Aries: What Do You Want to Grow This Year?

Kabbalah and its lunisolar calendar offer us so many chances for renewal. The Creator has dotted each year with numerous opportunities for us to start fresh, to draw down more blessings, and to connect with even more Light. It is a physical example of the ways we are fully supported in the unseen realms.

And another one of these opportunities is upon us. Above any other month of the year, Aries grants us the ability not only to change but shape our destiny. It is a chance that we are given at the very beginning of the calendar year, as my husband Michael says, to take control of our blessings. And how do we do that? 

Kabbalist Rav Isaac Luria, known as The Ari, taught that each of the first twelve days of Aries corresponds to and directly influences each of the twelve months of the year. For example, The First Day of Aries corresponds to the month of Aries; The Second Day corresponds to the month of Taurus, The Third to Gemini, and so on. Each of these twelve days contains the energy of the twelve months of the year, and when we work consciously with this, we plant seeds for our entire year.

This is how we take control of our blessings. There is a big difference between passively asking for and receiving blessings and actively working to make them manifest. Speaking our desires is only half of the work, and when we can meet those intentions with action, that is when we start co-creating the life of our dreams. 

For example, if you have a desire to run a full marathon this year, speaking the desire and waiting to receive it isn’t going to work at all. You’re going to have to speak the desire, intend to manifest it, and then get to (hard) work training to run 26.2 miles. You would never accomplish this goal passively, our consciousness and our actions must be aligned, and this is true for so many of our desires. We must name our desire and then take control of what we have control over: our thoughts, words, and actions.

The reason this information is so beneficial to us is that how we think and behave on these first twelve days of Aries will affect the nature and future of the upcoming months. We have a real chance to change our destiny—to overcome anything that comes our way, challenges big or small, by alchemizing the energy held within each of these days. Rav Berg always taught that “Aries is the battleground to determine the outcome of all battles that will arise during the next twelve months.”

Over the next twelve days, take note of any opportunities or challenges that come your way and set an intention of proactivity. As things arise, notice how you want to respond. Are your reactions based in fear or ego? How can you shift your consciousness to respond more positively? Can you take note of the experiences you have and set new intentions for the years?

If you find yourself experiencing challenges with your physical health, what new intentions can you set to care for yourself for the rest of the year?

Perhaps you experience difficulty with a family member. What is this trying to tell you? Is it time to adopt a consciousness of deeper compassion and forgiveness? Or is it a message that strong boundaries are needed? How will that affect your year?

Do you notice your heart is being called to an entirely new career path? What would that change look like? How would you need to reorient the year ahead to make this new passion manifest?

Rav Berg taught that during the month of Aries, we are planting seeds, and this is what he meant. For the next twelve days, keep a journal or a note in your phone open and keep track of everything that you notice. Stay present and open, understanding that your thoughts, your words, and your actions are planting seeds for the rest of your year. 

When in doubt, remember that the energy of Aries is here to help you. It is an energy of tireless confidence, never shying away from challenge or confrontation. Aries sees no confinement and despises limitation of any kind. Much like the ram that represents this sign, this energy is quick, direct, and comes with an impulse to break down any barrier standing in the way of its full expression. 

You can harness the fiery attributes inherent in Aries to grow a boundless enthusiasm, courage, and love. Whether you are born under this sign or not, you can utilize this fresh drive for freedom and the pursuit of fulfillment. Take heed, however, because, with impulsiveness comes stubbornness, insensitivity, and carelessness. Remembering to slow down and bring your consciousness back to one of appreciation will help to cool the flames of this fire sign.

It has been spoken many times and still bears remembering: the more familiar we are with what awaits us each month, the greater our chance to grow and transform within it. Aries offers a big, beautiful invitation to do that. To plant the seeds of our desires that we will spend the rest of the year nurturing, tending, and harvesting. 

RETHINK MOMENT

Over the next twelve days, keep track of everything that arises in your life, both challenges, and opportunities. What are these experiences communicating to you about your year ahead? Where are you being called to grow yourself this year?