If the Sun in your birth chart is allowed to shine in all its splendour, the difficulties shown in it are usually less problematic. Just as it us the centre of the solar system and everything depends on it, so symbolically it is the centre of the self in the birth chart. However it was not always perceived like this. The practice of astrology predates the discovery that the planets revolve around the Sun by thousands of years. Prior to this discovery the Sun, though still treated as a major factor, it was otherwise regarded as another planet. If Leo is rising in the chart, then the Sun, as ruler of Leo, is particularly significant. If another sign is rising, then the planet that rules that sign is especially important in the horoscope, yet the Sun still retains its symbolic significance.

A well-placed Sun in the horoscope usually shows a good direction in life from an early age, with well-defined goals and success in achieving them. If the Sun is poorly placed there may be more emphasis on the Moon, which will lead to your safety and security needs, valid though they are, being a primary factor in finding a path through life. The interplay between Sun and Moon is that between purpose and need. If the Sun is weak, need is emphasised. If the Moon is weak, purpose is emphasised. This can indicate a weakened character, since the pursuit of your goals without recognition of your needs can lead you astray.

A particular difficulty can arise if the Sun is prominently placed in the horoscope, but it is hindered due to a problematic relationship with other planets. This suggests a person who has a strong presence which others find irresistable even though they may not like it! The other planets represent issues that will require some effort to resolve, but the effort will be worthwhile. The presence which others will see will be more welcome since it will be clear that you have experienced and understand hardship, and can therefore be an guide to others going through difficulties in their own lives.

The Sun, the giver of life, represents our conscious mind in Astrology. It represents our will to live and our creative life force.
Just as the planets revolve around the Sun in our solar system, we derive our life purpose from the Sun in our natal charts. The Sun is our ego. It is also our "adult"-- the part of us that censors our "inner child", that reasons things out, and makes final decisions. The Sun is our basic identity, and represents self-realization. When you are asked, "Who are you?", and you've passed your basic statistics and occupation, your answers will be a description of your Sun. The Sun also represents our overall vitality. The Sun directs us, and can be considered "the boss" of our chart.

The Sun is so important in the chart, that the happiest people on this earth are those who identify (without over-identifying) with the Sun's expression. Though one might think that the traits of their Sun would come easy to them, the truth is, the Sun shows what we are learning to be. It is very important to remember that the Sun represents reason as opposed to instinct.

With respect to the other luminary (the Moon), the Sun reflects the present or the "here and now", while the Moon infuses the past into our lives through the feelings.

When we are "acting out" our Sun, we are purposeful, directed, proud, and creative. On the negative side, we can be haughty, overly willful, self-centered, and judgmental.

In the chart, the position of the Sun by zodiac sign represents the native's life purpose and the style in which they leave their mark in the world. By house, the Sun's position shows where our personalities shine. The areas of life associated with that house reveal the types of experiences which contribute to our sense of individuality and which shape our sense of pride. These areas of life are ones in which we seek to express and focus our Sun sign qualities.