Sun in Astrology Meaning in the Natal Chart

Without the Sun, life on Earth wouldn’t exist. The Sun in astrology is of similar importance.

Planets are the building blocks of astrology. They all have their unique energy, representing the different aspects of human nature.

In this article, you can learn about the meaning of the Sun in astrology.

But first:

Everybody knows that the Sun is NOT a planet, including astrologers. They still refer to the Sun in astrology (and to the Moon) as a planet, however, for the sake of simplicity.

From an astrological perspective, the Sun and Moon influence us like the rest of the Solar System, plus they have been referred to as planets since astrology has been around. So we call both the Moon and Sun in astrology planets, even though astronomically speaking they are not.

The Sun in Astrology—Who Are You?

The Sun is the most important celestial body in the natal chart.

First, let’s think about the Sun as a celestial body. Without it, there is no light, no warmth, no life, nothing. Just like the Sun has a central place in the Solar System, the Sun is the center of the birth chart, and the core of your personality.

Most astrologers look to the Sun first when reading a natal chart.

Why, you might ask.

Because the Sun in astrology shows your inner self. It is about who you really are. The sign and house of the Sun in astrology reveal a lot of information about your true self.

Sun in Astrology Keywords

Here is a list of some of the things associated with the Sun in astrology:

• inner self
• will
• energy
• vitality
• creative pursuits
• identity
• the male or active principle
• father
• husband

The Sun in astrology represents the core of your personality and your conscious mind. The Sun is who you truly are. Through its position in the natal chart, the Sun shows what makes you shine. When your life is aligned with your Sun in the natal chart, you feel happy and fulfilled.

The Sun also describes your ego and will. The role of this planet is to help you develop a strong and healthy self-image, and grow into who you were meant to be.

The Sun in astrology has also a lot to do with your physical health. It also represents your energy levels: for example, people with the Sun in fire signs (especially Sun in Leo and Aries) are full of energy, while those with the Sun in Aquarius—where it is in detriment—need an extra boost to be motivated.

The Sun is fire by element and it represents the male or active principle.

This celestial body spends one month in each zodiac sign.

In summer, when it travels through royal Leo it is the sign of its rulership. Every planet rules a zodiac sign (some even two, like Mercury and Venus).

The Sun in astrology is connected with the sign Leo. It is exalted in Aries, it’s in fall in Libra and it is in detriment Aquarius (the polar opposite of Leo). The Sun is never retrograde.

Meaning of the Sun in the Natal Chart

As mentioned before, the Sun’s position is extremely important both by sign and by house. You should find this symbol in your birth chart:

After you have found it, look to its sign and house.

Read more: the Sun in Signs | the Sun in Houses

The sign of the Sun shows how you can express yourself the best. The qualities of this sign is who you really are, the core of your personality.

The house reveals the life areas where you want to focus your energies. The matters of this house are the most important to you in this lifetime. When you focus on the matters of this house, you feel happy and feel that you live your purpose.

Remember, the Sun is the center of the natal chart—just like it is the center of the Solar System.

However, the Sun takes time to develop fully. Usually, in the first part of your life you identify with your ascendant more. The Sun takes over after the age of thirty.

Sun in Astrology: the Big Three

The big three of astrology are the Sun, the Moon and the ascendant. If you don’t know someone’s chart, but know these three placements, you can tell a lot about their personality.

The Moon shows your emotions, moods and urges. The ascendant is the icing on your “personality cake”, the mask you wear in the world.

The Sun represents your conscious ego and your inner self. It is the core and center of your personality. It is not the ascendant who you are, even though it appears so at first glance, but the Sun.

In the Solar System, all the planets circle around the Sun, and the natal chart reflects this hierarchy. The functions of the other planets all support the Sun to shine fully.

Mercury, the planet of communication makes a bridge between your inner self (which is the Sun) and other people, thus making it possible for you to connect with the rest of the world.

The role of Venus is to attract others to you. It shows how your Sun can get what it wants with ease. You get the idea, all planets are about helping the Sun, which is the Self in the natal chart.

Both luminaries (the Sun and the Moon) are very important. The Sun in astrology represents the male principle. Note: this has nothing to do with being male for female. You can also call them active and passive principle, it’s the duality on which is the world base.

In your chart, the Sun also shows your father. If you are female, the Sun also describes your husband and the father of the your children. In a male chart, the Sun shows you as a father and husband.

Along with Saturn, the Sun in astrology also shows authority persons in the natal chart. Your bosses and high office are described by the Sun, too.

Vitality and the Sun in Astrology

There are more things in the birth chart that show your health. First of all, the ascendant describes your physical body. The sixth house in the natal chart is the house of health. A strong Mars contributes to being in good shape, too.

In your chart, the Sun represents your general health and overall vitality. In the human body, it’s attributed to the heart and coronary system.

A strong and well-aspected Sun in the natal chart is a sign of excellent health.

The meaning of the Sun in astrology is complex. The Sun also describes how much energy you have. If it is strong by sign or house position (but especially bu sign), you are full of energy—think about an Aries or Leo Sun! The Sun in astrology works the best in fire signs. On the other hand, if your Sun is afflicted, you probably need some other sources of energy to function well. 

The Sun is important for your well-being because of multiple reasons. This luminary represents the will to live and the need for creative self-expression. The Sun in astrology is your personal power. You have to be in tune with your Sun to feel truly alive and happy.

Why Are We Different Than We Are Supposed To Be Based On Our Sun Signs?

Developing the qualities of your Sun is not easy. It is a process that takes many many years. The Sun shows who you truly are, but in the beginning, you find it hard to embody its qualities (or perhaps it’s better to say that you find it hard to identify with them), as in young age the ascendant feels more natural to us.

As always, there are exceptions. For example, if your Sun is close to the ascendant, ideally in the same sign, they both have similar traits and you have no problem adjusting these parts of you. People perceive your true self and you have an easy time expressing yourself.

It happens all the time that people who are Leo Sun don’t appear to be a Leo AT ALL.

There are two main reasons for someone being different from what they should be based on their Sun sign.

The House of the Sun in Astrology

First, the natural sign of a house gives an overtone to planets there

—this is true for the Sun, too. For example, if the Sun is in the twelfth house in the natal chart, the chart holder will often act like a Pisces, regardless of the sign the Sun is in.

A Gemini Sun in the sixth house is still a Gemini Sun, but with a touch of Virgo to it. It won’t be as Gemini as a Sun in the third house, but it’s still a true Gemini Sun. You get the point.

The house of your Sun in the natal chart is very important, it reveals your priorities in life. The life areas of this house are where you want to shine.

Aspects to the Sun in Astrology

The other reason for being different can be an aspect to your Sun.

Let’s say in your chart the Sun is conjunct Pluto in Libra. In this case, your Libra Sun won’t be as bubbly and lighthearted as if it would be without Pluto in the immediate neighborhood. The conjunction is the most powerful of all the aspects. This is especially the case if one of the planets is a ‘heavy’ planet like Pluto or Saturn. A Sun that’s conjunct Saturn in Gemini definitely won’t be as chatty and outspoken as you would expect a Gemini Sun to be.

But there are more aspects that can modify the expression of the Sun in astrology. Here you have to make a difference between hard and easy aspects. Hard aspects include the square and the opposition. With these aspects, it is harder to integrate the planet aspecting your Sun in a constructive way. Trines and sextiles count as harmonious aspects and here the energy flows easily. The planet in aspect to your Sun affects the Sun in a positive way, making your personality more complex.

The best way to understand how the Sun appears different because of other planets is to think about an egg. Think of your favorite color. Now, let’s say that you want to dye the egg this color. You do so and the egg is now of this color. But did the egg really change? Nope, under the surface, it’s still the same egg. But when you look at it, you see a red/blue/any color egg.

Ascendant vs the Sun in Astrology

Some people find it easier to identify with their ascendant, rather than with the qualities of their Sun. However, the real you is always shown by the Sun in astrology.

The rising sign is a role assigned to you in early childhood.

(among other things.)

Your ascendant often describes what your family wanted you to be like. For example, a Cancer rising child was supposed to take care of some family members. They look after their siblings, for example. On the other hand, a Capricorn rising have learned early in life to bear the responsibility and sometimes they lacked the playful and carefree life a child should live.

As you mature and grow older, however, you build up more self-confidence and learn how to ignore the world’s expectations.

Growing into your Sun sign is a process that takes time.

But as you gain more life experience and get a solid idea of who you truly are, you become more and more your Sun.

Of course, things typically assigned to the rising sign like your physical appearance and the first impression you make will always reflect your ascendant, but you’ll get more comfortable acting out your Sun, too.

After all, the ascendant is just the mask, the Sun is who you really are.

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