An Introduction to Sun Signs
Your Sun Sign refers to the position the Sun was in at the time of your birth.
Both the Sun and the Moon in astrology are called the lights, “the givers of one’s all,” to quote Vettius
Valens, one of the late great Greek astrologers. In the Eastern Hemisphere, the
Moon takes prominence. But here in the West, we look to the Sun for inspiration
and guidance. It is the pulsating, vital, masculine Sun we claim as our own to
such an extent that even people who say they don’t believe in astrology know their Sun Sign.
The importance placed on a Sun Sign can seem a little out of balance when you realize that astrologers use not only the
Sun, but at least nine other planets, some mathematical points and an
occasional asteroid, to determine personality traits, body types and
experiences in life of an individual. Each of us is more than just our Sun
Sign, just as we are more than our black, brown, golden, olive or white skins
that we live in. But there is no denying that we are most definitely defined and our experiences are in many ways
pre-determined by our very skin. So it is with our Sun Sign.
Our personalities, predilections, desires, dreams and even the path we walk in life is a comprehensive schematic
as expressed by a birth chart. However, there are the few things that strongly
define us as individuals. The one universal factor that sums up the personality
that we all can identify with is our Sun Sign.
The Sun Sign is specifically used to determine: what you want in life, your basic mode of operation, your body
(along with the Moon, Ascendant, 1st and 6th house, planets therein and their
relationships), your father (for those of you with day time births; Saturn is
dad for those of you born at night) and your goals (along with the Sun’s house
position, it’s planetary relationships, the 9th house and the angles of the chart).
Broken down to the two words that make up the much used expression “Sun Sign” we find a conundrum.
The word Sun refers obliviously to the star of our solar
system, often called a planet in astrology to simply
classification. The word Sign is a reference to a
constellation, which is a group of stars that portray symbolic
pictures. Astrologers use the twelve constellations that ring
the ecliptic belt around our Earth. And having said that, you
would expect your Sun Sign to express the zodiacal placement
of the Sun at your birth. But that will happen for
approximately only seven percent of the population. The other
ninety-three percent will be using their Tropical Sun Sign.
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