Once a year the Sun 'travels' around the zodiac, so our birthday is our Solar Return, the day that the Sun returns to the same sign and degree as on the day we were born, hence "Many Happy Returns of the Day". The Sun is traditionally known as 'The Lord of the Day' and, along with the Moon, is one of the 'lights' - the Sun being the light of the day, the Moon being the light of the night.
SIGN OF DIGNITY
LEO
COLOURS
GOLD, YELLOW, ORANGE
DAY OF THE WEEK
SUNDAY
METAL
GOLD
As Lord of the Day the Sun is masculine and can represent the father and, in a woman's horoscope, the partner and the kind of men to whom she is attracted.
At a universal level both the Sun and Leo are associated with royalty, majesty, stateliness, dignity, and authority. Strong Solar types exude seemingly boundless energy and vitality and share many of the positive Leo characteristics - generosity, courage, confidence, clarity of vision, loyalty, strength of character, and glowing health.
An afflicted Sun has the reverse of the above qualities, such as arrogance, attention-seeking, insecurity, lack of confidence, and a shaky sense of identity. Poor health and a lack of vitality can also be manifestations of an afflicted Sun.
YOUR ESSENTIAL SELF
As the source of being and illumination the Sun represents your day world, consciousness, and psychological purpose. Wherever the other planets may be placed in the horoscope, the Sun symbolizes your essential self and who you are struggling to become. An Aries is always an Aries, a Libran is always a Libran, no matter what the Moon sign, for example, may be. If you were to repress your own Sun sign attributes you would cease to shine, living only in other people's light - self-conscious, lifeless or depressed. In claiming your own light you can embrace a healthy self-love and experience a sense of feeling integrated and centered. This is reflected in the Sun's glyph, the dot making the centre of the circle, symbolizing the point of consciousness from which all life will emerge.
© Joanna Watters.
Extracted from
Astrology For Today, published by Carroll & Brown Publishers Ltd., London, 2003
