The Importance of the Sun in Astrology

by Nic Gaudette

In some ways, discovering who you are is a lifelong journey, and no matter how much you think you know about yourself, there is more to be found. Astrologically, this endless journey begins with your Sun.

The Sun versus the Moon and Rising

The Sun represents your inner, true self-the you that comes out when you’re around those you know best. This is different from your Rising, which represents your outer self, the way you come across, and the facade you have. It also differs from your Moon, which represents your emotional self, the way you emotionally react in situations, and what you need for emotional security. The Moon is needs while the Sun is wants; the Rising is your mask while the Sun is your face.

The Light Inside of Us

When astrology first began, the belief was that the planets and Sun revolved around the Earth, yet the ancients put the most emphasis on the Sun without knowing we revolved around the Sun. Blazing bright and shining a light on our world, the Sun is the blazing light in each of us that shines outward.

Analyzing your Sun

The sign that your Sun is in shows how you express the energy, so it’s closely tied to your personality. This is what you should focus on and study first to better understand your true self. You can find lots of information pertaining specifically to your Sun sign, but there are many layers to your Sun that you should analyze, including the element and quality. Once you understand the element and quality of your Sun sign, you can put them together. No two signs have both the same element and quality, making each unique.

The Elements

There are four elements in astrology: fire, earth, air, and water. Each has a different form of expression. Fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) is high energy, physical, positive, and enthusiastic. Aries brings this fire into the things they begin, Leo brings this fire into the things they love, and Sagittarius brings this fire into the things they explore.

Earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) is grounded, practical, stable, and focused. Taurus is grounded in most areas of life while Virgo is grounded with their work and Capricorn is grounded with their goals.

Air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) is mentally-based, social, light, and engaging. Gemini is personally engaging, Libra is most engaging in relationships, and Aquarius is engaging in groups.

Water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) is emotional, sensitive, intuitive, and deep. Cancer is most emotional with the things that impact them personally, Scorpio is most emotional with the things that impact them deeply, and Pisces is most emotional with the things that impact them on a soul level.

The Qualities

There are three qualities in astrology: cardinal, fixed, and mutable. Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) are action-oriented, willing to step up and take control, and tend to be the ones who are leaders. Aries does this best on their own while Libra does this best with others. Cancer does this best at home and with family while Capricorn does this best in their career and with their goals.

Fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) are stable and fixed in their positions. Taurus is like this physically while Scorpio is like this emotionally, and Leo is like this with love while Aquarius is like this with ideas.

Mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) are flexible, adaptable, and ever-changing. With Gemini, this is with their daily mind and thoughts, while with Sagittarius, it’s with their big ideas. With Virgo, it’s with their work, while with Pisces, it’s with their imagination.

Sun House & Aspects

After you have your Sun sign down, you can analyze the house your Sun is located in. There are twelve houses. Each one is different in their own way and impact where the energy of your Sun is directed. The houses can be divided into three types: angular, succedent, and cadent. They are similar to the qualities for the signs, with the angular houses (1st, 4th, 7th, 10th) being action-oriented, the succedent houses (2nd, 5th, 8th, 11th) being fixed, and the cadent houses (3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th) being changeable.

Each house is naturally ruled by one of the signs, so you can also analyze the sign that naturally rules the house your Sun is in. The rulers are: Aries/1st house, Taurus/2nd house, Gemini/3rd house, Cancer/4th house, Leo/5th house, Virgo/6th house, Libra/7th house, Scorpio/8th house, Sagittarius/9th house, Capricorn/10th house, Aquarius/11th house, Pisces/12th house.

The aspects that your Sun makes to the other planets in your chart can be analyzed as well to understand your Sun even more. These aspects will impact the energy of your Sun, therefore impacting who you are.

With all of these considerations, it’s easy to see why the journey to understanding your Sun is so long, but it’s certainly worthwhile as you discover the many facets to your Sun and yourself.

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About the Author

Nic Gaudette, an astrologer of over ten years, founded The Dark Pixie Astrology and The Dark Pixie Numerology websites geared toward beginners to help them learn. She’s written articles and horoscopes for websites, apps and books, and regularly contributes to the website, Astrology Weekly.
www.thedarkpixieastrology.com
www.thedarkpixienumerology.com