Happy birthday Aries! We move from the element water to the element fire. Water is receptive, fire is active. With Mars over in Sagittarius, also a fire sign, we’re ready to launch!

Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, teaching us about bravery and leadership. Aries is the spark of life, initiation, forward movement, and new beginnings. Think of spring, which is the season that Aries aligns to in the northern hemisphere. Green shoots break out of the earth after laying dormant all winter long. The world becomes a riot of life and greenery. It’s no coincidence that this is the time of year we celebrate Easter and other festivals such as Norooz, the Persian new year.

But this Aries season will be a little different than usual. With Mars turning retrograde on April 17 and holding a long square with Neptune, this is more of a time to take stock of our actions instead of moving forward. More on that as we move into April.