Aries Aspirations + Amusement

I know I'm a little late but... Happy Astro New Year and Spring Equinox!

The Sun shifted into Aries as the Earth shifted its axis. In the Northern hemisphere, we are now tilting towards the Sun. Warmth stirring the stillness of winter. A rekindling to awaken.

I've been meditating on various Aries archetypes. Since Mercury ingressed Aries on March 9th, I have been receiving images of Black Phillip asking me what I want and yes, I do want to live deliciously. Currently, my delicious living is consisting of female surrealist artists, reminiscing about 1994 (Google "albums released in 1994" to find a trove of treasures), and comedy.

Cultivation of my astrological knowledge includes constructing my own paradigms. I have been having fun analyzing pop culture figures I admire. Here are a few of my favorite Aries icons.

Traditionally, Aries is thought to be ruled by Mars. In esoteric astrology, Aries is ruled by Mars in the material world and Mercury at the soul level. The esoteric phrase for Aries is "I come forth and from the plane of mind, I rule." The mind is where brilliance originates. Aries is Cardinal Fire. The Initiator. A Pioneer. Aries harnesses their Mercurial potency on Martian lands to co-create their own reality.

In Postcolonial Astrology, Alice Sparkly Kat tells the story of Hermes when explaining the etymology of Mercury in Western astrology. Hermes in Greek/Mercury in Roman mythology was the messenger to the Underworld and was cursed with the talent of telling fantastic stories that no one would ever believe. A trickster. The stand-up comic could be a contemporary Hermes. Isn't a well crafted joke just a fantastic story one is not supposed to believe? Comedy has always been balm for me. Permission to laugh at the absurdity of life. A remedy for this harsh world.

I have been watching Conan O'Brien since I was a teen. O'Brien's weird, quirky comedy resonated with my awkward adolescent self. He is credited with adding surrealism to The Simpsons during his time as a writer for the show in the early 90s. With his 6'4" height and blazing red hair, he has no choice but to take up space, a key concept for The Emperor. His Late Night show felt innovative and fresh with random sketches and eccentric characters and premises. He is not afraid to use his body to make others laugh embodying his Aquarius Moon.

His Saturn is conjunct his Moon which an astrologer on his podcast, Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend, equated with insecurity. While O'Brien uses self-deprecating humor, I don't think he is more insecure than the average person. (Everyone has some level of insecurity.) His Moon+Saturn square his Mercury in Taurus which I think makes him more likely to verbalize his insecurities. Moving away from structured TV, O'Brien is more personal on his podcast, speaking openly about mental health with his guests. The episode with comedian Maria Bamford is a raw, honest conversation about bipolar, OCD, eating disorders and the lack of treatment even when you are financially privileged. It's so refreshing to hear a white, cisgender male Baby Boomer speaking about these topics so candidly.

Some of the best Conan clips feature Tig Notaro. Notaro is a modern day Hermes with her Sun and Mercury in Aries. She tricks us with her deadpan delivery, making it difficult to know if/when you're supposed laugh. She closed her Happy to Be Here special with 10 minutes of faking out the audience with an Indigo Girls performance. By the time you start to feel foolish, falling for the bit over and over again, the Indigo Girls are on the stage with Notaro playing drums. Quintessential trickster spirit, but the deception is warmed with Notaro's kindness and generosity. Her comedy doesn't punch down. It's just funny.

I fell in love with Notaro watching her stand up special Boyish Girl Interrupted in which she presented her mastectomy scars from breast cancer, opting out of having reconstructive surgery. I admired her bravery to expose her body and ask the audience to question their perspectives on gender, illness, and comedy. The documentary Tig chronicles Notaro's multiple health issues, death of her mother, and attempts at parenthood. Despite the multiple trials and setbacks, Notaro remained optimistic and hopeful. Resilient. Something I aspire to embody.

I was amazed at her choice of IVF even though it was not recommended because of her cancer history. IVF requires the use of hormones which exacerbated Notaro's risk of breast cancer recurrence. Only someone who truly loves life would risk theirs to give it to someone else.

Without knowing Notaro's birth time, we cannot know her ascendant and chart ruler, but I see so much Aries energy, Cardinal Fire. She has her Sun, Mercury, Chiron, and Pallas in Aries. Her Pallas is exactly conjunct her Sun. Pallas is the sister to Ares/Mars and represents inner confidence and strength. Chiron is the wounded healer, a centaur, a shapeshifter. Chiron in Aries is able to understand the extremes, marrying the wild and the well mannered. An elevated Chiron embraces the inconvenient wounds of life. This is resiliency.

This is a short clip of Lady Gaga, Aries Sun and Venus, giving the best answer to a question about her gender identity. This interview took place in 2011. I often hear people say we did not have the language to speak about gender in the past. While it may be true that we did not have the terminology, we all did have the capability for empathy and sensitivity.

Recently I took a workshop with Jeff Hinshaw who suggested meditating on tarot cards while listening to corresponding songs. This month I have my Carrington Emperor card on my creativity altar and have been listening to my Aries Moon playlist. While my playlists are super personalized, I made this little one for Aries season to share. Please enjoy and contemplate the Aries archetypes in your life.

Collectively, we are all experiencing Chiron in Aries for the next couple years. It will be conjunct the Solar Eclipse on April 8th. Coexist within the extremes. Nuzzle each bruise and scar. Expand your capacity for elasticity. Bounce back and brush off your shoulder. Live deliciously, dear Readers.