Aries: The Primal Triad: The Primal Triad

By Sara Shipman

"Motivation, power and soul: unlock the secrets of your Sun, Moon and Rising Sign"

 

What kind of Aries are you? Are you as active, assertive or argumentative as your Sun sign suggests, or do you feel as if, somehow, you don't match up to what an Aries is supposed to be?

 

The good news is, you are more than just your Sun sign. All human beings are complex and, in astrology, that complexity is largely created by the combination of your Sun sign with your Moon and Rising sign.

 

Think of those words. Motivation. Power. Soul. What inspires you? How do you express your inner self? Why do behave in particular ways? What animates you? How do you express your emotional energy?

 

In this book, I look at how astrology weaves its magic for Aries by looking at how your Sun sign works in combination with all of the Moon signs and Rising signs. I'll also take a look at how your Sun shines brightest according to it's house location in your birth chart.

 

So, if you are a solar Aries, this book will help you to understand your basic Aries character. You will learn how your Aries solar traits can be positively developed. You'll discover how your Sun sign's traits combine with the characteristics of your Moon sign, and you will learn how you can best  express your Aries character through the medium of your Rising sign.

 

Understanding how your Sun, Moon and Rising sign work together is a great way of getting to know yourself. When you become familiar with the balance of signs that make up the Primal Triad - and how they interact with each other - you will discover why you approach life in the way that you do; you will understand where your innermost feelings are coming from and, most important of all, you will discover exactly what the universe is trying to teach you.

If you're an Aries  - or you want to know more about someone who is - this book is a must read for you.

 

Sara Shipman is an astrologer, writer and  blogger. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Starcrazy Press
• Release date: May 25, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201584641

Book preview

Introduction

Sun Moon & Rising Sign: The Primal Triad

As I began to write this book I thought about my children - a rather appropriate thought as Aries is the sign associated with the eternal child. Children have no issues with self-expression - they seem to know exactly who they are, what they like and dislike and, as any parent will tell you, there is probably not a child anywhere who does not know how to give vent to their emotions. Children have no problem with accessing their true selves, their deepest feelings, or in telling the world who they are. Then what happens? Our innocence is overlaid by the demands of the real world. It’s as adults we often discover that we have lost our way. We become emotionally constrained or stressed. We find we have spent so long trying to make an impression on the world that we forget who we are. That’s why it helps to go back to the basics - and in astrological terms, the basics of your true self are found in the ‘Primal Triad’, the combination of the ‘big three’ in your birth chart - the Sun, Moon and Rising sign.

Most of us have our first introduction to astrology when we learn what Sun sign we are. Suddenly we’re a member of this special group called ‘Aries’, or whatever sign we were born under, and a whole new perspective on life opens up before us. Of course, in reality, it’s more complex than that. Those of you who develop a keen interest in astrology soon learn that you’re more than simply your Sun sign. The sub-title of the book (and all of the books in this series) is ‘The Primal Triad’, and this gives you a clue to how you are so much more than your Sun sign. Your Sun, Moon and Ascendant (Rising sign) are the big three influences in your natal chart and it’s this combination of influences that forms the framework of the person you are. In this book, I’ll be looking at the Primal Triad from the perspective of Aries.

The Sun is the most important body in your birth chart and the primary component of the Primal Triad. As a solar Aries, you’re an Aries and always will be - but it would be a mistake to think that all Aries subjects express themselves in the same way. For every sporty and physically energetic Aries there’s one who avoids all forms of exercise if they can help it. Similarly, for every outgoing confident Aries subject, there are ones who are not ‘in your face’ quite so much. Clearly you Aries subjects can be a mixed bunch - or so you appear. The ways in which the Sun in Aries combines with different Moon and Rising signs may produce Aries subjects who are radically different from the archetypal Aries hothead we know and love.

Those of you with the Sun in Aries will, in most cases, have a different Moon sign. Some of you may have spent your lives wondering why your emotional responses and deepest feelings appear to be so out of character with your hyperactive, brave and bold Aries Sun. Understanding how your Aries Sun combines with your Moon sign may help you to appreciate the reasons why you feel the way you do. There will also be Aries subjects out there who don’t appear (at first glance) to have a typical extraverted and fiery Aries personality. You’ve checked your birth certificate and you’re definitely born under the sign of the Ram - so why do you appear to be a completely different sign? The answer lies with your Rising sign, so I’ll also be looking at how the Sun in Aries combines with all of the Rising signs to produce some very different and surprising outer personalities.

The Sun in Aries is at the heart of the book and although I examine how the Sun functions in each house of the natal chart, I haven’t gone into the detail of how a natal chart is constructed. I have assumed that you will be familiar with your own birth chart and its planetary placements. However, if you need a copy of your birth chart, I suggest visiting a website such as www.astro.com where, providing you have your full birth information (date, time and place) your birth chart will be available for free. This will also enable you to check out your Moon sign and Ascendant sign if you don’t know them already. There are also numerous apps you can download that will do this job too.

My objective in writing this series of books is to help you understand the complex interactions between your Sun, Moon and Rising signs and how they form the basis of the unique person you are. If you want to build on your existing knowledge of astrology and learn more about yourself in the process, then this is the book for you.

Chapter One

Shape, arrow Description automatically generated

Aries: The Basics

In days gone by, astrologers were consultants to kings and princes who used the divining arts to plan their battles, marriages and other strategic events. The astrologer’s position in society was as acceptable as the data analyst or election forecaster is today. It almost goes without saying that astrologers were men - women were witches and that, of course, was another thing entirely. However, in the days before modern science, the astrologer and the alchemist were figures of knowledge, wisdom and respect. Why? Well, they provided the connection between the corporeal world - the things we experience in the here and now - and an unknown and feared magical realm.

One of the things we need to appreciate, from our twenty first century perspective, is how much closer our ancestors were to the harsh realities of life and death. It’s very easy for us, in our tech dominated world, to forget how people relied on the natural world. The passing of the seasons and the lifecycle of birth, life and death were reflected in our ancestors’ everyday existence. They were much closer to those natural processes than we are today. Before the days of electricity and light pollution, the night skies were as well known to them as the ground beneath their feet. The myths and legends, like those we discussed earlier, would have made the constellations of the Zodiac more readily known and more meaningful to them than they are to us. So, when the astrologers of old needed a framework for their knowledge, they chose the natural world and the cycle of life as the basis for bringing heaven down to earth.

The astrologers of old recognised the eternal nature of our life cycle, and the circle that forms the Zodiac wheel (and your astrology chart) is symbolic of that circle of life. Astrologers were able to link the characteristics they saw expressed through the myths and legends of the ancient gods to each sign and house of the Zodiac. The circle of life provided astrologers with a method of organising the qualities and modes of expression that are characteristic to each Zodiac sign. By lending itself to such precise division, into polarities (Masculine and Feminine), elements (Fire, Earth, Air and Water) and modalities (Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable), an astrology chart became a schematic diagram whose symbolic meanings contained all the information you needed to know about a person or event.

So Aries, what does your astrology chart say about you? I’ll make two points here. First, as you’re well aware, no two charts are the same as no two individuals are the same. Even the birth charts of twins will differ because of the time of their individual births will not be the same. Second - and this is where the ‘but’ comes in - as an Aries, you will share the basic qualities of your sign with every other Aries. The basic qualities of Aries are as follows - masculine, fire and cardinal - and I’m going to explain what they are and what they tell us about you in the following sections of this chapter.

Polarity: Masculine

I’m going to begin with what astrologers call ‘the polarities’. Polarities in astrology are opposites and the principle behind opposition is balance. For every ‘ying’ there is a ‘yang’. In nature, masculine is complemented by feminine. We see this in everyday life as we balance positive and negative attributes. However, this isn’t a value judgement dividing the Zodiac signs, people or situations into good and bad. It’s simply a recognition that a state of equilibrium is the ideal place to be. Polarities need each other just as positive and negative electrical charges need each other. Without this essential difference between them there would be no spark.

Masculine signs are active, and Aries is conspicuously so, being self-confident, direct, extroverted and assertive. However, such qualities are not exclusively 'male' in a traditionally gendered sense. Female Arians are just as comfortable with expressing and asserting themselves, and all Arians are often sporting or competitive in many ways. Even the ones who hate sport (and yes, they do exist) will usually be active in other ways - often with a packed diary and many interests that keep them on the go. Stillness is not an Aries trait.

However, Aries is considered a conspicuously masculine sign and we certainly associate this sign with a high level of testosterone. ‘masculine’ in this context is, however, not simply a synonym for butch. For Aries (as with all Masculine Zodiac signs), ‘masculine’ describes how Aries expresses energy, and this is in a positive, optimistic and outward manner. This means Arians - of any gender - love a bit of ‘action’ and ‘acting up’. Generally speaking, the key thing to take away from Aries masculine/positive characteristics is the need for action. How this action plays out in the case of each individual is open to interpretation. However, one thing is certain. You will not be spending much time on the sofa when you have Aries dominant in your natal chart.

Element: Fire

The triplicities in astrology refer to the elements, Fire, Earth, Air and Water. The twelve Zodiac signs are divided into four groups of three Zodiac signs. Each group is assigned to one of the above elements and each sign within the elemental group shares the qualities of that element. However, the importance of the elements in astrology is simply this. The element associated with your Sun Sign governs your temperament, i.e., the basic nature and character that underpins your personality and emotional responses. So Aries, you are a Fire sign with a rather combustible temperament to match. One thing is for certain, you can't miss a Fire sign. They command - and sometimes demand - attention like no-one else. Passionate and lively, Fire signs inspire us with creative possibilities. Fire signs get up of the couch and do stuff. They may not always be the best prepared - or realistic - but by force of personality they make things happen. So, is that true of you Aries? Let’s take a look.

I could almost feel myself thumping my desk as I wrote that and that's a real Fire sign thing - to inspire It's your raison d'être. Fire signs excite us, whether it’s action-packed Aries, passionate and dramatic Leo or adventurous, broad minded Sagittarius. You are the people who push human experience further than it has gone before. You’re unafraid to explore your emotions, intellectual boundaries or physical limits. Fire signs go to the places most of us fear to go - and do so willingly. You do this because you have a fundamental need to burn brightly. Whether it's a bright spark, a steady flame or a total conflagration, the need to ignite and shine is always there. Fire signs can be perfectionists about what they do in life because they expect to be the bravest and best. So, great soldiers, sportsmen, actors, broadcasters, explorers - in short, the hero figures we admire - are found in the fire signs. They are the people we find inspirational and who light our way through darkness.

Fire signs are considered creative, inspiring and spontaneous - and Aries is no exception. Aries burns with passion, but this can burn out quickly if misdirected or not reciprocated. Any frustration that thwarts Aries’ desires can result in episodes of explosive temper that usually subside quickly. Ardent and highly sexed, Aries loves the thrill of the chase but once the prey has been caught Aries will find it hard to stay interested if the object of their affections wants to settle down to a quiet life. Aries is probably the most easily combustible of the fire signs. Aries energy is hot and quick to ignite being fuelled by high-octane enthusiasm and a fundamental need to take action. Aries being Aries, this shoots out into the world in accordance with the ‘Cardinal’ mode of expression that make Aries one of the most ‘in your face’ of all the Zodiac signs. So, what does that mean? Let’s look at the ‘modalities’ in astrology - the modes of expression - of which ‘Cardinal’ is one.

Mode: Cardinal

The ‘modalities’ in astrology divide the twelve Zodiac signs into three groups containing four signs each. The signs in each group share a characteristic mode of expression that indicates how you express your sign’s traits. The groups are Cardinal, found at the beginning of each season, Fixed, found in the middle of each season and Mutable - found at the end of each season when change is already in the air. Aries shares its Cardinal mode of expression with airy Libra and earthbound Capricorn. So, what does it mean to be a ‘Cardinal sign’ in terms of your characteristic behaviour?

Cardinal signs lead the way. They are found at the beginning of each season and Aries heralds the start of Spring, the season when the world comes to life. Those born with Cardinal signs in their charts are initiators and Aries is no exception. Aries leads from the front with energy and enthusiasm, using the fiery and masculine qualities of the sign to propel life forward and stay ahead of the pack. Aries finds it natural to take the lead. As a Cardinal sign, Aries is also outgoing. It’s how they interact with the world. Aries is not, as the saying goes, backwards at coming forwards. Aries most favoured mode of expression is to propel things forwards at all times. Impulsive, forceful, pioneering, energetic and assertive, Aries is noted for initiating activities and pushing them on - though not necessarily with any plan in mind. As Aries is both tempestuous and highly sexed that can often mean seeing ‘how far they can go’. Aries lives for the thrill of the chase.

So, typical Aries behavioural traits include reacting quickly to any stimuli - and that can mean everything from reacting to what people say to you, reacting to perceived or actual dangers, or taking control in almost every type of situation that calls for it. You will be proactive about doing what you want and getting what you want and have little time for those who disagree with you. Your likes and dislikes will be immediate and strong. Strong reactions overall are typical of Cardinal signs – and Aries in particular. Your fiery nature makes your responses more immediate than those of the other Cardinal signs. You will be firm in your opinions and not easily swayed, though your natural sense of justice makes you surprisingly kind to those you feel have had a hard time in life. You will not, however, take fools gladly. Your drive and enthusiasm can make it hard for you to appreciate others who do not have the same qualities as you, as you tend to become impatient rather quickly.

So Aries, when you’re trying to analyse your inner qualities - and that can be a big ask for you as you’re not one for spending too much time on the couch - it’s going to be useful for you to have a quick and easy checklist to help you take a good, honest look at yourself and discover your strengths and weaknesses. In the next chapter, I’m going to give you some tools to help you with this process - the keywords that describe your character and the reasons why you’ll find them useful.

Aries Keywords

This is a list of Aries traits you need to be familiar with each time you work on understanding your Aries solar traits. All Zodiac signs have key, identifying characteristics and we express them easily. It’s important, therefore, that we remind ourselves of what they are - and here I’m going to use an analogy. It’s like speaking your native language - you don’t have to think about it too much because it’s simply something you do. However, even native speakers sometimes need to improve their language skills. Aries keywords provide you with the vocabulary to take ownership of your inner qualities and enable you to express your solar nature in the best possible way.

All Zodiac signs have what have been traditionally considered ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ characteristics. In days gone by astrologers often seemed to put a binary meaning on this. You were able to express your sign’s energy well or not. There was no middle way. However, life is more complex than that. You are all capable of expressing your Aries energy productively or unproductively and no doubt do so every day.