Each year, the Sun moves into Aries on March 21 and stays until April 19. That means that right now it’s time to shine the celestial spotlight on the divine sign of Aries the Ram. Happy Aries Season, Dogster readers!
Ruled by Mars — the take-charge, take-action, warrior planet — fiery Aries is the fabulous first sign in the Zodiac. And fittingly, Rams are the Zodiac’s pioneering trendsetters. Grabbing life by the proverbial horns, Aries have accomplished many firsts in history; their leadership skills and pioneering vision are always and aptly described as “bold.” Aries natives will bravely defend any cause they passionately believe in — and if that cause happens to be dogs and their welfare, canines may rest assured that they have committed champions who will stop at nothing to improve dogs’ lives, however and wherever they can. Rams answer an inner calling to leave their mark on the world — and they leave the world a better place, especially for dogs.
Consider John Bartlett. This talented Aries fashion designer has dedicated himself to raising awareness of homeless dogs. In memory of his beloved best friend Tiny Tim, a mixed-breed adopted from North Shore Animal League America, who died of cancer last year, John harnessed the power of fashion to help hounds.
“When Tiny Tim entered my life, he brought so much appreciation and love with him and taught me a great deal for the eight years that we shared together,” John says. “When he passed away, I wanted to honor him by creating the Tiny Tim Rescue Fund, which will raise money to help those animals who do not have a home and need to be rescued from high-risk city shelters.” Tiny Tim’s sweet spirit lives on in the stylin’ T-shirts and hoodies for all ages that bear his handsome tripod likeness. Ten percent of profits from sales of these glam garments are donated to the fund.
In classic Aries spirit, John is also quite out-loud-and-proud about his his antifur stance — and calmly, patiently does his best to steer his colleagues in the fashion industry away from the use of animal skins in clothing manufacture.
Right here on Dogster, we have a textbook example of that fiery Aries spirit in editor Janine Kahn, who is a classic Ram, and she’s absolutely fearless about expressing her passion for dogs. You can’t miss this delightful Dogster: She’s the one with an exquisite likeness of her beloved Italian Greyhound, Mr. Moxie, tattooed on her leg! And on any given day, you might catch Ms. Kahn wearing, say a dress made of dog-printed fabric, or a dog-patterned scarf. She’s been known to refer to herself as a “crazy dog lady” — but she’s crazy about all dogs, not just Mr. Moxie. So she’s always game to do things that benefit large numbers of canines — things that some Dogsters might shy away from, such as boldly taste-testing dog treats herself. (Don’t believe me? Check out this hilarious video.)
The action sign, Aries is perfectly at home calling “Action!” on a movie set. In Aries director-actor-producer Charlie Chaplin’s silent masterpiece (and first million-dollar picture) A Dog’s Life, the Little Tramp teams up with a homeless female mutt named Scraps. The two underdogs become best friends after the L.T. saves the four-footed damsel in distress just as she’s being roughed up by a gang of fellow strays — and they remain a team until the film’s happy ending. Incidentally, all of the dogs in the film (including a scene-stealing pit bull who hangs tenaciously by his teeth from Chaplin’s ragged coat-tail) were discovered at the Los Angeles dog pound. A visionary on so many levels, Chaplin was ahead of his time in recognizing that shelter dogs are ready for their closeup. That’s so Aries!
The scene in which the Little Tramp rescues Scraps from the throng is an astonishing coup: Chaplin artfully choreographs the dogs while placing himself squarely in the middle of the action and directs the scene seamlessly. That’s pure, confident Aries multitasking at work! Complex dog wrangling comes naturally to Aries, and dogs instinctively respect and heed the Ram’s bold leadership — so not surprisingly, many of the most successful, sought-after dog trainers are Aries.
Bash Dibra of Fieldston Pets in New York City has been training celebrity dogs since long before dog trainers became celebrities in their own right; his famous clients include Matthew Broderick, Jennifer Lopez, and fellow Ram Mariah Carey. Few dog trainers have Bash’s instinct for tuning in to a dog’s inner wolf, for he actually adopted and worked with a real wolf in the 1970s. Working with a wolf — what a bold, typically Aries move.
Two other Aries leaving their mark in the dog training arena are Sarah Wilson, author of Dogology (read her expert tips here and here) and Alecia Evans, who invented an ingenious harness-and-leash system called Walk in Sync.
This fire sign’s favorite colors are fiery too: red and orange. In an Aries animal house, look for red or orange collars, harnesses, leashes, dog bowls, dog beds, dog toys, sheets, decorative pillows … to the Ram, red and orange are always fashionably correct! When selecting a gift for the Ram on your list, remember that you can’t go wrong if you stick with hot hues; your red or orange present is not likely to be regifted.
If Aries is the sign you seek to love, know that the signs most cosmically compatible with the Ram are Gemini, Leo, Sagittarius, and Aquarius. And if you’d like to learn about how Aries people decorate, please check out my “Star Style” column on astrology and lifestyle/design — my special cosmic niche! — for Traditional Home magazine.
Dogster Aries and friends/lovers of Dogster Aries, we’d like to hear from you, so please share your thoughts in the comments!
