Sun

The act of revealing our individuality and true character—represented by the Sun—is what establishes our sense of self and uniqueness. Jung uses the term “individuate” to describe the way in which we come to have our own unique identities. When we think of our future and the way in which we’re heading, our sense of “I” is reflected in the Sun. Once we discover the path (Sun) that we are meant to take in life, we should make every effort to follow to it. If we consider the Sun to be an unwritten book, it exemplifies our imagination and potential.

Most of us like to think that we’re making a difference in the world and that our lives have meaning. As we grow into the traits of our Sun sign, we must actively project the qualities that are most emblematic of that constellation. When our Sun is the source of our spirit, we often wonder, “Who am I?” Someone might ask, “What am I supposed to do here?” I don’t know what the hell I’m doing with my life. There is a reason for every life to exist, and that reason is the individual’s birth. For each of us there is a special role to play, and the Sun in the horoscope symbolises our essential energy and spirit. The Sun stands for the aspirations of each and every one of us, and it is a universal truth that we all want to amount to something. When we live our lives with confidence in who we are and where we’re going, we channel the Sun’s vitality.

The freedom to be ourselves is, in the words of Joseph Campbell, the greatest gift we can give ourselves. The Sun is the most significant sign in a natal chart because it represents our potential to discover our life’s meaning. Since the Sun symbolises who we are at our core, it serves as a metaphor for the pressure to stand out and be recognised as an individual. In reality, the Sun symbolises the yearning to become who we are, and it is the Sun’s sign, house, and aspects that help us realise this yearning. An individual’s ability to freely express themselves can be stunted if their development is hampered while still a child. It’s extremely difficult to shine and even harder to believe we’re worth anything in that environment

According to Arthur Dione inJungian Birth Charts: How to Interpret the Horoscope Using Jungian Psychology (Aquarian Astrology Handbook) “The Sun is the principle regulating centre of the chart and a vessel for the archetype that Jung refers to as ‘the self,’ which must come before all other symbols in order to be properly understood.” Due to the fact that it cannot be reduced to a single element in astrology, the self is considered the lifespan of the entire chart, as well as a manifestation of planetary energies as they present themselves via important experiences in one’s lifetime.

It is then, a nucleus, a germ of something not already born whose meaning is seen before, during and after the event. It is all at once potential, manifest energy and by-product because they are all part of the same thing just as the Sun is related to the rest of the chart. The self is the creative unfolding of a chart that is tied to fate: therefore it is significant in the life of the individual, it is the path that is ‘chosen’.

Carl Jung, a psychologist, suggested that this type of “solar growth” can be recognised by an individual’s capacity to fully realise their uniqueness and realise their full potential. In the second half of life, we are tasked with addressing all of the latent potential within us, or “shadow work.”