Sun Signs are the most misunderstood part of astrology. Your Sun Sign (or Star Sign) describes what is special and oustanding about you – if you get it right. It reveals how you ‘shine’ and how you light up the internet. If you have other heavenly bodies which create problems for the Sun in your astrological chart, though, it’s a struggle.
TOP FIVE ARIES CHARACTERISTICS
BIGGEST GIVEAWAY – Impatience in a queue or traffic jam. Honk! Winner mentality in board games like Monopoly. Anger management required – sport or yoga helps. Fantastic in a medical or fire emergency. The best person to have on your side in a fight. If you think of classic Sun Aries men like Nigel Farage the former UKIP leader, Russell Crowe the actor or Jeremy Clarkson the former Top Gear presenter, you’ll get a strong feel for the Alpha Male expression of this sign. Women who have harnessed it well include the outspoken feminist Caitlin Moran and the take-no-prisoners fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood. All these people have found ways to shine, using their Aries Sun. If you have heavenly bodies in Cancer, Capricorn and/or Libra which exactly line up (same degree) as your Sun, you will have internal conflict about being an Aries. You may block the assertive, thrusting, forceful, energetic, fearless Sun Sign traits of the sign. Mars, the ruler of Aries, is named in The Mars Effect, a famous study of outstanding military and sports names by the Gauquelins – French statisticians whose work has stood the test of time. Aries is the first sign of the zodiac. She/he is well-known for being first and being number one. What else might stop you pursuing that? A temporary cycle, like Saturn conjunct, square or opposite your Sun. Aries is associated with April, which is when Rams see their lambs being born. It’s Spring in Europe – life speeds up and heats up. Aries is a fire sign. If you also have heavenly bodies in Taurus (it’s very common, as it’s just one sign in front of Aries) then you may push and pressure others over money, business, property or possessions.
TOP FIVE TAURUS CHARACTERISTICS
BIGGEST GIVEAWAY – Prefers to grow vegetables and fruit instead of flowers. (Unless she/he can sell the flowers for more). Paranoid about burglars. Strong political views on taxes. Never budges on price on eBay. Loves to win a horse race or lottery. This is the sign associated with bull markets, bullion and bull-headed sharemarket behaviour. When you hang onto something at a fixed price you increase its value (usually). Cattle in the Ancient World were essentially trading tools. Taurus is all about the Second House in astrology which rules values and valuables. This idea of standing firm on price is rather like the bull who refuses to move, digging his hooves into the ground. Thus, the reputation for being stubborn which comes with this sign. Is it true? You might think of Her Majesty the Queen, perhaps the most famous Sun Taurus in the world, who stubbornly refuses to abdicate and hand her throne to Prince Charles. Taurus shines as an economist, philanthropist, socialist, capitalist or communist. If you have heavenly bodies in Leo, Aquarius and/or Scorpio at the same degree as your Taurus Sun, there is internal conflict about showing off your values and you may struggle with the cash, the house, the business, the flat, the bank and so on. Taurus is currently dealing with the most challenging financial cycle in 29 years, as Saturn transits Sagittarius, and the solar Eighth House. 2015, 2016 and 2017 will put your values to the test. Who and what do you refuse to sell your soul for? Who or what is priceless?
TOP FIVE GEMINI CHARACTERISTICS
BIGGEST GIVEAWAY – Has a library of catchphrases and nicknames.Helpless without the phone or internet. Number one gossip source in your workplace. Can talk anyone into anything, if it’s important. Knows more shortcuts than a taxi cab driver. Gemini is associated with The Heavenly Twins. Twins often develop their own language. Siblings also practise their speech on each other as they grow up. Gemini is the sign which rules communication, information and negotiation. It is ruled by Mercury the Messenger of the Gods. Christy Brown (My Left Foot) was a famous Sun Gemini who overcame every obstacle to get his message across, using his foot the way other writers use their hand. You shine – even becoming well-known – when you find the right medium for your message. Some of the most successful, famous singer-songwriters in the music industry have the Sun in Gemini. Noel Gallagher. Morrissey. Sir Paul McCartney. Paul Weller. Bob Dylan. If you have heavenly bodies in Sagittarius, Virgo and/or Gemini at the same degree as your Sun, you may have difficulty resolving inner conflicts you have about being heard or read, and that will be reflected in the way you communicate. The position of Mercury in your horoscope by sign and house is extremely important as it reveals which area of life you use as a setting for your ‘voice’ across all mediums or media. If you were born with Mercury in Cancer in the Fourth House, for example, you may become a real estate auctioneer. Joan Collins, a Sun Gemini (pictured below) is a good example of the Heavenly Twins myth becoming real. Her sister Jackie Collins is a famous novelist. She is also a bestselling author and in fact, was a contributor to Big Night Out, an anthology I worked on for Penguin and HarperCollins a few years ago! What I love about this magazine cover is that the art director of Home Chat has actually copied Joan’s image so she appears to have turned herself into twins…
TOP FIVE CANCER CHARACTERISTICS
BIGGEST GIVEAWAY – Loyal to relatives no matter what. Proud and passionate patriot. Can turn any house or apartment into a home. The best part of a vacation is returning. Mother, grandmother or aunt rules the family. This sign has long been associated with the month of July in astrology, when you are in fact far more likely to see crabs across European beaches (and eat them, too). Crabs carry their homes on their backs – hermit crabs tuck themselves inside their shells, using them like caravans. Cancer is associated with the Fourth House in astrology which describes your residence but also your sense of place and belonging. Typically, you shine through your house or apartment, or perhaps your garden. You become well-known for your property with the Sun in Cancer. The phrase ‘house proud’ is a direct translation of the Sun in Cancer, when everything is going your way. If you have heavenly bodies in Capricorn, Aries or Libra at the same degree as your Cancer Sun, you may be blocking yourself, or dealing with conflicted feelings about where home is, or what it means. There may also be family issues. Normally, Cancer people are also well-known for their clans. Their families, relatives or godchildren (for example) can define them. Patriotism is a famous trait of the Cancerian. Not so much flag-waving, perhaps, but a tremendous identification with one’s culture, country, heritage and people. The Dalai Lama is associated with his lost homeland Tibet. He has the Sun in Cancer. Nelson Mandela led his people to freedom in Africa – another Sun in Cancer. The most powerful woman in UK politics, Scotland’s Nicola Sturgeon, is a famous Scot and a famous Cancerian Sun person too. Do you have heavenly bodies in Leo? Then your heirs and dynasty (children or godchildren) define who you are. So do your adopted children, or your ‘adopted’ children – the younger people who are your symbolic heirs and dynasty. Your nationality or adopted home describes you.
TOP FIVE LEO CHARACTERISTICS
BIGGEST GIVEAWAY – Controls your children better than you do. Gives wow-factor presents to godchildren. Hates to look bad in photos or on YouTube. Born teacher. When Leo leads, younger Millennials follow. The Leo archetype in astrology is associated with The Father. Women born with the Sun in Leo can often ‘father’ their children, godchildren, younger relatives or even ‘father’ an entire younger generation en masse. Think of J.K.Rowling or Madonna. There is typically a leading, guiding or mentoring role for people born with the Sun in Leo and a younger generation, or their own children, will be the recipients of this ‘fathering.’ If you have a blocked Leo Sun then there will be inner obstacles with this. So, for example, if you have heavenly bodies in Aquarius, Scorpio or Taurus which are at the same degree as your Leo Sun, then you may have inner conflicts about being a parent, or just being the ‘head’ of anything. The Moon is an ancient symbol of menstruation as its phases correlated exactly with a woman’s period. Thus, the Moon was always a symbol for mothers. Because, to the naked eye, the Sun appeared to be the same size and shape as the Moon (a mysterious illusion typical of astrology) our ancestors made The Sun the father, just as the Moon was the mother. The archetype of The King is another Leo symbol. Think of a King with his heirs and dynasty, bonding with them through childish or adolescent pursuits (sport, music, books) and you will quickly get a feel for Leo, as this sign is also associated with amusements and recreation. Why? Because riding or rock bands – for example – bring children and adult Leos together. And for Leo, the dynasty or heirs are crucial, no matter if they choose to have children or not. The idea of courtship, which hides the word court, is also tied to this sign. Courtship obviously ends in babies for many people, but courtship also come to us from the old idea of courtly love. You might also call it royal privilege. The King had a mistress. The Queen had a lover. It’s that intensely romantic idea of relationships which is also tied to the sign of Leo.
TOP FIVE VIRGO CHARACTERISTICS
BIGGEST GIVEAWAY – Relies on a daily ritual to feel normal. By age 50 the body is a temple. Picky, pedantic and perfectionist. If born in the 1960’s, with Uranus and/or Pluto in Virgo, is obsessed with image. Saves the environment via the supermarket. Virgo is the only sign of the 12 in the zodiac to be defined by her physical condition. Her body describes who and what she is. If you have the Sun in Virgo then your body defines you. This does not mean you are ‘healthy’ although you may be. It just means your physical condition reveals your mind and spirit, and vice versa. Some famous heroin addicts have been born with the Sun in Virgo. So have people who struggled with illness, or being overweight. Mama Cass is a good example of the latter. It is through your own body that you explore issues which go straight to your soul. The Sixth House belongs to Virgo. This is also the house of the body as it is connected with fitness, food, diet, drink, nutrition,medicine, drugs and healing. Virgo is ruled by Mercury. This planet also rules Gemini of course, but in rulership of Virgo, he is associated with the computers and telephones that are a part of the working day. The Sixth House is about your sense of duty and service to others – the daily workload and your work ethic. Mercury’s rulership over Virgo is about day-to-day communication in an office, university, college or just online. Virgo Sun Nick Cave is a famous author and songwriter. Virgo Sun Elvis Costello is an acclaimed lyricist. If you have problems with your Virgo Sun, and thus with your work ethic and your body, then you may have heavenly bodies in Sagittarius, Gemini and/or Pisces at the same degree as your Sun. Twiggy has the Sun in Virgo. She was a famously thin model who looked like a twig, according to some in the fashion industry. Her body became her name and her career.
TOP FIVE LIBRA CHARACTERISTICS
BIGGEST GIVEAWAY – Can make any relationship work with anybody. Hates unfairness, from sexism to racism. If born in the 1970’s is obsessive about love. Can run a feud for years until justice is done. Needs a work or love partner to feel normal. Libra rules the scales in astrology, and also the Seventh House. Libra Sun people become well-known for their partnerships, duets and double-acts. They form see-saw arrangements with the men or women in their lives, no matter if they are married to them, or just in business with them. Balancing the scales can be a lifelong task. Thus, Libra’s famous reputation for diplomacy and tact. You can’t balance the scales if you’re shouting at somebody. Libra is also about rivalry, disputes, conflict and opposition. If you don’t believe that, then just remember the late Margaret Thatcher, a Libra Sun. Why is it also about enemies? Because just as the scales, when balanced, can symbolise a partnership – when the scales are badly unbalanced, the injustice or unfairness will drive Libra to fight. If you have heavenly bodies in Cancer, Capricorn and/or Aries then you will have inner conflict about your Libra Sun and may have difficulty with both partnerships and feuds. The idea of Libra ‘fighting the good fight’ is very strong with this sign. John Lennon is the most famous Libra Sun person in history. He had a songwriting partnership twice, once with Sir Paul McCartney and then with Yoko Ono. His feud with McCartney was also well-known. Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Winslet are two good examples of Libra Sun women who have explored the realities of marriage and separation. Dawn French as well. Often, this is the Libran journey, just as much as a lifelong partnership can be. In the end it’s about the scales and how to balance them. Venus is Libra’s ruler. She was an adulteress in myth who was married to Vulcan the blacksmith but betrayed him with Mars the soldier. Libra rules duets and double-acts as much as it rules love triangles. If you were born with Pluto in Libra or Uranus in Libra then your conflicts, feuds, rivalries and disputes are just like the Mods vs Rockers battles of the Sixties.
TOP FIVE SCORPIO CHARACTERISTICS
BIGGEST GIVEAWAY – Regularly rewrites his/her last will and testament from revenge or passion motives. Does not have interests or hobbies – just obsessions. Sex and love go hand-in-hand with money and property.Always the most powerful person to have on your side. Regularly disappears or goes ‘underground.’ The sign of Scorpio is ruled by Pluto and associated with the Eighth House. Pluto was the God of the Underworld (Hades) in myth who seized Proserpina and abducted her from her mother Ceres. Thus he is immediately associated with in-laws and sex (she was a virgin up to that point). When we think about in-laws and sex, we also think about that old-fashioned word, the dowry. Brides come with a dowry given to them by their parents. Pluto married Proserpina in the end. Marriage involves mortgages (often) and a new will (always). The last will and testament is ruled by Scorpio. It is a statement about death, which Scorpio also rules, but also about sex. In the days when adultery was grounds for divorce the settlement, and the sexual transgressions, were also very much the domain of Scorpio. Today we associate this sign with insurance questions about AIDS. When Pluto, that great slow-moving planet, moved through Scorpio the world saw its first AIDS epidemic. That’s just one example of the way in which money, sex and death can all be connected through this sign. Vampires are a Scorpio symbol. If they love you, then you become undead. If you have heavenly bodies in Leo, Aquarius and/or Taurus at the same degree as your Sun, then you may struggle with your Scorpio side. Scorpio is linked to prostitution too. Before anyone jumps to the mistaken conclusion that every Scorpio is a potential hooker (or hires one) it may be worth looking at the deeper meaning of all this. Pluto, the ruler of Scorpio, is about power and control. The story of Pluto, Ceres and Proserpina is one of a power struggle in love. Prostitutes have power over their clients – if they revealed the secret, a costly divorce could unfold in the marital home. Clients have power over their prostitutes – they are paying them for sex. You can see why bondage is also ruled by this sign. However you play it, Scorpio is the stuff of which erotica, soap opera and opera is made. Richard Burton was a Sun Scorpio (seen here).
TOP FIVE SAGITTARIUS CHARACTERISTICS
BIGGEST GIVEAWAY – Adopts another country and culture as if it was his/her own. Amazon’s number one book customer. Actually watches the Discovery Channel documentaries. Strongly for or against organised religion. Constantly planning the next vacation. Sagittarius shines when s/he travels. This sign can become famous for involvements with foreigners, or foreign places and cultures. The Ninth House, which Sagittarius rules, was associated with long sea voyages and also exploration some centuries ago. Today the travel can be in the mind, on the internet, where Asia, Europe or America are just a click away. Sagittarius is also ruled by Jupiter, the Roman God known as Optimus Maximus. Jupiter is about optimism. His mother Ops has her name hidden in the word. Sir Winston Churchill, the greatest Sun Sagittarius who ever lived, won a war on that optimism. ‘Never give up’ and ‘broad sunlit uplands’ are Churchillian phrases that describe Jupiter very well. If you have heavenly bodies in Gemini, Virgo and/or Pisces then you may have inner conflicts about being Sagittarian. Thus, you may struggle with your philosophy or beliefs about the world – and remember, this sign is very much about faith and belief. The phrases’have faith’ or ‘believe in me’ are typical of this sign. If you have issues with being Sagittarian, though, you could find it difficult to be a believer at all. This sign is also associated with teaching and studying, formally and informally. Astrology links the Ninth House to academia, colleges, workshops, schools, universities and less structured learning – for example, on the internet (again). The internet itself took off when Pluto was in Sagittarius. Institutions like Wikipedia and Amazon are archetypically Sagittarian. Publishing, writing and books are also a Sagittarian concern. Travel or travel in the mind? This is the sign of the migrant, the exporter, or the globetrotter. If you don’t do that, you might just end up adopting a foreign culture or country from home, instead.
TOP FIVE CAPRICORN CHARACTERISTICS
BIGGEST GIVEAWAY – Knows all the right people and networks them hard.Uses career or marriage to go up a class. Has insurance to cover everything. Knows all the worst-case scenarios. The most patient person in the room. Capricorn is ruled by the mountain goat who climbs slowly and steadily to the top. Capricorn is best summed up by The Duchess of Cambridge, who used to be a university student called Kate Middleton, the daughter of party planners, before she became mother to a future king. Social mountaineering is the quintessential Capricorn trait. Another Kate (Moss) went from suburban Croydon up into the glamorous world of Vogue covers, celebrated artists like Lucian Freud and business empires like Topshop. Climbing higher (and getting there) is what makes Capricorn famous. A hierarchy is very good for doing this in. A class system, for example, or a huge corporation. Capricorn is well-known for scaling each rung, chasing promotions, or becoming upwardly mobile. If you have heavenly bodies in Cancer, Libra and/or Aries which are at the same degree as your Capricorn Sun then you may struggle with this inside, so your C.V. or social position may be a very mixed story. Politics is one place where Sun Capricorn people can tackle the ‘mountain top’ and see how far they can climb. Sun Capricorn men Ed Milliband and Nick Clegg both tried that in British politics recently. Why is Capricorn associated with caution? Because of her/his ruler Saturn. Saturn was so cautious about his future that he ate his children in case they overthrew him – ‘You can never be too careful’ is a Capricorn phrase. Caution is also the hallmark of any goat who wants to tackle a mountain. Saturn is associated with lead. There is something ‘heavy’ about the true Sun Capricorn person. In the myth, your ruler Saturn faced a very heavy dose of karma when he was told that his own children would usurp him. It is extremely common for women, in particular, to lean heavily on another part of their horoscope – using their Mercury, Moon or Venus sign perhaps – as the Capricorn archetype is so weighty. At its best, Capricorn comes from nothing and nowhere, to become King or Queen of their chosen field. Capricorn Sun David Bowie went from Brixton to legend. Capricorn (the season) begins at Christmas, which always coincides with The Queen’s Speech. It’s an annual reminder about the class system, which Capricorn rules.
TOP FIVE AQUARIUS CHARACTERISTICS
BIGGEST GIVEAWAY – The Aquarian’s friends are his/her family. As a child or teen belongs to many clubs or teams. Can be friends with the opposite sex without sex being an issue. Wants to make the world a better place and believes in change. A life full of upheavals is typical of Aquarians. This is the sign of the water-bearer. An ‘Aquarius’ in Ancient Rome carried the water which helped to power the famous baths. Baths were communal meeting places. They brought together men and women of all classes and ages, and in the water, everyone was the same. This idea of the community, or a communal gathering (also a commune) is Aquarian. It is associated with the Eleventh House in astrology which is also about the group. People power and popular movements which change society are Aquarian. Feminism is one example. Sun Aquarius woman Germaine Greer created Women’s Liberation in the 1970s. You might also associate Punk Rock with Aquarius. It revolutionised the music business and gave economic and creative control back to the bands. John Lydon is a Sun Aquarius and Malcolm McLaren, the Sex Pistols’ manager, was also born under that sign. If you have heavenly bodies in Leo, Scorpio and/or Taurus at the same degree as your Aquarian Sun you might have inner conflicts about being in a group, or leading a group. Friendship is also described by Aquarius. If you bring these two ideas together, you have a good picture of popular movements like The French Revolution or American Independence. They relied on a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood. Both these people power movements are associated with the year 1781 and the discovery of Uranus. Uranus is your planetary ruler. He is the Sky God who fathered a weird and wonderful family of children who had to learn to tolerate each other in order to make a new world. Those ideas about tolerance – and new worlds – are very Aquarian. No doubt some of Rome’s most idealistic political and religious movements were begun in the famous baths, powered by the water that came from the jug carried by an Aquarius. Germaine Greer is pictured below in the sexist 1970s.
TOP FIVE PISCES CHARACTERISTICS
BIGGEST GIVEAWAY – Adopts one film or television series and lives it out. A sucker for a spa or swimming pool on vacation. Powerfully affected by alcohol and any kind of drug. Tunes into cats, dogs and other animals with ease. Zero boundaries in share house situations. If you were born with the Sun in Pisces then you are famous for your parallel universes and alternative realities. You may find these through drugs or alcohol. Through film or music. Through television or theatre. You may also find them through mathematics or science, which involve tremendous leaps of the imagination. Nobody knows if the multiverse theory is true, but it has to be imagined first. Astrology sceptic Professor Brian Cox is a Sun Pisces, as Einstein was. Both inhabit other worlds in their minds when they pursue their ideas about time and space. It’s a calculation to the rest of us. To them it’s real. This idea about non-reality and unreality comes from the very simple connection between Pisces the fishes and Neptune, the ruler of Pisces. Neptune obviously rules the ocean. The sea is another world. It exists alongside the earth but it has different rules. It is rather strange to us, though it must seem perfectly normal to fish. Everything below the surface of the ocean is a mystery. Pisces is associated with mystery – what is hidden, elusive and unknown. Pisces rules the Twelfth House in astrology which describes what is covered up or impossible to see. Pisces and Neptune are also about lack of boundaries. Fish swim everywhere, all the time. The ocean creeps up on the sand, with no firm cut-off point. Sun in Pisces people can become well-known for also lacking boundaries. They may not stick to parameters, rules, regulations, or even unspoken rules. You can’t have road signs or traffic police in the sea – obviously – and Sun in Pisces people often live as if their own lives were devoid of gutters, pavements and police blowing whistles. Pisces inner space is tremendously important to them because there are no boundaries there. The phrase ‘unbounded imagination’ is very Piscean. If you have heavenly bodies in Sagittarius, Virgo and/or Gemini at the same degree as your Pisces Sun then you have internal conflicts around being Piscean and may either not express this sign, or do so in a complicated way. As the ocean distorts our vision when we swim through it, so is Pisces associated with distortion. Thus, the reputation for lies. Is that true? Not necessarily. Everybody lies, not just Pisceans. It’s more accurate to say that Pisces becomes well-known for not seeing reality as other people see it. Elizabeth Taylor was a Sun Pisces.
