"Conflict is the essence of the Self." This quote from Krishnamurti exemplifies the nature of Aries. The archetype of Aries is that of the Warrior, and its motto is I AM. Born of the preceding sign, the spiritual Pisces, with the first breath the new soul realizes it's new existence in the earthly realm of duality. In breath, out breath; from mother, into self.
Life is a battle. The struggle for bodily survival is real. To be a Warrior means to be enagaged whole-heartedly with your life as it unfolds.
Aries aligns with the head in the human body, and its ego. Many teachings suggest one eradicate or transcend this vital part of our beings. But the ego is not the enemy, likewise it is not what the heroic Warrior defends. The ego is the protective armor one wears to protect the Self on the "battlefield" of duality. The ego impels ones to defend the divinity housed in the temple of the body.
Hubris does the hero in every time. The noble Warrior fights only from a place of inner peace. Understanding his struggle is not personal, the Warrior nevertheless seeks to perfect his individual strengths. He accepts he may be called upon to defend something larger than the finite life of his body and ego.
Big shifts are happening, as slow-moving planets Uranus and Chiron prepare to change signs for the first time in nearly a decade. Mercury moves direct in the early degrees of Aries, and Saturn will soon be retrograde. As these shifts begin to manifest in your life, notice what makes you defensive. Before you react, consider the words of Krishnamurti. Choose your battles wisely--are you fighting against yourself or others, or are you defending something greater?