct and competitive, with a short fuse that burns out as quickly as it flares. What you see is what you get.
Aries strengths
- Courage and initiative
- Honesty
- Energy and enthusiasm
- Quick to forgive
Aries weaknesses
- Impatience
- Quick temper
- Starting more than they finish
- Bluntness
Aries in love
In love, Aries pursues openly and falls fast. They want excitement, playful competition and a partner who can keep up and push back. Routine is the real threat: an Aries who feels boxed in gets restless. Aries needs a partner who is confident, independent and not easily offended.
Aries at work
Aries does best where there is a challenge to win and room to lead: entrepreneurship, sales, sports and fitness, emergency services, the military, surgery or any start-up role.
Aries compatibility
Traditionally, Aries gets along most easily with fellow fire signs Leo and Sagittarius, and with the air signs Gemini and Aquarius. Cancer and Capricorn are considered more challenging, and Libra, the opposite sign, is the classic case of attraction between opposites.
See every pairing in the Aries compatibility guide, or compare two birthdays with the compatibility test.
What "cardinal fire" means
Fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) are energetic, expressive and driven by enthusiasm. Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) begin each season and like to start things. Put together, Aries expresses fire energy in a cardinal way. See how all twelve compare in our zodiac signs guide.
Beyond your sun sign
Being an Aries means the Sun was in Aries when you were born. Your moon sign (emotions) and rising sign (first impressions) are often in different signs, which is why two people with the same sun sign can seem so different.
- Find them with the moon sign calculator and the rising sign calculator.
- If they're in Aries too, read about the Aries moon and Aries rising.
- New to this? Start with the big three in astrology.
Astrology is a symbolic tradition, and these descriptions are for reflection and entertainment. Your whole chart, and your own choices, say far more than any single placement.
FAQ
What are the Aries dates?
Aries runs from about March 21 – April 19. The exact start and end can shift by a day depending on the year.
What kind of sign is Aries?
Aries is a cardinal fire sign ruled by Mars. Its symbol is the Ram.
What are Aries's main traits?
Aries is known for being bold, energetic, direct.
Who is Aries most compatible with?
Traditionally Leo, Sagittarius, Gemini and Aquarius. Sun signs are only a general guide; full charts matter more.
What is Aries's opposite sign?
Libra. Opposite signs often attract and balance each other.