What Is an Aries? Your Guide to Personality Traits, Compatability & More

A person born under the Aries sign, between March 21 and April 19, finds themselves a member of the first of the 12 zodiac signs. Aries, a fire sign, are ruled by Mars, which represents passion and energy, so it's no surprise that Aries are known to be competitive and headstrong.

Born with confidence, an Aries can be a great leader, exhibiting a positive attitude and the determination to get things done.

The Aries constellation is located in the northern celestial hemisphere between Pisces and Taurus. Read on to find out more about this zodiac sign and what it means. (If you're a member of Gen Z, you'll appreciate this look at Gen Z slang no one else understands.)

Aries Zodiac Symbol

The Aries zodiac sign is the ram. This symbol represents confidence, strength, boldness, and a fiery personality. The ram is also the first astrological symbol in the zodiac and is considered to be a tropical zodiac. Tropical signs align with the spring equinox.

In Greek mythology, the story is of Phrixus, son of King Athamas. Phrixus and his sister Helle were hated by their stepmother who was scheming to get rid of them. She burnt up all the crop seeds so no crops would grow. When farmers became desperate, they sought advice from the oracle. The stepmother bribed the farmers to say they needed to sacrifice Phrixus and Helle for their crop fortune to change. When the children's mother heard what was happening, she sent a golden ram to save her children. When they escaped, Helle lost her balance and fell off the ram to her demise. Phrixus eventually reached safety and was accepted by King Aeetes. Phrixus sacrificed the golden ram as an act of gratefulness to Zeus who put the ram constellation in the sky.

Aries Zodiac Elemental Sign

Aries is a fire sign along with Leo and Sagittarius. Fire signs are motivated, passionate, creative, and confident. Like a fire, they can bring light and shine but they can also burn. Although they may not mean to, their fiery personality can be seen as inconsiderate and destructive. The fire sign can be associated with action and power, which are characteristics that come to an Aries naturally.

Aries Personality Traits

Aries are known to be go-getters, they like to do things their way and are highly confident. They will throw themselves at something without fear and an eagerness to learn and accomplish. Aries work hard to prove their determination and strength which in turn can make them competitive individuals. Because they are good initiators and have a high energy drive, they often end up becoming the leader, which they like because they can be impatient and don't like to waste time. Aries are known to be creative when it comes to creating solutions.

Aries Compatability

Aries will be most compatible with other fire signs like Leo and Sagittarius. These signs will understand the drive that Aries has and they can match each other's energies. Aries are attracted to others who can keep up with them. Air signs — Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius — are also compatible with fire signs. Air signs also are typically outgoing and can bring a similar energy to a relationship as a fire sign could. Fire signs are least compatible with water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) and earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn). Earth signs can get stuck in their ways and fire signs are always on the go. Water signs tend to be more sensitive and emotional, while Aries is less emotional and can often step on people's toes hurting the feelings of a water sign.