Week 35  -  8.26.12 - 9.1.12  -  Aries

Materials:   Copper, Sterling Silver, Diamond

Ring Dimensions:   1.17” H x 1.23” W x 1.32” D

Astronomy
Aries has three prominent stars forming an asterism (a pattern of stars recognized in the Earth's night sky), designated Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Arietis. All three are commonly used for navigation. There is also one other star above the fourth magnitude, called Hamal, which is the brightest star in Aries. Its traditional name is derived from the Arabic word for ‘lamb’ or ‘head of the ram’ (ras al-hamal), which references Aries's mythological background.

Astrology
Those personalities born between March 21st and April 20th are in the first sign of the zodiac. This cardinal, fire sign possesses a pioneering and assertive drive. However, if this dynamism is not tempered with forethought, it can leave headstrong Aries with problems that could have been avoided. This trailblazing energy also makes them natural leaders. Aries traits tend to produce strong competitors, as they feature a strong will allied with self-belief. They are regarded as generous and loyal friends with a kind of optimism that can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Aries personalities like to be productive, they can bore easily, and they become stifled and restless in the face of inaction. The Aries character tends to handle stress either by blowing their top, or blowing off steam later through a sporting activity. On the negative side, the Aries trait of impatience can lead to pushiness or simply becoming oblivious to others in a race to get to the head of the line. They may also get irritated by others lack of speed or others insistence on thinking things through when they feel immediate action is called for. Aries respect and practice the art of plain speaking but if this characteristic is taken too far then they can be outspoken to the point of rudeness.

Mythology
The sign of the ram was mythologically associated with the golden winged ram that rescued Phrixos and his sister Helle from sacrifice. King Athamas and his wife Nephele had an unhappy marriage so Athamas turned instead to Ino, daughter of King Cadmus. Ino resented her step-children, Phrixus and Helle, and arranged a plot to have them killed. She began by parching the wheat so that the crops would fail. When Athamas appealed for help to the Delphic Oracle, Ino bribed messengers to bring back a false reply that Phrixus must be sacrificed to save the harvest. Athamas, atop Mount Laphystium, was about to reluctantly sacrifice Phrixus to Zeus when Nephele intervened to save her son, sending down from the sky a winged ram with a golden fleece. Phrixus climbed on the ram’s back and was joined by his sister Helle, who also feared for her life. The golden ram carried them to the land of Colchis but on the way Helle fell into the sea and drowned. When Phrixos arrived at Colchis he sacrificed the ram to Zeus and presented the golden fleece to the fearsome King Aeetesthe of Colchis who, in return, gave Phrixus the hand of his daughter Chalciope. The fleece was then hung upon a sacred oak and guarded by a huge unsleeping serpent until rescued by Jason and the Argonauts. The final resting place of the fleece was in the temple of Zeus at Orchomenus, where Jason hung it on his return to Greece. The myth recounts that Zeus was so moved by the ram's fate that he gave it the greatest honor of being moved to the heavens.

$500.00