The 1st House in Aries Personality (All About the Aries Ascendant, a.k.a. Rising Aries)

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Table of contents:
The Meaning of the Rising Sign
The Aries Rising Personality
The Aries Rising Sign Woman
The 1st House in Aries Man
The Typical Aries in First House Physical Appearance
The Best Aries Rising Compatibility
The 1st House in Aries in Karmic Astrology
Popular Aries Rising Celebrities
Recommended Books and Must-Reads

I am super excited because this marks the beginning of our brand new blog series on the topic of first house in astrology! Let’s go!

The Meaning of the Rising Sign

If you feel a little unsure what that means, let me rephrase this – the cusp of your 1^st house is your Ascendant, also known as your rising sign. And the simple reason for this is that this is the zodiac sign which was rising (was on the horizon) when you were born. Important note: I have many people ask me questions like “Which are the Aries rising dates?”, and here we need to make a vital clarification. The Sun sign should not be confused with our rising sign. Our zodia is determined by the position of the Sun when we were born and every sign has specific calendar dates that will determine this placement. In comparison, the rising sign changes roughly every several minutes. So, the Ascendant will be determined by the exact time of our birth, in addition to the date we were born. This is why astrology works best when the birth time and place are as accurate as possible! The correct timing will determine the right placement of the cusp of the first house, as well as all the other houses in the chart as a result. I hope that makes things clear!

And before we get to the 1st house placements, let me give you a little more information about this important point in your natal chart!

The Ascendant is basically half of our personality. This is the face (or the mask) that we show to the world – how others perceive us and how we want to perceived as. This is how we want to “market” ourselves as or what persona we want to “sell” to the world. Please, don’t take these words in their negative connotations.

The rising sign also plays a huge role in our physical appearance – our actual body, as well as how we like to dress when being around other people. As you can gather – the dress code is a huge part of our persona, and how we want people to see us, and what we want people to think about us. However, I do want to make an important disclaimer – the sign at the cusp of the first house is just one of the factors that may determine our appearance. The other extremely important one is the placement of the ruling planet (or luminary). This will be the topic of future blog posts, so make sure you sign up for our newsletter so you don’t miss any important updates!

This vital astrological house also shows our early childhood years, your perception of the world, how you deal with new beginnings and endeavors, as well as how you express yourself.

So, what this means is that if you have the sign of the Ram “sitting” at the cusp of the first house, all of these areas will be influenced by the typical characteristics of Aries.

The Aries Rising Personality

Let’s just first note that the cusp of the first house says a lot about our personality. In addition to our Sun sign, the Ascendant is the other main aspect of our chart that plays a huge role in determining our unique self-expression. So, the first house in astrology points to how we show up into the world, how other people see us, and how we want to be seen. This is the main reason why in most cases it is quite difficult to guess someone else’s zodiac sign at a first glance. What we usually see is the rising sign of that person.

So, what is the Aries rising sign personality?

Before we do that, it would be quite handy to note a few key facts and keywords that would be useful in this analysis.

Aries is the first sign (and the first cardinal one) in the zodiac wheel, it is under the fiery element, and it is the natural ruler of the first house in astrology. Its ruling planet is Mars, and the main keyword we can attribute to the Ram is “activeness”.

Some of the typical positive traits of the 1^st zodiac sign are: quick, independent, dynamic, brave, progressive, adventurous, executive, competent, entrepreneurial, competitive, and modernistic.

On the negative side, Aries can be quite impatient and impulsive, arrogant, unruly, egotistical, tactless, intolerant, and even violent.

So, let’s see how these characteristics apply to the personality of the 1^st house in Aries!

Regardless of your Sun sign, having the Ram at the cusp of your first house signifies that you show up into the world as quite proactive, impatient, and even adventurous. It is possible that you are not able to sit still and you like starting off more than one projects at once.

Other people see you as extremely temperamental and extroverted. It is also possible that you show (or try to show) your natural courage to the point of not expressing even a shred of fear. You want people to regard you as entrepreneurial, brave, and progressive. With this placement it is very easy for you to establish yourself as a natural leader in any group.

However, be extremely mindful about the negative side of this magnificent and powerful zodiac sign! It is possible that having your Aries rising sign may lead you to be a bit too aggressive and tactless. Try not step on other people’s toes. The impatience and impulsiveness of this placement may cause you to make rash decisions that are not quite to your advantage. It may be useful to make the expression “Great haste makes great waste.” your motto!

Also, one of the biggest challenges for the Ram (well, of all the cardinal signs, but especially Aries) is the tendency to start multiple projects simultaneously, and not being able to finish them all. It is partially because you lose interest quickly or that you often bite more than you can chew. Cultivate your natural proactiveness in a wise way that would help you start only the endeavors you have the time, energy, and stamina to complete!

Finally, one extremely important aspect of this placement – the position of the ruling planet Mars will largely influence how these traits manifest. For instance, if Mars is located in a passive and watery sign, it is quite possible that it would soften the harshness of the Ram to a great extent. The aspects of the first house lord will also have a say in your personality traits and how other people see you. No worries, these will be covered later on in the blog, so make sure you sign up for our newsletter to receive all the latest scoop!

Since the first house in astrology signifies our early childhood years, it is possible that you exhibited these typical Ram traits in your younger days. As time goes by, and especially after the first Saturn revolution, you may have started to tame this powerful placement and cultivate it in a much more positive and constructive way.

The Aries Rising Sign Woman

In some cases there are some distinctions between the male and female representatives of any zodiac sign. So, the typical female Aries rising traits may be a bit softer than these of the male counterparts. However, I think this may be only at the surface level. The ladies born with their first house in the Ram may be just as proactive, entrepreneurial, and courageous as the gentlemen. But we need to always take into account the societal norms and our upbringing – it does influence our behavior and how we express ourselves. So, in the case of our brave Aries Ascendant ladies, it is quite possible that they were often reminded to behave like a lady rather than a boy, probably more often than any other zodiac sign! There is something quite boyish about these tough cookies, and it is very likely that they love behaving like men. If you have a beloved Ram Ascendant gal, be prepared that she may be just as driven as any man, and she will try to prove you that she is a strong and independent woman. She may be interested in all kinds of male-dominant topics, and she will definitely try to be able to fix everything around the house with as little help as possible! It is even quite possible that she may be employed in a male-dominant professional field proving her abilities, her intellect, and aptitude. The rising Ram lady looks for a man that accepts her natural competitiveness and someone who would not try to tame her! What I am trying to hint here is that it takes courage and a strong ego to pursue a wild creature like her!

The 1^st House in Aries Man

The Aries rising man may be the single best example of masculinity! After all, the ruling planet of the sign is none other than the god of war himself – Mars! So, here with this placement we may see many extremely ambitious and progressive males who are the true symbol of leadership! The first house in Aries man may be extremely driven and competitive, leaving everyone else to bite his dust! This passion and vigor to be the first may be observed in every area of their life – from their career field to their intimate life. Yes, this may be a bit frustrating to their partners. If you are in love with such a powerful and headstrong man, make sure you tell them often that they are the first in your life – in whatever way you see fit. “You are the first one I go to this restaurant with!” “You are the first man to take me to this foreign country!”, “You are the first man to make me feel this way!” are some examples that may sound like sweet music to his ears! The Aries rising gentleman may be even more impatient than the female representatives of this placement, and keeping up with their pace may be quite the challenge! So, make you sure you save yourself the troubles, and try to think of some ways to avoid wasting their time and making them wait. Yeah, I imagine that waiting in line may be the single worst torture for these temperamental males! Want to win their favor? Try to always encourage them in whatever endeavor they pursue. They may be quite mighty fiery creatures, but they may just as well feel a little doubt from time to time. If you are a man with your 1^st house in the Ram, it may be quite beneficial to you to employ your natural vigor, excessive energy, and extreme competitiveness in some form of sports to channel these traits in a constructive and positive way.

The Typical Aries in First House Physical Appearance

As I mentioned previously in the section on the meaning of the rising sign in astrology, our physical bodies are directly related to this important point in our birth chart. Since this is the house that shows us how we appear to others, it is one of the major factors of how our bodies may look like. Please note that this is just one of the markers of physical appearance! There are many others significators to check when we are trying to decipher how a particular person may look like according to their horoscope!

So, with that important disclaimer, let’s see how the typical person with their 1^st house in Aries may present themselves into the world!

Having your first house in the Ram is a powerful significator for basically not having any troubles with your weight (well, the placements of Venus and Mars have to be taken into account as well!). You are so dynamic and active that you most likely burn all the calories you take (if you even have enough time to eat! 😀 ). The typical Arian body is slender, athletic, and muscular, but not in a bulky type of way – more like having a sinewy type of body. Your body most likely exudes resilience and impatience. With this placement you might also have quite the fast-paced gate which is another sign of your active nature. Since the Ram is ruled by Mars (the god of war), everything related to sharpness and edges is right in the ally of Aries. This often manifests as having something pointy in your face or physique. In most cases this is the nose. That does not necessarily mean that it is large, but rather pointy. Joel Gray is believed to have the typical Arian body. Well, he does not have his 1^st house in Aries. However, he has an Aries stellium which is always interpreted as these planets being in the first house (in addition to their placement in the chart). Note: as you can see the art of analyzing the physical appearance with astrology is quite intricate. That is why it will be the focus of future blog posts. Make sure you sign up for our newsletter so you don’t miss them out!

So, back to the Ram’s looks! Speaking of pointy physical features, we need to mention that males may often have their Adam’s apple quite protruding and visible. Another telltale sign is the large forehead as well as the triangular-shaped hairline. The shape of the face can also be in the shape of a triangle pointing down that resembles that of an actual ram. The hairstyle in men may also contribute to this feature. Think of James Dean as a prime example of that, and the fictional character Wolverine as an extreme case.

Barbra Streisand is another great example of the typical appearance of an Aries rising female. And since I mentioned this amazingly talented actress, I can’t help but think of one of her signature roles – Yentl. I think it is an excellent example how females with their Ram Ascendant can have a particular boyish vibe and still remain immensely attractive and feminine!

Very often people with this placement may have hypermetropia (farsightedness) for the proactiveness of the first zodiac sign who always looks ahead of themselves – far into the future. “What’s the next thing I want to accomplish?” might be a good motto for this placement.

As far as the dress code of the Aries Ascendant, people with this placement may prefer sports clothing or anything that suits their dynamic and hectic lifestyle. As I stated before, females may prefer wearing masculine garments to underline their mighty fiery nature! Of course, these clothing preferences apply when the situation allows it.

The Best Aries Rising Compatibility

The compatibility is a whole branch in astrology called synastry, and when it comes to our best partnerships, there are a ton of details to be considered! However, based on our rising sign we can still get some valuable information that may help us in our quest for finding suitable relationships – intimate or business ones.

So, having your 1^st house in Aries means that the cusp of the house of relationships will be exactly 180 degrees from the horizon, and it will be in the opposite sign of Libra. What does that tell us? Generally speaking, people with lots of personal planets and luminaries in the Scales sign may be considered as possible suitable partners. These celestial bodies include the Sun, the Moon, Venus, Mars, Mercury, and to some extent – Jupiter. However, I do wish to remind you that the houses in astrology do not usually exactly fit the zodiac sign. This means that if there are some planets in Scorpio they may still be located in the seventh house. The same applies to placements in the sixth house which conjunct with the seventh house cusp. That is why having a precise time of birth is crucial for both partners to make the accurate calculations!

This may be seen as the classical viewpoint on sysnastry based on the Ascendant. However, there is another perspective on this which can be seen in the works of some of my most favorite and respected astrologers Marion March and Joan McEvers. Their long and productive careers in astrology showed them that compatibility based on similarities may be even more powerful. What this means is that if your partner has placements related to the first zodiac sign, this may be a powerful positive foundation for a long-lasting and happy relationship. This includes having planets in Aries or in the first house (regardless of the sign), having planets in other fiery signs (especially if they make an aspect to your 1^st house cusp in Aries) – remember that these have to be trines which are at 120 degrees distance with a 7-degree orb. Also, sextiles to the Ascendant may also be quite beneficial – planetary placements in Gemini or Aquarius within the 60-degree distance and a 5-degree orb.

Important! You may also want to check the position of the other person’s Medium Coeli point. This signifies their ego and how your relationship affects them. For instance, if your partner’s MC is also in Aries (or Pisces) located in your last astrological house, you may keep your relationship a secret from your friends and family, and that may hurt their ego immensely. Needless to say, this may not be quite a long-lasting and fulfilling partnership for both of you.

And finally, I wish to remind you that this is just a small fraction of the intriguing and vast world of synastry! Stay tuned for future posts on this topic by signing up to our newsletter!

The 1^st House in Aries in Karmic Astrology

According to some of the best experts in the field of Karmic Astrology, the rising sign can tell us a lot about our past lives, as well as the lessons we are bound to learn in our current incarnation. Here’s what Dorothée Koechlin de Bizemont says about this astrological placement in her book “L’astrologie karmique” (sadly, the volume is mainly available in French)! Having your first house cusp in the first zodiac sign is a powerful signification of a quite difficult past life that marked the end of a whole cycle of incarnations. What the author states is that it is quite possible for the individual to had spent their previous life in seclusion (inside their home, in asylums, mental institutions, hospitals, and even a prison) that gave them the opportunity to make a recap of that karmic cycle. That is why in this current lifetime, you were given this powerful active personality of the Ram as a mighty cosmic push to start the new cycle with a bang! It is possible with this Ascendant to feel any deep fears of closed spaces or water as remnants of your past lives spent in seclusion or in the sea. According to Bizemont, many folks with this rising sign were sailors or mystics in their past incarnations. If this intriguing branch of this ancient system (Karmic Astrology) interests you, make you stay tuned for the future entries on this topic!

Popular Aries Rising Celebrities

Let’s take a look at some prominent figures who were born with their Ascendant in Aries. This may be quite helpful to you in finding some similarities of how this astrological placement played out in their life. Fortunately, the first house cusp is extremely visible (well, that’s how it is supposed to be!) and we may easily recognize the typical characteristics of the Ram in them. It may also be quite valuable to make a distinction between their Sun signs and their Ascendant – to reaffirm to ourselves how obscure the Sun sign sometimes may be, in comparison to the rising sign. Also, it is interesting to note that these celebrities often have their MC cusp in the immensely ambitious and driven Capricorn, so it is not a surprise that they managed to rise to fame and receive massive recognition for their talents and skills!

Finally I do wish to remind you that the entire chart has to be interpreted as a whole. So, take these examples with a grain of salt and try not to make any generalizations for the first house in the Ram!

Musicians – John Lennon, James Dean, Joan Baez, Stevie Nicks, Barbra Streisand, Louis Armstrong, Samantha Fox, Joe Cocker, and more.

Oh, seeing Stevie Nicks in this list I noticed that I totally forgot to mention something interesting about the Aries rising appearance – the unruly and often curly hair which exactly resembles that of a headstrong Ram. You can also see how in her younger days she sported a peculiar hair-do that underlined the typical triangular shape of the Aries’ face. She even often showed her beautiful curls that also remind us of the first zodiac sign!

Actors – Penélope Cruz, Isabelle Adjani, Lucy Lawless, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Morgan Freeman, Brie Larson, Joan Rivers, Cleo Rocos, and more.

Here in this list I find many powerful and immensely talented celebrities with this ambitious fiery placement. However, I would like to say a few words on some of the females I find interesting.

I think Brie Larson is a great example of the perfect image of the independent and strong female who is just as attractive as any other signs in the zodiac! What I find interesting is that her powerful fiery aura is so strong that even the roles that she holds reflect that image!

Joan Rivers is another great example of the typical Aries rising female that deserves all of our attention! In her, you can find some of the typical features of the first astrological sign – the signature Arian nose, and the short hairstyle that screams “I am an attractive and beautiful tough cookie!”.

And finally, probably my most favorite one of these examples – Cleo Rocos. In my opinion, this may be the single best archetypal look of the first house in the Ram! The fiery red hair, the short boyish hair-do, the triangular hairline, the bright smile, and the determined gaze that showcases her immense inner power and drive! If I have to describe how the perfect Aries woman should look like, Cleo Rocos would be my top choice! Did I mention she is a businesswoman in addition to acting? The perfect example of this Ascendant’s adventurous, competitive, and entrepreneurial spirit!

Athletes – Shaquille O’Neal, Martina Navrátilová, and more.

Speaking of competiveness, I am pretty sure that there are a ton more successful athletes with this rising sign whose time of birth is unknown.

Astrologers – Linda Goodman, Stephen Arroyo, Rochelle Gordon, and more.

It is extremely intriguing to find that there are quite a few famous astrologers with this placement! What I find interesting here is that these are some renowned old-school stargazers who had the guts and personal power to pave the way for this ancient mystical knowledge into the Western world. They worked tirelessly to bring to us this precious system when it was not that popular – true pioneers of their time (and today they are still regarded as some of the best!). That’s how powerful the rising Ram is!

Other interesting popular personalities – Kendall Jenner, Amber Rose, Paris Jackson, and more.

Recommended Books and Must-Reads

Affiliate disclosure: the following links to the Amazon store are affiliate links and commissions are earned.

The sign at the cusp of your first house is just the beginning of the natal chart analysis, and there are a ton more details of the Ascendant to look for and interpret. That is why here I would like to point out some of my most favorite books that deal with these topics, and might be extremely useful and valuable to you as well!

The Only Way to Learn Astrology volume 2

This book series is definitely one of my most favorite ones! It is not just a collection of interesting astrology reads – these are textbooks that tech us the art of chart interpretation! If you are a regular reader of this blog, you may have noticed that I often recommend these for one main reason – they give you the framework. Same goes with your rising Aries placement! In volume 2 of this series you can learn a lot more about your Ram Ascendant and that’s just the tip of the iceberg! This work will teach you how this important part of your horoscope is tied with all the other essential elements of the birth chart! If you have the basic fundamentals of astrology (detailed in book 1), this would be the next logical step to deepen your knowledge in this intriguing process. Let’s see what’s inside this volume! The more interesting info is laid out in parts 2 and 3. Part 2 deals with the missing elements; important aspects like T-squares, yods, etc; retrograde planets in the birth chart; intercepted signs and houses; mutual receptions; decans and duads; the Lunar Nodes; and one of the most important part – the meaning of the cusps of all the 12 houses (yes, including your 1^st house cusp is Aries!). Part 3 is focused on a more in-depth analysis that includes zeniths and eclipses in the natal chart; the Arabic parts and fixed stars; the placement of Earth itself; and some useful algorithms for the whole chart interpretation process!

GRAB THE BOOK!

The Only Way to Learn Astrology volume 3

It is extremely important to note that understanding that you have an Aries Ascendant is simply not enough data to be conclusive on the topics of the first house – like how you show up into the world, your physical appearance, and your overall personality. The location of the first house ruler (in that case this is Mars) is just as important to analyze the potential of your rising sign! This is where volume 3 of this book series comes quite handy! It heavily focuses on the meaning of each placement of each house ruler! So, locate your Mars by sign and astrological house, and garb this book to check how that influences your personality and how your body may look like! Moreover, if the physical appearance according to astrology is quite intriguing to you, part 3 of this volume will give all the details you need to make more precise conclusions in this area! And that’s far from all! Some extremely valuable chapters in this book will teach you how to analyze the potential for physical wellbeing, your best professional field and best career options, as well as the first steps towards synastry – how to look for meaningful relationships according your natal chart! And to top all of this precious information, the authors Marion March and Joan McEvers gave us some powerful examples of popular people and the full interpretation of their horoscopes. Psst! These include Barbra Streisand who has her first house in Aries as well!

GRAB THE BOOK!

Linda Goodman’s Relationship Signs

What does that have to do with our topic today? Well, a lot! Our Ascendant is an extremely important part of our chart as it is basically about half of our personality. And that’s not all! The cusp of the first house determines every other house cusp in our horoscope – everything starts from this vital point! This also includes our potential for all kinds of relationships and partnerships. That is why one of the best astrologers of all time paid a lot of attention to the rising signs in her best-selling book on romantic relationships. If you wish to deepen your knowledge on the 1^st house in astrology, this volume is a great way to do so! You will learn some of the most typical characteristics of each rising sign according to the gender of the person. So, if you are curious as to how your beloved man or a woman would behave and how compatible you are, “Linda Goodman’s Relationship Signs” is an absolute must-have! Moreover, if the topic of synastry in astrology (the branch in this ancient system which deals with relationships) is something that intrigues you, this book will give you a ton of information to go through! What it is especially valuable is the planetary aspects between two people and how that may affect their relationship.

GRAB THE BOOK!

Linda Goodman’s Sun Signs

I know, I know – this book is targeted at the Sun signs, and that’s not what we are talking about in this article. Well, not exactly. I would strongly recommend this volume for one main reason which is extremely important! This is by far, in my opinion, one of the single best descriptions of the twelve signs in astrology ever written! So, if you wish to fully understand the zodiac sign of the Ram, this is the absolute best way to do so! Linda Goodman does a wonderful job at describing the ins and outs of each sign with such details that it would leave you in awe! What I also love about this book is that it is divided by genders and you can find the important differences between the male and female representatives of Aries, as well as children born between 21^st March and 20^th April. There are also some typical physical features of each zodiac described in the book which would help you in your quest of recognizing the dominant sign of each person, as well as your own first house in Aries placement. What it is important to keep in mind is that the main difference between the Ascendant and the Sun sign is that the rising sign is how you show up into the world and how others see you, as opposed to what you are at your core (the Sun sign). So, when you get to the chapter on the Ram, imagine that these characteristics apply to the persona you show to other people! Happy reading!

GRAB THE BOOK!

RELATED: Tenth House in Capricorn

Wish you luck and success!

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