Aries

Aries opens the zodiac year at the spring equinox, 21 March to 19 April, and it does so with the energy of a door being kicked open rather than gently eased. Mars, the red planet, is its ruler, and fire is its element.

In classical mythology Mars was the god of war, but the tradition's picture of Aries is less about conquest than about the simple, vital pleasure of beginning. This is the sign of the first move: the first step, the first word, the declaration made before the plan is fully formed. It belongs to people who start things, and to the weeks of the year when the natural world does the same. The tradition links Aries with the head and face, with courage and impatience in equal measure, and with the kind of energy that makes things happen rather than waiting for permission.

The stones follow the planet and element: red and warm-toned stones lead, with bloodstone and garnet as long-standing companions. Red jasper (solid, unfussy, quietly stubborn) has kept company with Aries for centuries, the stone the tradition recommends when you need to see a thing through. Aquamarine arrives in March alongside it, the sea-blue mineral whose colour the Romans associated with sailors and, by extension, with the nerve to go first.

In scent, the tradition gives Aries the sharper registers. Frankincense for the ceremonial opening. Ginger and black pepper for warmth and lift. Cedar and a breath of camphor for clarity when the energy needs directing rather than simply expressing.

The tradition invites you to give your stone or scent a role in a practice, not as a charm, but as a cue. Hold it in the morning, name an intention in plain words, and let the object carry the note through the day. A small ritual, repeated: that is how the association builds.

Below: the catalogue's gathering for Aries. Stones, scents and objects for the sign, or for anyone who needs to begin something.