Sun signs

Figure 1. The practitioner s personal siege—that of the natal Sun sign—is to the west, facing east beyond the Grail.

Right the mountain of the Adepts, an illustration of an alchemical book published in Germany in 1654. The complex symbolism of the picture relates the four elements shown by their Latin names, with the union of the King and Queen — under the signs of the sun and moon and the crowned eagle, which symbolizes Mercury—achieved in the heart of the mountain after the seven alchemical steps, or processes. Up the sides of the mountain stand the personifications of the seven planets (which also symbolize the seven metals) under the sun signs, which are given with their alchemical symbols. 

Astrology For Dummies, 2nd Edition, follows a logical sequence. It starts with an overview, offers various methods for getting your chart, and then explores the Sun signs and the other components of the chart in detail. After that, it expands into relationships, leaps into ways of using astrology on a daily basis, and concludes with a section on talents and timing. 

Sun Sign astrology, albeit fascinating, leaves many questions unanswered. 

Gaining insight into your psyche is a worthy enterprise, but most people interested in astrology have other topics on their minds like relationships, which I discuss in Chapter 15. Included in that chapter is an assessment of all 78 Sun sign combinations — plus tips on how to capture the heart of each sign of the zodiac. 

For those people whose Sun signs and rising signs are identical, the surface and the substance are the same. For everyone else, what you see isn t necessarily what you get. 

The Sun Its position is your Sun sign — your sign of the zodiac. 

If you were born on a day when the Sun moved from one sign to the next (that is, if you were born on the cusp ), you need to take an extra step to identify your Sun sign, but you can only do it if you know the time of your birth. What you want to figure out is this Which came first, your birth or the passage of the Sun into the next sign ... 

The rest of the planets They can be in any sign of the zodiac, regardless J of your Sun sign. 

Find your Sun sign in the column on the left side of the table. 

In this part, you can check out of the implications of your Sun sign. Whether it s a fire sign, an earth sign, an air sign, or a water sign, your Sun sign reveals your intrinsic self and illuminates your chart, just as the blazing Sun dominates the sky. 

Figure 4-1, which combines the circle of potential with the dot of individuality, represents the Sun. The Sun s placement in the sky at the moment of your birth determines your sign. If you have any doubt about your Sun sign or were born at the beginning or end of a sign, check out Chapter 1. 

If your birthday falls at the beginning or end of a sign, double-check your Sun sign by turning to Chapter 1 and reading the section entitled Bom on the... 

Regardless of your Sun sign, your ruler is Mars, the warrior planet. Its location by sign and by house (as well as the aspects it makes to other planets) describes your energy level and the nature of your desires. 

The ever-changing Moon is your ruling planet, no matter what your Sun sign may be. By house, by sign, and by aspect, it describes your emotions and instincts. 

Regardless of your Sun sign, your ruler is Mercury, the planet of communication. Its position by sign, by house, and by aspect, describes your thinking process and the way you communicate. 

No matter what your Sun sign is, your ruler is Venus, the planet of love and attraction. Its position in your chart by house, sign, and aspect, is central to who you are. 

Regardless of your Sun sign, the ruler of your chart is Pluto. And don t let anyone tell you that Pluto is just a dwarf planet. Pluto rules destruction, transformation, and nuclear power. He doesn t have to be big. You should also know that two planets are credited with dominion over Scorpio Pluto, the ruler of modern times, and Mars, the traditional ruler. By sign, house, and aspect, both planets play leading roles in your chart. 

Saturn, the planet of discipline, is your ruler, regardless of your Sun sign. Its position by house, by sign, and by aspect, points to areas where you have to pay your dues, face down your fears, and create structures in order to achieve your potential. 

In general, I recommend using an 8° orb for the conjunction, square, trine, or opposition and a 6° orb for the sextile, which is a slightly weaker aspect. (Minor aspects, which 1 discuss later in this chapter, can handle only a 2° orb.) In each case, you can tack on an additional 2° if the Sun or Moon is involved. This means that if your Sun is at 14°, any planet between 4° and 24° of your Sun sign is considered conjunct, a planet 52° to 68° away is sextile, and so on. Remember The tighter the orb, the more powerful the aspect. 

Your Sun sign represents the deepest, most essential part of your nature. The aspects it makes with other planets can help you express your potential or make it more difficult. 

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