“My mom is a Taurus but all of the rest of her planets appear in Aquarius. Does this make her “more Aquarius then Taurus?”
Not really. You could say that and many astrologers do. But if you do you should understand exactly what you’re saying. This would be like taking a telephone poll and tying ribbons all over and then concluding it was a ribbon not a telephone pole!
The Sun sign is the Sun sign no matter what. To be vitally alive and shine in this world a person must express the energy of their Sun. I don’t care if there are five planets in Scorpio or Gemini or whatever. This is not going to dim the SUN.
Even if your Sun is in a dark place, you will light that dark place with your solar energy.
Theoretically, you could have a bunch of planets in some inverted sign in an inverted house but if your Sun is in Leo in the 10th house, you are going to shine as an authority figure. So if this were the case, would you be considered an inverted person? No. You would be a shiny authority figure with some secrets or some other complexity.
Never discount the Sun in a person’s chart and while you’re at it don’t let people discount yours either. To deny the Sun’s energy = massive dysfunction.
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Wow this is awesome. Great clarification. That’s exactly what I did was discount the energy but stepping back the main thing others see in my mom is a materialistic life. The aquarian “dry and quirky” probably comes through more to those of us close. Very important to recognize, thanks!
Just have to say the Teletubbies sun made me smile – this was one of my daughters favorite shows 🙂 I agree – most people I know, no matter where the rest of their planets are, they all strongly exhibit traits of their sun sign.
That ribbon/telephone pole analogy is pretty damn good.
This is a good question. It’s something I’d always wondered about, too.
I love the ribbon/telephone pole analogy… thanks for that. It explains why my heavily Scorpio Libra son tries really hard to see both sides of everything and why I, being a heavily Aquarian and heavily 10th house Piscean, still sacrifice my own wants and needs constantly.
My daughter is Aries Sun/Sadge Moon with major Cancer in her chart… I keep telling her to stop hiding in her shell and let her fire out but some days she just can’t… or won’t.
I read somewhere that if you were born after the sun went down that your moon sign took prominence. anyone else heard that? poppycock? something to it? I’m thinking it might be more prominent than usual but not overriding.
Eh, I wouldn’t discount the sun, but I would say the person might be just as Aquarian as they are Taurean in a sense. (Then again, I also tend to say this about rising signs and the moon.) It is still a huge emphasis on the personality. It’s another heavy side. So basically I am saying, don’t discount either!
That said, I know someone who’s a Sag sun but has all her planets in Capricorn. That may be her Sun sign, but it’s gotta be hard for freewheeling Sag sun to peek out through all the HARD WORK Cap emphasis, you know?
Jennifer, what you say seemingly makes sense but based on 35 years of observation, I’m sticking with my story.
Let’s just say, I’ve never met anyone in my life where the Sun sign is not readily apparent. You just can’t ignore a blindingly bright Sun… or put more succinctly, *I* cannot ignore a blindingly bright Sun.
In the case you offer there, from my perspective that person is a Sadge and I don’t care what their baggage or burden is, they are still a Sadge. A conservative Sadge? Fine, but still a SADGE.
The Sun, the Sun, the Sun, the Sun, it should not be ignored, that bright shiny PROMINENT thing there on which the life depends.
My 2 cents. The Sun is a STAR generating energy as radiation, light, and a MASSIVE magnetic field and gravity ! The planets (and our Moon) are relatively miniscule balls of rock or frozen gas, albeit having cores generating magnetic fields by rotation and orbital revolution. One should always consider the Astronomy part of Astrology !
I wonder if this is why, (when one persons Venus or Jupiter hits the other ones sun in a friendly aspect with a close orb), why those people stay together longer and feel like ‘shiny happy people’ in one anothers presence.
Satori, I have never read that theory! Anyway, I am a big fan of both sun and moon equal in importance, but that is my Vedic training coming through also. But I totally agree that the sun is central and with Sun in Tau in the 2nd, you can believe it’s true that if I don’t have financial security it is difficult for me to focus on anything else. When I do have it, then I can entertain and amuse all my other astro-placements.
How very topical! I just drew up a chart for a new family member born just this morning. Of course, Aquarius is FULL. But, at the time of the birth, the Sun had just moved into Pisces (0 degrees 1’35”). I was just wondering if all the planets in Aquarius and being born on the cusp would overshadown his Pisces Sun.
I guess this is why a Sun/Saturn conjunction is hard to process early in life, because there is such a dampening of the life energy and creativity, that unless harnessed by other planets (or other people in the surroundings telling them they’re doing fine), is hard to come out.
Of course, as usual with Saturn, one learns eventually.
I have sun in Leo 10th house…and I like the sound of that!
“Shiny authority figure with some secrets…”
I have the shiny down, and the secrets too; but, I have yet to be authoritive, even with a Cappy moon. Perhaps when I start teaching I might actually be good at it =)
Very encouraging.
Thanks for this post. Sometimes I have doubted my Sun and its impact on me, because a lot of people keep telling me that I don’t seem like a Sagittarian at all. But what do they know?
I mean, what the heck, I love travelling, I love philosophy, I’m independent and freedom-loving. Isn’t that quite Sagittarian? It just might not be obvious to people who don’t truly know me, because it’s none of their business 🙂 Besides, I gather the feeling that a lot of people see in me things that they WANT to see, not things that are actually there.
This is GREAT !
I right with you Marge! I am a Sadge even though people people think that I am not. Just because I am a bit reserved with a quite voice. But boy do I have opinions and totally passionate about everything! Who is sometimes clumsy verbally and physically!!
My niece loved the Teletubbies, especially that sun. We had to turn it off before the very end because she would always cry when she saw the sun go down.
Great post.
I agree with Elsa. I see it like a color wheel where the sun is the brightest and the other colors blend and meld but that one is the brightest.
Teletubbies! Haven’t seen them in a while, they were (are?) very trippy.
I have heard from an astrologer I respect that the Sun is where we come from and our Rising Sign is where we are headed. Hmmm.
I feel like my sun (Capricorn) in its many traits (stodginess, spirituality, does not like changes), but equally feel like my rising, Libra, undecided and not particularly ambitious.
Never lived up to the proverbial work your ass off, climb the mountain, ambition, although always tried to do my best at everything, but seriously would rather go out for a run on the beach than nose to the grindstone.
Only now, when I should be starting to be retired, am I forgoing pleasure for commitment, so maybe my guy had it backwards?
I love your perspective Elsa. It makes perfect sense. A good friend has her Sun in Virgo and a stellium — virtually all other major planets — in Libra. She is a bit more charming and indecisive than most Virgos I know, for better or for worse, but she still “shines” like only a Virgo Sun can.
This is excellent–and the telephone pole analogy is easy to understand. What drew me was that cute Teletubbies sun!! I used to watch that with my babies as well, and always loved it when that cute little giggling sun came up.
This story from You gives more clarity than any other article I have read nowadays. It also reminds me an Osho card. Check it >> Major Arcana 15 – Conditioning. Thanks again – E (Leo sun in H10 with “strong” cancer moon in the same house ;).
This card recalls an old Zen story, about a lion who was brought up by sheep and who thought he was a sheep until an old lion captured him and took him to a pond, where he showed him his own reflection. Many of us are like this lion – the image we have of ourselves comes not from our own direct experience but from the opinions of others. A “personality” imposed from the outside replaces the individuality that could have grown from within. We become just another sheep in the herd, unable to move freely and unconscious of our own true identity.
It’s time to take a look at your own reflection in the pond, and make a move to break out of whatever you have been conditioned by others to believe about yourself. Dance, run, jog, do gibberish – whatever is needed to wake up the sleeping lion within.
Thanks Elsa and thanks Eyvie, the story from the card is really insightful for my Leo Sun in the 12th House. The inner quest for individuation may have less to do with Uranus as I’ve thought and more to do with Sheep.
On the Teletubbies fan bandwagon! 🙂
The ribbon & telephone pole analogy was perfect. Makes it so clear for me.
Thanks for this post Elsa. And the link to previous post for living/satisfying sun and moon. Stelliums not in sun sign throw me off so this is great help.
I had my first astrological consult during my Saturn return, the gentlemen kept poo pooing by Capricorn Sun. Like it was some sort of horrid burden or “would not lead to the path of my happiness”. He was suggesting I rely more on my ascendent Gemini energy and my Sag moon/Venus/Neptune energy to lead the way and to find my happiness/life calling. Well this didn’t make me feel very good and I felt cursed like I had some horrible “thing” with my “all screwed up” and dark Cappy sun with its hard Pluto aspect. Well it’s been half a Saturn cycle later and I tried his suggestions but have felt like I have been comming up way short in life. But you know what? I would have to say…..this is why I love Elsa. She follows the Saturn cycles and respects and knows a great deal about Cappy and Pluto energy. Now that I’m a little older and wiser and have studied astrology myself since then….I now know….dude…never tell a Cap Sun person to ignore their damn sun or Saturn! Jeez Louise. This is why I love Elsa. She follows, respects and has keen observations/wisdom regarding Saturn cycles. She would never say ignore Saturn or run from its lessons. There are very real life changing lessons to be learned with Saturn. And now she writes this article saying
“Even if your Sun is in a dark place, you are to light that dark place with your solar energy”
This is a very healing statement for me to read. Your ability to communicate your unnique astrological perspectives is priceless Elsa. This Sag moon girl has incorporated some of your philosophies into my value system and they build me up instead of tearing me down. I very much appreciated that Elsa. Keep up the excellent work.
How would one go about handling Sun energy when it’s opposite of the north node? To my knowledge, the NN represents the path we need to seek in our lives
“I don’t disagree with you but I have never been able to relate very strongly to my Libra sun.”
eva, all you ever do is talk about relationships. 🙂
“It should be very strong; it’s supported by Uranus/Pluto conjunct Mercury”
And obsess about them and writing shocking stuff. 😉
To Blueststar: I feel it has much to do with “Your Uranus”. Uranus is shaking You up to “wake up the sleeping lion within”. And to face the “Sheep” at the same time. All these things are connected. 😉
I don’t disagree with you but I have never been able to relate very strongly to my Libra sun. It should be very strong; it’s supported by Uranus/Pluto conjunct Mercury ( no biggie, but it adds energy) — in the ninth Placidus/tenth whole sign house.
I just don’t get it. I don’t even get what Libra *is* except self-effacing and indecisive. The sun in the sign of its fall. I could talk all day about Virgo, Capricorn, Leo, Taurus, Cancer, Aries and oh gosh let’s not forget GEMINI.
I can’t relate anything I do or have done to my Libra sun sign. Pisces, maybe. Sadge maybe. Libra is supposed to be beautiful – I’m not. LIbra is supposed to be other oriented and I certainly am that but I’m happiest alone and the sacrifices I’ve made for other people are more Piscean than Libran. I don’t really get along with anyone that well and basically have no real friends.
I just don’t recognize myself in sun sign cookbooks. Which is why I ignore it. On the other hand I can see my scorpio at work *all the time*.I do wonder what that’s about.
I had a Scorpio friend once who pretty much didn’t want to talk about his Scorpio Sun and would deny having anything Scorpio-like in his personality trait. He would blame his opinionated mind on all the Sagittarius in his chart, but I told him that Scorpios are just as opinionated, maybe even more!
I can see why people want to back away from their Sun sign, maybe they’re sick of reading about it all the time? But I don’t think you can ever escape it, it’s part of you.
I had a giggle at Eva’s comment… can’t see her libra huh? “I just don’t recognize myself in sun sign cookbooks… ON THE OTHER HAND…”
I can see Libra talking 😀
That’s funny, I have my sun in leo in the 10th house. I don’t ignore my sun, but with ascendent, pluto, and saturn in my 1st house libra, when I read both libra and leo horoscopes, it seems like libra is usually always more applicable.
I felt more leo when I was younger, but that annoying libra urge to please others at the expense of myself and avoid conflict has really been the most dominant for the last ten years or so. I hope someday I eventually go back to being more of a confident, assertive leo. Not necessarily selfish, but at least able to stand up for myself. Clearly I’m obsessed with balance. 🙂
Yes! Elsa is spot on. And no matter how I’ve tried, my base energy level and sun is the same. And what Eyvie said is a great reminder not to base an understanding of yourself on other people’s experiences alone. Ugly duckling story comes to mind too.
As someone with lots of planets aspecting my ascendant, it’s pretty typical for people to have an impression of me that is very different from when they get to know me. The Sun is still visible, but most people see what they want to see first based on their comfort levels. Also, I’m a Pisces, so that probably has a lot to do with it!
So I guess its the same as with my sun and stellium in scorpio in the 12th? I just dont see my sun shining.
I have sun in gemini and a capricorn stellium. Another gemini sun has been jokingly and maybe not so jokingly ‘denied’ my sun sign- ‘hell you’re not a gemini sun, you’re a pisces sun’ (that’s my sun/moon midpoint! 👍) Or another telling me I have cancer/ pisces energy rising. My moon/ neptune in 1st are strong if they get picked up. Planets in 4th, cancer south node…But I am a gemini at 0 degrees. I have an entire life to grow younger. I used to be way older when I was a kid.🥸 You know capricorns.