Aries, Integrity, and A Thought About Liars and Betrayers

by Robert Wilkinson

In my 40+ years studying the craft, and having Sun, Mercury, Mars, and the Midheaven in Aries, I can verify that Aries absolutely despise betrayal. lies, and treachery. We loathe it like few other things, and for good reason. Today I found a remarkable quote from one of history's great philosophers on that subject.

We All have Aries somewhere in our charts. That's where we learn Aries lessons, and play out our ability to use Aries energies the best we're able. That's where we spontaneously express ourselves, without editing. Initiating Fire doesn't wait for permission!!

Aries often err by believing that others will be as straightforward in their integrity as we are. Like us or don't, we are absolutely "what you see is what you get." That's why we will always be ourselves. The rub is, to paraphrase the legendary Grant Lewi, "since you will be yourself, then your task is to be the best self you're able to be."

In that process we rub many the wrong way, but we never mean any harm, since we're already down the road being Self-initiating Fire. We are sincerely ourselves, living our lives on our own terms, assuming that others are as well. Aries' sincerity is legendary. That why Aries loathes betrayal, lies, and duplicity.

Today I found a perfect quote describing our extreme reaction to and aversion to those who would betray, who would lie and deceive by pretending to be what they're not, or telling us something while concealing crucial information that could lead to major problems in our lives. The quote is from one considered to be one of the great philosophers the Western World has ever produced, Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche.

For your consideration, a profound thought:

"I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you."

Pattern is pattern, and once we're clear about a pattern then we're responsible for our relationship with that pattern. And to note an old saw, "Fool me once, fooey on you. Fool me twice, fooey on me." Or to quote the court jester of our times, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me can't get fooled again."

Something to remember as we move through the world of apparent and impermanent forms and situations that may not be as they seem. The only consideration my Jupiter in Pisces can offer is that sometimes the liars and betrayers were just deluded, we believed them, and now we should never believe them again lest it happen again in a different form. And that's a drag.

© Copyright 2012 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[Carlos Papapetrou]

Hi Robert,

Having my Sun, Moon, Chiron and Ascendant all in aries, this morning's post is refreshing and so true.

It explains why I have struggled to forgive those that go out of their way to portray something they are not, to deliberately deceive.

As you say, they know not what they do, so I move forward, but their inherent nature, once exposed, can never go back in this experience.

PS> My love and keen interest of astrology is so much stronger with your contributions ...

much love always
Carlos
Johannesburg

[Dawn Robinson-Walsh]

Fabulous. So Aries!! Really identified with this...

[chickie farella]

AMEN TO THAT, UR HIGHNESS!!!!!!

[Virginia]

My daughter has Pluto in Scorpio on the midheaven and I always thought this was the element driving her laser incite-fullness that always knows when someone is lying or dubious ... but from this post I see that her Aries moon and venus in the 2nd house are key to her "truth" matrix and how her initiating fire doesn't wait for permission! This is awesome! insight. Thank you. The more you wield your craft, the more layers you expose, the deeper the insight. I AM grateful for your presence and insight in this incarnation.

[Joanne]

Robert,WHO? in particular are you referencing in this article. Is it just general? Are you pointing towards the elections? I am an Aries sun, Aquarius moon and Virgo rising. It has been a long journey for me to accept that people just aren't as honest as me, or that I'm just too damn honest and open.
Thank you!
Joanne

[Robert]

Hi all - Thanks for all your kind words. I figured some would appreciate what I'm trying to communicate here....

This was written from years of knowing myself and working on getting past the responses of the lower self when lied to or betrayed. While I was thinking of both certain individuals in my life, past and present, as well as the entire way we conduct political campaigns in the US, I wasn't making a political statement per se (though when I sent this to my octogenarian Aries mom, in typical Aries fashion she came back with a blistering opinion of "those wretches Romney and Ryan" and their "egregious lies.")

Aries are straightforward, and need to learn the perspective of Libra in order to function in healthy ways. But after weighing all factors and approaches, in the final analysis the Aries in each of us just pushes through the inertia into its own realm of immediate action, for right or wrong. Aries has Pisces as its 12th sign. That's why Aries must learn intuition, forgiveness, and the ability to let go of the past here and now and move in a new direction.

Aries is about motion in action. Standing still is death. That's why we must move forward, given that time and experience are one-way streets.

I believe Aries may be one of the most misunderstood signs of the zodiac, given my experience over decades with people who just never did get what made me or other Aries tick. Our tribe may be impulsive, obnoxious, shoot first and aim second, but we are truly honestly who we are. There is no guile in Aries. Duplicity, treachery, and other such behavior arises from other factors.

Virginia, yes. If it were merely a Pluto position, then entire generations of tens of millions would share those core values and issues. While the Pluto in Scorpio generation can also be obnoxious when gripped by fear or extreme desires that can never be fulfilled, it's Aries that's the "laser beam" in each of us, since it cuts to the chase in the immediate NOW. Aries acts now. Scorpio waits to act. And yes, "truth" is a big deal for the Aries in each of us, since Aries is the natural and spontaneous expression of Sagittarius.

Joanne, I'd rather not get specific, since I already touched on that earlier. I will only add that the entire electoral process is broken beyond repair, since it will never favor honesty. Honesty does not get people elected. Hasn't since ancient times. Bread and circuses comes to mind. But never fall into thinking that just because you're different from others that you're "just too damn honest and open." We need more honesty and openness in our world. The trick is to be a good diplomat (Libra) as a balance for bluntness.

[jo garceau]

Thanks, all, for the lively discussion and response. With Moon conjunct Uranus in 8th house Aries I relate...and today am thanking my lucky stars for Venus in Libra in opposition. So I became a diplomatic feminist first woman assistant to a governor many years ago. I still handle jealousy and hypocrisy poorly.

[LB]

My 8th house is filled with natal placements in Aries (including my Aries South Node), with each exactly opposite a significant 2nd house Libra placement (Ceres, North Node, Venus and Sun). I strive to be objective in my judgements and let the truth be the truth, whether it serves my interests or not - although this hasn't always been the case. For me, it's not just the lies we tell one another that trouble me, but also the way we humans manipulate the truth and/or lie to ourselves in order to justify our self-serving positions.

Throughout my life, many of my closest friends and family members have been Aries or had strong Aries placements, and I'd have to say -as is true of *all* astrological energies- I've seen Aries energy go one of several different ways. While they haven't always been honest (I wish!), they have always been *very* good about getting their needs/goals met, even if they've had to resort to using covert methods to achieve that end. They rarely if ever set out to intentionally hurt anyone (or to get even), even if their actions do cause harm.

On the other hand, a courageous and mindful Aries, one acting with integrity and for the good of others, is someone to be admired. Aries energy, if sometimes naive, can also be very brave, very dependable and very forthright. I do appreciate the point you were making about Aries' honesty; my best friend is an Aries and I love the way she says what's on her mind without meaning to offend, and likewise, doesn't easily take offense.

[Sagars]

So when "Everybody lies,"
.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZR2k5c_198
.

The Aries in us will sing "To be yourself is all that you can do!"

.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9PJqacYUbk
.

[caliban]

It's what I've always admired about no nonsense Aries. I was smitten many times with that energy before learning that for me, they are just passing through. I can't keep up with that and I enjoy them too much to hold em down. I see Aries in my 5th house. I need to be more creative with how I deal with liars and betrayers. When I am more attentive in the moment and see through it, it often becomes laughable. I was recently reminded of one of my old smittens. He had a way of turning a phrase in the face of liars and betrayers, that called them out in a most humorous way. That's an art.

[Shanti]

I've found a lot of very useful, and healing, food for thought on this website. But this is the second time I am completely blown away by the synchronicity of the subject you chose, and when and how you wrote about it, with what's going on in my life! (The first one had to do with manipulation and it had also helped a lot.) It's not that I merely read this post, it's that I actually f e e l your words as though they were mine!
These past few days I've been realising what you're saying, after having been lied to and accepted it as a (#$%) Leo moon would, i.e. taking distance with 'dignity', not making scenes, but feeling deeply hurt AND like an idiot at the same time. It just dawned on me that I was always bent on finding ways not to offend the person who lied (neither admitting how offended I felt inside), but trying to understand where they're coming from; find some way to sort out the 'misunderstanding' and somehow 'cure' and maintain the connection.
Funny, as I write this, I can see that if any of my friends came to me with these lines, I would be really worried about their emotional health! Well, this was obviously an ego dysfunction on my part, only I really had to go deep in my pain to see why I actually do this.
Luckily I did that, and finally saw what this is all about for me. So it feels good to say out loud that, no, actually, there can be no 'connection' when someone is consistently lying/concealing basic information/saying half-truths. Dishonesty destroys the relationship, punto. "I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you." This is exactly it, I'm not bothered by the lie itself, I'm bothered that I cannot listen to one single thing this person says anymore, I've left the building.
I have Sun, Venus and Mercury in Aries...and he has Aries Ascendant. Not a typical member of the tribe, that's for sure.
In any case, thank you so much for the post, Robert. It's good to have support in my first steps towards claiming the right of clarity and honesty in my life.
Lots of love to you!

[Diana]

This is great, and so true! In Chinese astrology, I am a Dragon, which is said to be the equivalent of Aries, & have Aries in my H11. In spite of having Gemini asc (lol), I am outspoken & truthful to a tee, and recently had to expel a lying betrayer from my circle of friends. To forgive or not to forgive? But he is so creepy & delusional that I've made up my mind to stay the course. Too bad - he knows some really interesting people. Sigh...

[Lucinda]

This explains a lot...Aries fills my 7th house. Thank you Robert!

[Matt]

From a double ram, so very very true!!!

Once someone shows me I was mistaken to trust them / believe they act from a high place of character, it's pretty damn difficult for me to want to take a leap of faith on that person again...

[WarriorLady]

I've plenty of Scorpio in my chart and do not take kindly to liars...

And, I know when someone's lying.

[ersin koc]

I also have Sun, Mercury and Mars in Aries and I sometimes feel your words are mine. And particularly for this post, I wanted to put my sign and thanks under it.

It is all about our potentials and in which ways we can grow and become the best (refined) "self" which we can be. And if we are not true to ourselves and to others, it's a loss of potential energy in useless ways, it is only a matter of surviving, not "being".

I, at a time, understood that libra ways of relating is what I needed but I also saw lots of unreliable libra people. I then started to observe their best (and candid) ways of relating. Not all libras are unreliable, I know some balanced libras and love them to be in my life.

In these times, it is hard to be what you really are because the system (and the people it makes) wants you to be the production of the same system with the same programming within.

Being free does not mean having enough money to do what you want to do; it is the ability to be your true and most refined self. It is the power to be honest, to -find and- believe your own beliefs, to say what you believe is correct, to do what excites you and comes from the heart.

Thank you again Robert for all the time you spend on this site and your writings.

[j/w]

I have my Mars and Ascendant in Aries, Sagittarius in Venus, so it's interesting what you said about Aries being a manifestation of Sagittarius energy. I definitely get impulsive and intolerant of lies when pushed, most especially in my personal relationships. I have a Libra moon to temper this and end the problem in eventual diplomacy, but it usually just makes me resolve to mull over the whole thing until I think I know the other side of the story .. and then I will say whatever's on my mind anyway. Friends have been lost because of this (of my choice), but because I don't believe in "hating" people I struggle because I feel sometimes I'm being harsh, or like you said, I have this problem of, "I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you."

[Joanne]

Yes, yes Robert, I have learned to keep my mouth shut under some circumstances and that balancing the bluntness has been an ongoing journey (lesson). Thanks so much!
Joanne

[Diane]

Hey there Robert,
My Mom was an Aries. Talk about direct....whew! But, she wasn't mean...simply telling the truth. And as I got older I learned what a gift it was to me. Diane

[Deb Marcoux]

I only have Mercury in Aries and it's part of a mystic rectangle, so it's hard for me to tell if I hate liars because of it or not. Especially love my Aries female friends and family members, true blue.

[s]

Born the same day as you I can certainly relate. I watched first hand how family betrayal almost took my husband's life. It truly can effect the mind, body, and spirit. We're all in this universe together... so why go out of your way to hurt another.

[Jeanette]

This is a great post and is it aries innocence that seems to attract liars???such a theme in my life but i as an aries just say thanks for letting me know what you are and move on so have done a lot of moving on from people very quickly in my life...love this aries trait what a blessing

[ka]

Ironic that you should post this article on my ex-husband's birthday. Man, "liar and betrayer" does not begin to cover it.

I am Virgo with half my chart in Virgo in 3rd house; Scorpio in 5th, Aries in 10th. I don't know what that means to you. I cannot abide lies or liars, and I ascribe that not to my natal chart but to being brought up Catholic by people who warned against lying. I don't think innocence attracts liars. I think a) liars are deluded, b) liars are very afraid, c) liars are good people channeling Something Very Bad. You wouldn't believe it if I told you. Sad times. But we prevail anyway, don't we. Liars and betrayers are just unevolved, poor things, and despite what they've done to me, I pray for them, and for all of us. Thanks for benevolence as always.

[ka]

Now that I think of it, the two primary Catholics who shaped me were respectively Aries sun and Scorpio sun, for what that's worth. I miss them ferociously.

[caliban]

I see my house of libra, the 11th, where I am asked to compromise my integrity. To go along with, to support what is unconscionable to me. I often have been shocked at the requests and feel indignation at the goading. To decline gracefully is something to develop. Are you nuts? You want me to what? Or Iiii don't think so. Well, those aren't quite right.

I feel further indignation when I am expected to sell out for money or position or other 'favors'. If the requestor(s) take my decline personally, sometimes an army is formed to discredit me. That can be scary. I would like No to be enough.